offence Doth argue vaine my not auailyng crye With woefull sighes and bitter penitence To him from whom the endlesse mercy flowes I cry for mercy to releue my woes And then not daring with presuming eye Once to beholde the angry heauens face From troubled sprite I send confused crye Tâ— craue the crummes of all sufficing grace With foltring knee I fallyng to the ground Bendyng my yelding handes to heauens throne Poure forth my piteous plaint w t woefull sound With smoking sighes oft repeted grone Before the Lord the Lord whom synner I I cursed wretch I haue offended so That dredyng in his wrekefull wrath to dye And damned downe to depth of hell to go Thus tost with panges and passions of despeir Thus craue I mercy with repentant chere ⧠A Meditation of à penitent sinner vpon the 51. Psalme HAue mercy God for thy great mercies sake O God my God vnto my shame I say Beynge fled from thee so as I dred to take Thy name in wretched mouth and feare to pray Or aske the mercy that I haue abusde But God of mercy let me come to thee Not for iustice that iustly am accusde Which selfe word Iustice so amaseth me That scarce I dare thy mercy sound againe But mercie Lord yet suffer me to craue Mercie is thine Let me not crye in vaine Thy great mercie for my great fault to haue Haue mercie God pitie my penitence With greater mercie than my great offence My many sinnes in nomber are encreast With weight wherof in sea of depe despeire My sinking soule is now so sore opprest That now in peril and in present fere I crye susteine me Lord and Lord I pray â–ª With endlesse nomber of thy mercies take The endlesse nomber of my sinnes away So by thy mercie for thy mercies sake Rue on me Lord releue me with thy grace My sinne is cause that I so nede to haue Thy mercies ayde in my so woefull case My synne is cause that scarce I dare to craue Thy mercie manyfolde whiche onely may Releue my soule and take my sinnes away So soule is sinne and lothesome in thy sighte So foule with sinne I see my selfe to be That till from sinne I may be washed white So foule I dare not Lord approche to thee Ofte hath thy mercie washed me before Thou madest me cleane but I am foule againe Yet washe me Lord againe and washe me more Washe me O Lord and do away the staine Of vggly sinnes that in my soule appere Let flow thy pleÌ„tuous streames of clensing grace Washe me againe yea washe me euery where Bothe leprous bodie and defiled face Yea washe me all for I am all vncleane And from my sin Lord cleanse me ones againe Haue mercie Lord haue mercie for I know How muche I nede thy mercie in this case The horror of my gilt doth dayly growe And growing weares my feble hope of grace I fele and suffer in my thralled brest Secret remorse and gnawing of my hart I fele my sinne my sinne that hath opprest My soule with sorrow and surmounting smart Drawe me to mercie for so oft as I Presume to mercy to direct my sight My Chaos and my heape of sinne doth lie Betwene me and thy mercies shining light What euer way I gaze about for grace My filth and fault are euer in my face Graunt thou me mercy Lord thee thee alone I haue offended and offendyng thee For mercy loe how I do lye and grone Thou with allpearcing eye beheldest me Without regard that sinned in thy sight Beholde againe how now my spirite it rues And wailes the tyme when I with foule delight Thy swete forbearing mercy did abuse My cruell conscience with sharpned knife Doth splat my ripped hert and layes abrode The lothâ—some secretes of my filthy life And spredes them forth before the face of God WhoÌ„ shame froÌ„ dede shamelesse cold not restrain Shame for my dede is added to my paine But therey Lord O Lord some pitie take Withdraw my soule from the deserued hell â–ª O Lord of glory for thy glories sake That I may saued of thy mercy tell And shew how thou which mercy hast behight To sighyng sinners that haue broke thy lawes Performest mercy so as in the sight Of them that iudge the iustice of thy cause Thou onely iust be demed and no moe The worldes vniustice wholy to confound That damning me to depth of during woe Iust in thy iudgement shouldest thou be found And from deserued â—laâ—es releuyng me Iust in thy mercy mayst thou also be For lo in sinne Lord I begotten was With sede and shape my sinne I toke also Sinne is my nature and my kinde alas In sinne my mother me conceiued Lo I am but sinne and sinfull ought to dye Dye in his wrath that hath forbydden sinne Such bloome and frute loe sinne doth multiplie Such was my roote such is my iuyse within I plead not this as to excuse my blame On kynde or parentes