side walled with rockes aboue beaten with terrible tempests You must be not onlie skilfull but carefull of your course you must alwaies beare your hand on the helme your eie on the compasse lest it come to passe that you neuer escape If you doe not this for the loue of GOD doe it then for the loue of your selues whereunto by all rules of reason and nature you are stronglie bound If you doe not loue or regard your good at lest bee not in loue with your euill The loue of miserie is farre worse then miserie it selfe Assuredly in case you continue in this carelesse course in case you still beare your selues either desperate in running from GOD or dull and heauie in comming to him in case neither his benefits can allure nor his chasticements enforce you to a change of life he will cast his plagues vpon you so thicke as haile which will make you more miserable then you can imagine VERS XI Great plagues remaine for the vngodly but who so putteth his trust in the LORD mercy embraceth him on euery side 1. GODS heauie hammers vpon obstinate sinners 2 The multitude of GODS punishments 3 The seuerity of them 4 It is most easie for GOD to pardon sinnes and wherfore 5 It is not possible but that penitent persons should be forgiuen 6 The confidence of true penitents 7 Their saciety 8 Their ioy 9 Albeit the contray appeares 10 Penitents enioy most perfect pleasure in this life and wherefore 11 The pleasures of the wicked are worse then brutish 12 Penitents aâ—e blessed in their chasticements 13 The first reason hereof 14 The second reason 15 The afflictions of this life are both momentany and light 16 A short prayer CErtainely if you wil not embrace this friendly aduice If you esteeme these warnings to be of no weight If blinded either with dulnesse or with malice you perseuere in your sinnes If neither benefits nor scourges can hold you in obedience If neither promises nor threats can any deale mooue you If you can be reteined in order neither by hope nor by feare If like vntamed beasts you still wildlie runne through the thorny thickets of all vices and esteeme euerie lustfull thing lawfull to be done hee hath heauier hammers to breake your obstinacie to bridle your boldnesse and pride and to beate downe your rebellion against him Verely not the starres in the firmament not the sands of the earth not all the creatures in heauen and vpon earth are so manie in number so vnresistable in force as are the punishments which the obstinate shall endure Their infelicity houereth ouer their heads their curse traceth them step by step vntill it shall ouertake them in hell Here the most pleasant retreits are full of hideous hurlements nothing but terrours torments and teares without intermission or end Here is griefe without remedie complaint without pity repentance without mercy Here death alwaies liueth and life alwaies dieth death here life are immortall together life in dying and death in enduring Here both body and soule shall eternally liue in eternall death they shall liue together in a double death and both eternall the death of sinne and the death of punishment due to sinne On the other side they who contemne the vanitie of the world and apply themselues onlie to GOD they who repent them of their sinnes be they neuer so great if they doe not despaire shall vndoubtedlie be receiued to pardon and mercy For this is most easie for GOD to doe by reason of his goodnesse and the greatnesse of his mercies in comparison wherof all the sinnes of the world are nothing so little as a point in regard of the largest circumference as one sparke of fire in comparison of the vast Ocean So as if the greatest sinner in the world be penitent If he desire and sue for mercie all the water in the sea cannot so easilie extinguish one sparke of fire as the mercies of GOD will abolish his sinnes Verelie if a good man will be mercifull to his beast our good GOD will much more bee mercifull to his creature to his seruant to his childe Yea it is not possible but that mercy should be imparted to them that repent For the infinite mercies of Almightie GOD abound in all places they fill all things if they be not excluded and locked foorth But nothing excludeth mercie but impenitencie and hardnesse of heart And therefore if a man be penitent mercie will foorthwith enter because the impediment is remooued because nothing then remaineth in the soule which may resist or repell mercie If the window be opened the roome will be light and if the floudgates be vnbarred the streames will presentlie ouerflow But they who haue receiued mercy who are vnder the protection and guard of grace in what assurance doe they stand how boldlie do they walke with what confidence are they caried in all the passages of their life Mercy encreaseth confidence and coÌ„fidence againe encreaseth mercy As guiltines is the cause of feare so from mercie proceedeth confidence As all wickednesse is full of feare so the iust is confident as a Lion And whosoeuer receiueth mercie they shall be filled therewith They shall be so filled as they shall ouerflow they shal be enuironed with mercy on euery side And being vnder the peace protection of mercie hauing firme trust that their sins are forgiuen O good GOD to what felicitie are they aduanced what treasures are there in heauen which shall not be opened and imparted to them They shal be placed by the side of GOD they shall be apparrelled and adorned with so great glory so great happines shal be heaped vpon them as the spirit of man is vnable to apprehend much lesse to expresse The desire the hope the full faith and assurance hereof cannot but worke in them incredible ioy before they attaine the full fruition euen whilest they are vpon their passage to it Oh! with what cheerefulnesse with what delight doe they either remooue or surmount all difficulties which lie before them Howsoeuer their trauaile seemeth troublesome and hard yet the loue of their iourneyes end maketh it not onely tolerable but delightfull The onely thought of the end of their trauaile seasoneth all the meanes with sweetnesse through which they are enforced to wrestle to that end It may be conceiued indeed that the iust are plagued and that the wicked chiefly flourish in this life It seemeth to be so but it is not so It is so onely in appearance and shew but in very deed it is not so They are either blinded with grosse mists of ignorance or abused with deceiuable colours and shewes who thinke it so It appeareth so only to those who are so rowled vp in flesh and bloud that they esteeme nothing good or euill but that which appertaineth to the body Assuredly they whose sinnes are forgiuen enioy the most perfect pleasure euen in this life which in this sort doeth plainely appeare As the inward
to forgiue to giue vs thy goodnesse and forgiue vs our euill Thou canst not denie vs thy mercie whensoeuer we repent and turne to thee This Ocean of mercie hath neither bottome nor bound it cannot be fathomed it cannot be surmounted No sooner can a sinner call mercie to his mind but he is sencible of the working thereof For it breaketh and disperseth the hell of remorse which did chill his heart with astonishment and feare the dampes of pensiuenesse vanish away the punishment which hung ouer his head is chased farre off Or if any punishment be inflicted it is not the punishment of a iudge but the chasticement of a Father it is both temporall and tempered with mercie which maketh it not onely tolerable but easie and sweete In this Ocean of mercy I will cast the anchor of my hope ride securely against al rage of wheather here hope will hold mee firme and immoueable against all approaches O heauenlie hope whose face heauinesse cannot endure how wonderfull is thy sweetnesse and thy power What louely lookes doest thou cast vpon those whom thou encountrest what vnspeakeable ioyes doest thou kindle in their hearts who entertaine thee Loe she came vnto me attended with many comforts and with a diuine countenance and voice vsed these speeches Come feeble wretch I will lead thee into the Sanctuary of the LORD and place thee before his mercie-seate Come I say enter bouldly I will excuse thee Thou shalt finde him alone expecting thy comming Away with all worldly comforts it is no lesse dangerous for a soule to be pestred with them in time of troubles then it is for a shippe to be ouerburthened with rich merchandise in a tempestuous sea It is he onely who knoweth how to deliuer thee how to saue thee cast thy selfe on him and he will helpe thee Thus shee said but finding me heauie and little moued her sacred lippes began againe in this manner to infuse her selfe into my dull earthy spirit What said hee doest thou any thing doubt of the great mercies of GOD wilt thou still sucke sorrow out of euery vaine surmise why search the Scripture and thou shalt there finde mercie so much extolled so faithfully promised and so often and strangely practised vpon sinners that he seemeth too obstinate who will not submit himselfe lowly to embrace sure confidence therein But goe too I see I must take a little more paines I will therefore descend to particulars with thee Three things if any thing are most like to withhold GOD from exercising his mercie 1. The greatnesse of sinnes 2. His righteousnesse and iustice 3 The institution and ordinance of his law But neither any nor all these are able to hinder the forgiuenes of sins needs must GOD be merciful notwithstanding these impediments to such as are sorrowfull for their misse-liuing 1. For thy wickednes cannot either extinguish or abate his mercie in case thou be penitent and beare a constant mind to amend Otherwise the condition of all men were dangerous For when men offend if GOD were not mercifull if hee were hard and vnwilling to exercise his mercie what should they doe how should they order themselues to auoid despaire For despaire is nothing else but want of true trust in the mercie of GOD to remit sinnes But