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
are both troublesome and imperfect 3 The excellency of the knowledge of GOD. 4 We are most ignorant of our selues 5 Wherefore this word know thy selfe was written vpon the gates of Apolloes Temple 6 How excellent and difficult it is to know our selues 7 The good which GOD worketh out of our sinnes 8 He that is sinfull and secure is doubly miserable 9 Some things are absoultely good but nothing absolutely euill 10 The LORD is sayd to bee a hard man and wherefore 11 The appellation and parts of this Psalme THIS is the second penitentiall Psalme intitled by some The vnderstanding by others The instruction of Dauid Partly for that he instructed others therby but chiefllie for that he declared that he had receiued instruction and was brought to vnderstand both GOD and himselfe Which is the perfectioÌ„ of all other as wel diuine as humane knowledge Other knowledges bring an endlesse labour to the minde because the more we know the more we are desirous to know But they doe not pacifie the debates they doe not cure the diseases that are within vs. They make a man learned but not good skilfull but not wise I say more They doe but make a man know how little he knowes because all our knowledge consisteth in knowing our ignorance and the most that a man can know of any Science in this world is but the least part of that whereof he is ignorant But the knowledge of GOD is the foundation of our Spirituall building the first wheele of the clocke the first moueable spheare which causeth the motion of all the rest We are created in this world to the end that we should serue GOD But wee cannot serue him vnlesse we loue him vnlesse also wee feare him and we can neither loue nor feare him vnlesse we know him euen as some rurall people haue not onely not honoured but rudely intreated their Prince comming by aduenture and vnknowen among them But it is not sufficient to beleeue that there is a GOD to haue a confused knowledge of him vnlesse we know what he is to vs what we are to him vnles we put of our shooes that is al worldly affections GOD wil not manifest himselfe to vs. But this done the knowledge of his goodnes will make vs to loue him of his Iustice to feare him of his Maiestie to honour him of his Mercie to hope in him of his Wisedome to obey him My eye seeth thee saith Iob and therefore I repent in dust and ashes As the Philistines did first put out Sampsons eyes and then tooke him forth to sport with him so the diuell first laboureth either to extinguish or to shadow this our Spiritual fight then playeth at pleasure with vs. And now againe Albeit nothing bee so neere vs as our selues yet the knowledge of our selues is furthest from vs. There is nothing almost that wee lesse vnderstand then our selues For as our bodily eyes behold other obiects but not themselues so the eye of our minde namely our vnderstanding is apt to apprehend other things but not it selfe It is nimble to discouer strong and bold to iudge other matters but is defectiue both in sight to discerne and in iudgement to esteeme it selfe For this cause the ancient Philosophers affirme that this voice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Know thy selfe was first sounded from heauen For this cause it was written in golden letters vpon the doore of Apollo's Temple either because it is proper onely to GOD or because it is the highest wisedome whereto man can aspire or because it is the onely entrance to the knowledge and seruice of GOD. For albeit GOD may be seene in all his creatures yet especially in our selues who beare his Image Thou seekest GOD abroad but enter the secret chambers of thy soule and there he may most readily be found The better thou knowest thy selfe the better thou knowest GOD because the knowledge of thy selfe will lead thee to the knowledge of GOD. Assuredly no knowledge is more high none more hard and hidden then the knowledge of our selues â—f I were perfect saith Iob yet know I not my owne soule Man hath no brighter glasse no learneder booke to looke on then himselfe The true studie of man is man All other knowledge without this is defectiue Hee that spendeth his spirits to attaine the knowledge of other things and neuer collecteth them to search know and iudge himselfe remaines the most sencelesse Sott in the world Other knowledge puffeth vp but this humbleth and pulleth downe For humâ—litie is nothing else but a true contempt of our selues which proceedeth from the knowledge of our selues so as the knowledge of our selues is the forme of humilitie and consequently of all other vertues which are deriued from humilitie And this great benefite did the mercie of GOD bring to Dauid by reason of his sinne To vnderstand his owne weakenesses and wants to vnderstand by whom he must be supported in the one and supplied in the other To vnderstand I say both GOD and himselfe The fall of Dauid did extinguish in him all puffie pride it shaked vp his sensuall or rather sencelesse securitie it made him neuer to presume vpon his owne strength but in all temptations and afflictions to trust truely to the power and goodnesse of GOD and to hope for no helpe no stay but onely from his all-powerfull grace Hee that is sinfull and yet secure is doubly miserable miserable in his sinne but more miserable in his securitie And thus GOD neuer suffereth euill but for some great and secret good euen as Moses had said He caused him to sucke honie out of the rocke and oyle out of the hardest stone O the infinite wisedome and power of GOD out of the drie and ragged rocke of our sinnes hee draweth the sweet sappe of humilitie from vs and of mercie from himselfe to the sweet safetie and felicitie of our soules Assuredly some things may bee so good as that they haue no mixture of euill yet nothing can be so absolutely euill but some good ariseth from it And hence it is that the LORD calleth himselfe a hard-man who reapeth where he did not sow and gathereth where he did not disperse But most righteous and vpright LORD How standeth this with the square of Iustice It is hard indeed but how is it iust to reap where thou didst not sow gather where thou diddest not disperse Verely thou sowest not the seeds of our sinnes our sinnes are the tares which the Diuell soweth among the wheate and yet thou reapest out of them both good to thy seruants and glorie to thy selfe By our sinnes thou doest bring vs to vnderstand our selues and to search after thee to know our owne exceeding weakenesse and miserie and to acknowledge thine infinite goodnesse wisedome and power to abandon and renounce the one to trust entirely to the other Now this Psalme is most fitly termed a Penitentiall Psalme because it treateth chiefely
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
GOD died for man then that all men should haue perished O! the LORD the LORD strong mercifull and gracious slow to anger and abundant in goodnesse and trueth reseruing mercie for thousands and forgiuing iniquitie and sinne And therfore O distressed men whensoeuer you approach to GOD for mercie neuer distrust neuer think your importunitie displeasing or the opportunitie not fit Neuer think that you offer him a matter which eyther hee will bee vnwilling or hath beene vnaccustomed to doe but rather that you present him with occasion of acquiring praise and to doe that which is most agreeable both to his glory and to his nature It is his nature and propertie to haue mercy Not that other perfections are not also proper to him but this hee hath in greatest estimation for this especially hee will bee praysed Assuredly if his mercie were not infinite if it were little and limited which might receiue diminution or increase then were something imperfect in GOD but nothing in him canne bee imperfect therefore his mercy is infinite without eyther measure or end Goe vnto him any person at any time you shall alwayes finde that with him is mercy The fountaine of his mercy and grace which springeth from his fatherly heart can neuer be either stopped or spent the waters thereof are of singular vertue not only to cleanse the filthinesse of sinne but to enrich soules with heauenly beauty Neuer feare that you cannot bee refreshed with these streames I will tell you what you shall doe and you neede not feare Detest your sinnes and trust in the LORD and his mercies will ouerflow hee will bee infinitely succourable to you His goodnesse will wipe away all sorrow that you haue beene â—â—â—ners and make you reioyce that euer you fell as hauing made triall that as your offences surmount all measure so his mercies and grace exceed your offences yea it is not possible that GOD should denie his mercy to penitent sinners who trust in him for then he should not make good his word then he should denie himselfe which is not possible for him to doe But if they trust without repentance they doe not then trust but presume But as I haue tolde you O yee seruants of the LORD repent your sinnes and trust in him and then perswade your selues that with GOD is no anger nothing but mercy and loue because he cannot but loue those who beleeue in him And therefore if any calamity fall vpon you it is in mercy endure it patiently and hope to bee deliuered when GOD shall thinke fit If you haue committed any sinne yet with GOD is mercy trust to this mercy and you shall neuer be indamaged by your sinnes Albeit to your sence hee appeareth to bee angrie regard not your sence but stedfastly beleeue that in heauen and vpon earth there is nothing but mercy if you should die for it neuer suffer this trust to be wrested from you Beleeue not your sence but beleeue the word which hath sayd that with the LORD is mercy for those who trust in him Write this promise in your heart that if you truly trust in his mercy you shall not perish albeit all sence reason and experience should perswade the contrary In your selues you shall find nothing but wrath in the Diuell nothing but malice in the world nothing â—ut either dulnesse or madnesse but firmely beleeue that with thy LORD there is nothing but mercy O mercifull GOD bee sinners neuer so vngentle neuer so gracelesse thou art greeued to see them perish And if at any time they turne towards thee thy mercy is ready to meet them thou art ready to impart thy selfe vnto them thou didst neuer despise any who called vpon thee O comfortable words Giue me grace gracious GOD to taste once againe the sweetnesse of them Neuer did any call vpon him and was despised Blessed LORD is not this thy word wilt thou not make it good wilt thou not do as thou hast sayd LORD thou hast made vs of nothing we are feeble flesh VVe daily sinne we dayly aske pardon Shall we now be despised and neuer any despised before Our sinnes indeed are great but thy mercies exceed all greatnesse and measure Our sinnes are many but there is no number of thy mercies Our sinnes after forgiuenesse are many times renued but thy mercies are not limited either to number or time For with the LORD IS mercy At all times mercy nothing but mercy mercy neuer either exhausted or with held The second foundation of your trust must be vpon the merits of our Redeemer For with GOD there is not onely mercy but plenteous redemption The plenty and riches of this redemption is the innocent and precious bloud of IESVS CHRIST which as it maketh a treasure of innumerable riches so can wee not doubt either of his power or of his will to distribute the same His power dependeth vpon his will and his will is guided by his loue wherewith he offered his bloud for our redemption This loue enforceth his will and his will is alwayes followed by his power So as being largely assured of his loue wee must nothing doubt either of his will or of his power And the better to assure vs heereof hee was not sparing but rather seemed prodigall in expence of his most blessed bloud Physitions prescribe bleeding in a moderate measure but our redeemer out of his vnmeasurable loue made a profuse effusion of all that hee had One drop of his bloud in regard of the inestimable value thereof might haue sufficed for redeeming many worlds but to make our redemption plentifull hee did not reserue one drop to himselfe His bloud his precious bloud euery drop of his precious bloud was poured foorth for our redemption After that his externall parts were emptied of bloud by sweating scourging crowning and nailing His internall and vitall parts were also drayned by the stroke of a speare For in that water flowed foorth without any tincture of bloud it was an euident proofe that all the bloud was spent A little bloud will giue colour to much water and therefore if any little bloud had remayned the water must haue been somewhat coloured thereby This is the treasure this the ransome wherewith sinners are redeemed This most precious bloud was shed without measure to the end that be our sinnes neuer so grieuous so many so often repeated wee should heere finde a plenteous redemption whensoeuer with penitent mindes we craue benefit therof VVho will despaire who can doubt of his deliuerance VVhen GOD of his owne will hath so plentifully redeemed vs. VVho can suspect that he will be lesse willing to distribute this treasure then hee was to amasse it Assuredly there is no default in GOD if sinners be damned for hee desireth not the death of a sinner there is no default in GOD for not giuing but there may bee default in sinners for not desiring GOD desireth that his mercy bee magnified aboue his iustice but
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
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
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
whereto we can attribute no greater either praise or power then that it worketh the same vpon earth which GOD himselfe worketh in heauen by making men happie by deliuering them from eternall perdition and by bringing them to vnspeakeable and endlesse ioy And herein it is singular and eminently alone herein all other vertues are but handmaides to attend it For albeit loue be exceeding powerfull albeit the fire of loue bee of merueilous force to consume sins yet doth it neuer attaine this effect but by vertue of Repentance In this action of loue Repentance is the principall worker loue is a testimonie and declaration not a proper cause of remission of sinnes Remission of sinnes is rather the cause of loue then loue the cause of remission of sinnes It is a very hard thing which GOD cannot doe But herein hath GOD restrained his power GOD cannot be mercifull vnlesse sinners repent without repentance it is impossible that sinners should be pardoned because it is impossible without repentance to abandon euill and turne to GOD. For sinne is nothing else but an auersion from GOD and a conuersion to creatures an auersion from an inestimable and immutable good and a conuersion to a vaine and variable euill This sinne is neuer pardoned but by forsaking creatures and by applying our selues againe to GOD by turning againe from euill to good by inward loathing the transitory euill whereto by pleasure wee did adhere and by fixing our delight vpon that infinite good which will neuer either varie or faile But this is a proper worke of repentance this is repentance it selfe Whosoeuer is thus conuerted in soule he is truely penitent hee is blessed in this life the LORD will impute no sinne vnto him And the reason is because he imputeth sinne to himselfe hee preuenteth the imputation of the LORD by imputing sinne to himselfe he chargeth iudgeth condemneth himselfe and therefore he shall neuer be either condemned or questioned by the LORD For a superiour Iudge will neuer examine that offence which hee knoweth to be both examined and iusticed by his commission But GOD hath giuen to sinners not onely commission but command to examine and iudge themselues which if they will vnpartially doe hee hath promised that hee will neuer iudge them that hee will neuer impute sinne to their charge The Iustice of GOD requireth that sinne should be examined condemned and punished but the great mercie of GOD hath made sinners their owne Iudges their owne executioners and tormentors It putteth them in choise either to iudge and condemne their sinne or to bee iudged and condemned for their sinne either to put sinne to death in this world or to die for sinne in the world to come But blessed is hee who embraceth this mercie who doeth examine and condemne his sinnes who doeth impute sinne to himselfe that GOD may not impute his sinnes vnto him Blessed is he I say who hauing sincerely iudged himselfe may boldly looke GOD in the face and say vnto him Condemne me not tell me wherefore doest thou thus iudge me Wilt thou proceed against thine owne appointment Wilt thou violate the direct rule of thy iustice Thy iustice requireth but one condemnation and thy mercy hath giuen me power to condemne my selfe This I haue already done I did daily iudge my selfe before thee and now I did securelie expect thee I expect not now to bee iudged by thee For feare of thy iudgment I haue iudged my selfe I haue not stayed for thy sentence I haue preuented it in giuing sentence against my selfe Wherefore then doest thou thus iudge me Thou maiest iudge my iudgement if thou thinkest meet how truely and triely I haue examined my cause before thee and thy causeagainst me What good I haue receiued from thee and what euill I haue returned to thee Iudge my iudgement I say if thou wilt but doe not iudge I pray thee my sinnes For herein especially we must be regardfull that we iudge vprightlie that we giue no false sentence whether by negligence or by partialitie and selfe-loue that our iudgement be not either muzled by the one or misse-led by the other For he only is in this blessed estate who maketh a serious search in his soule who is not deceiued in making his search who dissembleth not what there he findes Blessed is he who deceiueth not himselfe who dissembleth not with GOD. Who deceiveth not himselfe in blinding or abusing his owne iudgement either by a stupendious stupiditie that he hath no sinne or by a negligent enquirie after them or by a fauourable estimation of them or lastly by a false conceite that he may at leisure and in good time repent Who dissembleth not with GOD either in concealing or extenuating any part of his euill but humbling himselfe before his presence laieth open to his view euery vncleane corner within him and as a poore petitioner as one who beggeth for a piece of bread as one who sueth for his very life rather aggrauate then extenuate his wretched condition For it is in singlenesse and sinceritie of soule It is by true sence and acknowledgement of our sinnes that we must both inuocate and obtaine GODS mercy If we flatter our selues that we are innocent If knowing our sinnes we cancell or conceale them as if we could deceiue GOD so easilie as we can blinde the world If to win opinion we compose our behauiour to an outward fashion of pietie and not with the most inward sences of our soule not with the verie heart of our heart acknowledge and bewaile our fault If we doe not rather seeke after righteousnes then make shew thereof If we do not both promise and purpose and endeauour to amend If our mind and our mouth and our outward actions doe not agree we are but hypocrites the worst of all sinners VVe increase wrath we shall neuer come to the presence of GOD. VVolues are neuer more wolues then when they are apparrelled like sheepe It is extreame wickednesse to be empty of all goodnesse and yet aspire to be esteemed good GOD requireth in his Law confession of sinne before the sinner could be purged He commanded also that the high Priest should confesse his owne sins and the sins of the people vpon the head of a Goare and then permit it to escape For assuredlie albeit GOD be exceeding mercifull in forgiuing our debts yet is he hard seuere in taking our accompts That which in deed wee cannot in desire wee are obliged to performe we must by acknowledgement make tender of that debt which otherwise we are vnable to discharge He that hideth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtaine mercy If we dissemble our sinnes we double our punishment because we double our offence Euen as not onely he that stealeth is an offender but he also that concealeth a theft If we dissemble part of our sins if we keepe backe part and say that
