exulte for thy Iustice 1. THe afflicted person whose heart is seased with greefe sorrow for any great losse sicknes or aduersitie thinkes it not sufficieÌ„t to crye once or twice for ayde helpe or succour but often reiterateth the same crye complaint or petition and neuer resteth crying for helpe till he finde helpe And the reason is because the miserie it selfe still prompteth and suggesteth and putteth him in minde to cry and call for helpe till he be ridde of it By vvhich we may easilie gather how great the greefe and sorrow of our penitent Dauid was for his sinnes since it made him so often to cry for mercie so often to demand to be ridd of his miserie of sinne He had cryed Haue mercie on me ó God according to thy greate mercie for my sinne is greate according to the multitude of thy commiserations take away myne iniquitie for my sinnes are many He had cryed Wash me more amplie from myne iniquitie and cleanse me from my sinne And not content with this he againe singeth the same dolefull songe saying Turne away thy face from my sinnes wipe away all myne iniquties as though he had neuer cryed enough he cryeth now againe for the same remissioÌ„ of his sinnes saying Deliuer me from blouds ó God the God of my saluation He imitateth herein the young sparrowes or swallowes which being destitute of meate when their damme is abseÌ„t doe fill the aire with their cryes for so Dauid left of God because by sinne he had left him and now by sinne spoiled of God his grace and fauour and of the birthright of life euerlasting plunged also in the miserie of sinne and by it exposed to daunger of Hell what should he doe but crye to God who onelie can helpe what should he doe but fill Heauen and earth with his cryes thereby to mooue God to take compassion 2. And what meaneth he by bloods but the bloodie murder of Vrias and many other Soldiours with him and his adulterie with Bersabee his wife which was a sinne of bloud proceeding from the ardour of bloud which inflamed his concupiscence and made it breake forth into that adulterie O Dauid vvhat doest thou meane novv in crying to be deliuered froÌ„ bloodes Didst thou not euen in the first wordes of this psalme make the same petitioÌ„ wheÌ„ thou cryedst Haue mercie on me ô God according to thy greate mercie were not these the sinnes for which thou cryedst God mercie hast thou then neuer done crying for mercie for these thy tvvo sinnes Ps 68. No sayth he I haue laboured crying my iawes are made hoarse vvith crying and although I hope those tvvo sinnes are forgiuen me yet of sinne forgiuen I will not be without feare Eccl. 5. and therefore so long as I liue and can crye I vvill crye for forgiuenes of them Deliuer then me ô Lord from all sinne and especiallie from the blouds of murder adulterie And although thy Prophet Nathan hath told me that my sinnes are forgiuen 2. Reg. 12. yet I feare the paine due to them knowing that thou vsest to punish those sinnes euen in this life most seuerelie 3. And as for murder Gen. 4. I knowe that Abels blood vnnaturallie shed by Cain his brother had a voice to crye for vengeance vpon him for so God tould Cain saying the voice of thy brothers blood cryeth to me out of the earth Wherefore fearing the crye of Vrias his blood vvhich I caused to be shed I desire thee ô God the God of saluation to deliure me from the hidious crye of Vrias his blood and to defend me from it by the sheild of thy mercie Mat. 23 The bloud of the iust shed by the Iewes and their predecessors whom they imitated from Abel to Zacharie fell vpon them S. Ihon Baptiste blood vvhich Herod shed cried more terriblie against him before God then the voice of his mouth did vvhen he told him that it was not lawfull for him to haue the wife of his brother Mar. 6. And vvith what a lovvde voice did the Innocentes most holie blood of CHRIST IESVS crye against the Iewes it is true it cryed for our redemption Heb. 12 by a sprinkling of it which spake better then Abel but it cryed for such vengeance against the Iewes vvho vniustlie shedd it that to this daye they feele it in the destruction of their temple and Citie in the abrogation of their lawe and Preesthood and in their vvandering about the world which if they had foreknowne they would neuer haue cryed as they did His blood be vpon vs and vpon our children â—…h The martyrs of the primitiue church are brought in by S. Ihon crying after death Apoc. 6. to God to reuenge their blood And their blood also cryed and obtained the ruine of the Roman Empire as then it vvas the extirpation of Idolatrie the planting of Christ his church and the propagation of Christian faith and religion 2. Macab 8. Wherefore Iudas Machabeus knowing that blood vniustlie shed cryed vengeaÌ„ee against the shedder desired God to heare the voice of the blood of the then innocent Iewes shed by the infidells crying to him And it is noted that wheÌ„ the murderer is brought