theÌ„ not to be any more displeased with me for theÌ„ nor to thinke of punishing me at least eternallie for theÌ„ but to be haue thy selfe towards me hereafter as though thou diddest no more remeÌ„ber theÌ„ as though thy face eyes wese turned froÌ„ them and so to loue me hereafter so to behold me and with such a mild aspect countenaÌ„ce as though I had neuer sinned for so thou beholdest all truly penitent sinners and turning away thy angrie face from me behoulding me with a mild countenance wype away all my iniquities 3. Thou promisedst ô sweete Lord Ezech. 18. by the Prophet Ezechiel that if the impious shall doe pennance of all his sinnes c. ehou wilt not remember them that is so as to punish them at least eternallie Forget ô Lord my sinnes also in the same manner Thou promisedst by thy Prophet Micheas Michea 7. that thou wilt cast our sinnes into the bottome of the sea that is of the sea of thy mercie that they may be seene no more cast my sinnes into this sea that they may be drowned hidden from thy face Thou dist cast all the sinnes of Ezechias behind thy back Isai 38 cast also myne and turne thy face from them 4. I also ô Lord say so ô penitent sinner haue sinned with Dauid and I feare with him to appeare before thy face or to come in thy sight or presence And therefore as my first Parentes Adam and Eue did Gen. 3. I desire to hyde my selfe from thee if it might be in some bush or thicket Gen. 4. and as Cain had no sooner sinned but his countenance was abated and fallen so I guiltie of many and greeuous sinnes dare not looke thee in the face I count my selfe with Manasses vnworthie to looke vp to the height of Heauen Orat. Manaes Lucae 18. and with the penitent Publican I dare not so much as to lifte vp my eyes tovvards Heauen where thou art Wherefore ô Lord I cry to thee with Dauid to turne thy face from my sinnes It is not conuenient that thy Diuine eyes should cast their light and beames on so vile obiectes It is not conuenient they should looke on such filthines least they prouoke thee to disdaine to Indignation and anger remember them no more so as to be displeased with me for them remember them no more so as to punish me at least eternallie for them but as thou remembrest S. Marie Magdalenes sinnes and yet since her repentaÌ„ce art not depleased with her nor doest punish her for them so deale with me and in this sence turne thy face from my sinnes and behaue thy selfe towards me 5. But let myne owne eyes ô Lord and cogitations be euer fixed on my sinnes not to approue theÌ„ not to take delight in them nor yet thereby to dispaire of thy mercie towards me but as oft as I thinke of them to deteste and abhorre them to humble my selfe and to take notice of myne owne frayltie by theÌ„ to thinke into what danger of damnation they brought me how gratefull I should be to thee who hast deliuered me from this daunger To take heed hereafter least I fall againe into them to weepe for them and to crye thee mercie for them so oft as I thinke on them and by so fixing myne eyes and cogitations on them to cause thee to turne thy face and Diuine eyes from them and by thy grace and mercie to vvipe avvaye all myne iniquities Cor mundum crea in me Deus Spiritum rectum innoua in visceribus meis Create a cleane heart in me ô God and renevv a right Spirit in my bovvels 1. THere is no merit or desert in me ô Lord sayth Dauid on which as on a subiect thou maist worke my Iustification from sinne and cleanenesse of heart but as thou createdst the whole world of nothing so thou must create a cleane right and iust heart in me of nothing that is myne that is of no precedent merite of myne because the grace of iustification by which my heart is to be cleaÌ„sed from sinne is not giuen for any precedent good worke or deserte of myne For if by grace Rom. 11 I be Iustified then not by vvorkes othervvise grace vvere not grace no free guift but a reward 2. The almes I gaue to the poore the fasting wherewith I chastised my bodie my many prayers then made to thee ô Lord and whatsoeuer good worke I did whilest I was in the state of mortall sinne were dead workes the workes of a dead man dead in soule by sinne and so could not merite my Iustification and therefore hauing nothing in me which could merite my Iustification cleanenesse of heart thou ô Lord out of thy mercie for the merite of thy sacred passion must iustifie me and not for any thing in me and so thou must create my heart thou must create me a new creature of nothing of myne but onelie of thine that is of thy grace and mercie A sinner as a sinner is no creature of God and therefore in the Canticle Benedicite where all creatures euen to windes tempests dew snow yea and brute beastes are inuited to prayse blesse God the sinner is not inuited because he as a sinner is no creature of God but a moÌ„ster of his owne peruerse will yea a nothing sinne being no reall thing if it be true as it is most true which the wiseman saieth feare God and obserue his commandementes â—cclesiastes 12. for this is euery man then a sinner who is not this because he nether feareth God nor obserueth his commaundementes must be no man nothing and consequentlie if God will make him of a sinner iust and an obseruer of his commaundementes he must make him of nothing and therefore Dauid vseth the vvord create which signifieth a productioÌ„ of nothing as when God created the world of nothing And seeing that as cold is not expelled but by heate nor darkenes but by light nor any contrarie but by its contrarie my heart sayth Dauid can not be freed from the darkenes of sinne but by the light of grace nor from the filth of sinne but by the cleane and cleansing qualitie of grace and therefore I desire thee ô Lord sayth he to create in me this grace of nothing of myne that thereby my heart may be muÌ„dified and renewed 3. A peruerse heart is abominable to our Lord saith the vviseman Prou. 11. and therefore ô Lord create in me a new heart which shall be cleane and pleasing vnto thee my old heart was become by sinne old was clothed in the old habit of the old man the first Adam and the first sinner of meÌ„ take this oldnesse of sinne from me and from my heart and create in me a new heart a cleane heart 4. O Lord thou promisedst that thou wouldst giue to thy people a new heart Ezech. 36. and wouldst put a new spirit in the middest of them and wouldst take away the stony heart
