PARAPHRASE UPON THE SEVEN PENTENTIALL PSALMS OF THE KINGLY PROPHET.  
Translated out of Italian By I. H.  
Qui eminant in lachrymis in exulta●… metent.  
M. DC. XXXV.   

TO THE RIGHT HON. BLE FRANCIS BROWNE VISCOUNT MONTAGVE OF COWDREY.  
RIGHT HO. BLE  
TAKE serious notice of this rare Copunct. here true Contrition is deciphered in its practice, to the life. See this afflicted with ●…arpe anguishes. & most direful agon●…e S●…e this overcast with darkness, as tr●…passes, and in su●…h plight, as ●…u horror, now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of comfort to th●… height.  
Read him again●…, For here appeareth he, and most assuredly, through the benignity, sweet grace, and boundelesse mercy of The almighty, a Man glorified, a Man (though formerly a grievous sinner) sanctified.  
Attentively then observe, the curious Theory, which from him a Pattern may be well extracted: For it rightly teacheth what; and of whom is to be craved aught, and earnestly besought; and when so it; and how; then what is true felicity; then solid rules as to conservation of such possessed dignity.  
The penitentials of the Kingly Prophet, as they are found by him penned, are by diverse judged to be parcel difficult, nay each of them abstruse, and hidden. To other some, they make show indeed, of being ●…oo succinct. Verily therein I do not mer●…ile mu●…h at the vulgar●… since that in th●… so sublime mysteries are delivered, and with such brevity. Therefore for the better satisfying, and enlightening them to their end: They are here by Paraphrase laid open both perspicuously, & at large: which primarily was compiled, and divulged in the Italian tongue, by a Florentine as well literate, as elegant. I lately (to my power) have made it English. The learned kind of Commentators, often give light unto their Authors. Too frequently do Translators eclipse diversly, the genuine meanings of what they wrote. For the most part at least, they are deficient in the rendering them, with a curious manner of expression, and eke lustre.  
I cannot but mise-give: that I much fail therein. Really I misdoubt: that I am too far out, not nigh alas, the grace, & purity of his stile so worthy. Nay that the ●…me appearing unto m●…ne, will clearly show ●…y weakness. And yet truly it admitteth ●…ot aught of strange to me: since I well perceive; that low are my talents: then no●… less that the task is hard, for any one, though of what soever rare endowments, to give an Author his embellishments. But I will hope that in the version of this Treatise into our own speech, I have rendered its true sense. For the rest; I assume confidence in your Honour's connivance, at my defects in eloquence: since well it's Known to me, and many more, that y●…ur right Noble, and sublime spirit, doth chiefly valiew what in real substance, nay, little, careth it for aught of shadow, which solely doth confer, to an attraction of some sort of Readers to attention.  
And emboldened thus; humbly I ●…ffer up This Piece unto your Honour's charitable intention, to our Nation. By this, many ●…ay proo●…e enabled diversly to perfection: who lik●…ly will from hence with much faciliti●… understand the matter in hand, an its consequence: and hereby discern th' means, and manner how properly, they may breathe out sighs of inward compunction, and send forth words from sincere devotion, to their unexpressible releifes; as even thence to the winning of De●…ine grace; thence to the obtaining of pardon of their several delicts; yea and then●…e even to the complete acquisition of Beatifique vision.  
Sir, I rest Your Honour's devoted servant. JOHN HAWKINS.   

THE PREFACE.  
GENTLE READER,  
TAke in good part my counsel ingenuously herein tendered unto thee; convert it to thy use. Contemplate on the subject following, & that leriouslie. Indeed, it cannot likely be: but that in so doing thou freely vindicate thyself, of time it's losle: For verily; there is to be read the doleful lamentations, and no less; there is shown through even most curious shadows, then conspicuous lights, the heart its comforts of the Kingly Prophet. Thou mayest well apprehend, if there unto thou lend thine ear: that it, though written, may be taken, foreven a Figure, an Emblem, yea rather, a more lively Image as well of deep grief, as also marvellous relief. Behold a true Compunct deciphered there. What more? and such an one, as on whom thence shined Divine inspirations: which by him sweetly received, made him an evected, with that high dignity, of a Registered, in the book of sanctity.   


Qui seminant in lachrymis ●…in exultatione metent   
Printed at Paris   

THE MEANING OF THE EMBLEM  
SEE grief's true model, In this horrid Cave  
Is Israel's Prince, as living in his grave.  
Behold his Harp that speaks his woe: Those streams  
Not from the Sun, but immaterial beams.  
The craggs & pearly drops that from them rise,  
Seem to vie groans with him, tears with hi●… eyes.  
His royal ensign scattreed on the flore,  
Seem forfeit to his Liege Lord; His no more.  
Herby we learn sin's nature: Hence we know  
Her stings are true her joys but joys in show:  
Bereft of joy by sin, by tears suppli'de,  
He gain's true joy, which pleasing sin deniede.   

THE courteous Reader, upon notice that the Printer of this Treatise understood no English, will easily pardon what errors he finds against orthograph●…e, the joining of two words together, or does- joining the same word into two, etc. Wherefore I only desire without putting according to common course a table of Erratas, that he will please to understand in the 36. page and fifth line, the words not through the works of contrition, formally.   

HAEc expositio septem Psalmorum poenitentialium, ex Italico in Anglic●…num sermonem conversa, pia & catholica est, nihil habens fidei, aut bonis moribus adversum. Datum Duaci 26. Septembris 1635.  
Georgius Coluenerius S. Theol. Doct. & Regius, ordinariusque, ac primarius Professor, Collegiatae Ecclesiae S. Petri Praepositus, Duacensis Vniversitatis Cancellarius, & Librorum censor.   

THE PROLOGUE OF THE FIRST PSALM.  
LOVE taking his stand in the eyes of Bersabe, to give laws to gentle and flexible spirits transformed himself, in a glance cruelly piteous, and making through-passe to King David, first casting a mist before his eyes, than after breathed into him poison, and in a seeming sweet touch of his senses, had access, yea ingress to his very bones, and there dispersed his fire. No sooner perceived be the effect, namely that these were altogether inflamed, but that by a liquid poison, he entered into the whole body of his heart, and there fixed himself, not without his souls affright. For he bowed to this image, which in its first presenting its object, made impression in his breast. Hence the mind of this so great a man, was become slavishly enthralled, and an adorer of a new picture of beauty; so surprised was he, that forgetting all true iudgmēt●… ab! w●… to these kingdoms whose Kings want it) entangled with desire and love; neither regarding the Mai●…sty of God almighty, nor his own state, under pretext of scnding Urias the Hittite, husband of this his Idol to secure victory, gave him up a prey to the enemy's sword; that he being made away, he might become husband to the others w●…fe, whom he loved more than God or himself; and such his desire obtained, that lascivious bed enjoyed (by whose like the world's conceived notable offence, and heartburning hath often turned Empires and Kingdoms) Nathan the Prophet deeply weighed his enormities, yet compass●…onating him, in plain terms, laid before his understanding, his injustice, aswell in murder, as also in adultery, contrary to his Maker's commands. The good old man astonished with the punishments which Heaven prepared for his sin, felt aswell from his soul, heart, as also his senses, his desire, his fire, & his over weaning delight, to for sake him, to depart, to vanish, even as heat from the limbs, and the heart, in the encounter of aught which maketh it shake for fear, yea miserably tremble; sowas he taken on the sudden, so lively and sprightly was his apprehension, that he forth with rent from his head, and body his crown, & royal purple garment, flung his sceptre on the ground, made an exchange of the great height & pride of his dignity, for an humble p●…nitency, covering again his even naked body with sackeloth; the hair of his head, and venerable beard negligently disordered, the one and other white in honour of his age, thinking with himself that he was a sinner, not a King, he seemed in his countenance even penitence itself ●….  
He took to him his Harp, which instrument evermore offered up his lamentations, sent from his heart, to the happy blessing of his soul. Moreover he retired himself into an obscure place under ground, as it were a prison of his sin. No sooner entered he, but his thoughts were further affrighted by the darkness of the cave: He notwithstanding neglecting these horrors, without any delay, took deeply, yea and to heart, how he ought to do to appease his God; he humbly kneeled, took his instrument, aptly placing it to his breast, rarely composing his countenance, & erecting it to Heaven (the sorrowful sound of his sighs acquieted) touching the strings, and most tenderly, with a sweet fervour, delivered to God these following words.   

