The psalme of mercy, or, A meditation vpon the 51. psalme by a true penitent.

The psalme of mercy, or, A meditation vpon the 51. psalme by a true penitent.

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Title page

TO MY REVEREND FRIEND Mr. IOHN DOVVNAME, Bachelar in Diuinity and Preacher of Gods Word.

THE PSALME OF MERCY, OR A MEDITATION vpon the 51. Psalme, by a true Penitent. To the chiefe Musician. A Psalme of Dauid, when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

THE ARGVMENT.

THE ANALYSIS or Resolution of the Psalme.

A MEDITATION VPON THE PSALME of Mercy.

1. Haue mercy, vpon me, O God, according to thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of thy tender compassions, blot out my transgressions.

2. I know mine owne wickednesse, and my sinne is euer before me, or, my sinne is euer against me.

5. 〈◊〉, I was conceiued in sinne. 6. Behold, thou louest Truth, &c.

6. In the secret of my heart thou shalt teach me wisdome: or, Thou shalt teach the seacrets of wisdome in my heart, or hidden part.

7 Purge me with Hysope, and I shall be cleane.

7 Wash me, O Lord, and I shall be whiter then snow.

12 Restore vnto mee, the ioy of thy saluation, and vphold mee with thy firme Spirit, or stablish mee with thy free Spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes, and sinners, or impious persons, shall be conuerted vnto thee.

14 Deliuer me from bloud 〈◊〉, O Lord, thou that art the God of my saluation.

15 Open thou my lips, O Lord, and, &c.

18 O be fauourable to Sion, for thy good pleasure.

A SVMMARY PRAYER FRAMED OVT OF the Psalme, and Meditation together.

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THE PSALME OF MERCY: OR, A MEDITATION vpon the 51. Psalme, by a true Penitent.

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LONDON, Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, and are to be sold by Matthew Lownes. 1625.

TO MY REVEREND FRIEND Mr. IOHN DOVVNAME, Bachelar in Diuinity and Preacher of Gods Word.

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REVEREND SIR.

WHen first I fell into my grieuous affliction, as a man surprized with a mighty Tempest, I did in the midst of mine astonishment, bethinke my selfe, how to apply my courses to the appeasing [Page] of Gods anger, (whence [...] crosse proceeded) and the sauing of my perplexed soule, the mayne marke whereat [...] aymed. In that case I suddainely and strongly resolued to take Gods Booke into my hand, & by it, as by the true Card and compasse; to saile safely thorow the sea of this worlds troubles, in hope ioyfully in the end to arriue at the hauen of rest and true [...]. Among the bookes of holy Writ, I [...] mine eyes and thoughts specially vpon the Psalmes of Dauid, which are a short and sweete [...] of all Scripture, and [...] mysteries therein comprized. Among the Psalmes I conuersed more frequently, in those that are singled from the rest, and stiled by a speciall [Page] title, The Penitentialls, as the fittest medicines for my malady, which are (as one saith) the Anatomy of the spirit and the heart, as it were, of the new man. True it is, (which I confesse ingenuously, though to mine own reproach) that albeit I had very often heretofore heard and red those Psalmes (wherein Dauid his pangs and passions, are liuely described) with a kinde of [...] delight, and pleasing regret, as men behold Tragedies on a stage, and reade lamentable stories: Yet could I not fully rellish, and truly tast them, whiles I liued in quietnesse and contentment, nor indeed, vntil I had by personall experience, felt in some proportion Dauid his [...] and wounded spirit. [Page] So true is that, which sundry of the Fathers haue obserued,Bern. ad frat. in Mon. and Saint Bernard deliuers in these words; You shall neuer rightly vnderstand Dauid, vntill by experience, you haue put on the very affections, in which Dauid his Psalmes were endited; for none can expresse a passion that feeles it not, neither can the penne deliuer but what it copieth out of the [...].

Now being best acquainted with mine owne disabilities and defects; I did [...] chuse this Plaine-song to [...], being the prime [...] Penitentiall, and a liuely Character of a true Mourner, though shaped to the particular condition of Dauid, [Page] yet fitting euery penitent sinner, because it seemes to require the compunction of the heart, rather then the consideration of the head; an imitation rather then an interpretation, an application, rather then an explication.

This is The Psalme of Mercy, by excellency, so called, because it beginneth with Miserere, which prisoners indicted, and conuicted, for lesser fellonies, at our Assizes and [...], doe so often call and [...] for, at the Iudges hands. For [...] that can neither vnderstand nor reade the Latine tongue, can say it by rote (as they say) and doe craue mercy, in desiring to be put to reade, this Psalme of mercy. But without [Page] all question, the most holy, and iust man vpon earth, had neede to beg of the great Iudge of heauen and earth, that hee will [...] to heare him read with his tongue, and tune with his heart, this sweete, though [...] Psalme of mercy in his daily [...], lest he be condemned when hee comes to be arraigned at the grand Assizes: When all offendors without witnesse or Iury, are to be accused & conuicted [...] the [...] and [...] of their own consciences; [...] not to appeare, it will bee impossible, and to appeare without this Psalme of mercy, it will be intolerable.

For who is he among the sonnes of men, that may not truly say, with that ancient Father? [Page] A sinner I am, spottedTertul. de Paenit.with all manner of staines, borne for nothing else, in this life, but to act repentance all my life (what other person [...] I sustaine) vpon the stage of this world.

Vpon perusall of the Psalme, and some few [...] thereof (for I did not [...] many) chewing the Cud, as it were; I haue cast it and them into mine own mold, expressed the sense in [...] plaine language, and paralelling mine with Dauids perplexities, applied his plaisters to my sores: I [...] with the same measure of spirit, I hope with the like successe of grace.

If you meruaile, that I being no Diuine should aduenture [Page] the conceiuing, much more the publishing of a Meditation of this nature: My answere is briefely; That the subiect of it belongs to the art of Christianity (which euery man is bound to know) and not onely to the profession of Diuinity; and that, in absence of the Master, one [...] now and than teacheth another, and he that learnes of his Schoolefellow, will sometimes apprehēd it sooner from [...], [...] from his Master.

And I hope to suffer the more gentle censure, for suffering this weake Essay to see light in this Age, which is actiue in scribling and printing, euen to ryot and excesse: because I see mens wills of their gifts to charitable vses daily [Page] printed, to incite others by their example, to the like courses. Why then may not any man declare & publish, the pious bequest of his soule, (as it were) and set the presse on worke, to expresse and record his repentance, build his tombe of blackMarble, & erect it in the Temple of Gods people; that by looking vpon [...] Ensignes, and reading the Epitaph, others may be mooued, as in Christian affection to condole with him, so by a kinde of reflection, to mourne for themselues.

If a man would prouide a mourning suite for his sorrowfull heart, what hurt or losse were it, to see diuers formes and fashions to make choyce of for patternes? The more course the Stuffe, and [Page] lesse curious the fashion, the fitter for the grat Dueil or solemne mourning. My model may better please some mourner, then a better. If no other vse be made, The often iteration, and frequent renouation of this matter, [...] vsuall and ordinary resort to houses of mourning, may giue occasion to refresh and reuiue that diuine passion, which should euer liue in vs, till it dye with vs, to wit, Repentance.

What fruite others may reape by this my meditation, I know not, but sure I am, that by entertayning the time, and employing my thoughts vpon this subiect, I haue excluded a world of idle fancies, and tumultuous cogitations (which otherwise would haue seized [Page] vpon me) and swallowed many indignities, and discontentments that would haue disturbed the peace of my soule, had it not beene foreprized, by an exercise of this nature, as an Antidote against such poisons.

The cause why I present and submit it to your view and censure, is not only for that I reuerence your great learning and singuler piety, well knowne to our whole Church by your sundry books; but specially in a recognition of the much contentment I found in that worke of yours, which deseruedly beares the Title of Consolations for the afflicted, or the Third part of the Christian Warfare, which gaue the first ouerture to our accquaintance, and begat [Page] sundry conferences, betweene vs sithence, to my no small comfort, as I doe in all thankefulnesse professe. Whether it shall dye in your hands, vpon your priuate perusall, or liue a while, and so passe further, through the hands of others, I leaue wholy to your discretion. You shall beare the blame on the one side; howsoeuer, you bee like, to receiue small thankes on the other.

The God of all consolation, returne with interest, into your owne bosome, those comsorts, which you so freely and plentifully haue imparted vnto other.

Yours in true Christian affection. I. B.

THE PSALME OF MERCY, OR A MEDITATION vpon the 51. Psalme, by a true Penitent.
To the chiefe Musician. A Psalme of Dauid, when Nathan the Prophet came vnto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

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THE ARGVMENT.

AFter that Dauid in many successefull battailes was become [Page] a Conqueror, and had defeated and destroyed the Syrians and Mesopotamians, who came to succor the Ammonites his Opposites, hauing now no enemy abroad, of any account to encounter withall, he was surprized by his dangerous enemy at home, and taken prisoner by Securitie, he grew by Plenty and Prosperity, (as it commonly fares with men, in such case) forgetfull of his former miseries, and God his singular mercies, and was captiuated wholy, by his lustfull desires, and sinfull concupiscence. For not contented to take by stealth, Vriah his wife from him, in his absence, [Page] while hee was imployed in his seruice, but (which is the nature of sinne, still to increase and multiply) to his foule Adultery, hee added cruell Murther, giuing order to his trusty Commaunder Ioab, to marshall him in the front and poynt of those Israelites, who did assaile the Suburbs of Rabbah, when there was no possibility, at least, no probability of preuailing, and (which could not but bee, more displeasing to God) was wittingly contented that many other his best seruants and soldiers, vnder Vriah his command, should perish with Vriah for company, to cloake [Page] and disguise his particular wicked designe against him. To omit his practice, in calling Vriah from the Warres, and sending him home (both sober and drunke, though he went not at all) to couer the shame, and shadow the sin, which Dauid had committed, (she being then with child by him:) no sooner was Vriah slaine, but hee married the widdow, whom being a wife, hee had defiled; and so securely enioyed the forbidden fruite of his filthy pleasure, and mischieuous Policie, till Nathan the Prophet was specially sent, as an Herald, to summon and challenge, checke, and reprooue [Page] him, for these manifold defections, and manifest rebellions against God.

Now the time of Nathan his comming to Dauid, is purposely recorded, to shew that Dauid was in a kind of Lethargy for about a yeeres space (as it is collected by the story) which is a strange and remarkable thing, that so great a person, so endued with God his excellent Spirit, could sleepe and snort in the bed of security, as if he had beene quite bereaued of the sence and life of Piety, and out of his wits, (as it were) for so large a time. For who would not thinke and say, [Page] he was bewitched by Satan, & benummed with the spirit of slumber, & growne, if not obstinately contemptuous, yet retchlesly careles of God his Iudgements? Which circumstance, as it doth much aggrauate his fault, that hee felt not true remorce of conscience, till the Prophet Nathan came to rowze and raise him; so doth it exceedingly amplify the mercy and goodnesse of God, who when ordinary meanes of Prayer, reading and meditating of Gods Word, could not worke and preuaile with him, (for who can imagine, that such a person could altogether in that time want such [Page] helpes,) addressed an extraordinary Ambassador, euen one of his Prophets; a Prophet, to a Prophet; a Phisicion, to a Phisicion; but to a sicke Phisicion, who could not cure himselfe, to handle and search his wounds, to touch him to the quick, and so to reduce him to a sound and sincere repentance.

Now, who on the one side, doth not tremble and quake, to thinke of this fearefull example, that so holy a Prophet, so worthy a King, could, after so foule a fall, lye so long, in this dyrt and myre, and bee so ouerwhelmed with such a beastly and sencelesse sluggishnesse?

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On the other part, whose heart is not rauished with delight, and euen resolued into teares of ioy and comfort, to behold such a mirrour of Gods mercy, in Dauid, after hee had plunged himselfe into so many and manifold great and grieuous sinnes, as were folded vp in those capitall crimes of Adultery and Murther, that hee should yet finde grace to rise againe by Repentance, obtaine pardon of all his sinnes, and be restored and reintegrated into God his speciall loue and fauour?

So then the Title tells both the tyme and occasion of composing this Psalme, which doth passionately [Page] declare, and liuely expresse Dauid his humiliation, sorrow and discontentment, for the offences he had done, and publish, and record to posterity, a forme and Modell, (as it were) of penitent prayer, to be vsed, by Sorrowfull Sinners, in all succeeding ages.

This excellent Ditty of the sweet Singer of [...], was (as the Title purports) recommended to him that excelled, to wit, the [...] of the [...] or [...] Chanter, to be [...] into a note [...] tune fit for it, and to bee played vpon an Instrument of Musike, called Neginoth, that the Art [...] [...] might [...], as all [Page] other humane arts ought to bee accessary and seruiceable, to the aduancement of diuine glory. For the fashion was in those times, to sing such Hymnes artificially set and tuned to some Instrument, in the publike Assemblies, that by the melody of the eare, the Iubilation of the heart might be enlarged.

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THE ANALYSIS or Resolution of the Psalme.

THis is a penitentiall Psalme, and the chiefe of the penitentials, in common account, a liuely mirror of a true penitent, and a zealous prayer of a mournefull soule, oppressed with the weight, and perplexed with the sight of sinne.

The prayer is either

Speciall for himselfe; such are all the petitions to the 18. verse.

Generall for the whole Church, in the 18. verse, and so to the end.

As repentance hath two parts,

[Page]To lament and [...] sins past.

To preuent and auoide sin to come.

So the petitions of the Psalme, are either for

Iustification by pardon of sinnes committed, to the 10. verse.

Sanctification, by future holinesse, in the rest.

But the [...] doth not exactly pursue this method, but rather the order of his own iudgement, often iterating and varying his petition for one & the same thing, by the Metaphors [Page] of washing, cleansing, purging, blotting out and doing away his sins, and in the middest of his prayer for sanctification, abruptly and passionately interlacing his sute, for pardon of his crying crime of Murder.

O Miserable wretch that I am, what shall I say? What shall I doe? Which way shall I turne? To whom shall I addresse my selfe? Hell will not; the earth cannot relieue me, and I dare not lift vp mine eyes to Heauen, hauing so highly offended against Heauen, and before thee the great King of Heauen. I am assailed on euery side, [Page] assailed by mine own iniquities, assailed by thy graces. Where may I shrowd my selfe from my sinnes? How can I hide mee from my selfe? Where may I expect succour? Whence may I hope for helpe; sithence thy graces, which I haue turned into wantonnesse, doe conuince me of foule ingratitude, doe multiply iniquities vpon me, and euen arme thy mercies against me? The extremity of my Condition is such, as will afford no long time of deliberation. In briefe, there is one onely way left of escape, and euasion, and that is, by flying from thee, to fly to thee; to appeale from [Page] thy seate of Iustice, to thy throne of Mercy, as to thy Court of last resort, which is alwaies open. Either that way or no way, can I be rescued from vtter destruction. The most odious sinne of desperation, wil but plunge me further, into the depth of damnation. But with the Lord, there is maruailous mercy, and plenteous redemption. By this meanes it is possible; without it, impossible to saue my sinfull soule. Wherefore my resolution is; in the lowest degree of humiliation, in the deepest straine of contrition, faithfully, (and yet, (in a sort) fearefully) to repose my selfe vpon his infinite, [Page] and vnspeakeable compassion. I will pierce mine entralles, and pricke the heart of my corrupt heart to the quicke. I will let out a flood of teares, which are the bloud of my soule: I will mingle my zealous and humble prayers, with those salt and brackish teares: I will knocke hard at his mercy gate, and cry aloud, Miserere.

A MEDITATION VPON THE PSALME of Mercy.

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1. Haue mercy, vpon me, O God, according to thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of thy tender compassions, blot out my transgressions.

THAT which I begge at thy hands, O God, is mercy: for of many properties in thee, which are all essentiall to thee, there is [Page] none so vsefull, none so delightfull, to my perplexed soule, as is thy mercy.

Were it not for thy Mercy, thy Maiesty would affright, thy Wisedome confound, thy Iustice condemne, and thy Power destroy me; as on the other part, through the sweete mixture of thy Mercy, thy Maiestie will reuiue, thy Wisedome enlighten, thy Iustice acquit, & thy Power preserue me, and euery of thy other Attributes will contribute to the aduancement of my inestimable benefit, and endlesse good.

In Mercy all my prayers and petitions are comprized; [Page] by Mercy all my defects and desires are satisfied; for Mercy all my prayses and thankes are returned.

Euery thing that hath being, doth naturally affect continuance, and well being.

Euery Man doth or should desire his chiefe good, and true happinesse, which consists in thy remission of his sinnes, in his reconciliation to thee, and that is the blessed, and kindely fruite of thy gracious and tender mercy alone.

A sinner I am, and who is not? Therefore I cannot seeke for happines in freedome from sinne (that is [Page] aboue the nature of man,) but in the free pardon of my sinne, by grace, which surmounts all the sinnes of all the world. Thou didst looke downe, O Lord, from all eternity, out of thy highest throne of Heauen, by way of Suruey, among the sonnes of men in all ages and generations, (all things and persons being euer present vnto thee) to see, if there were any, that would vnderstand and seeke after thee. But vpon exact enquiry returne was made, they were all found corrupt and abominable, There was not one that did good; no not one. Which for greater vehemency and euidence [Page] of the truth, is repeated the second tyme, and purposely recorded, by an infinite foresight, to take away all colour of doubt, and to impose perpetuall Silence, to such as afterwards might deceiue themselues, and abuse others with an opinion of their owne iustice and holinesse, as answerable to thy diuine law, and meritorious of thy louing fauour.

Wherfore I present this lamentable supplication, and sing this dolefull ditty, though framed for my selfe [...], yet fitting euery of the sonnes of Adam generally: Haue Mercy vpon mee, O God. I call [Page] vpon thee, O God, at this time, by the name of Elohim, which purports the Trinity of Persons; and not of Iehouah, which denotes the Vnity of substance, in the Godhead: for my threefold sinne doth iustly occasion mee, to fixe mine eyes vpon the Three persons distinctly. Vpon thee, O Father, who art power, against whom I haue offended, by abuse of my regall Power, in murdering Captaine Vriah, and his whole troope; Vpon thee, O Sonne, who art Wisedome, by vsing finenesse and fraud in carrying closely, and cunningly contriuing the murder. Vpon thee, O holy Ghost, [Page] who art goodnesse, whom I haue grieued, by defiling my hands with blood, and body with [...], which is, or should be thy temple and habitation.

When I implore thy great Mercie, I imply my great misery. The PhisickAug. in [...]. 51. of the body must be attempered to the malady. If the receipt be giuen vnder the due Dosis, it may moue, but it will not remoue the peccant humors. Desperate diseases must haue soueraigne [...]: for meane medicines will neuer cure great griefes. If the plaster bee too skant for the sore; If the wound be not throughly teinted, and wholy couered, it will [Page] neuer bee well cured, or soundly recouered. As it is in the diseases and sores of he body; so is it also in [...] of the soule. One deepe [...] another: the depth of sinne requires the depth of grace; and a depth of misery calleth for a depth of mercy.

If I aske my selfe, why is thy Mercy great? for that, there is no cause of thy mercy, but thy Mercy. I must answere by the effect, Because thou canst [...] my soule from the nethermost hell, from such anguish of body, from such perplexity of spirit, from such terrors and torments, as are ready to ouerwhelme mee, [Page] in the pit of destruction.

If I aske how great isChrysost. in hunc Psalmum. thy Mercy? I must giue an answere answerelesse; I know it to be meruailous great, but how great it is, I cannot comprehend. The immensity of it I haue assayed to shadow out, by such resemblances as the world affords to outward sence, for the shallow conceits, and weake capacities of mortall men, being not able with my thoughts to reach, much lesse with my tongue or penne to expresse it.

The height of thy mercy I [...] to the altitude of the Heauen aboue the Earth, the bredthPsal. 103. to the distance of the [Page] East from the West, the depth, to the affection of parents to their children: butalas, these are no euen matches: for that which is limited and finite, hath no proportion at all, with that which is vnlimited, and infinite.

Thy Mercy, O Lord, is as thou art: thou art great without quantity, as thou art good without quality. Thou art not merciful, but mercy: not good, but goodnesse: not louing, but Loue it selfe, in the abstract. The extent of thy goodnesse, loue, and mercy is such as hath no bounds, the depth is such as hath no bottome.

The influence of it, will [Page] make me feele that which no eloquence can vtter, noMelius impressum quàm expressum innotescit. intelligence can containe. No man can tell how sweete hony is, but heeIn his non capit intelligentia, nisi quantum attingit [...]. Bern. in Cant. 3. that tasteth it.

I see, O Lord, great fruite of thy rich roote of Mercy. For were not thy mercy exceeding great, few or none could liueQui non gustauerit, non intelliget, quàm [...] sapit mel, Aug. in Psal. 30. here the life of grace, or there, the life of glory. Looke how many Saints there be in heauen or on earth, by inchoation here, in perfection there: So many worthy examples, so many infallible demonstrations there are, of thine vnspeakeable mercy, without which, they should [...] haue perished and sunke [Page] downe to Hell.

If therefore thy Iustice lift vp it selfe as the high Mountaines, to eclipse the light of thy gracious countenance from mee, I will raise my selfe yet higher, in confidence of thy Truth, which reacheth to the clouds, and thy Mercy, which mounts euen to the heauen of heauens. I will frame this comfortable consequence to my distressed soule: if thy mercy bee magnified aboue thy Iustice, it must needs bee farre aboue my transgressions.

O Lord, I haue caused my sinne to abound, farre beyond the bankes and bounds of thy Law, but it [Page] is thy property, to pardon, and the property of thy Mercy, where sinne abounds,Rom. 5. there to superabound.

Thy mercy doth euen crosse and controule thy Iustice; and as the highest Orbe doth by violence carry with it the inferior Spheres, against their proper inclinations and motions; So the force of thy powerfull mercy doth ouerrule my naturall and wilfull courses, running to wickednesse, and in that race, hasting to iust condemnation.

My sinnes therefore, how great soeuer, cannot stop the flowing of thy vast Ocean of Mercy.

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When I fall into computation, and comparison of my sinnes on the one side, and thy mercies on the other; I finde by diuine Arithmetike, and the true Iacobs-staffe, (to my singular comfort) that my sinnes, how great, and how many soeuer, yet may bee both measured and reckoned; but on the other part, that neither the magnitude nor the multitudeMiserationum Dei, nec magnitudo mensurari, nec multitudo numerari potest, Basil. of thy mercies can be either fathomed or numbred.

I beg thy great Mercy, because thy lesser mercies will not doe the turne, which my miserable condition requires. For they may ease me of lesser miseries, [Page] of afflictions in body, of distresses in estate, of other incumbrances in the world; but it is thy larger Mercy that must forgiue, not my lesser only, but my greater sinnes, which haue prouoked thy iust and heauy indignation against me.

Thy wayes, O God, are not as mans wayes, nor thy mercies, as mans mercies. Mans mercy is short and scant, mingled with hardnesse, and maymed with sundry imperfections. In ciuill matters some man will forgiue the interest, but not the principall: some man will forgiue the halfe, but not the whole debt: some man [Page] will forbeare to demand the debt, yet will not forgoe the Bond; hee will keepe that, to curbe his debtor, vpon all occasions. In matters criminall, one will forgiue the fault, but not the punishment: another will remit a part, but not all the penalty: a third will forgiue, but not forget the iniury. But thy Mercy, O Lord, is great & large, free and absolute, intire, and indefinite, or rather infinite; Thou forgiuest both the fault and punishment royally and really: all is acquitted and discharged at once, in accomplishment of that comfortable clause in the cloze of thy new Couenant, [Page] Thou wilt remember our Ierem. 31. iniquities no more.

The multitude of my sinnes occasions me, to parallel them with the multitude of thy mercies, that there may bee a medicine for each malady, a salue for euery sore. I touch still vpon one and the same string, though with some variety, because the meditation and modulation of this mercy of thine, is as sweet Musicke in mine eare, and a ioyfull Iubile in my soule. I striue to expresse one and the same thing in diuers words or phrases; great mercy, and a multitude of mercies, being all one in sence and meaning: for great mercy comprehends [Page] a multitude of mercies, and a multitude of mercies amounts to one great masse of mercy.

The greatest mercy, that the greatest person can doe to the most miserable wretch vpon earth, is not to bee compared to the least of thy mercies, which thou affoordest to the holiest man that liues, in regard of the infinite disproportion that is betweene the Offendor and the Offended, the Creator of Heauen and earth, and dust and ashes. Howbeit, euen in thine infinite mercy, as it hath relation to sinfull man, there be degrees, whereof we cannot better take the skantling, then by [Page] our greater or lesser offences committed against thy diuine Maiesty: for the Law of gratitude amongst men, teacheth mee to acknowledge, that thy loue is greater to them, to whō thou forgiuest greater, thē to such as thou acquitest of smaller debts. Therefore as my more heynous sinnes, at the Tribunall of thy iustice, do call for seuerer punishment; so at thy throne of mercy (which is aboue thy seate of iustice, and to which I appeale, as to thy Court of last resort) they begge and craue, for thy more great and tender compassions.