doubtlesse it is not so he is mercifull and alwaies readie to forgiue Sunes are so farre from being an impediment to mercie that they are the proper obiect thereof without which mercy hath no action for take away sinnes and where then is pardoning mercy Many glorious Saints in heauen are witnesses hereof who were once grieuous sinners vpon earth This also did Ionas know rightwell and for this cause he was vnwilling to bee a messenger from GOD of his wrath against the Nineuites For I knew said he that thou art a gracious GOD and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repentest thee of the euill And obserue weake sinner whosoeuer thou art who for the greatnesse of thy sinnes art caried downe to the gates of despaire obserue how GOD dealt with these condemned Nineuites Hee suspended his sentence of condemnation and could not proceede to execution thereof so soone as they manifested their repentance Feare not then the greatnesse of thy sinnes for they are not neere so great as his mercy his mercy is farre aboue thy neede 2. The iustice of GOD can be no impediment For iustice requires no more then a recompence for a trespasse and forthwith the offence to be forgiuen But thy redemption is made thy reckoning is abundantly paide there remaineth nothing for thee to discharge This redemption is of such power and grace that it not onely satisfieth GODS iustice but winneth him to great fauour and loue Doe but remember who is the priest and what is the sacrifice and thou shalt finde the iustice of GOD easily answered for it was more that GOD died then all man-kind had perpetually perished This is such an offering as if euery houre euery minute it were newly offered And therefore it is called an eternall redemption because by it all true penitents are redeemed for euer All therefore who are penitent and haue a full purpose neuer to offend and a trust by GODS grace to continue in that purpose may bee assured that by this redemption they shal be forgiuen This redemption is the very strength of repentance hereby the iustice of GOD is no obstacle to his mercie 3. Now touching his ordinance of the law Of a troth the law was fearefull and seuere and therefore is termed the law of death euery soule that sinneth shall die But this seueritie is past and done A new law is made the law of grace the law of mercie and of life Repent and the kingdome of heauen is at hand This is a milde law but in any case the condition must bee performed Thou must applie thy selfe to repentance in any case GOD will not bee mercifull vnlesse sinners repent Notwithstanding if at any time through weakenesse thou offend doe not fall from him into despaire but trust in him sticke stiffelie and constantlie to him and so shall thy trust support his mercy in thee and againe his mercy shall support thy trust euen like a proppe against a wall which holdeth vp the wall and is againe sustained by the wall The impediments of mercy being thus remoued it remaineth plaine that mercy may easily bee obtained and that for diuers respects and especially these First for that the goodnesse of GOD assureth his mercy For to one who is good nothing is more naturall then to doe good which is the proper action of goodnesse But because no greater good can be done to another then to make him good it followeth that it is most proper to one who is good to make others good to communicate his goodnesse to others vntill he hath made them so good as himself And this is so farre true that the more goodnesse any one hath the
in thy selfe art perfectly good and doest nothing but good yet to a sinner thou art grieuous thy goodnesse can doe no other then trouble and torment him not through any euill influence from thee but by reason of euill disposition in himselfe And therfore O gracious goodnesse O mercifull LORD O louer of mankinde not onely in pity pardon my weakenesse but in power remoue it that I may bee strong and able to enioy thy goodnesse that thy goodnesse be not greeuous vnto me LORD I resort vnto thee not only as to a Iudge for pardon but as to a Physitian for cure My weakenesse hath taken a deepe surfet of sinne and it is now growne to a desperate disease All the faculties of my soule are infected and the poyson is dispersed through all the members of my body I can feele no strength I can feele no quiet not onely my feeble parts but they that are most strong are troubled alike Haue mercy vpon mee and heale mee O GOD Haue mercy vpon my imperfection and heale my infection I humbly entreat thee Let thy mercie extend not only to pardon mee but to heale mee not onely to pardon my sinnes that are past but to make mee strong and able against sinnes heereafter For what good will pardon doe mee if presently I returne to my sinne againe What will it auaile that I bee washed if foorthwith I plunge my selfe in the mire LORD I present my selfe vnto thee in the lowest degree of humility and griefe my eies charged with teares my breast with sighes my tongue with complaints my whole bodie with disquiet Let thine indignation now cease looke vpon mee with a more calme countenance Helpe me vp and I will rise hold me vp and I will stand comfort and confirme my sin-oppressed sences Haue mercy vpon me and heale me giue me thy health and strength that vnder confidence of thy mercy I may boldly looke thy iustice in the face VERS III. My soule is also sore troubled but LORD how long wilt thou delay 1 THE torments of the soule how great they are 2 The effects of vnfayned contrition 3 A resort to GOD. 4 How offensiue sin is to GOD. 5 Wheâ—efore sinne is the cause of trouble 6 A prayer 7 The cause of GODS delay 8 The remedie AND yet the trouble of the bodie might bee borne well enough a mans courage may suffice to beare out any bodily griefe but who can beare the vexation of the soule The paine of the body is but the body of paine the sorrow of the soule is the soule of sorrow Now thy terrours haue also surprised my soule Not onely my body is cruelly crushed both with the sence of my sin and feare of thy wrath but my soule also is very grieuously afflicted with the one and affrighted with the other This soule which thou hast created to praise thee is astonished to behold thee astonished to thinke on thee this soule which is the breath of thy mouth is vnable to endure the breath of thy displeasure this soule which thou hast created to represent thy likenesse hath no liking no power to sustaine thy presence The loue thereof is extinguished with feare it hath neither roome nor respite to hope in thee In thee it dares not rest assured in any other thing it cannot For assuredly whensoeuer earnest and vnfained contrition seazeth vpon the soule it disturbeth all ioy it taketh away pleasure in any thing but teares it permitteth not to thinke on any thing but what is terrible And as they who are in danger of shipwracke cast ouer board their rich and best esteemed Merchandises to saue their liues so they who are tossed with the tempest of GODS anger to saue their soules doe not onelie abandon but hate those things which formerly were either most delightfull or deere vnto them Out alas how am I oppressed into what perplexities is my poore sorrow-beaten soule plunged how is it abandoned how are all the powers thereof laide waste The vnderstanding is darkened the will dazled the memory confounded the courage broken and beaten downe dread and amazement haue dulled my sences But aboue all my conscience is goared with the sting of sinne It anguisheth it lanceth it stretcheth it teareth it crucifieth the very heart of my soule It stirreth all vpside downe Verely I finde it to be very true That the heart of a sinner is as the raging sea which neuer hath rest The waues whereof are alwaies in motion and one alwaies dashing against another I leade a life euer dying and I feele a death neuer ending all my choice is concluded in this whether I will stand still without helpe or stirre any waies without hope And as a fearefull Doue shaketh at the roaring of thunder and shrinketh into some obscure hole supposing it self most safe when it is least seene so my amazed soule trembling at the dreadfull sound of thy threats looketh about for some place of retreit either to defend or to hide it from thy furious face It would flie from thee but it knoweth not whither it would be protected against thee but it knoweth not by whom O my GOD I cannot flie from thee but by flying to thee And therefore I flie from thee offended to thee appeased I flie from thee through the gate of thy iustice and I flie to thee thorow the gate of thy mercie I flie from a iust reuenging Iudge to a mercifull and indulgent father whose goodnes is infinite whose mercie is a spring a streame an Ocean that cannot be exhausted the goodnes no lesse liberall then the mercie is abundant O sweetnesse of desiâ—e O safetie of soules open to me thy distressed suppliant Let thy fauour receiue me running from thy furie Let thy pitie protect mee against thy seueritie comfort my troubled soule with one gentle cast of thy countenance for I shall neuer recouer againe either my safetie or my quiet vntill I recouer thy most louing and louely looke For sinne is so offensiue so odious vnto thee that wheresoeuer thou findest it thou canst not affoord a kinde countenance thou must needes turne away thine amiable eies thou wilt not displaie thy beautie vpon so filthie a dunghill And this is the cause why wee are so troubled For when thou turnest away thy face they shall be troubled Assuredlie the vexation of my soule can haue neither end nor ease vntill thou turnest to mee thy appeased countenance All other appliancies are as the handling of vlcers and wounds they doe but draw more humours to my sore they rather inflame then any waies asswage it But how long O LORD how long will thine indignation how long O LORD shall my anguish endure how long wilt thou with-hold thy comfort from me Thou who hast alwaies beene slowe to wrath art thou slow now to lay downe thy wrath Thou who hast euer beene patient art thou now become inflexible Is thine anger no lesse hard to quench now then heeretofore it hath beene
