Haue freed my soule from all her foule attaints Humbling my selfe may in Gods fauour raise me Weeping for sinne may him to mercy moue Beating my brest most sorrowfull displaies me Sighing and sobbing my hearts griefe approue Playning and praying may procure Gods loue His loue is life which causeth me to craue it And stedfast faith doth tell me I shall haue it Great wonder-worker worthiest worthie one By whose assistance Henocke walkt with God Thou that wert Abrahams righteousnes alone Thou that mak'st men moue mountaines like a clod Euen hâ—apes of sinne from of their old abode Thou pretious one proceeding from aboue Soule-sauing faith our euidence of Gods loue By which we doe his promises imbrace By which we apprehend Christs righteousnes By which we doe sinne death and hell deface By which we are assured of redresse If we repent and waile our wickednes By which our prayers are to God conuaid And without which all suppliants are gain-said Oh blessed faith my fortresse and my shield My onely comfort in calamitie Which dost resolue me I shall win the field And orecome Sathan my arch-enemie I le thanke my God for thee continually Cause t is his grace and goodnes that I haue thee Which art a signe he will in mercy saue mee Thou that art God of gods and King of kings Thou whom the Sun the Moone and Stars obay That fill'st the poore and hungry with good things And dost the rich ones emptie send away My soule shall magnifie thee day by day And all the powers that doe remaine in mee Shall onely praise and euer pray to thee For thou hast vow'd and that most solemnely As thou dost liue which art the life of all Thou dost not will those that doe wickedly And into many grieuous sinnes doe fall Should die the death but rather will'st they shall Returne and liue oh sweet and gracious Lord Which to thy foes saluation dost accord With Salomon I now see all is vaine Youth beautie strength health wealth and honor too Long life and all that doth on earth remaine And all that man with all of them can doo Onely thy word which worldly wights doth woe From earthly toyes to seeke for heauenly treasure Is to be lik'd and loued without measure Thou hast ordain'd a time to gather stones And eke a time wherein to cast away A time likewise thou giu'st vs wretched ones To laugh and sing a time to mourne and pray Most finde the bad few doe the best assay But oh teach me that long in sinne haue ioy'd To mourne and pray sinne may be now destroy'd Euen as a poppie that doth hang the head Or like a Bull-rush beaten downe with winde So I sur-chargd with sinne more sad then lead Looke carefully but can no comfort finde Yet faith and hope doe both perswade my minde That thou oh Lord wilt mercy haue on mee If I repent and rightly call to thee Thy holy prophets bid vs seeke thy face And that I take it is thy fauour Lord Thy louing kindnes mercy and thy grace Which are reuealed to vs in thy word Oh them seeke I to me do thou accord And let me finde them for in them doth rest All that I want to make me euer blest Lord I no presents no oblations bring Onely my selfe I offer vnto thee A broken heart is all my offering The which although it far vnworthy bee Yet Lord accept it for behold and see In true deuotion and in perfit zeale It prostrate here for mercy doth appeale I know right well thy Angels will reioyce And be full glad before thy maiestie To see thee heare a sinfull creatures voyce And in thy mercy cure my maladie Oh heare me then and daine to purifie My impure soule with thy pure spirit of grace For that 's the mercy that I would imbrace Like Naaman I am a Leaper Lord My soule and body both infected bee With filthy sinne yet if thou speake the word There will a wonder straight appeare in mee From all corruption I shall soone be free Yea and be cleaner then the Christall glasse And far more white then snow on Salmon was Abanah cannot nor yet Pharper cure me Nor all the waters in the world beside Onely true faith doth by thy grace assure me That if I take thy spirit for my guide And follow it I shall be purifide For by the same men are regenerate And from a bad borne to a blessed state As Dauid counsels Lord I come to tast How sweet thou art and how beyond compare Thy louing kindnes which for aye shall last And more theÌ„ mirh-sweet-smelling mercies are Oh pardon me although thus much I dare It is no proud nor yet