Debt is a burthen; and a great debt, is an heauy burden: [Page] hee that beares an honest minde, cannot be quiet in minde, so long as hee continues in debt. My sins are my debts, and that scoare runnes still in my minde, whereon I haue runne so fast and so farre; I professe truly, that my sins haue gone ouer, not my Psal. 38. body only, but my head also, and that they are a burden too heauy for mee to beare. I know, O Lord, thou keeper of men, that thou markestIob. 7. what is amisse in me, thou scorest vp my sinnes, my wilde and wandring thoughts, my vaine and wicked words, my foule and filthy actions; thou keepest a day and a debtbooke of them, to charge [Page] mee by way of account, whensoeuer it pleaseth thee: thou settest them downe in capitall and red letters, (to declare thine anger:) thou grauest them with the poynt of a Diamond, and writest them with a pen of Iron, both in thy Registry of Heauen, and in the Tablet of mine own conscience on earth, placing on the right side thereof, the straight rules of thy Law, and mine Obliquities on the left, each as a foile to set forth the other: Debts must either be paid or forgiuen, else they cannot be discharged. Pay, O Lord, I cannot, I am become bankrupt, I am not able, (no [Page] not, by way of composition) to answer thee one for a thousand. Therefore it remaines onely that I beseech thee, whose propertie it is to haue mercy, and forgiue, to crosse this debtbooke, to wipe out the score, to cancell the handwriting, and deface the record that is against me, to put away and blot out my transgressions, that there may remaine no memory of them, either to prouoke thy heauy vengeance, or to affright my distressed soule.

Wash mee, wash mee againe and againe, or wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse mee from my sinne. As my sinnes, [Page] being in nature of debts, are registred in thy book, and set vpon thy score: so like spots and staynes, they blemish and deface the Image of thy diuine nature, ingrauen in my soule at the Creation of it, in such sort, as thou canst hardly discerne it to be thy workemanship: and therefore I intreate thee, to wash me often and throughly, that I may appeare cleane and holy in thy pure and piercing eyes.

There is nothing so pure, (O Lord) as thou art in thy diuine nature, nothing so foule, as I am by naturall and actuall corruption: Wherefore I thinke nothing too much, [Page] to bring the most defiled thing on earth to the [...] Essence in heauen, and that makes me to beg againe and againe, that thou wilt wash me againe and againe.

Sinne is filthy to thinke of, more filthy to speake and heare of, most filthy to act and commit; there is nothing in it, or any part or passage of it, but vilenesse, basenesse, and filthinesse.

All the washings in thy Leuiticall Law, were types and figures of this Spirituall washing in the blood of the Lambe, slaine from the beginning of the world.

Wash me, O Lord, with [Page] the water of thy grace, with that water, whereof whoso drinketh, shall neuer thirst: wash mee with the water of mine owne teares, with the water of thy Word, with the water of thy Sacraments. I know, O Lord, that vnlesse thou wash mee, I can haue no part or portion in the. e Wherefore I beseech thee to wash, not my feete Iohn 13. onely, but my head also, and all the parts and members of my body; yea to rince and scowre my soule and all the powers and faculties thereof, that I may present both soule and body, an holy and acceptable sacrifice Rom. 12. vnto thee.

It is thy blessed busines, [Page] O Christ, to [...] me in this worlde, that thou maist render me spotlesse to thy Father in another world. I sinne daily, and therefore had neede of daily washing: I sinne continually, and therfore had [...] of continuall washing; for the word including a multiplication of washing, doth imply a multiplication of sinning. For if my soule lothing the filth and mire wherewith shee hath soiled her selfe, euen to vglinesse, take a course by the teares of contrition, for the cleane washing of her face, how soone doth the old dirt of sinne spurt into her visage againe? So that the businesse [Page] of the soule in this life, (if it be a life of repentance) is neuer at an end, being indeed nothing else, but the washing of that which is foule, and the fouling of that which was washed.

There be (as it is reported in the story of nature,) certain flying fishes, whose wings by flying waxe dry, and being dry, lose their flying; so as they must euer and anon returne to the Sea, by the moisture thereof, to enable their flight againe. Euen so my soule, washed in the lauer of regeneration, and mounting vp towards heauen, through this wicked world, her wings, euen her [Page] best purposes, cogitations and conceptions easily grow dry, by the contagion of earthly conuersation, vnlesse they bee often bathed and moistened in the waters of repentance, to carry her thorow to her iournies end.

So then, my case and condition is such, as in regard of many sports howerly falling, and deepely staining my ill fauoured and disfigured Soule, [...] haue iust cause to pray earnestly, that I may bee both often, and throughly washed, and by thee, who canst alone make me cleane, and clense me from my sinnes.

As I haue a great debt [Page] to be discharged, much filthinesse to bee washed, so haue I a loathsome Leprosie of sinne, to be clensed; wherefore I pray thee, O Lord, to clense mee from from my sinnes.

This Leprosie, and the cure of it, were shadowed out, and figured also by sundry purgations & clensings in thy Leuiticall law, all poynting to that blood of the Lambe, whereby my sinnes are purged.

The Leprosie (as Physiicans tell vs) is an hereditary disease, descending from the Father to the Child. An ignominious and odious disease, banishing the Leper from all company; a contagious [Page] disease, spreading from man to man, [...] then the Plague; a dull and stupid disease, that makes him insensible altogether; and a dangerous, or rather desperate disease, [...] or not at all to be cured.

In all which [...], sinne may fitly bee resembled to a [...]: for sinne comes by propagation from our first Parents, to all their posterity. It separates vs from thy presence, from the company of thy [...], of Angels, and all good men. It infecteth others, and poyloneth not onely with the breath, but with the sight of it too. It benums vs so, as wee feele not thy fearefull [Page] iudgements. It is vtterly incurable, otherwise then by the blood of the Lambe. It hath been obserued, that the teares of a Vine, when it bleedes, are a very good medicine for curing of the bodily Leprosie. [...] so the teares [...]. of the heart, [...] and lies lowe, as doth [...] Vine, that [...] and mournes in humility for sinne, auaile much to [...] clensing of this Leprosie of the soule. My sinne, as a Leprosie, doth ouerspread both my soule and body, from the crowne of the head, to the sole of the foote, from the highest faculty of my vnderstanding, to the lowest affection [Page] of my will, there is no sound part in mee, my disease is growne to the height, to full ripenesse, or rather foule rottennesse: it hath put out the scabbe (as they say) by enormious and scandalous actions. Wherefore I beseech thee, who art the prime and soueraigne Physician, to looke vpon me with the eye of pitty, and to clense, and cure mee of my Leprous sinne and sinfull Leprosie.

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2. I know mine owne wickednesse, and my sinne is euer before me, or, my sinne is euer against me.

BEfore the Prophet Nathan was sent as a speciall Bailife, to summon me, by a writ, ad meliùs inquirendum, I cast mine eye carelesly, I did not fixe it fully, I looked slightly and superficially, as in passage, not sadly and mournefully, vpon my grieuous sins: I did not behold them so seriously as I ought to haue done: I saw but the Epitome, or grosse summe of them: I did not viewe them in the large volume, written at length, or rathere [Page] painted out as now they are, in their true shapes and colours.

Euery man, by the light of nature, must needs see somewhat of this kinde, in the glasse of his owne conscience; but through the corruption of nature, no man is willing to take a perfect suruay, and make a full portraiture of his own transgressions.

There is in man an affectedUt liberiùs [...], [...] ignorant. Bern. de grad. humi. ignorance and blindnesse, in this behalfe: and who so blinde, as he that will not see? who so ignorant, as hee that will not know? As wee put off the euill day so long as we can; so we put by the euill obiect, so farre as wee may, [Page] from our sence and sight.

I knew, I had offended; but I knew not, that I had so highly offended: I thought thou diddest see my sinnes; but I did little thinke that thou haddest taken such speciall and exact notice of them, as to send an Herald, or extraordinary Ambassadour, of purpose to challenge, and reproue me for them, and to rowze me out of my sound sleepe and snorting security, in them.

It was thy great mercy, (O God) to send a Prophet, to check, admonish, and correct mee; and it is of thy gracious goodnesse that crosses, which are thy Messengers for that purpose, [Page] afflictions of body or mind, outward or inward, one or other, are ordinarily laid vpon thy children, to make them know themselues; and by knowing themselues, to know thee; and by knowing, to loue thee; and by louing thee, to bee beloued of thee.

This is that golden chaine, euery linke whereof is fastened within another, whereby a man is tyed and nexed to thee: this is that Ladder of Iacob, by which thou descendest to him, and hee ascends to thee.

None is so dangerouslyNemo est [...] insanabilior, qui sibi sanus [...]. Greg. in [...]. sicke, as hee that doth not finde, and feele himselfe to be sicke. I know mine own [Page] maladies, and thereforeInitium salutis, notitia [...]. resort to thee the great Physicion, to be eased andQui peccarese nescit, corrigi non vult. cured therof. It is in vaine to seeke health and helpe, vnlesse I lay open my [...]. Frustrà medicantis auxilium expectat, qui valnus non [...]. [...]. wounds, and discouer the malignity of my disease, which is, morbus complicatus (as the Physicions terme it) not a simple or single, but a compound disease, wherein many diseases are folded, and wrapped together: so as, if thereNon [...] scire quo modo morbos curare conueniat, qui vnde hi sunt ignorat. Cornel. Cels. de Re [...]. lib. [...]. be not extraordinary care taken, to apply somewhat, to each ill affected part, respectiuely, I may soone come ad diliquium animae, to the fainting, and failing of my spirituall life.

I know my sinnes in the [Page] plurall number, which albeit they flowed from one and the same fountaine; yet ranne they into diuers streames, for as much as to my adultery, I added both trechery and murder; neither did I betray and expose to slaughter, one man alone, or a few persons, but a whole band and troope of men, fighting in mine owne quarrell, and in defence of thy Church. Wherefore it is not without cause, that in one grosse body of sinne, I represent vnto my selfe, many seuerall branches, and kindes of sinne, by multiplication, and seuer it into sundry parts, by diuision.

He that knowes his sin, [Page] knowes himselfe: which the Heathens held to be a [...] coelo descendit, &c. diuine lesson, and most profitable instruction. For what can hee vnderstand that knowes himselfe, but that the imaginations of his heart, the words of his mouth, the workes of hisGen 6. hands, are euill onely, and wicked continually?

On the other part, he is not a sinner onely, that is, one that hath sinne in him, and somewhat also besides sinne: but hee is a great lumpe and intire masse ofChrysol. sinne: nothing but sinne, that doth not know himselfe to bee a sinner; and that, hee hath committed many and manifold sinnes.

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Hee that knowes himselfe and his sinnes, cannot but displease himselfe, and thereby please thee; as also, he that neither knows himselfe nor his sins, may haply please himselfe, but he cannot possibly but displease thee.

Hee knowes his owne sinne (as is fitting) who is sorry for it, and displeased with it; he that is readie to abide Gods chastisement, and mans reprofe, for his amendmēt; he that resolues for the time comming, to auoid sin, and all occasions of sinning; who seriously considers what the malignity of sin is, of what good things it bereaues him, to what penalties it makes [Page] him liable, how venemous [...] poison of it is at home, how contagious the example of it is abroade.

Thou hast giuen me (O Lord) the knowledge of thy Law, and by the knowledge of thy Law, the knowledge of my sinne.Rectum index sui, & [...]. For that which is right and straight, doth both shew it selfe, and that which is crooked also. But if thy written Law were silent, and dumbe, and did conceale it selfe, or my sinnes, from me; yet thy vnwritten Law grauen in euery mans heart, both Iew and Gentile, doth accuse me, so oft as I transgresse the limits thereof, and leaue me without excuse. [Page] Mine owne conscience cryes alowde, and layes wide open, before mine eyes, the Booke wherein my enormous sinnes are [...] in capitall Characters, so that I may runne and read them. It stands Centinell in the watch-towre of my soule, and doth keepe me waking, when my sence or sensuality would faine be sleeping, it doth restlesly rayse, and rowze my dull, and dead spirits, out of the deepe dungeon, and spirituall Lethargie of carnall security.

The true fence and full knowledge of my sinnes, makes me so anxious and ardent, in begging pardon, [Page] because I cannot rest, till I haue made my peace, and wrought my reconciliation with thee. The extremity of my danger and distresse, doth cause mee incessantly to importune thee, for reliefe and remedy; and my strong hope is, that this force will not be displeasing to thy tender mercy.

My sinne is euer before me.] I doe not onely know and vnderstand my sinnes, and there leaue the matter: I doe not, vpon a bare enumeration and cogitation of them, cast them carelesly behind my back, but I muster them before my conscience daily, I behold them as in a Table set before [Page] mine eyes continually, that vpon sight of the vglines of them, I may be humbled and cast downe; of the terror and horror of them, I may tremble and quake for feare; of the basenesse and filthinesse of them, I may loath them, & my selfe for them.

For sinnes committed, being truly felt, and liuely represented to the conscience, like furies or ghosts of hell, fright their beholders away, with their vgly shapes, & deformed forms.

Sinne is of that ill nature and condition, that it will cast him that hath done it, in the teeth (as they say;) it will lye vpon the conscience, as vnsauory [Page] oyle floates vpon the stomacke, it will neither bee disgorged, nor digested. Thou toldest Cain, If thou Gen. 4. dost euill, sin lies at the dore: it is restles, it will not be stil, it wil not keep house, it wil not hide it selfe in a corner of the heart; it will lye in the way, so as thou canst neither come in, nor goe forth, but thou must needs stumble vpon it.

A sinner is fitly resembled to a dreamer, not onlyPeccatores somniantibus similes. Ioan. Her. because the pleasure of sinne doth quickly and lightly vanish away, like a shadow, or dreame, but also, because the shapes and formes of his day-sinnes, doe represent themselues to him in the night, the [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] pleasurable actions thereof for the time, doe beget hideous apparitions afterwards.

On the other part, a sinners conscience, is like a graue, that casts vp the earth againe, as fast as hee casteth it in. It is a graueInsepulta sepultara. euer open, though hee cloze it neuer so often.

It is reported of the Indian Bracmanni, that to the end they might still be occasioned to thinke of their end, they kept their graues ready digged, and alwaies open before their houses, that at their comming in, and going out, they might bee euer mindfull of their iourney and passage to death.

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If those Heathen, by the light of nature, tooke so wise a course; how much more ought Christians, by the lampe of grace, still behold their sins as their Graues, wherein their soules must lye eternally buried, vnlesse they bee timely raised, and thorowly renewed by repentance?

As the sight of the Brazen Serpent, did cure the sting of the serpents; so the [...] and displeasing sight of my sins, doth take away the biting of these serpents.

So then, in the middest of the discontent which I finde in this fearefull and wofull sight of my grieuous sins, there is this singular [Page] comfort, that thou in mercy turnest thy face from them, thou castest them behinde thee, while I set them before mee. They doe not deepely displease thee and me, at one and the same time; when they procure my sorrow and humiliatiō, they cease to prouoke thine anger and indignation. My sinsPeccata non nocent, si nō placent. August. de temp. neuer [...] mee, but when they delight mee; they neuer displease thee, but whē they please me; Wherefore as fóule as the obiect, as odious as the [...] is; in my better iudgement, I am contented with an impatient patience, still to represent it to my soule; because howsoeuer in it selfe [Page] vgly, it vshers me by degrees, to the view and contemplation of thy vndeserued loue and fauor, which at length, as the bright sun, dispels all the cloudes of care, and mists of Melancholy, and raises my deiected heart, to the participation of vnspeakable consolation.

Wretched and vnhappy I was, in committing so great and grieuous sinnes; but I am happy in a sort, in this vnhappinesse, if I haue eyes to see my sins, being committed, to see them as it were thorow a perspectiue glasse, so as they may seeme in ful proportion, as great to mee, as they are in deed.

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Satan deales with his vassales, as the Rauen doth with the Lambe; the Rauen first picks out the silly creature his eyes, and then carries him out of the way, securely to deuoure him. First, Satan blindes me in sinne, and then hee bindes me in the chaines of darknesse, as fast as hee can, of purpose to throw me into vtter darkenesse.

When after shippewracke, I see the Rocke, which I could not foresee, before I fell vpon it; I striue by all meanes to auoyde it the second time.

When I see my sinnes past, in the true lineaments of their vgly shape, I cannot but bee shie and wary [Page] to shun the like monsters euer after.

When the bayted hook of sinne is cast before me, I see the baite of pleasure only, but not the hooke of thy iudgements: but after I haue beene catched, and felt and seene the bare hooke without a bayte, I become circumspect, and suspect euery bit I swallow, for feare lest I be ensnared againe.

My sinne is euer against me;] ranged as it were, and marshalled in battaile aray against me. My sinne doth proudly affront, and directly oppose mee, nay it doth euen outface mee shamelesly.

Before Nathan came vnto [Page] me, I had cast my sinnes behinde my backe; his message hath caused mee to transpose them; for now they are set before my face, they stand stoutly against me, euen to my face.

My sinne (O Lord) as it is a witnesse, so is it an informer against my conscience, it charges and conuicts me before thy iudgement seate, I haue no hope of preuarication, I see no way of euasion. It makes hue and crie against mee, with eager pursuite; it will not giue ouer, till I be apprehended, and deliueted into the hands of iustice.

When there is no man to vexe mee outwardly, I torment my selfe inwardly, [Page] as holy Iob confessed in those words; Why hast thou Job. set me ouer against thee? I am become burden some, euen to my selfe. Thou diddest set his sinnes against him, which made him conceiue that thou diddest set him against thee, as a marke to shoote thine arrowes of anger at; but when [...] began thorowly to feele, thou diddest begin graciously to ease him of his burden.

My sinne as it opposes against mee; so it interposes betweene thee and me, in such sort, as neither my prayers can ascend to thee, nor thy graces descend to mee, vnlesse thy mercy interuene to keepe [Page] the peace, and cleere the passage betweene vs.

Against thee, thee, only, haue I [...].] Now my inclosed sorrow must haue vent, my oppressed conscience must be disburthened: This knowledge, andMeum cognoscere, Meum agnoscere, Tuum ignoscere. representation, breeds an acknowledgement and recognition of my sin. The contrition of my heart forcethAugust. Explorandum, [...] Implorandum. [...]. Syst. from me, a confession of my mouth: I can hold no longer, but must needs, with teares in mine eyes, and anguish in my soule, crie out, Peccaui, and with an ingemination, by way of aggrauation: Against thee, against thee, onely; to declare my iust indignation against my selfe, for [Page] committing so foule and grieuous faults against that great Maiestie, and that gracious goodnesse, which I haue so highly offended.

And thus doe I limit, and (as it were) appropriate my offences, as committed against thee alone, for many causes: For, although I haue sinned against Heauen, and against Earth; yet is there no witnesse of my sinne on earth, but thou, O God, in Heauen; so closely and cunningly haue I carried it. That I defiled the wife, & (to conceale that) destroyed the life of Vriah, was not knowne to the world, that I so treacherously and [Page] cruelly exposed to slaughter, a great troope of Souldiers, fighting for mee and vnder my command, (to couer my wicked designe against Vriah,) was hidden from the eyes of men. Thou knowest and seest all things; wherefore against thee onely haue I sinned.

Againe, though there bee no man that dare reprooue mee, that will accuse me, that cā punish me, being a King, and aboueOmne sub regno grauiore regnum est. [...]. the Law; yet euery King and kingdome vpon earth, is subiect to thee the King of Kings, and thy soueraignety; I must render thee an account of my demeanour, which I tremble [Page] and quake to thinke of.

Moreouer, although I haue not onely sinned against thee in Heauen, but scandalized men on earth also; yet it vexeth mee beyond all comparison, that I haue wittingly and presumptuously offended thee.

Although all the world should [...] emee; yet it is too too much to me, to finde and feele thee my Iudge, that mine own conscience doth summon mee before thy Tribunall, and frame my proces against me, before thy Iudgement seate. In this case, no flattery of my seruants (who (according to the fashion of Court) doe sooth and [Page] claw their Masters) can lessen my paine, asswage mine anguish, or pacifie my conscience. Say what they will or can, I must say still; Against thee, against thee, only, I haue offended.

Furthermore, none but thou that art iust and without sinne, hast of right theChrysol. cognizance of sinne, and coertion of offenders. Sinners are not competent Iudges of sinners. Men doe murmur and grudge to giue account of their sinfull actions to sinfull men, who are tainted with the same, or greater vices; but the nocent cannot but yeeld and submit to such, as in the same and in all other kindes, are innocent [Page] and faultlesse. Wherefore against thee onely, haue I offended, who only maiest aske confidently; Who can reprooue me of sinne?

Now, albeit thou know (O Lord) my sinnes, not only before I confesse, but before I commit them too; yet I sinde, that thou art well pleased to take knowledge of them, by my acknowledgement, andFac illum [...], quem [...] is [...]. [...], [...]. that thy Saints haue euer held it a poynt of honest policy, to make thee propitious, by confessing, whom they could not find ignorant, by denying or concealing their faults.

Finally, though the hurt redound to many men; [...] the sinne is committed a [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] gainst thee onely, because thou art supreme Lord and soueraigne King, the transgression of whose iust Lawe, giueth being and birth to all sinne. In which regard I may truly say, that against thee, thee only, I haue sinned.

I haue done this euill in thy sight.] Since, I professe to know mine owne wickednesse; I will yet confesse it more freely, because the more vile I am in mine own, the more acceptable I shall bee in thine eyes. By doing this euill, by falling into this enormous sinne, I haue fallen into a kinde of Atheisme (at the very name whereof I tremble,) for although I [Page] haue not blasphemously and shamelesly spokē with my mouth: yet haue I impiously, and sinfully said in my heart; There is no God; or, which is tantamount, all one in effect; God hides his face, and will neuer see. Which when I call to remembrance, mee thinks, I heare Nathan the Prophet againe, fearefully thundering, and directly charging me, Thou art the man that thinkest, There is no God.

For to deny expressely, or tacitly, thy science and wisdome (who art all eye, and wisdome it selfe) is to deny thy very essence and being. Whereupon, my soule euen melteth within me, and resolueth it selfe [Page] into teares, to thinke that I could bee so impudently bold, and insolently carelesse, as in thy sight and presence (thogh none else beheld) to commit such foule and vgly offences.

Hee is held a desperateChrysol. Malefactor, that commits an outrage in presence of the Magistrate, and before the Iudge his owne face. Such (in true iudgement) is my case; and this consideration alone (if there were nothing else,) ought to be, instead of a bridle to restraine, and in stead of a bogle to terrifie me from all sinfull and wicked actions.

I was loth that man should see me; and yet not [Page] afraid that thou shouldest behold mee, whilest I did those foule and odious facts, which (in my better iudgement) I finde to bee so grosse an absurdity, as I am exceedingly, both agreeued and ashamed, that I forbare not, to doe that, when thou lookedst on with thy pure eyes, which I should haue bin abashed to haue done, if the meanest seruant in my house, or the basest groome in my stable had been by.

A franke and sincere confession, (such as this) is a full and direct conuiction in it selfe, and of it selfe, in courts held vpon earth,Chrysost. and before men, in foro fori, (as the Lawyers speake.) [Page] Wherupon the Iudge hath no other part to act, but to pronounce sentence of cō demnation.

But in foro Poli, in thy court of Heauē, the course of proceeding is far otherwise; the best way there, is to confesse before accusation, or when thou art impleaded, by and by, to pleade guilty; for a free confession, moues thy gracious compassion: and that, without any more adoe, grants forthwith a full and finall absolution.

This confession of mineConfessio peccati, est professio desinendi. Hilar. doth imply of congruitie, or rather of necessitie, a profession, and a kinde of obligation, of forsaking such sins in time to come, [Page] as I confesse my selfe to haue heretofore committed. Else is my confession idle and counterfeit, such as may deceiue mee that make it, but not mocke Thee, to whom it is made.

The heathen man, by the dusky light of nature, deriued from the nature of thy supernaturall light, can say; If I were assured thatSeneca. neither men should know, nor gods would punish what I did; yet would I disdaine to commit an act, in it own nature foule and filthy.

How much more ought a faithfull man, who besides the obscure glimpse of nature, hath the pure light of thy Spirit, and the [Page] bright lampe of thy Word shining vnto him, to bee carefull and wary, that he doe not wittingly and willingly, or rather wilfully offend in the sight of thee, the omnipotent and omniscient God, who dost not only threaten the losse of thy fauour, but the execution of thine eternall vengeance, for the breach of thy commandements?