myne owne gilt to lay But by disclosing of my sinne my shame And nede of helpe the plainer to displaye Thy mightie mercy if with plenteous grace My plenteous sinnes it please thee to deface Thou louest simple sooth not hidden face With trutheles visour of deceiuing showe Lo simplie Lord I do confesse my case And simplie craue thy mercy in my woe This secrete wisedom hast thou graunted me To se my sinnes whence my sinnes do growe This hidden knowledge haue I learnd of thee To fele my sinnes and howe my sinnes do flowe With such excesse that with vnfained hert Dreding to drowne my Lorde lo howe I flee Simply with teares bewailyng my desert Releued simply by thy hand to be Thou louest truth thou taughtest me the same Helpe Lord of truth for glory of thy name With swete Hysope besprinkle thou my sprite Not such hysope nor so besprinkle me As law vnperfect shade of perfect lyght Did vse as an apointed signe to be Foreshewing figure of thy grace behight With death and bloodshed of thine only sonne â–ª The swete hysope cleanse me defyled wyght Sprinkle my soule And when thou so haste done Bedeawd with droppes of mercy and of grace â–ª I shalbe cleane as cleansed of my synne Ah wash me Lord for I am foule alas That only canst Lord wash me well within Wash me O Lord when I am washed soe I shalbe whiter than the whitest snowe Long haue I heard yet I heare the soundes Of dredfull threates and thonders of the law Which Eccho of my gylty minde resoundes And with redoubled horror doth so draw My listening soule from mercies gentle voice That louder Lorde I am constraynde to call Lorde pearce myne eares make me to reioyse â–ª When I shall heare and when thy mercy shall Sounde in my hart the gospell of thy grace Then shalt thou geue my hearing ioy againe The ioy that onely may releue my case And then my broosed bones that thou
with paine Hast made to weake my febled corps to beare Shall leape for ioy to shewe myne inward chere Loke on me Lord though treÌ„bling I beknowe That sight of sinne so sore offendeth thee That seing sinne how it doth ouerflowe My whelmed soule thou canst not loke on me But with disdaine with horror and despite Loke on me Lord but loke not on my sinne Not that I hope to hyde it from thy sight Which seest me all without and eke within But so remoue it from thy wrathfull eye And from the iustice of thyne angry face That thou impute it not Looke not how I Am foule by sinne but make me by thy grace Pure in thy mercies sight and Lord I pray â–ª That hatest sinne wipe all my sinnes away Sinne and despeir haue so possest my hart And hold my captiue soule in such restraint As of thy mercies I can fele no part But still in languor do I lye and faint Create a new pure hart within my brest Myne old can hold no liquour of thy grace My feble faith with heauy lode opprest Staggring doth scarcely creepe a reeling pace And fallen it is to faint to rise againe Renew O Lord in me a constant sprite That stayde with mercy may my soule susteine â–ª A sprite so setled and so firmely pight Within my bowells that it neuer moue But still vphold thassurance of thy loue Loe prostrate Lorde before thy face I lye With sighes depe drawne depe sorow to expresse â–ª O Lord of mercie mercie do I crye Dryue me not from thy face in my distresse Thy face of mercie and of swete relefe The face that fedes angels with onely sight The face of comfort in extremest grefe Take not away the succour of thy sprite Thy holy sprite which is myne onely stay The stay that when despeir assaileth me In faintest hope yet moueth me to pray To pray for mercy and to pray to thee Lord cast me not from presence of thy face Nor take from me the spirite of thy grace But render me my wonted ioyes againe Which sinne hath rest and planted in theyr place Doubt of thy mercy ground of all my paine The tast that thy loue whilome did embrace My chearfull soule the signes that dyd assure My felyng ghost of fauor in thy sight Are fled from me and wretched I endure Senslesse of grace the absence of thy sprite Restore my ioyes and make me fele againe The swete retorne of grace that I haue lost That I may hope I pray not all in vayne With thy free sprite confirme my feble ghost To hold my faith from ruine and decay With fast affiance and assured stay Lord of thy mercy if thou me withdraw From gaping throte of depe deuouring hell Loe I shall preach the iustice of thy law By mercy saued thy mercy shall I tell The wicked I wyll teache thyne only way Thy wayes to take and mans deuise to flee And suche as lewd deâ—ight hath ledde astray To rue theyr errour and returne