THE FIRST PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  Domine, ne in furore. Psalm 6. 
LORD, since thou givest leave to me to pronounce thy name, and that my tongue may call thee my Lord; my heart hence taking an happy conjecture, favoureth my hope, that its penitency, hath in thy clemency and mercy, where with thou dost comfort those who are truly sad for their offences against thee. Hence I am emboldened, with my voice and tears, in such manner to conjure thee, by thy goodness, that thou please not (although th●…u art incensed against me for my sins) to chastise me in thine anger. O God I fear thee, and repent me from the bottom of my heart that I have not feared thee, and am fully resolved to fear thee truly; hence behold me not with that wrathful aspect, with which thou lookedst on humane kind, when as the pride of their wickedness thought not only to equalise, but to tranlcend thy mercy: for which cause thy then present will and command did scatter the clouds through the ai●…e, and did break the prisons of the winds, laid open the cataracts or sluices of the heaven, took days light away, confounded all by whales, and shook it by thunder & lightning, trees crashing by storms, human kind rooted out, with all living creatures overthrown, beaten down.  
Thou didst not only drown the face of the Earth, but the brow of the Alpes, and tops of the mountains in like manner: Hence tookest thou away the foul soil, wherewith the common and general vice had sullied, and defiled all the parts of the universe, the most abominable offspring of the people destroyed, thou didst in such sort purify it, as I desire by means of my penitency to cleanse, yea purify my soul: lo as behold me not with the countenance wherewith thou lookedst on the rebels, in that time when Noah, and the rest were saved in the A●…ke: but reflect on me be mindful of me, as thou wert of him, whom thy divine favour, and singular benignity saved from the dreadful deluge, and clear my mind, too too much busied with fantasies, and those yea such most vain, even as sometimes thou clearedst the heavens troubled by clouds, which lay overthwart before the lamp of the world: and let it please thee to secure me from the punishment, which is even ready to be inflicted on my sin: the reflecting on which moveth in me a quivering, not unlike to a twig in the water. Let it suffice that I confess my errors, my greiveous offences, the fear which I apprehend of thine anger at the day of judgement; at which time the tears and sighs of the culpable, of the wicked, shall have no more place in thy mercy, nor wilt thou in their behalf be further for them, as now benignly thou art, and thou wilt be for ever and ever, our good, and pious Lord.  
Lord even for fear, meditating on thy judgement, which possesseth me, yea even all my spirits, keep back, retain altogether thy word in that dire●…ull day. Vouchsafe not only, not to chastise me, but also not too severely inflict on me punihment, conformable to the tenor of thy just ire, provoked by our greiveous faults; which although thou pardonest us whilst thou correctest us for our offences, make me yet not withstanding tremble. For the corrections of the sin of makinde, are conflicts, banishments, plagues, stripes, hunger, wants, bondage, dishonour, hostility, loss of children, and stings of conscience.  
Pacify thine ire good Lord, with which my greiveous trespasses have inflamed thee, for the good that I am ready to work; & by thy pity have mercy on me, for that I, alas! am sick. My very heart is wounded by that selfsame arrow, which the bow of fear of damnation hath shot at it: my soul bewailing languisheth, for that my infirm body giveth it an inkling, yea as it were a notable sign of estrangeing itself from it, not aught regarding the state of my disgrace which thee. My senses are not sensible, my taste hath no taste, mine eyes see not, my sense of feeling doth not apprehended its object, my smelling doth not distinguish odours, nay smell at all, my hearing heareth not, my infirmity is such, as that it is not content with the help of plants, nor the force of charms: Earthly physiek cannot be a salve to my sores, in it there is no validity to cure my such heavy sufferances, for thou only canst cure them, and if thou composest not remedies for my maladies, I cannot recover my health, hence lament I, and with the tears which even come from my heart's veins, I beseech thee my Lord, that thou deign to heal me fully and completely. My senses and my soul, whi●…h are in their hot, and cold fits, promooved by the force and desire which I have of my not having power, and of my willingness, to be reconcilled to thee, are full of vain, empty, idle fantasies, do dote like one who is besides himself, become such by the great affliction, occasioned by his fever, in so much as he is one while hot not unlike to fire, another while cold as ice; and the same heat which drieth, yea parcheth his lips, is found in me, who only desire to drink of the fountain of thy mercy, which doth more comfort him who drinketh thereof, then doth water prejudice the sick, Alas! my good Lord, grant unto me that I may moisten my mouth from thy grace and goodness, for that elsewhere is not health for me. I doubt Lord lest I heap offence on offences, by my importunity, being unworthy to crave thy mercy: but my sin which pierceth me quite though, in such sort that it hath seated itself in my bones, and marrow, maketh me overbold, and indeed as it were impatient: my bones troubled, notably disquieted, yea wasted through my insupportable grief, are unknit, their sinews are untied: but peradventure the danger is more greiveous than the sickness, for that I being composed of flesh, and sensible of its suffering, do fear lest I prove not valiant in the combat, in which if I fail my eternal loss of soul might follow: and undoubtedly I shall yield to the force of its assaults, if so be thou defend me not under the buckler of thy mercy.  
Lord, my soul is beyond measure troubled so many and such like are the temptations which asseige it. It hath for a receptacle, yea and castle, weak human flesh: the hostile arms of worldly vanities have conspired, & used stratagems against it, and the senses which reanswer to their flatteries, corrupted by stately, and most magnificent sights, by hearing the harmony of flattery, and selfepraise, by sweet and most odoriferous smellings, by tasting the delicacy of meats, and by feeling sensibly voluptuousness, endeavour to render it a prey to the pleasure of the world: Hence the miserable soul flieth for refuge to, and under the shade of the hope, which it hath in thee, even as a child under the skirt of his mother's garment: The Hart so much feareth not the cruel and mortal bitings of dogs, who is even then ready to be sharply nipped, as my soul feareth my adversaries who inveigle it. Since so it is with me, support it with thy mercy, if not I shall fail, yea even fall into my irrecoverable and utter destruction; and though it were so, that I cannot at present merit so far, that thou grant me my petition, how long wilt thou please to defer thy such gracious aspect, with which thou dost fill with joy, and blisle the Angels. Thou moovest the Heavens, assignest bounds to the Elements, givest motion to the Planets, makest the Sun to shine, givest light to the Moon, & brightness to the Stars! Alas! yea and alas! o Lord, take in thy attentive consideration, the misery into which the not having known (as I might have done through thee) to bridle my proud will, hath brought me to, I say, and the not having hitherto reflected on myself knowingly, who being composed of earth, must necessarily return again to my mother earth, and hence restored to my flesh and bones, for my greater confusion, must appear before thy judgement, in the presence of all such, who have been, who are, and who (as yet not in being shall hereafter be. Grant unto me Lord that I may imagine, but not see that thou forgettest me, for by means of such imagination I shall learn to put thee in mind of my exigents, my great wants, extreme necessities, as well by fasting as prayer: in seeing here of I might not unlikely despair of pardon & mercy, which they find, who though they have disobeyed thee, yet chastise themselues with the scourge, working to amendment of life.  