out of their flesh and giue them a fleshy heart This promise I challenge ô Lord and this heart I desire myne old heart hetherto was by sinne fowle and vncleane giue me a cleane heart It was by sinne become as hard as a stone not apte to receaue thy good inspirations nor plyable to any good giue me for hereafter a fleshie heart a softe heart mollified by thy bloud and by the waters of contrition an heart as softe as waxe easie to be formed and figured by thy Diuine hand and to be framed to what thou wilt apt to receaue thy Diuine inspirations apt to melte in thy loue apt to be mooued passionatlie for myne owne sinnes and compassionatlie for the sinnes miseries of others Giue me a new heart a cleane heart cleane washed from the abominable filth of sinne by the water of grace which floweth from thy holie passio through the channelles of the Sacramentes 5. Demaund thou also with Dauid ô penitent sinner a cleane a new heart Say vnto thy God Thou commandest me ô mercifull God by the vvise Salomon Prou. 4 with all garde to keepe my heart because life proceedeth from it but because I haue not well looked to it nor haue set a watch or garde ouer it by continuall vigilancie I desire thee to take it to thy care Psalm 126. for vnlesse thou keepest this Citie he watcheth in vaine that keepeth it not to permit any vncleane thing to enter into it It hath hetherto lodged the world the flesh and the Deuil by inordinate affection expelle them I beseech thee out of it It is or ought to be thy mansion place thy cabinet thy Temple let none else enter into it Giue me grace to adorne this Temple with chast and holie cogitations that thou onelie in it maist be loued thou onelie worshiped thy prayses onelie may be daylie sung in it to thee onelie the sacrifice of a contrite harte of prayse and thankesgiuing may be offered And seeing my old vncleane heart is not fit for this create in me a cleane and a new heart 6. Thou commandest me to giue my heart vnto thee and thou beggest it of me in those enchanting wordes Praebe filâ—mi Prou. 23. cortuum mihi my sonne giue me thy heart And if thou please to create it new for else it is not worth the giuing nor vvorthie the acceptance I giue it thee frankelie and freelie and in so doeing I shall but giue thee that vvhich is thyne ovvne by creatioÌ„ redemption for to redeeme this heart thou dyedst sanctification I doe not onelie lend it thee for a tyme as I did heretefore when I liued well for a tyme but after by sinne vvrested this my heart out of thy possession and gaue the Deuill the keyes of this Citie but I giue it thee for euer neuer intending by thy grace to take it from thee againe 7. O Eternall Father thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy litle one Isaie 9. so stiled by the Prophet Esaie litle in his temporall birth and as litle as a sucking babe but greate in his eternall natiuitie litle in his humane nature greate and immense in his Diuinitie vveake as a child in his litle bodie but omnipotent and of infinite povver in his Diuinitie contained and restrained in a narrovv crib in respecte of his bodie but filling Heauen and earth containing all thinges contained of nothing in regard of his Diuine nature I giue also vnto thee my litle one my heart one of the least members of my bodie in quantitie greatest in vigour force and vertue as vvhich is the fountaine of life imparting motion life ad vitall spirites to the rest of the membres Thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy sonne the middle personne in Trinitie I giue vnto thee my heart vvhich is my middle because it is placed in the middest of my bodie that it may the better imparte heate life to all the other partes thereof Thou gauest vnto me by Incarnation thy first and onelie begotten sonne I giue vnto thee my first borne that is my heart which is the first liuing and last dying in me And this I hope vvill be pleasing vnto thee thou like the Eagle desiring to feed on the heart by a complacence vvhich thou takest in it and thou esteeming the heart if it be cleane and Sanctified aboue all the mansion places in earth and desiring rather to dvvell in it by charitie 1. Ioan. 4. for God is charitie he that abydeth in charitie abydeth in God and God in him then in the richest Pallace on earth yea then in Salomons Temple 8. And hauing giuen this my heart vnto thee henceforth it shall not be myne but thine thou shalt possesse it thou shalt gouerne it thou onelie shalt rule it I vvill not meddle with the gouernemeÌ„t of it but vnder thee according to thy commaundements counsell and direction And although this heart heretofore hath beene the rendeuous and Receptacle of the Deuill the world flesh thy svvorn enemies yet if thou please by thy grace to cleanse it and adorne it they shall be sent packing thou onelie shalt be entertained and it shall be at thy disposition readie to beleeue in thee to hope in thee and to loue thee aboue all thinges and to doe thy will and pleasure in all thinges For all this my old harte was altogether vnapt create then in me a new heart by the nevvnes of grace 9. To this nevv heart sayth Dauid giue for hereafter a new spirit renew a right spirit in my bowelles After the earth and vvorld vvas drovvned and ouerflovved vvith that Deluge and generall inundation of Noes fludde Gen. 2. thou broughtst a Spirit or winde vpon the earth to drye it Giue to the litle vvorld and land of my soule and heart a spirit of grace vvhich may dry it from all concupiscence and from the Deluge of sinne for that Osea 4. 5. this is a right Spirit Ridde me of the vvrong spirit of fornication and of all carnall delightes free me from the vncleane spirit of lust from the spirit of lying and dissembling from the Spirit of pride and enuie for that these are not right spirites and renevv in me the right spirit of charitie chastitie humilitie pouertie renevv in me and create a nevv those seuen graces and spirites of the Holie Ghost the spirit of wisedome and vnderstanding the spirit of counsell and strengh Isa 11. the spirit of knovvledge and pietie the spirit of the feare of our Lord of vvhich euerie one is a right Spirit is thy good spirit Psalm 142. which will conduct me into the right vvay to saluation The former spirit wherewith I was lead heretofore was not a right spirit because it ledde me out of the way it was a crooked spirit because though my bodie be made to looke vp to heauen yet the euill spirit vvhich before ruled