to thee So shall the profe of myne example preache The bitter frute of lust and foule delight So shall my pardon by thy mercy teache The way to finde swete mercy in thy sight Hyue mercy Lorde in me example make Of lawe and mercy for thy mercies sake O God God of my health my sauing God Haue mercy Lord and shew thy might to saue Assoile me God from gilt of giltlesse blod And cke from sinne that I ingrowâ—ng haue By fleshe and bloud and by corrupted kinde Vpon my bloud and soule extende not Lorde Vengeance for bloud but mercy let me finde And strike me not with thy reuengyng sworde So Lord my ioying tong shall talke thy praise Thy name my mouth shall vtter in delight My voice shall sounde thy iustice and thy waies Thy waies to iustifie thy sinfull wight God of my health from bloud I saued so Shall spred thy prayse for all the world to know Lo straining crampe of colde despeir againe In feble brest doth pinche my pinyng hart So as in greatest nede to cry and plaine My speache doth faile to vtter thee my smart Refreshe my yeldyng hert with warming grace And loose my speche and make me call to thee Lord open thou my lippes to shewe my case My Lord for mercy Loe to thee I flee I can not pray without thy mouyng ayde Ne can I ryse ne can I stande alone Lord make me pray grauÌ„t wheÌ„ I haue praide Lord loose my lippes I may expresse my mone â–ª And findyng grace with open mouth I may Thy mercies praise and holy name display Thy mercies praise instede of sacrifice With thankfull minde so shall I yeld to thee For if it were delitefull in thine eyes Or hereby mought thy wrath appeased be â–ª Of cattell slayne and burnt with sacred flame Vp to the heauen the vaprie smoke to send Of gyltlesse beastes to purge my gilt and blame On altars broylde the sauour shold ascend To pease thy wrath But thy swete sonne alone With one sufficing sacrifice for all Appeaseth thee and maketh the at one With sinfull man and hath repaird our fall That sacred hoste is euer in thine eyes The praise of that I yeld for sacrifice I yeld my self I offer vp my ghoste My slayne delightes my dyeng hart to thee To God a trobled sprite is pleasing hoste My trobled sprite doth drede like him to be In whome tastlesse languor with lingring painâ— Hath febled so the starued appetite That foode to late is offred all in vaine To holde in fainting corps the fleing sprite My pining soule for famine of thy grace So feares alas the faintnesse of my faithe I offre vp my trobled sprite alas My trobled sprite refuse not in thy wrathe Such offring likes thee ne wilt thou despise The broken humbled hart in angry wise Shew mercie Lord not vnto me alone But stretch thy fauor and thy pleased will To sprede thy bountie and thy grace vpon Sion for Sion is thy holly hyll That thy Hierusalem with mighty wall May be enclosed vnder thy defense And bylded so that it may neuer fall By myning fraude or mighty violence Defend thy chirch Lord and aduaunce it soe So in despite of tyrannie to stand That treÌ„bling at thy power the world may know It is vpholden by thy mighty hand That Sion and Hierusalem may be A safe abode for them that honor thee Then on thy hill and in thy walled towne Thou shalt receaue the pleasing sacrifice The brute shall of thy praised name resoune In thankfull mouthes and then with gentle eyes Thou shalt behold vpon thine altar lye Many a yelden host of humbled hart And round about then shall thy people crye We praise thee God our God thou onely art The God of might of mercie and of grace That I then Lorde may also honor thee Releue my sorow and my sinnes deface Be Lord of mercie mercifull to me Restore my feling of thy grace againe Assure my soule I craue it not in vaine FINIS 2. Pet. 5. 2. Cor. 5 Rom. 7. 2. Cor. 5. Philip. 1. Math. 22 Num. 23 Gene. 25.35.49 Psalm 6. Psalm 30. 1. Reg. 2 1. Par. 29. Psalm 73. Esay 5. Psalm 31. Luke 23. Ionas 2. Psalm 90. Math. 6. 2. Corin. 5. Psal 104. Esay 40. Psal 23. Psal 39. Roma 8. Esay 103. Psal 39. Psalm 30. 