force and desire vvhich I haue of my not hauing power and of my willingnes to be recoÌ„cilled to thee are full of vaine empty idle phantasies doe dote like one who is besides himselfe become such by the great affliction occasioned by his feauer in so much as he is one while hot not vnlike to fire another while cold as ice and the same heate which dryeth yea parcheth his lips is found in me who onelie desire to drinke of the fountaine of thy mercy which doth more comfort him who drinketh thereof then doth water prejudice the sick Alas my good Lord grant vnto me that I may moisten my mouth from thy grace and goodnes for that elswhere is not health for me I doubt Lord lest I heape offence on offences by my importunity being vnworthy to craue thy mercy but my sinne which pierceth me quite though in such sort that it hath seated it selfe in my bones and marrow maketh me ouerbold and indeed as it were impatient my bones troubled notably disquieted yea wasted through my insupportable griefe are vnknit their sinnewes are vntyed but peradueÌ„ture the danger is more greiueous theÌ„ the sicknes for that I being composed of flesh and sensible of it's suffering doe feare lest I proue not valiant in the combate in which if I faile my eternall losse of soule might follow and vndoubtedly I shall yeild to the force of it's assaults if so be thou defeÌ„d me not vnder the buckler of thy mercy Lord my soule is beyond measure troubled so many and such like are the temptations which asseige it It hath for a receptacle yea and castle weake human flesh the hostile armes of wordly vanities haue conspired vsed stratagems against it and the senses which reanswere to their flatteries corrupted by stately and most magnificent sights by hearing the harmony of flattery and selfepraise by sweet and most odoriferous smellings by tasting the delicacie of meates and by feeling sensibly voluptuousnes endeauour to render it a prey to the pleasure of the world Hence the miserable soule flyeth for refuge to and vnder the shade of the hope which it hath in thee euen as a child vnder the skirt of his mothers garment The Hart so much feareth not the cruell and mortall bitings of doggs vvho is euen then ready to be sharply nipt as my soule feareth my aduersaries vvho inveigle it Since so it is with me support it with thy mercy if not I shall faile yea euen fall into my irrecouerable and vtter destruction and though it vvere so that I cannot at present merit so farre that thou grant me my petition how long wilt thou please to deferre thy such gratious aspect with which thou doest fill with joy and blisle the Angells Thou moouest the Heauens assignest bounds to the ElemeÌ„ts giuest motion to the Planets makest the Sunne to shine giuest light to the Moone brightnes to the Starres Alas yea and alas ô Lord take in thy attentiue consideration the misery into which the not hauing known as I might haue donne through thee to bridle my proud will hath brought me to I say and the not hauing hetherto reflected on my selfe knowingly vvho being composed of earth must necessarily returne againe to my mother earth and hence restored to my flesh and bones for my greater confusion must appeare before thy IudgmeÌ„t in the presence of all such who haue been vvho are and vvho as yet not in being shall hereafter be Grant vnto me Lord that I may imagin but not see that thou forgettest me for by meanes of such imaginatioÌ„ I shall learne to put thee in minde of my exigents my great wants extreame necessities as well by fasting as prayer in seeing here of I might not vnlikely despaire of pardon mercy vvhich they finde vvho though they haue disobayed thee yet chastise theÌ„selues vvith the scourge working to amendment of life Looke againe on my soule my Lord vvith the selfe same benigne countenance vvith vvhich thou fauourably dost behold him vvho by long penitence is more worthy then am I poore wretch and consider it to haue more shame and confusion in it's trangresse of thy coÌ„mandements then in it's feare of eternall banishment and vtter losse vvhich attend's it for it's foule sinnes My hearts quelling heauines vvould bee singularly cheered if so be that thou wouldst with thy fauorable aspect appease the contestation afflicting it vvhich presents to my Phantasie to my minde thoughts raised from the day-booke of my sinnes Surely I shall henceforth be more solicitous to serue thee then heretofore I haue been as hauing been slow carelesse and altogether dully sottish O my Lord if without all feare and trembling I might call vpon thee vvould'st thou not vouchsafe an answere to me at least should my dayes proue long vvhich thou lendest me to liue I should truely hope that sack cloath teares sorrow vvatching fasting would obtaine yea vvinneso much in my behalfe that thy grace vvould shower on me in such manner that I should be receiued no otherwile then as they are vvho through their truely humbling themselues haue returned into thy grace their peace so made My sinnes indeed deserue any whatsoeuer paine may be inuented yea but it would not be conuenient it alas would be my vtter