presumptuous thought But t' is thy grace which this good worke hath wrought Which grace were it not super-aboundant Lord My all-abounding sinne would still keepe backe Me from obeying of thy blessed word And in this action it would make me slacke But thy good spirit supplieth what I lacke And at this instant doth inable mee To come to croutch to crie and call to thee For mercy Lord for mercy Lord I pray thee For mercy Lord I humbly do intreat thee I am a sinner oh do not denay mee Nor yet in anger either chide or threat mee Although I know thou hast iust cause to beat mee Yet mightie Lord for thy great mercies sake Send mercy downe and some compassion take On me vilde wretch and most vnworthy man The very worst that euer was created A sillie soule a sinfull Publican In whom no grace nor goodnes is innated Nor euer yet was truely imitated Vntill this houre in which thy spirit hath Taught me to pray thus to appease thy wrath Thou that dost ride vpon the Cherubins Thou at whose presence all the mountaines shake And hills doe melt oh pardon thou my sinnes And in thy vinyard me a labourer make Do so sweet Lord and for thy Christ his sake Oh let me haue the hire thou giu'st to all Though it be euening ere to worke I fall With the lost sheepe though I haue gone astray And wandered through the wildernes of sinne Lord let me not become a cast-away But by repentance let me pardon win And once againe good father take me in And from henceforth I le so obedient bee That thou thy selfe shalt take delight in mee Looke soueraigne Lord from thy celestiall throne Ah looke I say and with thy sacred eye See how my soule doth sorrow sigh and mone And what cumpunction there is inwardly In my poore heart which of thy maiestie Doth hourely beg that thou wouldst pardon mee Which oft haue sinned gain'st sweet heauen and thee Which oft haue sinned gain'st sweet heauen and thee And therefore hence-forth am vnworthy far Thy sonne oh Lord intituled to bee Or once bespoke of where thy seruants are Gain'st mercies gate my sinnes are such a bar That they keepe backe all heauenly benediction And yeeld me nought but shame and sad affliction Lo as a
I pray That thou would'st saue what sinne doth seeke to slay The Saints blood-shedder persecuting Saul By grace deare God which doth abound in thee Became a preaching and professing Paul Oh blessed deed Lord do the like by mee Open mine eyes that I the truth may see And with that chosen vessell magnifie Thy mercy might and endles maiestie Mary Magdalen had much euill in her Yet came to Christ thy Sonne and did confesse Her selfe to be a great and grieuous sinner That long had liued in Laciuiousnes And lo he let her touch his holines And wash his feet he washt away her sin Displac'd her euils and put his graces in But Mary did not with trickt trammels goe With ourled locks nor yet with broyder'd tresses When she vnto Christ Iesus came ah no But with disheu'led haire which griefe expresses She came to him in midst of her distreses And kneeling downe she with repentant teares First wash'd his feet then wip'de them with her heares Thrice happie heares that such an office had To wipe the feet of that most holy one And thrice blest teares oh well might she be glad That she with them might come and make her mone To her deare Lord and be restrain'd by none But suffer'd wash and wipe and kisse his feete Which were not honie but most heauenly sweet And humbly now like Mary Lord come I As sad and sorie as e're she could bee And for my sinnes repenting hartily Yet though my teares I cannot powre on thee As Christ to her oh Lord do thou to mee Remit my sinnes and ere I leaue this place Expulse my euill and fill me with thy grace For old in euill but young in vertuous lore I do confesse I am more caitiffe I To shun the best and set the bad before To flie from vertue follow vanitie And bring my soule into captiuitie Vnder th'arch enemie of all mankinde Who will it aye in chaines of darknes binde In chaines of darkenes and in dungeon deepe Where stinging serpents toads and terror dwells Where hideous diuels and dreadfull fiends do keepe Where nought is heard but horred cries and yells And where no tongue of ought but torture tells There will he keepe and euermore torment mee Vnles in time I hartily repent mee God Ieremie with thee I wish I had A cottage placed in the wildernes Where I vnseene