That thou maist be iustified in thy sayings, and pure when thou art iudged.] And thus I make this franke acknowledgement of my foule faults, as to ease mine oppressed soule, so to vindicate thine honour from all vniust aspersions. For as the scandall lies vpon the [Page] Iudge, when punishment isReatus redundat ad iudicem si Poena percellat innoxium. Chrysol. inflicted vpon an innocent person; so the ingenuous and voluntary confession of the partie, touching his owne guilt, preuents and excludes all imputation that may bee cast vpon the Iudge or iudgement. My desire is, as it is my dutie, to take my sinnes wholly to my selfe, and vpon my selfe. I will yeeld the glory to thee, to whom it is due; I will reserue the shame to my selfe, to whom it appertaineth. I know, O Lord, that thy iudgements are right; that thou hast afflicted me iustly. I cannot impute any [...]. [...]. thing to thee, O most iust God, (whose will is perfect [Page] iustice) that thou hast either prouoked me to this enormous euill, or consented to the committing of it; for euen thy permission of this, was a iust punishment for my other sinnes; Mine owne fraile and peruerse nature, my inbred corruption cast in the seed: mine owne will, or wilfulnesse rather, cherished and nourished it; mine own consent and delight fashioned it in the wombe of my sinful soule; and, at last, brought it to light, as one of Satans bastards, to my iust confusion. But thou, O Lord, art euer, and euery way iust, and so to be esteemed. Thou hast dealt iustly in all that is [Page] come vpon me; it is I that haue done wickedly. I cannot say, that thy seueritie or rigour is ouermuch against mee. I haue deserued more then is laid vpon me. He that is aware of his owne ill desert, and weigheth it in an indifferent ballance, doth rather thankefully wonder at thy indulgent mercie, then vnpatiently repine at thy rigorous seuerity. O Lord, thou art iust when thou speakest, pure when thou iudgest.

True it is, that the wicked cease not to grunt and barke against thee, though they cannot bite thee. There is an ouer-great boldnesse and naughtinesse [Page] in men, that they desire nothing more, then to lift vp themselues, and cast out ill words against thee at all aduentures. The creaturesNisi homini Deus placuerit, Deus non erit. passe their bounds so farre, that thou the Creator, must needs be blasphemedHomo iam Deo propitius esse [...]. Tertul. Apolog. and reproched, and thy creatures (O indignity!) must become thy Iudges. But yet for all this, thou art, and euer shalt bee found iust and pure: and it is my part, as, to beleeue there is equity and iustice in all thy proceedings, ( [...] sometimes, through my blindnesse I cannot, sometimes through my [...], I will not [...];) so, euen when [...] doe most bitterly [Page] smart, to bridle my vnruly passions, and with a calme and subdued heart, to kisse the rod wherewith I haue been scourged, and to indeuour by all meanes, that thy righteousnesse, as it is indeed, so it may shine cleere and bright, to the face of all the world.

Behold, I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me:] Vpon the straight inquisition, and exact suruay of my selfe, and my sinnes, searching and ransacking euery corner of my house of clay, I haue found a noysome sincke, and filthy puddle, or rather a poysoned and poysonous spring, a paternall, or a parentall [Page] sinne, an hereditary, a radicall, and originall sinne, whence all the sinnes of my thoughts, words, and deedes, are continually and plentifully deriued. This is that canker of sin, which being bred in the bone, will neuer out of the flesh. This is the law of my members, which doth alwaies resist the Law of my minde; the euerliuing seed of rebellion, which maintaines the implacable warre, betweene the flesh and the Spirit; which will neuer [...], till mortality hath put on immortality, and death, the last enemy, be swallowed vp in victory. This is peccatum peccans, a sinning, or a spurning [Page] sinne. It is a sinne, a punishmentPeccatum, poena peccati, causa peccati. of sinne, and a cause of sinne.Aug. contra Iuli. [...].

Which yet I do not alleadge, to excuse or extenuate, but rather to accuse my selfe, and aggrauate my sinne; knowing right well, that the viler I am in mine owne, the more acceptable I shall bee in thy sight, and hoping, that the franke confession of my miserable condition, proceeding from true humiliation, and contrition, will the rather moue thy tender compassion; as beggersChrysost. vpō earth, to stir the bowels of pitty in their beholders, lay open to their view, their grieuous sores, and lothsome diseases. [Page] The greater misery is, the fitter obiect of thy greater mercy; & the more desperate the malady, the more honourable will the cure bee to the Phisician. Where my sinne abounds, thy grace delighteth to superabound.

For the onely and singuler sinne of Adam, as of him that bare the person of all his posterity, is iustly the sinne of the whole posterity; and all being guilty of sinne, by his singuler sinfull act, thou, O God, in thy Iustice, diddest permit the naturall propagation of sinne in his off-spring, which deserued such a punishment, for such a sinne. Hereupon it commeth, [Page] that my inbred corruption, and the inherent sting of sensuality, in mee (who sinned in Adams, as Leui tithed in Abrahams loynes) is not the first cause of my guilt, but a fruite or reward thereof, according to thy iust iudgment, whence it may well bee termed, the penalty of sinne. For that prime sin, the chiefe source of sinne, which the further it runneth, the faster it increaseth, by this streame falling into it, growes in the end, to such a strong and forcible current, as doth euen carry, and compell me violently to sinne, if thy grace do not resist the [...] thereof; because [Page] hence doe flow my sinfull passions, my euill affections, my sinister inclinations, and from them, my sinnes of action, or omission (which are sins of action also) in their full perfection, or imperfection rather, which I daily, or rather hourely and continually commit. In which regard, (my woe arising from mine owne wickednesse) my case is most deplorable, euery way. Wherefore I beseech thee, with the eyes of pitty and mercy to behold it.

I was conceiued in sinne:] And therefore there is noAug. [...]. sinne that I am not apt and ready to conceiue, yea, to [Page] engender, and produce from imagination, to assent; from assent, to delectation; from delectation, to resolution; from resolution, to execution; if thou, O Lord, doe not beget me anew, by the immortall seed of thy Word; if thou doe not quell and extinguish in me this old seede, which will alwaies be springing and sprouting in the ranke soyle of my sinfull flesh.

When my mother first warmed me in her bowels, shee conceiued sinne; when she brought me forth into the world, she was deliuered of a child of sinne.

The child in the mothers wombe, is held to be [Page] a part of the mother; and vndoubtedly the mother hath a great share in the Child; before shee depart with it, besides her nature and substance, shee imparts vnto it her qualities, inclinations, and dispositions, being as it were a scion takē from her tree, and a collop cut out of her flesh. That which is borne of flesh, is flesh: and therefore holy [...], asketh this vnanswerable [...] 14. question; Who shall appeare cleane before thee? or, Who [...] bring a cleane thing out of an [...]?

Not onely actuall [...], but [...], and naturall; not the second motions of it onely, put into forme, but the [Page] first, that are vnshapen, doe plot and contriue the treason, are authors, if not actors of it; they bring fewel to the fire, which afterwards is kindled and set a burning; that fomentation of sinne, is not onely the cause of sinne, and the punishment of sinne, but sinne it selfe. This is that threefold cord, euery part and piece whereof is sinfull, that bindes me fast to the barre of thy iustice: First, Adam his primitiue sinne; then, the diriuation of sinne to all his posterity: and afterwards, the particular actions of sinne, proceeding from them both.

Now, if I were a sinner [...]. [...]. in my mothers wombe; [Page] when, and where shall I be faultlesse? If I were so bad, before I saw the light, how should I not be much worse, when through the corruption of the world, and the contagion of sin, I haue sucked in the infectious aire thereof? How can it bee, but that my inbred naughtinesse must needes gaine strength, and gather increase?

And what can the progresse and end bee, when the beginning of my life is so [...] and sinfull?

If I bee cast out of my mothers wombe, into the roade-way of sinne, and trauell the iourney of sin, still onward: let mee but [Page] recount the vanity of [...] childhood, the [...] my youth, the slips, or rather falls of my [...] age, the infirmities of my old age, and I shall [...] finde, that from my [...] and [...], to my death and [...], I trod the way, not of life, but of sinne.

5. [...], I was conceiued in sinne. 6. Behold, thou louest Truth, &c.

IN these two Ecce's, which are happily sorted together, I desire to intimate two remarkeable things. The one is, the misery of my wretched [Page] condition: The other, the largenesse of thy tender affection. The first Ecce, is on thy part: Behold, O Lord, my conception and birth in sinne; behold mee drowned and ouerwhelmed in a sea of sin. The other Ecce, is on my part: I behold in thee, O Lord, a fire of loue, because thou louest the least sparkles of grace in mee, (which mounting vpwards, make me looke towards heauen) thou doest nourish and cherish them, thou art vtterly vnwilling to quench or extinguish them, and when thou findest but such an inclination in my will, thou doest strengthen it with wisedome [Page] in my vnderstanding. When the vnderstanding and wil concurre, that I both know what to doe, and am desirous to do it, then doe I bring it to effect, or (which is all one in effect) thou in thy gracious goodnesse doest accept it, as if it were effected.

Thou louest truth, O Lord,] for thou louest thy selfe, who art Truth it selfe, essentiall Truth, Truth, not in words onely, but in actions, and euen in thoughts also; that is to say, Veritie and Sinceritie in all things.

Thou louest truth in the reines] not in the shaddowes of my outward [Page] actions (which I can disguise at pleasure) but in the most hidden, close, and couert imaginations of the heart, which thou seest continually, and knowest exactly.

Thou art, by a paramount power, and a peculiar attribute, stiled, The searcher of the heart and reynes, (Who knowes my heart, but thou alone?) therefore thou canst not but loue truth in the heart and reynes; that is the most pleasing and delightfull obiect, thy pure and All-seeing Eye can fixe vpon.

As thou louest trueth and sincerity in the heart and reynes; so thou hatest [Page] all dissimulation and hypocrisie. Thou canst not abide that which is faire in shew, and foule in deed.

Thou canst not abide dissembled holinesse, fained repentance. Thou abhorrest such as make a sowre face, & hang downe their heads like bulrushes, that they may seeme to fast and mourne; that make false semblance of piety, inSapiens [...] Deus est, [...] fractumnon recipiet. [...] Bernard. de gradib. obed. their outward fashion, and in the sight of men, when thou seest their hearts to bee farre from that they should, or pretend to be.

The light (faith Iob) isIob 36. as the shaddow of death, to such, the hollow-hearted doe but heape vp and increase wrath.

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No man deserues [...] [...] meretur, quàm amicum simuans inimicus. [...]. de Conuers. cap. 27. of God, or man, then [...] enemy pretending friendship: yea, thou so louest truth in the inward parts, as thou acceptest them for iust and righteous, who [...] such onely, in respect of their desire, study and indeauour, though their practice bee most imperfect,Tota vita honi Christiani, est sanctum desiderium. Aug. in [...]. such as sincerely and heartily affect to serue & please thee, though they come farre short of the due performance of thy Word [...] tota posita est in voluntate faciendi bona. Lact. [...]. l. 6. and will.

As a husband passeth by with conniuence, and beareth with patience, many faults and imperfections in his wife, so long as she is true and loyall, and [Page] keepeth her selfe chastely and solely to him: Euen so, thou (O God) winckest at many errours, and pardonest many offences in thy people, (to whom thou hast married thy selfe in mercy) so long as they bee such as they ought to bee, in the mayne point: that is, in the truth of their affection, and the sincerity of their deuotion towards thee.

To increase the comfort, which I apprehend, in this sweet Meditation and Admiration, I follow the scent (as it were) and represent to my minde and memory, the sundry traces and footsteps of thy maruellous mercy.

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First, That it is not so much the quantity, as the [...]; not so much the [...], as the sincerity of grace, which thou regardest.

A little [...] and courseMelius [...], [...] auri [...]. in Cantic. gold, is of much more value, then much bright copper, then much shining brasse. An [...] of gold is true gold, [...] it bee mingled with much drosse. Nor will a manNec vinum [...] etsi fecem habeat, [...] aurum, quamuis [...]. [...]. de [...]. that is in his right wits, cast away his gold for the foulenes, be it but a graine or two, wrapped vp in a great masse of other earth, but will keep the one with the other, till hee haue fined and seuered the one from the other.

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In like maner, thy grace in the hearts of thy children, though it bee still mixed with many imperfections, and corruptions too; yet it is true grace, and [...] all the [...], and [...] shewes of it, that are [...] in the liues, either of Heathens, or [...].

[...], I hope strongly, [...] wilt not reiect it, though it bee neuer so small in [...], [...] and refine nee; so as my [...] osse may be [...], and thy grace more and more [...] in me.

[...], that in thy [...], thou art wont to [...] the wil, [Page] for the worke; and the desire, for the deed. As in euill,Voluntas pro facto [...]. [...]. Ep. 77. [...]. Iuris. the very desire and indeuour of ill doing, makes me to stand guilty before thee, though the euill beeRes mira ille viuit, [...] homicida. Illa casta, tu tamen [...]. Aug. de verb. Dom. not actually done; (Hee that lusts after a woman, He that hates his brother; the one is an adulterer, the other a murtherer:) So in goodnesse, the settled study, true desire, and earnest indeauour of holinesse and piety, causes me to bee esteemed pious and holy in thy sight, though I cannot attaine to that measure of it, that I would and should; for thou, Lord, regardest more what I affect, and desire to be, then what I am; more [Page] what I indeauour and striue to doe, then what I doe.

Such, vndoubtedly, is thy disposition, such ought to be my apprehension, vnlesse I will needs, to thyNisi fortè putetur in [...], quàm in bono, &c. dishonour, and mine owne disaduantage, peeuishly and peruersly imagine, that Thou (being Loue it selfe) art more prone to punish, [...] to pardon; that Thou (being Mercy it selfe) art more forward to reuenge, then to reward thy seruants and children.

Thirdly, that thou doestNos etsi [...] minus diligimus quá [...]; diligimus [...] qu [...] valemus, [...] & [...] vt à [...] vnde amplius diligamus. [...]. Epist. 85. exact no more of thine, then thou hast bestowed vpon them. For I obserue, [Page] (to my singular contentment) in the legall sacrifices and oblations, how low thou doest, in mercie, descend. Thou art content to accept a Sheepe or two, or a Lambe or two, for a Sacrifice; or if a man bee not [...] to bring so much, thou [...] pleased with one, or if he want meanes for a Lambe, thou art not [...]. 5. 6 [...], [...], 14, 21, 30. vnwilling to take a paire of [...], or two little Pigeon, instead of it: yea, if a [...] not able to [...] so farre [...]; a handfull or two of flowre, with a [...] of salt or two, doeth s [...], where it is offered with an honest heart.

There is a curse laid [Page] vpon the coozener, whoMal. 1. 14. [...] a sound or a fatte male in his flock, bringeth a corrupt carrion, or a leane starueling to thee, for a sacrifice: But hee is not accursed who bringeth no better, because he hath no better to bring. And I finde it often iterated for the comfort of poore and weake ones, that being not able to offer as the rich did, might therfore doubt of the like acceptation:Leu. 14. 22, 30, 31, 32. Looke, what he is able, according to his ability, euen what his hand is able to reach vnto, and it shall be accepted: for thou measurest the gift, not by the worth or greatnesse of it; but by the might and [Page] minde onely of the giuer. Thou doest not so much2. Cor. 8. regard, what I should, as, what I can, and am willing to doe. What I would, butQuic quid vis & non potes, [...] Deus reputat. Aug. cannot doe, thou doest account it as done. Thou crownest willingnes, when thou findest not ablenesse in me to performe.

Cain offered sacrifices,Gen. 4. but thou didst not accept them, because thou didst see his cruell heart. But Abel his sacrifices were pleasing, because they were offered with a louing and sincere heart vnto thee.

Thou doest not accept the person for the sacrifice, but the sacrifice for the persons sake. The [Page] truth and sincerity of the heart is all in all with thee.

Lastly, that it is not soSi [...] ea, quae [...] merita nostra, sunt spei quaedam seminaria. bernard. de [...] & lib. arbit. much any vprightnesse in me, in regard of the worth and dignity, much lesse of the perfection and purity of it, that ministers this comfort vnto mee, but as it is a fruit of thy fauour, and a token of thy loue, not it selfe so much, as that whereof it giueth me assurance, and that in two respects.

First, as it is a signe and seale of my Adoption; assuring me, that I am thine adopted child: For my regeneration, whereby this sincerity is wrought in me, doeth ratifie and seale vp my Adoption (the old [Page] man harboureth no such ghest.) None are thy Adopted, but such as are thy regenerated children; and on the other part, all that are thine by Regeneration, are thine by Adoption also. Now as earthlySi non dilexisset [...], [...] amicos. Sicut nec quos [...]. essent, si non dilexisset, qui nondū erant. Bern. in Cant. 20. parents loue their children, not so much for their wit and comelinesse, as because they are theirs; so doest thou, O God, loue thy children, because they are thy children. If thou doest not loue them before they haue, they shall neuer haue any thing, toQu [...] inuenit, neminem saluat, nisi quem [...]. idem de [...] & li ber. a. b [...]. 10. make them bee loued of thee. So then, this beginning of true grace argueth thy child; and a weake child of thine, being yet [Page] thy child as well as a strong, may, in that regard, expect a childes portion, in thy heauenly inheritance.

Secondly, as it is an earnest,Arra potius, quàm [...], quia [...], arra [...]. or Gods-penny of my glorification. For this sincerity is the earnest of that Spirit, which thou giuestAugust de [...]. Apost. me before-hand, for full [...] of the faithfull performance of all thy gracious promises afterward. Therefore as a penny giuen in earnest, bin deth as strongly, as a pound, (the person that giueth it, being a sufficient man:) Euen so the least measure of true grace, being thy earnest, bindes thee to the faithfull ac [Page] complishment of all thyPignus donum est verbo [...] (vt Iureconsulti) nec potest esse sine pacto pignus. fauours, promised to all thy faithful seruants whatsoeuer.

It is thou only (ô Lord) that preparest my heart, and workest this truth in it, and thou wilt neuer frustrate the desire, that thou thy selfe hast there wrought. As no man canseeke thee, but hee that hath found thee; so no man can desire grace, but hee that hath grace: for euermore hee that desireth Grace, hath grace to desire it.

It is thy gracious Proclamation:Ipse vt diligeretur dedit, qui non dilectus dilexit. Aug. in Joan. The Lord God will be mercifull, yea, hee hath beene alreadie, and is mercifull to those, that [Page] set their hearts aright, that desire to feare his name. Whereupon I take heart, and say: Then shall I not bee Psa. 119. 6. confounded, when I haue respect to all thy precepts, and when I am vpright with my God.

The louing kindnesse of the Lord is from euer, and for euer vpon those that thinke vpon his commandements to doe them: and therefore vnto such also, is ioy, in plaine termes promised; The righteous Psal. 64. shall bee glad in the Lord, and trust in him, and all, (without exception) that are but vpright in heart, shall reioyce. And therefore hauing by warrant of the blessed Spirit, pronounced [Page] them blessed, not that neuer sinned, but that haue sincerely repented their sinnes, and in whose soule there is no guile, I conclude with an Iniunction, awarded vnder the seale of the same Spirit, and laidPsal. 32. vpon all such; to reioyce: Be glad, ye righteous, and reioyce Psal. 32. 11. in the Lord: be merry (not onely in your owne selues: and soules) but euen with acclamations and iubilations: shout for ioy, all you that are vpright in heart.

The summe of all is: I doe not finde my heart so free from sin, or so full of grace, as it would and should bee; but I finde it to be true, plaine, and vpright (wherein I appeale [Page] to thee, O thou searcher of hearts) not such as hath no sinne, (for it hath in a manner nothing but sinne) but such as loues no sinne, not such as wants no grace, but such as is hum bled for want of grace, hauing the grace to feele that want.

6. In the secret of my heart thou shalt teach me wisdome: or, Thou shalt teach the seacrets of wisdome in my heart, or hidden part.

THe conscience of my vnfained sorrow for sin, on the one side, & my true desire to serue thee better hereafter, on the other, [Page] doe raise my dciected soule, and make me beleeue and hope, that thou in thy gracious goodnesse wilt teach me more wisedome, euen the mystery of godlinesse, and art of Religion (which is the soule of the soule) in the secret of my heart; I say, thou shalt, because I begge earnestly, and hope confidently, that thou wilt teach mee such Wisedome.

The teaching of the inward man, by the true instruction of heauenly wisdome, the end wherof is eternall saluation, belongeth to thee alone. It is thy proper and peculiar worke; whereupon thine [Page] elect ones are termed, The taught of God: for flesh and blood reueales not these things vnto me. Hee hathCathedram in Coelo habet, [...] docet. August. his chaire in heauen, that teacheth the heart: and to thy schollers, it is only giuen to know the secrets of thy Kingdome.

Therefore, I trust, thou wilt teach me thy wayes, and thy statutes, thou wilt open mine eyes, that I may sce the wonders of thy Law, thou wilt giue me true vnderstanding, and send me thy good Spirit, as a perfect Pylot to leade and guide me into all truth & goodnesse.

This is the wisedome ofSol non omnes, quibus lucet, etiam calesacit. the heart and brest, not of the head and braine: [Page] whereby I shall become,Sic sapientia [...], quos docet [...] sit facien dum, non [...] accendu ad [...]. Bern. in Cant. Non [...] sapientem, sed timor facit, quia & afficit. Grego. not more learned or politicke, but more godly [...] vertuous; not more able to discourse and dispute, but to doe, and liue well: [...] become righteous, that is, (by a little variati on of the word) right wise. For whē all is said & done. That is right wisedome, which makes me wise vnto Saluation: That is not seeming and shining, but sound and solid wisedome: that is reall and operatiue,Nunquam nimis dicitur, quod nunquam satis dicitur. not speculatiue and formall wisedome. The true information, and thereby Reformation of the soule, is the soule of wisedome.

It is neuer taught enough, [Page] which is neuer sufficiently learned; and this wisedome is of that nature, that the soule is neuer satiated therewith, but is still hungry, and couetous of more. I haue heard and read many lessons, by way of instruction, in this wisedome; but either through my dulnesse, I could not apprehend them; or through my obliuion, I could not remember thē; or through my infirmity, I could not practise them: Howbcit, by the supereminent authority of thee, the Teacher; the excellencie of the matter taught, and the increase of my diligence (all happily concurring together,) I hope [Page] at length, to attaine the depth of wisedome, in the deepe and secret corners of my heart.

7 Purge me with Hysope, and I shall be cleane.

THe tongue wil be licking,Lingua sequitur dentem dolentem. where the tooth is aking; the finger will be touching, where the paineVbidolor, ibidigitus. is fretting.

The Leprosie of my sinne is so irkesome and lothsome vnto mee, as I cannot but it erate my earnest Petition, and re-enforce my humble Prayer, to bee purged thereof, and for the fitter application, and better operation of the purgation, to bee [Page] purged with Hysope.

Thou, O Lord, didst appoint Hysope to be vsed in thy Law for diuers purposes. In the institution ofEx. 12. 22. the Passeouer, the blood of the Lambe was appointed to bee sprinkled vpon the doore cheekes, with a bunch of Hysope, and with a Scarlet lace. In the purgation of the Leper,Leu. 14. 6. the bunch of Hysope was to bee dipped in the blood of the Sparrow. In the burning of the red HeiferNum. 19. (which was to bee chosen without spot or wrinckle) the Priest was to put in Hysope, besides Cedar wood and Scarlet.

By the blood of the Lambe, the Sparrow and [Page] the red Heifer, the blood of that immaculate Lambe was vndoubtedly prefigured and represented. By the bunch of Hysope, the besprinkling of the soule with that blood; and the applying of it thereunto by faith: by the red, or crimson lace, the vnion and communion of thy Saints was shaddowed, who are tyed together by a True-loues knot, and sprinkled with that same blood, for the remission of their sinnes.

Whiles I suruey the vertues and qualities of this herbe, (to vnfold this riddle of thy Law) I may iustly take occasion, as to magnifie thy goodnesse [Page] (O God) who hast prouided so powerfull a medicine, to cure all mans corruptions; so to obserue thy wisedome, who, for our better apprehension, hast so fitted the signe and figure to the thing signified and represented thereby, Hysope: whence I borrow, this Allegory hath many things whereby it doth aptly and neerly resemble Christ.

It is obscure, base, and low; the Hysope, as theProuerb. lowest herbe, is opposed to the Cedar, as the tallest tree. In the person of Christ, I haue said, I am a Vermis, non homo. worme, and no man, the reproach of men, and despised of the people: all they that see[Page]me, doe scoffe at me, they [...] a mowe with the lip, and they wagge the head. Hysope growes of it selfe, among stones, not planted by man: Christ was hewne out of the Rocke, without hands.

Hysope is bitter and sowre, vnpleasing to the taste; so Christ his Crosse, by which we are crucified to the world, & the world vnto vs, is harsh and vnsauourie to flesh and blood.

Though Hysope bee sowre, it is wholesome for the body: The bitter medicines are euer the better: so the Recipe of repentance, albeit odious to the flesh, is most profitable to the soule. The doctrine [Page] which is seasoned with salt and Hysope, is fitter for vs, then that which is sweetened with honey: For on the one side, honey was neuer appointed to be vsed in any sacrifice; on the other side, not any sacrifice,Omnis [...]. but was to bee seasoned with salt.

Hysope (as Physicians [...]. [...]. [...]. tell) is powerfull to purge the lungs. The humility of Christ, like Hysope, doth purge our pride, which floteth in the lungs, and is discouered by the fuming, puffing, and blowing thereof.

Hysope, being hot in operation,Cyrill. doth cut and extenuate the grosse and flegmaticke humours of the [Page] body. So true grace takes away all the dulnesse and drowzinesse of my Spirit, makes me feruent in prayers, and zealous in holy duties.

Hysope euacuateth theHug. Card. Lorin. in Psal. 51. body, nourisheth the natiue colour, cureth the biting of Serpents, prouoketh the appetite, sharpeneth the sight, warmeth the blood, cooleth Feauers. So grace purgeth by contrition, spitteth foorth by confession, warmeth by charitie, seasoneth by temperance, quencheth the fiery inflamations of vnruly passions, maketh vs hungry after righteousnesse, quicke-sighted to discerne our own errours and faults, [Page] yeeldeth remedies against the stings of concupiscence, restores againe that spirituall vigour, which we daily lose by our manifold transgressions.