diuine sight 8. But although this sacred bloud and passion of Christ be the generall cause of all remission of sinnes yet there are many other particular causes which in vertue of that doe also remitte sinnes as Baptisme and other Sacraments in the new Lawe and the water of contrition in all Lawes And this lauer of Christs bloud Dauid by faith forsawe and desired to be washed and bathed in it and to be cleansed frō the filth of sinne by it 9. We are defyled in generall by twoe sinnes to witt originall and Actuall or personall sinne and because originall sinne is contracted not by our owne personall acte or will but by the will of our first parent Adam Rom. 5. in whome as S. Paule saith All haue sinned therefore to wash out the fylth of this sinne no personall acte of ours is required as children are not capable of any such acte but in the Lawe of nature the faith of the parents manifested by some externall signe was sufficient in the Lawe of Moyses circumcision and in the new Lawe Baptisme doth suffice But because our actuall sinnes are committed by our owne proper Willes a lauer and Baptisme of contrition called by the Diuines Baptismus flaminis baptisme of the Spirit was euer in all Lawes necessarie And for this water Dauid cryed when he sayd Wash me more amply from myne iniquitie 10. And almightie God out of compassion of the thirst Dauid suffered in this kind stroke the rocke of his stony hart hardened by sinne and made the waters of contrition to gush forth in that aboundance and with that impetuositie that he saith in an other place Psal 118. myne eyes haue gushed forth issues of waters and he will not weepe once onelie for his sinnes he will weepe day night and this lauer of teares where in he desireth to wash his soule shall not be a torrent which runneth impetuously but for a tyme it shall be an euer running fountaine Psal 6. for saith he I will euery night wash my bed I will water my couche with teares See Genebrard on this Psalme And the Hebrew text by an hyperboly explicateth yet more the aboundance of his teares for whereas our vulgar Latin text hath Lauabo per singulas noctes lectū meū I will euery night wash my bed The Hebrew hath natare faciam I vvill make my bed swimme with the floudes of my teares S. Marie Magdalen though beautifull in body by sinne vvas become so lothsome a creature in soule and in the sight of God that she durst not looke Christ in the face but Standing behind besides his feete Luc. 7. began to vvater his feete vvith teares yet being bathed in this water she became as white as driuen snowe S. Peter what a sinne did he wash away by this lauer He had denied his master Christ Iesus three tymes and not at the threatning of a Tyrant but at the voice of a wooman and she a wench an hand-maid and he had also abiured him Mat. 26 Mar. 14 Luc. 2. with oathes curses most vnworthely and vngratfully considering his masters loue vnto him and yet goeing forth and weeping bitterly this great sinne vvas vvashed so cleane avvay as if it had neuer been 11. Say then ô sinfull Wighte vnto thy mercifull God If Dauid Manasses Marie Magdalene other great sinners haue been vvashed cleane frō their sinnes why should I dispare to be vvashed from the filth of my sinnes I Confesse that I am a great sinner and cōsequently defiled and polluted from top to toe but I desire thee ô Lord to vvash me in the vvater of contrition vvhich hath vertue from thy bloud for then I make no doubt to be cleansed I cry ô Lord vvith Hieremie the Prophete Who vvill giue vvater to my heade Hier. 9 and to myne eyes a fountaine of this vvater that I may vveepe day and night For lesse vvill not serue to vvash my defiled soule 1. Par. 11. I cry vvith Dauid ô that some man Christ Iesus God and man vvould giue me vvater of this cisterne of Bethleem Gen. 6. This vvater of contrition is an other Noes floud vvhich drowneth sinnes and saueth soules to vvhich vvater if the sinners of the world at that tyme had had recourse they had neuer beene drowned in the deluge It is an other redde sea Exod. 14. redde vvith the bloud of Christ from vvhich it hath its vertue which drowneth the Egyptiās the deuill all his hellish troupes of sinnes but saues soules and the true Israëlites by vvhich out of Egipte that is out of the state of sinne vve passe to the land of promise heauen the home of our soule and the land of the liuing and blessed This vvater is distilled in the limbecke of our hart by the Holy Ghost the fyer of charitie vvhich maketh it to ascende to the eyes and thence to Heauen because it is Ioan. 4. Aqua saliens in vitam aeternam vvater vvhich stringeth to life euerlasting 12. O Lord I demaund not vvith thy blessed virgin-mother for wine for the Bride I cry onelie for this vvater that vvasheth away the fylthe of sinne cooleth the heate of concupiscence mollifieth our stony hartes and like an heauenly raine maketh fertille the soyle of our soule and causeth it to bring forth the florishing plantes and sweete herbes and flowers of all māner of vertues which setteth a new glosse on our soule and maketh the Image of God therein engrauen to appeare most amiable to God and his Angels and Saintes asswageth God his ire indignation and extinguisheth the fyre of hell Giue me this vvater ô Lord and I shall esteeme it aboue the most precious vvines It shall be meate and drinke vnto me and I shall say vvith our Royall Prophet Fuerunt mibi lacrymae mea panes die ac nocte Psal 41. my teares haue been breads vnto me day and night the gratefull refection of my soule 13. And giue me ô sweete God a vvaterie ground aboue and a vvaterie beneath Iudie 1 as Axa asked of Caleb Water I beseech thee vvith this water of contrition not onelie the eyes of my bodie but also the eyes of my foule and not onelie the inferiour parte of my soule but also the superiour If the eyes of my soule superiour part be vvatered vvith this heauenlie vvater it is sufficiēt although the eyes of my body should be drye but I desier thee to vvater both that not onelie my hart and eyes of my soule may weepe but that also the eyes of my bodie may gush forth vvith teares for that one helpeth the other many tymes the sorrovv of the superiour part redounds to the inferiour and vvhen the hart sorroweth the eyes shed forth teares I desier not teares for temporall losses I defier to behold them vvith drye eyes and if I should vveepe neuer so much for such losses vveeping would not helpe me giue me grace to weepe
