Penitentiall Meditations AND Vowes in the KINGS Solitude at Holmby.
GIve eare to my words O Lord, consider my Meditations, and hearken to the voice or my cry my King, and my God, for unto thee will I pray.
GIve eare unto my words (O Lord)
My Meditations think upon
To [...] voice of my sad cry accord.
My King my God to thee alone,
I'le offer up my supplication.
I said in my hast, I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes: neverthelesse, thou hearest the voice of my supplication, when I cry unto Thee.
I unadvisedly did say,
That I am cast out of thy sight,
Of thy clear eyes more bright then day.
Yet thou to heare me dost delight.
When I with cryes to thee show my sad plight.
If thou Lord shouldest be extream to mark what's done amisse, who can abide it? But there is mercy with thee, that thou mayst be feared; therefore shall sinners fly unto thee.
If thou (sweet Lord) shouldst be extream
To notifie what's done amisse,
Who can abide't? but thy bright beame
Shines mercy, which with feare must kiss,
Therefore shall sinners fly to thee for blis.
I acknowledge my sins before thee, which have the aggravation of my condition; the eminency of my place, adding weight to my offences.
My leprous sins I with contrition
Acknowledge now before thy Grace,
Which ponderous are by my condition,
The Eminency of my place
Adding much weight to them, which me deface.
Forgive I beseech thee, my Personall, and my Peoples sins; which are so farre mine, as I have not improved the [...]wer thou gav [...]t me, to thy Glory, and my Subjects good.
Forget, forgive, I thee implore,
My Pers [...]nall, and my Peoples ill
Which are so added to my store,
As I improv'd nos power, and skill,
Thou gav'st me, for thee, & their hurt to kill.
Thou hast now brought me from the glory and freedom of a King, to be a Prisoner to my own Subjects.
And now thou hast dejected me,
From what my Glory did disclose,
And freedom of a Majesty,
To be a Prisoner unto those,
Who're my own Subjects, yet their King oppose.
Justly O Lord as to thy overruling hand, because in many things I have rebelled against Thee.
But justly 'tis (most mighty Lord)
As to thy over ruling hand,
Because that I thy will defer'd,
And contrary to thy Command,
In opposition against thee did stand.
Though thou hast restrained my Person, yet enlarge my heart to thee, and thy grace towards mee.
And yet although thou hast restrain'd
My Person, O enlarge my Heart,
To thee my God, my God unfain'd,
And let me have a greater part
Of thy good Grace, for to o're way my smart
I come farre short of Davids Pyety, yet since I may equall Davids afflictions, give me also the comforts, and the sure mercies of David.
I come far short of Davids zeale,
Yet since in afflictions equall his
I only unto thee appeale,
For Davids Comforts (happy bliss!)
And the sure mercies which he did not miss.
Let the penitent sence I have of my Sins, be an evidence to me thou hast Pardoned them.
O let the feeling penitent sence
Which of my numerous sins I have,
Be unto me an evidence,
That thy seal'd pardon will me save,
And that thoust buryed them within Christs grave.
Let not the evills which I & my Kingdomes have suffered, seeme little unto thee, though thou hast not punished us according to our sins.
Let not the evills which both I,
And all my Realmes have suffered,
Seeme little to thy Majesty,
Although thou hast not punished
Ʋs; with such paines as our great sins have bred
Turne thee (O Lord) unto me; have mercy upon me, for I am desolate, and afflicted.
Turne thee (O Lord) turn unto me,
Have mercy on thy Servant God,
For I am fraught with misery,
O I am desolate, and thy rod
Hath much afflicted me my God! my God!
The sorrows of my heart are enlarged: O bring thou me out of my troubles.
The sorrowes of my bleeding heart
Encreased be, enlarged are,
O from thy mercy do not part,
But fetter from me leane dispaire,
Bring thou me out from troubles, and my care.
Hast thou forgotten to be gracious, and shut up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure.
Hast thou forgotten for to be
A gracious and a loving Lord?
Hast thou shut up thy bowells free,
Thy loving kindness and thy word
In black displeasure, not for to be stird
O remember thy Compassions of ould, and thy loving Kindnesses, which have been for many generations.
O now remember, call to mind,
Of old thy sweet compassion,
Thy kindnesses which all did finde,
And which had a Relation,
To all thy Saints for many a Generation.
I had utterly fainted, if I had not believed to see thy goodnesse in the land of the Living.
Lord! I had fainted utterly
If that my faith had not confirm'd
My drooping heart to know that I,
Should see thy goodness great enthron'd,
Within the Land of th' living, ever own'd.
Let not the sins of our prosperity deprive us of the benefit of thy afflictions.