Hysope hath many vertues and properties, (if well vsed) for the health of our bodies. But that which is shaddowed by it, towit, the bloud of Christ, cures all the diseases of the soule, and clenseth vs from all our sinnes.

With Hysope this blood is sprinkled vpon vs, that is, by faith it is applied to our consciences, to purge and purifie them from dead workes.

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7 Wash me, O Lord, and I shall be whiter then snow.

BEcause I finde my selfe so spotted with the staines, so polluted with the dirt and drosse of my sinne, so soone soyled againe after my washing, euen in the teares of repentance; so prone, with the Dog, to returne to my vomit, with the Hog to the myre, wherein I formerly wallowed: therefore I harpe still vpon this string, which I touched before, I doe iterate this Petition also, and cry againe; Wash me, &c.

If thou, Lord, bee pleased to wash mee often and [Page] thorowly, I shall not onely be freed from the foule blacknesse which my grieuous sinnes haue cast vpon mee, but I shall become neate, faire, and white, yea, whiter then snow.

If I wash my selfe with Iob 9. 30. snow water, (saith holy Iob) and make my hands neuer so cleane; yet shalt thou plunge me in the ditch or myre, that is, thou shalt discouer an vncleannes in me (which was not perceiued before) and mine own clothes shall abhorre me. But if thou, Lord, bee pleased to wash me, I shall be whiter then snow; that is, I shall abandon all euill affections, and preserue my heart pure and holy, consecrating all the faculties of [Page] my soule, and members of my body, to thy true and sincere seruice.

Can the BlackamoreIer. 13. 23. change his skinne, or the Leopard quit his spots? If that cannot be; yet thou, O Lord, canst so wash me, that I shall be whiter then snow.

That which is impossible by nature, is possible and factible by grace. That foulenesse which is propagated to mee by discent, and bred in me by naturall generation, as also nourished and increased by continual actuall transgression, is not only remooued, but quite changed by free iustification, and supernaturall regeneration.

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If my sinnes bee as red as Esay 1. skarlet, thou canst make them as white as wooll; if they bee like crimson, thou canst make them whiter then snow. O wonderfull mysterie! O incomprehensible miracle! that blood should make me white, that the washing and bathing of my soule in the blood of that immaculate Lambe, should make wee whiter then snow! that euen the garmentsReuel. 7. of thy Saints, by washing in this blood, should become white, which yet shall bee reuealed to, and wrought vpon thy Saints!

I shall bee white heere by grace, yea, whiter then snow; I shall bee bright [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] heereafter in glory, brighter then the starres, yea, then the Sunne in the firmament; grace heere shall be the beginning of glory there, and glory there shall bee the complement and perfection of grace here.

This is arcanum [...] diuini, a secret of thy Diuine state and gouernement, which thou shalt (I am hopefull, thou wilt) not onely teach by infallible demonstration, but also worke by thy blessed Spirit, his powerfull operation in the secrets of my heart.

The cause of the snow his whitenesse, is held (by Philosophers) to bee the store of ayre, shut vp, by [Page] the extremity of cold, in the cleere water that distilleth from the cloudes.

Thy celestiall ayre and light, which surpasseth all bodily and naturall whitenesse, being gathered into my soule, when it is melting into the teares of repentance, makes it cleere and bright, euen to admiration.

Christ, by washing my soule, hath taken my spots out of mee, vpon himselfe: hee himselfe remaines all [...] and stained with my sinnes; insomuch, that the Spouse is amazed at it, and wondring demands; Wherfore doest thou weare garments all spotted and dyed with [Page] blood, like vnto them thatEsa. 63. stampe grapes in the winepresse?

Thy seruant Moses, outNum. 12. of his kinde and vndeserued loue, tooke an Aethiopian woman to his wife. No wife is deformed inNulla vxor proprio marito deformis. [...]. her owne husbands eyes, if he be such a husband as he ought to be.

The mysticall Moses, who in loue hath married himselfe vnto his Spouse the Church, not onely blacke and deformed, but vgly and filthy in her selfe, hath by his gracious election of her, though neither by her beauty nor manners recommended vnto him, made her (because he so esteemeth her) [Page] faire, comely and graceful, he hath changed her color and complection, yea, and her nature and condition too, so as she sticks not to say, I was black by nature,Nigra & formosa. Cantic. 1. 5. but I am faire by grace.

Can that which is blacke as Pitch, or Ebeny, become perfectly white, and whiter then snow? yes verily, for my state by adoption and regeneration in Christ, is of more perfection, then Adam his happiest condition in Paradise; This might and did faile: that can neuer alter or decay, but abides firme and sure, to all eternity.

Blacke by the art of man, can take no other [Page] hue: nor can this whitenes by the fraud or force of the prince of darkenesse, be euer either darkned or defaced.

Snow is white without and within, on euery side. Thy Grace will make mee, not like a painted sepulcher faire without, and foule within, not hypocritically specious, but really sound and sincere, and the beauty of the soule thus washed, will infinitely exceede the whitenesse of any body, yea, euen of snow it selfe.

Make mee to heare of [...] and gladnesse, &c.] O Lord, I beg of thee the whole tree of life, growing by the riuer side in the Garden [Page] of Eden, whose roote is iustification, by remission of my sinnes, and whose fruite is true ioy and consolation, in thy gracious fauour. There may bee aPotest esse radix sine [...], stipes sine fructu, sed nec stipes nec fructus sine radice. roote without a stocke, as when a Tree is hewne downe: a stocke without [...], as in the winter season: but nor fruite nor stocke, where no roote is. The forgiuenesse of my sinne is the root of all my ioy. O Lord, giue me the fruite of that roote, and that will assure me of the roote of that fruite.

Vnlesse thou make me, I cannot heare; Vnlesse thou open mine eare, the voice of gladnesse will not enter; or if it goe in at the [Page] one, it will go out at the other eare, I shall be neuer the better for hearing. Thou must not only tel me the tale, but finde me eares also; thou must not onely present the obiect, but enable my faculty also, to perceiue, or receiue it.

The Adder or Cockatrice, is (as some say) naturally, (as some others) cunningly deafe, laying the one eare close to yt ground, & stopping the other with his tayle, purposely to preuent the skill of the Charmer, who seekes to enchant him in such sort, as he shall not be able, either to bite, or sting.

So man, in his pure, or rather impure naturals, [Page] is either sencelesly deafe, and cannot, or voluntarily deafe, and will not heare any voice, that tends to the spirituall solace of his soule, no not the sound of sound ioy, not the melodious noise of true gladnesse, vnlesse thou that sendest the tidings of Grace, doe giue him the grace also to entertaine those tidings.

Now what is the end and indeuor, either of this corruption by nature, or peruersenesse by will, but that none of thy words or spels (O God) none of thy holy Spirit his motions or inclinations may haue power (wickednesse being so powerfull) to [Page] charme or inchant me, but that I may still bite, and sting, still hurt and annoy, both my selfe and others.

I desire ioy and gladnesse doubled, that is, both of soule and body, and I cannot rest contented with one or two, or a few comforts; I seeke to haue them multiplied, that as my tribulations were increased, so, in like proportion, my consolations may be inlarged; and I terme this ioy and gladnesse indefinitely, because this is the onely solid ioy, and true gladnesse. All other ioyes are but toyes, like false fires, and counterfet [...], such as deserue [Page] not the name of ioyes at all.

I beseech thee, O Lord, not onely to blot out my transgressions, and to take away the guilt of my sins, but (for the raising of my deiected, the relieuing of my distressed soule) to let me know so much, also: let me heare this ioyfull Word, in the eare of my heart, from thine owne mouth, by thine holy breath and Spirit, Thy sins, Mat. 9. 2. are forgiuen thee.

Not onely bee vnto me a Sauiour, but say vnto my Psal. 35. 3. soule; I am thy saluation. For I may stand pardoned and iustified in thy gracious, [...] and certaine resolution, and yet not know so [Page] much; and not knowing it, how can I be but grieuously perplexed, & fearefully distracted in my conscious & distrustfull cogitations? Wherefore, O Lord, let thy Spirit certifie my spirit, that All is peace. Let my soule sensibly feele, though it cannot fully conceiue this peace, which passeth all vnderstanding.

To a Prisoner conuicted and condemned for high treason, to cruell death, and euery houre expecting execution, according to course of Iustice, what greater ioy can there bee, then to heare of a gracious and free pardon, of all his offences, from his Soueraigne?

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This is the true character of my selfe, and euery other sinner, in respect of our spirituall condition. Wee were damned before [...] antequam nati. Bern. wee were borne in sinne: since our birth wee haue liued in sinne, we haue multiplied sinne vpon sinne, wee haue drunke vp iniquity,Iob 15. 16. as a fish drinketh vp water, wee haue committed sundry hainous and horrible treasons against thy diuine [...]: (to say nothing of other capitall crimes) wee haue after all this, wilfully drawne downe thine indignation, and called for thine eternall vengeance vpon vs: In this deplorable, and euen desperate case, what [Page] more welcome tydings, then to heare of this Iubile?

Sinne doth not onely bring me into a dull slumber, but euen into a dead sleepe also. In sleepe all my sences are bound vp, as it were, in chaines; when I am fast asleepe, I heare nothing at all. Wherefore awake me, O Lord, and make me to heare.

Make mee to heare thy Word (the conduit of comfort) openly taught, with such diligence and deuotion as is meete; make mee to heare the secret whisperings of thy blessed Spirit, with such reuerence and obedience as is requisite: make me so to heare, [Page] as I may beleeue (faith commeth by hearing with thy blessing) and then I shall not faile to heare of this redoubled ioy and gladnesse, which my sorrowfull & perplexed soule doth so much hunger and thirst after.

I doe the more earnestly desire, and affectionately long to heare of this ioy, because it is an assay and foretaste of that ioy, which I hope fully to enioy in heauen: it is not the [...] redditur, arra [...]. [...]. pawne or pledge (that must bee returned againe but the earnest, or Godspenny (which continues still with the receiuer) of a farre greater ioy heereafter, and where thou giuest [Page] earnest, thou neuer failest to performe the bargaine. This ioy is great inBernard. Gaudium in praesenti exhibitione. Gaudium in futurâ expectatione. the present exhibition, far greater in the future expectation, no meane ioy in the meane time, while I liue in this valley of teares, the life of grace, but gloriousEt res plena gaudio, & [...]. Idem. Gaudium in fine, sed gaudium sine fine. Bernard. and vnspeakable ioy hereafter in the life of glorie; such ioy in the end as shall be without end, in the heauenly [...], where there shall be peace without trouble, plenty without want, light without darkenesse, health without sickenesse, melody without discord, security without feare, felicity without misery, ioy without interruption or intermission, [Page] ioy vpon ioy, ioy exceeding all ioy, without, or beyond which, there is no ioy at all.

If I heare this word of comfort in this life, which giueth mee title and interest; (Thy sinne is forgiuen thee:) I shall be sure then to heare the warrant for possession and fruition; (Enter, good seruant, into thy Masters ioy.) Without this ioy, there is nothing but disquiet and discomfort, nothing but [...] and horror, nothing but apprehension of wrath and vengeance.

The wicked, who heareth nothing of this ioy, feeleth no serenitie or tranquillity of minde, but [Page] (as holy Iob saith) is like aIob 15. 35. woman that is alwayes in trauaile, like the raging sea,Esa. 57. 20. still foaming and casting vp dirt and myre; on the other part, the penitent sinner, who in anguish of soule harkeneth after these tydings, deriueth ioy from the wel-head, where there is Gods plenty (as they say) fulnesse of most sweet and delightfull comforts, euen a torrent, or strong running streame of pleasures, flowing perpetually.

He shall haue incomparably more ioy than the worldling, whose corne, and wine, and oyle, are increased, and therefore may lay him downe in peace,Psal. 4. [Page] and rest in security, because thou makest him to dwell in safetie.

Such as the matter is,Cùm de transitorijs [...] non poterit non transire laetitia, [...] ijs, de [...], [...], [...] ignis. [...]. de Temp. whereof ioy ariseth and consisteth, such is the ioy it selfe. If the matter bee slight, flitting, and momentary, (as the world and the flesh are,) how can the ioy be constant, solid, and durable? On the other side, the ioy that is grounded vpon so precious a foundation, as remission of sinne, and reconciliation with thee, how can it bee but vnchangeable and inexplicable?

This ioy will eate vp all false ioyes and flitting delights which men fansie, to take in the pleasures of [Page] sinne, as the Rod of Aaron Exod. 7. [...]. did deuoure the rods of the Aegyptian Sorcerers. This ioy, like water, will quench and extinguish all the hot desires and fiery lusts of the world and the flesh whatsoeuer.

That the bones which thou hast broken, may reioyce.] I made my moane heeretofore, that my bones werePsal. 32. sore vexed, that there was no peace or rest in them, by reason of my sinne. I now professe, that they were not only crushed and bruized, but euen disioynted and broken, that is, the most strong & able powers and faculties of my soule and body (which I describe by the name of [Page] bones) haue been oppressed, & battered, as it were, with the terrible pangs and restles tortures which I haue suffered, by the hammer of thine indignation, conceiued against my grieuous and enormous transgressions.

But if thou, Lord, wilt now be pleased, after my vnfained repentance, to make me heare of this ioy and gladnesse, all these bones, [...] with the [...] and marrow of thy [...], shall in iust [...], and [...], cry out, Lord, who is [...] [...] vnto thee?

It is thy [...] and manner of proceeding, O [Page] Lord, with thy dearestDeut. 32. children. Thou makest the wound, and bindest it vpagaine; thou smitest, and healest againe; thou killest, and quickenest againe; thou castest downe to the nethermost hell, and thou raisest vp againe to the heauen of heauens, shewing and declaring thereby, thine irresistable power, to worke mine humble obedience; [...] vnspeakable wisedome, to breed my reuerent admiration; thy seuere Iustice, to beget mine awefull feare; thy supereminent tender mercy, to purchase mine affectionate loue towards thee.

The deeper mine humiliation is, the greater [Page] will bee mine exaltation; the sowrer the sorrow is, the sweeter will the succeeding gladnesse prooue, when thou shalt please to affoord it vnto me: for not my spirit onely, but all the parts of my soule and body, will exceedingly reioyce, when after these tempestuous stormes, I shal safely arriue at the hauen of rest and contentment.

For as water is more grateful to the way-faring man, after a long drought, and a calme more [...] to a sea-faring man, after a terrible tempest: so will my deliuerance bee, after my tribulation. O how beautifull will thy mercy [Page] appeare, after the depth of my miserable affliction. How shall I reioyce, [...] euer I was sorrowfull. How shall my bones bee glad, that euer they were broken! I shall gratefully acknowledge, that thy [...] Psal. 23. and thy staffe haue [...] mee; that is, I shall take comfort that euer I was chastized with them, and that according to the multitude of my griefes, thy consolations haue made my minde ioyfull, that is, for euery sorrow that I receiued in time of my tribulation, I shall receiue a consolation after my deliuerance.

O then what a madnesse is it, to buy a little vaine, [Page] idle, frothie, and momentany pleasure, at so deare a rate, as the vexation and anguish, the terrors and tortures, both of soule and body? which none can conceiue by imagination, but he that feeleth, and he that feeleth, is not able by any representation to expresse.

Hide thy face from my sinnes, and blot [...] all my transgressions.] Because my sinne is the source of my sorrow, and the bane of my blisse, I make this the burthen of my song, and doe reiterate my Prayer, for pardon: I beseech thee once againe, O Lord, either to remooue thy sense from the obiect, or [Page] the obiect from thy sense; hide thine eyes from such an vgly sight, looke another way, behold any thing rather then it; or if being all Eye, thou canst not but see all things that are, and so all my sinnes, (if they be at all) O Lord, blot them out, let not them be to be seene, blot them out all, and at once, vna litura, with one dash of thy pen, efface all my transgressions.

Hide thy face not from me, but from my sinnes: Thou hast charged me louingly; Seeke my face; andPsal: 27. 8. I haue answered resolutely; Thy face, Lord, will I seeke. If thou withdraw thy face from me, woe is me, I shall bee like those [Page] that goe downe into the bottomlesse pit: wherefore still shew me the light of thy countenance: looke vpon thy creature, which thy hands haue made and fashioned; looke vpon thine owne Image, which thou hast stamped vpon me; looke not vpon my sinnes, which haue blemished and disfigured my soule, which haue almost quite defaced that thine Image, and in stead thereof haue placed the very portraicture of Satan.

Although custome of sinning haue made my sin another nature in me, although I be so compassed with infirmities, so inclosed in my corruptions, as [Page] they may seeme to be incorporated in me, and become my very substance; yet thou, O Lord, canst distinguish between the [...] and the rust, between thine owne and Satans worke, between man and a sinner.Duo nomina; Homo, Peccator. August. Thou canst looke on that which thou hast made, and look off that which I haue marred, with one and the same Eye of pitie and mercie.

When thou seekest aChrysol. sinner, thou [...] the man, and not his sinne, that thou mayest despise the sin, which is mans worke, and not lose the man, which is thy worke.

Hee that loseth a preciousChrysol. Iewell, seeketh it in all [Page] the sluts corners, and stickketh not to rake the kennell, and stirre the dunghill to finde it.

The Iudge, when he willChrysol. pardon, lookes vpon the man, & not vpon his fault: the father, when he is disposed to pitty his child, thinkes vpon his owne affection, and not vpon his sonnes transgression: Euen so, O Lord, thou art mindfull of thine owne worke, that thou mayest forget the worke of another; thou turnest thy face to the tone, that thou mayest hide thy face from the tother.

O Lord, at least hide thine angry face from me. I cannot deny, but that I [Page] neede correction, and am not therefore altogether vnwilling to beare it; if thou holdest it meete. Correct me, but not in thy fury; chastize me, but not in thy displeasure; let mineAugust. in Psal. 103 afflictions be instructions, & not destructions; rather medicines, then punishments; castigations, not condemnations. Let them [...] a diligentis. be the wounds of a louer. Let me perceiue thy grace euen when thou doest seeme to frowne vpon me; let me discerne the sweete sunshine of thy mercy, thorow the thickest cloudes of thy fiercest wrath.

I will follow the way, which thou hast taught me; I will set my sinnes before [Page] mine owne face, that thou mayest hide thy face from them; I will remember, that thou maiest forget them: I will confesse, that thou mayest forgiue them.

I am much ashamed and agreeued to see mine own sinnes: I am much more ashamed and agreeued, that thou with thy pure eyes, and bright face shouldest behold the fowlenesse and filthines, the folly, and madnesse, the absurdity and grossenesse of them. Yet, O Lord, let mee behold my sinnes alwaies, so as thou wilt be pleased to hide thy face from them altogether.

Thou canst, but thou [Page] doest not alwaies, because thou wilt not, sometimes in fauour, see the faults [...] thy people. Thou diddest not, because thou wouldest not see iniquity in Jacob, nor, peruersenesse in Israel.

If thou canst not, in Iustice but looke towards my sinnes; yet I beseech thee in mercy, to suffer the Blood of thine Immaculate Lambe, to interuene betweene thy glorious face, and my lothsome corruptions. Let that spectacle either diuert or restraine thy sight, and hinder the representation of the vgly shapes of my faults, to thy pure and perceiuing eyes: Looke vpon [Page] that precious obiect first, and there stay and terminate thy sight; or, at least, looke through it, as men looke through a coloured glasse, that the foule obiect may appeare in the colour of the glasse, and not in his owne colours. Let the robe of the Lambes innocency, couer the shamefull nakednesse of my vnrighteousnesse, so as it may be hidden from thy angry face and fearefull countenance.

Blot out all my transgressions.] When a man feeles his soule laden with the burden, and his [...] affrighted with the apparition of some one or two grieuous offences lately [Page] done, hee begs earnestly for pardon of those sinnes in particular, or [...] his sinnes indefinitely, [...] falls not at the first, into computation or consideration of the rest of his sinnes, in former times committed. The fresher wounds seeme, euer the more fearefull; and the new terrible obiect doth so dazle and confound the soules sight, as it cannot looke either beyond or besides it.

But the more grieuous and enormous sinnes, after awhile doe occasion vs to make a more narrow inquisition, and take a more exact suruey of the whole course of our sinfull life; [Page] whereby wee cannot but finde, that we haue runne into many errors, and manifold crimes, the remembrance and recognition whereof wee had formerly, in a sort neglected.

Then we beginne seriously to consider, that in this generall muster, there is not any one sin, (seeme it neuer so light or slight) but being an offence against an infinite Maiesty, and a violation of the whole Law of God, deserueth an heauy iudgement, in the seuerity of [...], and that, if some of our sinnes [...] bee remitted, and others retayned, we remaine still in a most wofull condition; & [Page] therefore doe not content ourselues with a praier that some, or many of our spots and sinnes may bee wyped out, but craue, with a note of vniuersality, an abolition of them all. Blot out all my transgressions, my sinnes in thought, word and deede, my sinnes of omission, and my sinnes of action; my sinnes of childhood, youth, middle-age, and elder yeeres; my sins of infirmity, and my sins of presumption; my sinnes within, and my sins without my body; my bloody and my vnbloody sinnes; my sinnes committed in mine own person, and my sins committed by others through my ill example: [Page] (for they are mine too) my single sinnes committed by me as a priuate person, my double sinnes committed by me as a publike magistrate, (who when hee sinneth, doth rather teach then act sinne) my lesser and my greater sinnes (the sins of Soueraignes, are [...] sinnes) my secret and open, my knowne and vnknowne sins, (who can tell how [...] he offendeth?) my sinnes past, present, yea and to come, (for whilst I liue in this body of death, I cannot but sin) all my sinnes whatsoeuer, when I say all, I except none; no minyon or darling sinne at all.

Thou diddest command [Page] [...] the [...] the [...] [...] Leuit. [...]. be [...] away. Who is not sinfully [...]? and whose sinnes are not more in number then the haires of his head? Let them all come vnder the Raisor of true repentance, and then they will come within the reach of thy free remission. Not one Egyptian escaped, out of the red Sea. Saul was1. Sam. 15. commanded to kill all the Amalekites; men, such as offend of malice, women, such as offend of infirmity, children, such as transgresse out of ignorance onely.

Create in mee a cleane heart, and renew a right spirit within me.]

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Whoso beggeth Iustification, which is the foundation, will seeke Sanctification also, which is the goodly frame [...] thereupon, and cannot but after sinnes committed and remitted, shine and flourish in holinesse of life and conuersation. Hee that hath that fire, cannot bee without this heate; he that hath that Sun, cannot be without this light.

When my great and enormous sinnes had plunged me into the sea of misery, finding no other meane of helpe in that fearefull danger, I catched vp, and tooke hold of the planke, or boordof Repentance, to saue [Page] me from drowning.

Repentance hath two faces, and so looketh two wayes, backward and forward, to sinnes past, and holinesse to come. I haue grieuously lamented my offences formerly done, and importunately begged pardon for them, accounting this remission (because thou art pleased, O God, so to esteeme it) my iustification.

I now earnestly craue a cleane heart, and a new spirit, that being clensed, I may keep my selfe cleane; that being renewed, I may entertaine newnesse of life for my sanctification.

For if I fall againe vpon the same rock of presumption, [Page] which caused my shipwracke before; it will plainely appeare, that I haue not really acted, but formally counterfeited repentance; in which case I must pronounce an heauie doome against my selfe, for dissembled holinesse, isSimulata aequitas non est aequitas, sed duplex iniquitas, quia & [...], & simulatio. August. in Psal. 63. double wickednesse; wickednesse masking vnder the sinfull vayle and vizard of hypocrisie. Repentance neuer attaines her Crowne and Garland, till shee haue brought forth amendment of life; after lamentation for sin, to make some kind of reparation.

That which thou requirest of me, O God, is my heart, and how can I deny thee one thing, that hast [Page] giuen me all things? for what haue I, that I haue not receiued of thee?

Well then, I resolue (as it is meet) to giue thee my heart: But when I looke into my heart, by the helpe of thy suruey (for it is thou that declarest vnto man, what, and how ill his heartAmos 4. is) I finde it so foule and full of corruption, as I am ashamed to present it vnto thee in that plight. Nay, I tremble to thinke, that thy Pure and Radiant Eyes, should behold such a puddle and sincke of sinne as lurketh in my heart. For, alas, euery imagination of the thoughts of my heart, is onely euill continually. Were my heart such as it [Page] should be, I would cheerefully giue thee my heart. O Lord, therefore, create in mee a cleane heart. Thou madest my heart first in Adam; hee marred it, (and I in him) by disobedience; from him to all his posterity, the contagion of this pollution is spred and propagated; wherefore create my heart againe, create it a cleane heart, either a cleane heart, or no heart at all.

I affect purity of heart by thy grace: for indeed I cannot so much as affect, much lesse effect it, without thee. Vnlesse thou take the worke in hand, it will be vndone. My heart, that is originally and totally [Page] vncleane by naturall generation, and daily soiled by actuall transgression, cannot become cleane and neate, without spirituall washing, and supernaturall regeneration, and that is thy proper operation.