ô Lord and to be serued in at that table in Heauen where the Angels are vvaiters and the blessed are commensalls and thy diuinitie is the viande on vvhich they feede by cleare vision and fruition for all eternitie 5. And thou ô penitent Christian confesse vvith Dauid that by sinne thou art slurredd and defiled more then the sovve vvashed in volutabro luti 2 Pet. 2. in the wallowing of mire so as thou needest to cry with Dauid to be sprinkled vvith the blood of the immaculate lambe Christ Iesus by the meanes of the humble and contemptible hyssope of the crosse The blood of Goates and oxen and the ashes of an heifer being sprinkled sanctifyeth the polluted to the cleansing of the fleshe hovv much more hath the blood of Christ Heb. 9. vvho by the Holy Ghost offered himselfe vnspotted vnto God cleansed our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing God This lauer of this bloud I desire because it cleÌ„aseth the soule from dead workes that is deadlie sinnes vvhich bring death to the soule Sprinkle then and vvash me ô Lord vvith this bloud Apoc. 7. that I maybe on of those happy ones who haue washed their robes and made them vvhite in the bloud of the lambe For vvhereas my soule by sinne is vglie in thy sight and therefore forsaken of thee and diuorced from thee and betrothed to the Diuell after she shall be vvashed in this lauer and restored to her former beautie vvhich she receaued by baptisme she may breake vvith the Diuell and vvith all that is contrarie to thy vvill and pleasure and may be made againe a gratefull spouse vnto thee vvorthie thy loue in this life and thy eternall imbracementes in the next Auditui meo dabis gaudium latitiam exultabunt ossa humiliata To my hearing thou shalt giue ioy and gladnes and the bones humbled shall reioice 1. ANd vvhen thou hast forgiueÌ„ me my sinnes and cleansed my soule from the fylth of them then shall the remorse and worme of conscience the brood of sinne be killed and my conscience no more gnawed vvith it but insteed of it a great calmenes quietnes yea a gladnes of harte shall followe vvhich shall be a coÌ„tinuall banquet to my soule because as the wiseman saith A secure mind Prou. 15. is as it vvere a continuall feaste and the eares of my soule shall alvvayes heare those comfortable wordes vvhich by thy Prophet NathaÌ„ thou vtterdst vnto me â— Reg. 12. And our Lord hath taken avvay thy sinne then to the eares of my vnderstanding thou shalt giue ioy and gladnes then to them nothing shall souÌ„d not melodious nothing not gratefull nothing not coÌ„fortable vvhich shall so comfort my soule that my bones humbled that is the forces and powers of my soule vvhich vvere debilitated and deiected and which were euen faynte vvith feare of thy iudgements shall reioyce and shall recouer their spirituall forces and strength againe by vvhich I shall be made constant couragious to resiste all tentations and to persiste for euer hereafter in thy seruice and so euer enioy the ioye and gladnes of harte vvith which thou feedest and refreshest all thy deuoted freinds and seruantes 2. Demaund thou also ô penitent sinner vvith Dauid the ioye and gladnes of harte and conscience in lieu of the remorse gnawing vvorme bredde by sinne vvhich continually tormenteth the conscience For if euer thou possesse this calme of conscience ioy of harte vvhich God his Spirit imparteth vvhen it giueth testimonie that is a morall certitude to our spirit and conscience that vve are the sonnes of God if sonnes heyres also Rom. 8. heyres trulie of God and coheyâ—es of Christ then the yoke of CHRIST vvill seeme sweete and the burden of his lawe easie and his seruice honour and pleasure then fasting vvill seeme feasting prayer vvill neuer seeme long In almes-deeds we shall seeme rather to receiue then to giue at least it vvill seeme beatius â—are quam accipere a more blessed thinge to giue Act. 20 then to take Then vertue vvill appeare in its owne lustre amiable and vice though seasoned vvith neuer so much corporall pleasure vvill seeme brutish vglie beastlie O Lord let me neuer loose this ioy and gladnes by vertue of vvhich my bones spirituall forces of my soule humbled and vveakned by sinne may reioyce and receaue their forces againe and I thereby may vvalke cherfullie in the vvaies of thy commandements and so vvalking may carrie this ioy and gladnes of harte grounded in grace and the obseruations of thy commandements vvith me to Heauen and euen to those eternall ioyes vvhich there are layde vp in store for all those that departe heÌ„ce with Ioy and gladnes of conscience deuoid of all sinne Auerte faciem tuam à peccatis meis omnes iniquitates meas dele Turne away thy face from my sinnes and wipe away all myne iniquities 1. ANd after my conscience shall haue enioyed this calme quietnes after the storme of sinne shall be appeased vvhich made debate betwixt thee and me and incensed me against thee by malice and prouoked thee against me by anger I beseech thee ô Lord saith Dauid to turne away for hereafter thy face froÌ„ my sinnes There is no child that hath committed a fault but feareth the eyes and face of his Father there is no scholler that hath played the trewant vvho dreadeth not the sight of his Master no theefe that quaketh not at the sight of the Iudge no marueill then if Dauid feared the sterne countenance of God he being his Father vvhom he disobeyed his Master vvhom he had neglected his Iudge vvhom he had slighted and therefore he had reason to desire God to turne avvay his face from his sinnes 2. I know saith Dauid my sinnes can not be hidden from thy all-seeing eyes vvhich reach to the sight of all thinges past present future But yet I desire thee to turne away thy frowning angrie couÌ„tenance from them and not to be displeased any more vvith me for them and to laye aside all cogitation of punishing me for them Thou still remembrest the moste penitent sinners sinnes and offences but yet since they were washed avvay by the teares of contrition and remitted and pardoned by thy grace mercie thou doest not remember theÌ„ so as to be displeased with the penitent sinner for theÌ„ or so as to haue the thought of punishing him at least eternallie Thou seest still the peniteÌ„t sinners sinnes though longe since remitted but thou art no more displeased vvith him for theÌ„ nor doest thou think of punishing him at least eternally for theÌ„ Thou lookest on him still his sinnes past but thou lookest not on him with an angrie but with an amiable looke And in this sence saith Dauid I desire thee after my sinnes are forgiueÌ„ after the ioye of coÌ„science which followeth their forgiuenesse to turne away thyne angrie countenance froÌ„ me
