Selected quad for the lemma: work_n
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A19155
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The penitent publican his confession of mouth. Contrition of heart. Vnfained repentance. An feruent prayer vnto God, for mercie and forgiuenesse.
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Collins, Thomas, fl. 1610-1615.
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1610
(1610)
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STC 5566; ESTC S116067
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19,881
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53
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'le mourne in sack cloath like the Nineuites Vpon my head I 'le dust and ashes strowe Like Iosuah the cursed Cananites I meane those sins that seeke my ouerthrowe I 'le beat downe kill and make to coutch full lowe That soule and body may in safetie stand And peaceably possesse the promis'd Land As from the eater Sampson said came meat And from the strong one sweetnes did proceed Euen so from sin which vulter-like doth eat This hunnie-suckle happily doth breed Euen godly sorrow whereon I do feeed That I may purge out with this earbe of grace Those filthy things that would my soule deface Vnder sins burthen I doe lie and grone For I am wearie of my wickednes Therefore oh Lord to thee I make my mone Oh heare me thou and helpe me in distresse And let not sinne nor Sathans subtilnes Subuert my soule nor bring her vnto shame Because she hopes and trusteth in thy name With the proud Pharisie should I excuse My guiltie conscience say my selfe were iust I should my sauiour and my soule abuse And tread the merits of Christs death in dust Whereby alone both I and all men must Be iustifi'd and purged from our sin Vpon repentance or else die therein Which were most fearefull who dare venture on it What wretch is that would vnrepentant die My heart doth tremble for to thinke vpon it Oh mortall man confesse thy miserie And eke repent thee and that speedily For he that hides his sin within his brest He is the man whom God doth most detest And wherein is it wee offend not all What man is that which doth not doe amisse Nay more what member but to sinne doth fall The hart to that the head and hand to this Thus euery part with sinne defiled is I know 't too well and needes I must expresse it For t' would confound mee should I not confesse it Mine eares haue sinn'd by hearing prophane things Mine eyes haue sinn'd by viewing vanitie My tongue hath sinn'd by telling of leazings My heart hath sinn'd by thinking wickedly My hands haue sinn'd by dooing iniurie Wherefore to free my soule from future feares I 'le punish all hands hart tongue eyes and eares Mine eyes for sinne shall weepe continuallie Mine eares attend to nothing but thy word My tongue shall speake Truth and that magnifie My hart shall aye to all good things accord My hands shall labour for to please the Lord. And thus those parts wherewith I did offend Shall each of them their seuerall faults amend Because thou Lord amendment dost require Of euery man as well as to repent Amendment is the thing thou doest desire And without that thou wilt not be content But still wee stand in dread of punishment Wherefore I am resolued by thy grace Both to repent and to amend apace Repentance and amendment are two twinnes Somewhat resembling Esau and his brother Repentance first with shame sets forth our sinnes Vpon whose heele hangs the more happie other I meane amendment which all faults doth smother The first of these God little doth regard Without the last and that hee will reward Wherefore I 'le imitate Zacheus now And straight restore what I haue leaudly got Yea foure for one I freely will allow The rest I doe vnto the poore allot For golde and siluer now I loue you not Cause you are Cankers that corrupt the hart Kill men with care and bring their soules to smart With th'vnrighteous Mammon I 'le make friends That when my day to be dissolu'd doth come Their prayers to whom my bountie here extends May me receiue into Eternall roome Thrice blessed Treasure that doth there intombe Your owners soules but oh more blessed they That saue themselues by casting you away I le giue Earths fruits that I may heauenly haue I will forgiue that I may be forgiuen I will not turne away from them that craue But giue to sixe and also vnto seauen Knowing full well I shall be pay'd in heauen With great aduantage Christ himselfe doth say 't And hee that speaks it will most surely pay 't As the sweet sauours of the male Palme tree The