Look again on my soul, my Lord, with the self same benign countenance with which thou favourably dost behold him, who by long penitence is more worthy than am I poor wretch, and consider it to have more shame, and confusion, in its transgress of thy commandments, then in its fear of eternal banishment and utter loss, which attends it for its foul sins. My hearts quelling heaviness would be singularly cheered, if so be that thou wouldst with thy favourable aspect appease the contestation afflicting it, which presents to my Fantasy, to my mind, thoughts raised from the daybook of my sins; Surely I shall henceforth be more solicitous to serve thee then heretofore I have been, as having been slow, careless, and altogether dully sottish. O my Lord, if without all fear and trembling I might call upon thee, wouldst thou not vouchsafe an answer to me? at least should my days prove long, which thou lendest me to live, I should truly hope that sack cloth, tears, sorrow, watching, fasting would obtain, yea winneso much in my behalf, that thy grace would shower on me, in such manner that I should be received no otherwile then as they are, who through their truly humbling themselves have returned into thy grace, their peace so made. My sins indeed deserve any whatsoever pain may be invented, yea but it would not be convenient, it, alas, would be my utter undoing that thy benignity should retard itself, be slow, ought remiss to show itself unto me, and that with plentiful mercy on my grievous offences: which I deny not, I hide not, but if sin were not, thy clemency would not appear what it is; admit that there is no clemency, by which way should sinners acknowledge their good God in his mercy? Even now Lord give quiet to the soul, which with an adue●…se eye of enemity troubledly gazeth on the body, not without just cause of offence, for that through its inordinate appetites, the soul is eu●…n condemned to the everlasting punishments of Hell; & as for my body which daily, nightly, incessantly is gnawn and worn by its consciences affliction, soon will fall, soon become ashes, if thou be not to it, it's sustentacle, it's strength, it's full vigour, alas! my my soul dying in such state, will go to a place which I have horror to name, yea to think of.  
But if I die my Lord, not being among the dead who can call thee to mind, how shall I make mention of thee? how shall I call on thy name? on whose name never any called in vain, unprofitably; and most true it is, that there is no comfort so fully consoling the heart, so restorative to it, as is the hearing voiced the harmonious sound thereof. Thy name appeaseth the afflictedst vexations, griefs, and addeth increase of joy, yea even to those who were before in state of comfort: Hence let me not peri●…h until I write of the great virtue, the sweetness, the joy, the power, the health which is in it: Let the world hear and understand by my words, with what confident security, with what grace, and with what abundant felicity, he liveth, who hath it alv vaies in his mouth.  
Alas! yet what shall I say of my state, I shall dye the death, I shall make my passage to Hell, and going thither, it being not allowed but otherwise decreed, that any there being love thee, for that thou wilt not be beloved of such, how shall I publish and praise thy infinite goodness to them there abiding? which who so should attempt to define or circumscribe, he should seem to prescribe an end to infinity.  
How shall I being lost, voice forth thy mercy? which through thy goodness dost please not only to help & ease, but to advance, to prefer with great dignity him who hath been refractory, yea a hundred years, for the contrition of one moment offered up.  
And how can I Lord deliver unto the world as a perpetual memorial, the benefits conferred by thee, if so I go from thee banished, exiled, utterly forsaken?  
Conserve my life o Lord that I may publish thy benefits, whereof my being is a part, which thou hast given me according to thy similitude, thy likeness, thy heating of my prayers, long and quiet life, the love of my neighbours, patience in adversity, temperance and moderation in prosperity, modesty in daughters, virtue and courage in sons, peace and concord, increase of goodness, renown of charitable works and hope of Paradise.  
What have been my endeavours, my great labours to deplore my state, to weep on it bitterly, this my body which I carry about with me well knoweth, which not withstanding a thousand promises it hath made me, to be continent, to contain itself within the limits of thy law to all purposes, hath not, yea in any one, been answerable to its word. This earne●…ly by me sued unto, delivered unto me with great asseverations, that in the midst of the spring, it would leave the soft feathers of its nice couch to confess by fervent prayers its foul offences: but no sooner had it put forth the foot out of bed, but it retired itself to its warm place, so was it given over to sloth, neither by allurements of the benefits which hence would redound from thee, nor for the threats of the injuries, which by so slugging it did to thee, cou●…d I at all thence move it, nay rather it remained in such drowsiness, as if neither death nor Hell, had any relation to it. It came to dinner, and supper: I forbade it wine and meat, it cast such a look on me, as doth a sick man on him who taketh from him that which (though with prejudice of his health) infinitely pleaseth him. Strange & harsh seemed it unto it, to be despoiled of its golden, and purple garment, alas! to be clothed in rude rough cloth, I not giving attention to the reprehension that by disrobing myself, my royal dignity hath checked me with (which for that it observed itself to be adored by men, emblodned itself in competency with that of thy eternal Majesty) have taught it to valiew at nought its delights, and these very eyes which were wont to look cheerfullic, so made lively by laughter, so soon●… as they apprehended their objects of delight, have relinquished that their lively spirit, yea now overflow with tears in this obscure place, for having done, if not so much as they own, so much at leastwise as they can. My palace is this tomb, this hollow dark place; the place of my rest, is this earth. My meat, the anguish of Compunction; & drinking my tears, I will extinguish my appetit's greediness, & the hard earth shall mortify the tenderness of my bones; and if ever I shall lay down these my limbs on my bed, I will so wash it with the rain from mine eyes, that being such in it's luke warm moisture, it may not give time to sleep, to destroy, and poison me by rest; hence my dreams will not ensnare me, enueigle me under their deluding masks, but such like visions, whereby I might be shown reward, in thy propitious and serene aspect, which they deserve according to thy stating it, who call themselves in, into themselves, to overcome themselves.  
Lord not for fear of thy fury wherewith thou chastisest and inflectest punishments, but of thine anger, wherewith thou correctest, & admonishest mine eyes even through weeping have lost their sight, as the day it's light by night's obscurity, & my eyelids are so so●…e, as if I were buried in a ●…er, & my heart seemeth to rend in sund r, and my sou'e to be torn; mean space I (whilst I take notice of my miseries) breathe forth sighs, & some p●…slages I have in deep quelling thoughts hereon, thate mine enim es still persever against me, those of my al●…ke years remain bad, even as ●…hey we●…e, they open their hearts to me, I am really a●… hamed of my wh●…te hairs, that they have seduced me, and withdrawn me from thee, even as the good are enticed from goodness by the wicked; and now having found out new snares against my repentance, evermore assemble themselves & make it their discourse, in what manner I am to finish my days, taking me yet to be in hold of lasciviousness as are they, & I am really troubled at their whisperings, which they buzzein in mine ears. One of them presenteth to mine eyes, the rare image of her whose comely graces, and beauty, on me have heaped more than many sins, another tell●…th me of her harmonious speech, how sweet it was; which now so bitterly re●…oundeth in mine ears a third showeth me the Trophies and spoils which my armies necessarily will invest me with; one promiseth my head a double Diaden, another my right hand a new sceptre: there is not wanting who will encircle and adorn my neck with a chain of infinitevaliew; likewise who placeth before me a golden throne, most magnificent palaces sumptuous pavements, and other Kingly pomps: in such manner each one of then use all art, all subtleties to entrap me, to besott me with vain glory. I that make a fence impenetrable by their hooks, and eschew the baits of their guiles, their frauds, by the floods of tears gushing from mine eyes, stopping mine ears to these Sirens of the world, hope to suppress them, to confound them in the greatest height and fury of their assaults, and I likewise hope to be free from their nets, which with much craft and most wily ambushes they have pitched: yet not by mine own safety, mine own skill, but through the grace and care that thy bounty hath of him who by the scourges of penitency hath broken his sin's wilfulness and obstinacies, which I hold in my hands by means of these, to disincumber myself of the deceits of mine adversaries. And forasmuch as I am become gray-haired continuing in sin; that I mav recover my months and years spent in vain, I will do like a Traveller who observing that he went out of his way in the evening, recovereth his way the next day at noon, by the solicitude of one hour. And while I touch my faults with the torture of a contrite heart, I find, I know not what, that advanceth and promooveth the repentance that doth me good, & represseth the sins which endamage me. But now I see them all confounded as it seemeth to me that they attempt to forsake & leave me, so troublesome, and hideous seemeth my prayer unto them.  
Get ye gone far from me, ye wicked flattering enticers, awoide ye, vanish ye out of my sight, ye wretched counsellors, your incitements, your instigations, have no place in me, move me not aught, for that God hath propitiouslie heard the voice of my wail, my deeply sorrowful mournings, take ye notice that his grace is poured on me, whence my spirits sensibly possess fully enjoy a new comfort. I find myself now above the earth, and earthly vanities, and am become all spirit, and my soul reprived yea ransomed from all fear, into which calamity, it's sin brought it, now being all cheerful, seemeth not aught unlike to one, who is clearly got of from danger, into which he was even as it were falling. Now I find a full and most complete recovery, in so much as I begin to breath, as one who is arrived to what he long hoped for, my ●…erie bones which not long since languished, are comforted, nor is my flesh infirm and feeble as it was, nor do I give any attention to wickedly enticing memorials; now all displeaseth me, which before pleased me, I am not (as now it is with me) puffed up with ambition, nor am I through the blandishement of flattery banished from thee my Lord.  