me did crooken my soule made it looke dovvne to the earthlie pleasurs not vpward to thee and to the blisse of Heauen Giue me therefore ô Lord the former seuen Spirites and guiftes of the Holie Ghost vvhich are right Spirites and vvhich doe put my soule in a right posture tovvards thee Heauen and doe make my soule in all her actions to ayme principallie at thee and thy honour and doe eleuate her to Heauen by contemplation by which shee conuerseth in Heauen with thee and thy-Angelles and Saints Engraft this Spirit in me ô Lord and then as the graft of a peare tree grafted on a thorne tree beareth not thornes but peares so this spirit grafted on the thorne of my carnall and corrupte nature vvill make me henceforth to beare not the fruites of the flesh but of the spirit This is the right spirit I desire to haue for my guide and conductour and directour in all my actions In this thy spirit now is all my delight not in the spirit of the vvord or flesh and how good and sweete is this thy spirit Sap. 12. ô Lord in all 10. And I beseech thee sweet Lord to renew and innouate this spirit this right spirit in my bowels Permit not the spirit of Hypocrisie to dominere in me because that spirit doth all to the outward shewe and hath a faire outside but a fowle and filthie inside That spirit mooueth to fast to seeme holy to pray to seeme deuout to giue almes to seeme charitable but I desire a spirit which may worke inwardlie vvhat it sheweth outwardlie and therefore I desire it maybe innouated in my entralls in my heart that vvhen I pray it may not be with lippes onelie but vvith heart also vvhē I giue almes it may not be out of a desire to please men but out of charitie and compassion to please God O Lord giue me this right heart this right and invvard spirit for if the spirit of my heart be right all my actions vvill be vpright not crooked nor bēding to the world If my heart be cleane all my cogitations purposes and euen my outvvard actiōs will be cleane but if the hearte be crooked or vncleane all my actions vvill be crooked and vncleane because if the fountayne be muddie the riuer can not runne cleare if the roote be poysoned the bowes and fruites vvill be infected will infect If my heart be dead all my actions euen the best vvill be dead and not meritorious of life euerlasting but if my heart be liuing by the life of grace all my good vvorkes vvill be liuing and meritorious And seeing my former heart ô Lord was vncleane by sinne crooked by a crooked spirit tending to earthlie thinges yea vvas dead by mortall sinne which depriued it of the life of grace giue me a cleane heart fit for thee to dvvell in giue me a right heart vvhich may allvvaies ayme at thy glorie giue me a liuing heart vvhich liuing here by grace may liue in Heauen by glorie the fruite and haruest of the seed of grace Ne proijcias me à facie tua Spiritum Sanctum tuum ne auferas à me Cast me not avvay from thy face and thy holy Spirit take not from me Aug. l. 1. de libero ar cap. 16. lib. 2. c. 19. lib. contra Socundinum Manich c. 15. 1. SInne if it be mortall is an auersion of our vvill from God the Creatour and an inordnate conuersion of the same to the Creature it is a scornefull turning of the backe to God and a loving turning of the face to the creature it is a disdainfull farewell to the creatour a freindlie vvellcome to the creature And this vvere enough to cause God to turne his face from vs because vve by sinne doe turne our faces from him and our backes to him I ô Lord saith Dauid in a former verse desired thee to turne thy face from my sinnes that is so as not to be displeased with them novv I desire thee not to turne thy face from my selfe my person My sinnes are no creatures of thine but vglie monsters of my peruerse vvill and therefore thou hast cause to turne thy face from them and not to daine these viperous broods thy good looke or fauorable countenance but I my selfe though I be a sinner by myne owne malice yet I am thy creature by thy goodnes and seeing Thou louest all thinges that are Sap. 11. hatest nothing of those thinges which thou hast made yea thou sparest all because they are thine And especially thou louest soules reasonable creatures I hope thou vvilt not turne thy face from me but looke on me vvith a louinge aspect Thou hatest not the Diuell but for his sinne and vvere it not for that thou vvouldst loue him Hate then ô Lord my sinnes for I also doe hate and detest them with thee auert thy fauorable countenāce from them for I also through thy grace can not afford them a good looke But hate not me I am thy handworke and thy master-peece after the Angells hate not me I beare thy liuelie image which thou canst not hate it so liuelie representing thy selfe Hate then my creature my sinne but not thy creature auert thy face from my sinnes but cast me not from thy face conuert thy selfe to me that I may be conuerted to thee I could of my selfe auert my selfe from thee but I can not conuert my selfe to thee vnlesse thou by thy grace conuert me 2. Heretofore it vvas a pleasure to me but ô the novv displeasing pleasure to be auerted from thee and conuerted to thy creatures vvhich I loued in ordinatlie because aboue thee aboue thee because against thy commaundements but novv thy grace hath made a great mutatiō in me Psa 76 this is mutatio dexterae excelsi the change of the right hand of the Highest novv it is the greatest corrosiue to my heart to be auerted from thy face in vvhich the Angells take delight and it will be my greatest comfort if thou vouchsafe to turne thy benigne countenance to me and not to cast me away from thy face The aspect of thy countenance the verie turning and cōuersion of thy glorious face to me is a torch and light vvhich illuminateth my way and keepeth me from stumbling and falling it is the sea starre which directeth my nauigation it is the piller of fire vvhich leadeth me by night the cloud vvhich guideth me by day through the desertes of this life Gen. 13 to Heauen the land of promise 3. I heretofore vvhich now I rue tooke a fall by sinne from thee ô God from thy grace fauour frō Heauen into the depth of sinne and if thy mercifull hand had not holden me into the pit of Hell but now that by thy grace the effect of thy benigne coūtenance I am risen let me not fall againe now that by the light of thy face which is thy grace I am directed