vndoing that thy benignity should retard it selfe be slow ought remisse to shew it selfe vnto me and that with plentifull mercy on my greiuous offences which I deny not I hide not but if sinne were not thy clemeÌ„cy would not appeare what it is admitt that there is no clemency by which way should sinners acknowledge their good God in his mercy Euen now Lord giue quiet to the soule which vvith an adueâ—…se eye of enemity troubledly gazeth on the body not vvithout iust cause of offence for that through it's inordinate appetites the soule is euâ—…n condeÌ„ned to the euerlasting punishments of Hell as for my body which dayly nightly incessantly is gnawne and worne by its consciences affliction soone vvill fall soone become ashes if thou be not to it it 's sustentacle it 's strength it 's full vigour alas my my soule dying in such state vvill goe to a place which I haue horror to name yea to thinke of But if I dy my Lord not being among the dead vvho can call thee to minde how shall I make mentioÌ„ of thee how shall I call on thy name on vvhose name neuer any called in vaine vnprofitably and most true it is that there is no comfort so fully consoling the heart so restoratiue to it as is the hearing voiced the harmonious sound thereof Thy name appeaseth the afflictedst vexations greifes and addeth increase of ioy yea euen to those vvho vvere before in state of comfort Hence let me not periâ—…h vntill I write of the great vertue the swetnes the ioy the povver the health vvhich is in it Let the world heare and vnderstand by my vvords vvith what coÌ„fident security vvith vvhat grace and vvith vvhat abundant felicitie
succeedeth praise and to Gods glorie the conuersion of Nations and to Hierusalem and Sion peace and the speculation the contemplation shall bring ioy singular hearts-comfort true faith obtained the true most perspicuous light of trueth by meanes of the seruants and friends of Christ then shall the world triumphe in it's perfect ioy for that God shal be accorded God shall haue made attonement vvith man in testimonie whereof hee shall forget the disobediēce of him that vvas expelled banished from terrestriall Paradice for hauing valued an aple at an higher rate then God's commandement But vvhen so the name of our Lord shal be preached through all the world congregating and gathering together contemplation speculation and peace in one both kings people to the end they may serue God the Christ ā Church into which shall be collected assembled the people as also Kings Maketh this ansvvere to God who in the vvay of his goodnes his vertue called it his spouse it pleased him to see it held in reuerēce much honored by the selected number of the good Shew me the length of my dayes sincel perceiue I clearlie see my accrease aduancement and glorie Kings and people coming to me for no other end but to serue thee And so much doth it say alvvaies beholding it's greatnes as if it had before it all Hereticks all Antichristians all false Apostles vvho vvill come to molest it to displease it to vvrong it to trespasse against it vvith the malitious peruersnes of their deuillish doctrines vvith the power and might of their abominablie vvretched vvorckes and vvith the deceipt of a fained goodnes And thus earnestly encited prouoked vvith a sensible feare conuerting it selfe to thee vvith all it's feruour possiblie yet againe thus proceedeth Let not thy goodnes call me away in the midst of my dayes Lord thy dayes thy yeares thy time shall out last all generations and shall transcend all ages but I vvho perceiue dangers to be hāging ouer me which tongues ill example and wretched mindes of wicked Christians will attempt to make me headlonglie fall into am in great feare lest I become les◅ened and faile in the midst of my dayes as doe the lambs of a flocke decrease in nūber trhough the rott For it seemeth to me alreadie to be gouerned by the rod of some pastors much more greedie desirous of my blood of the blood of my flocke then vvill they be of my firmenes my strength my constancie and their safetie their saluation hence trembling not vvithout reason not vvithout great cause I humblie craue that thou let not me become lesse faile in the fairest bloome yea flovver of my youth and remember reflect hereō that I am thine handmaid and thy spouse hence is there no reason that I faile to flourish Grāt vnto me that I may liue euer joyned to thee vvho shalt euer be alwaies liue at least as long as the vvorld and human generation lasteth and that shall so be if so thou from age to age from nation to natiō mainteine me in the hearts in the vnion of kings and people Thou Lord in the beginning didst make the Earth and the Heauens are workes of thy hands and in the labours of such operations of such vvorkes thou shevvedst thy povver thy glory thy eternitie so didst thou to the end that vvee might liue here below vntill that our workes might deserue there aboue their revvard so boundles is the loue that thou vvho art the maket of all things dost beare to vs who setting aside the priuiledge which wee haue of being of thy making wee are euē as things