neere to him vvhom he killed the blood floweth from the dead body as crying for reuenge 4. Dauid then fearing the crye of the blood of Vrias vvhich he had shed cryeth to God to deliuer him from bloods And indeed he had already in part felt the reuenge of Vrias blood for after he had caused Vrias to be slaine that he might enioy his wife the child which was the vnfortunate brood of his murder and adulterie dyed and Dauid could not with all his praying 2. Reg. 12. fasting and lying on the ground impetrate his life And this was not enough to silence Vrias his blood nor to cause it to leaue crying for after this it cryed for reuenge against Dauid his familie 2. Reg. 13.15.16.18 3. Reg. 2. in the death of his sonne Ammon and after in the rebellion and death of his sonne Absalom whom he loued so dearlie as also in the violating of his concubines by his sayde sonne Absalom in the death of his sonne Adonias killed by Salomon and in the miserable ending of many Kinges of his blood and race 5. And because Dauid knevv that God vseth to punish adulterie also very seuerely he desireth also to be deliuered froÌ„ this blood or sinne vvhich proceedeth from the heate of blood concupisceÌ„ce In the old lavv much more in the nevv this sinne was euer counted most greeuous before God and man and therefore by that lavv it vvas punished vvith death euen with stoning to death And vvhen the Husband vvas iealous of his vvife Deut. 22. Leuit. 20. Ioan. 8 Num. 5 she was brought before the Priest and after some ceremonies vsed if she prooued guiltie of adulterie her thighe rotted and her vvombe
one can not by grace and contrition be remitted vvithout the rest grace being equallie opposite to all but also from his veniall sinnes and the temporall payne due to mortall sinne remitted For although the eternall payne due to mortall sinne be alwaies remitted with the sinne yet not the tēporall payne vnlesse the contrition be extraordinarie as it vvas in S. Marie Magdalene And therefore after that Nathan had tould Dauid 2 Reg. 12. that our Lord had taken away his sinne he tould him also that because by his sinne he had made the enemies of our Lord to blaspheme for this thiag the sonne that is born to thee dying shall die Yea Nathan tould Dauid that the sword should not depart from his house 2. Reg. 13. 2. Reg. 18. 3. Reg. 1 2. Par. 21.24.25.35 As indeed three of his owne sonnes Ammon Absalon and Adonias were slaine as vvere also many others of Dauids race and familie Finally Dauid in desiering to be more amplie washed desired to be cleansed from all the reliques of sinne 2. But thou ô sinfull Christian because thou hast not that reuelation which Dauid had to witt that our Lord hath takē away thy sinne 2. Reg. 12. Desire him to vvash thee cleane euen from the malice of sinne yea and to wash thee more amply that is frō the payne and reliques of sinne Say vnto thy mercifull God ô Lord how often haue I wallowed in my filthie pleasures and in the fowle puddle of sinne by which I haue polluted body and soule yea the earth on which I haue vvalked and the ayre in which I haue breathed in so much that I haue defiled by sinne the Image of God engrauen in my soule and haue caused my soule to sauour so ill to thy diuine senses and to seeme so vglie to thy diuine eyes that thou hast turned thy face from me 3. And if it seeme strange to any that sinne should pollute the soule which is of a spirituall immortall incorruptible substance he must know that then a thing is polluted or defiled vvhen it is vnited or mixed with a baser thing then it selfe See S. Tho. 2.2 q 7. ar 2. in corp then graced or embellished vvhen it is mixed vvith a thinge more noble then it selfe And so siluer is defiled vvhen it falleth in the durt or into moltē leade but when a siluer ring falleth into molten gold it is guilded and graced And seeing that by sinne our soule auerteth it selfe from God and conuerteth and vniteth and as it were mingleth it selfe by inordinate affection with creatures as corporall and beastly pleasures of the body the trash and pelfe of the world baser then she and inferiour to her she is contaminated and defiled but when she conuerteth her selfe to God the creatour by charitie and loue then is she graced and adorned because then she is vnited to a more noble substance then her selfe And therefore as one can not touch pitch Eccl. 13 coales or other filthy thinges but he shall file his hands so a sinner can not touch creatures by inordinate affection but he shall be defiled in soule 4. S. Tho. 1.2 qu. 86. ar 1. 