Seeke not to new make & mould my defiled hart, out of the forebeing matter thereof. (That may seeme a strange enterprize and fruitlesse worke.) But thou, O God, who by thy power madest the world of nothing, by thy powerfull grace, Create (which is thy peculiar attribute) a cleane heart within me.

To create, is not to make a thing out of the power of any subiect or [Page] matter formerly being. But to create, is to make a thing of nothing, and that is an act of diuine power, that is a case excepted, and a prerogatiue reserued to thee alone. The production of grace in a gracelesse heart, is a wonderfull and gracious creation.

Create in mee powerfully, and of nothing, without any [...] matter; create in me [...], and for nothing, without any precedent merit of mine, a pure heart; so [...] thou crowne in mee, not my deserts, but thine [...] gifts, if ought proceed from my heart, to my tongue or hand, not displeasing vnto thee.

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Worke this worke thy selfe, and take the praise ofPsal. 115. it to thy selfe alone, O God. Not vnto mee, not vnto me (I doe iterate and ingeminate my disclaymer) but vnto thy Name giue all the glory.

It is another manner of power to make the quality, then the substance of the heart; yea, it is a harder taske to make a heart cleane, that hath beene soiled with the filth, and tainted with the putrifaction of sin, then to make a pure and innocent heart at the first. The more shall be my thankfulnesse, if thou, O Lord, vouchsafe me so great a fauour.

I will not curiously enquire [Page] into the meanes or manner of atchieuing this worke. Let me henceforth really finde, by the imaginations and inclinations of it, that it is a cleane heart, conformed (as it may be in the frailty of [...] flesh) [...] thy holy [...], [...] all is well.

As a woman [...] by the stirring of the [...] in her wombe, that [...] hath conceiued: so [...] me feele, by the effectuall motions of thy good [...], that I am begotten anew vnto a liuely [...], by the resurrection of Christ, according to his abundant mercy.

The summe of all is; Giue me, O Lord; what [Page] thou enioynest, and then enioyne mee what thou pleasest. I am of no ability to do what thou commandest, and therefore am enforced to beseech thee thy selfe to do in me, what thou requirest to bee done of me. Create a cleane heart in me.

If my heart, as the spring and conduit head, be pure and cleane; the waters that flow thence, though conueighed in earthen pipes, will be cleare still: my secret thoughts, my open words, my visible workes, though they sauour somewhat of earth and flesh, will not be altogether vncleane and vnsauoury.

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A man must bee twice borne, ere he can enter into the kingdome of heauen. As he is made to the1. Cor. 15. similitude of the first Adam, so must he be made to the similitude of the second Adam: and the regeneration is a more excellent worke then the generation; the re-creation, then the creation. In the first, man was wrought out of clay; in the other, God workes grace out of sinne. In the former, he breathed a soule into the dead body; here he breatheth his holy Spirit into a dead heart. In the creation, he made man perfect in all his members. In this re-creation, not only all the members [Page] of the body, but the faculties of the soule also, must be framed anew. It is a greater matter to raise a man dead in sinne, then to raise a rotten carkasse out of the graue.

In the one birth and thePrimum [...]. Arist. other, the heart is the first [...] that is enlyued: my [...] must first take fire, [...] can I neuer bee [...] with the true zeale of [...] glory, and mine owne saluation.

In the first creation, this [...] Chaos and darke [...], was couered by thy [...], without any contradiction or resistance: Thou spakest but the word, and all was readily done, and perfectly framed. But in [Page] my re-creation, my flesh or my spirit, or my fleshly spirit, doth oppose and incounter thy holy Spirit, grieueth and maketh it sad, laboureth to quench it, euen then when it striueth to reuiue, repaire, and reforme me. This is notoriously verified, not onely in the aliens & reprobates, but euen in the domesticks of the houshold of faith, in thy most inlightned and best disposed children, euen in the Elect themselues, and those that are sealed vp for the Day of Redemption.

Wherefore I must say freely, as I may truly, I am thy workemanship, not onely of thy power, (as [Page] all other creatures are) but of thy mercy also, created in Christ vnto good workes, whereof he is the sole Author and Actor, working effecaciously in mee, both the will and the deed, according to his good pleasure.

O Lord, giue me a liuely Faith (thy Gift alone) which hath power, to quicken my dull, to enlyue my dead, to purifie my impure heart: Giue me grace stedfastly to beleeue thy Word, to take sure hold of thy promises, euermore to cleaue and sticke fast to thy goodnesse: Kindle this fire in my soule, which will inflame my loue of all good [Page] duties on the one, and on the other side, waste and consume, eate vp and de uoure my concupiscence, and all my carnall desires, and cause them to returne into that dead sea, whence they were first exhaled.

Renew a right Spirit within me.] Hee whose spirit is deserted by Gods Spirit, loseth the vigor and viuacity of his spirit, his spirit waxeth old & crooked in him. Sinne, where it inuades, makes such spoile and hauocke of all goodnesse and vertue in the soule, as it cannot subsist, vnlesse it be timely repaired, and truly renewed by repentance.

When a man lyes groueling [Page] vpon earthly, and houering vpon fleshly desires: his spirit, which should directly [...] vpward, is bowed downe and made crooked. A [...] spirit then, is a sincere and vpright heart, raysed and lifted vp into heauen and heauenly things.

What is sinne else, but an obliquity, a depriuation or deprauation of that rectitude, and vprightnesse, which was originally, and should be continually, in the soule; if it were throughly purged and purified?

I haue impayred this rectitude and vprightnesse, which once I had in some measure, by my heynous [Page] and enormous transgressions, and therefore, resort to thee for helpe, who onely art able to renewe and repaire it againe.

Giue me, O Lord, a spirit rectified in it selfe, directed by thy Spirit, corrected by thy discipline, and erected to thy glory; a spirit firme without failing, constant without varying, and durable without decaying; that I may happily choose new waies, walke in them carefully, and perseuere in them constantly: giue me grace to turne ouer a new leafe (as they say) to abandon the old man with the lusts and affections thereof, and [Page] to put on the new man, and so to serue thee in holinesse and newnesse of liuing, all the dayes of my life hereafter.

I doe wittingly and thankefully ascribe the purity of my heart, to thy Creation, the vprightnesse of my spirit, to thy renouation alone; as to giue thee thy due honour, so to preuent and anticipate the proud and fond conceit of those men, (if any such there be, or shall be hereafter) who to grace thēselues, wil abate the power, & diminish the lustre of thy grace, who though they cannot but confesse, that they neede the assistance of thy Spirit, & that [Page] they are holpen by thy, both preuenting and following, grace; yet betweene those two graces, (for their own credit) will needes vainely interpose, or rather violētly intrude mans reason, whereby he chuseth what is good; and mans will, whereby he assenteth to thy diuine power, in the blessed worke of regeneration.

But hereby, I take secret comfort in my selfe, to preserue my perplexed soule from vtter despaire, that I discerne the foulenesse of my heart, & feele the weaknes of my spirit; and therefore pray earnestly, for a purification of the one, and a renouation [Page] of the other: for I know, I cannot craue either of those graces, without some measure of grace. As the sunne cannot be seene but by the Sunne, nor the light be perceiued, but by meanes of the light; so neither can I begge a full cleansing of my heart, without some cleanenesse in it, nor a through-renouation, without some newnesse, in my decayed spirit, at least, in true affection, and vnfaigned desire.

Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from me.] I feare, and cannot but feare thy face; and yet I feare withall to be cast from thy face [Page] [...] presence. Mine owne [...] makes me, on the one side, to feare the face of a seuere Iudge, and my worthlesse weaknesse on the other, (being not able to subsist at all, without the light of thy countenance,) makes mee desire thy presence and sight.

What-euer thou doe with me, while thou lookest vpon me, I shall indure, though not without feare and perplexity; But if thou cast me quite away from thy presence, I am vtterly vndone for euer.

The presence of the Physicion is a present, if not helpe, yet comfort to the sicke patient. But [Page] thy presence, Lord, being the soueraigne Physicion, ministers all comforts, and cures all maladies both of soule and body.

Therefore I loue the habitations of thy house, and the place where [...] honour dwelleth.

As the hunted and chasedPsal. 42. Hart desireth the water brookes; So longeth my soule after thee: When shall I come and appeare before thee?

O how amiable are thyPsal. 84. Tabernacles? My soule euen longeth, and fainteth for the courts of the Lord. One day in thy Courts (where thou art present and resident,) is better then a thousand elsewhere. I [Page] had rather bee a dorekeeper there, then to dwell at liberty, and in iollity, in the tents of the vngodly.

The priuation of Gods presence, is the position of all misery, and the withdrawing of his countenance, drawes with it all manner of discomforts.

Heauen it selfe were not heauen, if thou wert not there present, and Hell could not be hell, if thou wert not absent thence.

To bee cast out of thy presence, is to be cast out of ioy, into sorrow; out of light, into darkenesse; out of life, into death; (not the first onely, but the second also) out of heauē, into hel.

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The very sight and vision of thee, is of it selfe, and in it selfe, the height of happinesse. In thy presence is the fulnesse of ioy, and at thy right hand is plenty, without satiety of pleasure and delight, for euermore.

Wherefore though I haue multiplyed and increased my contumacie beyond all measure; yet I beseech thee, O Lord, not to excommunicate me. I submit my selfe, with teares in mine eyes, and anguish in my heart, humbly and wholly to thy discipline; I am content to endure any penance, rather then to bee banished from thy presence.

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What the want of this presence is, none can know but he that feeleth; and he that feeleth, cannot make another know by any relation. Hee may indeuour to shaddow it out slenderly, but hee is not able fully to expresse it.

If the Master turne his seruant out of doores; if the Father abandon his sonne from his fight; if the King command his subiect from the Court, (that hee come not within the Vierge) how grieuous and irkesome will the damage and disgrace be, to euery, or any of these respectiuely? Thou, O God, art our Master, and to serue thee, is to raigne with thee. [Page] Thou art our Father; and what greater preeminence then to bee the Sonne of God? Thou art our King, and to be in subiection to thee, is our chiefest dominion. How then doth it concerne me, being an vnfaithfull Seruant, a prodigall Childe, and a trayterous Subiect, to beg earnestly of thee, my bountifull Master, my louing Father, my gracious Soueraigne, that thou wilt not take away thy [...], banish me from thy fight, nor expell mee from thy Courts?

As the soule doth excell the body, and the [...] the flesh, beyond proportion; so the one losse is [Page] incomparably greater then the other.

Thou, O God, art present with me, by thy good Spirit; and so long as I haue this Ghest in my soule, I haue the fruition of thee and thy presence; wherefore suffer not this noble Ghest to be dislodged and taken from mee. Thou and thy Spirit are vndeuided companions: If thou cast me from thy presence, thou takest thy holy Spirit from me; and if thou takest [...] Spirit, thou takest thy selfe from me.

I doe yet enioy thy presence, in a sort; I behold thy countenance, though full of anger; I feele thy Spirit within mee, though [Page] sad and grieued: for I find contrition in my heart, confession in my mouth, and confusion in my face, for my grieuous offences. I hate my sinnes, and my selfe for my sinnes. This smoake cannot ascend, but from that fire of thy Spirit; this fruit cannot grow, but from that roote of repentance. Howbeit, when I behold the vglinesse of my offences, with an vnpartiall eye, and consider how hard & harsh a thing it is, for Purity and Holinesse, to dwell or abide with wickednesse and filthinesse: I tremble and quake in an awefull feare, that thou wilt (as iustly thou mayest) depriue me [Page] of thy gracious presence, and bereaue mee of thy blessed Spirit.

Lord, thou art in all things by thine Essence, thou art in all places, and at once, by thy Power and presence. I may well bee asked; Whither wilt thouPsal. 1 39. flye from his Spirit, or whither wilt thou goe from his presence, &c? If thou shalt say; The darkenesse shall couer me, euen the night shall bee light about thee. Yet thou canst, and wilt cast me from thy presence, and withdraw thy holy Spirit from me, if I be settled vpon the dregs of my sinnes without remorse, in contempt of thy Maiestie, and abuse of thy [Page] mercie. If thou in thy iust iudgement and wrathfull indignation, abandon mee from thy presence, thou castest me out of thy prouidence and protection, thy blessed Spirit doth quite desert mee, I am banished out of the land of the liuing, into the Desert of desolation, (which is without the compasse of the whole Vniuerse, that thou didst create, and d'st vphold.) In that case, happy were I to bee no more, but I shall be most vnhappy, to bee and continue helpelesse and hopelesse in endlesse misery.

Thy holy Spirit is, by a speciall title, stiled, The Comforter, by excellencie, [Page] because all other comforters and comforts, are cold and vncomfortable, without and beside it. I haue (I confesse with griefe) many times checked this Spirit, when it hath presented good motions to my minde, and good desires to my hart; I haue grieued it exceedingly, while I carelesly neglected, and stubbornely refused the good counsell it ministred vnto me. Howbeit, sithence without this Comforter, I must bee for euer comfortlesse in the depth of discomfort, I [...] thee, not to take vtterly and finally thy holy Spirit from me.

Thy gifts, O Lord, are [...]. [...]. [...] [Page] without repentance (therefore I trust I shal neuer be without repentance) whō [...]. 13. 1. thou louest once, thou [...]. 31. 3. doest euer loue; if thou begin,Semel [...], semper [...]. thou wilt perseuere to loue. Although I doe notMulier soetum conceptum non semper molitantem [...]; vbi tamen semel & iterum [...], [...] se esse non ambigit. Spin. de [...]. [...]. alwayes feele the graces of thy Spirit in my sinfull soule; yet I shall ( [...] trust) haue [...] euer, because once I had them. My sinne may take away the sence and [...] for a while, but not the interest and property (if I may so say) which I haue in thy blessed Spirit: Which notwithstanding, the fruition of this Spirit being so precious, and the losse of it so inualuable, I cannot but in feare and anxiety of soule, [Page] instantly pray, that it may not be taken from me.

Although the seed of1. Pet. 1. 23. thy Word, whereby I am begotten againe to a liuely Hope, be immortall and incorruptible; yet it is so choked with the weeds of fleshly desires, so intangled with worldly allurements, it lyeth so buried in the furrowes of my hard and stony heart, as I may much doubt, and, in a manner, distrust the shooting and springing of it vp againe, without an extraordinary influence of thy heauenly grace, which cannot descend vpon me, vnlesse my humble and earnest prayers ascend vp to thee. Wherefore retaine mee, [Page] O Lord, in thy fauour, and permit thy blessed Spirit, not onely to soiourne for a season, but to remaine continually with me. Let me so keepe a doore in the Sanctuary of my soule, (which is one of thy Courts) as I may neuer suffer this Ghest to goe out of it.

12 Restore vnto mee, the ioy of thy saluation, and vphold mee with thy firme Spirit, or stablish mee with thy free Spirit.

I Doe not say; Giue mee what I neuer had, but restore vnto mee what I had, and haue lost by mine owne fault and folly. It [Page] is a greater fauour to restoreTertull. de poenit. then to giue, in as much as it is a greater vnhappinesse to lose a IewellQuid boni sanitas habet, languor ostendit. Hier. which I had, then neuer to haue had it. Priuation is a greater punishment then want: It is the height ofGratior est reddita quā retenta sanit as. misery to haue beene happy. To come out of darknessePost tempestatem dulcior serenitas. Quint. Desiderata dulcius obtinentur. into light, out of sicknesse into health, out of perplexity into security, out of sorrow & sadnesse, into ioy and gladnesse; and so by the contrary, toAugust. de Verb. Dom. come out of cheerfulnesse into pensiuenesse, sets out more liuely, and causes to be felt more sensibly, both the one and the other condition. One contrary is a foyle vnto another.

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We then make the tru.Quoniam ob bona [...], gratias Deo non agimus, necessaria nobis est priuatio, vt quid habutrimus sentiamus. est valuation of thy greatest mercies, O Lord, when we are for a time depriued of them, which is one speciall cause why thou takest them from vs, that by the want, we may learne the worth of them,Basil. Plus sensimus quod habuimus, postquam habere desinimus. Hier. in Consol. and shew our selues accordingly thankefull, because thou diddest vouchsafe vs the fruition of them so long, and much more ioyfully imbrace, and charily preserue them, when thou pleasest to restore them to vs againe.

For as the eyes cannot discerne a goodly obiect when it is held close vnto them, but when it is remoued in some distance; so [Page] our vntoward & vnthankfull hearts cannot iudge of the excellency and sweetnesse of present graces; but when they are withdrawne a while from vs, then doe we more cheerefully behold, and fully obserue the riches of thy bounty & mercy in them.

This ioy of thy saluation, consisteth in an assured hope and hopefull assurance of eternall happinesse. This hope, is the heart of my soule, and the very life of my life. It putteth spirit into my decayed spirit, and vigor into my dead heart; for a hopelesse, is a heartlesse life, and were it not for this hope, (amidst the inward and outward [Page] crosses of this life) my very heart would breake.

All the ioyes vpon earth cannot make me cheerfull, vntill I bee seized of this ioy, nor can all the crosses and calamities which the world affoords, dishearten me, while I finde and feele this ioy of thy saluation.

What greater ioy to an afflicted soule, lying [...] oppressed vnder the heauy apprehension of thy wrathfull indignation, and for a long and tedious time, suffering euen hell out of hell, then to receiue a gracious pardon of all his sinne, freely granted vnto him by thee, through the mediation of thy Christ, [Page] sealed by thy blessed Spirit, and deliuered to his spirit into the hand of faith.

Wherefore turne, O Lord, my mourning into dancing; loose my sackcloth, and gird mee with gladnesse, O Lord; let me shout out songs of deliuerance from the captiuity and thraldome of sinne and Satan.

I haue wilfully put my selfe out of possession of this ioy, which I so happily enioyed. O Lord, restore it vnto me againe, by a new order & iniunction, out of thy Court of equity and mercie; let mee returne into it, by Remitter, & hold it, as in my former [Page] ancient right.

I haue iust cause to stile it, Thy saluation. For I am the patient onely, thou, O God, the onely agent: thou hast not the greatest share, but all the interest, in this affaire. Thou art the sole, not only Author, but also actor in it. For the purchase thereof, I neede thy first grace of Initiation, and thy second of Confirmation, thy preuenient and thy subsequent grace, thy accompanying, and thy perseuering grace. All is thy grace, and thou art all in all, and therefore to thee alone, I ascribe all the honour and glory. It is meerely and intirely thy saluation.

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Christ his righteousnesse imputed and imparted to me, is the true roote; ioy and peace are the happy fruite; and faith is the rooting of it in my soule. Though there come a winter of affliction, to restraine the sap, and hinder the shewe: yet the Summer of cheerefulnesse will make all to flourish againe in perfect lustre.

But how can I expect the serenity and Sunshine of this ioy in the valley of teares? Why should I desire this garment of gladnesse, when my heart ought cōtinually to weare the sables of sadnesse, and the mourning weede of repentance, for my daily [Page] or rather howrely sinnes? how can there be any time or place left for ioy, when there is almost a [...] of sorrow enioyned?

He that will reconcile himselfe to thee, O God, may easily reconcile these different passions, & make them dwell together in his soule, with amity and vnity. Else thou that hast required mee oft-times to mourne, wouldest neuer haue commanded mee to reioyce alwaies. The faithfull man hath a sorrow mingled with ioy, and a ioy mingled with sorrow. There is a griefe in ioy, as there is a ioy in griefe, nay (which may yet seeme more strange) the greater [Page] griefe sometimes, the greater ioy, and the greater ioy, the greater griefe; for one and the same man, at one and the same time, may bee exceeding sorry for his sin, and excceding ioyous with the apprehension of thy mercy, in the free forgiuenesse of his sinne.

The greater griefe hee conceiueth for his sinne, the more comfort he may iustly take, euen in that regard. And the greater ioy hee feeleth in the hopefull assurance of thy fauour, the greater sorrow must hee needs conceiue for his sinne, that bred thy displeasure: for, the more assurance hee hath of thy [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] loue towards him, the more hee will loue thee: (Loue is the loadstone [...] loue, and will draw loue euen from an yron heart) and the more hee loueth thee, the more his soule must melt into teares, when he recounts & considers, how by his wicked and rebellious courses, he hath demeaned himselfe, wretchedly and vnworthily, towards that God whom he findeth so graciously and pittifully affected towards him.

Sorrow may bee sometimes vnseasonable, but this spirituall ioy (as wee say of some kinde of meates) is neuer out of season.

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The precept of reioycing, though conceiued in the affirmatiue, doth alwaies binde, & at all times. Reioyce in all things, and1. [...]. 5. 16. euermore reioyce.

The grace I beg, is the complement, crowne and garland of all the graces I haue formerly craued. For although I be washed neuer so cleane from my former staynes; though my hart be neuer so throughly purged from old corruptions, my spirit neuer so well renewed and rectified for the time to come: yea, though I obtaine a full restauration of the ioy of thy saluation, which I had and haue lost; yet, vnlesse thou bee pleased to confirme [Page] and stablish me with thy firme and free [...] none of those blessings apart, nor all of them [...] together, can much auaile me.

For without this [...] and establishment, I [...] neuer be able to [...] and perseuere in true Piety of Religion, in sincere probity of [...]. Well I may, like a bankrupt Marchant (supplied by friends or credit,) set vp my trade of godlinesse awhile, but I shall soone be enforced to shut vp shop againe. Well I may beginne to runne the race of godlinesse, but I shall neuer get the goale; well I may enter the lists afresh, [Page] with my old and deadly enemy, the Deuill, and his two valiant Champions, the World and the Flesh; but I shall quickly be foyled, I shall neuer [...] the victory fully and finally.

Wherefore do not onely raise mee that am falne, but vphold me when I am raised; sustaine mee continually with thy firme Spirit, that I may not onely begin well, and proceed cheerefully, but also perseuere constantly, and end happily.

I did endeauour when time was, in some sort to serue and please thee; I frequented publike assemblies in thy holy Tabernacle; I sent vp sundry Prayers [Page] from my priuate Oratory, and the secret closer of my heart, vnto thy Maiestie; I laboured to gouerne my people with Iustice and equity, to punish wilfull offenders seuerely, to reward well-deseruers cheerefully, to deliuer the oppressed, to relieue the needy; but (this notwithstanding) how soone, alas, was I taken with the sight of Bathsheba, and, through my frailty, carried captiue into Adultery, to satisfie my [...]; and into Murther, to conceale my Adultery! Wherefore settle, confirme, and establish me, O Lord. I haue directed generally.

All you that trust in the [Page]Lord, be strong, and hee shall establish your heart; he keepeth the faithfull, and vpholdeth the iust; by him alone the steps of men are established, that is, firmely directed and perfected.

My spirit, which must bee wrought vpon by thy Spirit, through the contagion of my flesh, and the carnality of it, is become almost wholly carnall, and by that meanes weake and fraile, soone weary of well doing; it quickly slips from good Meditations and Actions; slides from honest purposes and proceedings, vnlesse it bee sustained by thy Spirit.

But being quickned and enlyued by thy Spirit, [Page] though otherwise dead, I shal liue in thee, by thee, & for thee: all my thoughts, words and workes shall breathe continually thy praise and glory.

Thy Spirit, O Lord, is the life of my soule, as my spirit is the life of my body; if my spirit faile, my body perisheth; if thy Spirit desert my soule, my soule cannot but fall irrecouerably. Wherefore vphold mee with thy Spirit.

Thy Spirit is free in it selfe. As the winde bloweth, so the Spirit breatheth where it listeth. As it is a free, so it is a freeing Spirit, a Spirit of liberty, which deliuereth me from the bondage [Page] of Sinne; a Spirit of Adoption, whereby I cry, Abba, Father. As the SpiritRom. 8. 15. is free, so are those that are led by the Spirit, free, ingenuous, bold, and couragious: it infranchizeth and naturalizeth me in the heauenly Hierusalem.

This Spirit hath power to helpe all my infirmities; it hath skill and will to frame my Supplications within me to be expressed, if not by tongue & voyce, yet by sighes and grones vnutterable, but still intelligible to thee; it can preserue mee from falling; it can raise mee after I haue falne; and then so establish mee, that I shall neuer come againe into danger [Page] of relapse or recidiuation.

My spirit, thus vpheld and established by thy free Spirit, what is it else but a cheerefull alacrity and forward disposition to imbrace any thing that is good, for it owne sake, and for thy sake, without any by or secondary respect whatsoeuer; banisheth all drowzy dulnesse and vntoward listlesnesse in thy seruice; that putteth wings to my obedience, and maketh it not to walke slowly, but to flye nimbly in the accomplishment of thy errands and directions; that causeth me to doe ingenuously what becommeth me, for loue of vertue, and [Page] not for feare of the whip, basely?

When thou hadst appointed that the first [...] of euery beast should bee set apart to thee; thou diddest specially ordaine,Ex. 13. 13. that if it were the Foale of an Asse, it should be redeemed with a Lambe; if it were not, the necke of it should bee broken; thou wouldest not haue it sacrificed vnto thee at any hand. Surely, it may well seeme, that this is, alterius rei [...], a kinde of riddle; and that by this shaddow, thou wouldest shew thy [...] of slothfulnesse and [...], want of life and cheerefulnesse in thy seruice, that an [Page] Asse being one of thy dullest creatures (Sloth is wont to bee pictured riding on an Asse) thou wouldest not bee honoured by the sacrifice of such a beast.

