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INto the bot∣tome of thy penitent soul shoot these fierie darts: Ah me! What thoughts have I had! what have I said? what have I done? mad man that I am! I have transgressed contrary to all reason and consci∣ence: and oh me! against
whom? and who am I that have done it? I a vile and contemptible wretch, a base clod of earth, more foul and more unworthy then all Creatures, have dared (and with what face!) in the presence of my God himself, to defie him who is my Maker, who formed me out of nothing: who is my Re∣deemer, and ransomed me with his bloud, when I had made my self worse then nothing: Who
is my God, my onely God. Yet the wages of sinne is death. Oh what a terrible thing is it to fall into the hands of the living God!
2 And for a mo∣mentanie pleasure (ah shamefull Merchant that I am!) in contempt of heaven I have pur∣chased to my self the everlasting torments of hell fire. I am confoun∣ded and ashamed; for though none be privie to my sinne besides my
self, yet what will be∣come of me when my uncleannes shall be un∣folded before, all Saints and Angels. And how great is my ungrati∣tude to offend him thus who hath done so much for me? to have despised all his mercies and lo∣ving kindnesses? O un∣thankfull I! who have trampled his bloud un∣der my feet: O cruell and thrice wicked me! who have thus often crucified thee, O sweet
Jesu! And yet thou art patient, nay stretchest forth thy nailed arms to embrace me, and hang∣est down thy blessed head to kisse me! O in∣finite Goodnesse! I am sorrie sorrie for my sins, and lament now, not so much that I have lost heaven and purchased hell, as that I have of∣fended thee O merci∣full Father, who now doest not onely not strike me dead, but al∣so knockest, that I may
come to thee and begge for mercie; which thing surely thou wouldest not do, unlesse thou intend∣edst to have mercie up∣on me. And now faln flat on my face I come to thee like the Prodi∣gall sonne that had spent all, and crie, Father, I have sin∣ned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthie to be called thy son, Luke 15. But pardon me, O my Father.
3 Then when thou feelest thy soul to grow warm with a heavenly fire, break forth into these Flames of lively sorrow:
O my most Gracious God! O my most sweet Jesus! I repent from the bottom of my heart, that by my foul trans∣gressions I have offend∣ed thy Majestie and most infinite Goodnesse, which I ought and will now love above all cre∣ated things; and this,
cause thou art the God Almightie, wise, holy, and good, to whom all sinne is more odious and detestable then can be possibly imagined. Wherefore for this thy Love sake I firmly re∣solve never to offend thee any more, to shun all occasions of evil, and perform all that thou hast commanded me: Forgive I beseech thee, as I forgive all trespas∣ses against me: and as I humbly crave pardon
of my offences so I hope by thy merits of thy pre∣cious bloud, O Jesus! I shall obtain what I ask for, and by thy Grace shall amend the remain∣der of my life and per∣severe in thy service unto my death. Amen.
4 Let this be thy constant dutie, morning and evening, and as oft as thou shalt fall into any sinne, that so thou mayest recover Gods favour to thee again.
5 And to prove thy
repentance to be sin∣cere, chastise and mor∣tifie thy flesh, by aba∣ting thy flesh of all pleasant food, by sobri∣etie and temperance in thy diet, by prayers la∣bours and fastings; that thy flesh may be subdu∣ed to the spirit, and yet think not that thou de∣servest or mayest chal∣lenge pardon at Gods hands for all these.