wickednesse shall haue no opportunitie to vndermine my weakenes If a building be weak and the walls decline a smal force is suâ—ficient to prostrate it to the ground But our weake nature detorted from originall Iustice and much empaired by frequencie of sinne is alwaies prone and enclinable to euill the Imagination of mans heart is euill euen from his youth And therefore I will auoid all outward occasions that may attract me to euill among which familiar conuersing with euill men is the chiefe For if two contraries be applied together the stronger must necessarilie destroy the weaker But as we are more enclinable to vice then to vertue so vice is more strong in the wicked then vertue in the good whereby it followeth that the societie of euill men is most dangerous to the good and that as an hundred sound men shall sooner take the plague from one infected person then he recouer his health by them so the good are more often peruerted by the wicked then the wicked conuerted by the good For this cause GOD loueth nor to see his children among the wicked For this cause hee commanded his people that they should not ioyne in marriage with the Gentiles Exo. 34. For this cause also he commaunded them to destroy the inhabitants of the countrey which they were to possesse lest by societie in their conuersation they should be drawne into societie of their sinnes as afterwards they were indeed Elihu marueiled at Iob and the Apostle at the Philippians that among the wicked they could liue well Lot who liued in Sodome needed the hand of an Angel to draw him foorth Saint Peter being in the company of the other Apostles confessed the LORD to be the Sonne of GOD but denied him in Caiphas house when he stood among the wicked by the fire GOD commanded that no man should touch any creature that was vncleane and that whosoeuer touched a dead body he shoud be vncleane But no creature is so vncleane as a sinner no death is like to the death of sinne And therefore I will auoid wicked men as the most vncleane of liuing creatures and the most loathsome of those that are dead I will not regard either kindred or kind acquaintance I will esteeme all the wicked alike I will cast off my neere friends I will pull out my eyes I will cut off my hands rather then they shall draw me to euill I will rather liue in desarts and caues rather with dragons and vipers then in the society of those that are euill I will not touch these pitchy companions I will not in the least matters haue to deale with them If a small rupture in a bancke be not timelie stopped it will weare greater and all the valley will be surrownded thereby Of the seede of a serpent commeth the cockatrice and of small beginnings dangerous effects may ensue I will not therefore bee negligent in smallest matters I will not contemne any enemy He that despiseth small things by lâ—ttle and little shall decay The wine saith the Prophet is mixed with water Verely as wine mingled with water looseth both sweetnes strength so the good loose credit vertue by society with the euill But as a man who standeth vpon firme ground will cast foorth boords and lines to saue such as are in danger of drowning and yet will not approach so neere as to be drowned with them so I will affoord the wicked what helpes I can for their safety but will haue an eie that they fasten not vpon mee that they draw me not into their destruction Away from me also all yee mine enemies who intend any wickednesse against mee take away your malice for your mischiefe is at an end The LORD is now at peace with me hee hath put vp the sword of his iustice he hath giuen to me his mercifull hand In vaine shall you now either attempt against mee or insult ouer me It is not onely vanity but iniquity which now you shall contriue against me You shall neuer effect your euill intentions Hate me you may but harme me you cannot You shall neuer preuaile against him who hath preuailed against the Almighty My teares haue ouercome the Omnipotent the voice of my teares hath vanquished the inuincible These luke-warme droppes haue quenched GODS anger qualified his iustice recouered his mercy won his loue True teares are the language of heauen they speake strongly to GOD he heareth them well No voice hath more free and familiar accesse to him none is more acceptable none better vnderstood Hee who often regardeth not the voice of the tongue will alwaies heare the voice of our teares The voice of the tongue is framed in the mouth but the voice of teares proceeds from a heart surprised either with ioy or with griefe Hee who regardeth onely the heart doth much regard this language of the heart Therefore in all the anguishes of my soule I will vse few words heereafter but powre forth my sorrow in silent teares whensoeuer I sin I will write my supplication for pardon with teares whensoeuer I would obtaine any curtesie or fauour from GOD I will addresse my desire with teares Teares are too mighty Orators to let any suit fall When teares crie vnto GOD when hee is importuned by teares he will presently grow familiar with vs. They haue so perswading a silence so conquering a complaint that by entreating they command by yeelding they ouercome When they seeme most pitifull then are they most powerfull when they seeme most forsaken then are they most victorious This dew of deuotion neuer falleth but it is an assured signe of a beautifull day euen of GODS fauour to cleere vpon vs. Vpon what face soeuer it droppeth it maketh the same amiable in the eies of GOD. I will not therefore giue ouer my weeping my face must bee still adorned with these liquid pearles the Angels shall still bathe themselues in these streames of my eies vntill death damme vp the springs they shall not cease running But heerein vse some caution O my soule for that thy teares may be profitable that they may be more acceptable to GOD they must not proceede from a softnesse and tendernesse of nature but thou must powre foorth thy very heart in teares They must not proceed from any worldly respect not from feare of death or of hell not absolutely from loue of thy selfe but from loue towards GOD and from griefe for offending so good a Father so great a Lord so pure a perfection and glorie This loue is the fire wherwith these siluer drops are melted in the furnace wherewith the flowers of deuotion and grace are distilled into teares This loue is the sun which resolueth dark pitchie clouds into raine which resolueth thicke foggie mists into dew and maketh the ayre pleasant and cleere Without this loue teares are nothing but excrementall water they are nothing worth if they be not warmed and
instruct all the faculties of my mind to loue thee to feare thee to place my full felicitie in the knowledge and obedience of thy will Praise and glorie and wisedome and strength dominion riches and power bee vnto our GOD for euermore A SVMMARY PRAYER OMnipotent and eternall GOD whose iustice cannot suffer sinnes vnpunished whose mercy would not suffer sinnes vnpardoned I beseech thee so to moderate thy scourges with mercy that I may bee able to abide them For if thou openest the floud-gates of thy fury vpon me the force therof must needes ouer-beare mee and driue me downe headlong to death I know O LORD that thy chastisements are necessary for vs in this life I decline them not I craue no forbearance at thy hand I rather craue that thou wilt not forbeare me Deale heerein according to thy wisedome not to my will not as shall bee most for mine ease but as thou esteemest best for my good This onely I desire that in all thy punishments I may not finde thee an angry Iudge but a most kinde and carefull Faâ—her that thou wilt correct mee but not giue mee ouer to death That I may finde both comfort and strength in thy stripes and that as thy rodde doeth chastice me so thy staffe may sustaine mee For I am weake O Almighty GOD I am so weake that I am altogether vnable either not to deserue thy wrath or to endure it My offences haue proceeded from my weakenesse and they againe haue made mee more weake they haue made so many mortall woundes in my soule that I approach neere vnto death I languish vnder my imminent danger my owne putrefaction is loathsome to my selfe and the very sight of thy frowne doeth terribly torment mee My weake soule is so ouercharged both with feare and with griefe that it can neither lift vp it selfe nor quietly lie still neither lift vp it selfe against the power of thy wrath nor lie still vnder the weight thereof more horriblie heauie then the flaming Mountaine Aetna But haue mercy vpon mee and heale mee O gracious LORD O my GOD open to me the ouer-flowing Fountaine of thy euer-flowing mercy from whence alwayes streame both the safe and present and onely remedy against the malice and maladies of sinne If thou doe not this I am vndone I must presently perish I am so farre from standing against thy wrath that my owne weakenesse will draw me downe Ah my GOD wherefore doest thou so long hold backe thy helpe Wherefore hast thou cut off thy comforts from me Wherefore art thou so angry Wherefore so seuere Wilt thou turne away thy face foreuer Returne O most mercifull Father for thy infinite mercies sake I beseech thee returne to thy accustomed clemency again Turne to mee the appeased eyes of thy mercy let mee againe beholde thy gracious quiet countenance which my offences haue caused thee to turne away Deliuer my soule from these miseries deliuer it from the importable burthen both of thy seuerity and of my sinnes Saue me for I lie quaking vnder the cruell gripes of destruction Saue mee LORD or of necessity I must perish Which if I doe if vnseasonable death seaze vpon mee then shall I no more prayse thy Name then shall I neuer make a thankefull memoriall of thy blessed