Thou, O Lord, louest a swift hearer, a cheerefull giuer, a zealous Petitioner, a voluntary Souldier, and a diligent [...] for all which purposes, thy free and firme Spirit will strongly enable and support mee continually. Wherefore establish mee with thy free Spirit, O Lord.

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13 Then will I teach transgressors thy wayes, and sinners, or impious persons, shall be conuerted vnto thee.

WHen thou hast vouchsafed graciously to bestow vpon mee those graces, whereof I haue gracelesly [...] my selfe, then will I [...] my selfe gratefull vnto thee, I will [...] that dutie of thankefulnesse, so sutable to humanity, so agreeable to piety; it being a thing good and commendable, [...] and profitable, pleasant and dilectable, [...] & gracefull to returne praises and thankes to thee for thy [Page] mercies, duly to acknowledge, and truly to [...] thy singular fauours; in such manner as I can, and by such meanes as are within the reach of my weake and worthlesse ability.

I will not follow the common fashion of worldly men, who, like barrels, sound when they are empty, but are still when they are full; who craue earnestly when they feele want, but are dumbe and silent when their turne is serued. I solemnely vow, and will really performe thankfull acknowledgement for so great benefits, when I haue receiued them.

Thou, O God, by difburthening [Page] man of his sin,Onerat nos Deus [...], quando [...]. Aug. in Ps. doest impose a burthen of gratitude vpon him. A benefit is a burthen to an ingenuous minde, that cannot rest quietly, but lyeth shut vp (as it were) in prison straightly, till it haue procured liberty, by venting some kinde of retribution.

Although there can be no proportion betweene thy infinite goodnesse, and my, not onely finite, but infinitely weake meanes of requitall; yet inasmuch, as for a more bountifull fauour, a larger returne of [...] is (of congruence) required, and the greatest blessing that can bee bestowed vpon a mortall [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] man in this life, is peace of conscience, intended by the ioy of thy saluation, and implyed in the firme support of thy free Spirit: I will indeauour, in way of [...], to doe thee the best seruice that any man can performe vpon earth; that is, I will teach thy wayes to Transgressors, and cause (as much as in me lyeth) sinners to bee conuerted vnto thee.

I will teach such as wander and goe aftray, how to come into the way: Againe, those that goe bywayes, I will teach thy wayes; that is, the wayes of thy directions, which leade vs by a right line (as it were) through the maze [Page] of this miserable world, to the land of Canaan, that happy country, which we should so loue and long for. Conuerted sinners, are [...] iniquorum [...], [...] quia tales [...]. the fittest conuerters of sinners. The sickly Physician, who hath not onely read in his Booke, but felt in his body, the maladies whereupon hee is consulted, is the likeliest man to worke a cure vpon his patient.

Goodnesse of it owneBonum naturá sui diffusiuum. nature, is apt to spread and inlarge it selfe. It is theNaturalis. opus viuen. gignere sibi simile. Arist. most naturall and kindly worke of each liuing creature, to engender a like vnto it selfe. As in nature, so is it in nurture also. An honest well-disposed man, [Page] will striue as much as hee can, to make others good and godly. A chast and sober man, will endeauour to restrayne and reclayme others from wantonnesse and drunkennesse; the like may bee said of all other vertues and vices.

The rule of Charity requires, that he, who hath beene raysed out of the dyrt, and reskued out of the myre, should lift vp others, who lye wallowing therein. If we be once inflamed with the loue of God and godlinesse, wee shall labour to kindle the zeale of others, & set them on fire also. Bad men are, and why should not good [Page] men much more become, Incendiaries.

This is the matter and effect of my gratitude, which though it may seeme to be no great matter: For my goodnesse extendeth not to thee, neither art thou any whit the better, for my being better any way, (the grace is thine, the good is mine alone,) yet I know it to bee very aceptable and highly pleasing vnto thee, being so louing and gracious, so couetous of mans saluation, as thou dost euen hunger and thirst after his conuersion. Thou dost euen long for our returne home, from out of those farre remote countries, wherein [Page] wee haue wandred, and spent our patrimony of thy gifts, in wickednesse, to the house of thy habitation.

I, euen I that lost my way in my pilgrimage, and fell among theeues who robbed me of my garment of godlinesse, of my [...] of righteousnesse, of my girdle of gladnesse, and wounded mee with bitter Arrowes, and [...] darts, almost to death; I (I say) being reduced into the way againe, refreshed and comforted, raysed and set on horsebacke (as it were) will teach others, carefully to kepe themselues in the right way, to shunne idlenesse, and security, [Page] and all other occasions of sinne, to auoyde such inconueniences, as by wofull experience I haue found, and felt with intolerable griefe.

I will teach TransgressorsHomines malunt exempla quā verba. [...]. act. [...] ver. sap. Validior [...] quàm oris, oratio. Greg. by instruction, and [...] will teach them by example also. Men are more effectually perswaded by the workes they see, then by the words they heare;Regis ad exemplum nec sic inflectere [...] edicta valent, ac vita regentis. Claud. by Princes acts, then by their Edicts. I will ioyne both precept and practice together; my words shall bee working words, and my deeds shalbe speaking deeds. Nay, I will not onlyHabent & opera suam linguam. teach them, by my words, and by my deedes,Author de dupl. martyr. but by my writings also. I [Page] will cause my Psalmes (the webs which my restlesse soule hath wouen) to be sung in Gods Tabernacle, while I liue; & when I die, bequeath them to God his Church, to be vsed in all succeeding ages; which (I hope) will bee of some force, to mollifie and qualifie the hard and stony hearts of retchlesse and impenitent sinners.

I will vse all the wayes I can, to teach sinners, in thy wayes, and I will endeauour to reclaime all sorts of sinners from their euill wayes, As there bee seuerall sorts and degrees of transgressors; so I will apply my counsailes and admonitions, in seuerall [Page] kindes, respectiuely.

I will teach sinners ofSinne of infirmity. infirmity; that they yeeld not at all to the assaults and allurements of sinne; that they fight couragiously in that neuer-dying combate betweene the flesh and the Spirit; that in no wise they suffer themselues to be carried away Captiues to sinne; that they let not sinne raigne, howsoeuer it will remaine,Rom. 6. in their mortall bodies. I can, and will tell them (out of knowledge and experience,) that if they giue the water passage but a little, they shall not bee able to withstand the Current of their owne concupiscence; that a little [Page] sparke of a wanton looke vpon Bathsheba, bred such a huge flame of lust in mee, as I could not quench. That Satan is subtile and will cunningly insinuate himselfe euery way; hee will seeke to make the breach where thy fortification is weakest; hee will vndermine, if hee cannot batter thy strongest castle; if he see where thou mynest, he will countermine: That he makes semblance sometimes to strike at one place, when he intends to hit another; that now and then he faignes to make a retraite, when he returnes suddenly againe, to finde thee the more vnprouided. That he is like those [Page] Pyrates which alwaies carry in their shippes, flags of peace, when they intend nothing but warre; that when they hold out those flagges, their enemies may hold them for friends, and so become their prisoners; and that therefore it behoueth them to watch continually, and carefully to keepe Centinell ouer themselues, and in time of peace, more then in time of warre. The shippe that saileth, many times incurres more danger when the Sea is quiet, then when stormes arise: for in the calme water, the Saylers ride without care, or dread of danger; but in time of tempest they prouide for [Page] euery mischiefe that may befall.

I will tell them, that sinnersVitia catenata inter se. are linked and chayned, nexed and twisted together, so as one still draweth on another, and the lesser euer a greater; that Satan that foule thiefe, and old Setter, hath in each pack of Theeues, little sins, [...]. in lib. Sapient. like little boyes, to creepe in at the windowes, or other narrower passages, & then open dores for greater sinners, like greater theeues, to enter sreely, & so spoile the goodman of the house of all goodnesse & vertue, at their pleasure.

I will teach sinners ofSinne of presumption. presumption, that as God is mercifull, so hee is iust; [Page] that wee must not so rememberVolo te praesumere, ne diffidas, [...] praesumere, ne torpescas. Bern. Ep. 87. his mercy, as we forget his Iustice. Our Lord is sweete, but yet vpright. All his wayes are mercy and truth. These bee the two feete, whereby hee walkethPsal. in his wayes; that euery sinner that will truly turne to God, must lay handfast on both these feete: for if he lay hold onBernard. mercy onely, letting passe iustice and truth, he must needes perish by presumption; If he apprehend Iustice onely, without mercy, he cannot but perish by desperation. Let him therfore kisse both these feete, that hee may, in respect of Gods iustice, retaine feare; & in respect of his mercy, [Page] conceiue hope. I [...] teach them to tune their notes to my ditty; I [...] Psal. 101. 1 sing of mercy and [...] I will not sing vnto thee [...] mercy alone, nor iudgement alone (O God) [...] mercy and iudgement ioyned together. I will teachAbsit vt redundantia clementiae coelestis, libidinem faciat humanae temeritatis. them, what an absurd cōsequence, and vnkindly kind of reasoning it is: In as much as God is merciful, louing and long suffering, therefore I will abuse hisTertul. de poenit. mercy, and continue myPrauicordis est ideò [...] esse, quia Deus bonus est. Bern. in Cantic. wicked courses; I will doe what liketh my wilfull appetite; that, the Argument, in morall congruity, as well as logicall diuinity, holds strongly in the quite contrary forme; God is [Page] gracious, and expects my conuersion; and the longer he expecteth, the heauier will bee my punishment when it commeth, if I neglect, or rather contemne the riches of his patience and gentlenesse; and therefore I ought, euen to day, before to morrow, to heare his voyce, and presently to accept of his vndeserued mercie.

Whereunto I will adde another consideration, of great waight and much feare; and that is, ThoughQui [...] poenitenti veniam, non [...]. August. God promise pardon to him that repents, yet hee doth not promise repentance to him that offends: (Repentance is his gift alone.) Though hee offer [Page] thee grace to day, thou knowest not whether hee will offer it againe to morrow; though hee affoord thee life and memory this weeke, little doest thou know whether thou shalt enioy these fauours the next.

Finally, I will teach them to take my whole period together, and not to catch at one piece onely, for their aduantage, or disaduantage rather, (which is against the rules both of Law and Logicke,) for when I haue said; The eyes Psal. 34. 15 of the Lord are vpon the iust, and his eares are bent to heare his prayers: I adde on the other side, in the same sentence: But the face of the [Page]Lord is against them that doe euill, to roote out their memory from off the earth.

My last Corollarie and conclusion shall be; Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord: Therefore serue the Psal. 2. 11. Lord in feare, and reioyce in him with reuerence.

I will teach transgressorsSinne of Desperation. in all kindes and degrees, that they doe not at any hand, through the terrour of their owne sinnes, or apprehension of Gods displeasure, either by cowardize or carelesnesse, quite despaire of Gods abundant mercie. I will vse my best skill, and bestowe the most powerful perswasion I can deuise or find [...] for the purpose. I will tell [Page] them of my Soliloquie, and the secret conference between me and my soule, to this effect; Though, vnhappy man that I am, I haue not alone slipped, but falne; and not falne onely, but falne fouly too: though I haue not onely done much euill carelesly; but This Euill; This Euill in Gods sight contemptuously, (This Euill, which is a massie chaine of enormous iniquities, nexed and linked together, strongly binding, and grieuously burthening my soule:) yet will I not doe worse, or rather, what is worst of all; I will not still adde sinne vnto sinne; I will not fill vp the full measure of my [Page] wickednesse, with that horrible sinne of sinnes; I will not stab my soule (if I may so say) with the deadly dagger of finall impenitencie; for the depth of desperation, is the height of impious abomination. I will not wilfully wayue, and scornefully reiect his general, free, and gracious Pardon, proclaimed to all penitent sinners, without any exception or limitation at all. His benefits are infinite, endlesse, and inestimable; therefore the Origen, fountaine, and well-spring of all these fauours, graces, and goodturnes, is infinite, vnmeasurable, and farre surpassing all the compasse of [Page] mans vnderstanding. But specially, he loueth soules, which are his by a manifold interest; created by him, when they were not; saued by him, when they were lost; marked for his, with the stampe of his owne Image. Farre be it therefore from me to fall into that desperate resolution, which, of all other offences vpon earth, doeth most exasperate his anger, and doth depriue his diuine Maiestie of that most excellent propertie, wherin hee chiefly delighteth and glorieth, which is, his infinite and vnspeakable mercie.

I am his workemanship (his hands haue made me, and [Page]fashioned me:) The workeman cannot chuse but bee fauourable to his owne worke, especially so excellent and bountiful a workman as he is, towards such a worke as man is, framed to his owne shape and likenesse. He is my Creator, and thereby priuy to my frailety, of how brittle and weake a metall I was [...] 1 3. made. Hee is my Father, (which is the title of the greatest loue and coniunction that nature hath left to men in this world;) andFacilè impetratur quod filius [...]. Tertul. de [...]. therefore cannot but affect his child: His diuine Maiestie is so earnest and vehement to giue assurance in this behalfe; that being not contented to [Page] represent his loue vnto vs by the loue of a fathers heart; hee goeth further yet, and protesteth that his heart is more tender towards vs, then the heart of any mother can bee to the onely child of her owne wombe. Can the mother Esa. 49. forget her owne infant? if she could, yet can I not forget or reiect thee. Nay, he is my heauenly Father, who inTam pater nemo, tam [...] nemo. [...]. depoenit. this perfection of true fatherly loue, so farre exceedeth all earthly parents put together, as in power, clemencie and goodnesse he surpasseth the infirmity of his feeble creatures; and therefore his bowels and entralls of tender and endlesse mercy, will be mooued [Page] (I know) in commiseration towards mee, vnfaignedly returning vnto him.

Nay, I haue yet a further claime, and title to his gracious fauour & compassionate mercy, in that hee is not only my Creator, and Father, but my RedeemerIob 19. 25. also. I know (with holy Iob) that my Redeemer liueth, for I haue [...] it by his [...], and [...]; that [...] will [...] [...] [...] [...]. 16. 1. hell, nor suffer his [...] to see [...]. [...] this be not [...] to the [...] by the act [...] execution and performance [...], [...] in the [Page] fulnesse of time, it will bee accomplished and acted, to the admiration of all the earth, and the amplification of his eternall glory. Not his Sonne onely, but his onely Sonne, will take my nature vpon him, become flesh of my flesh, and bone of my bones, will vouchsafe to bee borne of a Virgin, descended of mine owne race and pedigree; hee will conuerse vpon the earth, in the similitude of sinfull flesh; hee will, in the nature and property of man, not onely suffer hunger and thirst, but also all manner of indignities, affronts, and disgraces; hee will be content to be beaten, and buffeted, [Page] launced, & pierced, wounded and crucified for mee, and for my sake; hee will shead his blood vpon the Crosse, as a malefactor, to satisfie Gods iustice, and to purchase my freedome from hell, and euerlasting damnation. And sithence he hath in his immutable decree giuen him, and will in his time, apparently giue him to such a shamefull death, for gayning me vnto him; how should he not, but with him giue allRom. 8. 31. things else whatsoeuer? I know and am assured, that he who beleeueth in Christ to come, hath as [...] and full interest in his excessiue loue, and this inestimable benefit, as hee [Page] who shall beleeue in him, when and after he is come. The times must bee changed, [...] variata [...], non fides. August. in Psal. 51. but it is and will bee one and the same faith, yea and one & the same obiect of faith, in substance, in all times.

His promises of pardon, whereby he hath obliged himselfe to sorrowfull sinners, are affectionate, absolute, and vniuersall. First, Whosoeuer shall2. Cor. 6. depart from his wicked wayes, & turne vnto him, shall bee receiued of him. Secōdly, At what time soeuerEzek. 18. a sinner doth repent him of his sinne, and turne to him, his wickednesse shall not hurt him. Thirdly, If your sinnes were asEsa. 1. [Page] red as scarlet, they shall be made as white as snow.

How then can I mistrust my selfe to bee excluded from this assurance of mercy, wherein all sorts of people, all kinds of sinnes, all times and seasons are comprehended? His Loue, that calls mee to repentance, is inexplicable. His Truth, and certainty of promise, is infallible. His Power of performance, is omnipotent and endlesse.

This threefold cord, or rope (which cannot bee broken) bindeth mee fast to the barre of his mercy, and will not suffer mee to slip away, or start a side, till I haue obtained full remission of all my sinnes.

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Cain, my vnhappy precedentGen. 4. in murther, did more offend God, by those words; My sinne is greater, then that I canAugust. hope for pardon, then, by all his former iniquities. My confidence in this mercy is assured, and my hope inuincible; therefore I resolue, though he kill mee,Job 13. 15. yet to trust in him, with holy Iob.

I will tell such hopeles, and retchlesse persons, that my sinnes are set before them, for caution; my repentance, for imitation; that they which stand, may warily looke to theirAugust. in Psal. 51. footing, that they fall not; and they that haue [...], may rise hopefully and [Page] speedily, by [...], and not ingulfe themselues into the depth of all detestable enormities, specially the gulfe of desperation.

I will tell them, that their vouching of my example, to extenuate, is anAugust. ibid. odious circumstance, to aggrauate, such sinnes as I haue committed. So as he that shrowdes himselfe vnder this sinfull shaddow, offends, euen in that respect, in a higher degree then I did; because he wittingly propounds an vnwarrantable precedent to warrant his wickednesse; wheras I fell only through frailety, without alleadging, or thinking of any [Page] such pretence or patterne. I will tell them, that Nathan the Prophet was sent to rowze me out of security, but I am sent as a ProphetAugust. in Psal. 51. to raise them to repentance, and to rescue them from [...]: I will aduise them, that are prone to [...] God his bundant mercy, to heare [...] with [...]; to heare [...], and [...] with me; to heare me wayling and weeping, and to ioyne their teares [...] mine; to heare me reformed, and to reioyce with mee; that howsoeuer [...] could not stay the current of their own sins, they stop not the [...] of Gods mercy, [...] they [Page] haue sinned; that howsoeuer they could not bar sin from entring in, they exclude not hope of pardon, out of the doores of their sinfull soules.

Hast thou sinned? Repent,Chrysost. in Psal. 51. Hast thou sinned a thousand times wretchedly? Repent a thousand times vnfainedly. This is the onely Oyle, that may be powred into thy wounded soule, and afflicted conscience, to reuiue, and refresh it at all times. This soueraigne salue is of power, to cure, and recouer thy most incurable, and desperate sores, and diseases of sinne, yea, if thou be vpon thy death-bed, and ready to breathe out thy soule [Page] and spirit, euen at the last gaspe, feare not to repent,Nec enormitas criminis, nec extremit as temporis. for that Gods mercy is not restrained, either by the enormity of Crime, or extremity of time; and for that, betweene the bridgeInter pontem & fontem. and the brooke (as they say) when thou art falne from the one, and not falne into the other, Gods grace may interuene, to saue thee from downing.

Howbeit, let not this ftrong water, and most comfortable Cordiall of the teares of repentance, make thee negligent, to delay thy conuersion to God; both, because repentance will not come at thy becke and call, (being by custome habituated [Page] in sinne;) and because also, though true repentance be neuer too late, yet lateSera [...], [...] vera. repentance is seldome true, and such as it should be: but let it onely reuiue and animate thy confidence in Gods bottomlesse mercy, if, and when thou art in the greatest straights, and come to the last exigent, to preserue thee from vtterly fainting, and falling into the deadly swoone of desperation.

The impious persons, or sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee. I doe not, I may not, say, I will conuert sinners vnto thee; for conuersion of sinners, is a peculiar belonging to thine owne Iurisdiction; [Page] a case reserued to thy power alone; a branch of thy Prerogatiue and honour, which thou wilt not impart to any other. Well I may plant by my instructions and admonitions; I may water by my practice and example: but it is the influence of thy grace, that must giue the increase. I will by the assistance of thy Spirit, do my best and vttermost indeauour, with fidelity and diligence ministerially to helpe, and co-operate with thee the prime Agent and principall Efficient in this most difficult and important affaire: for a greater businesse it is to regenerate, then to create; to [Page] build a new house vpon a false and rotten foundation, then it was to erect the first Fabricke. And I hold my selfe the more obliged to this seruice, because I haue not only scandalized thine owne people, the Iewes, by my heathenish iniquities; but I haue caused thy holy name to be blasphemed among the Gentiles also: for mee thinkes, I heare thine own people whispering and murmuring among themselues, in this sort; If this King and Prophet did beleeue what hee pretends and professes, his behauiour would be sutable to his beliefe; his actions answerable to his profession; [Page] his words and deeds would better tune together, and not make such a harsh discord as they doe. Surely, sithence workes are surer testimonies then words, of our hearts affections, we may iustly conceiue, that hee vseth Religion only, as a stalking horse, to serue the turne for policie and worldly respects, that he thinkes and sayes in his hart, though not with his mouth, There is no God.

The Gentiles, on the other side, who are Aliens from God his couenant, & strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel, me thinks, I heare them boldly, and broadly speaking to this [Page] effect: That King that seekes by all meanes, both of prowesse, & policie, to reduce vs vnder his obedience, to the worship of his God, and the embracing of his Religion, we see how hee carries himselfe; wee can discerne by our light, that he violates the law of nature imprinted in all mens harts; that he shamelesly defiles the beds of his Subiects, and kills them cruelly and treacherously, at his pleasure, to attaine his lustfull desires. Wee will be still irreligious, rather, of no religion, then his religion; wee will submit our selues to any Princes yoke; we will fall into any mans hands, rather thē his.

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To make amends for these faults, and to repaire these ruines, I will teach at home and abroad, Iewes and Gentiles, such as erre either in Religion, or conuersation, the wayes of God and godlinesse, by instruction, by discipline, by example; what hath fallen to the ground by my euill, I will build vp again by my good demeanour; my light shall so shine before Domestickes & Forreigners; before mine owne Subiects, and before others, both Princes & people, as they shall glorifie the God of Israel, they shall beleeuePsal. 48. 1. & 95. 3. and say, Great is the Lord, and worthy to be serued aboue [Page]all gods; Blessed is the Lord, euen the God of Israel for euer.

14 Deliuer me from bloud [...], O Lord, thou that art the God of my saluation.

AMong all my sinnes, which are sans number, & many of them heinous in their quality; this horrible and crying sinne of murder lyeth heauiest vpon my distressed soule, in the generall muster of my sinnes; the shedding of so much innocent bloud, makes the most fearefull and hideous apparition to my tormented conscience. In regard whereof I cry out, Deliuer me, not from [Page] bloud, but from blouds, in the plurall number.

I begged first indefinitely, [...] 2. that God would clense me from mine iniquities; then, that hee would blot out all my transgressions vniuersally.Verse 9. I presented and iterated this petition in humility and faith, knowing that my prayers, if they were not so accompanied, could not preuaile. Howbeit, because this sinne seemes so enormous, so exorbitant, that it can hardly be comprized and inuolued in the generality of all my sinnes; I send vp a single petition as a speciall messenger for more surety, in no other errand, but to sollicite [Page] at the Court of Heauen, that this grieuous, this bloudy sinne, may be not onely necessarily implyed and infolded, but expressely named and specified in my generall and gracious pardon.

Thou diddest in thy LeuiticallLeuit. 7. 26 27. Law forbid thy people to eate any flesh, with the bloud thereof (whatsoeuer soule eateth any manner of bloud of Fowle, or Beast, that soule shall be cut off from the people) that thou mightest make them so much the more to abhor the bloud of man, wherein his life consisteth.

Deliuer mee (O God) from the guilt of that bloud which I haue spilt [Page] by the [...] of Captaine [...], and so many Souldiers vnder his commaund, from the punishment of that sinne threatned by Nathan, (that bloud should not depart from my house) and finally from future bloud, that I may neuer embrew my hands in bloud hereafter.

The teares of those widdowes, whose husbands were slaine in that disastrous assault made at Rabbah; the cryes of those children, whose Fathers then lost their liues; haue mounted vp to [...], do frame my Enditement, and make my Processe against me before thy Tribunall, and doe call instantly for [Page] iudgement, according to the iust law of Retaliation; He that sheddeth mans bloud, his bloud shall be shed.

Wherefore, that I may the sooner obtaine my pardon in such latitude as I desire it, I doe re-enforce my prayer with all manner of zeale and earnestnesse. Deliuer me, O God, thou that art the God of my saluation. I double thy Name, when I tender this single supplication, hoping by my affectionate insinuation, and vehement compellation, to draw thy gracious compassion towards me: I take hold of thee, as it were, with both my hands: I cry incessantly for pardon of this sin, which cries [Page] so eagerly in thine eares for vengeance against me.

Thou God of my saluation. Psal. 3. 8. I said elsewhere, that saluation is the Lords, because it can flow from no other fountaine; but here I desire to apply it particularly, to draw the water to mine owne Mill, and to appropriate it, as it were, wholly to my selfe. Thou art of that gracious nature, as wee cannot better please thee, then by challenging a speciall interest in thy loue, by assuring our selues that thou art ours: so that howsoeuer our premisses be generall for remission of sins, our conclusion must be speciall, proper, and peculiar: Thou art my God, and [Page]the God of my saluation.