From my Lord who hath heard my prayer I speak with which I have dispersed and discharged my se●…fe of that torment, which my misled life had prepared for me, & I have not only appeased both his present displeasure, as also his further wrath by my prayers, but I have fully extinguished them; and the force of my prayers & acclamations endighted and sent from my soul, delivered by the tongue of my heart, have moved my Lord to pardon fully in an instant all the misdemeanours and wrongs which in the course of so many years, without once reflecting on my well being or my utter loss, I have done against him. And his goodness shall defend me with the weapons of his mercy, the sense ouercom●… by that reason, which so often it hath carried on its triumphant chariot, is now with confusion, amazed, and I hope, more I say that undoubtedly it will come to pass, that our Lord will make it servant, yea slave to my penitency.  
At this instant without any further delay, let the whole crew, and fraudulent swarm of them be ashamed, and let them feel in themselves a confusion, and folding up again the ensigns, which as vanquishers of my liberty they displayed in the principal place of my forefront, let them be converted and blush at their run course of life, & let them not further glory therein: For the goodness of my Lord doth well require and deserve, that they lend their ears of understanding to him, that they return to him, and when as the frailty of these such, doth sting them, when it importuneth them, and when it urgeth them, let them arm themselves with patience & reflect on it, nor let them give themselves over to their vain pleasures, let them glory to become disdeigners of politenes, over-nicenes of their scarlet, of their treasure, of their armies, of their Cities, and of their Crowns: for that all the happiness that we seem to contemplate on earth, is a certain kind of an incomprehensible miserie●… & all florid beauty of the world may well be compared to the flowers of a meadow, which fade, yea die whilst they are then sprouting forth, in their growing. Again the world is a cup of Gold curiously adorned and enriched by jewels of great estimation, whole sight doth allure. And in such sort by its splendour are mine enemies surprised, that the miserable wretches are not cautelous take no notice of a Serpent which therein is cou●…hed, which therein lurketh, which with the fire of his eyes inflameth desires, and with his win●…s mounteth them on high towards heaven, and then poisoning them by his breath, rejoiceth to see them destroy d●…n ●…he bottomless pit of Hell. And therefore you the attendants on vice, reconcile yourselves, as I have done, lay aside your deceits and snares, follow the tracts of my way: nor be disanimated if the ways be rough, and craggy by which 〈◊〉 lead you: when so you shall arrive to that your journey's end, you will forget your wearisomeness, which is of no long continuance, but short, and you shall exchange it for eternal rest.  
The end of the first Psalm.   

THE SECOND PROLOGUE.  
Whosoever hath seen a sick man immediately after he hath made truce, and an atonement with the heat and cold (compagnions' and symptoms of his disease) and in like manner when his pains hath altogether left him, with which he languished, yea was even tired out, contemplateth David the most just, through the benefit of his prayers: the moisture which he poured from his eyes staunched, he as one marvelously comforted made a period to his complaints; and laying aside his harp for a while, the horror of his sin did no more terrify, affright, lessen aught the hope which he had in the mercy of his Lord; which with threats, was wont to appall him before, he resolve d to be wail with abundant tears greiveous offences: And now the place of his penitency, seemed the house of devotion; The Pastor of the jews gazing wistly on his eyes, those his eyes bedewed, nay overflown with tears, valiewed him worthy of reverence and honour, esteeming him to deserve the same honour, which holy things are worthy of, are crowned with. But as soon as he had taken breath, & taken unto him more Spirit, more vivacity, more courage, being now free; with a sigh from the bottom of his heart, opening his lips, and with the harmorny of the strings, his voice cleared, taking its height, it's compass, curiously applying himself to various motions of his fingers upon the hollow wood, in such manner he earnestly delivered this which followeth.   

THE SECOND PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  Beati quorum remisse sunt. Psalm 32. 
OBLESSED they whose iniquities God pardoneth, leaving the unpunished, not through the works of contrition, nor other acts hence arising, as austerities, and denying themselves, although without them, our fins acquire not remission, but through the benefit of his grace, whose goodness taketh merciful notice of a tender mollified heart, & by means of his compunction inclineth to hide his sins under the skirts of his mercy. Really are they blessed who well observe that God doth not punish them for their faults, for they knowing their desert, through their conceived fear of not falling into the wrath of our Lord, with bridles undiscovered by any: retain, keep themselves from wickedness, which covert they formerly did put in practice with dishonest and effrene concupiscences; whence the wrath, the disdain which God prepareth against the like, appeareth not, and hence the defects, the greiveous sins, which produce not in others ill examples, remain unpunished, sheltered; for such like sinners make themselves cautelous by having sinned: and with a penitent heart are not seen in the troops of the wicked. Wicked sinners are they, who not only in their ill effects & other course of life offed, but do also sin in vaunting that they sin not at all, yea even in sinning, that they have not sinned. And such like iniquities, which displease the Majesty of God, even to the very shadow of an ill affect, and perverse will, are punished and discovered in the light of each one, aswell by the scourge of their loss, as also by the confusion of their shame. From whence they are torn and transfixed, as enemies of that well living, by the labours wherein one overcometh and discardeth vice; which who entertaineth is not happy.  
Happy is the man on whom God imputeth not the delight of sin, rather looketh on him as one cleansed from the filth of the world having severed himself a loof from sin (even as a serpent who lately hath cast his old skin:) and with his clear sight, such as it not dimmed by any misty fogs cast before it, taketh most singular content to behold his spitit, his mind, the state of his soul, which glittering bright lighteth, yea and stationeth itself, as doth a purely white dove, who having set in order, and fully pruned her feathers by the river's side, comforteth herself through joy, clapping her wings, that she hath bathed, purified herself: and taking exact notice hereof in good earnest, and fully fervent in his duty, taketh singular pleasure to see the ways he walketh in, and of his approach to his God, directing his steps in a better way, as light in night's obscurity directeth one.  
For that hitherto I have been too too silent not confessing my sin, I through myself am hurt, and I seem not unlike to him who ashamed to show his wounds, findeth himself for is not disclosing them, to be in the state of perishing irrecoverably, who would have seen recovery, perfect health by his laying open his grief. Alas! what shall I say my Lord? Such is my state, that my bones are grown aged in weakness, have long been seized on by infirmities; nor can human assistance avail, to an inveterate miserable sickness: The undoubted salve for my recovery is the oil of thy mercy: which can lenify, yea cure the fierces and cruelty thereof, allodged in the main pillars of my body, which boileth with a dangerous, permanent, and lurking heat, which imperceptiblie consumeth it. And whilst it suffereth, I have never ceased to call out, and that aloud, with the voice of a stout man, whom future loss shaketh not, affrighteth not; notwithstanding my sins against thee, my lascivious carriage wherewith hatherto I have offended thee, not only with all my senses, buth with all my heart: and herein appear I not onelike to chickens, who no sooner taught to open their bills, to nourish themselves, to flutter with extension of their wings, newly come from their nest; but that ever after they leave to take notice of the bird (the hen that bred them) who taught them the use of meat and wing. Lord, I say that I have with great earnestness diwlged to the world my worth, my merit, but not alas my faults against Heaven, it seeming unto my depraved judgement (I being a King) that I might not only give way & consent to sin, but that thou shouldest in my greatest offences, give way to me, regard had to my kingly rank, not to my ill and sensual courses contrary to thine Honour: which have been so much masters of me, that now I may truly say, that for these many years I have beme bondman to sensuality. Nor would it ever have come to pass that I should have taken notice of my misery, if thou hadst not caused me to read the book, the great volume, wherein my trespasses of all which I must give account to the, are registered.  