we bring all we lie to the holie Ghost which is a most fearefull and heauy sinne One hooke sufficieth to take the fish one snare to fetter the soule But the Deuill is a most cunning angler a verie expert fowler he casteth manie baites he pitcheth manie snares in our pathes If we remaine intangled in any one if by sincere repentance we free not our selues from all we shall be sure to be his prey If we acknowledge not our sinnes we acknowledge not GODS mercies in forgiuing our sinnes we we are vnworthie to haue that debt remitted which we are vnwilling to confesse So much as we conceale of our sins so much do we adde ingratitude to iniurie and despight Wee double the wrong that wee haue done if to disability for discharge we adde falshood in our accompt Let vs first make our true accompt then we shall find GOD so easie as rather to offer then to be entreated not only to forbeare what we are not ready but to forgiue what wee are not able to discharge VERS III. Whilest I helde my tongue my bones consumed through my dayly complayning 1. WE cannot be ignorant of our sinnes 2. Originall sinne the seed of all actuall sinne 3. Dull sence of sinne makes vs slow and heauy to confesse them 4. Whereby the soule is more deepely soyled 5. Too much sence of sin makes vs either fearefull or ashamed to confesse them 6. The sottery of sinners in concealing their sinne 7. Want of confession how dangerous it is 8. It draweth variety of punishments vpon vs. 9. Wee often complaine but not as we should 10. Punishments to what end they are sent 11 Wherefore GOD called Adam and not the Diuell 12. GODS violent voyce in calling sinners 13. Whereto sinners may be compared 14. It is a great mercy of GOD to bee trauayled in this life and wherefore 15. Troubles are GODS husbandry c. I MY selfe haue heeretofore beene either negligent or ashamed to confesse my sinnes For I could not bee altogether ignorant the checke of my owne conscience did often aduertise me that my soule was drenched in two Stygian streames of corruption originall and actuall the one deriued to me by descent the other proceeding from my proper will For by reason of the fall of our first parent his bloud was atteint and corruption was so fast fixed in his nature that hee transmitted that leprosie to all who euer descended from him This is the seede of all actuall sinnes this is in power all sinnes in the world Not onely if wee act the wicked motions thereof but if we yeeld consent vnto them if without consent we take pleasure in thinking of them then they turne to actuall sinnes But these delights haue so swarmed in my soule that I could not but feele the viperous brood within me I haue so often entertayned them with consenâ— so often eyther in deed or by endeuour brought them foorth into action that I could not but see the hideous heape And yet I alwayes wanted either remembrance or disposition to cast vp my reckoning and to confesse them Sometimes the Diuell did stupifie and benumme my soule and then I had little or no feeling of my sinne then sinne lay concealed in me then either I entertayned no thought or else was dull and carelesse to acknowledge my sinnes But as how much the longer any filthy liquor standeth in a vessell so much the more is the vessell fouled and stayned and so much the more hardly can the foule staines bee rubbed cleane So the longer time that poysonous sinne remayned in my bosome with a quiet and vncontrouled custome the more was my vnhappy soule soyled therewith the more deepe staines were printed therein and the more hard to be defaced Sometimes I was so sensible of my sinnes so apprehensiue both of the number deformity of them that I became thereby either ashamed or afrayd to confesse them to the LORD to desplay them before those beautifull eyes which are much offended with such impure obiects The shame and the feare which the Diuell tooke away when I committed sinne hee restored againe when I should confesse them And as an expert captaine who besiegeth a fort doeth first blocke vp all passages by which it may receiue any ayd so the Diuell did in such sort beset and besot my soule that he stopped all the wayes by which repentance might relieue it I was easily perswaded not to stirre the vnsauory puddle not to digge the filthy dunghill of my sinnes to the bottome For who can answer the iust charge Who dares thinke vpon the iust punishment for his offences In this life hee may expect whole armies of euils and death which is to others the port of their tempestuous nauigation to him will seeme a gulfe both of intolerable and eternall torments So I sottishly sought to hide my sinnes in my own obliuion I did foolishly flatter my selfe that thou O LORD wouldest neuer remember what I did forget that my offences locked vp in my owne silence should bee close shut from thy knowledge or regard I vainely thought that by not speaking or not thinking of my sinnes I should most readily extinguish the memory of them But as fire the lesse vent it hath the more furiously it burneth And as a festred and rotten sore not opened and cleansed which the Patient doth not vnfold to the Chyrurgian and both desire and endure his helpe putrefieth and enflameth the more and the more doeth the corruption both penetrate and spread So my sinnes whilest they were smothered within my owne conscience whilest they were not by confession layd open to thee did not onely more terribly anguish and torment me but did deeply infect the very substance of my soule The contagion of sinne did spread like a leprosie ouer euery part the strongest vertues were infected therewith all the faculties were drawne to a habite of euill They did not only anguish me but they did waste and consume me they drew thy heauie iudgements vpon me the dangers which they brought vpon mee were no lesse then was the disquiet For I felt in my soule besides the sharpe sting of my conscience the heauie blowes and more heauie threats of thine indignation Many calamities thou didst also cast vpon my body vpon the issue of my affaires And so sharpelie didst thou visit mee both outwardlie and within that failing or at least fainting in body and minde I sunke downe vnder the charge and melted my languishing soule into moane My calamities daily encreased and therewith also my complaints I complayned dayly but duly rightly I did not complaine For I saw into what miseries I was deiected I saw to what mischiefe I did bend my pace but I neither endeuoured nor intended to cut off either the cause of the one or course of the other I did not search into the state of my soule I did not vnderstand it I did not lay it open before thee I did not blame I
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
iustice but helpe to inuoke thy mercies for me Assuredly O my soule the crie of thy complaint hath no greater obstacle then the cry of thy sinnes vntill by repentance the barre be remooued And therefore if thou wouldest haue the LORD to heare the voice of thy complaint first drowne thy sins with teares of repentance then cast away their dead carcasses from thee Away with all the trumperies of the world away with the vanities of pride auarice surfet reuenge away with all impediments of sinne For vnlesse thou abandon thy vanities thou shalt vainely implore the Omnipotent to heare thee He cannot heare a voice proceeding from a heart and lips loaden with iniquities he cannot be mercifull vnlesse thou repent Heare the condition whereupon thou maiest be heard Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the vngodly man his cogitations and turne to the LORD and he will haue mercy vpon him Why so thē fauorable LORD So now I here present my selfe before thee not proudly standing vpon my iustifications but with a sad broken spirit from a low deiected heart I humbly turne and breath forth my complaints before thee Hitherto my daies haue I vnprofitably wasted I haue hitherto spent my time in purposing but neuer beginning to pursue But now I turne and come vnto thee stooping and staggering vnder the importable fardage of my flesh euerie where I finde enemies I am grieuous to my selfe both within and without I haue many complaints to present to thee and now sue for a fauouble hearing Shut not thine eares neither hold them as indifferent but inclineable and fauourable to my petitions LORD I acknowledge to thee all my impurities and earnestlie entreate both thy comfort cure Behold how the necessitie of my miserable estate draweth sighes from my heart teares from my eies and complaints from my tongue Yeeld LORD a fauorable eare declare thy selfe so farre from dispising as attentiuely to listen to the voice of my complaint And albeit thou beest in the highest seat of glory and I in the lowest center of sinne yet be pleased to heare for no distance can hinder thy hearing who by thy goodnesse in all places art present The prayers of those who call vpon thee with their heart shall neuer resolue into winde by reason of any distance of place because thou art neere to all those who call vpon thee faithfully And if my sinnes still thrust themselues betweene thy hearing and my complaint If still they step forth to stop thy eares against my voice if they still make a hideous cry to awake thy iustice to quicken thy wrath to make my prayers not onlie vnacceptable but hatefull to thee chase them awhile with one glorious glance of thy eie close a little thy eie of iustice vntill I haue once againe confessed them to thee and presented to thy gentle hearing my petition for grace For I know rightwell that the petitions and confessions of penitent sinners vpon earth are no lesse pleasing and delightfull to thee then are the praises of thy blessed Angels in heauen VERS III. If thou LORD wilt bee extreame to marke what is done amisse O LORD who may abide it 1. GOD is in all places present and how 2 How after a singular manner hee is present 3 The cordes which hold vs captiue to Hell 4 A confession 5 The torments of Hell not sufficient to punish all our sinnes 6 GOD is not only a Father but a LORD and what kinde of LORD 7 The sinner addresseth himselfe to mercy 8 To the Father of mercy 9 All reasonable creatures may sinne and the reason why 10 Wherefore some Angels did not sinne 11 Wherefore all men are obnoxious to sinne 12 Wherefore man was redeemed rather then Angels 13 All men are sinners by nature 14 GODS court of mercy is higher then his court of Iustice. 15 Wherefore a sinner is sayd to be vnprofitable 16 Two wayes to attaine felicity 17 Our Sauiour onely hath gone the way of Iustice. 18 No man can passe but by the way of mercy 19 GOD delighteth to spare sinners 20 We are enioyned to imitate GOD in his mercy 21 The readiest way to attaine mercy 22 A petition for mercy HEauenly LORD Albeit my oppressed soule lieth buried in the deepe loathsome denne of sin yet is there no centre so deepe but thou mayest easily affoord thy hearing For thou fillest heauen and earth in all places thou art present not onely in regard of thy power but in regard of thy true and reall essence For wheresoeuer any thing is that hath a being there art thou also who art the cause of that being for the cause and the effect are necessarily together they doe necessarily cohere the cause doeth necessarily support the effect But after a more singular maner thou art present with those who pray vnto thee euen as the great Prophet Moses doeth in these words assure What nation is so great to whom the GODS come so neere as the LORD our GOD is neere vnto vs in whatsoeuer we call for to him What then shall I say now I am in so neere distance before thee Alasse I am come to speake for my selfe but I canne speake nothing but that which is against me If the holy Patriarch Abraham in speaking to thee did call to mind that hee was but dust and ashes If hee was so humble If hee bare such awfull reuerence to thy Maiestie when hee entreated for others what shall I poore miserable sinner doe when I am about to entreat for my selfe what Dust and Ashes Nay a bottomlesse depth of sinnes and of miseries to whom delight in sinne the power of the diuell and the violence of custome haue beene in stead of three cords or rather cables to hold mee captiue to hell O most high and powerfull Creator when I turne my eyes into my selfe when I make a priuie search in my owne conscience I finde the multitude and varietie of my sinnes to bee such that I esteeme my selfe vtterly vnworthy whom thou shouldest not onely helpe but heare because in comparison of my sinnes the miseries are nothing which I endure I haue so deepely offended thee that in reason I can expect no fauour from thee For what day what hower hath passed in all my life wherein I haue not deserued a world of torments Insomuch as albeit thou shouldest discharge vpon mee all the horrours of hell yet should the greatest part of my offences remaine vnpunished Thou hast spared mee but I haue not spared thee thou hast spared to strike mee with the sword of Iustice but I haue not spared to smite thee with the fist of iniquitie Thou hast shewed thy selfe a Father to mee but I haue not behaued my selfe as a child How shall I looke so good a Father in the face beeing so lewd a child as would disthrone and destroy that good Father if I could Suppose the Father will bee content to forgiue yet it is doubtfull that the LORD will not Hee that forbeareth
his vnrulie childe will he also forbeare his vngracious seruant But thou art not onely a LORD but a LORD of Maiestie A LORD must bee feared Maiestie must bee reuerenced both obeyed If hee who contemneth humane maiestie be guiltie of treason what shall bee done to him who despiseth and dishonoureth the diuine omnipotent Maiestie alwayes iealous of derision and neglect whose frone no creature is able to endure Dare vile dust subiest to dispersion by euery puffe presume to prouoke a LORD of such terrible Maiestie Therefore seeing I haue displeased so good a Father so great a LORD seeing I haue so lewdly wasted all the partes of my life so notably ruined all the powers of my soule that I am no wayes able either to recouer the one or to repaire the other Whither shall I turne mee What shall I say If I looke vpon Mercy I thinke my selfe vnworthy of the least of her fauours If vpon vpon Iustice I condemne my selfe to the most seuere sentence that it can pronounce But then againe I returne to Mercy and prostrating my selfe at het feete with sorrow in my heart and teares in my eyes I thus addresse my desires vnto her O mild mercy I acknowledge my self vnworthy of thee vnworthy either to enioy or to behold thee But because I haue iudged and condemned my selfe protect me that I be not arreigned at the bar of Iustice answere thou the charge of her accusation couer me with thy shield against her blowe stand betweene her and me I beseech thee O gentle mercy my sorrow-beaten soule applieth it selfe to thee hoping in despaire and perseuering in hope My sins are such as for number can not for nature should not be rehearsed all my teares are not sufficient to cleanse one spotte of them or to quench one sparke of the fury which they haue kindled Alasse I haue sinned aboue the number of the sandes of the sea My iniquities are multiplyed and I am not worthy to behold the height of heauen by reason of the multitude of my iniquities And thou O Father of Mercy and LORD of Iustice whose goodnesse canne neuer bee either exhausted or diminished I doe not intend to contend with thee in Iudgement but I lay hold vpon the horne of thy Altar of grace Here I rest here onely I repose my assurance For if thou shouldest keepe a true registrie of our sinnes If thou shouldest exactly examine them according to the seuere law of thy Iustice If thou shouldest perpetually reteine in mind the offences for which wee are sorrowfull and which thy goodnesse hath promised to forgiue If thou shouldest cast them into the ballance of thy Iustice and weigh them to a graine or if thou shouldest heape them together against the triall of thy inflexible Iudgement What then shall become of vs Who can stand before thee Who can endure thy heauy charge For assuredly all reasonable creatures as well Angels as men considered in their proper nature may sinne Whatsoeuer creature participating of reason doth not sinne it is not by condition of nature but by a speciall gift of grace The reason is because sinne is nothing else but a declination from the streight rule whereby an act is to bee performed and that as well in naturall acts as in artificiall and also in morall But there is no act which is not subiect to