2. Cor. 5. Psal 51. Psal 40. Iob. 3. Ionas 2. Iudi. 6. Haue mercie vpon me o God after thy great merci And according vnto the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Wash me yet more from my wickednes and clense me from my sinne For I knowledge my wickednes and my sinne is euer before me Againste thee onelye haue I sinned don euill in thy sight That thou mightest be founde iust in thy sayinges and maiest ouer come when thou art iudged For loe I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne my mother coÌ„ceiued me But lo thou haste loued trueth the hidden and secrete thinges of thy wisedome thou haste opened vnto me Sprinkle me Lorde with hisope and I shalbe cleane washe me and I shalbe whiter then snow Thou shalt make me heare ioye and gladnesse at the bones which thou hast broken shal reioyse Turne away thy face from my sinnes and do away all my misdedes Create a cleane hart within me O God and renew a stedfast spirit within my bowels Cast me not away from thy face and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore to me the comforte of thy sauing helpe stablishe me with thy free spirit I shal teach thy waies vnto the wicked sinnes shall be tourned vnto thee Deliuer me from bloud o God God of my helth my tong shall ioyful lye talke of thy iustice Lord open thou my lippes and my mouth shal shewe thy praise If thou haddest desired sacrifice I wold haue geuen thou delytest not in burnt offringes The sacrifice to God is a trobled spirit a broken and an humbled hart o god thou wilt not despise Shew fauour o lord in thy good will vnto Sion that 〈◊〉 walles â–ª of Hierusalem may be bylded Then shalt thou accept the sacrifice of righteousnesse burnt offringes and oblations â–ª then shall they offre yonge bullockes vpon thine altare
euen as I wishe your grace continuall health of life and soule for your preseruation not onely for this newe yeare but also for the tyme that shall excede all extent of yeares besechinge you to accepte bothe my worke and prayer Concernyng my translation of this boke it may please you to vnderstand that I haue reÌ„dred it so nere as I possibly might to the very wordes of his text and that in so plaine Englishe as I could expresse Suche as it is I beseche your grace to take it good parte Your graces humble A. L. ☞ The writinge of Ezechia kinge of Iuda when he had bene sicke and was recouered of his sicknes I said in the cuttyng shorte of my daies I shall go downe to the gates of the graue I haue sought the residue of my yeares I sayd I shall not see the Lorde the Lorde in the land of the liuing I shall not beholde man any more nor those that dwell in the world My life is withdrawen and is chaunged like a shepeherdes lodge AS the name of God is immortall and we oughte to trauaill that they which come after vs do cal vpon it and that it be honored and glorified in all times So is it not enoughe that during oure lyfe we endeuor oure selues to honor God but as I haue said before our care should extende it selfe to the time to come to the end we may haue in store some continuyng seede of religion in suche sort as the trueth of God may neuer be abolished But speacilly they whom God hath ordeined in anye estate to guide other ought therfore so much the more to applie themselues vnto it As also we se that S. Peter declaryng his ende to be nere and that he should depart out of this worlde addeth that somuch as he possibly may he woulde make the doctrine whiche he preached to remayne alwayes in force and memory that meÌ„ might take profit after his death Behold now wherfore Ezechias was not coÌ„tented to make this protestation whiche we reade here with his mouth but wold also wryte it that to the ende of the worlde men might knowe how he had ben vexed in hys affliction and that the same myght serue for doctrine to all the worlde so as at this day we may take profyt thereof He saythe expressely that this wrytinge was made after he was recouered For oftentimes when we ar touched eyther with sicknes or anye other â—od of God we make protestations enow but we do nothing els but shake our cares as the prouerbe is when we ar escaped we by and by forget al those thinges which we made a shew as if we knewe But here it is shewed vs that the kinge Ezechias beinge recouered forgat not the correction whiche he had receiued at the hand of god nether the anguishes which he felt but minded to make a memoriall of the whole that those which come after might be enstructed therby But it appereth at the first shew that this writing serueth not for any instruction of them that shold rede it but shold rather be an offeÌ„se For we see the outragious passions of a man as it were rauished in minde which so abhorreth death that he thought all to be lost when god shold take him out of the worlde and in this we see nothing but the sinne of infidelitie He tormenteth and rageth with himself as it semeth with a rebelling vncomely for a seruaÌ„t of god to be short it appeareth that we can gather nothing of this song but y t al the faithe whiche Ezechias had was only in hys prosperitie and quiet also that he gaue the bridle to much vnto him selfe in his heauinesse in so muche that he complayned of