Moreover for that thou hast night and day laid thy heavy hand on me, willing that I feel of many & those diverse kinds of miseries, unhappinesses, where with my mind which hath always led a life with much disquiet, and hath been conturbed with the storms of perplexed thoughts, is become languide, even very weary, through the stings of conscience, which even to the midst of my heart, and even to the inward cabinet of my soul, have made their through-passe. I have clearly made known my defects, and have them readily to show at a beck. Behold these my greiveous defects, my enormities, but so as it be without thy wrath whereof I am certain, for that the tears of mine eyes have extinguished the fire of thy just disdain. And when all is said that can be, am not I the work of thy hands? am not I like unto thy likeness? and if it appear to thee, that I know not how to afflict myself, so much as my duty ought, teach me I beseech ●…hee the way to punish myself, in such sort that in thy sight and the worlds, my faults may be satisfied by my sufferings, not inflicted by thee, but willingly elected by me.  
I have discoured unto thee all the sins which heretofore I hid from the: I, and the fear which I had in hiding them, whilst I do discover them unto thee, is converted into hope to have remission of them: and con●…iding in thee, I am like to him who making known his sore gazeth wistlie on his Physician, and looking on him passeth of the fear he apprehende●…h of the violence of his probe, with the hope of his cure: and I rejoice exceedingly, that I abhor the sins, wherewith I was so much taken heretofore, even as sick men loath meat; And I am ashamed now of that, whereof I was formerly proud; for that hence my soul, was evidently exposed to the danger of its perdition: and blessed be that instant wherein I was first compunct, and sorrowful for my sins; and I acknowledge that it proceeded from thy goodness, who seeing us even lost through our disordinate life, with the plenty of thy bounty dost inspire into us, what thy will would we should do; and let it please thee that the content I take in denying myself may ever be with me, and may fully take me up with delight, for if so that I take such lively, and real pleasure in the sorrow of my penitency, as I have had in the iocundizing mirth of my sins, my blessings notunlikely will participate those of the glorious Angels, so shall I be completely happy, in that I have not hidden my injustice, my wretchedness from thee: and when so that I shallbe received in the arms of thy mercy, as are those who beat down their own sins, I shall see after the tears of my amendment moved through my penitency, a happy good exchange with my forerun v●…ces.  
But Lord, who●…e imagination can arrive to the thousandth part of thy bounty, and of thy mercy, which is not comprised, but within itself? Love above all love, inexpressible fullness, and height of all love, thou art truly sweet, for a●…loone as I thought to have recourse to thee, and to confess against myself all my sins, willing though choose to me austerity, rather than thy scourge, I only addressed myself unto thee with my humble prayers for mercy, for that thou more willingly dost pardon than punish, thou hast received me into thy grace, with that fervent charity, with which the father receiveth into favour his humbled son who himself abstaineth not even from tears, in tenderness of heart, hearing his son's well expressed promises of amendment, of not farther transgressing, and of not straying out of the bounds of obedience. And alas! my heart (the memory of whose impieties thou hast most mercifully laid aside) is even wasted with the desire it hath to consume itself in the fervour of thy holy name, and it panteth always, it is so inflamed by benefit received from thee, and itself, itself only accuseth, saying, such was my will, so was I lulled asleep, even so did I.  
And yet what shall I say of this my impiety, which with obstinate ingratirude I did put in practice against thee my Lord; mine was very fortunate. For this cause every devout person shall pray whilst time is granted opportunely. But who is he that could require further, or could crave more of thee, all just, all worthy through his merits, to the obtaining from thee what favour soever? since that the wretchedness of my heart, masked, soiled a while since with the wicked conceits which have seduced it from thy knowledge, hath great need that they who are near thee, thy beloved who have interest, privilege of moving thee to pardon whom soever they intercede for, offer up their prayers for me, for me who hitherto as mine own enemy, have not weighed my state, nor have had will to pray for myself.  
Howbeit I am comforted in the joy I take of having through my amendment mollified my stubbornness, although not speedily, at least not so late that thou for this wilt not pardon me, and that thou canst not receive me, as thy wont is to take into thy favour and grace, those penitents who repent in time: from hence followeth it, that they who shall prove slow to repent, and to pour forth floods of tears from their eyes, having not demurred aught to entertain sin, shall not approach thee: for that thou wilt not further hear their lamentations, thou wilt not take notice of their fastings, not regarding farther their too late compunction, wilt give them to understand in what manner God can be moved to wrath with men, who wilfully will profess though their disloyalty, and perfidiousness that he commiserateth not those their prayers, those their tears which the lingering and not entering into themselves, and warily bethinking themselves of timely amendment causeth their acts either from their eyes or voice in vain, of no force to them, yea even too late.  
But thou who solely art my refuge, and the end and full scope of my hopes, and my only comfort in tribulation, which hitherto hath compassed me about, held me fast, & bound me in such sort, even as the Fear of death seizeth on one, who seeth himself arrived to the uttermost point of his exe●…ution: make me now at length all cheerful with the incomprehensible joy which maketh its pass through the breast overflown, overcome with comfort, issuing from their hearts and souls who unexpectedly, yea and without all hope are freed from bonds and fetters, from prison, from tortures, which their enemies have long time inflicted on them, who perlever to deride, to scorn them, the snares and prisons of their adversaries being broken, even as mine enemies deride my wellbeing, my lafety, in my having made my recourse to thee, who solely canst in a moment not only free me from them, but acquit me and save me from danger of their strong assaults, which they have made with the blandishment of vain delights, on my wavering and fond desire which maketh even bitter all those sweets which it gave me to drink of in the cup of voluptuousness. Me think's ever more I see, t●…y admirable countenance, wi●…h favourable motion to cast a glimp●…e on me the storms of Heaven, of Earth, & of the Sea appeased, to light, and leate itself on me; and so placing itself it seemeth unto me that I hear delivered from thee to me, & with such more than most harmonious accents, which not destroying me, yet overcome me with delight: I will give thee such like understanding, as I give to those who are good, who deserve to understand how immense, and what is the renown which he gaineth in my glo●…y, who learneth first, who prefe●…reth the pleasing of me, before my displeasure. Lord yet not withstanding I see a way shown me by thy goodness, which I am to observe, to follow, and to trace to thee, hence is it that mine eyes always look on thine, as Pilots on the two stars, which in the passing the dangers of Seas, are their guides. Owhat repose will that be, wherewith I shallbe made happy so soon as I shall have walked the way which thou wilt direct me in as a Pilgrim, who lost the way, which leadeth each one to the place where thou keepest, where thou livest. Alas! a while since my footing was in a wood, a desert, where they stray who love the world more than God: and I had lost myself in the world's labyrinth, had I not converted myself to my Lord, from my him craning in●…uctions by what path, by what valley I should walk; now in thy service, and to my singular benefit, I walk in those ways taught me by thee; always thanking, always piaising thee: otherwise I should be unjust to him, who giving me my being in the world, hath made me distinct from brute beasts, and having made me man, hath placed me in a far higher degree than are any of them, and I having been hitherto scarce sensible hereof, yet hath he given to me such length of life, and so much illumination, that I hope in regard of the repentance of my former sins, and for the punishment I will inflict on myself hereafter, that I shall come to be enroled in the list of his servants.  
Be ye like the ackowledgers of the benefits received from the bountiful hands of God, & for this form which we have answerable to his similitude, let us give all thanks, endeavouring, to the height and full extent of our power, not to resemble in aught the horse, or the mule, in whom is no distinct perceivance, no understanding; and for that through the defect of their natures, they are unthankful, rather (I should say) return no voluntary service, no prompt and ready will, and duty, for benefits rece●…ued; it is before expedient, yea most necessary to tie th●…m up, to curb them w●…h rough ●…naffle, with headstall and reins, to the end that they bite not, and that they kick not, that they hurt n●…t their masters, who v●…uallv punish their resty tricks with rough and smarty cudgel: thus handled they are restrained & courbed, in despite of their ill condition, alwell of heels as of bi●…ings, even as we are, who ●…ffend our Lord, by our maledictions, our transgressions, and by our per●…dious stubbornness, yea stony hardness of heart, as●…oone as he smiteth us with crosses with fears, with d●…structions, with deep Melancholies, & with being more infortunate from day to day, from ill state to worse, making our treasures of no benefit, no profit to us, nor our ran●…ks, our servants, our delights, as also the glory of them, who are the proud favourers of the world, not without the great offence to Heaven.  