such deflection vnlesse the rule thereof depends vpon the will of the Agent And therefore because the will of GOD only is the rule of what he doeth as not ordeined to any higher end onely in the will of GOD there can be no sinne In other inferiour wills there may bee because they giue not the rule to their actes but are to bee directed by the will of GOD whereon they should depend as vpon their last and highest end Now in that some Angels neuer sinned they had therein supportance by grace and besides they drew no originall eyther weakenesse or corruption from those which fell But the nature of man is so depraued by disobedience of our first parents that originall sinne inherent in our very substance makes vs not onely inclineable but headlong to all actuall sinne Insomuch as albeit many are preserued by grace from offences of highest quality yet all are so obnoxious to infinite infirmities that wee dayly slippe wee dayly fall that nothing is more naturall to vs then dayly to fall that the Iust fall seuen times a day Yea if the best of our actions should bee exactly examined they will appeare so full either of staines or of defectes that we rather merit reproofe and punishment thereby then either curtesie or reward All our actions are euill and the best seeme better then they are And this was a principall cause wherefore man was redeemed rather then Angels For all Angels perished not by the fall of some the fall of some Angels was no impeachment to those which stood because no naturall imperfection or infection was deriued from the one to the other But by the fall of our first parents all mankind was inuolued in destruction as being Siens of that corrupted tree Runnells flowing from that poysonous spring If man had not beene redeemed the whole stocke race and kinde of man must haue beene damned And againe The Angels fell meerely by malice of their will but the first man was tempted and prouoked and his posteritie dayly fall by inclination of their Nature Nothing is imputed to Angels but their proper sinne but to man is imputed the sinne of another And therefore O LORD of infinite goodnesse Let these reasons which mooued thee to redeeme mee mooue thee also to heare mee let sinne no more hinder thee from hearing then it did from redeeming For if sinne bee an impediment that prayers cannot bee heard neuer shall any mans prayer approch thine eare For we are all borne sinners wee liue and we shall die sinners wee cannot contend with thee in iudgement wee cannot dispute our righteousnesse against thee If thou wilt bee onely a iudge to obserue and examine our actions if thou wilt call vs to triall at the barre of thy iustice of necessity we must perish none can stand before thee and say I am innocent Wherefore we decline from thy court of iustice and desire to be heard in thy court of mercy wee stand before thy mercy for if mercy were not with thee sinners could hope for nothing from thee which is a higher court then thy court of iustice For otherwise wee could not appeale from iustice to mercy because no appeale can be made but to a higher court LORD we appeare before thy high court of mercy wee acknowledge that all of vs are sinners and that if mercy were not with thee we could not hope for anything from thee We humbly acknowledge that we haue done nothing perfectly well and our imperfect doing of any thing well is no thanke to vs it is thy free gift but if thou close not thy eyes against our offences we
more is he enflamed with this desire and the greater difficulties will hee vndertake to atchieue it euen as the greater a fire is the greater heat it casteth foorth and the more matter it is able to consume But GOD is so good that in comparison of him none other can be said to bee good all goodnesse is attributed onely to him And therefore the more hee exceedeth in goodnesse the more desirous is he to communicate himselfe As he hath made himselfe like vnto thee so will he make thee like vnto him hee will not cease to informe to reforme conforme transforme thee dayly vntill hee hath vnited thee to him He communicateth himselfe to all creatures in their degree but in most especiall manner to man Assuredly it is not so naturall for light things to mount vpwards for heauie things to draw downward for the heauens to mooue round as it is for the goodnesse of GOD to doe good For the propertie of all creatures is accidentally in them but the property to good is essentially in GOD. GOD is an essentiall goodnesse So simple pure and immutable is his substance that no accident can adhere vnto it whatsoeuer is in GOD is GOD. Againe his loue may perswade thee that hee will bee mercifull For hee did not beginne to loue thee when first thou wert borne not when the world was created but thou diddest sleepe in his bosome euen from eternitie His loue to thee is no lesse ancient then the ancient of dayes euen then himselfe Who as hee is from eternitie so from eternitie hath hee loued his elect When his naturall Sonne was begotten then wert thou adopted for his Sonne and euer since hee hath cast vpon thee a fatherly eye alwayes remembring what glory hee hath appointed for thee The Scriptures much commend an ancient friend Loe here is an ancient Friend indeed a friend who hath loued thee from all eternitie Verely if immemoriall possession maketh a right thou hast now a good title to his loue thou hast now prescribed it for thine owne and hereby thou hast a good claime to his mercie And because likenesse is not onely a signe but a cause of liking and loue hee hath formed thy soule according to his Image for as nothing vpon earth resembleth him more by nothing hee canne more easily bee knowen And hence it is that the substance or essence of the soule cannot bee vnderstood because it is like the diuine substance which no man in this life can vnderstand Hence also proceedeth the admirable capacity thereof which all the creatures and riches of this world can no more fill then a graine of mustard can fill the world And further he hath bound himselfe by his promise and word that in case thou conuert and repent thou shalt neuer bee ruined by thy sinne And therefore seeing GOD hath made so large a promise seeing hee is now become a debtor of mercy seeing hee hath made his gift his debt Dare any sinner despaire Say I pray thee What is the worst that a sinner can feare Eternall damnation By whose appointment By the authority and command of Almighty GOD. But the same GOD who inflicteth this paine hath giuen a supersedeas hee hath giuen thee his warrant that if thou repent thou shalt not be damned Take heede they bee his wordes they are spoken to all sinners bee they neuer so great Wilt thou not beleeue them wilt thou not giue credite to Almighty GOD verely thou must For GOD is faithfâ—ll in all his wordes By these three by the goodnesse by the loue and by the promise of GOD thou mayest rest assured of his will to shew mercy Adde hereto that hee is omnipâ—tent that his will is his power that no man can reâ—ist his wâ—ll that he can as easily doe as will and there can bee nothing added to thy assurance Men do often faile in their word because they eyther change in will or are defectiue in power but because GOD can bee neither changed nor resisted he will assuredly make good his word But happily thou wilt say I know well that GOD is both mighty and true and I nothing doubt of the performance of his word But when hee hath once forgiuen a sinner it seemeth to be a discharge of his promise In case the sinner fall againe is GOD bound againe to forgiue him Verely yes For GOD hath commanded vs to forgiue our brother so often as hee shall offend and hath further added that If wee forgiue wee shall bee forgiuen Whereby it followeth that if wee bee not wearie to forgiue others GOD will neuer bee wearie in forgiuing vs that by enioyning reuengfull man to forgiue others hee hath therereby enioyned himselfe to forgiue them What Dost thou thinke that GOD will not be more mercifull then man Shall man forgiue sooner and oftner then GOD It cannot bee For because mercie proceedeth from goodnesse and goodnesse is originally in GOD who can be so mercifull as hee He who forgaue 10000. talents what may wee thinke he will not forgiue And therefore Albeit thou hast sinned neuer so grieuously neuer so often forgiue others and aske forgiuenesse meekely and mercy will follow For wherefore is remission of sinnes promised if sinners may not enioy it Do sinnes make thee vnworthy of mercy No. But rather by reason of thy sinnes mercie pertaineth to thee Wherefore neuer distrust but turne to the LORD who hath promised mercy and who hath commaunded thee to trust in his promise O the great vertue of hope As the sunne spreadeth light and heat to all the earth so grace streameth from her countenance to all who behold her O sacred hope to whose presence heauinesse dares not approach Although the weight of sinne doeth grieuously oppresse mee yet will I trust in the mercie of the LORD because hope hath emboldned me and because hee hath commanded me so to doe But wherefore hath hee so commanded Verely because hee desireth to saue mee for so hee hath sayd Because he trusted in me I will deliuer him O most mercifull LORD With what wordes shall I prayse thee for thy exceeding mercies who doest deliuer vs for no other reason but because wee trust in thee LORD thou art in greatnes infinite in vertue Omnipotent in goodnesse chiefe in wisedome inestimable in counsailes terrible in iudgements iust in cogitations secret in word true in workes holy in mercy plentifull patient towards sinners and pitifull when they repent For such I confesse thee for such I praise and glorifie thy Name Powre I beseech thee thy light into my heart and thy words into my mouth that my thoughts may alwaies meditate on thy mercies and that my tongue may ouerslow with praises for the same That I may not only in my selfe be fruitfull of thankes but stir vp others to doe the like O giue thankes vnto the LORD for hee is gracious and his mercy endureth for euer O giue thankes vnto the GOD
of all GODS for his mercy endureth for euer O thanke the LORD of all LORDS for his mercy enduâ—eth for euer whâ—ch onely doeth great wonders for his mercy endureth for euer c. Ps. 136. But take heed O my soule For reuerence of the dreadfull maiestie of GOD beware of two things whereof hope hath not forgotten to giue thee warning One is that thou expect mercy onely from the LORD for with him is mercy Trust not in any worthinesse in thy selfe who art a dunghill couered with snow a filthie vessell which corrupteth all liquors that are powred into it a barke set in the gustie sea of this world beaten with all stormes and incursions of weather Trust not in any trumperies of the world for no quiet can be expected from that which is alwaies in motion and change which is alwaies busied like the spider in making artificiall nets to take flies If thou pursuest the comforts of the world thou art one of those of whoÌ„ the Prophet Ieremie speaketh that they should serue strange gods who would not suffer theÌ„ to rest day nor night Assuredlie the conscience shall neuer find comfort nor rest but when altogether stripped of all other confidence it committeth it selfe naked to the mercy of GOD. The other is that hereby thou beest not imboldned to sinne but rather held in bridle by feare Vpon any condition be not bold to sinne because the mercy of GOD is readie to forgiue If therby thou beest imboldned thy transgressions are the greater Feare alwaies to offend such inuincible mercy feare the iustice which will punish the contempt of that mercie Feare to offend thy iudge feare to offend him who onely is able to pardon thy offence Prostrate thy selfe and liue in awe of â—hat maiestie in whose mercy thou hast placed thy hope respect him with dutie from whom thou expectest all thy good As thy desires are guided by hope so let them be followed with feare The more thou hopest feare the more both at one time and without measure in both Neither feare abating hope nor hope enfeebling feare But maugre all feare let thy hope mount to the highest pitch and maugre all hope let feare stoope to the lowest downe come If any other could forgiue sins then thou mightest happlyappeale to him and the more lightly esteeme the maiestie of GOD but because this iudiciary power resteth onely in GOD because he hath shut vp all within mercie thou must needes feare him and tremble to offend him If a souldier hath offended one captaine he may serue vnder the colours of another He who hath lost the fauour of his king may liue vnder protection of another euen as when the Gentiles conceiued that one of their gods was offended with them they endeauoured to reconcile the fauor of others But when thou shalt offend thy only omnipotent GOD to whom wilt thou resort for reliefe Who will not feare the king of nations who albeit he aboundeth with mercy yet is not he disarmed of iustice Albeit grace reigneth with him yet is not the law abolished Thou must liue in feare not to offend the Law but to trust to be saued only by mercie The Law must continue for a holy obedience to those who beleeue to be saued by mercy By this meanes hope is alwaies accompanied with feare hope apprehendeth mercie in the end feare bridleth offence in the passage to the end Of the righteousnesse of the Law nothing can follow but either despaire or presumption in the first whereof the deuill was plunged but the nature of man is most inclineable to the second feare is a temperature betweene them both To this vertue despaire is contrary on the one side and presumption on the other Despaire hath too much feare presumption too little take away both and feare will remaine accompanied with hope If thou fearest without hope thou sinckest into despaire and art like some miserable worldling who forsaking some part of his estate departeth with his life If thou hopest without feare thou mountest like Icarus to thy deadly downefall To feare GOD is to reuerence and worship him to acknowledge that he is plentifull in mercie and goodnesse Take away mercie and take away feare for he that expecteth not good feareth no euill O LORD of all mecy Grant I beseech thee that my soule may feare thee because thou art no lesse worthy of feare then of loue For as thou art a GOD of mercie so thou art a GOD of maiestie as thou art infinitelie mercifull so art thou infinitely iust as thy workes of mercie are innumerable so is there no number of thy workes of iustice And which is most fearefull the vessels of wrath doe farre exceed the vessels of mercy And therfore O LORD so work in my heart that I may feare thee for the height of thy iustice for the depth of thy iudgements for the glory of thy maiesty for the immensitie of thy greatnesse and power for the multitude of my sinnes for my inconsiderate boldnes in sinning and aboue all for my rebellion in resisting thy holy inspirations VERS V. I looke for the LORD my soule doth wait for him in his word is my trust 1 THe hungry desire of a penitent sinner 2 A bridle vpon that violent desire 3 Sodaine repentance not alwayes sincere 4 The causes wherefore GOD deferreth to heare vs. 5 We are often deceiued in thinking GOD slow 6 How strongly GOD knocketh and calleth 7 Wherefore he is not heard 8 How he may be heard 9 How GOD feasteth those who entertaine him 10 We must patiently looke and wait for the LORD 11 To the very last end of our life 12 Iniuries to be quietly taken 13 Troubles to be contemned 14 A short praise of patience 15 It must be ioyned with trust 16 Trust must be accompanied with faith and then is it most assured 17 Whereon this Trust must be grounded 18 That the word of GOD cannot faile nor deceiue 19 A Caution what to doe that we may boldly trust 20 An assured laying hold vpon GODS word 21 A prayer and resolution for patience and trust BVt how long wilt thou suspend thy mercie and grace How long shall I bee as if I were either not remembred or little regarded how long shall this hungry appetite torment my soule looke vpon me O LORD and let me haue some sence of thy mercie LORD I desire not the aboundance and dainties of thy children but will remaine satisfied with a few cast crummes from thy table Behold LORD I come to thee as a poore hungrie whelpe to a rich mans table I see what thou eatest and how richlie thou feedest thy children I looke thee in the face I obserue thy countenance I manifest my desires by all the gestures and behauiours I can I vse many prouocations to moue thee to bestow some meane morsell vpon me But when O LORD when wilt thou regard me Now gracious GOD euen now I pray thee to fauour me with some
