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HAue mercy vpon me my God, according to thy great clemen∣cie, and for thy boundless mercies sake forgiue me the punishment which I haue iustly deserued. For if thou expect vntill my fastings, watchings and prayers shal satisfie for my sinne; alas Lord, when can this bee? My trespasse reacheth frō earth vnto heauen, and sur∣passeth in immensitie of
greatnes. Who then is able to compasse it, or bring it down, saue only thy sacred mercie? which as far sur∣passeth the measure of our sinnes, as the greatness of thy iustice is beyond ours. It is thy mercie O Lord, which compasseth this vni∣uerse, which holdeth to∣gither the whole frame of this world, which other∣wise is readie to dissolue and fall vpon our heads, to burie through his ruine the memory of our sinnes: to destroy, from before thy face, our ingrate, disloyall, and felonious race; which disclaimeth her birth, crea∣tion
and preseruation, all which it holdeth of thy bountie. O then let this mercifull bounty, which shineth in thy Diuinitie, now extend it selfe vnto me, not sparingly, or nig∣gardly, but fully and plen∣tifully. As thou didst once cause the waters to passe their bounds, and couer the toppes of the highest mountaines, to extirpate and sweepe away the wic∣ked inhabitans of the earth: so now cast out the torrent of thy mercie vpon mee, O Lord, not to swallow mee vp, but to bathe mee and clense mee from my wic∣kednesse.
But let it not content thee O Lord, once to haue made mee cleane, and to say how thou hast regene∣rated and washed me in the bloud of thy chaste and in∣nocent lamb: for thou did∣dest not make me so white, and pure, but thou maiest now finde mee as foule and vncleane. I haue plunged my selfe into the depth of filth: I am so besmeared, and so disfigured, that thou wilt not acknowledge mee for thine. Yea, it maketh me demaund sometimes of my selfe, vvhether I be hee whom thy hands haue cre∣ated:
and my heart is so ful of shame and confusion, that it dareth not resolue me. O my God, thou hast created me of durt & clay: and behold, I am become such as I was before thou spreddest thine hand ouer me. I haue despoyled me of my strength and my beau∣ty, to reuest my selfe in mire and filth. But where∣fore O Lord, dost thou not forme and fashion mee a∣new? Is thy hand shortned? is thy willingness, to shewe mercie to thy creature, fal∣len away? Oh thou that art Almightie! Oh, thou that art euen goodnes it selfe,
wherfore art thou so slack? O Lord, thine own worke is become obstinate against thee, and taketh pleasure in disfiguring, and disforming it selfe: be thou as obstinate against thy worke, to make it faire and perfect in des∣pight of it.
But O my God, I will no longer stand out in mine owne conceit against thee: hold and take mee to thee: turne me as thou wilt, put a new print vpon this clay, renew it, put a new stampe vpon it, for loe it is prest to follow thy will. But when thou hast fashioned me a∣new, do not then leaue me
to my self, O Lord: Put thy bridle within my mouth, that it may through absti∣nence, allay that gourman∣dizing, which fouleth it: through chastitie it may coole the shamelesse heates of lustes, which enflame it: through humilitie, it may beate downe that pride and arrogance, which biting enuie hath bred in it, that cōpassionate charitie, may driue from it hatefull and greedy couetize: that a care to serue and worship thee, my bee as a spurre alwaies in the sides of lazie and fe∣tarde negligence. For o∣therwise O my God, too
much haue I proued, how I shall bee handled by these troopes of vices which en∣uiron mee. They will de∣face, and throwe downe in such sort thy handie work, that when thou shalt come, thou shalt finde onely the shells and shiuers all broken and bruised. I haue known them too well: these are they that haue brought me to that state, wherin I now stand: and loe they stand in aray round about me, re∣proaching mee, and vp∣brayding mee with these blottes, wherewith they themselues haue defiled mee, and making me guilty
of those iniuries which they haue done me.
I haue sinned, I confesse O my God, I haue sinned: loe I offer vnto thee the bottome of my heart, take a view of my whole life. I haue sinned in the fight of heauen and earth, and all the world is witness of my fault. But if I had not sin∣ned, how could thy mercy be shewed? how wouldest thou acquite thee of thy promises of grace, which thou hast so long before proclaimed, by the mouth of thy holie Prophets? When thou shalt come to sit vpon thy eternall throne
of iustice, who would feare thee, if we were all iust? But that men may know and acknowledge thy great∣ness, it is meete that when we shal appear before thee, wee cast downe our selues humbly vpon our face, and cry, O sweet Lord, we will not stand in our owne de∣fence before thee, our fault is too manifest, but behold our pardon is in our hand: thou thy selfe hast giuen it vs, loe it is signed with thy bloud, sealed with thy i∣mage, which for our re∣demption hath been prin∣ted in the infirmitie of our flesh.