Let not the gilded swelling sins
Of our prosperity be show'n,
To take from us thy sweet blessings,
To take from us most wretched ones.
The benefit of thy afflictions.
Let this fiery Tryall consume the drosse, which in long peace and plenty wee had contracted.
O let this purging fiery Tryall
Consume the Canker and the dross,
Which we (who never us'd denyall)
In our long peace and plenty gross,
Contracted had, not to our gain but loss.
Though thou continuest miseries, yet withdraw not thy grace what is wanting of prosperity, make up in patience, and repentance.
Though thou continuest miseries,
Thy grace yet do not Lord withdraw,
What's wanting of prosperities,
Make up in patience and in awe,
As in repentance that we've brake thy Law.
And if thy anger be not yet to be turned away, but thy hand of justice must be stretched out still.
And if thy anger be not yet
For to be turn'd from us away,
But that thou dost account it fit,
Thy hand of Justice still should stay,
Stretch out, sharp punishment on us to lay.
Then will I make all the world to see, and my very enemies to enjoy the benefit of this Vow and Resolution of Christian Charity, which I now make unto thee O Lord.
Then will I make the world to see,
And all my foes joy with content,
The benefit of my Vow so free,
And Christian Charities intent,
Which now to thee (O Lord) from me is sent.
As I do freely pardon for Christs sake those that have offended me in any kind.
As I do freely now forgive
For Christ my worthy Saviours sake,
All those who any wayes did strive
Me miserable for to make,
Or yet their malice on me for to stake.
So my hand shall never be against any man to revenge what is past, in regard of any particular injury done to me.
So shall my hand (which hate doth shun)
Ne're lifted be 'gainst any one,
For to revenge what's past and done,
In reference unto what was showne,
Particularly 'gainst me, or yet my Throne.
We have been mutually punished in our unnaturall divisions for thy sake O Lord, and for the love of my Redeemer have I purposed this in my heart.
We mutually were punished,
By civill Warres unnaturall,
For thy sweet sake (O Lord my Head)
And for's sake who for me did fall,
This have I purpos'd in my heart to all.
That I will use all meanes in the wayes of honesty and indempnity; which may most fully remove all feares, and bury all jealousies in forgetfulness.
That all meanes I will use to stay
In the blest wayes of honesty,
Indempnity to give, which may
Must fully make all feare to f [...]y,
And in forgetfulness [...]combe jealousie.
Let thy mercies be towards me and mine, as my resolutions of Truth and Peace are towards my People.
O let thy mercies be to me
Thy Servant Lord, and unto mine,
As these my Resolutions free,
Of canded Peace and Truth incline,
To those, whom thou didst unto me designe.
Heare my Prayer O Lord, which goeth not out of fained lips.
Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my Prayer, nor taken his mercy from me.
O Lord my God my prayer heare,
Which out of lips fain'd go not out
Blessed be God, who from my prayer,
H [...]th never turn'd himse [...]f about,
Nor taken his mercy from me so to doubt.
O my soule, commit thy way to the Lord, trust in him, and he shall bring it to passe.
O my poor humble seeking soule,
Commit thy way to the Lord alone
Trust in him, who doth all controle,
And then be sure (as it will be known)
That he shall bring to pass, for what you moane.
But if thou wilt not restore me and mine, what am I that I should charge thee foolishly?
But if thou (from thy Providence)
Nor me, nor mine wilt not restore,
What am I, what preheminence,
Have I a silly worm most poore,
To charge thee foolishly, whom I adore?
Thou, O Lord, hast given, and thou hast taken, Blessed be thy Name.
Thou, thou O God, omnipotent Lord,
Hast, given, each thing from thee came,
And thou who rulest with a word,
Hast taken from us wormes the same,
Observed be! O blessed be thy Name!
Let it I beseech thee be against me, and my Fathers house; as for these sheepe, what have they done?
O let it Lord (I thee intreat)
Be turn'd from them, on me to light,
And on my Fathers House and Seate,
For as these poore sheepe in right
What have they done? what hurt is in their sight
Let my sufferings satiate the malice of mine, and thy Churches Enemies.
But let their cruelty never exceed the measure of my chaity.
Let these my sufferings satiate
The cankered malice of my foe,
And such who thy pure Church do hate.
But let their cruelty never out-goe,
My charity which J would have here flowe.
Banish from me all thoughts of revenge, that I may not loose the reward nor thou the glory of my patience.
Banish from me revengfull thoughts,
That so I may not with offence.
Lose the reward which will be brought,
And which to me thou wilt despence,
Nor thou the glory of my patience.
As thou givest me a heart to forgive them, so I beseech thee forgive what they have done against thee and me.