that am exceeding sad Might sit and weepe and waile my wickednes Oh sighing soule heart full of heauines There you might mourne and powre out all your griefe To God alone in whom doth rest reliefe Oh that my head were full of water now And that mine eyes two flowing fountaines were Of trickling teares oh then to God I vow Who doth behold me here and euery where Such hatred now vnto all euill I beare That I would weepe for that I haue committed Both day and night vntill it were remitted As Hager mournde and wept because she was From forth her maister Abrams house exiled Euen so my scule doth mourne and crie alas Because she is with filthy sin defiled And through her folly hath her selfe beguiled Of many good things that she might haue tasted In Gods owne house if she had thither hasted But with th'adder I haue stopt my eare And would not listen to the charmers voyce Though wisely he hath charm'd both here and there Yet shamelesse sinne wherein I did reioyce Kept me from hearing his harmonious noyse For feare his words should haue allured mee To flie from vice and vertue follow thee Thus like to water powred on the ground Which none but God can gather vp againe I am by sin insnared taken bound And euer must in miserie remaine Vnles thou Lord acquight me of that paine Oh take me vp and with thy holy hands Daine to vntie sinnes trebble-twisted bands For Lord in sin my mother me conceiued And brought me forth in foule iniquitie Since when the world hath often me deceiued Yea and the flesh hath labour'd mightily So hath the diuell and that most cunningly To wound my soule and to confound it too Which Lord I pray thee let them neuer doo A bruised reed Christ saith he will not breake Nor will he set the smoking flaxe on fire The sorrowing soule that scarce for sobs can speake Hee 'le not reiect nor yet will he in Ire Punish our faults if pardon we desire The sicke the sore the lame the halt the blinde Come all to Christ and all shall comfort finde For lo he tells vs that he did not come To call the righteous but the sinfull sort Vnto repentance and amongst that some I of my selfe may to my shame report I am the chiefest yet being sory for 't Most humbly now sweet Lord I come to craue That on my poore soule thou would'st pittie haue Euen for thy sonnes sake who instructeth mee To flie from sinne and seeke to thee for grace For his sake Lord let me preuaile with thee To looke with mercie on my mourning face Where teares for sinne do trickle downe apace Behold them Lord and be compassionate Else wretched I am in a wofull state My righteousnes is like a ragge polluted Needs must my sinnes then vilde and vgly bee For if my purest be with puddle suted Most odious is th' impure that is in mee For best being bad the worst in their degree Must of necessitie be extreame ill Beyond compare and passing humane skill Yet though my sinnes be crimson coloured Thou Lord canst make them white as any snow And though in graine they be like scarlet red Dy'de oh too deepe Yet neretheles I know Thou canst make them as pure as wooll in show From all corruption thou canst set me free For nothing is impossible to thee Oh thou Almightie maker of mankinde In whom all grace and goodnes doth consist That doest the waters in a garment blinde And hold'st the winde within thy wondrous fist Thou that in heauen and earth doest what thou list Bow downe thine eare Lord and Auspicious bee To my poore soule which humblie sues to thee That thou would'st please to pardon my offences Which as the starres are infinite in number Ah woe is mee that euer euill pretences Enter'd my heart that Inner roome to cumber With wicked motions whilst good thoughts did slumber And not so much as dream't of dangernie Till I was wounded by mine enemie That murtherous minded all-assaulting sin Who with his venom'd teeth hath bit me so That all my flesh is putrifide within And I like Iob. from toppe vnto the toe Am full of soares and know not where to goe For ease or helpe but onely Lord to thee Who if thou wilt canst cure and comfort mee Soules Balsamum and hearts holie-water Sweet-smelling Sacrifice of th' inward man Thou purest Incense powred on th'hye Aulter Thou key vnto the heauenly Canaan Prayer I meane which to th' Almightie can Haue free accesse alwayes to pleade our case That Mercie may vs in her armes imbrace Oh thou
