From the depth of depths.
Psalm. 129.

FRom the depth of depths haue I cryed vnto thee, my God, being lost and buried in the most fearefull caues of the earth, I •aue called vpon thy name, hearken •nto my voice, and heare my praier. For, all hope of succour is taken from •e, and I see nothing about me but •orror and trembling, and yet haue I •ot beene discouraged, and do waite •or at thy hands, that which thou hast •romised to all such as shall liue in the •eare of thy name, and in the obedi∣•nce of thy commaundements.

2 Giue thou therefore, O Lord, a Page  194 fauourable eare vnto mine hearti• praier. If my sinne stand betweene thee and me, to whet thee again•… mine iniquitie, and to make thee con∣trarie vnto the praiers which I ma•… vnto thee, beate back the same wi•… the looke of thy mercifull eye, or 〈◊〉 O Lord, shut vp for a time, the eyes 〈◊〉 thy iustice, vntill such time as the ea•… of thy louing kindnesse hath receiue• my confession, and the humble reque•… which I make vnto thee for grace. Fo• I come not before thee, to bragge• mine owne iustification, but of 〈◊〉 great louing kindnesse and benigni•…

3 If thou shouldest keepe a regist•… of our sinnes, and we come to an •…¦dite before thee, who were able, 〈◊〉 God, to abide thy seuere iudgement• For, what day of life is there that ha• not deserued a world of torment•… Thou mightest draw out, O Lord, 〈◊〉 the paines of hell, and yet the greate• part of my sins should go vnpunished.

4 But although we haue might• offended, yet for all that thou ceas• not to receiue any sinner that comme• vnto thee with confessiō of the mou•… and contrition of the heart. He hath 〈◊〉 Page  195 sooner looked towards thy mercy, but that he feeleth it working in him, and breaketh & destroieth the sinne which freeseth his heart with feare & horror. And the punishment which hangeth ouer his head, recoyleth farre away from him, and caryeth with it, this mi∣serable carefulnesse, which tormēteth the consciences defiled with iniquitie. And therefore O Lord, haue I not for∣saken thy lawes, but haue alwaies wai∣ted to see when it would please thee to graunt me fauour and grace: for the vnwise man that despaireth by reason of his sinne, and giueth ouer his soule as condemned, is like vnto the abho∣minable vsurer, who hauing susteined some losse in his goods, by and by be∣reaueth himselfe of his life also.

5 My soule hath not done so, my God: for although she hath felt thine hand lying most heauily vpon me, ex∣ecuting part of the punishment which my sinnes haue deserued, yet hath she alwaies conserued in her selfe that sound hope which she hath had in thy promises. Euen as the blowes light vpon my backe, I crie out and say vnto thee, O Lord my God, thy Page  196 will be done, and giue me as great strength as thou layest affliction on me. Measure my punishment by my strength, and as my torment encrea∣seth, euen so augment my courage, and so hast thou done, O Lord.

6 Let Israell therefore looke vp and trust in his God, euen from the day breake vnto the shutting in of the euening, & looke for none other helpe but from him. For, his helpe is ready & sure for him that calleth vpon him with a sincere conscience, and a pure will. And although the miserie hath beene neuer so great and extreame, yet so soone as the Lord hath vnder∣stood the crie of his seruants, they haue all so soone felt also their deliue∣rance.

7 For he most bountifully powreth out his mercy, and is infinitely help∣full to all those that come vnto him. Insomuch, as that his goodnesse put∣teth out as it were the sorrow which we haue for our sinnes, & maketh vs as it were reioyce in our fall, as being the cause whereby we haue made triall of his louing kindnesse. For, if our sinnes surpasse all measure, his grace Page  197 exceedeth all our thoughts. We haue deserued long and hard captiuitie, and loe who it is that freeth vs, and hath brought vs a most sweete libertie. We haue blinded the eyes of our spi∣rite, and loe who commeth to enligh∣ten them.

8 O Israell, thou hast offended the Lord, thou hast scorned his lawes, thou hast made a iest at his comman∣dements; thou hast forgotten the good turnes which he fauourably hath bestowed vpon thee. He hath drawne thee out of most miserable captiuitie, fed thee with the bread of heauen, made purposely streames flow out of hard rocks to make thee drinke; hath chosen for thy dwelling place, the most delitious garden in the world, made a couenant with thee, giuen thee his will to keepe, and thou hast coniured against his honour, gone an whoring vnto strange goddes, troden his lawes vnder thy ferre; To be short, thou hast deserued more punish∣ment then there is to be had in hell. And yet notwithstanding he offereth to graunt thee grace, and with the price of his own bloud would redeeme Page  198 thee from the bondage of sinne, wher∣vnto thou most voluntarily boundest thy selfe. Behold him, who hath him∣selfe paide their ransome that betraid him, who tooke vpon him the punish∣ment which we deserued, and satisfied for our transgressions. With what wordes then are we any way able to thanke him for all these mercies? O∣pen my lips therefore my God, my Creator and redeemer, that my voice may be heard, and mine heart enfla∣med with a boiling affection, to praise and thanke thee, and humble me also in the acknowledging of my self, to the end thou maiest heare me in the knowledge of the holy mysterie, b• which we are reincorporate into thee, and renued in thy couenant, that we may enter into that blessed fellowship of glorie, in which, all they shall tri∣umph, which shall be partakers of the merit of the passion of thy best belo∣ued sonne, the true and onely Sauiour of the world.