benefits But giue me O good Father time to repent as thou hast giuen mee a purpose to prayse thee so giue mee power and opportunity for the same If needes thou wilt exercise the rigour of thy Iustice why then doe it vpon those whose hearts are hardened with obstinate impiety who willingly and wilfully perseuere in their sinnes who are nothing touched either with reuerence of thy Maiesty or with regard of their owne safety But I heauily labour vnder the load of my sinnes I refuse not to vndergoe the hard taske of repentance for them It displeaseth me much that euer I displeased thy Maiesty by my sinnes my grieuous sinnes torment and teare the most inward sences of my soule they are most grieuous most intolerable to me This is not vnknown to thee who knowest our secrets better then our selues This appeareth by the sad groanes which break froÌ„ my pained soule this appeareth by the plenty of teares which my heart boyling in anguish and griefe doeth euaporate and distill through the conduicts of my eyes But especially this appeareth by the vnlouely state of my body which is become like a withered weed so wasted with sorrow that it hath neither beauty to please others nor strength to sustaine it selfe But howsoeuer it is with me I will neuer lay downe my hope I will neuer despaire or distrust in thy mercies I haue alwaies had so good triall of thy fauourable hearing of thy liberall reliefe that in all my temptations in all the anguishes of my soule I will rest vpon thy goodnesse and grace with assured confidence that thou wilt heare my prayer if not so soone as I desire yet at such time as shall be most expedient for me For oftentimes it is more expedient that I should be exercised for a time then presently eased I will also rest assured that my malicious enemies who vniustly work or wish my destruction shall neuer preuaile against mee That their Counsailes shall bee confounded their practises disappointed and themselues turned to ignominy and reproach Prayse and Glory and Wisedome and Strength Dominion Riches and Power bee vnto our GOD for euermore PSALME XXXII DAVIDS TEARES PSALME XXXII BLessed is he whose vnrighteousnesse is forgiuen and whose sinne is couered 2 Blessed is the man vnto whom the LORD imputeth no sin and in whose spirit there is no guile 3 For while I held my tongue my bones consumed away through my daily complaining 4 For thy hand is heauy vpon mee day and night and my moisture is like the drought in Summer 5 I will acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine vnrighteousnesse haue I not hid 6 I said I will confesse my sinnes vnto the LORD and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinne 7 For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee in a time when thou mayest be found but in the great water floods they shall not come nigh him 8 Thou art a place to hide mee in thou shalt preserue me from trouble thou shalt compasse mee about with songs of deliuerance 9 I will informe thee and teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt goe and I will guide thee with mine eye 10 Bee yee not like to horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouthes must bee holden with bitte and bridle lest they fall vpon thee 11 Great plagues remaine for the vngodly but who so putteth his trust in the LORD mercy embraceth him on euery side 12 Be glad O ye righteous and reioyce in the LORD and bee ioyfull all ye that are true of heart Of the title and parts of this PSALME 1 THe title of this Psalme and the reason thereof 2 All worldly knowledges
For there is not one among the sonnes of Adam but his necessities require that hee pray often to thee both for pardon and reliefe Whosoeuer thinketh that he hath no need deceiueth himselfe and in very truth stands most in need Then doe we begin to bee iust when wee begin to see our owne vnrighteousnesse and the further wee proceede in the one the more shall wee encrease in the other And they shall pray vnto thee and onely vnto thee because thou onely forgiuest sinne Remission of sinnes is so great a worke that it is a case reserued onely to thee thou onely forgiuest sinne who onely art offended by sinne No creature whether in heauen or vpon earth hath priuiledge to pardon the least sinne the forgiuenesse of the least sinne requireth no lesse vertue then the creation of all the world In creation nature is giuen in iustification grace which in many degrees exceedeth nature If no man bee of power to giue nature to things much lesse is any man of ability to giue grace When the king of Syria sent Naaman his seruant to the king of Israel that hee should cure him of his leprosie the king of Israel tore his garments and said Am I a GOD that I should cure a man of his leprosie But assuredly if no power but of GOD was able to cure a bodily leprosie no inferiour power can cleanse the loathsome leprosie of the soule For this cure must all men resort to GOD. But this they must doe in a seasonable time they must apprehend occasion which no wise man either fearing thee or louing himselfe will suffer to escape For as opportunitie at some times of our life is fairely offered to all so if it bee not taken when it comes it can neuer be ouertaken when it is gone This time is whilest thy treasures are opened whilest thou maist be approached whilest thou maiest bee found whilest thou proclaymest thy pardon whilest thou repellest no man whilest thou inuitest all whilest thou almost entreatest sinners loaden and perplexed with their heauie charge to come to thee for releefe If in this time they pray vnto thee the floud of thy furie shall not inuolue them they shall not be swallowed in the rauenous gulfe of thine indignation But if they suffer this time to slippe if they be so held down with sensual either pleasure or sloath that they will not awake out of the slumber of sinne that they will not arise and pray vnto thee another time shal then succeed when the full streames and stormes of thy displeasure shall violently breake foorth and sodainely enwrappe all those who either through negligence which is ill or through obstinacy which is worse perseuere in their licentious life And the longer it be before these flouds come vpon them with the greater fury will they fall Euen as riuers the greater distance they runne from their springs the more waters they gather with the greater violence they run Or as the longer a man to be drawing a bowe the neerer he drawes the arrow to the head and with the greater strength it flieth from his hand At that time they who now may haue easie accesse shall not be able to approch thee they shal be driuen away they shall be commanded with a sad bitter curse to depart from thee Thou who now keepest open house wil then perpetually shut vp doores thou who now artfull of pity plentifull in reliefe wilt then finally iudge and afterwards eternally punish Pharaoh did hardly oppresse and detaine the people of Israel a long time no intreatie no punishment could mooue him to permit them to depart he pursued them with an army euen into the sea But when he saw the waters comming vpon him he acknowledged the power of GOD and said Let vs flie for the LORD fighteth for them Then he repented then he would haue gone back but it was too late The water flouds came vpon him too fast sentence of death had then passed against him then GODS wrath and the waters came vpon him together When the floud-gates of GODS fury are opened vpon vs it will so violently driue vs both from his fauour and face that it will be impossible for vs to approach him Againe they who let slip the time of their youth of their health and of their strength and with varietie of delaies driue off to reconcile themselues to GOD vntill by age or by sickenesse they become weake vntill they arriue to the last period of their liues they are in danger to deceiue themselues They are in great danger that either their hearts will be so hardened with long custome of sin that true repentance cannot sinke into them or else that the feeblenesse of age the paines of sickenesse the dismaidnes of death the horrour of sinne the terrour of iustice and a thousand like perplexities as so many floud-gates will rush vpon their soules and altogether ouerwhelme them so as they shall not be able to approach neere to GOD. For being rowled in these streames it cannot but be doubtfull at the least that they who in former times were forgetfull of GOD should then be forgetfull of themselues that they who had no will to repent whilest they had power to sinne when they are vnable to sinne should haue a very weake either will or ability to repent that GOD will then as little regard their cries as they did formerly regard his callings Not vpon any change in him but by reason of defect in themselues Because their complaints and cries at that time and happilie their sobs sighes and teares are not a voluntary motion of the will but a violent enforcement vpon necessitie They are rather effects of amazement or of despaire then of any liuely and powerfull repentance Verely it is little better then desperation to sinne vpon confidence of repentance in times to ensue There is little either proofe or thanke in the amendement of our will when we are past either the pleasure or the power to proceed in sinne VERS IIII. Thou art a place to hide mee in thou shalt preserue me from trouble thou shalt compasse mee about with songs of deliuerance 1. THe effects of repentance in regard of the penitents 2 The protection of GODS Mercy 3 The protection of his power 4 The protection of his prouidence 5 As GOD hath manifested himselfe to vs three of his attributes are most excellent his goodnesse his wisedome and his power 6 And of these his goodnesse is most excellent and glorious 7 GOD communicates his goodnesse and wherefore 8 A thankesgiuing 9 The goodnesse of GOD an assured defence 10 The debility of humane forces 11 How sustained 12 The goodnesse of GOD not only defendeth but maketh victorious 13 A short prayer 14 The godly are free from the delights of this world 15 Free also from the dangers 16 They cannot perish and wherefore BVT as for me I will speedily and in good time runne vnto thee as vnto