inflamed with charitie so he inflameth that he with an hot cole taken from the Altar may touch my mouth Isa c. 6 and purge my lippes from all filth of sinne See S. Thom. Lyra. Hector Pintus and SaÌ„ctius on the sixt chap. of Isaiâ— that is that he vvith the burning cole of charitie taken from the Altar of the crosse or CHRIST his passion endured on the crosse for that is the source of all grace and charitie may purge my hart and lippes as gold in the fornace from all drosse of sinne that my hart may thinke nothing my mouth and lippes may speake nothing which is not pure chast and holie For then my mouth vvill be apt to shew forth thy praise Or else send ô Lord one of thy Priestes who by office is a Seraphin instituted and ordained to illuminate and inflame the heartes of the people by preaching and administration of the Sacramentes And let him either by the burning cole of thy word for thy word is fired exceedinglie or by that sacred burning cole of CHRISTS holie bodie in the Eucharist burning continuallie vvith the Diuinitie Ps 118. yet not consumed taken from the holie Altar vvhere it is offered daylie in the Church of God may inflame my heart purge first it and then my lippes vvhich are the interpreters of the heart from all filth of sinne Or else ô my svveet God send vnto me one of thy Seraphins one of thy Priests vvho ministeriallie by meanes of the SacrameÌ„ts vvhich he ministreth giueth the Holie Ghost that he by the hot cole of this holie Spirit proceeding as ardent loue from God the father and God the sonne coequall and consubstantiall vnto them vvho in the day of Pentecoste descending fom heauen in the forme of fierie tongues inflamed purged th' Apostles and first Christians may inflame purge my heart lippes from all filth of sinne and so may make me fitt to shew forth thy praise for vntill I be purged from sinne Ps 49. I am a sinner to the sinner thou sayst why doest thou declare my iustices and takst my Testament by thy mouth And Ecclesiasticus telleth me Eccleisastici 15. that praise is not comelie in the mouth of a sinner 3. But open my mouth ô Lord stopped by sinne and purge my lippes polluted by sinne and then not onelie my mouth shall be the trumpet to sound forth thy prayses vvhich thou ô penitent sinner must say after him but my soule shall say to her selfe Ps 102. My soule blesse thou our Lord and all the thinges that are within me my vnderstanding my vvill my memorie my heart and all that is in me shall blesse and prayse God yea my body and all the senses and partes of it as myne eyes myne eares the rest of my senses my heade my haÌ„des my feete in imploying theÌ„selues in thy seruice shall be so many trumpets to sound forth thy praise 4. And not onelie vvith bodie and soule I vvill praise thee but I vvill coniure all people and natioÌ„s to ioyne vvith me in thy praise for I vvill crye vnto them Ps 1â—6 Praise our Lord all the Gentiles praise him all the peoples yea I vvill coniure all thy creatures asvvell reasonable as vnreasonable sensible as vnsensible to praise thee and confesse thee to be their Creatour and to say as they doe say euerie day to those that haue intelligence He made vs Psa 99. and not we our selues I vvil vvith Sidrach Dan. 3. Misach Abdenago call vpon all creatures to praise thee I will sing daylie their Canticle and Benedicite All workes of our Lord blesse our Lord ye Angels of our Lord praise and superexalt him for euer ye Heauens blesse our Lord praise and superexalt him for euer All waters that are aboue the heauens blesse ye our Lord praise and superexalt him for euer Sunne and Moone blesse ye our Lord praise and superexalt him for euer In the like manner I vvill inuite the starres planets the showers and dewes the vvindes and tempests fire heate frost and cold yce and snovv and the rest vvhich are inuited to the praise of God in this Canticle for that all those creatures though many of them be deuoide of reason many also of sense doe praise God in exciting men by consideration and contemplation of these admirable vvorkes of God to the praise of him 5. For as vvhen vve see a picture vvell dravvne or a statue cunninglie carued we by and by commend not onelie the picture statue but also and especiallie the painter and Caruer so vvhen vve looke vpon the Heauens and those euer shining lights vvhich may be ouershadovved but neuer are put out and the goodlie order and disposition of the Heauens elemeÌ„tes and creatures in theÌ„ vve praise not onelie them but much more the Creatour And in this fence the HeaueÌ„s though they haue neither reason nor sence are sayd to shew forth the glorie of God Ps 18. vvherefore hence forth with thy grace ô Lord all my actions shall be directed to thy honour glorie euerie morning so soone as I rise or awake both they and all I am haue shall be offered designed for thy honour and so by vvord and worke I will euer shew forth thy praise and I vvill neuer cease froÌ„ singing praises vnto thee till I come to sing Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus Holie Holie Holie vvith the quire of thy Heauenlie musicians thy Saintes and Angels Quoniam si voluisses sacrificium dedissem vtique Holocaustis non delectaberis Because if thou wouldest haue had sacrifice I had verilie giuen it with holocaustes thou wilt not be pleased 1. I Promised thee ô Lord saith Dauid that my mouth should shew forth thy praise Ps 4â— because I take the sacrifice of praise to be more pleasing vnto thee otherwise if thou wouldst haue had sacrifice to vvit the materiall corporall sacrifice of brute beastes I would verilie haue giuen it And thou knovvest ô Lord that in such sacrifices I haue not beene vvanting but I know they are not pleasing to thee nay vvith Holocaustes vvhich were the best kind of externall sacrifices as being wholie burnt and consumed to thy honour thou art not delighted as they are taken in themselues vvithout the internall sacrifice of the minde Salomon in the dedication of the Temple 3. Reg. 2. offered of oxen tvvo tvventie thousand of sheepe an hundred tvventie thousand and yet all these sacrifices taken nakedlie in theÌ„selues without the inward sacrifices of the minde were not pleasing to God Mich. 6. For as Micheas sayth Nunquid placaripotest Dominus in millibus arietum can our Lord be pacified with thousaÌ„ds of Rammes Or as thou ô Lord thy selfe sayst will I eate the flesh of oxeÌ„ Ps 49. ibid. or will I drinke the blood of buckgoats Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise and pay thy vovve to the highest 2. And vvhat