be committed which by this redemption is not discharged And this is true in regard of sufficiencie but in regard of efficacie it perteineth only to the elect who are the Church the true house and familie of Israel But there can bee no offences either for number so great or for qualitie so grieuous but this redemption is sufficient for them Can this redemption which is of infinite value bee restreined to any limits of offences Shall not hee whose arme is neuer shortned be alwayes able to forgiue Shall not he who forgaue to one debtor 10000. talents be alwayes willing to forgiue verely in case that debtor had owed more talents vpon his submission more had bin forgiuen Such is the pitie of almighty GOD towards miserable men that hee neuer reiecteth their vnfained repentance albeit a sinner be at the height of euill let him in singlenesse and sinceritie of soule turne to the LORD and he shall be embraced If you finde in the Scriptures any sinnes termed vnpardonable as the sinne against the holy Ghost the sinne vnto death for which wee are forbidden to pray you must not vnderstand it as if they could not bee pardoned in case the sinner did vnfainedly repent for this were no better then bitter blasphemie But such sinnes are said to bee vnpardonable because they deserue blindnesse and hardnesse of heart and to bee depriued of the effectuall ayde of Grace because the sinner neuer either turneth or stoppeth but alwayes runneth forward from badde to worse Let their eyes bee blinded that they see not and euer bowe downe their backes Let them fall from one wickednesse to another and not come into thy righteousnesse Not that GOD doeth positiuely blinde any man or bowe downe their backes but priuatiuelie in that hee doeth not enlighten and direct them His sufficient ayde hee denieth to none but by reason of some eâ—ther heinousnesse or obstinacie in sinne hee denyeth his most speciall and effectuall ayde to some Hereupon their sinnes are sayde to bee vnpardonable because albeit they might repent yet they did not Wherefore O man to bridle thy broad bouldnesse in sinne vnderstand that there are certaine periods and bounds which when sinners exceede GOD leaueth them destitute sometimes by denying his effectuall ayde sometimes by abridging the terme of their life For the bloudie and deceitfull man shall not liue out halfe their dayes When the number of sinnes prefixed by GOD are once exceeded when the measure runneth ouer when the sinner hath digged his owne pitte Death shall come hastily vpon him and take from him both the present and future life at once Verely hee that hath appointed barres for the proud waues of the sea hath also set limits and termes to thy sinnes hee hath prefixed limits for his effectuall grace but his aboundant redemption is alwayes sufficient And therefore O feeble sinner albeit thou hast offended the most High and conspired against his Maiestie albeit thou hast forsaken his Law and forgotten his benefits albeit thou hast harlotted with thy owne humours and fouled his honour vnder thy feete in a word albeit thou hast merited more torments then hell canne afford yet neuer despaire neuer bee terrified by thy weake suspicions But abstaine from thy sinnes let thy will abhorre them and then approach with trust to the throne of mercie and assuredly thou shalt finde grace not onely sufficient but effectuall for all thy sinnes For then thy Redeemer by his inualuable blood will free thee from the seruitude of sinne whereto thou haddest voluntary sould thy selfe then will hee take vpon him the paine which thou haddest incurred then discharge the obligation which thou haddest forfeited But herewith thou must bee incorporate into the family of Israel namely the Church of GOD thou must with Nathaniel be an Israelite indeede in whom is no guile for to these onely this redemption pertaineth Thou must earnestly endeauour first to bridle thy sensuall appetites and by degrees to mortifie them Thou must serue GOD in righteousnesse and both constantly and closely adhere to him by loue So shalt thou bee rightly disposed to participate of thy redemption so shall riuers of heauenly riches flowe into thy soule But whosoeuer is a stranger to this house of GOD or liuing therein is no part thereof whosoeuer I say doeth eyther obstinately or carelesly perseuer in sinne and neuer regard to disingage himselfe by repentance hee shall neuer participate of the infinite treasure of this redemption the floudes of GODS mercies and of the merits of his Redeemer shall neuer enter or approach his soule they are sufficient but not effectuall for his discharge And further so ample and aboundant is this redemption that thereby the LORD will deliuer his people not onely from their sinnes and from eternall punishments due to their sinnes but hee will finally free them from the miseries and calamities which in this life driue in their faces Or if hee deferre this deliuerance for a time yea if hee stay vntill hee deliuer them at once from the calamities of the world and from the world it selfe yet is hee present with them all the meane time hee refresheth them with his spirit he sprinckleth the diuine dewe of his Grace vpon them which maketh aswell their life as the calamities of their life not onely tolerable but sweete For they who beleeue although they be faint and feeble hearted yet they know that neither death nor the diuell shall preuaile against them because GOD is their Redeemer This is the office of GOD thus will hee haue to doe with sinners to abolish their sinnes to abolish either their miseries or the sence of their miseries and to create in them rigâ—teousnesse and life And furthâ—â— the LORD doth not only eyther end or ease our miseries but he doeth more he conuerteth them to our good It is a propertie of the greatest goodnesse to change the nature of euill and to conuert it into good If a vine bee not pruned it runneth out into superfluous stemmes and branches and growes feeble and fruitlesse in the end Bee content therefore that thy desires be pruned with afflictions It is painefull to bleede but it is mortall to wither In this life pascimur patimur wee are so nourished with the blessings of GOD that therewith also wee are nurtured with his crosses And shall I tell thee O my friend shall I acquaint thee with an infallible experience how all the calamities of this life may not onely bee endured but vtterly broken how thou mayest obtaine a most glorious conquest This is worth the knowing and by assistance of grace not vneasie to bee done The Apostle findeth in one man two the spirit and the flesh the minde and the members the soule and the body These are so chained together as they make but one and yet so contrary as they make two They are so contrary as the life of the one is the death of the other the raising vp
himselfe but in the proper nature his house bee turned to a prison so albeit the body of man was once a pleasant habitation yet when by sinne it was turned to a prison the soule findeth therein many miserable molestations A prison is a place horrid and vncleane wherein the companions are theeues murtherers and other malefactours the place commonly a sinke whither all the filth of a city doth draine And albeit a childe bornâ— and brought vp in a prison and neuer acquainted with other life will laugh and desport and not onely take contentment but delight in that place yet if an honest man who knoweth liberty chance to come there how is he annoyed with the filth How with the vile society which he is constrained to endure What friends what suit will hee make for his discharge So they who neuer looked out of their body are well pleased with the euill qualities thereof But they who haue conuersed in a heauenly life and yet are gayled in this prison of mud and tied to the society of a thousand disordred appetites as so many malefactors how vnquiet are they how wary how desirous to be at liberty Heereupon one cried Bring my soule out of prison and I will prayse thy name And another I desire to bee dissolued And againe Who shall deliuer me from this body of death Out of the deepest dungeon of this prison O LORD I crie vnto thee deepely couered with naturall corruption deepely ouerwhelmed with actuall transgressions deepely charged both with sence and feare of thy wrath I streine foorth my voice vnto thee LORD thou art alwayes farre distant from sinners and now out of this deepe distance I doe not weakly desire thee but with deepe sighes and groanes from the depth of my heart I call vnto thee I haue sinned and thou hast punished I haue displeased thee and thou hast disquieted me according to the greatnesse of my sinnes thy punishments haue beene great vpon mee Out of this depth both of infirmities and of calamities with an inflamed spirit I lift vp my voyce hands eyes and soule vnto thee Heare me O LORD who doest no sooner heare then helpe Oh! let the complaint of my sobbing soule haue accesse to thy gentle audience Looke not vpon my sinnes and vpon thy iustice but looke vpon my miseries and vpon thy mercies turn away thy face from me as I am sinfull but regard me as I am sorrowfull for my sinnes Despise not O LORD the worke of thy hands For thou knowest of what mettall we are made thou knowest the bad temper thereof thou knowest not only our weakenesse but our prone inclination to euill Insomuch as if thou shouldest examine our actions by the exact ballance and then smite them by the seuere sword of thy Iustice all must despaire wee must all bee damned For there is none so innocent vnder heauen who canne eyther answere thy Iustice or endure it Not one canne stand before thee in Iudgement not one canne answere one for a thousand But thou wilt not bee so rigid and seuere against thy feeble creatures For with thee abideth not onely Iustice but also Mercie not onely Iustice for obstinate sinners but Mercie for the penitent Thou art aboue measure milde and fauourable to all that repent thou canst not deny thy Mercie from any who desire it from an humble heart And therefore albeit my sinnes presse heauie vpon me albeit they trouble my soule with many terrours yet will I worship thee with a dutifull and obedient feare I will hope in thee but not cease to feare I will hope but not presume and therefore must I feare I will hope in regard of thy goodnesse I will feare in regard of my owne euill I will hope in thee for thy mercies and I will feare thee for thy iustice Vpon these two wings will I flie vnto thee with these two eyes will I looke for thee but my trust addresseth it selfe especially to thy mercy â—f this mercy thy word hath giuen assurance thy word expresseth much fatherly affection thy word is full of many sweet promises of remission of sinnes and therefore my trust laieth hold vpon thy word For were it not a dishonour to a King would not people speake shrewdly of him if hauing promised his pardon hee would execute men for the same offence Assuredly whatsoeuer some Kings may doe thou canst not thou canst not denie thy word because thou canst not denie thy selfe Thy iustice will not suffer thee either to reuoke or lightly to regard the promises of thy mercy in case we apprehend them in seasonable time And therefore I will not be either betrayed by pleasures or benummed by sluggish sloath I will not suffer time to passe vntill time shall be altogether past When there cannot possibly be any harme in haste I will not aduenture vpon the dangers of delay O LORD my maker Quicken me with thy inciting grace that I may with all speed addresse my selfe both to entreat and to embrace thy mercy that I may timely begin to attend vpon thee For albeit no part of my life should be either shortned or mispent Albeit I should be most couetously carefull to imploy euery minute thereof yet is man too mortall to attaine performance of the least part of his duty to thee And although I bee not presently releeued although for a long time thou with-holdest thy helpe let not my hope be wearied in wayting for thee let me both patiently and constantly expect thy pleasure And so must all doe who sincerely serue thee who put their trust in thy word and so they shall neuer be disappointed of their hope For not only thy Mercy is most faithfully assured by thy word but thy Iustice also is plentifully satisfied by the inualuable blood of our Redeemer which is so noble and precious in thy sight that there neither are nor can be any sinnes for expiation of which it doeth not suffice It openeth the gate of grace to all that repent it excludeth none it sufficeth for all Let no man feare the multitude of his sinnes this Mercy and this Redemption doe infinitely surmount them they infinitely ouerballance the sinnes of all men in case they repent LORD thou art a great Physition thou knowest all our sicknesses and art most expert in all sorts of remedies Whatsoeuer our diseases are neuer so grieuous neuer so desperate thou hast variety of remedies in store and knowest right well how to applie them thy Mercie and thy Redemption thou hast alwayes at hand Wherefore with all feare and reuerence which my weakenesse is able to apprehend I resort now to thy throne of Grace most humbly entreating thy Mercie and the benefit of thy plentifull redemption Repell mee not from thy presence I beseech thee vntill I bee reconciled to thy fauour For I am no stranger to thy house I am one of thy people a citizen and member of that Church which thou hast so aboundantly redeemed Grant mee O gracious
FLY FROM EVEL DOE GOOD DAVIDS teares By Sr John Hayward knight Doc. of Lawe LONDON Printed by John Bill 1623. TO THE READER HAuing finished my SANCTVARIE and finding it to haue taken roote and life for some continuance I could not conceiue any better imployment of those houres which I haue resolued to sequester for exercises in this kinde then in making my conceptions legible vpon those Psalmes of DAVID which liuely describe both the forme and the force of true repentance Partly in regard of the generall dignity of the whole Booke of Psalmes largely extolled by many but chiefly in regard of the eminent excellency of these Penitentiall Psalmes which heereafter I entend particularly to declare And heerein I aime at no priuate end but designe and resigne my endeuors wholly to the Glory of the All-powerfull GOD to whom Glory is so proper that nothing is more repugnant to reason then either not to attribute it to him or to seeke to draw it to our selues For albeit GOD who is all fulnesse and perfâ—ction cannot receiue accesse or increase yet by praysing and blessing his exteriour workes we enlarge and spread his glory to others This praise and glory because we cannot incorporate into his essence whereto no addition can bee made we are sayd to attribute to his NAME For the NAME of a thing is separate and externall from the thing which it serueth to signifie and neither a part nor of the substance therof But we on the other side are inwardly hollow and empty and alwaies wanting some amendment Wherefore we haue enough to doe to labour in repairing that We must not play our part for exteriour shewes but inwardly within our selues where no eies shine but our owne Otherwise we shal be like to an Egge long couered with salt the shell wherof wil be faire and sound but the inward substance altogether consumed Or like an vnwise hunger-starued beggar more desirous of a faire garment then of necessary meat Hee who seekes himselfe abroade who regardes more what hee is to to others then to himselfe who doth honestly because he would be so esteemed shall neuer produce profitable effect As the intention is vaine so wil be the euent But if constantly wee pursue reason and piety let approbation of others follow if it please as neither vainly desired so not rigidly to be contemned Much lesse must they expect any benefit by their trauailes who retire themselues to priuate studies For they liue not out of themselues they study not other mens humours they applie not their thoughts to the time And this is the reason wherfore many well esteemed for sufficiency whose vertue forbids them to be base hang vnder the wheele and cannot aduance Yea sometimes it happeneth that whilest they are most honestly busied men of scornefull and beggarly ignorance separate from all imitable qualities or endeauours will be nimble to nippe from them such small matters as they haue I confesse I haue beene bitten by some such Vipers who thinke nothing sufficient that they haue nothing dishonest that they doe But I enuie not the grauell in any mans throat It sufficeth for mee that I haue attained a quiet contented life free either from anguish in my selfe or enuie at others free either from wishing great matters or wanting some small a life fit for serious cogitations The rich compositions of Ancient times I reuerence and admire they doe not only satisfie but astonish mee I see them not to the depth but I see them so farre that I conceiue the farthest reach of our age cannot neerely approach them Of my owne productions neuer any did fully content mee and the approbation of others is no warrant to my owne iudgement tender and seuere in what I doe They may happily bee somewhat sprinkled ouer but throughly died I conceiue they are not And in case any thing be excusable in them it is not in regard of themselues but in comparison of some other form-lesse vnsinewie writings whereto notwithstanding I finde good allowance to bee giuen Assuredly knowing my owne ignorance and defects I wonder much at the constant assurance of many others But modestie forbids vs to speake good or ill of our selues I haue heere vndertaken a difficult taske in writing vpon these high parts of Scripture I did put forth two of these psalmes at the first for an assay as before I did the like in my Sanctuary And finding some acceptation I haue now added a third and intend to proceede in some of the rest And wherein I finde no encouragement from others I will remaine satisfied with my owne contentments For by entertayning my thoughts in these sweet retreits how many tedious and friuolous cogitations haue I auoyded How many indignities and discontentments haue I therein buried Let others hungerly hunt after fauour and wealth the common drudgery of the world let them spend their spirit and honestie in vnciuill vnderminings I desire and pray that this heauenly harmony may alwayes ring in my eares that I may close the last period of my life with one of these songs of Sion Nunquid Zimri pax c. HOM. Il. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 TAM grauis ille mihi nigri quam limina ditis Ore aliud qut fert aliud sub pectore celat AS dale of death so doe I hate that kinde whose tongue from thought whose mouth dissents from minde DAVIDS TEARES PSALME VI. O LORD rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure 2 Haue mercy vpon me O LORD for I am weake O LORD heale me for my bones are vexed 3 My soule is also sore troubled but LORD how long wilt thou punish me 4 Turne thee O LORD and deliuer my soule Oh saue mee for thy mercies sake 5 For in death no man remembreth thee and who will giue thee thankes in the pit 6 I am weary of my groning euery night wash I my bed and water my couch with my teares 7 My beauty is 〈◊〉 for very trouble and worne away because of all mine enemies 8 Away from me all yee that worke vanity for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping 9 The LORD hath heard my petition the LORD will receiue my prayer 10 All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall bee turned backe and put to shame suddenly Of the title and parts of this PSALME 1 THE inscription of this Psalme 2. The Authour thereof 3. Wherefore Dauid watered his bed with teares 4 Our conflicts in this life and the weapons thereof 5 Wherefore the iust are sayd to flourish like a palme tree 6 Wherefore this Psalme is intituled To him that vanquisheth 7. The parts of this Psalme THis is the first of those Psalms which are called Penitentiall and according to the version of Saint Hierome and of Felix beareth this inscription or title A Psalme of Dauid to him that vanquisheth pro octaua for