like the spouse when she her deare doth greet Opening vnto him in a loue-sicke feare To see his deaw'd head and his dropping heare From whose faire hands mirh falls vpon the bar So sweet sounds mercy such her sauours are Kinde spouse to ope the doore of thy owne hart In darkesome night to let in Christ thy loue But blessed mercy acts a better part Opening to men the gates of heauen aboue Through which who enters kings for euer proue Kinde spouse kinde Christ that to his spouse doth go And most blest mercy that sau'ft sinners so King Hezekiab turn'd him to the wall And wept full sore when he heard death drewe neere And mourning so he did for mercy call Vnto whose daies thou addedst fifteene yeare Lord now againe let the like grace appeare And vnto me that dying am to sin Adde a new life to laud and praise thee in For in the pit ther 's none doth giue thee praise None thanke thee there nor speake good of thy name They onely curse and ban and cry alwaies Woe to those sins wherewith they wrought their shame And brought their soules into that burning flame From whence sweet Lord for aye deliuer mee That mong'st thy saints I may sing praise to thee Eliah being hungry he did pray And lo both Rauens and Angels brought him food Daniell when in the Lions den he lay He praide and lo those cruell creatures stood Like lambes by him and would not sucke his blood But rather sought by dalliance to delight him Then with grim lookes sharpe teeth or clawes to fright him As was Eliah I am hungry Lord My soule is almost staru'd for want of food Oh send me succour by thy sacred word And for thy mercies sake be thou so good And beat downe sin that monsterous man of blood Which would into the clawes of Sathan throw mee From whom sweet Lord a safe deliuerance show mee Good Sydrach Mysach and Abednego When they into the fierie Ouen were throwne Thy praid to thee and thou preseru'dst them so As on the earth the like was neuer knowne For not a haire or garment they did owne Was either burnt or scorched in the flame Such was thy might and mercy in the same They to the golden Idol would not kneele Because they lou'd and onely honor'd thee But I am worthy hells hot fire to feele Cause I haue yeelded to all euills that bee Yet mightie Lord be not aueng'd on mee Nor let my sinnes induce thee vnto Ire But for Christs sake defend me from that fire When Ionas in the belly of the whale And in the mid'st of the maine Ocean To thee did from that depth of danger call Miserie makes men full of true deuotion For mercy Lord for mercy made he motion And gracious thou which hast all grace in store Did'st make that whale to set himselfe on shoare Like Ionas I haue often gone astray And troad those pathes wherewith thou art displeased The world the flesh and Sathan shew'd the way Ah woe is me they all at once haue ceazed Vpon my sicke soule which is sore diseased And with sins poyson so much putrifide That nought can cure it but Christ crucifide Of whose deare blood sweet Lord let me partake And then though sin which long hath raign'd in mee Labour to throw me downe into the lake Whereas the diuell that dreadfull whale shall bee Gaping to get me yet I shall goe free For spight of all powre sin and Sathan haue One drop thereof my sinfull soule will saue I 'le now put on the Armour of my God The helmet of saluation I 'le take My feet shall be with preparation shod Of righteousnes I will my brest-plate make Sword of the spirit which mak'st sin to shake I le gird thee on and most couragiously Vse thee against my spirituall enemie Thou many-headed-monsterous Hydra sin That canst not be by mortall man subdu'd Vnles Gods spirit do vs aid therein For why thy strength is sundry wales renew'd And to thy power ther 's such supplies accru'd That if Gods mercy were not great vnto vs Thou wouldst for euer vtterly vndo vs. Oh thou more cruell then was murthering Caine That slew his brother Abell in the field For whom thou killest them thou kill'st againe And plai'st the tyrant ouer them that yeeld Labouring and laughing to see hell fire filde With soules and bodies of those sillie wretches Which thou dost conquer with thy cunning fetches Thou that dost vse those that yeeld to thee so And them likewise whom thou dost ouercome Making no difference twixt friend and foe But bring'st them all to vndergoe one doome And putst them all into one tortering roome Who would not