Their thoughts being once acquainted with this reall trueth they neither desire nor regard the supplie of shadowes They cannot but bee strangers to worldly delights in which they see nothing but some scattered crummes and hungry morsels of the heauenly banket O LORD of hostes how great are the pleasures which they enioy who are reconciled by repentance to thee which albeit they be properly receiued into the soule yet sometimes they are so great that as riuers encreased by the fall of raine ouerflow their bankes so they cannot be contayned within the soule but are imparted also to the bodie I will therefore reioyce in the mercies of my GOD I will place all my pleasure in the contemplation of those felicities which he reserueth in his treasurie of heauen to enrich to adorne to crowne the iust This shal be the food of my thoughts the ambition of my highest hopes and desires Vpon confidence that I am in the fauour of GOD I will accompt GOD himselfe to be mine because his loue is mine For to whomsoeuer he giueth his loue he giueth himselfe because loue is no guift vnlesse the louer be giuen therewith Yea loue is no loue vnlesse he that loueth be no lesse liberall to impart that which hee is then that which he hath vnlesse I haue the partie I can neuer haue his loue To this ioy I inuite you all who stand sworne to the seruice of the LORD who loue his goodnesse who reuerence his iustice All ye who are vpright both in action in hearâ— I inuite you to two things First that you reioyce Secondly that you reioyce not in your selues not in any thing that the world affoords but onely in the LORD You I say who walke not in the crooked and craggie wayes of sinne but in the right path of righteousnesse who in this passage commit your selues altogether to the power and goodnesse of GOD. All you I inuite to reioyce to power forth your spirits into ioy and that for two causes First because you enioy a sweet quiet of conscience which is to you a perpetuall feast Secondly because you expect both an end and a reward of all your trauailes You expect that in short time you shall exchange the thornes and thistles of this wretched life for the flowers of eternall felicitie that the sweat of afflictions shall bee wiped from your faces and that you shall bee both clothed and crowned with heauenly honour Assuredly gold runneth not so pure out of the flames of the furnace to be cast into the image of some great Prince or to serue for the ornament of some rich iewell as the soule of one who loueth GOD doth beautifully sort out of the miseries of this world to behold to participate to be fully satisfied with the glorious presence and maiesty of GOD. But all the wicked I forbid to reioyce Away hence you may freely depart because you haue no part in this ioy you haue time little enough to lament For albeit sinners reioyce in doing ill and take most delight in worst things yet is not this the ioy that I meane This is no true ioy this is no ioy at all It is only a fained and forced appearance of ioy It is as the ioy of hypocrites short and sowre It is but a flash to lighten them to their death First because it proceedeth from an euil conscience which hath so many thornes as it hath thoughts alwaies pricking sometimes tearing the soule and crying out in the midst of their mirth Oh impure pleasure Oh vnlawful ioy Oh iust reuenge that must ensue Secondly because it is both short and the symptome of a deadlie disease For they ioy at their sinnes which will eternally ruine both their bodies and soules they ioy in that condition of life for which they cannot sufficientlie lament Therfore the ioy of sinners is like the witlesse laughter of fooles when they are lashed like the sencelesse laughter of mad men when they either doe or suffer some mischiefe like the sicke laughter of some diseased persons euen when they lie at the point of death When Dolphins leape and plaie in the sea it is a sure signe of tempests approaching and when the wicked sport and solace in their sins it is an infallible argument of their ruine at hand If Epicures reioice who deny that GOD doth either order or regard the affaires of this world If Athiests reioice who are of opinion that the soule and bodie determine together It maie beare some appearance of ioy But when they reioice in their sinnes who beleeue the immortalitie of the soule who know both the iustice and power of GOD who know how horrible it is to fall into his hands after separation from him by sinne It beareth no shadow of ioy It is a plaine token of a minde either sencelesse or madde So then it is proper to you onelâ—e O yee righteous to bee glad it is neither lawfull nor possible for any other truely to reioyce But because this your ioy is the treasure of your soules you must in any case be carefull to place it well As treasures must be safely laide vp so your ioy must bee lodged safe and that cannot be but onely in GOD. For if you place it in honour riches beautie power or any other faire fauour of this world it cannot be safe because these things are transitory and subiect to variations and dangers because they will passe away and perish in a moment And therefore the ioy that riseth from them is neuer dureable and many times lesse then the griefe which they cause when they forsake vs. As they who ioy in GOD need not feare any euill because all their euils are conuerted to their good so should they not hope for any good from the world because the Diuell GODS professed enemie is the great Prince of the world and will endeuour to conuert that good to their euill Goe too then reioyce onely in GOD who forgiueth your iniquities who doeth tolerate and conceale your weakenesses who liberally imparteth his mercies to you Settle all your delights vpon him settle all your pleasures and wishes in the loue of his goodnesse For hee imbraceth you with a fatherly loue and will then chiefely stand by you when all other comforts and supports will forsake you Ioyne no partener with him in the small possession of your ioy Ioy onely in him whom you shall alwayes finde aboue you powerfull beneath you plentifull before you watchfull behinde you carefull on this side bountifull on that side mercifull on all sides wonderfull Reioyce not in your owne worthinesse but in his infinite goodnes who driueth all dangers from your bodies and soules who so prouideth for you that you want nothing necessarie for this life and doe assuredly expect blessed abundance in the life to come Reioice onely in him who doeth comfort and relieue you in your passage through this world and will conduct you to the ioy of his
they ioy at the conuersion of sinners so are they sorrowfull at their conuersation in sinne I haue which is strange offended hell For the more the multitude of the damned are the more doe their torments increase For which cause the rich man intreated Abraham to send Lazarus to conuert his brethren not for any loue to them but that his owne torments by their damnation should not be enlarged I haue offended all creatures by diuerting them from their proper end For when man by sinne is turned from GOD whilest other creatures serue him they are also turned with him from GOD. For they were created for the seruice of them who should serue GOD but they are diuerted from this their proper end when they are seruiceable to them who serue not GOD. For which cause the Apostle saith that all creatures expect when the sonnes of GOD shall be reuealed and that they groane with vs and trauaile in paine But especially I haue offended against my owne soule which being dispoiled by sinne of the grace and fauour of GOD remaineth blind naked wounded poore pitilesse and miserable Assuredly it is true that no man is hurt but by himselfe For onelie sinne our owne viperous brood is properly euill take away sin and all externall euills produce good effects Because when sinne is away GOD is present but when the soule is possessed with sinne all good things perish all euils flourish and ouergrow And as sinne is an offence against GOD and against all his creatures so by sin we incurre the hostility of GOD and of all his creatures wherof Ismael was a type of whom it is sayd that his hand was against all and the hands of all against him Therfore O LORD sweet and gentle to all them who call vpon thee I haue great cause to call to thee alowde but in vaine shall I call vnlesse thou heare me vnlesse thou encline thy mercifull eare Heare mee O LORD Who hearest the afflicted and troubled calling vpon thee heare my voice giue mee strength so to cry to thee that my voice may be heard For as all the droppes of raine which fall vpon the earth are originally drawen out of the sea which is both the fountaine and receipt of all waters so all the goodnesse which is in man is deriued from thee who art the foundation and receipt of all goodnesse O Infinite goodnesse infuse thy selfe into me Breath foorth thy spirit and the waters will flow LORD the desiring of thy graces is the beginning of obteyning them and therefore with fieâ—ie and inflamed sighes I entreat thee Breath foorth thy spirit to mooue me to send to thee a full flood of boyling teares and to crie to thee with vnspeakable groanes Alasse It is the most bitter part of my misery that I know how infinite the losse is that maketh mee miserable I haue lost the beauty of the world the highest marke of a good mans ambition I haue not only lost him but incurred his hostility without whom there is no ioy the breath of whose fauour is the breath of life whose presence is the greatest felicity in Heauen whose departure is the most grieuous punishment in Hell And now mine eyes tell me that euery thing is attired in sorrow mine eares perswade me that all sounds