Practical meditations upon the four last things viz. I. Death, II. Judgment, III. Hell, IV. Heaven / by R. Sherlock ...

The LXXXVI. Psalm. PARAPHRASED.

Verse 1.

BOw down thine ear to him who now bows down his heart, and hear me, O Lord, confessing, for I am poor, extremely want∣ing of the graces of thy Spirit, which should make me rich towards God: I have little or no treasures laid up in Heaven, and there∣fore I am in misery, liable to the eternal mi∣series of Hell: But,

Preserve thou my soul from that dismal place of Torments, for I am holy, [unspec 2] separate and devoted to thy Service, though a poor unprofitable servant: and upon this account I make bold to call thee my God, whom I worship and serve, and humbly beseech thee to save thy servant who putteth his trust in thee, for the riches of grace and salvation, wherein

Be merciful unto me, O Lord, [unspec 3] who art rich in mercy, for I will call daily upon thee, that it may please thee in great mercy to de∣liver me from that misery, whereunto my poorness in grace, but abounding sins, make me obnoxious.

Comfort the soul of thy servant that the sorrows of death overwhelm me not: [unspec 4] For

unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul, being hereunto encouraged by thy grace and goodness.

For thou, [unspec 5] Lord, art good, even the inex∣haustible Fountain of goodness, and graci∣ous, propitiously inclined to hear the suppli∣cations of thy people, and of great mercy against the greatness of iniquity, unto all them that call upon thee, even to all that call upon thee faithfully, depending upon thee alone for help, and safety.

Give ear, [unspec 6] to my prayer, not slightly hearing the sound of my words, but ponder the voice of my humble desires: the intense desires of my humbled soul, I humbly de∣sire to be considered.

In the time of my trouble, [unspec 7] and that's the whole time of my Pilgrimage here upon earth, I will call upon thee for protection and deliverance, whereof I will never de∣spair: for thou hearest me, if my Prayer be pure and humble: and therefore will I call upon thee as long as I live.

Among the Gods that be either falsly so called, [unspec 8] or be so called by participation of divine Power as the Angels in Heaven, and Kings of the Earth, there is none like unto thee, O Lord, either for Power or Wisdom: there is none that can do as thou dost: thy Works do far exceed the Power of any created Beings to do the like: and there∣fore in fulness of time,

All nations whom thou hast made, [unspec 9] shall no longer make Gods unto themselves, but shall come and worship thee, O Lord, the Maker of

all Men, and of all Things, and being ad∣mitted Members of thy holy Catholick Church shall glorifie thy Name, both with heart and voice, and by the good Works of their Obedience to the Gospel of Christ.

For thou art great, [unspec 10] which all thy Works declare, and dost wondrous things, not to be apprehended but admired, and 'tis there∣fore in all the parts of the World confes∣sed, that thou art God alone, all others be∣ing either falsly or feignedly called Gods: And that I may accordingly worship thee aright,

Teach me thy way, O Lord, [unspec 11] that I neither mistake the right way, nor stumble and fall therein, but stedfastly and constantly walk in thy truth: and this Way and this Truth is my blessed Redeemer, who by his Do∣ctrine and Example, Doings and Sufferings, Life and Death, is the way that leads to Life Eternal: O knit my heart unto thee, by the indissoluble bonds of a true Faith, firm Hope, fervent Charity: that I may fear thy Name, so as that I neither dare to sin against thee, nor too much presume up∣on thy mercy.

I will thank thee, O Lord my God, [unspec 12] as from whom both my whole Self, and all the little good that is mine does proceed, with all my heart, as being hereunto excited by the fear and love of thy Name: and I will praise thy Name for evermore: And there is very great reason I should do so;

For great is thy mercy toward me, [unspec 13] not only manifested in all the good things I do enjoy,

but in my deliverance from manifold evils, and especially from the greatest of evils: for thou hast delivered my soul from the nether∣most hell, in the broad way that leads there∣unto I have a long time walked, and 'tis of thy great mercy, that I have not long since been hurled headlong to that dismal place of Torments: And still I have great cause to complain,

O God, [unspec 14] the proud are risen against me, proud Lucifer and his infernal Fiends, and the congregation of naughty men have sought after my soul: the wicked of the world con∣spire with the Devil and his Angels by their sinful suggestions to subvert the innocence of my Soul, to have her portion with them in the neithermost Hell.

But thou, [unspec 15] O Lord, art full of compassion, especially to all them who chuse rather to suffer than to do what is offensive to thy Majesty, and mercy, in pardoning the offen∣ces of the truly penitent, long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to Repentance, plenteous in goodness, abounding in thy blessings, and truth both in performing thy promises of mercy to the penitent, and in rendring to every man according to his works.

O turn thee then unto me, [unspec 16] who by my sins have justly provoked thee to turn away thy face from me; and have mercy upon me, a miserable sinner: and that I may no more offend thee, give thy strength unto thy ser∣vant, even ghostly strength and fortitude, manfully to resist the Devil, and all his nu∣merous

troops of sensual and worldly lusts; in all whose assaults vouchsafe to help the son of thine handmaid, that I may overcome all their temptations unto evil, and carefully keep my vow and promise made when I was first admitted to be a Son of thy handmaid the Church.

Shew some token upon me for good, [unspec 17] let some sign of thy favour towards me appear, that they who hate me, my ghostly enemies, may see it and be ashamed, when they shall be∣hold all their conspiracies and assaults a∣gainst my Soul defeated by the assistance of thy divine Grace: because thou, Lord, hast holpen me and comforted me: thy help to overcome when I am tempted unto sin, is a great comfort to my Soul, for I have hereupon a good ground of hope, that thou wilt deliver my Soul from the nethermost Hell: and that being raised up from the gates of Death, I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the Daughter of Sion, Saying,

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.