hare thee with his hart and soule And vse all meanes thy mallice to controule Who would not shunne thee more then anie snake Who vould not flie from thee with all his might To eschue thee whoo 'd anie paines forsake Who would not pray to God both day and night That his good spirit would aide vs in the fight Against so foule a monster as thou art Which seek'st the soules of all men to subuart And thou deceitfull and bewitching world Thou most false-harted flattering Crokadile About whose bosome there is nothing hurlde But that which doth our purest parts defile Euen vaine delights which Sathan doth compile And on thy face the mart of all delusion Doth set to worke our shame and sadde confusion Thou common couz'ner of thy kindest friends That Iudas-like doest with a kisse betray For vnto whom thy fauours most extends Hee is the man whose soule thou seek'st to slay With heaps of gold thou hinder'st graces way And with a faire showe of soone-fading pleasure Thou doest depriue men of heauens peerlesse Treasure Thou tempting whore which doest intice to sinne With faigned smiles and with thy flattering lookes Thou painted Idole putrifide within Though with sweet hunnie thou doest bayte thy hookes Most blest are they that keepe out of thy crookes And vse thee so as if they vs'de thee not Least by thy meanes damnation be their lot And thou fraile flesh fraught with infirmities Though thou art subiect to a sort of woes Yet to thy selfe thou coyn'st calamities And on thy soule sadde burthens do'st impose By filthie lusts from foule-desire that flowes By which alas both bodie soule and all For euermore thou to the Diuell mak'st thrall Who like a roaring Lyon runs about Subtillie seeking whom hee may deuoure And of saluation would make all men doubt By telling them euen in their liues last houre Vnles Faith stifly then withstand his power That GOD is so iust and so bent gainst sinne Prayer and repentance can no pardon winne Heare heauen and earth and all yee powers in both Heare mee I say and helpe mee instantly For to subdue this Serpent olde that go'th Vpon his bellie creeping cunningly And eates the dust of our iniquitie Which is to him more pleasant food by farre Then all the dainties that on earth there
are Sweet Bread of life oh let me eat of thee That I may neuer hunger any more Water of life that canst not prized bee Which Christ the Way the Truth the heauenly dore Is Fountaine of oh thee I long for sore As Dauid did for that true Type of thee Euen Bethlem's water fetcht by Worthies three But sillie soule ah whome haue I to send Vnto that Rocke that Spring that holie Well Onely true Faith which will to heauen ascend In spight of all th' angrie powers of hell Then Faith goe thou beat downe my foes pell-mell And fetch mee drinke from that most blessed Riuer Whereby from death I may my soule deliuer Riuer said I true through the world it runnes Rocke did I tearme it true t' is strong and hard Yet it yeelds comfort to all Adams sonnes Which of Gods grace are not by sinne debar'd Vnto a Spring it may be well compar'de A Riuer Rocke a Spring a most pure Well Is CHRIST our Lord with whom I long to dwell Behold Lord I that hitherto haue bin Onely addicted vnto vanitie And day by day haue heaped sinne on sinne And as t' wer water drunke iniquitie With greedinesse behold I say euen I Am now become a conuertite in hart Which earst did play none but th'vngodlies part For like th' ill seruant which within the ground Did hide the Talent that hee should haue vsed And to his Maislers profite made redound Euen so haue I O Lord thy gifts abused And many times most blessed meanes refused For to put forth thy Talent lent to mee So as it might returne with gaine to thee Nay worse then so Lord I haue wasted much Of what I must confesse I haue receiued For which remorce my conscience now doth tutch And grieues me sore that I haue so deceiued My Lord and Maister and my selfe depriued Of manie good things I might haue enioyed If what thou gau'st mee had bin well imployed Yet am I bolde most humbly to desire Thou would'st not marke what I haue done amisse Nor yet correct mee when thou art in Ire Or in displeasure punish that or this For why thy wrath like burning Aetna is None can abide it therefore doe not show it Nor yet let any that repent them know it But let thy mercie which is farre more sweet Then Hibla's