an instrument of eight strings For that Dauid was the Authour of this Psalme it is nothing doubted not only because it hath beene both anciently and generally so receiued but because diuers passages of the Psalme doe plainely seeme to import no lesse For therein is liuely expressed a most exquisite sense of sorrow and griefe agreeable as well to the greatnesse both of the person and sinne of Dauid as to the large measure of grace which afterward he did obtaine It maketh mention also of stratum a kinde of couch vsed by men of eminent dignity which as Dauid had defiled with adulterous embracements so did hee there chiefly exercise his sorrow so did he there plentifully powre foorth his teares Verely as the sinnes of Princes are neuer small so their great sinnes require a great and high degree of repentance Now in this life we are neuer at perfect peace we are trauayled with continuall conflicts wherin some armour is of necessary vse But in these spirituall combats sorrow sighes groanes and teares are the onely armour of defence the onely weapons of aduantage by which wee atchieue true victory and triumph For this cause it is sayd that the iust shall flourish as a Palme tree For as the Palme tree doeth flourish best vnder greatest weight so vnder many difficulties and oppressions the iust must mount to their highest hopes And therefore because by these armes Dauid did preuayle not onely against his outward enemies not only against his inward troubles and perplexities but against the wrath and vengeance of Almighty GOD because by these meanes his griefe was turned into ioy because hee beganne with bitter anguishes and ended in exultation and triumph this Psalme is entitled To him that vanquisheth therefore also it was appointed to bee sung vpon an instrument of eight strings called Octaua vpon which as S. Hierome sayth they vsed to sing Psalmes of triumph and ioy And so this Psalme falleth naturally into two principall parts as in the Table following doeth appeare In this Psalme of Dauid is conteyned his sorrow and conflict wherein is expressed a fearefull apprehension of GODS Iustice vers 1. an humble petitiō for his mercy that vnder many reasons whereof some are drawn from himselfe namely from his weakenesse v. 2. troubles in body v. 2. soule v. 3. GOD and namely from his mercy ver 4. wisedome ver 5. iustice ver 6. power ver 7. Victory and Ioy in regard of his reconciliation with GOD ver 8. and 9. the confusion of his enemies ver 10. VERS 1. O LORD rebuke me not in thy wrath neither chastise me in thy displeasure 1 EVery sinne is infinite and wherefore 2. Punishments in this life not to be feared and wherefore 3 Eternall wrath how fearefull it is 4 The paine of losse 5 The paine of sence 6 The fearefull representations of a guilty conscience 7 Which turneth the trembling soule to GOD. O Most glorious GOD infinite in Maiesty to be both honoured and obeyed infinite also in might to be feared The greater thy Maiesty is the greater are my offences against it to bee esteemed and the greater punishment may thy Almightinesse inflict As thy Maiestie is infinite so is euery offence against it infinite so is infinite punishment due to such offence This infinite Maiestie haue I many wayes most grieuously offended and therefore haue iust cause to feare thy grieuous displeasure thy grieuous punishment euen equall to my sinne and that is infinite I feare not thy reproofe I feare not thy corection I dayly expect it I dayly desire it because dayly I deserue it For I know that dayly I offend and I know that thy diuine Iustice will not suffer offences to remaine vnpunished If thy Iustice punisheth only in this life then is it fatherly then mercifull then is it iustice tempered with mercy but if it punisheth in the life to come then is it extreame Iustice then extreme rigor and reuenge then is it as a rod of yron vpon a potters vessell The one is among men and oftentimes by them the other is in the company and by the office of Deuils The first is a gentle instruction a chasticement a correction the last a seuere and finall execution This rodde of thy correction I kisse I embrace thy chasticements vpon my knees If I were exempt from thy Fatherly chasticement then were I exempt from being thy childe For thou scourgest euery childe whom thou receiuest But I feare thy fury I tremble at thy extreame displeasure I desire to feele thee as a louing Father but not as an angry and inflexible Iudge Rebuke me not O LORD with thy violent voice let not thy angry arme beat stiffely vpon me It will consume me as a flaming furnace It will swallow me as a deuouring gulfe It will driue me as a torrent into the headlong descent of eternall death damnation What strength can stand vnder thy Almighty arme What courage can behold thy fierce bended brow and not bee astonished not stroke downe with terrour LORD I now feele thy anger in a moderate measure I now feele thy temporary and temperate wrath which I am not able to endure but heereby I am further led to esteeme the ful charge of thy fury how vnable I shall be to endure thy eternall indignation How little a portion haue we of him but who can vnderstand his fearefull power Assuredly the generall floud the destruction of Sodome all thy punishments which haue beene shall be or can be inflicted in this life are to bee deemed but as a few gentle drops in regard of the full tempest of thy eternall wrath In that day of thy wrath when we shall stand forth at the barre of thy Iudgement What soule can sustaine thy angrie eye whose sight will pierce to the very center of our hearts and rippe vp euery festred corner of our consciences What other accusers What other euidence will thy iustice require certainely if thy voice was terrible when thou gauest thy Law if thy chosen people were then afraide how terrible will it bee when thou shalt demand an accompt of thy Law when thou shalt giue sentence for the breach therof against thine enemies Depart from me yee cursed Out alasse What a punishment of losse is this to be banished from thy face whose beauty cannot be expressed which the Angels insatiably desire to behold the sight wherof is the full perfection of all pleasure and abundance the true ioy and rest of our soules What death is so grieuous as this departing But whither O LORD doest thou command to depart Into euerlasting fire Out alasse This is a cruel curse indeed Whom wil it not appal whom will it not astonishwith feare What Into euerlasting fire without either intermission or end Alasse Who can abide with the deuouring fire Who can dwell with the euerlasting flames This is the very habitation of thy wrath in this place thy fury doth
melted with this heat of loue For as water taken from pits and welles vpon the earth is not so fruitfull to make hearbes thriue as raine water which falleth from heauen Insomuch as some plants growing in the middest of waters will wither and die for want of raine so teares which proceede from terrene respects make not the soule so flourishing and fruitfull in grace as teares which fall for the loue of GOD. Such were the teares of the sinfull woman who watered her masters feet with her teares who with the teares of her body cleansed her soule For to her many sinnes were forgiuen not principally in regard of her teares but because shee loued much VERS IX The LORD hath heard my petition the LORD will receiue my prayer 1 HOW easie GOD is to heare and to pardon 2. No sooner can wee dispose our selues to aske but wee receiue from GOD some taste of his fauour 3. Wherefore sometimes GOD deferreth for a time 4. Inequality betweene GODS disposition and ours 6. The trophee of repentant Teares 7. Our miseries turned to medicines 8. The world how to be esteemed 9. The experience of GODS liberality and loue what it worketh 10. Experience surmounteth reason 11 The condition of our assurance 12. When GOD cannot be intreated 13. What giueth wings to our prayers what weigheth them downe O Incredible clemency and mercy How commeth it O LORD that thou art so ready to heare vs so easie to pardon vs did my sorrow sit so neere thy heart wert thou so stricken with the wounds of my soule by seeing them bleed so fast at mine eyes Thou hast now finished my feares assured my hopes perfected my ioyes satisfied my desires Oh! how good is the LORD Is any like vnto the most high who comforteth the afflicted healeth the wounded reuiueth the dead Is any other like vnto him Learne O ye feeble soules how amiable the LORD is how mercifull how mild how hee visiteth his seruants how hee neuer disdayneth to impart himselfe to them Scarce O LORD can we dispose our selues to craue forgiuenesse scarce open our lips scarse addresse our selues to sue to thee for mercy but we receiue some taste of thy fauour When we are comming to thee slowly and farre off thou runnest to meete vs thou embracest vs in the armes of thy loue thou giuest vs the comfortable kisses of peace Or if thou doest deferre thy comfort and consolations for a time it is to send them in greater abuÌ„dance it is that the long absence thereof with little hope and great desire should make thy presence the more esteemed O infinite inequality betweene my disposition and thine I am rash in offending thee and thou art ready to remit mine offences I runne apace to dishonour thee and thou hastest more fast to receiue me to grace I haue searched all places euen the bottome of the sea euen the bowels of the earth to minister foment and food to my sensuall desires And when these pleasures had poysoned my soule when I was in a maze of troubles vnder a Masse of dangers when I was at the very point to perish in a moment thou diddest pierce the heauens and come downe for my deliuerance Thou diddest not only deliuer me and set me free but thou diddest comfort and reuiue my languishing soule euen as a hot Bath refresheth the limbs of a poore tired traueller Behold now the Trophee of my repentant teares see how my sorrow triumpheth ouer my sinnes My hope which was weighed downe with the leaden plumets of sinne is now at liberty now full of liuely courage and ioy The LORD hath heard my petition I haue not sorrowed and prayed in vaine I haue obtained pardon I haue receiued grace he hath not been strange of his fauour he hath not been sparing of his mercy towards me All my former discomforts and miseries are turned to the nature of medicines They haue been like bitter Pils to purge superfluous and corrupt humors they haue been like Aloes and VVormewood to weane me from the teaâ—es of this world O world which hast bewitched so many blinded so many Thou wert nothing at thy beginning thy light is but a shadow thou art but a smoke in thy greatest height in shew somewhat but in substance nothing Thou art sweet to fooles thou art either bitter or without rellish to wise men VVhosoeuer loueth thee neuer knew thee whosoeuer knoweth thee doth either loath or contemne thee And because now I haue large experience both of the liberality and loue of GOD I will not hereafter be dismayed I will not be discouraged I will assume assurance that whensoeuer I call vpon him the LORD will receiue my prayer Albeit I see nothing but punishments and the worst of punishments feares albeit I finde no comfort yet will I hope I will rather thinke that all my sences are mistaken then faile in hope I will first let goe my life before I will let goe my hope My reason may be vanquished but by experience is stronger then reason my experience cannot be ouercome Approued experience will not be encountered by reason it prescribeth rules and limits to reason it is guided by no Law but by it selfe It hath armed me against all despaires discouragements or distrusts Albeit reason may discourse that I haue so often prouoked the wrath of GOD and wearied his patience that he cannot but now reiect my prayer yet experience doth warrant mine infirmity that the goodnesse of GOD is such that whatsoeuer petitions and importunities I offer he will neuer be weary to heare them neuer vnwilling to grant them that the more we draw of this fountaine the fuller are the waters and the sweeter their taste All this is vnder one condition if wee abandon our sinne For onely our sinne onely our perseuerance in sinne doeth hinder the approach of our prayers to GOD. GOD is neuer inexorable but when man is incorrigible when man will not be amended then cannot GOD bee entreated Wee haue sinned and prouoked thee to wrath therefore thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud that our prayers should not passe through Lam. 3. For when we come to entreate him armed with those weapons wherewith wee did offend him when our hearts are bathed in vncleannesse when our hands smoke with the blood of our sinnes how should he heare our prayers how should he not abhorre them So long as the broken Iron remaineth in a wound it is but a vaine labour to applie plaisters to cure it Of no greater force aâ—e our prayers and all other religious actions or endeauours so long as sinne remaineth in the wounds of our will so long as the pleasure of sinne sticketh fast in our purposes and desires For as we can neuer qualifie our thirst with drinke whilest our stomacke is stuffed with such bilious humours as by drinking enflame the greater thirst so our soules shall neuer bee refreshed with the goodnesse and mercie of GOD whilest it is full of the poysonous purpose
of sinne Such a soule is a soile which the more dewe it receiueth the more weedes it bringeth forth But if wee be grieued for our sinnes If we groane vnder their weight if we wrestle against their malice and power albeit the clouds were of Iron and the heauens of brasse our penitent praiers will pierce them The LORD will receiue our prayers Verelie a religious life giueth spirituall wings to our prayers It maketh them flie like lightning to the presence of GOD. But â—inne weigheth them downe and so much the more by how much the more our life is reprooueable VERS X. All mine enemies shall be confounded and sore vexed they shall be turned backe and put to shame suddenly 1 OVR enemies shall bee confounded and how 2. The wicked when chiefly vexed at the prosperity of the godly 3. They shall be extreamely confounded at the mercy of GOD and wherefore 4. Delay in sinne maketh the conuersion to grace more hard 5. GOD turneth to the wicked and to the godly in a different sort 6. A short prayer 7. How sinners must seeke 8. And what they shall finde 9. A resolution not to stay one houre in sin AND what now shall mine enemies doe They shall bee altogether confounded First with vexation at my happy estate afterwards with shame at their owne repulse at their sudden ouerthrow at their perpetuall deiection They shall be anguished to see their hopes and expectations faile to see my misery changed to felicity to see their iniury so much the more cruell because vniust turne to my honour to see him whom they thought to ruinate whom they had fully destined to death more highly aduanced then euer hee was before They are generally vexed with the prosperous condition of any man but more especially if hee be godly but most grieuously if they professe to prosecute him with open hate The prosperity of such a man is more grieuous to them then their owne calamitie But when they shall further see that he hath not onely auoided their attempts but preuailed against them that the omnipotent arme of the LORD dasheth them downe that mountaines of misery do ouerwhelme them the more apparant their fall shall be to all men the more shamefull will it bee to themselues And further the exceeding mercy and goodnesse of GOD shall extremely confound them For the more gracious and mercifull the LORD is in hearing and receiuing sinners the more they shall be confounded if they continue obstinate in their euill if they will not repent and turne vnto him They shall be confounded I say because when they nothing doubt of the goodnesse of GOD yet do they either not esteeme it or suppose to haue it at pleasure and will For nothing shall more confound sinners then that knowing as well the riches of GODS mercies as his gracious goodnesse which openeth to all which inuiteth all which intreateth all to participate therof Yet they remaine either altogether carelesse or heauy and dull in comming to him they either proudly contemne or with false flateries and hopes delay to repent which the longer they deferre the more incapable are they made of Grace For as a brand newly quenched will readily take fire but the longer it remaineth extinguished the more hardly can it be kindled againe so in a sinner the first decaying and dying of grace may easily be quickened but the longer he continueth dead in sin the harder will he be reuiued to Grace Alas they ioyed at my griefe and iested at my groning they made themselues merry with my misery and built the trophees of their victory vpon my ruines and disgrace They did swim in the delights of this world whilest I bathed my selfe with teares whilest I chastised and euill entreated my rebellious flesh But now Oh shame they shall be turned to another straine Their ioy shall be turned to smart and sorrow their pride to contempt their insolencie to ignominie and reproach And as the LORD hath sodainely turned his fauour to me so his fury shall sodainely be turned to them The wrath of the LORD like a sodaine tempest will strike in their faces It will astonish them it will cast them downe it will consume them Before thunder goeth lightning saith the wiseman and no lesse truely may it be said that after lightning commeth thunder What is lightning but the flashes of pleasure in this life beautifull but short The pleasures of this life are like the momentary flashes of lightning sodainely gone and seruing for nothing but to increase the terrour of ensuing darkenes And the more bright the lightning is the more deepe is the darkenesse the more dreadfull the thunder which is sodainely to ensue Assuredly they shall be turned indeed For if they will not turne vnto thee thou wilt turne them to confusion and shame O most mercifull most iust GOD most powerfull most prone and ready to helpe How louing a Father art thou to forsaken Orphanes how fauourable a Iudge to distressed sinners how sure a friend to those who loue thee to those who trust in thee They shall finde thee liberall aboue their deserts aboue the highest of their desires a measurer of thy gifts not by their worthinesse but by thine owne goodnesse Come hither all feeble sinners whose consciences are afraid of your owne suspicions who euer thinke you shall be damned come learne of me what sinners may find and how sinners must seeke learne by my affections to obtaine the like effects Rise earelie in the morning of thy good motions let them not sleepe too long in sloath Search thine owne soule diligently let faith bee thine eye hope thy guide loue thy light search whether thou canst finde the LORD within thee If thou findest him not there If thou findest that thy sinnes haue chased him away laie thy soule vpon the racke of repentance Wring groanes from thy heart and teares from thine eyes stretch it from heauen to earth vntill perforce thou force it to cry O GOD Feare no encounters for GOD out of GOD desire no comforts let the desire of him either extinguish or ouerrule the desire of all other things Whosoeuer cannot finde GOD hee doeth not thus seeke him whosoeuer hath not the like ioy to mine he neuer had the like sorrow and desire As for me who feele my selfe freed from this both pressing and piercing weight from this loathsome load of sinne who feele my selfe cheered with the liuelie light of grace I will not remaine hereafter one houre in sinne one houre in the hatred of my Creator I will forget all things and among them my selfe and thinke of him who thus hath saued me As the highest heauen draweth all the inferiour with the sway thereof albeit they haue naturally a contrary course so my reason enabled by grace shall draw all my appetites the whole frame of my inward man albeit they haue properly a contrary inclination Gracious GOD addresse all the instruments of my voice to sing praises to thee