Saul who had disobeyed God and yet had offered an holocaust of the first of the preyes which he had brought from Amalec Why will our Lord haue holocaustes and victimes and not rather that the voice of our Lord be obeyed for better is obedience then victimes and to harken rather then to offer the fatt of rammes So that the externall sacrifice taken nakedlie by it selfe or as it proceedeth froÌ„ sinfull men is not pleasing to God The inward sacrifice is pleasing to God by it selfe without the externall sacrifice but this without that is not pleasing 3. The sacrifices then vvhich especiallie please God are the inward sacrifices of the minde such a sacrifice is the praise of God vvhich is called the sacrifice of praise in diuers places of Scripture Tob. 2. Psal 4.49.115 vvhich Dauid in his 49. Psalme preferreth before the sacrifice of oxen and other beastes for hauing reiected those sacrifices he saith Immolate to God the sacrifice of praise By this sacrifice of praise we humble our selues and make a kinde of sacrifice of our selues to God in acknowledging our selues to be nothing to haue nothing which we haue not from him and so taking away all matter motiue of praise froÌ„ our selues vve giue all thankes and praise to God onelie for all his benefites graces and vve say with Dauid not to vs ô Lord Psalm 113. 1. Tim. 1. not to vs but to thy name giue the glorie And with S. Paul To the King of the worldes immortall inuisible onelie God honour glorie for euer and euer of vvhich sacrifice S. Paul speaking saith Heb. 13. by him therefore let vs offer this hoste of praise alwayes to God that is to say the fruite of lippes confessing to his name 4. Such a sacrifice is obedieÌ„ce by vvhich vve sacrifice not the bodies of brute beastes but our ovvne willes affections and iudgements which are the thinges most deare vnto vs. Gen. 22 Such a sacrifice Abraham offered to God when after God had commaunded him to immolate sacrifice his onelie and dearely beloued Isaac he tooke the vvood and layd it on Isaac his sonnes shoulders to prefigurat thereby CHRIST IESVS vvho carried the vvood of the crosse on which he vvas sacrificed for our Redemption and Abraham himselfe carried the fire vvith vvhich he thought to haue burned Isaac into an holocauste he built an Altar he bound Isaac and layd him on the pile of wood which was on the Altar and taking his sword stretching forth his hand he vvas readie to kill his owne sonne Isaac O obedience better then an holocauste or hecatoÌ„be of all the oxen sheepe in the vvorld O noble sacrifice by which he sacrificed his paternall affection to so deare a sonne But God almightie was so pleased with this inward sacrifice of his obedieÌ„ce by which he sacrificed his vvill and all naturall affectioÌ„ towards his onely sonne that he sent an Angell to coÌ„maund him to hold his handes saying by this ô AbrahaÌ„ I see thou fearest God by this I haue tried thy loue obedieÌ„ce towards me who wast readie to kill thy onelie thy so deare soÌ„ne to obey me Enough Abraham enough this internall sacrifice so pleaseth me that now I care not for the externall hold thy hands Oratio de diuinitate Filij Spiritus S. kill not thy sonne S. Gregorie Nissen affirmeth of himselfe that when on a time he sawe the picture of Abraham readie to sacrifice his owne sonne he could not passe by the picture vvithout shedding teares as indeed the picture the example would mooue any tender or generous heart 5. Such a sacrifice is Beneficence or Almesgiuing which S. Paul biddeth vs not to forget Heb. 13. because with such hostes God is promerited this sacrifice is on Almes which proceeding from the loue of God coÌ„passioÌ„ towards our neighbour is first offered to God because it is giuen principallie for his sake then is giuen to our neighbour or the poore and so is a sacrifice resembling those sacrifices of the old lawe of which not onelie the Priest but the people also vvas partaker 5. Such a sacrifice is prayer made to God with feruencie deuotioÌ„ the Priest who offereth this sacrifice is the deuout Christian his Altar is his soule or heart his sacrifice is his prayer the fire which burneth this sacrifice is Charitie out of vvhich prayer ascending mounteth vp to Heauen yea penetrateth it as a sweet perfume and sauoureth sweetlie to the diuine senses and perfumeth all the court of Heauen like a most sweete incense Psalm 140. according to that of Dauid Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight And as by sacrifice vve acknovvledge our ovvne basenes and vilitie God his souuerainitie maiestie our selues his creatures him our Creatour and Lord of our liues who could destroy and annihilat vs as by sacrifice beastes were vvont to be killed and consumed that vve hold out beeing of him as teÌ„nants at vvill are of our selues nothing so by the spirituall sacrifices of prayer we acknowledge our selues beggers God the rich King of Heauen and earth our selues so poore that vve haue nothing and are nothing of our selues him so rich that he is the fountaine and source of all goodnes perfection yea and beeing on vvhom vve depend more then the riuer of the fountaine or the sunne beames of the sunne and so by prayer vve saccrifice all vve haue and are to God acknovvledging that of our selues we haue nothing are nothing but haue all of God and so doe liue precario by begging and at his vvill 6. Such a sacrifice is a contrit heart and this is the principall of all spirituall and invvard sacrifices and is of all the most pleasing to God because as Dauid saith in this verse a sacrifice to God that more pleasing then holocaustes in which he vvill not be delighted is an afflicted spirit and a contrit and humbled heart which God will not despise The externall and corporall sacrifices taken alone are neither profitable to God nor pleasing as in the former verse is declared the inward sacrifices alone are not profitable to God but yet they are pleasing to him They are not profitable for what is he the better for our praise vvhat the vvorse for our dispraise vvhat is he the better if vve honour him vvhat the vvorse is vve dishonour him vvhat the better is he for our good workes prayers and deuotion vvhat the vvorse for all the sinnes vve committ For as Eliphaz Themanites sayd to Iob. Iob. 22. What doth it profit God if thou be iust or what doest thou aduantage him if thy way be vnspotted And as Eliu sayd to the same Iob Iob. 35. If thou sinne what shalt thou hurt him if thy iniquitie be multiplied what shalt thou doe against him More ouer if thou doe iustlie what shalt thou giue him or what shall he reâ—eaue of thy hande yet