Thinkest thou my GOD that when I shall appear be∣fore thee, I will put any confidence in mine owne innocencie, or dare to iu∣stifie my selfe in thy pre∣sence? Alas, I know Lord I was no sooner borne, but I sinned: my mother loo∣ked to bee deliuered of a childe; and loe a lumpe of sinne? How much better had it beene, if such fruite had prov'd abortiue, which shameth the tree that bare it, the earth that nou∣rished it, and the ayre that breathed vppon it. I did nourish my selfe with sinne, when I was yet in my
mothers wombe, I sucked it in with her milke, and lo it is so growen vp with me, that it ouer-shadoweth my head, and casteth a miste before mine eyes.
But when I see the eyes of my bodie, so seeled with sin, which compasseth me: I opē the eyes of my soule, and begin to discerne a far off the rayes of thine infal∣lible trueth, and acknow∣ledge the marueilous se∣crets of wisedome, which thou hast manifested to me. Then my soule, abando∣ning the impuritie of my bodie, lifteth it selfe to hea∣uen, & vieweth the circuite
thereof; and casting her eye vpon the book of life, there doth she peruse the treatie of the newe Couenaunt, which thou hast made with men: and after, returning into her miserable bodie, doth fill it with hope of ioy, promising it assured vi∣ctorie ouer sinne.
For shee hath learned in heauen, that thou wilt take a branch of odoriferous hy∣sope in thine hand, & wilt sprinkle vpon me the water of purification: thou wilt wash me, and I shall be whi∣ter then snow: there shal no more sportes of sinnes appeare in me. What pure
lee shall this bee O Lord, which made of the cinders of my sinnes, consumed by the fire of thy loue, with the water of those teares which my repentance hath distilled from my heart, and in the sun of thy grace, shall wash away our wee∣ping, and shall breede in vs spiritual ioy: and in the end shall whiten in the puritie and candor of iustice, to make vs hereafter shine as the starres in the firma∣ment.
Then shall no sound en∣ter into our eares, but of that ioifull trumpet of sal∣uation, which shall pro∣claime
grace and mer∣cie to all that will receiue them. Then shall wee see our carcasses which were consumed with rottenness, rise vp out of their beds, to be partakers of this vniuer∣sall ioy, wherevnto thou hast inuited the vvhole world.
But that I may appeare before thee, in such honou∣rable attire, as is befitting such honourable magnifi∣cence; treade downe, O my God, all my faults vn∣der foote, burie them in the centre of the earth, that no eye may bee able to see them, make an euerlasting
separation betwixt me, and mine iniquitie, which at this present I forsake, and from whom I vow an irre∣vocable diuorce.
Receiue my soule which I offer vnto thee: make it pure and cleane: renewe in my heart such a spirite, as shall conceiue nothing but truth and holiness. Make it, O Lord God, a temple for thy holy spirit to dwell in; that henceforth all my thoughts may breath out nothing, but the praises of my God: that thy will bee alway imprinted in my breast, and thy glorie writ∣ten in my lippes.
When thou hast so re∣uested and adorned mee, with pietie, and integritie, then shall I bee assured that nothing can separate mee from thy presence: and then as the true eagle looketh right vpon the sunne, so will I fixe my eyes vppon the face of thine eternitie, and shall beholde in thy maruellous and glorious countenance, all the perfe∣ctions which I am not able now to conceiue. O let thy sacred spirite neuer more dislodge from my hart: for hee it is which vpon the wings of zealous loue, shall carrie me into thy bosome,
there to make me partaker of thine heauenly ioyes.
Make me then euermore to taste the sweetnes of this immortall life: saue mee speedily, from the rockes of this world, which on e∣uerie side threaten shippe∣wracke. And as the Mari∣ner now comne vnto the hauen, crowneth the maste of his shippe with garlands in signe of safetie: so crown me my God with the preci∣ous giftes of thine holy spi∣rit, for pledges of euer∣lasting blessednesse, which thou hast promised mee. I say, of thy spirit which raig∣neth among thy faithfull,
which giueth faith to thine elect, loue to thy beloued, and hope to them, whom thou hast predestinated.
And so whilst my soule shal abide in this exile, wai∣ting when thou shalt call him home, I will teach thy wayes vnto the wicked, by following which, they may please thee; and will direct them how to passe through the darknesse of this world, without stumbling at such offences, as daily offer themselues: they shall be∣leeue mee, and so be con∣uerted vnto thee, O father of light: they shall receiue thy faith into their hearts,
and shall walke in thine o∣bedience.
I know O Lord, that some will against my voice stoppe their eares, and ob∣stinately persist in their vi∣ces; they will conspire my death, and seeke to drench their barbarous crueltie, with my bloud. Deliuer me from their hands O God, and preserue mee, that I may declare thy iustice, and pronounce their con∣demnation. I will foretell their wretchednes, and they shall feele it: yea, as soon as I haue made an ende of speaking it, thy hand shall smite them: and no sooner
shal thy hands haue smitten them, but they shal be bro∣ken like a Potters vessell, and come to sodaine de∣struction.