god as we see that he compared him to a Lyon But wheÌ„ all shal be wel coÌ„sidered we shal see that there is no instruction better or more profitable for vs than this For when we shal haue well examined al that is in vs then we shall knowe that the same is also propre vnto our selues But first let vs note how the good king Ezechias did not here set fourthe his owne vertues to be praised of the world for he might haue kept in sileÌ„ce that which he hath declared of his owne waywardnesse in place therof he mought haue spoken of hys request made to God and the constance of his faythe So then he sayth not that he was of valiant courage that he ouercame al tentations without any stoppe or strife he sayth not that he had a faith so stedfaste that it nothing trobled him to be corrected of y e hand of god nothing of al thys â–ª what then we see a poore man tormeÌ„ted euen to the extremitye and so striken downe that he wiste not what myghte become of hym We se a maÌ„ astonished with reare of the wrath of God lokyng on nothyng but his own affliction Then seyng Ezechias doeth discouer him selfe and sticketh not to confesse his owne faultes in this we perceiue that he was not led of ambitioÌ„ nether of any vaine glory to be praised of meÌ„ or to get reputatioÌ„ but he rather was willing him self to be coÌ„fouÌ„ded w t shame y e god might be glorified What is then his purpose It is in one parte to make vs know howe he had bene afflicted then when he thought that God was against him and moreouer that therin men might know somuche the more howe great the goodnes of God was when he receiued him to mercy and woulde not forsake him in necessitie We haue then to beholde here as in a loking glasse our owne wekenes to the ende that euery man may prepare himselfe against the time when his faith shalbe proued as the fayth of Ezechias was and when God shall shew vs some tokens of his wrath so as if then we seme in maner destroyed yet we cease not therfore to truste that God will geue to vs an end of our troubles as he did to this good king Next to this that we may learne to geue al praise of our safetie to the mercy of God knowledging that so sone as he forsaketh vs we are vtterly vndone and that then we become more then miserable And nowe we see howe and wherfore the good king Ezechias was thus tourmented that is because he sawe death so nere at hande It semeth at the first face that suche passion besemeth not a faithful maÌ„ Trew it is that of nature death is dreadfull to vs al. For there is no man but as they saye desireth to be and in death we thinke that we perishe y t we be broughte to nought and cease to be Thus of nature we flie froÌ„ abhorre death â–ª and therfore also S. Paule saith in the v. chapter of the seconde epistle to the Corinthians that we do not desire to be vnclothed of this body for it is impossible for man to desire to change his estate I meane as concernynge thys lyfe And those that do kyll them selues
what our frailtie is and let vs not be daseled when God shall blesse vs and sende vs all after our desire let not that I saye make vs fal to muche on slepe but let euery man make him selfe ready when it shal please him to sende vs any chaunge to receiue alwayes in feare in humilitie and in all pacience that whiche he wyll sende vs. If we doe so we shall not finde the hand of God so greuous nor so heauy vpon vs as we are wont to do But whē we ar to sound on slepe although we knowe the grace of God wherof we presently reioyse he must awake vs yea and pluck vs hard by the eare yea and laye great strypes vpon vs. And here we haue one example in the kyng Ezechias as we haue also an other in Dauid For in the .xxx. Psalme he confesseth that he was so dronke that felicitie had made hym to forget hys estate I haue sayde in myne abundance I shall no more be shaken And how so Dauid had had so many prickes to pricke hym forwarde he had bene exercised so many wayes to haue alwaies in mynde what the life of man was and he did profit right well therin for he had bene a long tyme as in the shadow of death He had bene persecuted of the people being prysoner among his ennemies and hauing no minute of rest Then when God had set hym on the roiall seate he concluded that he shoulde neuer stomble and that he should therein remaine peasable If Dauid hauinge the spirit of God in suche excellence as we know hauing had so many profes that he was altogether rauished vnto God yet neuerthelesse hath so forgot him self what shal become of vs After he addeth It was of thy free goodnesse that I was vpholden O Lorde thou hast establyshed