of nothing Thou my Lord God madst the Sunne the Moone the Starres vvith other Heauenly vvorkes of thy euerlasting hands and all for vs for our soules to speculate on to looke on to contemplate vvhose soules free in their election in their choise are able if vvilling to be accepted of admitted and to be receiued in the Colledge in the fellowship of Angels in the order in the state and ranke of Archāgels in the number of Cherubins in the quire of Seraphins and in the societie of all the military troopes of Heauen treading vnder our feete the Celestiall signes Planets vvhich shall haue an end if so it shall please thee They shall perish but thou shalt alvvaies be thou shalt alvvaies remaine and they shal be consumed come to nothing like garments It is true Lord that what participateth not in condition in qualitie and substance of thy eternitie shall become fume shall resolue it selfe into smoke shall come euē to nothing but those things vvhich haue measure haue quantitie and substance from thee shall remaine entire for that thou onelie art eternall and the Heauens participaters of thy vertue shall remaine together with all other things that thy omnipotēcie please remaine as our soules vvhich thou createdst for if that they through themselues be not deficient they eternally dwell with thee But each other thing shall decline be vvorse and vvorse euen as daylie worne cloathes are become at length through cōtinuall wearing nought vvorth altogether vvorne out consuming as doe all terrestriall things And in this secōd death wherevvith time armed vvith yeares beateth dovvne and maketh an end of all things thy power and eternity is demonstrated is clearly shevven vvhich can doe vvhat it vvill hence if it please thee thou vvilt likevvise change the Heauens So that it please thee if thou vvilt thou shalt remoue the heauens out of such their now place and thou shalt change them as a garment for the same power thou hast on the world thou hast on the Heauēs thou hast made them and thou canst destroy them thou canst pull them all to pieces vnioynt them remoue them from their proper spheres and in a moment thou canst make other axeltrees new Poles and other lights other Sunn 's other Starres other Moones and the Heauens vvith it's lights shal be subiect to change and increase of number if it so be thy will But thou art alwaies the same vvithout being vnder any other power but thine owne selfe-same and thy yeares vvill not faile for time hath nothing to doe vvith them they are not subjects to time hence they shall alvvaies haue being they shall neuer haue end nor though there pa◅e it importeth not hovv many lusters hovv many ages hovv many hūdred yeares to thee the accompte is euen of one day is not diminished is not vvanting for thou art hee vvho is author of the selfe same Eternitie vvhich ought necessarilie must be vvith thee alwaies in it's proper state in it's proper povver And for that thy pitty commiseration thy mercie is infinite answerable to the affection to the great loue thou bearest vnto vs the ofsprings the sonnes of thy seruant shall liue and inhabite vvith this thy eternity and the generation of them shall euer remaine be conserued for euer and from hence thy graces occasion that thy mercie dilate extend
â—…naffle vvith headstall and reines to the end that they bite not and that they kick not that they hurt nâ—…t their masters who vâ—…uallv punish their resty tricks vvith rough and smarty cudgellings thus handled they are restrayned courbed in despight of their ill condition alvvell of heeles as of biâ—…ings euen as vvee are who â—…ffend our Lord by our maledictions our traÌ„sgressions and by our perâ—…dious stubbornes yea stony hardnes of heart asâ—…oone as hee smiteth vs with crosses vvith feares with dâ—…structions with deepe Melancholies vvith being more infortunate from day to day from ill state to vvorse making our treasures of no benefit no profit to vs nor our ranâ—…ks our seruants our delights as also the glory of them who are the proud fauourers of the world not without the great offence to Heauen Euen as the Starres the sands of the Sea and the leaues are vvithout the compasse of number so are the punishmeÌ„ts innumerable to sinners In the tread of a foote in the mouing of a hand in the very straining to expectorate from the lungs ought in sleepe in meate in walking in standing still theâ—…e is danger ready at hand to encounter vvith for any one to stumble at who so failes in punishing himselfe and the affliction the mortifying the body the soâ—…row yea languishing of heart and the earnest attention of the minde foreteller of it's ill neuer cease to molest him vvho liueth in sinne But they vvho confide in our Lord vvhose bountifull goodnes is a spring euer florishing euer floridly greene to the leauy branches of our hopes are environed fully endowed plentifully enlarged by his mercy and gratious benefits and his benignities are alvvaies vvatchfull tenderly solicitous on their necessities their vrgent and pressing vvants and whether they sleepe or wake yet doth his fauour accompany them to their conseruation