2. Hence it is that Diuines doe affirme that euery mortall sinne leaueth behind it maculam a spott or blott which blurreth staineth and defileth the soule and maketh her odious in the sight of God Wherefore God by Hieremie the Prophet telleth the Iewish Synagogue which had defiled her selfe by many sinnes and euen by Idolatrie Hier. 2. If thou shouldst wash thy selfe with nitre and multiply to thy selfe the hearbe borith thou art spotted in thine iniquitie before me And of our Blessed Ladie because she vvas free from all sinne at least actuall Cant. 4 the Spouse saith in the Canticles Thou art all fayre my loue and there is not a spott in thee Ephes 5 And S. Paule saith that Christ so loued the Church that he deliuered him selfe to death for it that he might sanctify it and cleanse it by the lauer of water in the word that he might present to him selfe à glorious Church not hauing spott or vvrinkle 5. And this spott and filth of sinne is the filthiest of all filthes for corporall filthes doe onelie pollute and defile bodies and cannot defile any spirituall substance And therefore if an Angell or a mans soule should paste through the most filthie puddle that is it would not be defiled and hence it is that in a lepours body the soule of man is not a vvhitt contaminated but sinne is so fowle and filthie that it defiled Lucifer the Angells that followed him in his rebelliō against God and it blurreth spotteth and polluteth our soules as I haue shewed And therefore God vvho hath created all thinges euen those which seeme to vs foule and vncleane and yet neuer defiled his handes and who is in all thinges by essence power and presence S. Tho. 1 pa q. 8. ar 3. and yet is no more contaminated by them then the sunne is when he shineth on the puddle or dunghill yet if he could create or be Authour of sinne he should be contaminated and therefore he can not be Authour of it because he can not be contaminated 6. From this filth Dauid cryeth to be washed cleansed But what water ô penitent Dauid wouldst thou haue to wash cleanse thee from this filth the filth of sinne is so abominable that neither the water of the Cistern of Bethleem which thou once so greedilie desiredst nor the Probatica Pond 1. Para. 11. Ioan. 5.4 Reg. 5. Luc. 4. which being stirred by an Angell cured the corporall lame and blind nor the riuer of Iordan in which Naaman was cleansed frō his leprosie can wash away this filth of sinne or take out the stayne thereof And therefore most wiselie ô Royall Prophet thou specifiest none of these vvaters but onelie demādest that vvater and lauer vvhich hath force to wash out the filth of sinne and leauest to God to fynd out the vvater at vvhich also by faith thou thy selfe aymedst 7. And vvhat is this lauer it is the bloud of the Lambe CHRIST IESVS vvhich he shedd for all sinners Apoc. 1 1. Ioan. 1. and in which he hath washed vs from our sinnes By vertue of this Bloud all the sinnes that were euer remitted from the fall of Adam haue been vvashed and our soules haue been cleansed frō them And therefore this lambe of God is sayd to haue been killed from the beginninge of the world Apoc. 13. Not onelie because he vvas in figure killed in Abel but also because all vvho haue had remission of their sinnes from the beginninge of the world haue had it by faith in Christ and by vertue of his sacred bloud which was shed for vs. O Lord sayth Dauid wash me and rinse me in this holy bathe and lauer of thy bloud that I may be cleansed from all fylth of sinne and appeare gratefull hereafter to thy
not haue conserued me but rather annihilated me and so preuēted this my miserie better had it been for me that thou hadst not preserued me from corporall dangers of fire vvater and the like then to preserue and conserue me so giue me the tyme to fall in to a greater domage to vvitt of sinne vvhich offendeth thee maketh me miserable and exposeth me to hazard of hell it selfe 5. Thou hast heretofore iustified me and cleansed me from originall sinne by Baptisme from Actuall sinne by contrition the Sacrament of penance and other sacramentes Great are these benefites but if thou doe not againe iustifie me by thy grace and remitte these my last sinnes it vvill be little benefite to me rather thy former grace of iustification vvill aggrauate my sinnes committed after it and these my sinnes hauing depriued me of the grace of iustification haue mortified also my former merites done in grace so all will be lost vnlesse thou againe take mercie on me and againe remitte my sinnes 6. Thou hast redeemed me and didst bind thy selfe to thy eternall Father to pay no lesse ó the deare bargaine for my ransom then thy precious bloud and death And wilt thou now cast me of who cost thee so dearlie Trulie all this is lost in me I vvith it vnlesse thou againe forgiue me by thy grace apply this price paid for me vnto me and so againe pardon me 7. Thou hast called me to be a Christian and hast reuealed vnto me as thou didst to Dauid many hidden mysteries as the sacred Trinitie the sōne of God incarnate his life death Resurrection and Ascension and many other mysteries the secrets of thy wisdome vvhich thou didst hide from the Philosophers Sages of the world And hast thou done all this for me and vvilt