Even as the Stars, the sands of the Sea, and the leaves, are without the compass of number, so are the punishments innumerable to sinners. In the tread of a foot, in the moving of a hand, in the very straining to expectorate from the lungs ought, in sleep, in meat, in walking, in standing still, the●…e is danger ready at hand to encounter with for any one to stumble at; who so fails in punishing himself, and the affliction, the mortifying the body, & the so●…row, yea languishing of heart, and the earnest attention of the mind, foreteller of its ill, never cease to molest him who liveth in sin. But they who confide in our Lord, whose bountiful goodness is a spring ever flourishing, ever floridly green to the levy branches of our hopes, are environed, fully endowed, plentifully enlarged, by his mercy and gracious benefits, and his benignities are always watchful, tenderly solicitous on their necessities, their urgent and pressing wants: and whether they sleep or wake, yet doth his favour accompany them, to their conservation, be it whatsoever they do, the benignity of our Lord is clearly shown on them, who conserveth them in tranquillity, in peace, in overflowing most-abundant he●…rts comfort, they being such who keep themselves in the love of God, who is the only comfort, the only free distributer of the heart's consolation of those, who underualiew, yea vilify all vainly esteemed happiness in comparison of his service.  
Rejoice ye in our Lord, let your heart's consolation add lustre, make serene and cheerful your countenance. O to ye do I add●…esse my speech, who evermore walk in the right way, in the well directed path, and with upright heart, look on those heavenly lights, those his eyes: and live without furious o●…trages, without envy, and without fraudulency, whose life is prolonged by him, who is infinitely pleased with such perfections of the good and the virtuous, and no less is appaied and rejoiceth at the just punishment of the wicked. And ye each one of true and sincere heart, glory in that ye are just, and that you fear our Lord more than correction, yea death itself, for the sweat, the intensive pains, of your service tendered to God, is of more worth, than the quiet possession, & full enjoying of all the free Monarchical Kingdoms, and Empires of the Universe. But I pray what comfort, what hearts delightful rapture may that be said to be, wherewith they are possessed, nay therein dissolved, and seasoned, yea wholly fermented with: who to obey the soul, to serve it, to give it its satisfaction, always and incessantly displease, yea totally, and evermore abridge the body's inclination and will? It cannot be esteemed a little while, for the reward which welldoing hath from God cannot be measured by the capacity of humane imagination, and evermore when we exalt our spirits with joy, with which our heart abundeth, so soon as it is purified, & graciously looked on by God's illumination, we do not only participate of the joy of the heavenly troops, of the heavenly Army, but of that very self ●…ame in expressible joy, which is in the countenance of our Lo●…d whilst he beholdeth the sons of men tru●…y fervent to their procuring, and winning of grace.  
The end of the Second Psalm.   

THE THIRD PROLOGUE.  
NO sooner had David harmoniously & with great fervour breathed forth the above writ words, but that for a time he imposed deep silence to his voice, and in this his holy suppresson of his speech his silence seemed as if it interchanged discourse with the dungeon, or grott, wherein he was enclosed and namely of the peace which he had made with God, and he even as a bondman, who perceiveth in the eyes of him, to whom he is slave the forgiveness of his fault, wherein he transgressed formerly; he poured forth some tears, which overflowing joy, through the merit of his penitency swetely extracted from his heart. Here might you with astonishment behold a strange spectacle, for he seemed in one posture, in one situation, as well with his hands devoutly lifted up to Heaven, as also his eyes; the figure, the statue of an old man (to whom nothing more could be added to delineate reverence and fullness of honour) cut in stone, which by art is made seem to breath, and weep, expressing most intensive grief. In the mean time while he was in this rapture; a ray of the sunne which never goeth down penetrated the Cave, and with such a splendour enlightened it, that it made the place delightfully cheerful, even as April doth its spring, and fair weather the air: and glimpsing on the strings of his Harp, which he bade placed to his breast, made them send forth irradiations, glistering beams, in like manner as doth pure gold, exquisitely burnished, by whose splendour the light begetteth light, and his eyes strucken with the lamp, his soul hence felt comfort, yea as we may say, it was overiored, for that his Royal heart in an exta●…y, rapt infulnes of piety, devotion, and f●…uent zeal, was now more inflam●…d with the love of God, then was he erst with the fond and wretched love of Bersabe Hence fully possessed with a certain hope of his safety, settling his right knee upon the ground, his left foot on the 〈◊〉, his boay inclining to the left side, his inst●…ument well tuned (even as it often happeneth with one who delight●…th, and pleaseth himself with diverse a c●…rds) he meditateth in the mean while, and wistly l●…oketh o●… the record of his memory to find what he would sing, which at the present he hath forgot; clearing his voice, remembering himself again, lowly sang thus.   

THE THIRD PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  Domine, ne in furore. Psalm 37. 
OH! alas! as I have besought thee, and even as with all humble petition, I do now again, earnestly crave of thee, that thou rebuke me not in th●…ne anger, which evermore is eternal damnation to the wicked, for it will import Hellunto them Ah! far be it otherwise with thee, that thy mercy look on my tears, my plaints, my hearts deep grief, with alike disdain, with which the self same mercy will look on them with scorn and derision, who gave not food to thy hunger, nor water to thy thirst, nor clothes to thy unclothed nakedness, nor visited thee sick, nor lodged thee a stranger, thee a Pilgrim; nor releived thee a prisoner, nor gave any comfort to thee comfortless, and afflicted. But let all thine anger convert itself into thy mercy; what say I? I firmly ackowledg that thou wert always, that thou now art, and ever wilt be, merciful; and that which they give to thee as attributes of anger, is no other than a punctual and an exact justice in all respects prescribed, foredetermined, so destined by the infinity of thy goodness, for their punishments who first die, and then repent. My Lord I ought to have satisfied thy servant's hunger with food, with drink their thirst; I should have supplied their wants, releived their sufferances, aswell in cold, in weaknesses, in want of repose, in imprisonings, as also in all their adversities and tribulations, and reflecting that I have not done herein my duty, I find myself even to the quie●… wonnded by the compunction of my penitency, and by the fear that I have deeply conceived, to be swallowed up, into the whirl pool of the bottomless pit of Hell; and since such is my heart's grief for my transgressions, accept me a penitent, let my complaints, and my distressed lamentable moan make, make me worthy of pardon; & let it never come to pass, that I feel what is that anger which our sins in offending thee, operate in thee. Hence thou punishest us with thy scourges, for that we do not chastise ourselves, with our own inflictions, in such sort as I correct myself even now, who am not unlike to such a bondmon, to such a slave whose transgressions have disquieted his master's mind, yea far aversed it from him, who being in such state, in such disgrace, redoubling aswell with humble sorrow, as also his solicitously attentive service, with all earnestness commandeth, yea even forcibly compelleth himself to work in such sort that he may procure to himself a self forgetfulness of his passed offences through the goodness of his even then painful solicitous and faithful service, by which he striveth to win in him hope of himself to prove a singular good servant in time ensueing.  
For that thy darts, for that thy disdeignes, and thy affrights, which terrify, which amate one as lightning (for these have the rays, the sprightly beams, of fire, of sword, of sickness, of dearth, of hearts-greife, of death) have deeply struck me; I have raised myself through their scourges, from the miserable sink of sin, even as a horse plunged in a dirty heavy bog, is by the sharp incitements of spurs released & fully acquitted thereof: And knowing that the calamities thou inflictest on man kind, is for that thou wouldst it should learn, to forsake sin, to return to better, to live well. I am fully resolved that the seeming shadowed beauty of pleasure, (which dureth much less, is more momentary than is the continuance of a gentle and spetious flower) (a rose itself) shall not dep●…iue me the winning the possession of that eternal blessing, that eternal real good, which he enjoyeth everlastingly, who taketh the course, and hence well apprehendeth the way, yea feareth and loveth God, whose mercy is of so great extent, as even the sinner could wish it to be. Hence the hope that reviveth me, deeply meditating on thee my Lord, doth take vigour, and hopeth (though I am burdened with sin,) to acquire through means of contrition, eternal beatitude, which all those souls attain to, which fervently desire to be invested therewith: and I confess thy darts, thy thunderbolts, sensible warnings to me have been the means to stir me up to contrition: and that thou hast pleased to lay thy hands on me, as the good Surgeon doth on the sick, I am beyond measure comforted; for I have the same need which hath a body whose wounds have not been for three days continuance opened, the emplasters of the first day as yet there remaining.  