female quickens and doth fruitfull make By breathing on it so Lord grace in thee Freely extended for thy mercies sake All backwardnes and barrennesse will take From mee in whom sinne yet too closely lurks And make mee fresh and fruitfull in good works For Faith without works is like to that tree That cursed Figge-tree which when Christ did spie Flourish with leaues hee there look't fruit should bee And went vnto it but when hee drewe nie And found none there hee curs'd it by and by Therefore of Faith t' is vaine to make a showe Vnles good works vpon that tree doth growe Then Faith spread forth and euer fruitfull bee Hope keepe thy holde distrust and feare defie Loue be thou strong let nothing conquer thee Zeale be thou feruent flee hypocrisie And mongst the rest most blessed Charitie Doe thy indeuour and be slacke in nought And you shall see my soules desire wrought Thus dooing well I shall haue good reward But dooing ill sinne lyeth at my dore And from thy presence I shall be debar'd Wherefore sweete Lord oh set thy feare before My wandring eyes and oh for euermore Doe thou my wayes so order and direct That shunning euill I may good things effect Thy promise is and thereon I relie What time so ere a sinner doth repent From thy remembrance his iniquitie Thou wilt blot out and hee shall not be shent For ought is past if truly he lament And from the bottome of his heart intend To leaue all leaudnes and his life amend With which intention now oh Lord come I Hartilie sorie for my former sin Beleeuing in thy promise steadfastly That for what 's past I shall thy pardon win And therewithall get grace for to begin A better life directed by thy spirit Which none but thy deere seruants doe inherit And this new life resolued on by mee As to begin so likewise to perseuer I craue thy ayde Lord let thy spirit bee My guarde my guide and my directer euer And oh let nothing in this vaine world seuer My hart from thee but let it be inclinde For euermore according to thy minde Poore Lazer I Lord at thy mercies gate Wil lie and begge vntill the houre I die And not a word but mercie will relate Mercie shall be my song continuallie For mercie mercie will I euer crie Vntill thy mercie like the Sunnes bright rayes On sinfull mee her sacred beames displayes Christ Iesus bids me aske and I shall haue He bids me seeke and saith that I shall finde He bids me knocke and though I haue bin slaue To beastly sin yet saith he thou art kinde And wilt set ope according to my minde Then now behold as Christ doth counsell mee I aske seeke knocke for mercy Lord to thee Amphions harpe did nere sound halfe so sweet As would the voyce of mercy in mine eare Which
still full fraught with leaues of Roses Through force of fire made vnderneath the same Le ts fall by drops the moysture it incloses Euen so mine eyes for'ct by a feruent flame Of godly zeale for so 's the fires name Do shed forth teares extracted by repentance From follies flowers whereto my heart gaue entrance I neede not aske why thou art sad my soule Or why thou art disquieted in mee I haue more cause to bid thee still condoule Thy selfe for sinne which sore oppresseth thee Oh mourne I say still sad and heauie bee Yet trust in God who is thy comfort giuer And in good time he will thee safe deliuer As Moses said Lord I am slowe of speech No eloquence haue I to plead my cause But with my soule I humbly thee beseech Wretch that I am though I haue broke thy lawes Yet into iudgement enter not but pause And since no flesh is righteous in thy sight Let my repentance all my sinnes acquight I cannot boast Lord as this Braggart doth This selfe-conceited and proud pharasie Simple I am and loue to say good sooth For oh why should I either cogge or lie Knowing what harme my soule might haue thereby Or wherefore seeke for to excuse my sinne When by confession I may pardon winne If so I ioyne contrition therewithall Or else confession small or nought auaileth T is not enough that I for mercy call And shew how much it is my fraile flesh faileth Of what it should do but repentance bayleth From death and hell for God grants no remission But vnto those that do vse true contrition Therefore Lord grant that I may often vse it Cause Dauid tells me thou wilt not despise A contrite heart nor yet wilt thou refuse it If it come to thee in an humble wise Laying aside all sinfull vanities With full intent for euer to refraine them And from thence-forth nere vse nor entertaine them Humilitie thou helper towards heauen Thou guide to grace step to eternitie Thou fruit of faith which from aboue art giuen Thou that put'st Cammells