are tuned to mournfull notes all things seeme to inuite mee to weepe If I see any thing that beareth some resemblance of ioy it is to me like the spoiles of a vanquished kingdome in the eye of a captiue prince scornes of his misery and whetstones of his sorrow O my LORD I cannot hide me from thee but I haue hid thee from me Thou seest mee but I see not thee Thou seest all my actions both light and yet darke but I see no beame of thy beauty no spark of thy fauour appeareth to me O my GOD Why doest thou leaue me in this distressed case In how wilde a chase doe my perplexed thoughts wander My vnderstanding is darke my will either crooked or weake my imagination vnquiet my appetite disordered I feele so many deathes as I liue dayes For dayly yea hourely my oppressed conscience enditeth me for many grieuous offences and my owne knowledge enforceth the euidence to be true wherupon my iudgement condemneth mee to eternall death vnlesse a pardon can be obtayned To this end my eyes are enioyned to a fresh shower of teares my breast to a new storme of sighes and my soule to remaine in the most deepe dungeon of sorrow and griefe and out of this depth like a most miserable prisoner neuer to cease calling vpon thee neuer to cease crying and crauing for thy pardon O my soule weepe bloudy teares if it be possible fill heauen and earth with cries groanes and sighes plunge thy selfe into a sea of teares to wash thy sinnes and to extinguish the wrath of GOD against them for what anger is so fierie that teares cannot quench as Pharao and all his hoste was drowned in the waters so may the Diuell and all thy sins be stifled with teares The weeping for sinne is the wiping them away Drie earth bringeth foorth vnprofitable weedes and hurtfull Serpents and a soule neuer watered with teares bringeth foorth much vanity and vncleannesse As raine fructifieth the earth so teares make a barren soule fruitfull Godly teares are of two sorts some proceed from griefe for our sinnes others from loue ioy and desire of GOD. Both which he so highly esteemeth that he will not suffer one of them to be lost he preserueth them in his treasury with great regard to water therewith the garden of our good purposes and endeuours For as good seedes and plants without raine so are good thoughts and endeuours without this heauenly dew of deuotion But be not satisfied O my soule with once or twise weeping Bee not weary of bewayling thy sinnes cease not to weepe vntill GOD shall wipe away teares from thy eyes O happy eyes which shall bee wiped with that heauenly hand Not only their teares shall be perpetually dried but their sorrow shall bee turned into ioy And according to the multitude of their sorrows his comforts will refresh their soules Goe too then vnfruitfull soule write all thy sinnes with teares in the large volume of thy heart read them ouer againe and againe wash them with a few more droppes of deuotion let thy words be watered with teares and warmed with sighes and againe addresse to thy suite and say VERS II. Oh let thine eares consider well the voyce of my complaint 1 INgemination of our prayers often requisite and wherefore 2 A complaint 3 A most cruell combate 4 How a sinner flattereth himselfe 5 Vntill he be able to breake loose 6 A confession 7 The most miserable state of a sinner 8 It nothing auayleth that our sinnes are knowen only to our selues 9 In what sence a man may bee sayd a greater sinner then the Diuell 10 The sinner deeply deiected 11 Hee resumeth
my secrets to all the world The longer time I haue liued the more I finde my life couered and ouergrowen with sinne euen as a riuer the further it runneth from the head the more waters it gathereth and the greater doeth the streame encrease or as a man riding in dustie waies the further hee rideth the more dust he gathereth vpon him I can finde in my selfe no light of goodnesse no calme of righteousnesse I haue bin so loaden with the yron yoake of the Diuell the troupes of my sinnes so muster vpon mee that out of the depth of my miserable estate I am enforced with sighes groanes and teares to cry vnto thee Oh! I am a most grieuous sinner I thinke my selfe the most grieuous sinner in the world I think my self which I tremble to speake a more grieuous sinner then the Diuell himselfe For albeit the Diuell participateth of all sinnes whereto he draweth miserable men yet of his owne nature he is not a glutton not a drunkard not sloathfull not libidinous not coueteous of riches or honoâ—s or any other worldly thing For because nothing is affected with that which is not agreeable to the nature thereof it followeth that a spirituall substance cannot bee affected with goods properly corporall but onely with those which are spirituall But in affecting spirituall goods there can bee no sinne vnlesse the rule of a superiour be thereby transgressed and this is by the sinne of pride in being disobedient to a superiour and in affecting a singular excellencie But consequently enuie may ensue by enuying the good of others whether in GOD or in man as a hindrance to their proper ends But so enuy must not be taken for a passion but for a will wrestling against anothers good And hereby it appeareth that the Diuell properly and in his owne nature sinneth onely in pride and in enuie which onely are pure spirituall sinnes But besides these I haue committed so manie other sinnes that I am both vnable and vnworthy particularlie to confesse them much more vnworthy to receiue pardone for them I haue made so great ruine and waste in all the faculties of my soule that it seemeth impossible they should be repaired Oh wretch what haue I done what did I entend to haue done The law accompted those beasts vncleane which did not chew the cudde not lesse vncleane cleane are they who will not ruminate and consider either the condition of their present state or what in future is either necessarie or in aduenture to ensue But alasse I neuer thought on my danger vntill all hope of remedie was past I neuer regarded my steps vntill I was in the snares of hell And now what death can I feare when I haue lost the life of my soule without which any other life is death and which maketh death a pleasant passage to life Being deepely wounded with the greatest griefe what sence can I haue of ordinary euill my deepe miseries haue drowned both my minde and my memorie in so deepe sorrow that all hope of reliefe is ouerwhelmed with the thicke throng of present discomforts And yet I will not cast downe my hope in the LORD I will not despaire of his gracious helpe For he hath not cast me downe to cast mee away hee hath not thus terrified mee to the end I should abandone all hope to the end I should be swallowed vp in the monstrous mouth of despaire but rather he calleth mee to him to the end that I should call vpon him The first worke that the LORD did in the conuersion of Saint Paul was the casting of him to the ground whereby thou doest instruct vs O LORD that our deiection in our selues is the first step of our aduancing to thee And assuredly thou wouldest neuer haue giuen me this grace to be sorrowfull if thou haddest not therewith intended to giue me life And therefoâ—â— albeit I bee cast downe to the verie gates of hell yet will I call vpon thee to raise mee againe albeit I bee crushed and broken to pieces yet will I call vpon thee to heale mee I can neuer bee so low driuen neuer so ouercharged with sorrow or with feare but still I will call vpon thee for comfort For what other remedie haue wee feeble wretches tossed in the vaste gustie sea of this world beaten with most raging tempests driuen among so many rockes and shelues so many infernall monsters gaping to deuoure vs what other remedie haue wee I say but to call and crie to thee with the distressed disciples awake LORD least wee perish Assuredly if out of these depths of danger and distresse we cry not out to thee for helpe then are we neere the greatest depth that can bee then are wee slipping into the depth wherein Cain was eternally swallowed then are wee readie to roare out his cursed complaint my sinnes are greater then can be forgiuen It is true Cain indeede thy sinne in it selfe was very great but in comparison of the infinite goodnesse of GOD it was not great Thy sinne might haue bin pardoned well enough but thy opinion and conceit that it did exceede the mercies of GOD that impious opinion so long as it stood could not be forgiuen Thy despaire was a greater sinne then the murther of thy brother thy despaire was the cause wherefore the murther of thy brother could not bee forgiuen Thy damnable repentance left no place for repentance to life The same trace followed they whom the Prophet described to speake in this manner Our sinnes are vpon vs and in them we consume how then should wee liue But O Omnipotent GOD is this a good reasoning with thy goodnesse My sinnes are vpon me how then shall I liue Desirest thou then the death of a sinner desirest not thou rather that sinners should liue I know rightwell that my sinnes are vpon me But I expect againe thy mercie vpon my sinnes My iniquities I know are gone ouer my head but they haue not ouergone thy goodnesse They are a burthen too heauie for me to beare and therefore I resort to thee who hast promised to ease me My sinnes shall neuer driue me to despaire but rather to repaire to thee for reliefe But is it not vsuall that GOD listneth not to sinners that he turneth away his eare and will not heare them Yes verelie But this is by reason of the cry of their sinnes this is when the cry of their sinnes drowneth the cry of their complaints Fauorable LORD stop thine eare I beseech thee against the crie of my sinnes but graciously incline it to the cry of my complaint Silence my sinnes LORD for a while bid them stand aside vntill I haue fullie confessed them to thee vntill I haue manifested my contrition for them and then let them appeare againe if they will for then they shall not appeare alone They shall be then accompanied with my teares and my griefe which will abate if not abolish their crie They shall not then prouoke thy