be found I confidently say not any one who returned to the LORD and was not receiued Neuer thinke that the iustice of GOD is greater then his mercie Nothing can bee sayd in GOD greater or lesser because whatsoeuer is in him is his very selfe There was neuer sinner in this world who hath not had a sweet taste of his mercy neither was there euer righteous person who hath not beene touched with his iustice His iustice and his mercie are extended to all For all the wayes of the LORD are mercie and trueth Besides mercie bestoweth so many and so great good things vpon the righteous that her workes farre exceed the workes of iustice Neuer trouble thy selfe about the small number of the elect Assuredly they are not a few but almost innumerable whom the LORD will receiue to mercy Mercy will be no lesse milde then iustice rigorous mercy will no lesse finde a meanes to saue then iustice to condemne As the number of the elect is knowne only to GOD so both the time and maner of their calling must onely be referred to him But what mooueth thee to doubt and distrust thine estate the multitude and grieuousnesse of thy sinnes Trouble not thy selfe for the multitude and grieuousnesse of thy sinnes because the mercy of the LORD doeth infinitely surmount them Behold how two contraries applied together if the one far exceed the other the greater must needs consume the lesse But the mercies of GOD infinitely exceed al the sins in the world All the sinnes of the world are more easily consumed by the mercie of GOD then is a droppe of water in a hot fiery furnace then a sparke of fire is extinguished in the sea Doe but applie now this mercie to thy sinnes and the infinitenes of the one must needs consume the multitude of the other But loe shee hath already applied her selfe Shee hasted to meet thee shee hath already kissed thee she holdeth thee close in her embracements Yea when thou didst fall she was present with thee albeit thou diddest not discerne so much shee layed her hand vnder thee to keepe thee from harme and to raise thee againe Thou art a vessell both brittle and weake thou must needs haue beene dashed to pieces or much bruised with thy fall vnlesse mercie had laid vnder her hand This is a great signe that thou art elect but it is not all For mercie hath not onely preserued thee from the harme of sinne but she hath turned thy sinne to thy good For thereby she hath made both thee more humble in thy opinion and more heedfull in thy wayes The fall of the reprobate is like the fall of an elephant they rise not againe but impudently make light esteeme of their sinnes and sometimes with a flintie forehead boast of them But though the elect fall into the bottome of the sea yet the same whale which swallowed them vp must againe cast them vpon the land Arise therefore and strengthen thy heart thou hast found how weake thine owne forces are humble thy selfe vnder the Almighty arme of the LORD For humility is the foundation of all vertues the lowest ground-worke of repentance Humble thy selfe therefore with sorrow for thy sinnes past and circumspection for thy life to come If thou canst so humble thy selfe with sorrow then neuer feare this sorrow is the greatest ioy to a godly mind that can be the more of this sorrow thou findest within thee the lesse cause thou hast to feare And to this examination now I leaue thee to what degree of submisse sorrow thou canst descend for assuredly to the same pitch of assurance thou shalt be exalted This said she glanceth gloriously into heauen leauing me well confirmed against feare but altogether exposed to heauinesse and griefe For when I presented to my rememberance either the vaine or vile and base pleasure of my sinnes the good which I did loose the euill which thereby I did incurre how my most meeke GOD by the goodnesse of his owne nature was mooued was prouoked was inforced by my ingratitude to be wroth I was forth with ouercharged with heauinesse which did trouble and torment me day and night which bereaued mee of all ioy and was extreamely burdensome to me She rushed vpon me with her sad troupes she cried out most bitterly and said How now presumptuous wretch Wither art thou carried Into what vaine hopes doest thou run Supposest thou thy selfe to be rapt vp into the third heauen to be already placed in Abrahams bosome Alas deceiued caitiffe thy faith is but a fantasie thy hope a proud presumption of spirit thy comforts but a dreame of a deluded imagination Thou conceiuest that GOD is mercifull it is true exceeding mercifull infinite in his mercies But knowest thou not how odious an offence ingratitude is How it stoppeth the streames how it drieth vp the dew of mercy how no mercy hath influence where ingratitude abides Ingratitude is the summary of all sins no euill no reproach is left vnsaid when a man is charged to be vngratefull No beast is either so fierce or so dull but hath some sence of gratitude and will loue those who are carefull for them The hands which feed the Lions may safely touch their teeth and their pawes Elephants for their food make both their courage and their strength seruile to man So naturall is this vertue that those creatures which want vnderstanding are both apprehensiue and obseruant thereof And so hatefull is ingratitude to the most mercifull GOD that he hath threatened by his holy spirit that Euill shall neuer depart from his house who rewardâ—th euill for good And that the hope of the vnthankefull shall melt away as the winter yee Consider then how vngraciously vngratefull thou hast beene consider this I say and if thy owne heart shall condemne thee thinke what he will doe who is greater then thy heart and who hath euen already opened his mouth to pronounce his arrest He hath created thee according to his owne image he hath placed thee in the paradise of his blessed Church with the water of baptisme he sanctified thee he furnished thee with the knowledge of his trueth putting his word in thy mouth and his will in thy minde with many temporall benefits he did enrich thee not onely for necessitie but for an ornament and delight But thou in the leuitie and vanitie of thy braine diddest runne headlong after thine vnbridled lusts and plunge thy selfe in many deepe sinnes Many outward callings he bestowed vpon thee with many sweet instructions he did aduertize thee but albeit all the floore was moistened with his heauenly dew yet thou like Gedeons fleece remainedst drie thou didst keepe thy selfe like the riuer Nilus within thy bankes when all other riuers did ouerflow He inuited thee and thou diddest excuse thy selfe he sent to compell thee but thou diddest resist At the last he called thee with a violent voice and his vnspeakeable goodnesse broke open the gates of thy
obstinacy He raised thee from thy fall by his power he instructed he enlightened thee with his wisdome he brought thee from the tempestuous sea of this world to the port of a calme conscience and planted thee in a land of religious conuersation Yet thou notwithstanding either vnmindfull or vnkind hast exalted thy heart and thereby lost that wisedome which should haue made thy worship and seruice acceptable to the LORD Thou knowing his will hast beene negligent in performing the same albeit thou knowest that Cursed is hee who doeth the worke of the LORD negligently Yea thou hast not done it at all thou hast manifestly and manifoldly transgressed his will and therefore art most worthy to be beaten with many stripes Thou hast forsaken his seruice who is so bountifull that he rewards a cup of cold water with eternall life and thou hast serued sinne which giueth no wages but death but eternall death Oh wofull wages it were far better to goe vnpaid and serue for nothing O Lucifer who saidest in thy heart I will climbe vp into heauen Thou must humble thy selfe so low as hell or else neuer looke to encounter mercy Knowest thou not that rebellious ingratitude giueth limits to mercy where else were iustice Who should receiue iudgement if mercy did alwaies wait vpon sinners Goe to then deiect thy selfe abiect wretch creepe among moathes and wormes abase thy self to the very gates of despaire in regard of this thy obstinate vnkindnesse Open thy vnderstanding draw all pensiue conceits greedily into thy soule and pine away in a consuming langour Sith thou hast lost thy ioy make much of thy sorrow sith thou hast no comfort but in complaints bestow them largely Oh! what a heauie burthen is heauinesse to the soule It is more ponderous then the whole masse of the earth It is more poisonous then the breath of the Cockatrice It murmureth against GOD It prouoketh to blaspheme It prouoketh to despaire It turneth all matter of solace and ioy into mountaines of lead to weigh vs downe It admitteth neither contentment nor quiet But as to many sicke persons all sweet things seeme bitter so to those who are vnder the arrest of heauinesse all meanes either of delight or of comfort are turned to matter of torment and disquiet And verely my miserie did so deepelie drowne my memorie and whole minde in sorrow that all the remembrance of GODs promises lay ouerwhelmed with the thicke throng of discomfortable thoughts and heauinesse would haue altogether ouerborne and beaten me downe had not Faith and her sweet sister Hope come to my reliefe and with most comfortable countenance and speech thus sustained me So so this worketh kindly and as it should this working of the medicine giueth very good assurance of health Alasse weake wretched sinners how are ye deceiued by your sottish sence The poisonous pleasures of sinne which bane the soule you sweetly swallow without distaste but you cannot rellish feare and sorrow the principall expellers of this poison At these you make a sowre face you can no waies enforce them downe Whereas a soule once infected with sinne cannot possibly be recouered to the state of Grace but it must first be bruised and broken betweene feare and griefe as a graine of corne is grinded betweene two milstones And this moouing of the soule betweene feare and griefe referred to GOD maketh a broken and contrite heart which he doth neuer despise And this is that contrition which is the first part of true Repentance O louely feare O sweet sorrow O happy hand which was so heauie vpon thee suffred thee not to lie sencelesse in thy sinnes heaping to thy selfe wrath against the day of wrath Let it be a comfort a great ioy vnto thee that this heauy hand hath raised and pulled thee out of the ordure of thy sinnes If heretofore thou hast beene vnthankefull be thankfull now and thy former vnthankefullnesse shall not be remembred The multitude of his benefits is so far from dismaying that it may much assure thee For he who hath so loued thee will not now leaue thee He who hath begun his worke in thee will in time expedient expedite the same VVhat is more vsuall in noble natures then to follow their owne fauours then to loue those most vpon whom they haue bestowed greatest benefits to heape many honours vpon such as haue beene first aduanced by them And hath not the most noble nature said that To them who haue more shall be giuen Againe what naturall cause beginneth a worke and leaueth the same vnfinished The vertue of seed ceaseth not in the leafe not in the flower vntill it hath brought foorth seed to a perfect ripenesse The bird neuer forsaketh her yong vntill shee see them able both to flie and to prouide for themselues Doeth nature compell inferiour causes to perfect their effects and shall not the cause of all causes bee mooued by his most infinite goodnesse and loue to finish the worke which hee hath begunne Are not all the workes of the mighty GOD perfect Hath not the same infinite goodnesse and loue sayd It is my worke to doe the will of him that sent mee that I should make perfect his worke Feare not then hee who hath begun to loue thee will neuer change but will persist to loue thee to the end the same goodnesse that moued him to conferre many gifts and blessings vpon thee will mooue him to perfect all by giuing thee euerlasting life For wherefore did he turne thy heart from sinne wherefore did hee prouoke thee to Repentance but because hee purposed to make thee cleane But as thou doest expect that GOD will not leaue his worke vnfinished in thee so breake not off thy worke in the middest with him Thou hast attayned to contrition in a moderate degree but rest not there proceed now to confesse thy sinnes which is the second part of true Repentance For sinnes are like a burning aguâ— which commonly breaketh foorth at the lippes So long as the heat remayneth within it searcheth and anguisheth all the entrailes but when it breaketh foorth at the lippes it is an assured signe of health Goe with vs then and wee will bring thee before his presence Acknowledge there thy sinnes Hide none of thy transgressions from him Leaue feare behinde for milde and mercifull is the LORD hee turneth to those who turne vnto him but take sorrow with thee and season thy confession therewith Sorrow will make thy confession not only not offensiue but pleasing to him VERSE V. I will acknowledge my sinne vnto thee and mine vnrighteousnesse haue I not hid 1 The second forme of Repentance 2 The cause of GODS seuerity against vs. 3 How we should present our selues to GOD. 4 A Confession 5 Betweene great and infinite there stands no proportion 6 Faith and hope our guides and companions to GOD. 7 Whereto a sinner is like 8 How offensiue sin is to GOD. 9 How we must satisfie 10 How we commonly
extenuate our sinnes 11 How we excuse them 12 Temptations cannot excuse vs and wherefore 13 To whom we are obliged to confesse 14 The conscience of man is GODS Kingdome and Consistorie 15 We should not be ashamed that men take knowledge that we haue sinned 16 Pleasures of the body what they are like 17 Our confession must be entire 18 Our lightest sinnes must be confessed 19 Our sweetest sinnes must be confessed 20 One sinne sufficient to vndoe vs. THen I aduanced my selfe to the second forme of repentance From contrition I proceeded to acknowledgement and confession of my sinnes Because I saw it was a childish weakenesse rather to perish by the disease then to empty the stomacke of dangerous humours to suffer sores rather to putrefie and spread then to endure the cleansing and curing of them rather to endure a perpetuall toothach then to haue the tooth pulled foorth And seeing it was for this cause that GOD was so seuere against mee namely for that I would not acknowledge my sinnes seeing by no other meanes I could wrestle out of those difficulties wherinto his displeasure had cast me I forthwith resolued to turn to my GOD and to turne forth my heart vnto him to powre out all the putrefaction of my soule before his pure eyes to open my Conscience and giue a vent to those filthy fumes which had almost stifeled my soule which were more loathsome more infectious then is the damp of dead putrified bodies In a word to say with holy Iob If I haue hid my sinne as Adam concealing my iniquity within my bosome So I presented my selfe before his diuine Maiesty with the same countenance wherewith a poore distressed patient full of impostumes Fistulaes and vgly vlcers presenteth himselfe to an expert Chyrurgian And being prepared to endure both the paine of the corosiue and point of the lance I thus addressed my speech vnto him O LORD my GOD most rich most liberall most mercifull GOD who sitting aboue the Seraphims with thy eyes farre brighter then the Sun piercest all depthes and discouerest all things naked and open to thy view Thou O LORD who art so powerfull and yet so pitifull to that which thou hast made that thou hearest and regardest miserable sinners Graciously behold be fauourably attentiue to me I beseech thee Behold mee thy miserable creature not in anger not in iustice but in compassion and mercy not as a seuere Iudge but as a skilfull and carefull Physician not to punish my infirmities but graciously to cure them O mercifull GOD no lesse infinite in Mercy then in Maiestie In goodnesse and in greatnesse vnmeasurable alike Behold my exceeding great miseries my exceeding great but not infinite miseries not such as can beare any proportion against thy mercies For betweene great and infinite there standeth no proportion O infinite goodnes mercie I am in a most miserable estate yet how to better it caÌ„not tel My doubtfull and perplexed thoughts doe wildely wander in a maze of amazement And this is nothing else in effect but to beat out with what torments I am likest to perish Alas O my GOD wilt not thou relieue mee in these extremities wilt not thou release me O infinite goodnes With al humilitie I entreate thy ayd not vpon any coÌ„fidence in my selfe but faith hope two twins of thy brest who neuer yet haue either let fall or bin denied any suit haue guided mee hither and set me before thee Loe they remaine still present with mee They encourage me they assure me that the