through a needles eye For all their bunches of iniquitie Thou balme of blisse thou gate to lasting glory Teach me repentance make me truly sorie As once thou did'st the king of Niniuee When Ionas cried by the Lords command That he and his should all destroyed bee And fortie daies their citie should not stand Yet by thy meanes Iehouah staid his hand And of the king and people tooke such pittie As their repentance mou'd him spare their citie Oh could as many teares come from mine eyes As there are drops of water in the Sea I feare me all of them would scarce suffice To wash my soule and filthy sinnes away Therefore oh Lord to thee I humbly pray That thou in mercy would'st forgiue the same And let me liue to laud and praise thy name All-seeing searcher of the heart and raines From whom no secret thing nor thought is hid By ought that heauen or earth or Sea containes Or any thing in them Inuellopid Thou that know'st all that all men euer did Full well thou knowest that vnfainedly I pray to thee without hypocrifie Wring hands wayle face cleaue knees vnto the ground Sigh soule sob heart nay split for very griefe Shake flesh quake ioynts in you no strength be found Cry voyce call tongue my hearts atturnie chiefe Beat vaines bend sinewes humbly seeke reliefe That so with feare and trembling thus I may Worke out saluation wash my sinnes away Looke how a child that hath done naughtily With feare doth crie and craue to scape the rod Euen so my selfe that haue done wickedly And oftentimes offended thee sweet God By doing that thy holy lawes forbod Now quake with feare least I should punish'd bee And crie and craue that thou would'st pardon mee But see the nature of this Pharisie He stands and brags and boasts what he hath done Thinking therewith himselfe to iustifie But thou oh Lord dost tell vs by thy Sonne That by those works he no reward hath wonne And therefore bid'st our left hand should not know What deeds of mercy with our right we show For when we haue done euen the best we can We are vnprofitable seruants all And Dauia saith the iust and righteous man Seuen times a day from God by sin doth fall Then why should we offenders cappitall Brag of our prayers our fasts and almes deeds When from our selues ther 's nought but sin proceeds For if sometimes to our poore brethren wee Do any good as oh ti 's sildome when It is not of our selues but Lord from thee Those good gifts come and those good motions then We of our selues are miserable men Which neuer could so much as thinke good thought Then by our deeds how can we merit ought Yet to do good I know ti 's commendable For so the Patryarks and Prophets did And Christ himselfe then whom ther 's none more able Shewes by examples and by word doth bid Our light should shine to others not be hid Who seeing our good workes might glorifie Thy holy name Lord which dost sit on hie Like leadn epipes through which pure water runnes Or like the quilles cald lacks in virginalls Are all the sort of sinfull Adams Sonnes Through whom much good vnto the world befalls Yet they thereof are no originalls But thou oh Lord hast them as meanes elected By which to worke what thou wilt haue effected Then let the praise be onely giuen to thee Let euery tongue extoll and laud thy name Not vnto vs not vnto vs ought bee But to thy selfe which dost deserue the same To thee all glorie and to vs be shame For thou art he from whom all good proceeds And we the workers of all wicked deeds As sweetest Rose on thornle stalke doth grow And purest Lawne is not without some spot So godliest men haue some defects I know By holy Dauid Abraham and Lot None liue on earth can say he sinneth not Vnles he lie and so himselfe depriue Of that sweet mercy which he might receiue Could I rehearse all my bad deeds and good And should I then compare them both together The one would seeme like to a spacious wood Th' other like a light and little feather That 's blowne about with euery blast of weather My sinnes exceed like riuers ouerflowing But my good deeds are scarcely worth the showing Then tongue be mute and talke no more of merit For man doth merit nought but death and hell Wherefore good Lord direct me with thy spirit Vnto that place where perfit truth doth dwell Oh bring me thither and I shall be well I am a stranger teach me thou the way Vnto that life that neuer shall decay If thou conuart me I shall be conuarted Or else by sinne I shall be sure confounded For why there is no sauing health imparted To ought that is in earth or heauen bounded To salue my soule which grieuously is wounded Onely thou canst doo 't therefore Lord