Alas! in what state am I, there is not the least portion of health in my body, and for that, it remains only in thee to cure me, I am bold to have recourse to thy goodness, and from thee do I only expect my health, which will so consolate me, as day is made happy by the Sun: and to declare myself yet farther, my infirmities are not to be enstyled nauseousness, or loathing of food, they are not fevers, are not pain of spleen, but in sum there is not in me any health, I am all over distempered, yea sick to the death. How so? Ah! sin which even breaketh my heart, hath even thus deprived me, brought me unto this state; and through the fear which my considerations of thine anger draweth on me, I languish no otherwise then a man whom human remedies cannot avail, and for that my bones are 〈◊〉, which are sustentacles to my body, even as are the mighty columns, the great pillars to theatres (ah! poor wretch that I am) so far is it that I am at quiet, that even as yet I fear, that I am not reconciled to thee, I am afraid to fall into the pit of Hell, through my transgressions, the unspeakable monstruslie-he adlong perverseness of which doth even call on themselves thy justice, thine anger, thine implac●…ble wrath.  
For that all mine iniquities, and all the occurrents, the causes, which have induced me to transgress thy laws, are on my head, always threatening to hurt it, and utterly to spoil it, I am reduced to such an exigent, as that I cannot lift up my dejected face to Heaven, and by how much the more I endeavour to lift it up, by so much more doth it incline downward: and those things are wrought by my sins, which evenly heavy on my head, as if thy were an immoveable lumpy weight, in so much as I yield, and bow under the burden, even as a bow drawn by a strong arm; and for that there is no weight, which equalizeth the heaviness of sin, to which gold and lead must in weight give place, in me there is left no health, nor strength: for under the heap of my heavy sins, my faculties and my strength is even spent with weary somnes, even as a Pilgrim through the long way and roughness of his journey, is enfeebled, worn out, and in such sort weak through the tediousness of his travail.  
The scars which on my living body are found, testimonies of the wounds which sin inflicted on me, relics of my foul offences are putrified a new, even as ulcers to soon skinned, and hence it comes, for that my contrition, my truly hearts deep sorrow, which I make my buckler against its blows, hath not been able so to defend me, as that I do not fear that my wounds willbe opened again, which through voluptuousness I drew upon me: and that which doth grieve me more, and whi●…h with more inwa●…d sorrow doth contristate me, is that their corruption is so putrified, so extremely rotten, that none but good & patiented men can endure me: But alas! for my offence to Heaven, my Lord is hidden from me. Ah! the corruption of this my soul, doth move his displeasure, which he gave me unspotted, nor do I wretch accuse my frailty, nor any oc●…asion whatsoever presented to me, but I lay justly all my overweening indiscretion and folly, which hath given itself over to be led by the snares of the world; yea even to making itself a prisoner of sin, whose flatteries, whose allurements, do entice me in such manner, that I am not aware of the danger that the putrefaction which breaketh forth of my wounds do draw on me, which my vain ●…ottishnes, mixed with madness, hath opened again with late trespasses.  
In the opening of my searres I have clearly discerned t●…e milerie into which my not ser●…eing God hath brought me, the pr●…de of my mind (raised on the wings of worldly felicity, wordly delight, in so much as I seemed to be full possessor, full Lord of all worldly contents is now come down, stoopeth, is become lowlv humble, even as trees branches sprouting out boldly heaven-ward, are wrought down, are made lower, when the Shepherd will bend them downward; and I being become even crooked under the weight of the pleasures of my loss, will leave to stoop under the heavy burden of hearts-greife, for my salvation, even to my life's end, and the deep conceived melancholy which I took to myself of my trespass (whence all the day I walked in such a manner heavily sad, with much unquietness, as doth he who is afflicted, yea torn to piece with the stings of conscience, which are more fierce, more cruelly sharp, then are the torments of the strappado, of the gallows and scourges) for that it was the motion, the instigation to make me remember myself, let it be unto me converted, turned into fullness of joy: for I am determined to arm my reason with the tears of penitency, and I am sure that it will overcome with them the pride of sense, which more feareth the shadow of correction, then doth the brave Coursier the rod.  
But since that my loins are fraught with illusions, for that my soul is environed with reflections upon the vanities, of vanities, where with it is possessed, in which it is so much overweeningly entrhalled, I may well say that I enjoy no health, that I am weak and feeble in●…eede: that in my limbs there is no soundness: the faculties of my senses are clean lost, my hands, mine eyes, mine ears, my mouth, and my nose, are deprived of their due operations: briefly all the faculties which God hath given me, as gifts of his bounty, I find corrupted, to have lost their validity; and to the end that I should know him only, and my health only, from which I shall always be farther and farther of, for that I have been estranged from my Lord (until th●…t I framed myself to lay open my sins in song with tears) if I do not mortify myself in the afflictions of penitency.  
I have afflicted myself, and humbled myself exceedingly, with tears sent from the bottom of my heart, for that reflecting on thee, I evidently saw mine offences, the knowledge of which hath turned my felicities, into miseries, & hath made humble my pride, and hath mollified the hardness of my heart, and by the ways of truth, and sincerity, hath purified all my senses which were co●…upted, never resting but in the mansions of goodness, nor want I ought but the fortitude and constancy, which cometh from thee and from thy largesse, together with that ve●…ue, which thou givest for guide to all them who earnestly crave it of thee; as now do I, with all my faculties, which abandon occasions, and grounds, & all leading subjects to sin, werefore let not thy aid be wanting to me, or in aught remiss. I know surely, most undoubtedly, that thou art more clement than I am unjust, and no less know I, that thou wilt be more commiserable to me, than I have been wretchedly cruel against thee; and blessed were David if he could frame his petitions, crave his pardon, proportionable to the extent of what thou canst grant, canst forgive: and thrice happy shall I be if so that I be patiented in the bewailing my sin, answereably to thy longanimity and patient suffering of me a greiveous sinner.  
O my gracious good Lord, before thee, apparent to thee, (who through the foggy misty darkness seest that which to any other eye is impossible to be seen; and who●…e eyes through-passe the inmost Cabinets of hearts, as the Sun penetrateth pure crystal) all my desire is transferred; which not having other voice than it, which is even overflown with tears, cannot duly, and as it ought express all my trespasses, all that I would it should And therefore it is hence dispatched as a messenger from me to the sight and throne of thy Majesty, car●…ying with it engraven in the blank of my heart, what my prayers cannot deliver, so is it that my disability by words to perform so much, as from my soul I desire the self same words not vocally breathed forth, remain insculpt in it, through the true fervour of my contrition, ah! look on my willingness, which hath taken its seat in my heart, and thou shalt clee●…ly read the purpose, the resolution, it's mind hath made, to enrol itself under thy banners, to be thy soldier, to fight thy fight, with a more than most determinate will never to disobey thy discipline (glorious Leader) never to sin against thee. Ah! poor wretch that I am! my eyes weep, yet distil they such small drops, that they are not sufficient to extinguish the fire which my ardent desire is taken with of craving, yea impetrating of thee mercy: and to account my tears of weight enough to overpoise my sins in scale of justice, my new faults would weigh down, transcend my amendment, so far, as greater is the omnipotent power of God, them the (alas!) weak strength, weak power of terrestrial Kings: but it sufficeth me that I am penitent, & then my Lord behold with what will, with what true and zealous resignation my heart is all overflown, (as was the world in its deluge) by invisible tears which are evident to thee, who knowest when it weepeth, when it is aggreived, and when it rejoiceth, more valuing one tea●…e, and the least sadness of it, than a thousand from the eyes.  