more miserable we feele our selues to be the more fit we are to receiue thy mercies and the more standeth it with thy iustice to afford vs the same O thou who art both liberall and rich relieue my pouertie O most mercifull and powerfull LORD release my miseries Heare my distressed soule full of wretchednesse but fuller of guiltinesse groaning at thy gate of mercie See how fowlie it is defiled with euill how deepely corruption hath tainted the verie substance thereof how the stamps of sinne by reason of long custome are so firmely imprinted therein as it is a hard matter to deface them I am like an vncleane beast that hath long wallowed in the proper dung whereby both the beautie hath beene defiled and a loathsome taste is fixed in the flesh Alasse I am plunged in sinne as in a sea wherein I neither see banke nor feele bottome wherin my vaine soule at the same time both floateth with the leuity and is drawne downe with the leaden weights of sin O GOD of my saluation my impure soule hath hitherto beene much troubled much endangered and almost stifeled by enclosing her corruptions and not giuing a free passage for them to breake foorth But now I confesse my sinnes I confesse how grieuously I haue offended thy maiestie I haue broken all thy commandements as if they had beene cobwebs and my verie best thoughts haue beene poysoned with taste of things sensuall The poysonous breath of my thoughts euaporated from my sensuall soule hath beene more offensiue and noysome to thee then the dampes that arise from bodies halfe putrefied in their graues Of all thy debtors I confesse that my accompts are greatest that thou hast most to reckon with mee but giue mee respite for repentance and I will satisfie if not thy iustice by payment yet thy mercie by acknowledgement Haue patience a while and by confession I will pay thee all LORD I will not hide my offences for then wilt thou display them I will lay them open that thou maiest hide them I will acknowledge them that thou maiest take no knowledge of them I will not conceale my miserable defects and defections from thee lest thereby I loose first thy pitie and then thy reliefe I will neuer goe about either to abuse or to auoid thee by denying or â—uppressing my sinnes I will no waies extenuate no waies excuse them I will not extenuate them either by fauourable comparing them with the sinnes of other men or by vnderualuing them in their owne nature I will not excuse them by casting the blame vpon any other vpon the malice and power of the Diuell vpon the witchcraft of the world vpon the soft flatteries of the flesh These are the vaine veyles which our first parents vsed The woman gaue it me the serpent deceiued mee But they cannot suffice to shadow our sinnes For they are not able to compell the will they can no wayes enforce the soule Allure it they may but enforce it they caÌ„not they may knock at our gates but they caÌ„not breake in vnles we open to entertaine theÌ„ And therefore I will neuer endeauour to excuse that which my owne conscience conuinceth I will sincerely acknowledge my sinnes I will take the whole blame vpon my selfe I will not transferre any part thereof to any other For my conscience is so torne with the bitings of sinne my soule is so stretched vpon the racke of sorrow that I am
enforced to cry nothing else but O my sinnes I charge I accuse I condemne onlie my selfe O my GOD I haue grieuouslie sinned my sinnes haue deepelie prouoked thy heauie wrath I acknowledge them to thee with a free confession LORD I appeare before thee no other then I am euen a most poore desolate and distressed sinner I can neither boast nor take comfort in any goodnesse in my selfe but I lay open before thee my sinnes And it is vnto thee that I will confesse my sinnes vnto thee against whom onely I haue sinned vnto thee who onelie art able to forgiue my sinnes vnto thee who onelie art able to iudge of my confession For it is not alwaies thy pleasure that we blazon our owne blame that our sinnes be rung out to the eares of all men that they be set foorth vpon the stage of the world If penitentlie we confesse our sinnes vnto thee thy compassion will couer them It will couer them from thy iustice it will couer them both from the scandall and scorne of other men thou wilt freelie forgiue both the sin and the shame Assuredlie the conscience of man is thy little kingdome It is thy peculiar Consistory and Court There thou sittest there thou examinest there thou iudgest With this kingdome thou wilt not depart thou wilt not impart it to any other None can know the secrets of the soule none can absolutely either discerne or command the inward working thereof but thy selfe Whosoeuer will presume either to know or command the working of the spirit whosoeuer will determine of the last end and state of soules further then thou hast plainlie reuealed he vsurpeth thy throne he wresteth thy scepter out of thy hand As thou onely art able to iudge of our confession as thou onlie both knowest and forgiuest sinnes so vnto thee will I euer acknowledge my sinnes Yet will I not be ashamed that the world also take knowledge that men also thinke that I haue done amisse I will not forbeare to abase my selfe by reason of my sinnes euen in open view to sorrow to lament to be sowre and seuere against my selfe to abhorre the world and all her sorceries to loath the poisonous pleasures of the bodie which are like to moathes that consume the garment wherein they breed to chastice and tame my filthy flesh for rebelling against thee by whose power it was made by whole prouidence it doeth consist for conspiring the destruction of my soule which keepeth it from stincking from turning to most course and loathsome carrion I will neuer beare the world in hand that my offences are either few or light I will by confession make them knowne to thee I will by sorrow and some measure of satisfaction make them knowne to the world No shamefastnesse shall retaine me from mourning at any time from making a sad and seuere reckoning with my body from holding a sharpe hand vpon it For assuredlie either we must lament in this life with profitable teares for a time or else with fruitlesse and endlesse teares in the life to come either in this world we must tie our selues to some moderate paine or else be chained both to intolerable and eternall paines in the world to come Neither will I acknowledge my offenees in part but I will make an entire confession and expose all my transgressions before thee Not only my great sinnes but my vnrighteousnesse which seeme of lesser moment not onely the euill which I haue done but the good which in dutie I should haue done I will discouer all my vnrighteousnesse vnto thee I will doe as the lepers were commanded to doe when they came to be clensed by the Priest I will not only wash my garments but will haue all my haire euen my lightest and loosest offences That thou who numbrest our haires when thou shalt take a view of my sinnes shalt not finde one haire of them which I haue not runne ouer with the razor of confession I will not doe as Saul did who being commanded to slay all the Amalekites and all the cattell that pertained to them destroyed all that was vile nought worth but saued the King the great King Agag and the fattest sheepe and oxen aliue I will not make away my vulgar and vnprofitable sinnes onely and saue the principall and aduantageable aliue but I will set the sword of confession to them all I will not make reseruation of some sweet sinne and then say with Naaman the Syrian The LORD bee mercifull to me in this But I will sweepe the house cleane or else can it neuer be furnished and adorned with thy graces and thereby made fit to entertaine thee I will cleanse my conscience of all defilements One drop of poison tainteth a whole tunne of wine and one mortall sinne infecteth all the faculties and vertues of the soule One snare is sufficient to entrappe the fowle one hooke to take the fish one leake to sincke a ship one sparke of fire to prostrate a whole City and one sinne sufficeth to draw both bodie and soule to destruction I will therfore discharge my selfe by confession of all I will powre forth my heart as water before thee VERS VI. I said I will confesse my sinnes vnto the LORD and so thou forgauest the wickednesse of my sinnes 1. PArticular enumeration of our sinnes is impossible 2 How sharpe sinnes are and how heauie of digestion 3 Secret sinnes are most dangerous and wherefore 4 The readinesse of GOD to accept our confession 5 GOD often accepts our purpose for performance 6 Which maketh our want of repentance vnexcuseable 7 Contrition ioyned with a will to confesse is sufficient 8 The necessity of a contrite heart and wherefore 9 For remission of sinnes what is required from vs what from GOD. 10 Neither of which require any long trace of time 11 How plentifull GOD is in mercy 12 A thankesgiuing for the same 13 The soule cheereth by meanes of confession 14 The ioyfull effects of sorrow and troubles to penitent sinners 15 A life without aduersities whereto it is like 16 Many benefits that we receiue by troubles 17 How ready GOD is to receiue to mercy BVT what a maze doe I begin to tread How shall I euer winde my selfe out of this knotty labyrinth Verily if I should make a particular rehearsall of all my sinnes I should neuer bee able to finish that taske I should neuer roule the stone ouer that hill I should no sooner mount it a little but it would alwaies tumble againe down to the bottome I should euer finde my worke new to begin I may well say with Iudas I haue sinned but either number or truly estimate my sinnes I cannot If I could number the starres of Heauen or the sands of the earth or the drops of water that are in the Sea or the moments of time since time began yet am I out of hope to enumerate my sinnes because they are no fewer in variety then they are in
my assured refuge against outward feares against inward weaknesses against all dangers or disquiets When I haue offended thee when I haue stumbled when fallen into any sinne I will not basely and beastly lie still I wil forthwith arise run vnto thee as to a place to hide me in To hide me vnder thy mercie both from the stroke and from the search of thy iustice When I am assailed by mine own euill inclinations When my spirituall enemie doth either vrge or allure me to sinne I will runne to the protection of thy power as to the onely meanes to preserue me against the furies and treacheries of these encounters When humane hatred doth set vpon me when molestations troubles dangers doe beset me when entrapments of all sorts are spread abroad either particularlie against my selfe or more generallie against others with me I will runne to the protection of thy prouidence and wisedome where I shall bee most assuredly preserued Let others runne whither they please Let them trust to their friends to their riches to their wisedome to their power or to any other thing which in the view of the world seemeth able to defend them I will shrowd my selfe vnder thee Thou art my refuge thou art the place to hide and preserue me In all my necessities thou art my retreit When Sathan assaulteth when the world enticeth when my owne filthie flesh enclineth and betraieth me when temptations when aduersities and dangers enuiron and oppresse me this is my onely comfort that thou art good and that I may haue resort to thy goodnesse which is the most excellent attribute and perfection that thou hast True it is that among all thy perfections one is not greater or lesse then another because euery one comprehendeth the most high and simple nature of thy diuinity whereinto no comparison can fall Yet as thou doest manifest thy selfe to vs three of them are most excellent thy goodnesse thy wisedome and thy omnipotent power These are the three fingers which sustaine the earth Of these thy goodnesse mooueth thee to be bountifull to thy creatures thy wisedome contriueth how this may most beneficially be done thy power bringeth the worke to effect And albeit these are equall in thy selfe comprised together in thy diuine prouidence yet as thou declarest thy selfe to vs thy goodnesse is most excellent and glorious from whence thy mercy doeth proceed This thou most extollest in thy selfe this thou most expressest in thy workes whereof alwayes thy goodnesse is the cause For thy goodnesse draweth thy infinite wisedome and power to concurre with it in bringing thy benefits to effect And because it is the nature of Goodnesse to communicate and dilate it selfe thou who art the originall Goodnesse hast imparted many good things to thy Creatures Not for any necessity to thy selfe not for any increase of thy glory for neither art thou defectiue in any thing neither can any thing enlarge thy glorie but because thou wilt not be good alone Because thy goodnesse is of nature to extend it selfe it hath made other creatures to participate therof Thy goodnesse and thy glorie thou hast imparted to other creatures that as thou enioyest thine owne essence and beautie so they also should behold loue and enioy the same albeit not in the same degree with thy selfe because they cannot comprehend thee as thou comprehendest thy selfe This is the felicitie and glorie which filleth the capacitie of our soules and maketh them happie And to this end it pleased thy infinite goodnesse to create not onlie Angels but also men That so abiect a creature in one part neerest to beasts should sit at thy table and feede of thine owne dish Blessed be this noble Goodnesse which hath so freelie and mercifullie communicated it selfe to so base creatures This Goodnesse is the contentment and delight of my heart this onelie is able not onely to refresh but to reuiue the soule with inward consolation There is no solid either comfort or assurance but in this Goodnesse And therefore whensoeuer I am enuironed and euen oppressed with dangers when infinite euils shall on euery side assaile my body or my soule with humble haste I will runne to thy Goodnesse thy Goodnesse shall then be not onely a buckler but a bulwark to defend me Vnder the defence of thy Goodnesse I shall not onely be safe but secure Not onely safe from dangers but secure also and free from feare Although the earth tremble and the mountaines be carried into the bosome of the sea yet vnder this protection I will not feare For among other things this is one of thy chiefe endeuours and cares to deliuer thy seruants and friends from dangers to appease their mindes from disquiet because thou knowest what wee are and whereof wee are made Thou knowest how feeble our forces are feeble by nature but by often transgressions altogether disabled from releeuing our selues altogether vnable either to resist or to beare the calamities and dangers which presse vpon vs. A man may destroy himselfe he may cast himselfe into an Ocean of misery without thee but saue and releeue himselfe without thee he cannot this is a speciall worke of thy goodnesse and grace In this worke all power without thee is weake with thee no weakenesse but is sufficient VVithout thee life is dead with thee death it selfe is aliue All power is weake against him who is vnder thy power If thou be at my hand no hand is of force against me my weakenesse shall bee supported by thine omnipotent power And I shall not onely be defended vnder protection of thy goodnesse I shall not onely be deliuered and preserued against mine enemies but I shall preuaile and be victorious against them As I was before beset with dangers so shall I bee there enuironed with ioy I shall not onely bee free from feare but filled with vnspeakeable ioy Oh happy soules who are arriued in so sure custody who in all the trauerses of this life are guarded by the puissant hand of GOD. VVhat euill can either assaile or approach you VVhat good doe you not enioy No euill can approach you because you alwaies flie from euill you enioy all good because you enioy that goodness which makes you alwaies doing of good O good GOD giue mee a taste of the plentifull pleasures wherewith their soules are satiated whom thou hast deliuered whom thou doest defend from the strong chaines from the strait prison wherin the Diuell would hold them captiue VVho being full of ioy full of blessed contentment and quiet liue like thy selfe without perturbation without feare or hope O my GOD how vilelie doe they esteeme the voluptuousnesse of this life How doe they not onelie forbeare to desire but loath and abhorre to quaffe off that broken bruage which the flesh with a harlots hand presenteth to them in the base and impure cup of this world How little relish haue they in those flashie vnsinewie pleasures which breake the forces of the soule and