me as on a mountaine but thou turnedst thy face and lo I was troubled Thus sheweth he his vnthākfulnes in that For although he had not altogether forgot the blessing which he had receiued of y e hād of God yet is it so that he did not thinke vpō this god hath deliuered me once y t I shold alway haue my recourse vnto him knowing y t my life hāgeth as by a thred except y ◠stay of it be on his goodnesse that frō minute to minute he worketh ▪ cōfessing that by and by I should peryshe if he continued not still to ayde me Dauid thought not vpon this ▪ and he knewe also that he had fayled and so he addeth after Lorde thou hast hyd thy face and behold I was troubled So is it of Ezechias he was in peace and loe sodeinly God woūded hym so that the stripe was deadly he coulde not cōceiue any thing but such an astonishment as if God had striken him with lightning from heauen Therfore of necessitie must it be that he receiued a terrible bitternesse Nowe let vs applie this doctrine to our profit and let vs not stay till God make vs with force of strypes to know our infirmitie But whyle he doth yet spare vs and whyle he hathe pitie of our feblenesse let vs not cesse to thynke of hym and let vs feare hym keping our selues hid as it were vnder his wynges knowynge that we can not stand one minute without his ayde To the rest if sometime we be ouertaken let vs know it was because we were to fast a slepe He addeth a lytle after that God hath deliuered his soule but he vseth a maner of spech which emporteth more He sayth thou hast loued my soule or thou hast had thy good pleasure in it to plucke it back from the graue By this circumstance he magnifieth the goodnesse of God so much y e more for that he is come to seke hym euen to the graue For if God doe holde vs styll in our estate I graunt we therby knowe that we are beholding to him but therm we knowlege it but very coldly But if he deliuer vs from death then we better perceiue howe good he is for that in suche extremitie he as it were cometh downe vnto vs. For it semeth vnto vs that we are not much boūd vnto God if he preserue vs in this life bicause we take that to be but as an order of nature True it is that the more he spareth vs so muche the more we ought to fele his fatherlye goodnes but we do it not and so by reason of our dulnes it is become nedefull that God work of another fashion Now then as I haue already sayde if that God plucke vs out of the graue and that we haue bene as forsaken for a time that it semed we were cut of from al hope that euen men disdaigned to loke vpon vs as if we were pore rotten carrions if in this case God haue pitie vpon vs in this he sheweth vs so much greater brightnesse to se his mercye and so much more we haue occasiō to acknowledge what and howe infinite his bountye is in this that god hath so plucked vs backe from the death Lo this it is that Ezechias meant to say Lord saith he thou hast loued my soule And how so was there any thing in it that might moue God to loue it Alas no for it was nothinge but shadow a dead thing I was saith he at the graue and then thou declaredst thy loue towarde me when then we shalbe altogether disfigured that God neuertheles wyll vouchsafe to caste eye vpon vs and to haue care of vs in this we ought much more to be enflamed to blesse his name and to geue him such praise as doth here the good king Ezechias Behold thē in a summe what we haue to learne of this place that is for asmuch as God seeth that we are not touched enoughe with the good thinges that he hathe done for vs nor wyth his graces and that it is nedefull that we be so striken downe and in suche extremitie that there be in vs no more hope of life that when we shalbe as forsaken of him and of men he maye then take vs to mercy Thus are we earnestly touched and made to geue him thankes knowyng that he saw nothing in vs but miseries when he shewed hys mercy vpon vs. Now he saieth also on the other side Lorde they that shall lyue after shall know that the lyfe of my spirite hath bene prolonged This place bicause of the shortnes therof is darke for it is not a sentence layd out at length but they are as it wer broken wordes He saieth in summe Lorde they shall liue amonges them and in them all the lyfe of my spirite thou hast cast me on slepe and thou hast reuiued me Bicause he speaketh not here of the yeres in the beginning of the verse that is the cause of the shortnes But when we loke nearer we shall finde that Ezechias meant to say that the miracle whiche had bene done vpon his persone shuld be knowē not only for a dai but also after his