sinners desire rather to prouoke his iustice then to inuoke his mercy By this redemption wee are not onely deliuered both from the guilt and eternall punishment of our sinnes but wee are also enriched with the righteousnesse of our Redeemer All the merits of his penury trauailes watchings groanings sweat teares and bloud are our rich treasure All his innocence and righteousnesse is ours For the righteousnesse of the second Adam is no lesse ours then was the transgression of the first Adam wee no lesse participate of the innocencie and sanctity of the one for our saluation then of the disobedience of the other for our damnation And therefore as Iacob being apparelled with the garments of his elder brother Esau procured a blessing which by right of birth was not his due so if wee bee clothed with the righteousnesse of our Redeemer wee shall obtaine a blessing whereto wee can otherwise pretend no right In offering this sacrifice and in presenting these merits what can we feare GOD is our Redeemer it is GOD who iustifieth who can condemne GOD is our patron and Aduocate If GOD bee on our side who can bee against vs This is he to whom all the Prophets witnesse That through his name all that beleeue in him should receiue remission of sinnes This is the true liuing Temple of GOD of whom the Temple of Salomon was but a figure This is the Altar whereon all the prayers which we offer to GOD are acceptable to him This is our only Priest our only Sacrifice our only Temple our only Altar whereby we are made acceptable to GOD. I will make this which I haue said a little more familiar by an example Albeit a man hath deserued nothing of his Prince whereby he may claime either respect or reward yet if his father haue performed great seruices If he hath spent his trauailes his estate his life in his Princes employment the sonne may no lesse both boldly and iustly sue for reward then if in his owne person he had deserued it Our case is not vnlike for all who are in the state of grace are the adoptiue sonnes of IESVS CHRIST hee is their Father their second Adam they are his sonnes and consequently his lawfull heires Not as if hee had died intestate but by his last will and testament which hee made the euening before his death at his last supper and soone after confirmed it with his blood By this testament he gaue vs his bloud and thereby hath made vs heires of all the merits for shedding his bloud Hereby wee haue good right to demand the reward due to all his labors and to the losse of his bloud and that with full assurance not only in regard of mercy which drew him so liberally to lay foorth his bloud but also of Iustice which thereby is largely satisfied For whatsoeuer he either did or endured in this world all the sharpe stony steps which he trode was in no part for himselfe but altogether for vs. For vs he was incarnate and borne for vs he sustained many contemptible both indignities and wants for vs hee fasted watched and prayed for vs hee did groane weepe and bleed Lastly for vs he died which was the accomplishment of our redemption Of all this he hath made vs heires in his last will and testament and that by his free goodnesse and grace For he was innocent and needed not to discharge any thing for himselfe neither had hee any neede of vs to encrease by that meanes either his greatnesse or his glory VERS VIII And hee shall redeeme Israel from all his sinnes 1 A contemplation of GOD in his diuine Maiestie 2 A contemplation of him in his humane abasement 3 How pleasing the obedience of our Redeemer was to the Father and for what cause 4 Two sacrifices obserueable in our Redeemer and which was most acceptable 5 The merit of these oblations perteine to vs and wherefore 6 Of the Priesthood and intercession of our Redeemer 7 Of the narrow capacity of our hearts and GODS inestimable abundance 8 Our redemption extendeth to all people and to all sinnes 9 How this is true 10 How sinnes are said to be impardonable 11 How GOD is said to blind men 12 GOD confineth sinners within certaine limits 13 How notwithstanding our sinnes we may be assured of pardon 14 To whom the rich treasure of redemption pertaineth 15 Our redemption dischargeth not only from sinne and eternall punishment but from miseries of this life 16 GOD conuerteth our miseries to good 17 How calamities may bee broken and a glorious conquest obtained 18 He who commandes his will is more powerfull then many kings and wherefore 19 We cannot iustly complaine of externall accidents and wherefore 20 A Prayer 21 An oblation 22 A thankesgiuing COme with me then and I will carrie you to the toppe of a high watch-tower where you may behold marueilous things Here with great humilitie reuerence of your soules lift vp your eyes aboue the clouds and aboue all the heauens surmount all the companies of Cherubin and Seraphin and aduance to the highest throne of Maiestie There fasten your thoughts vpon the most pure diuine substance which there keepeth state that beautifull light that vnapproachable light which no mortall eye did euer behold That glorious LORD in whom are the beauties and perfections of all creatures in farre greater excellencie then in themselues Him who with the bare inclination of his will created all things Him whose bright Maiestie as we are vnable to behold so without the light thereof we are blind Him whose wisedome power beauty Maiestie greatnesse cannot bee expressed cannot be comprehended Who remaining vnmoueable giueth motion to all things who gouerneth all things yet applieth himselfe to nothing who vseth all things and needeth nothing who changeth his workes and yet remaineth constant in his counsailes whom all the starres all the Saints and Angels praise and adore At whose presence the pillars of heauen tremble who poiseth the whole masse of the earth with three fingers and in whose sight all nations are as if they were not Him whose happinesse is such that it cannot be either encreased or diminished Insomuch as his glory will be nothing the more if all men should be saued and praise him nor any deale the lesse if all should be damned and curse him When thou hast stayed there awhile and feasted thy desires vpon this high substance descend againe by the same steps as if it were vpon Iacobs ladder and behold the same substance couered and disguised not onely with humane flesh but with all the miseries incident to humane flesh not onely as a seruant the basest sort of men but as a most contemptible seruant suffering both such miseries and such indignities as greater could not be endured and offering himselfe in loue to vs and obedience to his father euen to death euen to the most painefull and ignominious death of the crosse This obedience of
to kindle O desire of my soule thou knowest my tribulations my thoughts lie naked in thy sight thou seest how for thee my heart sorroweth my breast sigheth mine eie weepeth my body fainteth and my soule languisheth And wherfore tariest thou wherfore dost thou prolong my longing wherefore dost thou martyr me with delay VVhy sufferest thou me thus long to be vexed Is the cause heereof in thee or is it in my selfe Are thy mercies spent is thy louing kindnesse at an end wilt thou no more bee intreated by sinners or am I only cancelled out of thy conceit No no I doe not so feelinglie want thee I doe not so ardentlie desire thee as my case requires Verelie the cause is in my selfe and not in thee There is some trespasse in my teares my sorrow is seasoned with some sinne thou seest some cause for which I cannot see thee else wouldest thou not thus estrange thy selfe else thus thou wouldest not giue me ouer I am rather vnworthy to entertaine thee then thou vnwilling to come vnto mee VVell then I will still stir vp the coales of my dull deuotion I will heape on more fewell I will not cease blowing vntill it rise to a full and constant flame I will not entreat onely but I will importune thee I will wrestle with thee as Iacob did with the Angel I will not let thee goe vntill thou blesse me VERS IIII. Turne thee O LORD and deliuer my soule Oh saue me for thy mercies sake 1 A Prayer 2 The pleasures of this life how vnprofitable they are 3 The great distance betweene GOD and a sinner 4 How brought together 5 How grieuous it is to be separate from GOD. 6 An earnest desire of the soule after GOD. 7 The absence of GOD worse then his anger 8 How GOD is to be desired 9 What mooueth GOD to pitie and relieue 10 The great mercy of GOD. 11 To whom his mercy is properly due 12 Mercy to sinners is a due 13 GOD is most liberall and wherefore 14 How wee should desire GOD to turne to vs his face O Come mercifull LORD come and turne vpon me thy fauourable face come exercise vpon me the worke of mercie Regard me not as sinfull but as sorrowfull for my sin punish not my offences but pity the weaknesse from whence they proceed pity the distresse whereinto they haue cast me pitifullie regard my weakenesse and distresse For I feele my soule plunged in a vast sea of sinne I feele how fast it sinketh how violentlie it is swallowed I haue greedily grasped at the floating comforts of this life but I finde no stay in them I finde they rather pester then releeue me I finde them like a flash of lightning in a darke stormy night which serueth to shew the present infelicity and to increase the horror of ensuing darknesse And therefore doe I now streine out my voice and stretch foorth my hand vnto thee for helpe Gladlie would I turne to thee but I am not able for there is so great a distance betweene a sinner and thee that by his owne forces he cannot return and come neere thee Depart from thee and adhere to euill of our selues we may but we cannot forsake euill and turne to thee but by thy speciall power No man by his proper vertue is able to saue and consequently