be it vvhatsoeuer they doe the benignity of our Lord is clearly shewen on them vvho conserueth them in traÌ„quilitie in peace in ouerflowing most-abundant heâ—…rts comfort they being such vvho keepe themselues in the loue of God vvho is the onelie comfort the onelie free distributer of the hearts consolation of those vvho vnderualiew yea vilifie all vainelie esteemed happines in coÌ„parison of his seruice Reioyce yee in our Lord let your hearts consolation adde lustre make serene and cheerefull your countenance O to yee doe I addâ—…esse my speech vvho euermore walke in the right vvay in the vvell directed path and vvith vpright heart looke on those heauenlie lights those his eyes and liue vvithout furious oâ—…trages vvithout enuy and vvithout fraudulency vvhose life is prolonged by him vvho is infinitelie pleased with such perfections of the good and the vertuous and no lesse is appaied and rejoyceth at the iust punishment of the vvicked And yee each one of true and sincere heart glorie in that yee are iust and that you feare our Lord more then correctioÌ„ yea death it selfe for the sweat the intensiue paines of your seruice tendred to God is of more worth then the quiet possession full enioying of all the free Monarchicall Kingdomes and Empires of the Vniuerse But I pray what comfort what hearts delightfull rapture may that bee said to bee wherewith they are possessed nay therein dissolued and seasoned yea vvholy fermeÌ„ted with vvho to obey the soule to serue it to giue it it's satisfaction alvvayes and incessantlie displease yea totally and euermore abridge the bodie 's inclination and vvill It cannot be esteemed a litle while for the revvard which wel-doing hath from God caÌ„not be measured by the capacitie of humane imagination and euermore vvhen vvee exalt our spirits vvith joy vvith vvhich our heart abuÌ„deth so soone as it is purified gratiouslie looked on by God's illumination vvee doe not onelie participate of the joy of the heauenlie troopes of the heauenly Army but of that very selfe â—…ame in expressible ioy vvhich is in the countenance of our Loâ—…d vvhilst he beholdeth the sonnes of men truâ—…y feruent to their procuring and vvinning of grace The end of the Second Psalme THE THIRD PROLOGVE NO sooner had David harmoniously with great feruour breathed forth the aboue writte words but that for a time he imposed deepe silence to his voice and in this his holy suppresson of his speech his silence seemed as if it enterchanged discourse vvith the dungeon or grott vvherein hee vvas inclosed and namely of the peace which hee had made vvith God and he euen as a bondman vvho perceiueth in the eyes of him to whom hee is slaue the forgiuenes of his fault vvherein hee transgressed formerly hee povvred forth some teares vvhich ouerflovving ioy through the merit of his penitency swetely extracted from his heart Here might you vvith astonishment behold a strang spectacle for he seemed in one posture in one scituation as well vvith his hands devoutly lifted vp to Heauen as also his eyes the figure the statue of an old man to vvhom nothing more could be added to delineate reuerence and fulnes of honor cut in stone vvhich by art is made seeme to breath and vveepe expressing most intensiue greife In the meane time vvhile hee was in this rapture a ray of the suÌ„ne which neuer goeth dovvne penetrated the Caue and vvith such a splendor enlightned it that it made the place delightfully cheerefull euen as Aprill doth it's spring and faire vveather the aire and glimpsing on the strings of his Harpe vvhich he bad placed to his breast made them send forth irradiations glistering beames in like manner as doth pure gold exquisitely burnish't by vvhose splendor the light begetteth light and his eyes strucken vvith the lampe his soule hence felt comfort yea as vve may say it was oueriored for that his Royall heart in an extaâ—…y rapt infulnes of piety deuotion and fâ—…uent zeale was now more inflamâ—…d with the loue of God then was he erst with the fond and wretched loue of Bersabe Hence fully possest with a certaine hope of his safety setling his right knee vpon the ground his left foote on the 〈◊〉 his boay inclining to the left side his instâ—…ument well tuned euen as it often happeneth with one vvho delightâ—…th and pleaseth himselfe vvith diuers a câ—…rds hee meditateth in the meane vvhile and wistly lâ—…oketh oâ—… the record of his memory to finde vvhat hee vvould sing vvhich at the present hee hath forgott clearing his voice remembring himselfe againe lovvly sang thus THE THIRD PSALME OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID Domine ne in furore Psalme 37. OH alas as I haue besought thee and euen as vvith all humble petition I doe novv againe earnestly craue of thee that thou rebuke me not in thâ—…ne anger vvhich euermore is eternall damnation to the vvicked for it will import Hellvnto them Ah! farre be it othervvise vvith thee that thy mercie looke on my teares my plaintes my hearts deepe greife with alike disdaine vvith vvhich the selfe same mercy will looke on them with scorne and derision vvho gaue