I will sing ioyfully, or aloud of thy Righteousnesse.] The satisfaction should be answerable to the trespasse done, and the retribution to the benefit receiued, in some proportion. As to a greater sinne, a deeper repentance is due; so for a more bountiful fauor, a larger returne of thankefulnesse is, (of congruence) required. I haue grieued beyond measure for my bloody sinne; for the inestimable benefit of my free pardon, I know not what to render againe. In briefe, I can returne nothing but praises and thankes; (a poore requitall for so rich a mercy:) But sithence I [Page] can yeeld no better, no other; it is meete I should improoue this, and set it forth to the vtmost aduantage. Wherefore I will sing ioyfully, with a liuely spirit, with a cheerefull heart, I will sing vocalissimè Alleluia. My tongue shall become a Trumpet of thy praises, which shall sound them out lustily and loudly: I will bestow all my breath and strength in proclayming thine honour: I will become a chiefe Chanter: I will eleuate the note in the highest straine: I will so chant out thy praises, as thou shalt take notice of it abundantly, and so, as the noyse may be heard, not only in my priuate [Page] Chappell, or Oratory, but in the chiefe Cathedrall Churches, in the greatest congregations on Earth, yea, euen in the blessed Synode of Angels and Saints in heauen. Nay, I will not onely sing my selfe, but I will call in others also to make vp a full Quire: O come, [...] vs sing Psal. 95. loudely, let vs [...] reioyce, &c.

Thy righteousnesse, that is, Thy faithfulnes and truth, in accomplishment of thy gracious promises to such, as truly and sincerely repent, and humbly & hopefully craue pardon for their sinnes: for true iustice doth much consist in the due performance of promises. [Page] Thou thy selfe hast made thy selfe our debtor,Debitorem se fecit, deus non accipiendo, Sed [...], [...], &c. not by receiuing from vs. but by promising to vs. No man can say vnto thee, Render, Lord, what thou hast receiued: but eueryAugus. Psal. 25. 10 man may, and must say; Performe, O Lord, what thou hast promised.

All thy waies are mercy and truth; Mercy, whereby thou forgiuest sinners, and Truth, whereby thou makest good thy promises. O then, how happy are the people, whose God is the Lord, who by his [...] promise is become their faithfull debtor, and whose iustice giues assurance of his mercy, whose mercy and truth are met together, [Page] and whose righteousnesse and peace haue kissed each other! So as by a reuerent confidence, and a holy kinde of boldnesse, I may [...] thee in this [...], [...] by the worth of [...], but by [...] of thy promise, not to lay my sinnes to my charge; bee they neuer so many, neuer so great, I may pleade my interest in the death of my Sauiour, and in thy faithfull promise, and free pardon, to this effect:

O my God, thou that art the God of my saluation; it is agreeable to diuine and humane iustice, to keepe promise, to performe couenant. In the [Page] new and sacred couenant, it is the Article of Inprimis (as they say) that thou wilt forgiue the sinnes of thy people: & remember their iniquities no more. Make good then thy word, and full agreement, really and effectually. It stands not with thy iustice to exact twice one and the same debt of mee. My suerty and elder Brother Christ Iesus, hath paied the debt which I owed, hath suffered the punishment which I deserued: wherefore enter not into iudgement with thy vnworthy seruant, O Lord; but for the [...] of his death and passion, accepted by thee; with free consent, for full satisfaction, [Page] let me be acquited and discharged of all my transgressions whatsoeuer. I will rely and repose my selfe securely, vpon thy word and promise, because thou hast ratified and confirmed it with an oath, with a solemne oath. Thou hast sworne by thy selfe, (because there is no greater to sweare by) by thy [...]; the Lord Iehouah Psal. 132. 11. sware vnto Dauid; Truth, that is, a true oath, a faithful promise: or Truth, that is, God sware vnto Dauid; He will not turne away the face of his Anoynted, his seed shall indure for euer: thou hast sworne by thy life; I will not the death of a Ezech. 33. 11. sinner, if he repent, he shall [Page] liue. Oh happy people, forO nos soelicis quorum causd Deus iurat! O nos [...], si nec Deo, &c. Tertul. [...]. whose cause thou vouchsafest to sweare! Oh most miserable wretches, if we beleeue thee not when thou swearest! Thy word (O Lord) is an [...] in it selfe and of it selfe, (so faithfull thou art) but to giue vs full [...], thou dost condescend to our capacity and infirmity, thou makest assurance to men, after the manner of men (with whom, a promise clothed with an oath, seemes of greater strength and validity, then a bare and naked word) and therefore out of abundance of thy loue, dost vse a protestation, or adiuration (otherwise needlesse) to [Page] remooue out of our incredulous hearts, all distrust, and colour of dubitation.

15 Open thou my lips, O Lord, and, &c.

BVt I haue beene too forward (now I thinke of it) to engage my selfe, so deepely, to sing ioyfully, and sound loudly thy righteousnesse. I confesse I haue promised more thē I can performe; I haue assumed and presumed, to doe that [...] is out of my power, vnlesse thou (O Lord) bee pleased, by thy gracious fauour, to enable me for accomplishment thereof. It is gracefull to me to shew my sefe gratefull [Page] to thee; yea, it is iust, that for the singular benefit of thy Iustice, in performing promised and vndeserued mercies, I [...] render all possible thanks, and returne all manner of prayses, vnto thee; but this I am not able to make good, without thy goodnesse. As I could not repent, nor beleeue; so neither can I yeeld thankes or prayses, but by thy gifts & grace alone.

I am blinde, and cannot see; deafe, & cannot heare; dumbe, and cannot speake thy wonders, thy words, thy praises, vnlesse thou open mine eyes, eares, and lips. It is thou alone that must speake in mee, that [Page] must worke in mee, both to will and to do, nay, thou must do in me, and for me, what thou requirest to be done by me; else it will be vnsaid, and vndone; thou must be all in all to [...], else all will be nothing.

Who is hee among the sonnes of Adam, that cannot sing and say any thing that is euill, by his owne power and will, by Satans instigation, (howbeit, not without God his permission) that cannot speak vaine and wicked words, that cannot sing wanton and ribald songs, scandalous and scurrilous libels, that cannot blaspheme thee, slander his neighbours, that cannot flatter his superiours [Page] basely, lye to his equals cunningly, reproach his inferiours scornefully, that cannot say and vnsay, sweare and forsweare, and what not? But it is a good thing to sing prayses to thee; That he cannot do, nor say ought else that is good, vnlesse thou put the thoghts into his heart, and the words into his mouth. Wherefore open thou my lips, O Lord, circumcise them, vnty the strings of my tongue, and [...], (not before) my mouth shall shew forth thy prayse, My lips shall speake thy praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes.

It is possible for a man, that is stirred vp and preuented [Page] by thy grace, to thinke and conceiue well, what is to be said: but to vtter & deliuer that well, is a further blessing, and requires a new supply and helpe of grace, for guiding and gouerning the tongue, in that behalfe. Nay, there is yet a further and subsequent grace required, to take a fit occasion and opportunity, seasonably to vtter what is well conceiued and digested, both in regard of the speaker and hearers, that all interuenient impediments may bee remoued and taken away. And in our case, this is the more requisite, because our prayers and prayses commonly goe together [Page] (as is meete) so as at one and the same time, we are, both to encounter Satan (who is then most busie to distract and disturbe vs,) and God himselfe, to whome by the feruent importunity of our prayers, we must offer a kinde of violence, as Iacob did, when he was said to haue wrastled with thee.

Wherefore there is required a long Chayne, fastened by many seuerall linckes of grace, to binde together this blessed worke, of setting forth thy iust and due prayses.

My mouth shall shew forth thy praise,] not onely in Psalmes and Hymnes, with all manner of Iubilation, [Page] but in the instruction, admonition and correction of wicked and impious ones, and the reduction of them to thy law and lore. Nay, I will play the Aduocate, & open my mouth for widdowes, orphanes, and other miserable creatures, such as are tonguetyed and cannot, as are ouer-awed, and dare not speake for themselues. I will in earnest and effectuall manner recommend the care and protection of them also, to all my subordinate Magistrates and Ministers. He that speakes for such Clients, may bee said to be thine owne mouth, because thou [...] the Patrone of all those [Page] that are oppressed, for want of assistance and defence, and men vndertake their causes by thy speciall assignement and deputation, which redounds to thy prayse and glory, in an extraordinary manner.

True it is, that the thankfulnesse of the heart, is the heart of thankefulnesse; there is the wellspring. The heart, as a King, commands this duty to bee done; the tongue, like an Herald, sounds the Trumpet. As the heart is the hart, & the tongue the trumpet; so the life, is the life of thankfulnes, it must be acted indeede, as well as proclaimed with the [Page] mouth. Then will the tune be perfect, when there is a true consort, betweene the heart, and the tongue, and the deede. The thankes and prayses must bee cordiall, vocall, and reall, all together.

I doe sometimes, in contemplation and admiration of thy wonderfull blessings & bountiful fauours, wherewith thou hast laden my soule (as it were) breake out into this exclamation and interrogation; Quid retribuam? What shall Quid retribuam. I render to thee, Lord, for all Psal. 116. 12. thy mercies? In an amazed astonishment, when I can giue my selfe no satisfactory answere, knowing, that all I can doe, is lesse then [Page] nothing, in comparison of what thou hast done to me, or I should and would doe to thee; yet thinkingInuenit [...] aliquid. Aug. that I finde (as it were) something, I resolue to make some shew of returne at least, and to take the Cup of saluation, or of health, and call vpon the name of [...], according to the custome of our Church and people, who for benefits receiued, vse to offer peace or thankeofferings, whereof they eate and reioyce before the Lord, and at their banquets take vp the Cup of wine, in their hands, and blesse God (called thereupon, The Cup of Blessing.)

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When I seeke seriously what I might render vnto thee, I finde nothing but what is thine already, and therfore I must desire thee to giue mee, to giue thee, & when all is done, I must giue thee of thine own, els I can giue thee nothing.

For who hath preuented thee, or beene aforehand with Iob 22. 2. thee? Who hath giuen thee first? Wherefore, when1 Cor. 4. 7. the question is pursued and pressed yet further, who hath giuen me this Cup of saluation? I must ingeniously confesse, that euen thou hast furnished mee with this kinde of retribution, I cannot make this good without thy goodnesse; I cannot praise thee, [Page] vnlesse [...] open my lips with the key of thy grace, and tune my tongue and voyce to sing; Praise thou Psal. 103. the Lord, &c. O my soule.

I haue nothing of mine own to giue but my sin, and that may not be presented vnto thee. My sin is mine indeed, and not thine, (I haue the full interest and ownership therof.) Whatsoeuer I haue else is thine, and not mine, thou art the sole Author and proprietary thereof. Mine is only the fruition and vse by thy permission, and as a Tenant at will. I am but instrumentum animatum, a meere instrument, liuing by thy breath.

Thou must open my lips, [Page] else my mouth cannot vtter thy praises. The very sound and voyce in me, is thine, I am but the Eccho to resound and returne it againe. As the Riuers flow from the the sea, and reflow backe into it: so euen thy praises must come from thy [...], to set forth thy glory.

Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I giue it, or had giuen it.] In regard of the heauy burthen of many sins, oppressing my soule, and the feareful apprehension of thy iust indignation conceiued against me, to ease and free my selfe, to appease and please thee, what would I not doe? what would I not suffer? [Page] what would I not offer? But I haue nothing whereby I might redeeme thy fauour towards mee. For if I had Mountaines of Gold, if I had Riuers of Oyle, if I had tenne thousand sacrifices to bestow vpon thee, it booted mee nothing; they are all thine owne already; and besides, thou makest not account or esteeme of any of these things at all, which I doe not deliuer to disallow, or altogether disualue all kinde of [...], by slaughter of Beasts and Birds, appointed by thee, and prescribed by thine owne Law; but because these are signes onely, and representations to the [Page] weake capacities of mortall men, of that reall, effectuall, renowned, and eternall sacrifice, once to be offered for the redemptition of mankinde. I know (O Lord) by the illumination of thy holy Spirit, that it is an inward and internall, not an outward or externall sacrifice, which thou (being a spirit) delightest in: Thou lookest vpon the heart, and pious affections thereof alone.

I conceiue, that to draw [...]. cont. Mar cio. thine owne people from the superstitious Idolatry whereunto the Gentiles (through the blindnesse of their vnderstanding, and the delusions of Satan) were so prone, and so [Page] much addicted, and to teach them to embrace such worship of thee, as thou shouldest prescribe, not themselues [...], thou hast instituted sundry kindes of sacrifices, vpon seuerall occasions to be offered vnto thee, with an indulgent respect to our infirmity, (who being carnall, delight in outward shewes, without which wee cannot so easily comprehend those inward seruices and spirituall duties, to bee performed by vs) and euer with relation to the true substance of the hearts affections, to be erected, and consecrated wholly to thine honour.

For thou hast not [...] [Page] or [...] for thy selfe. [...] wouldest not drinke the bloud of Bulls and Goats. [...]. 50. The eternall God doth neither hunger nor thirst, &c. But a single and sincere minde fearing God, of those that offer such things as they haue from thee, is a sweet smelling and well-pleasing sacrisice to thee, by thy gracious acceptation: who dost not so much regard the thing that is done, in this kinde, as the minde where with it is done, and the end wherfore it is done, to wit, thine owne glory.

Thou dost not respect the shadow, but the substance; not the shel, but the [Page] kernell; not the chaffe, but the corne; not the signe, but the thing signified. At least thou doeft not esteem the type without the truth, nor the figure in any degree of comparison, with that which is represented thereby, and therewith to be presented vnto thee, that is, a broken heart.

The sacrifices of God (in the plurall number) because this one is many sacrifices, this one is all the sacrifices that thou expectest at our hands.

A broken heart, a contrite spirit, (diuers words importing one and the same thing) is a heart wounded, a spirit deiected and perplexed with the [Page] sight and sense of sin committed, mourning and melting into teares, through the remorse of conscience, grieuously lamenting that it was so wretched and wicked, as gracelesly and vngratefully to reiect the iust lawes of so powerfull a Iudge, and to neglect the kinde inuitations of so pittifull a Father, and all for a little vaine, idle, foolish, frothy, and fruitlesse pleasure, which was mingled with [...] in that little time, wherein it was so greedily [...], and pleasingly [...].

Now, [...] doth thy gracious goodnesse wonderfully shew and [...] forth it selfe, that thou not only [Page] [...] to teach vs what to doe, and what to say, how to [...] our actions, and frame our supplications, that, both in word and deed, wee may please thee; but also whē we haue offēded & displeased thee; to tell vs how to pacifie and appease thee againe; The Sacrifices of God are, &c.

Nay further, thou dost not require such a sacrifice, as must be procured and purchased from abroad, with much care and cost, farre fetcht and deare bought (as they say) but such a sacrifice as we haue, or may haue, in our owne bosomes. [...] à te extrâ [...]. PP. to quaeritur: Thou requirest nothing from mee, but [Page] what is within mee.

Beyond all this, thou doest vs the honour, and trustest vs, with the office of Priests that wee may be sure to see this Sacrifice duly performed. We must our selnes, for our [...], offer vp our [...], in humility & contrition (which is [...] only [...] and vnbloody [...]) [...] and [...] thee.

Euery [...] as a [...] Priest, [...] a victime [...]. Aug in [...]. within [...], to offer the franke-Incense that must be put vpon the Altar, in his owne bowells; in his owne heart, a Sacrifice, that is of force, to [...] and winne thee to compassion, he neede not seeke [Page] for a beast abroade to slaughter, and burne to ashes, he hath within himselfe, that hee may and should kill. He may slay sin, he may mortify his earthly members, he may strike with the hammer of sound repentance, vpon the hard Anuile of his stony heart, till it be mollified, bruised, and brayed to pieces, and then it will be thy time & turne (as it is thy greatest honour,) to binde vp and heale the wounded and broken hearted.) Hee may kill and sacrifice to thee, his Bull of pride, his Goat of lasciuiousnesse, his Ramme of stubbornenes, his Birds of flying and wandering imaginations, [Page] and so the rest of his carnall & sensuall affections which being beastly, doe turne men into beasts, defacing that Image of thee, wherein they were created to holinesse, and righteousnesse; The morall whereof, is this; He may, in a life of vertue and piety offer vp, the death of his vices & iniquities to thee.

He that repents his sins,Omnis quē poenitet, rixatur secum. Aug. in Psal. 33. doth chide and braule, quarrell and brabble, hee doth expostulate and fall out with himselfe, in this tune; Oh vnhappy wretch, why wouldest, how couldest thou, so basely stoope, to the lure of fleshly wantonnesse, of wordly profit, of spitefull reuenge, of [Page] trecherous infidelity? how couldest thou be induced to sell thine inheritance for a mesle of Pottage, thy euer during treasure in heauen, for a little flitting and vnconstant trash of the world? What fruite hast thou now of [...] the forbidden fruite, of enioying those sinfull and momentany pleasures, whereof thou art so much ashamed? was not the terrible voice of the Law, thundring out hell and damnation, of power to fright thee from rebellion, were not the sweete promises of the Gospell, of force to inuite thee to the [...] and constant seruice of God?

Nay, beyond chiding [Page] and brauling, a true penitent, must chastise and punish himselfe. Thy Lustice, O God, although it be fully satisfied, by that all sufficient obedience and propitiatory Sacrifice of the Lambe, slaine from the beginning of the world, yet as a fruite of our repentance, expects from vs a holy reuenge vpon our selues. We must iudge ourPeccatores, vindica [...], exige de te poenas, crucia teipsum, &c. Aug. in Psa. 140 selues, that wee bee not iudged, and least our iudgements become fruitlesse and elusory, We must put them in execution, seuerely, without pitty, or partiality. Let vs therefore preuent his face of Maiesty, his countenance of Authority, by confession, [Page] (wich confession, is a profession of forsaking our former faults.) The IudgeCurrat poenitentia [...] sententia. Cbrys. we cannot, the iudgement we may preuent, if we take the opportunity, and repent truly and timely of our sinnes, thou wilt mercifully and graciously repent thee of the iudgements, denounced & doomed against vs. Therefore it be houeth euery man, to keepe a Court at home, and therin to sit, as chiefe iustice, to indict and arraigne himself at the barre of his owne conscience, & where he findes the fault, there to inflict punishment. In as much as at these Assizes, the heart must needes be found the [Page] greatest offender, because from the heart doth flow, all vaine and sinfull imaginations, all idle and wicked words, all lewde and scandalous actions; let him doe Iustice vpon his heart, in the first place, let him correct the pride of it, by humiliation, the wantonnesse of it, by contrition, the iolity of it by sorrow, the stubornenesse of it by weeping, the gluttony of it by fasting, the couetousnesse of it by almes-giuing; and so according to the rule of Physicke, cure each contrary by his contrary affection.

The physicke must bee applied to that part of the body, which is ill affected, [Page] the salue laid vpon the place that is sore. Where the sinne breedes & swels, there must the sinner cut and launce. He must pricke his heart to the quicke, and let out store of teares, as the former, and latter rayne. As our hearts haue beene fatted and pampered (as it were) with sinne; so they should grow leane and meagre againe, by sorrow for sinne.

Looke how much theIn quantū tibi non peperceris, in tantum tibi Deus parcet. Tertul. de poenit. lesse I spare my selfe, so much the more wilt thou spare me. My repentance doth in a sort execute thy vengeance, and with a temporall vexation, doth preuent and auoide thine eternall damnation, by casting [Page] me downe, it lifts me vp, by making me vgly in mine own, it presents me pure in thine eyes, by accusing, it doth excuse, by condemning, it doth acquite me.

It is a kind of vnhappinesse, to be seared and cauterized with an hot yron, and fretted with an eating powder; but those meanes and medicines, which doe cure by sharpenesse and sowernesse, by the benefit which they procure, doe excuse their distastfulnes, and by the succeeding profit, do allay the present paine.

By sin, thy spirit takes occasiō to increase grace, not by the nature of sinne, but [Page] by the soueraignety of that spirit, which euen of sinnes makes a plaister against sin. For I being as sicke of sorrow as of sinne, may hopefully resort to thee, the Physitian of my soule, whose end of comming into the world is, to cure the sicke, especially such as feele themselues sicke, enen at the heart.

I must breake my goldenExod. 32. Calfe, that is, any idoll of sinne, which my corrupt heart doth serue and worship, I must burne it with zeale, and with contrition grinde it to powder, and then strowing it vpon the water of teares, drinke it vp againe. By this thy gracious meanes, an [Page] Antidote will bee drawne out of poyson, the oyle will cure the bitings of Scorpions, the worme wil gnaw the wood, the moth the cloth that bred it, the very excrements of my sinfull soule, like dung and mannor, will fatten and make it fruitefull in goodnesse.

The hunted and woundedTertul. de poeniten. Hart, by eating of an herbe knows how to helpe [...]. and heale himselfe, and to make the arrow that pierced his ribbes, to fall to the ground.

The Swallow when she hath put out the eyes of her young ones; knowes by an herbe of her owne name, how to restore their [Page] sight againe.

Thy herbe of grace, the iuyce whereof, is our repentance, doth expell the fiery darts of Sathan shot by sinne into our soules, and this eye-salue doth cause vs though neuer so much blinded with sinne, to see, both our error, in committing, and thy mercy in pardoning our offences.

The most powerfull rhetoricke, to mooue thee to pitty, is repentance, and the most delightfull Musicke in thine eares, is that dolefull ditty, tuned to a trembling tongue and a quauering voyce, peccaui in coelum, &c. Against thee, against thee onely, I haue [Page] offended.

The string bends theNerue curuabitur arcus. Igne Chalibs. strongest bowe, the fire mollifies the hardest steel, the Goates blood breakesAdamas, Sanguine, corde Deus. Mantuan. euen the Adamant; I hope my harts humble and melting repentance, will appease thy hottest and heauiest indignation conceiued against me.

The most worne and torne linnen, by contusion and grinding in the Mill, makes smooth and white paper. Euen so, my most base and rotten ragges of vanity and wickednesse, by true contrition (with thy benediction) will produce a cleane heart, and renew a right spirit within mee. The corruption and consumption [Page] of the one, will prooue the generation or regeneration of the other.

To sacrifice & to kill, are expressed by one and the same word, in holy writ, because euery sacrifice was slaine in thy Leuiticall lawe, but this breaking of my heart, and offering my body in sacrifice to thee, is an Euangelicall sacrifice, because therin (which mayHostia [...] ctatur & viuit. Crysol. in 12. Rom. seeme strange) the sacrifice is slaine, and yet liueth: For it is my faith, not my death, which thou seekest, thou thirstest for my holy desires, not my polluted blood, thou art appeased with my willingnesse to renounce the world, not with my departure out of [Page] the world. This was Abraham the Father of all thy faithfull ones, his sacrifice, which thou requiredst of him. For what did Abraham, but offer his owne body in his Son? What didst thou require of him but his Faith, who, as thou diddest commandSicut offerri iussit sic non [...] occidi. Chrysol. his Sonne to be offered, so thou wouldest not suffer him to be killed. I hold it a wise and an aduantageous course in any man, to dye to sinne that hee may liue to righteousnesse, to mortifie the old man, that hee may bee quickened in the new, to dye daily, that hee may liue eternally. Wherefore I will dye, that I may not dye, I will [Page] wound my hart with temporary contrition, that I may auoyde the deadly wounds of [...], who desires my euerlasting destruction. I will liue a dying life, that I may not dye a [...] death: For thy sake are we killed all the day long, and right deare in thy sight is this death of thy Saints. Here I can bee contented to stirre vp an holy emulation betweene those that thus dye, and such as are stoned, burned, or otherwise done to death for defence of thine honor and testimony of thy trueth,Cyprian. de dupl. [...]. who, by excellency are termed Martyrs. These dye but once, and at once, their paine is soone past, [Page] but the other dye a lingering death, they dye daily and continually. It is accountedGenus [...] cito occidere. Seneca. a mittigation of cruelty, and a kind of mercy, to put men to death quickely. This MartyrdomeMorsque minus poenā quam mora [...]. Maxim Eleg. of mortification, God doth highly prize, without that other, which is by effusion of blood; this must goe before that,Non Mar [...] Sola sanguinis effusio consummat nec solam dat Palmam, exustio illa [...]. Multi ducunt [...], in [...] Aug. and that without this, is of no worth, nor deserues the name of Martyrdome at all. Whose Martyrdome shall I dare to compare, with the various, hideous and tedious sufferings of holy Iob? The best is; this contention for immortalitie,Auth. de dupl. Martyr. will not onely be mortall, but soone at an end. [Page] The Martyrs of both sorts (so I tearme them, because they dye in, and for thee) shall haue fulnesse of felicity to satiate their largest desires, for they both shall haue, both, ioy without measure, and life without end, they shall both enioy abundance of pleasures, at thy right hand for euermore.

The summe of all is, I must drench and drowne my sinnes, and the corrupt affections of my wicked heart, in the sea of sorrowfull repentance, and then my soule will nimbly and swiftly swim to the land of promise, and hauen of happinesse.

They that will offer [Page] this sacrifice, their hearts must fall from the high mountaine of pride, downe into the lowest valley of humiliation, and they must bee bruised with the fall, & pained with the bruise. I will present an humble, bruised, and sorrowfull heart vnto thee.