As thou to me dost give a heart
To pardon, and forgive them free,
So I beseech thy love impart
Forgivenes to them speedilie,
For what they've done against, both thee and me.
And now (O Lord) as thou hast given me an heart to pray unto thee: so heare and accept this vow which I make before thee.
And now (O Lord) as thou hast gave
Me such a plyant heart to pray,
To thee, who solely canst me save,
So hear, and take without delay,
This vow, which I before thee make this day
If thou wilt in mercy remember me and my Kingdoms, in continuing the light of thy Gospell, and settling thy true Religion among us.
If that thou wilt in mercy (Lord)
Think on me, and my Kingdoms too,
Continuing the light of th'word,
And settling of Religion true,
Amongst us all so errors to escew,
In restoring unto us the benefit of the Lawes, and the due execution of justice.
And in restoring (from thy might)
The benefit to every one,
Of th'fundamentall Laws upright,
With the due execution
Of reall Justice, seated in her Throane.
In suppressing the many Schismes in Church, and Factions in State.
In weeding, and suppressing all
The poysonous Schismes which from hate,
Ʋpon the Church in weight do fall,
And suddainly to discipate,
The Hydra factions of the State,
If thou wilt, restore me and mine to the ancient Rights, and Glory of my Predecessors.
If that thou wilt Lord me restore,
And those who are unto me nigh.
To what we did injoy before,
To th'ancient Rights, and Majesty
Of my true Predecessors seated high,
If thou wilt, turne the hearts of my people to thy selfe in Piety, to me in Loyalty, and to one another in Charity.
If thou my peoples hearts will turne,
Vnto thy self in pious Love,
And make their loyall zeale to burne
To me their King, and cause them move,
To Charity, and onely it to prove.
If thou wilt, quench the flames, and withdraw the fewell of these civill Warres.
If that thou wilt extinguish quite,
The flames which cause such during scarrs,
And from thy goodnes infinite
Withdraw our mind for moving jarres,
And the apt fewell of continued Wars.
If thou wilt, blesse us with the freedom of publick Counsells, and deliver the honour of Parliaments from the insolency of the vulgar.
If for to blesse us thou'rt content,
With publick Councells to be free,
And keep the power of Parliament
From the insolence of such, who be
Breakers of Laws, and vulgar in Degree.
If thou wilt, keep me from the great offence of enacting any thing against my Conscience, and especially from consenting to sacriligious rapines & spoilings of thy Church.
If thou'lt keep me from that great sinne
Of acting any thing, which I
By conscience know should not have been
And cheif, not to consent to fly
To spoile thy Church most sacreligiously.
If thou wilt, restore me to a capacity of doing good, both to the Church and State.
If that thou (Lord) wilt me restore
To a capacity, that so
I may endeavour more and more
To praise thee in the good I'le doe
But to the Church, and State, which now is low.
Then shall my soul praise thee, and magnifie thy name before my people.
Then shall my never fainting soule,
Praise thee thou Lord of glorious might.
Then will I laud without controule
And Magnifie (as it is right)
Thy blessed name before my peoples sight.
Then shall thy glory be dearer to me then my Crowne, and the advancement of true religion both in purity and power, be my cheifest care.
Then shall thy glory be more deare
Vnto me, then my Crowns now are,
And true Religion in its feare
As in its purity most faire,
For to advance, shall be my cheifest care.
Then will I rule my people with justice, and my Kingdome with Equity.
Then will I rule impartially
My People all as they will finde,
With Justice, which shall hate defy,
And all my Kingdoms to their minde
With equity, which is with love combinde.
To thy more immediate hand shall I ever owne as the rightfull succession, to the mercifull restauration of my Kingdoms, and the glory of them.
As I'le the true succession owne
Vnto thy more immediate power.
So the kinde restauration
Of these my Kingdoms evermore
To thee I yeeld, with all their glorious store,
If thou wilt bring me againe with Peace, Safety, and Honour, to my cheifest City, and my Parliament.
If thou wilt bring me from thy pitty
With Peace, with safety, and with Fame,
Againe unto my cheifest City,
And my true Parliament, whose Name
I honour, nor do it desire to shame.
If thou againe wilt put the Sword of justice into my hand, to punish and protect.
If Lord, thou once wilt put againe
The Sword of Justice in my hand
Impartially for to remaine,
To punish those who hate Command,
And a Protector for the good to stand.
May my People and the Church be happy, if not by me, yet without me.
O may my people ev'ry one,
And thy pure Church (thy beautuous love)
Be happy, let their joy be knowne,
If not by me, yet (God above)
Without me sinner let them prosp'rous prove.