to iustifie himselfe thy grace must alwaies preuent him thou must first call him before he be able to cal vpon thee The beginning of our conuersion must be from thee from thy preuenting and inciting grace And therefore turne to me and then shall I be turned to thee Turne vnto me not by any change in thy selfe for thou art immutable but turne to me by thy goodnesse and grace and I will turne to thee by repentance and amendment of life Oh! how grieuous is it to bee separated and estranged from thee what good can comfort what euill will not annoy when thou art turned away Thou art the rock of my faint faith the anchor of my wauering hope the center of my languishing desire and loue In thee I trust vpon thee I relye I am so earnest in desiring thee that I neither desire nor almost thinke vpon any other thing But where art thou In what cloud doest thou hide thy selfe what meanest thou to suspend thy comfort so long to punish my desire so much with delay Wherefore hidest thou thy face and takest me for thine enemie Albeit thou art angrie with me yet would not I haue thee depart from me I had rather enioy thee angrie then not at all because thou art most extreamely angrie when thou turnest from vs. When thou art angrie and present then doest thou instruct vs then reforme vs but when thou turnest from vs then thou giuest vs ouer then thou leauest vs to innumerable and vnauoidable euils Albeit my friends forsake me albeit my enemies persecute me albeit all the societies of men and of Diuels tumult against mee yet doe not thou forsake me doe not thou depart from me For woe to them from whom thou departest But take heed O troubled soule and consider well what thou requirest of the LORD Art not thou a sinner a grieuous sinner is not GOD a searcher of sinnes a grieuous punisher of grieuous sinnes Doest thou not pray to him to turne away his face from thy sinnes Did not holy Iob say where shall I hide me from thy countenance because I haue sinned And wouldest thou haue him turne his face to thee being a most heynous sinner Yes yes I know well enough what I desire I know that GOD hath more faces then one He hath a face of Maiestie which no man can see and liue This face I cannot see He hath a face of iustice This face I would not see It is terrible to sinners this face is vpon them who doe euill to destroy their memoriall from the earth But hee hath another face of compassion and mercie And this face is like the Sunne exceeding full both of beautie and of vertue This face hee hideth from sinners This face I desire to be displayed vpon me be it neuer so cloudie neuer so angrie the anger of this face is to make sinners pure LORD make this face to shine vpon mee and be mercifull to mee LORD this face doe I seeke oh hide not thou thy face from mee nor cast away thy seruant in displeasure Come come gracious LORD with-hold no longer O water of life O shower of our saluation distill into mee one drop of thy dewe Seeing I am nothing without thee let me taste the benefit of being thine I desire thee and not thine for thy selfe not for thy gifts I desire thee onely not thee for any thing nothing for thee nothing with thee nothing beside thee Come deliuer my soule from the chaines of sinne wherewith I am bound to satisfie the rigour of thy iustice by eternall death and damnation Deliuer me from long custome
of sinne deliuer mee both from the pleasures and cares of this world which are cables to tye me fetters to hold mee captiue from turning to thee Deliuer my soule and saue me First deliuer my soule from present distresse then addresse me in the right way of thy saluation It is true that there is no desert no goodnes in me that should any wayes mooue thee to pitie or relieue mee For I haue loosely abandoned thee I haue trayterously conspired against thine honour I am altogether vnworthy but in wrath and reuenge to bee regarded of thee But I entreat thee by thine infinite goodnesse which is sufficient to abolish all the sinnes in the world euen in the lowest descent of humilitie for thy mercies sake I beseech thee to saue mee LORD I crie to thee in the confidence of thy mercies and not of my merits whereto no saluation but eternall death and destruction is due And if thou wilt not absolutely be entreated yet this word mercie is a maine argument to mooue thee or to assure me at the least that thou wilt saue me For thou art merciful both inwardly in thy selfe outwardly to others It is thy proper nature to beê merciful it is more proper for thee to do good to impart thy selfe to al things then it is for the Sun to enlighten then for the fire to giue heat thou canst not but exercise the actions of mercie But vpon whom vpon righteous persons what needeth that For they haue no miserie because they haue no sinne which only is misery which onely needeth mercie Is it then vpon small offenders is it to a certaine degree and measure of sinne Why but thou art exceeding mercifull infinite in mercie no lesse infinite in mercie then in nature for thou art mercy Verely as the rich man oweth his reliefe to the poore and the greater his riches are the greater is his debt as also the more poore a man is the more right hee hath to demaund reliefe euen so the greater thy mercies are the more must thou exercise the same vpon miserable sinners and the more miserable and sinfull a man is the more boldly may he come to thee for mercie The miserable sinner ouercharged with sinnes may confidently make his suit vnto thee to doe thy duty to exercise thy action to take away his misery to impart to him thy mercie that where sinne abounds grace also may more then abound Men doe therefore giue sparingly or at the least in some measure because the more they giue the lesse they reteine but thy treasure cannot be either exhausted or diminished thou departest with nothing by imparting to others by giuing abundantly thou hast nothing the lesse Thou art a fountaine of pitie and mercie from whence innumerable streames proceede the waters whereof are infinite both in quantitie and in vertue as well to cure our wounds and infirmities as to wash away our filthines and refresh our weakenesse O infinite fountaine how canst thou bee dried O sweetnesse O sacietie of desires what languishing soule came euer to thee and was not both cured and clensed and fully refreshed Doubtlesse O Lord thou art exceeding mercifull and wilt both readily and largely distribute thy mercies among offenders Thou wilt deliuer them saue them if they turne vnto thee if with penitent hearts they desire thy mercie Thou art more liberall to giue then they can be either desirous or willing to receiue VERSE V. For in death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the pit THE wisedome of GOD bindeth our assurance 2. To what end man was created 3. The time of life limited for repentance 4 Paine causeth forgetfulnesse of any thing but of it selfe 5. As after death repentance is vnprofitable so at the instant of death it is very doubtfull 6. The discommodities of late repentance AND it is not onely thy mercie which bindeth my reason but also thy wisedome For I am thy creature the worke of thy hands the worke which thy wisedome hath framed to some end Thy wisedome hath framed nothing in vaine nothing but to some end without attayning which end it should not perish But it is all one if I had beene created for nothing and in vaine and if I should not attaine to the end for which I was created To what end then did thy Wisedome create mee in this World Certainely that I should know thee and that by knowing thee I should loue thee and that in louing thee I should neuer cease to remember thee neuer cease to praise thee neuer cease to sorrow when I offend thee To this end I was created and I am desirous to accomplish this end I am desirous to be an instrument for extolling thy praise and setting foorth thy glory But in case I die thus charged with sinne before thou turnest thy mercie to me before I turne to thee by repentance what honor will thereby rise to thee what benefit to my selfe How shall I then partake of thy goodnesse How shall I publish and praise the same For so long as we enioy the benefit of life We nay repent we may leaue our sinnes we may returne to the state of grace But after death followeth iudgement when no error can be either repented or repaired but euery man shall suffer according as hee hath done In this liâ—e we may both dispose our selues and incite others to blazon thy praise but in the dungeon of death who will thanke thee who will thinke on thee who will sing thy praises in the bosome of Hell This is not a proper place for the sweet harmony of thy praise for the ioyfull memoriall of thy name Thy praise consisteth in a thankefull publication of thy grace goodnesse and mercie But this is the house of horror heere thy full furie and vengeance inhabite here can bee neither thankfull nor ioyfull remembrance of thee It is familiar to the pleasures of this life if they be great to cause vs to forget both thee and our selues But we are far lesse sensible of pleasure then of paine paines are more sharpe to vs in a high degree then pleasures are sweet Sharpe paines doe so strongly affect the bodie they doe so viòlently possesse the minde that it cannot once thinke of any other thing Who may then remember thee as he should being vnder the hand of thy terrible wrath Who shall either loue thee or laud thee in the ouglie den of death where the eies are possessed with hideous hurlemeÌ„ts the eares with desperate fruitles wailings all the faculties and parts both with intolerable and endlesse torments VVhere nothing is either suffered or done but effects of thine implacable wrath Assuredlie they are cursed by thee who are condemned to this place and heere againe they curse and blaspheme thee For this cause the wiseman exhorteth vs to turne to thee to forsake our sinnes and to make our prayers before thy face But what is it to do all these