Thou, O Lord, art nigh to them that are of a contriteIob. 30. 29. spirit, who speake to thee, in bitternesse their soule, who crye like the Draggon and Ostriche, for griefe of their sinnes committed. They who cry, De profundis, out of theAugust. in Psal. deepe, are not in the deepe their very crye reares and raises them vp. Thine eare is within mans heart, thou [Page] perceiuest the hearts first relenting, before it come to the tongues relating. I did purpose, and say, within my selfe, I will confesse my Psal. 32. sinne; and thou tookest notice thereof, and forgauest the iniquity of my sinne.

Thus saith the High and Esay 57. lofty One, that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is holy, [...] dwell in the High and holy place, with whom? with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to what end? to reuiue the spirit of the humble, and to reuiue the heart of the contrite ones.

Thou wilt not despise, nay, thou wilt highly prize, graciously receiue, [...] and comfort thou [Page] wilt giue them beauty forEsay 61. 3. ashes, the oyle of ioy for mourning, the garment of gladnesse, for the spirit of heauinesse. As a bone in the arme, or legge onceFirmior est fides quam [...], [...] de [...]. [...]. 5. broken, and being well set againe, growes stronger then if it had neuer beene broken: so our hearts, being well and soundly healed by true repentance, of the sores and bruises of sinne, become more firme and stable then euer they were before. Thus my foule fall becomes foelix culpa, I am after a sort happy in my vnhappinesse, for out of my great misery, through thy greatest mercy, a greater happinesse doth arise, then euer I [Page] felt before.

18 O be fauourable to Sion, for thy good pleasure.

HEE that prayes to thee, must not pray for himselfe alone. Howsoeuer hee beginne with prayer for himselfe (when he hath gained some interest in thee for himselfe, hee may the sooner preuaile for others) hee must end with prayer for thy Church, hee must not end till hee haue recommended the whole Church in his prayers vnto thee. He that is a liuely and feeling member of that mysticall body, whereof thy Christ is the head, must pray for [Page] the whole body. As in the naturall body the heart feeles the akeing of the head, and the head the oppression of the heart, the heart and head both doe resent a fellon in one of the fingers, and the gowt in one of the toes, the stomacke simpathizeth with the braine, and the braine with the stomacke; so, and much more is it in the mysticall body. True Christians are like those Twynnes, who are reported to haue wept and laughed, slept and waked, liued and dyed together. They must weepe with them that weepe, mourne with those that lament, suffer hunger, thirst, nakednesse, [Page] and imprisonment, with others their brethren afflicted with such crosses, participate with them in all their miseries and aduersities what soeuer. Captaine Vriah mine honest seruant could say; The Arke, and Israel, and Iudah abide in Tents, and my Lord Ioab, and the seruants of my Lord are incamped in the open field; and shall I then goe into my house to eate and drinke, and lye with my Wife: While they are in ieopardy, I cannot be in iollity; while they liue in feare, I cannot enioy security.

Wherefore be fauourable to Sion, to thy Church [Page] and chosen; I being one of them, must abide one and the same fortune and condition with them.

This is that vnion of the Saints in thy Christ, that communion of them among themselues, which cannot easily bee comprehended, much lesse fully expressed, and yet must it bee constantly belieued, and will be in some measure continually resented.

The Church is represented by the name of Sion. Sion the holy Mountaine in Hierusalem, which thou louest, from whence thy lawe should come, and where thou wilt dwell for euer. Iehouah hath chosen [Page] Sion, and desired it for hisPsal. 132. 14. seate, and said, This is my rest, here will I sit, euen to perpetuity.

But besides this generall, I acknowledge my selfe tyed by a speciall obligation to pray for Sion: for there was no let, on my part, but that the whole kingdome of thy Christ might haue fallen to the ground; for, I being raised from the dunghill, to the Diadem; from the Parke, to the Pallace; from following the Ewes great with young, to feede thy people, and anoynted King, to the end I should gather thy Church together, by my Apostasie haue scattered and wasted it, so [Page] farre forth as there is great cause to feare the vtter ruine and desolation thereof.

Wherefore by force, and in remorse of conscience, I beg for the sustentation and preseruation of thy Church, through thy free and vndeserued mercy. Thou, O Lord, art the onely founder of this choise Company and corporation. As out of thy loue onely thou didst single and select them from other refuse people, before the foundation of the world, as by the same loue thou hast supported and preserued them (amids all dangers and disasters) euer sithence; so, I beseech thee [Page] still to continue thine ancient, accustomed, and affectionate fauour to them. Let not my vnhappinesse impeach their happinesse; let not the darke and foggy mists of my wickednes, ecclipse the light and luster of thy countenance towards them; let them be still as deare vnto thee as the apple of thine owne eye; doe not spill them for my faults, but spare mee and them for thine owne sake.

Thou doest often, and mayest alwaies punish the people for the sins of their Princes. Wherefore I beseech thee not onely to pardon my sins to my selfe, but to be fauourable to my [Page] people also, and not to suffer them to smart, and suffer for my offences.

It is I that haue sinned and done euill indeed, but as for these sheepe, what haue they done? let thine hand bee on mee, and my Fathers house, but not on thy people, that they should bee plagued. Let not the contagion of my corruption spread vnto them, let not the punishments which I (their head) haue deserued, fall vpon their heads; be fauourable to them, howsoeuer thou be displeased with me.

I doe acknowledge, that looke how farre Kings do exceed other men in place and dignity; so farre doe [Page] their sinnes surpasse other mens sinnes in quality. Their sinnes, though lesse in their owne nature, are greater by reason of their persons, they are crying, capitall, and sinning sinnes. Wherfore it behooues me to repent more deepely to pray more earnestly, not onely for my selfe, but for my people also, whom I haue scandalized by my ill example, and exposed, as much as in mee lay, to thy heauiest vengeance.

For thy good pleasure, in thy good pleasure, according to thy good pleasure. I can propound no other motiue, to induce thee, I can name no Saint, nor Angell [Page] in heauen, for whose [...] I should intreate thee. Therefore for thy good pleasure, be fauourable to Sion. No sacrifice, either without or within mee is sacred enough, no sincerity in my thoughts, no holinesse in my words, no vprightnesse in my actions, is of power to merit the least grace from thee. I for my selfe, and as Procurator for thy Church, doe renounce all right, disclaime all desert, by meanes of any [...] all of these. It is thine own louing kindnesse that must ouer come thee. There is no reason of thy loue, but thy loue, no reason of thy good will, but thy good pleasure. Stat pro ratione voluntas. Saluian. [Page] Thy will is perfectSaluian. iustice, & stands for a law. Thou art not only louing, but loue it selfe, for thouNon Elegit [...], sed &c. Aug. didst loue thy Church and chosen first, thou didst not chuse them worthy, but by chusing, didst make them worthy to inherit thy Kingdome, thou didstQuare gratia? quia gratis datur. Quare gratis datur? quia merita tua non [...], sed beneficia Dei te [...]. Aug. in Psal. 30. loue them gratis, freely. Grace is not grace any way, vnlesse it be free and gracious euery way, without any precedent merit, or so much as loue, on our parts.

Build thou the walls of Ierusalem.] I pray as for thy Church, so for thy Common-wealth, Sion, thy Chuch, Ierasalem, thy Citty, Sion, thy holy habitation, [Page] Ierusalem, the mother City of the Kingdome of Israel. I haue done wrong to both, and therefore desire to make reparation, to both. That I can in no wise make, but by thy gracious fauour, vpon mine humble and earnest supplication. Ierusalem, though a City of peace (as the word Salem imports) yet must bee prepared and fortified for warre, It must haue Castles Towers, and walles, to defend them against the encounters of their enemies, which are many and mighty. There be walls of this City, which the world sees not, for thou, O Lord) art a wall of brasse about her, and a wall of [Page] fire, to consume her foes, thine Angels pitch their tents about her Inhabitants. Shee hath also visible walles, framed of a number of liuely stones, which being first rough, are hewne by affliction, in the quarry of this world, squared by repentance, and cemented by loue, and so pollished and made fit for the heauenly Ierusalem, that truly glorious City. But I will not pray onely for the defence and safety, but also for the peace and prosperity of the earthly Ierusalem. O pray for the peace of Ierusalem, they shall prosper that loue her, peace bee within her walles, and plenty within [Page] her pallaces; because of my brethren, neighbours and companions, for the loue I beare them out of naturall affection and ciuill respect I pray for Ierusalem; but chiefely and mainely, for thy House sake, O Iehouah. This house is the heart of this body, it puts life into all the outward parts and members thereof and in a [...] relation (though not in like proportion) those outward parts, doe guard, and defend and cherish his heart.

Thine Israel must needes be in much affliction and reproch, whiles the walles are vnbuilded. Thou hast forbidden thy people to offer in euery place. There [Page] thou art well pleased to haue thy name called vpon.

I haue much battered these walles, I haue made large breaches in them, by my haynous offences, O Lord, I beseech thee who art the Arch-builder, to rerepaire these breaches, to build vp these walles, that Ierusalem may continue in safety, and [...] in prosperity, not [...] a few moneths or [...], but euen till the comming of thy Christ.

Sion is the ioy of the the whole earth; not only all the creatures, but all other men also, are created, [...] and disposed for her good. For thy loue [Page] of them, I must loue them, for I cannot loue thee, vnlesse I loue thy spowse, in whome thou delightest, which is mystically, yet really, one flesh with thee?

I pray for fauour to Sion, in the first place, for building the walles of Ierusalem, in the second place, for good to the Kingdome in regard of the good that will thereby accrew to thy Church, the prosperity whereof, is the the prime obiect, and last complement of my desires.

Then when thou art become fauourable to Sion, thy Church and chosen, when the place is builded, which thou hast singled [Page] out for thy seate and seruice, then wilt thou accept, and the people offer their sacrifices, inward and outward vnto thee. This correspondency, and restipulation, as it were, betweene thee and thy people, that they shall offer cheerefully, and thou graciously entertaine their seruices, is the foundation and height of true felicity.

But they must be right sacrifices, or the sacrifices of righteousnesse, such as are required by thee, and in faith tendred vnto thee, else will they not hit the marke whereat they ayme. For it is not the deede done alone, that will auaile, [Page] or worke any good effect: it is not enough that the thing that is done bee good, but it must bee well done also. Bonum, benè the Noune without the Aducrbe, is of no value, or vertue at all.

The burnt offerings of beasts and birds and other things wholy giuen vp, in fire, by the Priests, and consumed to Ashes; the other oblations of peace and thankesgiuing, made by the Laity according to thy prescription, though thou do not esteeme them at all, when they are disioyned from an humble and penitent heart, yet being happily conioyned & consorted together, will [Page] be most gratefull, and highly pleasing vnto thee.

They shall offer Bullocks vpon thine Altar, and there slay them (which is the signe & figure) they shall withall, tender the calues of their lips, in praises and prayers, which is the substance and body thereby repesented. Thy Christ as their high Priest shall offer himselfe the sasacrifice, and vpon him as their Altar they shall put their Incense of heartie deuotion, by that meane, to become sweet smelling, in thy nostrils. Hee shall be the Priest, the Sacrifice Altar, all in all, himself. To him & be all honor and glory, &c.

A SVMMARY PRAYER FRAMED OVT OF the Psalme, and Meditation together.

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O Most powerfull wise and mercifull, God, who hast created all things in heauen, & earth for the seruice of man, and man for thy seruice, who hast disposed all things, in number, [...] and measure, who hast caused all things contained in holy [Page] Writ, to be recorded for the instruction and direction of thy Church and chosen: giue me grace so to behold this mirror of humane frailety, and diuine mercy, with the eye of true iudgement, that I may not with the Spider draw poyson, to the destruction, but with the Bee, sucke such honey, as may bee gathered out of it, to the solace of my sinfull soule.

Thou diddest permit Dauid, being an holy Prophet as well as a mighty King, aduanced & anoynted specially for the gouernement of thy people, to fall fouly into the heynous and grieuous sinnes [Page] of Adultery and Murder, that no man might presume of thy fauor or confide in his owne strength; but euermore serue thee in feare, and reioyce in thee, with reuerence.

Thou didst also endue him with grace after his fall, by humiliation and repentance, to rise againe and recouer his former estate, notwithstanding his long security and carelesse continuance, vpon the dregs of his wickednesse, (as it were) in contempt of thy Iustice; that no man might dispaire of thy rich and tender mercy.

Thou didst propound his fall, for caution; that all men might shun that [Page] dangerous racke, whereon he suffered shipwracke: his repentance, for imitation; that euery man plunged into the sea of sinne, might catch hould of the planke of repentance, to saue himselfe from drowning.

As thou didst bring light out of darkenesse, and life out of death, so dost thou, in an incomprehensible manner draw good out of euill, & turne the very sinnes of thy seruants to thy glory, and their good.

Farre be it from mee, to vouch this example, by way of excuse, or defence, much lesse warrant to offend, as hee did, howbeit [...] hope confidently [Page] with Dauid, when and after I haue offended (through thy gracious, goodnesse, and free promise by the teares of mine eyes, the contrition of my heart, and prayer of my spirit,) to obtaine a full and gracious pardon, of all my offences whatsoeuer.

Thou canst not, O Lord, but be highly displesed, when wormes of the earth, dust and ashes, rottennesse and corruption, hauing, without any desert at all, beene adorned with thy gifts, and enlightened with thy graces, shall presume of thy fauour, so farre, as vngraciously and vngratefully instead of thankes and prayses, [Page] to returne contempts, and dishonours, to thy diuine Maiesty.

But on the other side, thou canst in no wise endure, that ye most wretched caitiffe, the most shamefull and wilfull sinner that Satan can furnish out of hell, should despaire of thine endlesse and bottomelesse mercy, wherein, aboue all other things thou dost so much delight and glory, & which doth so farre surmount thy iustice, as thou dost continually wooe, & inuite, thy greatest enemies, to the participation thereof.

O Lord, being a sinner, as Dauid was, I cannot but pray for mercy, as he did, [Page] and because I haue grieuosly sinned, pray for great mercy, and because I haueHaue mercy vpon me, O Lord, &c. many times, and many waies, multiplied my sins, so as they are growne to a number numberlesses, pray for a multitude of thy tender mercies, that the whole debt-booke, wherein my sinnes are registred, may be quite crossed and defaced.

I must begge againe and [...], &c. againe, that thou wilt wash me againe & againe, wash mee thorowly, from the pollution and filth of my sinne.

Giue me grace, O Lord,I know my [...]; [...], [...], &c. to see my sinnes fully, to confesse them freely, intirely to giue thee the glory [Page] to take the shame to my selfe deseruedly.

Giue me leaue to lay openBehold, I was borne in iniquity, &c. my festred wounds, and lothsome sores, to thy viewe, in abasement and humiliation, to stirre thy bowels of tender commiseration.

Make me to loue in myBehold, thou louest truth in the [...], &c. selfe, what thou louest inme, to wit, truth and sincerity of heart, accept, O Lord, my honest study, and faithfull indeuour, for true and full performance. Let me solace my soule, in the conscience of my vnfained sorrow, for my sins past, and my true, though, weake, desires to serue theeAnd in the [...] of my heart, &c. better in time to come, for which purpose, enable me [Page] with wisedome, teach me the art of godlinesse, and the mysteries thereof, in my hidden parts.

And because the LeprosiePurge mee with Hysop, &c. of sin, hath infected mee from top to toe; temper and prepare for mee a powerfull purgation, with those ingredients, which are of strongest operation, that is, (without shadowes or figures) the bloud of that Immaculate Lambe slayne from the beginning of the world, applied by a liuely faith, to my diseased soule.

Be pleased to bathe my [...], and I [...] be [...], &c. vgly soule in thy Lauer of Iustification till I become white and bright, in thy pure and piercing eyes.

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Let mee, when I amMake mee to heare of ioy, &c. confounded in my selfe, and cast downe into the Dungeon of Sorrow, through the sight of my sinnes, yet hopefully and zealously seeke ioy and comfort, in thee, and thy saluation.

Let mee so place my [...] sinnes, &c. sinnes, before mine owne sorrowfull face, that thou mayest hide thy face, at least, thine angry face from them, or rather, so quite deface them, that they may [...] be to be seene hereafter, that they may [...] rise vp in iudgement, either to shame me in this, or condemne me, in the next world.

And because my iustification, [Page] which consists inCreate in me a cleane heart, &c. thy free remission of my sinnes, cannot subsist without sanctification, and holinesse of conuersation, as the light of that Lampe, and heate of that fire: And because it is impossible to draw a cleane out of an vncleane thing; I beseech thee, Lord, to worke a wonder on me, that is, to create a cleane heart within mee. Purge the fountain, and then the streames which [...] from it in my thoughts, words and actions, will be clearer and purer.

Giue mee a [...] spirit,Renew a right spirit within me, &c. that [...] carry my selfe [...] thee, and for [...] this spirit [...] [Page] becomes decayed and distorted by the peruersnesse of my nature, and obliquity of my transgressions; vouchsafe to renew it in me from time to time, by a continuall supply of thy heauenly grace.

Although I haue manyCast me not away from thy presence &c. wayes and times deserued thy iust indignatiō; yet for thy mercies sake abandon me not from thy presence, banish mee not from thy Courts; let me behold thy face, though ouerclouded with a storme of displeasure.

Although I haue grieued,Take not thy holy spirit from me &c. yea, and despighted thy good spirit; when it endeauoured my reformation, direction, and consolation; [Page] yet I beseech thee, not to take it vtterly from me, let not that holy fire, though raked vp vnder the ashes of my sins, bee quite extinguished.

When thou doest forRestore vnto me the ioy of thy saluation, &c. my sinnes bereaue mee of the comfortable confidence I found in the assurance of thy saluation, giue mee leaue to claime still mine interest in it, euen when I tremble and quake at thy iudgements: and thereby to craue a restitution of that tranquility of minde, and peace of conscience, which I formerly enioyed with contentment, make mee by the want rightly to value the worth of so great a fauour, [Page] then which a greater cannot be bestowed vpon the soule of man, whiles it is confined within this valley of teares, inclosed within this bodie of death.

And because throughVphold me with thy free, or firme spirit. the frailty of my flesh, and the fraud of Satan, I am so prone to recidiuation and backe shding, so ready to fall away from thee, (euen [...] many Apostasies pardoned) vnlesse I be still vpheld and supported: giue me thy free spirit, that [...] may cheerefully; thy firme spirit, that I may constantly accomplish thy blessed will, and [...] in [...] good duties that [...] vnto me.

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And for that thankefulnesseThen will I teach [...], &c. is the best returne for benefits receiued, and the strongest meanes to purchase new fauours; giue mee grace, as to promise, so to performe gratitude euery way, and euermore highly to esteeme, and zealously to affect the reducing, reclaiming, and conuerting of sinners, and impious persons, those that erre in their religion, or conuersation, or both, as the most acceptable seruice that can be done vnto thee vpon earth.

Teach me to vse all earnestDeliuer me from bloud, &c. compellation, and powerfull insinuation, toThou, God, of my saluation, &c. winne thy fauour againe, when I haue forfeited it [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] by committing some grieuous sin, especially quicken mee by faith, to make a particular application and appropriation (as it were) of thy saluation to mine owne soule; which pious presumption and holy ambition thou art well pleased withall.

Giue me grace with theI will sing aloud of thy righteousnesse, &c. deepest straine of my hart, and the loudest tone and tune of my voyce, to magnifie thy marueilous goodnesse. Though I be lesse then the least of thy mercies; yet teach me in duty and discretion for more bountifull fauours, to returne more plentifull praises. If I be deliuered from a crying sinne, I ought (of [Page] congruence) to sing aloud of thy iustice, which giuing assurance of thy mercy, by performance of thy couenant of grace, cannot but produce an exultation of the heart, and an exaltation of the voyce and tongue, in the celebration of thy iust praises.

But alas, how can I make that poore returne for thyO Lord, open thou my lips, &c. rich mercies, which mee thinkes I ought to vowe and promise? When all is done, I must therein also craue thy blessed assistance, that thou wilt be pleased to open my lips, and to vntie my tongue strings, I must owe thee for that grace also, and goe on thy [Page] score euen for those praises, which onely by Eccho I resound vnto [...].

Blessed be thy name, OThe sacrifices of [...], &c. Lord, who in my deepest distresse, and heauiest condition for my sinnes, when I seeke for ease and reliefe, tellest mee the meanes whereby thine anger may be appeased, and thy fauour redeemed. Thou requirest no sacrifice that with labour and charge should bee purchased abroad, but such as is or should be at home, and within me; thou expectest no other satisfaction from me, but the humiliation of my proud heart, and the sorrow of my rebellious [Page] soule, O wonderfull goodnesse! O vnspeakeable mercie! What more fauourable termes, can be deuised, or propounded, then that thou wilt accept my submission, and reconciliation? so as I will aske thee forgiuenesse humbly, and freely professe, and expresse effectually mine hearty repentance, for the manifold sinnes, I haue committed against thy divine Maiestie. Out of the the apprehension of this louing kindnesse and tender compassion (if thereA broken and a contrite heart, &c. were nothing else) I ought to melt into teares of griefe, breake my heard hart, bruize my obstinate spirit, which haue transported [Page] me, so farre, and plunged me so deepe, into thy displeasure.

O Lord, inable mee, whom thou hast ordained a Priest, for this purpose, to offer daily and duly, this acceptable sacrifice vnto thee, wch I should the more willingly present, because it no way intends the destruction of my body, but the correctiō of my soule. I am only to slay my sensuality, to quell my vnruly affections, and subdue them to thy holy will (for mine own good) not to impech nature, but to increase grace; and for my better incouragemēt to this mortification, thou art graciously pleased, to vse this [Page] protestation, that If I iudge my selfe thou wilt not iudge me, if I chastise my selfe, thou wilt not condemne mee, if I execute my owne iust and vnpartiall sentence against mine owne heart (the capitall offender) thou wilt fauourably spare, and mercifully pardon mee, for euer.

O Lord, I pray not for my selfe alone, but for thy whole Church, wheresoeuer dispersed, howsoeuer distressed, vpon the face of the earth. As I pray that thou wilt bee mercifull to mee particularly; so I beg also, that thou wilt be fauourableBe fauourable to Sion, &c. to Sion vniuersally. Being a member of [Page] that mystical body, whereof thy Christ is the head, so long as I haue spirituall life in me, I cannot but resent, such afflictions, as any of thy chosen, do sustaine: ô Lord, I pray thee for Ierusalem, the kingdom wherein I liue, that peace may be within her walls, prosperityBuild [...] the walls [...] Ierusalem, &c. in her palaces, I cannot but out of honest affection, wish well to my brethren neighbours and companions, that their persons may be protected, their walls (of wood or stone) reedifyed, fo often as neede requireth, & that not for necessity onely, but for comelinesse also. But I must still professe, that I regard the Case for the [Page] [...] sake, which is compassed therewith, the Common-wealth for thy house, and that portion of thy Church, that is preserued therein; I respect chiefely Sion, thy darling, and the ioy of the whole earth. My precious goods are imbarqued in that ship; What fortune betides them, I am contented shall befall me; I will sympathise, reioyce, and mourne with them, vpon all occasions. I doe acknowledge, no neerer affinity, no deerer consanguinity, no better fraternity, then is Christianity, nay, my spirituall kindred is of more esteeme with mee, [...] any naturall or legall coniunction [Page] whatsoeuer.

O Lord, shew thy fauorFor thy good [...], &c. to Sion, for thy good pleasures sake, shee hath no other motiue to induce thee, no other mediator to intercede with thee. Bee gracious to her, for his sake, in whom thou art well pleased. Be pleased of thy selfe, thine owne goodnes; for thy selfe, thine owne glory, to shew this loue, vnto thy Spouse, though foule in her owne nature, yet faire, by thy gracious acceptation.

These graces, O Lord,Then [...] thou accept, &c. which I begge zealously, for my selfe and others. I beseech thee to grant mercifuly, that I may [...] thee with prayse, and prayse [Page] thee with loue, that I may thankefully acknowledge thy gracious goodnesse, and in testimony thereof, render vnto thee, all honour and glory, all manner of prayses and thankes, all the dayes of my life, euen for euer and euer.

Amen.

FINIS.

Information about this book

Title statement

The psalme of mercy, or, A meditation vpon the 51. psalme by a true penitent.

I. B.

Edition statement

1625

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2003-01 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A00321

ID [STC]

STC 1045.5

ID [STC]

ESTC S4124

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

23225987

ID [OCLC]

ocm 23225987

ID [VID]

26402

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A00321)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 26402)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1806:11)

Source

— The psalme of mercy, or, A meditation vpon the 51. psalme by a true penitent., I. B., Bate, John., Bennet, John, Sir, d. 1627..

Extent

[14], 363 p.

Imprinted by Felix Kyngston, and are to be sold by Matthew Lownes,. London :: 1625.. (Epistle dedicatory signed: I.B.) (Sometimes attributed to John Bate and to J. Bennet.--Cf. NUC pre-1956 imprints.) (Signatures: A⁸(-A1) B-Q¹² R².) (Page 49 misnumbered as 94.) (Includes marginal notes.) (Reproduction of original in the Magdalene College (University of Cambridge). Library.) (Includes bibliographical references.)

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