not doe this one thing for me to vvitt pardon my sinnes without vvhich all the rest vvill not profite me but rather will augmēt my damnation Thou saidst ó Lord Matth. ◠Luc. 5. that thou camst not to call the iuste but sinners to penance And behold I confesse my selfe a greate and grieuous sinner and I harken to thy call desiring thee to harken to my petition vvhich is haue mercie on me according to thy greate mercie which I hope thou vviltt not deny thou hauing bestowed so many other benefites on me vvhich yet are all lost vnlesse thou adde this also vnto them 8. Or else I also ó Lord might aleadge with Dauid that I vvas conceiued borne in sinne thereby contracted a propension to sinne And I might adde therevnto my corrupt nature myne euill complexion and disposition my euill customes and ill companie vvhich haue allured me to sinne but because I know thou louest truth and sinceritie of harte I confesse ingenuouslie and I truly acknovvledge that notwithstanding all this I might with thy grace which is neuer wanting to them that demaunde it or vvill accept and vse it haue resisted all these alluremēts and incitements to sinne therefore I vvill not vse any such excuse for these might excuse as diuines say A tanto non à toto from parte but not from all but plainlie trulie and sincerlie confessing my greeuous sinne I fly onelie to thy mercie and vnder the shadovv or winges of that I desire onelie to shroude my selfe All I haue to say is peccaui as Dauid said and I beseech thee to speake those comfortable words to me which thou vtteredst to him 2. Reg 12. And our Lord hath taken away thy sinne Asperges me Hyssopo mundabor lauabis me super niuem dealbabor Thou shalt sprinckle me with hyssope and I shall be cleansed thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter then snowe 1. I Cry not saith Dauid to Moyses nor Aaron nor the Preistes of the old lavv vnder vvhich I liue but to thee ô Eternall sonne of God God and man the Messias and Redeemer of the vvorld to sprinkle and washe me and cleanse me from the fylthe of my sinnes They could vvash the bodie from legall immundicities but not from the fylthe of sinne from vvhich I desire to be cleansed nay they could not cure the corporall leprosie but onely could pronoūce a declaratiue sentence Leuit. 14. vvhen it vvas healed but thou canst euen heale and cleanse my soule from the leprosie fylthe of sinne and therefore my hope is that thou vvilst sprinkle me not with the Cedar wood Leuit. 14. scarlet Num. 19. Vide Augu. to 4. q. 33. super Numer and hyssope dipped in the blood of the immolated sparow nor vvith the ashes of the redde cowe but vvith the blood of thy sacred humaine nature ruddie by its passion and prefigured by those figures by this blood shed in thy passion and sprinkled by the meanes of the humble hyssope of the crosse I hope thou shalt sprinkle me and I shall be whiter then the snowe 2. In this bloud is my hope because this onelie can take out the staine of sinne this onelie can wash away the fylthe of sinne wherewith my soule is defiled The blood of goates and oxen and such like sacrifices sprinkled saith Dauid can vvash avvay legall immundicities but it can not vvash avvaye the fylthe of sinnes but thy blood ô Blessed Sauiour can sanctifie and mundifie our soules from all filth of sinne 3. I forsee saith Dauid by faith in Christ that by the Sacraments of Baptisme and penāce in the new lavve and by cōtrition in all lawes soules are vvashed from the filthinesse of sinne but yet by the bloud also of the lambe Christ Iesus from vvhich they take their vertue Thy bloud ô Blessed Sauiour is the generall cause they are particular causes appointed to applie that thy bloud and passion is the principall morall cause of grace and remissiō of sinnes they are but instrumētall causes vvhich vvorke in vertue of that principall 4. And although now by wallovving my selfe in the puddle of sinne I am in soule more foule then the hogge that vvalloweth himselfe in the mire yet this lauer of thy bloud ô Lord vvill vvash me so cleane that I shall be whiter then driuen snowe And although my sinnes vvere as scarlet Isa 1. they shall be made vvhite as snovve And if they be redde as vermilion they shall be white as vvooll and my soule vvatred vvith this bloud and heauenlie rayne vvhich rayned out of the cloude of thy sacred humaine nature shall be made fertile and apte to bring forth the greene plantes sweete hearbes and flovvers of all manner of vertue and bathed in this bathe it shall recouer its former lustre beautie of grace vvhich it had lost by sinne and of a vessel of base seruice which it yelded to the vvorld flesh and Diuell it shall be a vessell of honour Because take avvay the rust from siluer Prou. 25. and there shall come forth a moste pure vessell a goodlie piece of plate fit to be set on thy cup-boord
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