in cryes and my eyes vvitnesse it vvith flouddes of teares O Dauid vvho art thou vvho novv art so humble euen in heart vvast not thou elected by God and anointed by Samuel the Prophet King of the Ievves vvas it not thou 2. Reg. 10. vvho killedst a lion and a beare 1. Reg. 17. foyledst at thy feete the great Giant Golias vvho braued the hostes of God made them all to quake Art not thou he of vvhom the yonge maydes virgins sange 1. Reg. 18. Saul stroke a thousand and Dauid ten thousand It is true I am he that did all this but I vvho killed the lion 1. Reg. 17. the beare and the Giant Golias am now slaine by an homebred yet more cruell beast concupiscence vvhich pretending to doe me a pleasure hath giuen me my deadlie vvound and like a trayterous Ioab seeming to offer me a kisse 2. Reg. 20. 1. Reg. 18. Psa 88 gaue me the stabb O Dauid art not thou he to whom God promised the Kingdome of Israel to continue in thy race for euer of vvhich race the Messias was to descende vvhy then art thou so deiected and humbled in heart I am he but I am now a greeuous sinner and those great titles prerogatiues and priuileges vvherevvith God heretofore honoured me doe now but aggrauat my sinnes and therefore not vvithstanding the aforesaid titles I am afflicted in spirit my heart is contrite broken vvith sorrovv and humbled 11. And yet ô Lord saith he I vvill not dispaire knowing thee to be mercifull and mercie it selfe Psa 21. Ps 70 ibid. Thou art my hope from the breastes of my mother thou art my hope from my youth In thee Lord I haue hoped let me not be confounded for euer Ps 131. Remember Dauid ô Lord and all his meeknes Remember vvhat I vvas heretofore Act. 13. a man according to thy heart consider not vvhat I am but pardon vvhat I am restore me to what I was to my former vertue grace and fauout and for my sinnes past I vvill offer thee a sacrifice not of oxen or sheepe but of my selfe of an afflicted spirit of a cōtrite humbled heart vvhich is more agreable to thee thē hecatombes of brute beastes I ô Lord vvill be my selfe the Priest my Altar shall be my soule my sacrifice my heart vvhich by contrition I shall breake and bruse by charitie I vvill burne vnto thy honour as a most gratefull holocauste knowing that a contrite heart and humbled thou wilt not despise 13. O the noble sacrifice of a contrite heart This sacrifice in all lavves be it the lavv of Nature before Moyses or the lavv vvritten before CHRIST or the nevv law since the comming of Christ is auaylable alwayes gratefull neuer abrogated as the old sacrifices are I neede not seeke farre countries for it it is vvithin me I neede not lay out mony to buy it it is myne CHRIST IESVS by his passion bought it and gaue it to me if I vvill I neede not begge it of any but CHRIST IESVS it is in my povver with his grace it is a sacrifice which euerie one may offer aswell the poore as the rich aswell the subiect as the King aswell the seruant as the Master it maybe offred asvvell in the night as the daye aswell in the field as the Church no time no place no person no hovver no moment vnfit for this sacrifice 14. I ô Lod remembring with Dauid my many greeuous sinnes am desirous with him to offer a sacrifice to appease thy anger cōceaued against me for them and because the sacrifices of brute beastes which were offered in the old lavv are not now pleasing vnto thee nor neuer vvere for themselues vnlesse they proceeded frō the invvard sacrifice of the heart I offer vnto thee the invvard sacrifice vvhich Dauid offered thee to wit a contrite and humbled heart beaten to povvder with contrition burned to ashes by loue of thee and charitie The zealous Moyses vvhen he saw that the Iewes had adored the golden calfe instead of God Exod. 32. vvas transported with such an holie rage furie that in this zeale he slew the Idolaters and caused the golden calfe their Idoll to be beaten to powder and mingling the powder with water caused the children of Israel to drinke it If Moyses was so angrie vvith that Idole which committed no Idolatrie but vvas onely the obiect of the Iewes Idolatrie to vvhich also it could not consent How should I detest my heart in what a rage should I be against it vvhy should I not beat it to povvder by contritiō it hauing committed a kinde of Idolatrie so often as it sinned mortallie in preferring the creature before the Creatour his cōmaundements and why should not I mingle this powder with the teares of contrition and drinke daylie this potion and make it my meate and drinke Psa 41. as he did vvho sayd Fuerunt mihi lachrymae meae panes die ac nocte My teares haue beene breads vnto me day and night 15. O sweet Iesus our true Moyses the veritie of the Ievves Moyses a tipe figure of thee who gauest vs the law writtē in heartes not in tables as he did vvho deliueredst vs not from a temporall captiuitie of Pharao as he did Exod. 17. but from an eternall thraldome of the Deuill strike vvith the rodd of thy crosse and consideration of thy passion suffred for our sinnes on it the rocke of my stonie heart that the teares of contrition may gushe forth and flow from it by my eyes as they did frō Dauids S. Peters S. Marie Magdalenes eyes O sweet Iesus resolue by the blood of thy passion my hard heart into the riuers of teares in vvhich Dauid Manasses S. Peter S. Marie Magdalene vvashed their soules frō the filth of sinne In this Iordā of teares vvash me ô Lord 4. Reg. 5. Luc. 4. from my leprosie of sinne vvith Naaman Syrus In this poole of Siloe vvash myne eyes vvith the blind-borne Ioan. 9 Ioan. 5. In this Probatica heale me and cure me of all my infirmities Ioan. 4. Wash me in this fountaine of liuing water which springeth vp to life euerlasting In this second baptisme called Baptismus flaminis regenerat me a new creature 2. Par. 33. Ionae 3. 4. Reg. 20. 1. Reg. 2 Psa 50. Luc. 7. Math. 26. These teares restored Manasses to his kingdome deliuerd Niniue from destruction prolonged Ezechias life fifteen yeares procured to Anna a Samuel to Dauid S. Peter S. Marie Magdalene and thousand other sinners remission of their sinnes And if in Noë his tyme the vvorld had beene vvashed in this water it had neuer beene drovvned in the Deluge In this vvater the ship of my soule shall sayle to the hauen of heauen securely because in this sea of teares there is no storme to shake it no surging vvaues to tosse it no rock to shiuer it in peeces or on which