eyes of the LORD are ouer the righteous The eyes of the LORD are vpon them that feare him and put their trust in his mercy But to what end To deliuer their soules from death and to feede them in the time of dearth Good And so it seemeth that they shall neither perish nor want For they shall bee deliuered from death and fedde in the time of dearth Thine eye is so fixed vpon them that whosoeuer toucheth them to harme them hee toucheth the apple of thine eye All sweete saciety is plentifully powred from thine eyes Assuredly the eyes of the LORD are working eyes grace streameth from his eyes as light and heat streame from the sunne The sunne doeth not so much both adorne and enrich the earth with his illustrous beames as the eyes of the LORD by their influence both enrich and adorne the soule of man as they make it radiant both in pure beauty and in plentie of good workes O mercifull GOD how sweete is thy Spirit What comforts and delights breathe hourely from thee How art thou so enamoured with our sinnefull soules that thou wilt not turne the eyes of thy Maiesty from them How come they so deare vnto thee that neither danger nor want can seize vpon them LORD I am astonished at this vnmeasurable goodnesse my thoughts are so ouerwhelmed and confounded therewith that I am enforced to crie vnto thee What is man that thou hast such respect vnto him or the sonne of man that thou so regardest him I did once goe astray ouer carried with the company of ordinary men But since the LORD hath vouchsafed to cast his countenance vpon me since he hath turned to me his amiable eie of compassion and grace I haue not only beene instructed what to doe but enabled to performe the same New forces new life hath beene infused into me I haue not only been directed which way to walke but I haue beene guided and supported in that way And now me think this heauenly voice perpetually soundeth in mine eares FEare not behold as I haue infused a soule into thy body so will I infuse my spirit into thy soule to guide all the actions and motions therof that as thou hast a naturall life by the one so thou mayest haue a spirituall life by the other This spirit shall cleere thy vnderstanding encline thy will rule and moderate all thy steps And further mine eye shall not be off thee my hand shall continually support thee euen as yea much more then a carefull mother beareth a vigilant eie and hand ouer her tender childe going in places where it is both easie and dangerous to receiue a fall When I heare this voice I fixe likewise mine eies immoueablie vpon my guide euen as a diligent pilot fixeth his eyes vpon the starre whereby hee steereth the course of his nauigation As the moone receiueth her light from the sun so shall my eyes receiue both their light and their life from those gracious eies I will first make them cleane and then turn them like chrystall glasses to reflect the impression of those glorious lights I will put my selfe into the conduct of him who only both is able and hath promised to guide me to eternall happines I will carefully obserue those louely and liuely lookes which doe so carefully preserue me VERS X. Bee yee not like to horse and mule which haue no vnderstanding whose mouthes must be holden with bitte and bridle lest they fall vpon thee 1 OVR nature requires that wee bee guided by GOD. 2 Other creatures haue some likenesse of GOD and wherein 3 Man beareth his image and how 4 This should mooue vs to applie our selues to GOD. 5 Wherein we should declare a difference betweene vs and bruit beasts 6 To be a man to halfes is the worst condition and wherefore 7 Foure degrees of Sinne. 8 Contempt not pardonable and wherefore 9 The first motions of Grace to be embraced 10 No creatures degenerate from their proper nature but man 11 The cause thereof 12 Wherefore in the creation no mention is made of the goodnesse of man 13 How man transformeth himselfe into a beast 14 The deformitie of Sinne in that it transformeth vs into beasts 15 What we are if wee vse not reason and what if wee abuse it 16 How we may be best transformed 17 The seruices which commonly we pursue 18 The loue of our selues should moue vs to goodnesse 19 The loue of miserie is worse then miserie it selfe BE ruled by me then doe as I haue done O my friend take it from my experience for the best Range thy selfe in order and bee guided by his Grace Haue recourse to him in due time whilest hee permitteth whilest he inuiteth whilest he entreateth thee to come Now he gently calleth thee into the right-way of saluation now hee courteously offereth both his direction and aide Heare him regard him obey him If thou wilt not doe this in respect of him doe it at least in respect of thy selfe in respect of thine owne benefit in respect of the condition of thine owne nature Doe I say accordingly as thou art and as the nature of thy being requires Thou art a man endued with reason and vnderstanding wherein GOD hath engrauen his liuely image In other creatures there is some likenesse of him some footsteps of his diuine nature but in man he hath stamped his image Some things are like to GOD in that they are some in that they liue some in their excellent propertie and working But this is not the image of GOD. His image is onely in that we vnderstand which is so neere a resemblance of him that nothing in all his creatures can so cleerely expresse him For as GOD doeth vnderstand and loue himselfe so man by his intellectuall power is both apt and inclinable to vnderstand and loue him And the more perfectly man doeth vnderstand and loue GOD the more liuely doeth he expresse his image Seeing then that thou art of so noble a nature that thou bearest in thine vnderstanding the image of GOD so gouerne thy selfe as is fit for a creature of vnderstanding Bee not a man onely in name and in outward feature but in conditions of mind a beast plunging thy selfe in those brutish pleasures and desires whereby the flesh vanquisheth and destroyeth the spirit Bee not like the brute beasts which want vnderstanding either wilde and vnruly or else heauie and dull the one whereof must alwaies haue the snaffle betweene their teeth the other the spurre vpon their side Be not stiffe necked be not slow paced doe not furiously fling after the pleasures doe not obstinately insist in the customes of a licentious life Be not caried with the sway of thy appetites with the tempestuous rage of thy sensuality without any discourse without any rule or restraint of reason Thinke that thou art a more excellent creature then to be anchored like a beast to earthly thoughts Thinke that thou art bound to
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
bitte betweene their teeth binde their iawes with iron hookes lay the whippes of chastisement vpon their backes Tame their vnbrideled wantonnesse breake their obstinate either fury or dulnesse that by repentance they may turne vnto thee Deliuer mee from the innumerable insupportable plagues which thy Iustice hath addressed for the wicked partly in this life but most especially in the life to ensue And because I haue reposed my confidence in thee enuiron me with thy mercies that being free both from dangers and feares I may reioyce onely in thee and with purity and integritie of heart adore and prayse thee all the dayes of my life Prayse and Glory and Wisedome and Strength Dominion Riches and Power bee vnto our GOD for euermore PSALME C. XXX DAVIDS TEARES PSALME CXXX OVt of the deepe haue I called vnto thee O LORD LORD heare my voice 2 Oh let thine eares consider well the voyce of my complaint 3 If thou LORD wilt bee extreame to marke what is done amisse O LORD who may abide it 4 For there is mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared 5 I looked for the LORD my soule doeth wait for him in his word is my trust 6 My soule fleeth vnto the LORD before the morning watch I say before the morning watch 7 O Israel trust in the LORD for with the LORD there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption 8 And hee shall redeeme Israel from all his sinnes Of the title and parts of this PSALME 1 THe title giuen to this Psalme is common to fifteene Psalmes together 2 Wherfore these fifteene Psalmes are entitled Psalmes of degrees 3 The most followed opinion 4 What was figured by the stepps of the Temple and consequently by these Psalmes of degrees 5 Many excellencies of this Psalme 6 The more deepe we are suncke into sinne the more forceably we must cry 7 The degrees or steps of a sinner falling and sincking from GOD. 8 This Psalme conteineth a plaine prophecy of the Messias 9 It is a Penitentiall Psalme and wherefore 10 The parts thereof THis Psalme is intitled a Psalme of degrees or of ascending A title not proper to this Psalme alone but common to fifteene together whereof the first is the 120. the last the 134. But wherefore they are termed Psalmes of degrees as writers doe much vary in their opinions so all agree that it is not much materiall to know for that it pertaineth not to any point of doctrine but to some ceremonie in singing them whatsoeuer it was Some are of opinioÌ„ that they are so entiled because the Leuits or Priests did sing them in some conspicuous place wherto the ascent was by steps or degrees Others that because they are very short they are compared to so many degrees Others that they tooke that name from the tunes wherwith they were appointed to be sung which might be in a kinde of graduall ascending Others that they serued to distinguish the parts of the diuine seruice vsed by the Iewes and to bring the same as it were by steps to an end But the most followed opinion is that they were so called â—ecause they were sung vpon the fifteen steps of the ascent to the Temple at such time as the high Priest entred the Sanctum Sanctorum Now because as Saint Paul saith all things happened to the Iewes in figures these steps of the Temple and consequently these Psalmes of degrees are a type and shadow of our ascending to the eternall Temple and habitation of GOD which is not by a start but by many degrees rising alwaies from one vertue to another vntill we arriue at the happy end of our hope euen to the vision of Almightie GOD. The same also was figured by the ascent to the glorious seat of Solomon which consisted of six steps or degrees And likewise by the ladder which the strong wrestler Iacob saw in a vision extending from earth to heauen which could not but consist of very many steps wherby we are giuen to vnderstand that no man can attaine this happy height no man can climbe the ladder at the top whereof the LORD doth stand but by degrees of many vertues whereof euery one hath many steps But hereof more shall be said vpon the sixt verse of this Psalme This is an excellent Psalm for any man who is charged with crosses and calamities of this life For it leadeth vs to the true cause of our calamities namely our sins And therby directeth vs to the true remedy by crying to GOD. Not vpon trust of any worthines or worth in our selues but vpon humble acknowledgement of our miserable weakenesse trusting only in the mercy of GOD whereof he hath made many liberall promises and in the vnmeasurable merits of our Redemption It further teacheth vs to expect the LORD patiently neuer to suspect him neuer to respect any other thing And albeit he deferre his reliefe yet we must still preferre our complaints and both earlie and earnestlie addresse our selues to him nothing doubting but that with him is mercy that his redemption is plenteous and largly sufficient for all our sins But the more deepe we are sunke in sin the more forceably must we cry euen as the more inueterate a disease is the more strong must be the medicine For assuredly as the righteous approaching daily to GOD aduance into heaueÌ„ by degrees so sinners falling from GOD since downward by degrees into many deepe dangers and the deeper he sincketh in sinne the deeper he diues into danger vntill at last he plung into the horrible pit of hell The first step of his deep falling is a deliberate consent to motiues of sinne Next ensueth his busie endeauour in searching time and opportunitie to accomplish the sinne And then it is time to cry vnto GOD. After this the act followeth and that requireth a greater crie Then frequencie of acts draweth into custome and the longer the custome hath beene the deeper is the descension albeit the sinner be not alwaies sensible thereof and the harder is he to bee raised againe euen as a beast lying in the mire although it seemeth to lie at ease yet the longer it lyeth the deeper it sinketh and the more hardly can it struggle foorth And therefore this degree cryeth for a vehement cry Now beneath this another followeth when the sinner reioyceth and boasteth of his sinne and then he is sunke exceeding deepe beyond the bounds of feare and of shame two strong reines against disordred desires When the Diuell hath gained this point of a sinner hee hath then brought him into a sad and sencelesse securitie he is then so farre from crying to GOD that scarce any cry will stirre him The next ensueth when the sinner will defend his sinne and endeauour to make others to be of his manner and whosoeuer falleth into this profunditie he falleth thereby into contempt He contemneth GOD he contemneth his own soule he contemneth al remedies he contemneth all meanes of his
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
I beseech you brethren that you giue vp your bodies a liuing sacrifice holy acceptable vnto GOD which is your reasonable seruing of GOD. Many persisting in sinne doe pray fast giue almes and exercise other workes of deuotion But those are dead offerings they want the life of grace These men preferre matters of deuotion before those which perteine to obedience and band a most dangerous and frequent errour in religion First offer thy selfe a liuing sacrifice of righteousnesse then mayest thou safely trust in the LORD I will speake this plainely in a word sacrifice thy will and trust in the LORD The will is a most inward facultie of the soule a mistresse a Queene Whosoeuer offereth this he offereth the best and highest thing in his kingdome He sacrificeth his sonne Isaac euen that which he most deerly loueth This doth the Chaldee paraphâ—ase in these words declare Tame your concupiscences and it shall be reputed to you as a sacrifice of righteousnesse Doest thou trust in GOD expectest thou saluation by him Tame thy concupiscencies and then thy trust is pure and truely grounded then feare nothing hope then in the great mercies of GOD this trust will then procure thee present grace and glory in the end Otherwise thou hast no true ground of thy trust otherwise thy trust is a dangerous security euen as Iob sayth The hope of the wicked is an abhomination of the soule O GOD faithfull in thy promise and fearefull in thy reuenge My soule fixeth the eyes of her faith vpon thy word neuer so soone spoken as sure to bee performed Howsoeuer externall matters fall I will neuer bee pulled from assurance in thy word my soule shall alwayes confidently expect performance of thy promise albeit thou seemest slow albeit thou seemest altogether to abandon me The mountaines of my misdeedes haue tumbled vpon mee drawing after them thy importable wrath which is also followed with many sad afflictions I groane vnder my sinnes I pant and tremble vnder thy wrath helpe LORD with thy powerfull hand for I am vnable to stand vnder this heauie charge But touching my afflictions according to the measure of stripes which storme vpon my backe I will looke backe alwayes to thee and say O most mercifull most Iust GOD in whom mercie and Iustice is one I humbly bow I prostrate my selfe wholly to thy holy will But equall my forces to my afflictions giue me patience proportionable to my paynes as my troubles encrease encrease therewith also my courage and my trust Gentle LORD I quietly endure thy heauie hand I patiently expect thy fauourable forbearance I expect vntill like an expert Phisition thou shalt wholly remoue the cause that is my sinnes and thy wrath and then the effects which are my miseries will suddenly vanish I call to my consideration thy word I fixe thy promises both liberall and sweet before the eye of my vnderstanding This is the proppe whereto I leane this is the pillar whereon I stand by this all the forces of my soule are sustained All the forces of my soule embrace thy word euen as the iuie embraceth a tree by fastning rootes into the body thereof From hence I will assuredly expect to bee released from all these euils I haue no trust but in thy goodnesse and trueth So long as this anchore holdeth I shall bee safe from shipwracke in all the tempests of temptations in this life All the reasons which bind mee to loue thee compell mee also to trust in thee For in whom should I trust but in him who so loued mee in him who hath heaped so manie benefits vpon mee in him who hath suffered so grieuously for mee In him who hath so often called so long expected so carefully perswaded mee In him who is so mercifull pitifull louing gentle patient and ready to forgiue In him who is a Father an Almighty Father A Father to loue mee Almighty to helpe mee A Father that hee will Almighty that hee can doe good vnto mee A Father that hath greater care and prouidence ouer his spirituall children then any Father can haue ouer his carnall Lastly in whom should I trust but in him who hath commanded me to approch to him to trust in him And hath promised mee many fauoures and rewardes if I will so doe VERS VI. My soule flieth to the LORD before the morning watch I say before the morning watch 1 TWO lights of our vnderstanding 2 Our weakenesse not so great as wee pretend 3 Our owne indeuour must be added to the working of the LORD and that in two points 4 In swiftnesse 5 In timelinesse 6 We are not perfect at the first and wherefore 7 A prayer 8 Wherefore we are to resort to GOD. 9 Ioy answereth desire as rest answereth motion 10 In afflictions we must especially addresse our selues to GOD and wherefore 11 Also whensoeuer we sinne and wherefore 12 How dangerous it is to perseuere in sinne 13 Examples and reasons proouing the same 14 A sinner vpon hope is little better then a sinner vpon despaire 15 Times not well imployed are often shortned 16 Deferring of repentance will hearden our hearts 17 How GOD may answer late repenting sinners 18 How fearefull it is to trust to late repentance 19 It is a long walke to happinesse and by many steppes 20 The cause of the fall of Angels 21 We finde rest onely in GOD and wherefore BVT do not so looke for the LORD O my soule that thou remaine without motion in thy selfe stand not looking like a sencelesse statue but applie the forces wherewith GOD hath originally endowed thee for hee that made thee without thy selfe without thy selfe will not saue thee Thou hast two lights two eies of thy vnderstanding faith and reason Faith is wrought in thee by his word reason is naturally planted in thee as he worketh extraordinarily by his word so nature is his ordinary power But nothing is more comfortable contenting then when both concur agree together Thou doest often complaine of weakenesse but examine thy selfe well and thou shalt not finde so great cause to complaine of thy weakenesse as of thy will thy weakenesse will not appeare so great if thy endeuour be anâ—werable to thy power And therefore O my soule as thou lookest for the LORD so looke that thou adde thy owne endeuour Especially looke that thou bee diligent and that in two points in swiftnesse Flie to the LORD and in timelinesse before the morning watch It was commanded in the Law that the Paschall Lambe should bee eaten in haste Whereby is signified with what feruour of spirit with what hungry hast wee must applie our desires to our heauenly repast otherwise it will neuer either fill or content vs. Doe not linger lazily as Lot did in Sodome bee not slow paced to forsake the world which is no better then a denne of theeues a stable of beasts a puddle with swine a dunghill with snakes yea a part of Hell bee not heauie and dull
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
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