honie or Himettus deawe Daine with thy Iustice in the way to meet And let her to repentant sinners shewe Of which I feare mee there are oh too fewe That though thy Iustice be seuere to all Mercie shall saue them that for mercie call For as on black-lead Diamonds shewe most bright Rich pearles most rare when on base things they lie And starres shine clearest in the darksome night Euen so sweet mercie issuing from on hie When it vouchsafes to light on such as I. Doth then shew clearest rarest and most worth And most of all doth set thy glorie forth Dauid did mercy craue and nothing more In all his troubles and aduersities Cause mercy paies sins debt and cleares the score Leauing no signe of our iniquities To feare our soules or to offend our eyes Wherefore with him I will for mercy craue That of my sins I may remission haue Mercy 's the summe and substance of my sute Mercy 's the marke at which I aime by prayer Mercy 's soules Manna heauens sacred fruit Mercy 's the Idea of th' onely faire Mercy 's God 's seat his hie and holy chaire Mercy 's the Loadstone that to life doth drawe Mercy 's the Gospell that fulfills the lawe Mercy 's the obiect of the Angels loue Mercy 's the Arke doth in sins deluge saue Mercy 's the martirs Oliue-bringing doue Mercy 's the meanes that men saluation haue Mercy 's the most good that a man can craue Mercy 's the salue that cures sins vgly sores Mercy 's the porter of heauens precious dores Mercy mou'd Christ to come and die for man Mercy moues man to deeds of Charitie Mercy may saue me sinfull Publican Mercy the Saints pray for continually Mercy doth pardon mans iniquitie Mercy 's most royall bred and horne in heauen Mercy 's God 's gift the best that e're was giuen Oh thou more sweeter then the sweetest honie Thou odoriferous and most excellent Whom kings must beg but cannot buy with money Thou admirable rich and Orient Ambassador from the Almightie sent To publish peace and Ioy and loue to all Which doe repent and to amendment fall Euen peace of conscience oh happie newes Ioy of the holy Ghost oh blessed saying The loue of God which graciously accrues All three sweet comforts of Gods owne conuaying Into mans heart the priuate place of praying Through thy hand mercie which each moment brings To sinfull man such sweet and sacred things Oh let my soule which thirsteth after thee Euen as the heart doth for the water brooke Drinke of thy sweets and so refreshed bee That I no longer may feare deaths fell looke Nor yet th'opening of my conscience booke But free'd from both may say couragiously Death wher 's thy sting hell wher 's thy victorie Remember not my foule offences Lord Nor the offences of my fathers old But to my prayer graciously accord And let thy mercies which are manifold Into thy fauour oh most happie hold Bring my poore soule and there establish it Amongst thy saints whose Ioyes are infinit With that sweet-sounding simball of thy praise Organ of excellence in Israel That euery day did sing delitious laies In praise of thee that onely dost excell Whose words and works did please thee wonderous well With him oh Lord this one thing I require And with my soule most humbly doe desire That I may dwell within thy Tabernacle In which thy selfe art present euermore Because it is thy Angells receptakle Full fraught with pleasure yea and plentie store Oh there had I Lord rather keepe a dore Then in the tents of thee vngodly sort My dwelling haue in pompe and princely port Ierusalem peace be within thy walls And in thy pallaces let plentie bee For blest is he whom thy sweet soueraigne calls And doth confirme free denizen in thee Where such ioyes are as th' eye did neuersee Th' eare ne're heard nor can mans heart conceiue it Most blest and happie they that shall receiue it Oh thou that art of that great citie King Thou life thou light and glory of the same Thou in whose honour quires of Angells sing Thou that art great and excellent in fame Thou onely good one holy is thy name Though I bee sinfull yet sweet Lord in pittie Make my soule free of that most sacred cittie As thou art holy heare my prayer Lord As thou art good and gracious pittie mee As thou art true and faithfull of thy word Forgiue my sins though infinite they bee And let me liue to laud and honour thee To whom be giuen all glory power and praise Euen to the end of neuer-ending daies FINIS Homer