Then shalt thou open my lippes, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise, & de∣clare thy victory: the aire shall bee calme, the winde shall cease, the riuers shall stay their course to hearken to my voice, whilst it shall chaunt & resound the mar∣uellous actes of the eternall God. For thy praise shall euer be the sacrifice which I will offer vnto thee, and which shall bee euer accep∣table in thy sight.
I would ere this haue filled thine aultars with the bloud of beasts: I would haue slaine a thousand oxen & a thousand sheep to thine honour: but bloud doth stinke in thy nostrils, thou art not pleased with flesh: the smoke of such offerings doth but vanish in the ayre, and can not ascend vp vnto thee: it is the voice alone of a righteous man, vvhich findeth passage into hea∣uen, and therin is presented vnto thee.
Oh how acceptable, a sa∣crifice before thee is a hart pierc't with repentance! an hart humbled and deiected
in the knowledge of its sins! neuer shall such a one be re∣iected. For the way to as∣cend vnto thee, is to descēd in our selues: to touch the heauens, we must fall down grouelling vpon the earth: to bee heard of thee, wee must bee silent: and to bee crowned in thy kingdome, wee must suffer paine and affliction in this vvorld. These are the sacrifices by which wee must make an attonement to thee, and en∣ter into that couenaunt which thou hast appointed.
And if thou wilt O Lord, that we offer oxen and buls, that wee make thine aultar
fatte with the bloude of beasts; if thou wilt that by the death of the innocent holocaust, wee shall repre∣sent the death and inno∣cencie of him whom thou hast destinied for the re∣demption of our soules; if the figuring of that which is to come, in the person of that immaculate lamb, bee acceptable, in killing of Sheepe and Rammes: O then look downe with thy eye of pitie vpon thy poore people, comfort thy di∣stressed Sion, giue cou∣rage to her poore inhabi∣tants, that they may re∣payre the decayed walles
of thy holy citie, and build vp thy temple, though not with that glory which thou deseruest, yet with as great as the riches of this world will retch vnto.
Thither then shal all thy faithfull flocke come from all parts to sacrifice vnto thee: and there shalt thou accept the propitiation for their sins. But O my God, it is neither the bloud nor death of beasts, which can wash away their offences: the expiation of their dis∣obedience and stubborn∣nesse is prepared from all e∣ternitie.
This is that inestimable
sacrifice, that immaculate holocaust, which shall take away the veile, dispell the darknesse, breake the par∣tition wall; to make vs see face to face, the truth of our saluation; to make the bright beames of mercie shine vpon vs, and to re∣sume vs vnto the commu∣nion of that eternall happi∣nesse, from vvhich wee of our selues had fallen. O most merciful God, which hast opened the eyes of mine vnderstanding, to see the mysterie of my saluati∣on; make me O Lord, by a liuely faith, to taste of that fruite, which flouri∣shed
vpon the tree of the Crosse, and shall quicken with his iuice mortified soules: preserue and heale vs for euer from that mi∣serie and calamitie, which hath so miserably fallen vp∣on the race of man, & hath been deriued from the first to the last through their dis∣obedience.
1 Haue mer∣cie vpon mee, O Lord, after thy great goodnes: according to the mul∣titude of thy mercie doe away my offen∣ces.
2 Wash me thorowly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sinne.
3 For I ac∣knowledge my fault: and my sin is euer be∣fore me.
4 Against thee onely haue I sin∣ned, and done this euill in thy sight: that thou migh∣test be iu∣stified in thy saying, and cleare when thou art iudged.
5 Behold I was shapen in wicked∣nes: and in sinne my mother cō∣ceiued me.
6 But loe thou requi∣rest truth in the in∣ward parts: and shalt make mee vnderstand wisedome secretly.
7 Thou shalt purge me with hysop, and I shall be cleane: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow.
8 Thou shalt make me heare of ioy and gladnes: that the bones which thou hast broken may re∣ioice.
9 Turne thy face from my sinnes, and blotte out all my misdeedes.
10 Make me a cleane hart O God: and renew a right spi∣rit within me.
11 Cast mee not away from thy presence: and take not thy ho∣ly spirit from me.
12 O giue me the com∣fort of thy help again, and esta∣blish mee with thy free spirit.
13 Then shall I teach thy wayes vnto the wicked: and sinners shall bee conuerted vnto thee.
14 Deliuer me frō bloud-thirstiness O God, thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of thy righte∣ousnes.
15 Thou shalt open my lippes, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I giue it thee: but thou de∣lightest not in burnt offerings.
17 The sacri∣fice of God is a trou∣bled spirit, and a con∣trite heart O Lord, shalt thou not despise.
18 O be fauou∣rable and gracious vnto Sion: build thou the wals of Ierusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sa∣crifice of righteous∣nes, with the burnt offerings and oblati∣ons: then shall they offer yong bullockes vpon thy aultar.