My heart whose tears have appaied thee (as one who is good, is satisfied by the candid and sincere meaning of any one) is troubled, contristated, for that the faculties and the strength, columns, pillars of my soul, have abandoned me, have utterly forsaken me, and I am miserably shaken with fear of my destruction, and utter loss, since that I find, I am deprived of such sustentacles, such main supporters. Ah! hereon speak who will sensibly deliver their minds, who I say will, who is he and who would not fear to be deprived of such like associates, such companions? Fottitude, and the virtue, & faculties of the mind, are the weapons wherewith the fallaces, the enticements, and snares of the world are overcome and brought to nought; herewith the adversaries of all good (I mean by adversaries, the Devil, and his fiends) are trodden under foot, and were it not that my soul even assured itself, and were confident in our Lord, I should be a thousand times more heavy, sad, lumpish, then is the Pilgrim in the very midst of a wood, where no path appeareth; but I take courage and full vigour, for my soul is come to another state, then erst it was, it is even over joyed for that my eyes obey me now, no vanities take them up, their light is estranged from voluptuousness, in so much as now, happily it is with me, I see not, or at least take no notice of the poisoned baits, masked with delicate and well tasted Manna, which formerly alured me, possessed me by mine eyes; the rays of others beauties do not now astonish, do not now as unproportionable objects dim my sight, which might well be termed, the nets and entangling birdlime of souls: I take no pleasure but in my sorrow, and my God, for I take no notice, I take no delight in the lively green of the boughs of trees, nor in the flowers of the meadows, nor of the pleasant currant of a clear fair river, I as little regard the lustre of gold, or sparkling gleaunces, glitterings of gems, rare jewels: nor doth the sight, the overglorious splendour of solemnities touch me aught, I gaze not on the world's carriage, be it never so miniard, so in times liking, in fashion howsoever, for that my contrition for my sin, and the many anxieties in the way of winning grace and pardon through penitency, have so fully entertained my eyes with the veil of repentance, that I am to them happily blind.  
Whilst my soul, my gracious Lord, doth rise against sense, doth master it, that so it is, I take and receive it from thy light, and by thy rays, thy irradiations, thy beams my Lord, hereby I rise again, I am relieved even as a flower (hanging its head by nights cold drooping; and farther so stated by the heaviness of the dew, at the sun's shining on it) is succoured, raised up, held up, by thy providence, by thy virtue, in such manner do thy commands sound in my tongue, such force have they on me, and allies to my loss, to my great wrong have applied their ill endeavours against me, yea and to hurt me notably they have done their uttermost; but these following words of thine do I interpret and deliver with the spirit of prophecy which thou hast endowed me with, for I seem to see even now the troops of thy favourites, of those on whom thou hast even accumulated, & plentifully heaped graces & most abundant benefits, armed with sword, & fire to assail thee unthankfully, returning for thy most pious, tender, & most just helps assistances, graces, rare works nought but pure ingratitude, nor seem they moved otherwise to regard thee, to appear before thee, but to interpose a veil of their ignorance, to the alseing eyes of thy truth, which shall appear, shall spring forth, rise again in the punishments, prosecution of their iniquities; even as the Hydra's heads cut of, appear: and the same truth is made a lookin-glosse of men to contemplate. Woe! yea all woe! to those transgressors who in God shall see, contemplate, behold clearly the full expression and lively image of their harshness, their cruelty, and of the perfidiousness of their hearts; and blessed is he that ever he had being who shall see in the truly representing glass, the faithful loyalty of his belief and confidence in our Lord.  
Yet farther continueth God's word by my voices delivery, and he hath deigned that myeares, hear ●…hesoūds of his accents prompting me as followeth. They who were nigh have eslonged themselves, are gone far from me, and with all speed possibly, even as a stone from a sling, is flung far from him who flingeth it, hence showing unto me, what the world is, that they were not my friends, although they kindled the lamps and burnt incense, upon the holy altar; their hearts are not true, sound, and fervently zealous, they are not where they are; as evidently appeareth, as may be clearly demonstrated: for that their speech seemeth to honour me, but with an ill meaning, ofsuch like friends as they are, whose hearts fly from me, as smoke from the wind, & to make appear their farther wretchedness, their greater perfidiousness, whilst I taught than what is truth, they fully endeavoured by docttines of men, to impoverish & weaken the understandings of men, to deprave them utterly, to overthrow them, to make good their false assertions, and to pervert them who sincerely desired to understand my meaning, that is to say, my true intentions, as flocks of sheep, and herds of beasts do seek for water and grass.  
But my glorious good Lord, by what deserts of mine cometh it to pass that I am allotted to speak with thy tongue, which maketh me continue in prophetizing. And they who endeavoured to find ill in me, with more solicitude, then doth weariesomnes seek rest; have against me spoken their idle fancies from their invented chimaeras, windy, empty vanities, most false things not with unlike rancour, but with the same which wicked and most wretched men use to speak: and all day long humming like bees, rivers, and the winds, and scandalising my goodness, endeavouring to pervert others with dislike of my sincere truth, meditated with strange imaginary ways, a throusand var●…ties of deceits against my innocence, and with sharp reprehensions, and with m●…ligne accusations, molesting me daily & nightly, they more than most earne●…lie endeavoured to find a fault in my bounty, in my goodness; and even as the wicked and perverse, they called my prayers blasphemies, my examples malices, and my miracles witchcrafts.  
But I like a deaf man, who heareth not the noise of other pratles, or brawls, heard not the shrill jangling prate of the envious, who most injuriously, most uniustly spoke despitefully of me, who all zealous in their behalves desired to make them know the truth and no otherwise, then if so that I had beme borne without a tongue from my nativity, or otherwise dumb, I was silent, I was still: notwithstanding I heard their false testimonies assevered by oaths: and surpassing with my humility their pride under the shower of lies which tempestuouslie poured on my head, even as a tempestuous shower of hail, & rain, falleth impetuously on the ●…yles on the top of an house, I seemedlike a gentle meek lamb, who with head inclined without bleating, suffereth himself to be shorn by the shepherd, who whilst he fleeceth him, threatening h●…m to take away his life also, for that the poor beast understandeth not the noise, the horror of his danger, of his state and being, he is not affrighted a jott, as I am not terrified, and for that I may not hear the conspiracy of calumniation, that my enemy's device against me, I will stop my ears as doth the serpent against enchantments.  
Thou yet my Lord speakest again further: and sayest. And I am like to a man who heareth nothing which can (entering his ears) pass to his heart: for it is the manner of the just, not to give audience, not so much as to hear the unjust speak, who vugratefully oppose themselves against the great favours, singular graces, which were given them: and I am as it were a servant, who not willing to transgress the commandments of his Master, although he is tormented by the perverse malice of his competitors, his envyers, hath not in his mouth those words, which the innocence of them who are causelessly injured, is want to frame: and somewhat strange is it, that I suffer the malice and the ignorance of others, I not hearing the ●…hatterings of the crows, nor thee creaking noise of the crickets, which burst fo●…th in their nights never ceasing molestation.  
O goodness of God thou art great indeed, and thou art truly benign, for thou by thine own sufferings, teachest us to overcome the c●…osses and disquietnesses inflicted on us by the wicked, and to acquire thy grace by means of patience: and to give us example, thou gavest way for calumnies, to overrun thy just, pure, and unspotted head: and sure I am that thou for farther demonstration of thy constant prudence, desiredst, that the number of thy accusers, who with false inventions, with lying testimonies, did molest thee, diversly afflict thee before the tribunals, in which seats were placed wretched judges, might be multiplied; wherefore I hear that thou comandest me to speak in thy name, in thy person, as followeth; I care not false swarm, false rout for your wicked persecutions. Hence have I hoped in the merits which my sufferances have prepared for me, which will prove to the benefit, to the health of souls, which would perish if I die not. But for that I sensibly perceive that thy grace is wanting in me, which hath thus far made me speak with thy tongue, with thy voice. I recommence, I return again most humbly to my devotions, which thou my Lord and my God wilt hear with attention and favour.  
For I have besought thee with such an heart, which thou well knowest, which thou clearly seest, not requiring, not craving ought else then fortitude against enemies, now I call again with all the organs, instruments of the voice of my soul, I humbly & earnestly, suppliantlie, crave again: that thou vouchsafe that those who cruelly biting me, stand over me, no otherwise then do vultures over the harmless innocent beasts, may not scorn and de●…ide me seeing me as an edifice without sustentacles, columns, or supporters, headlonglie falling into the hideous dark sepulchre ofsinne, but let it be so, that they grieve and fret themselves, to see my joy, my good state, under the shadow of thy bounty; gnawing one another, through the sharp bitings of their perfididiousnes, losing themselves in their wretchedness, whilst the wicked condemn me with that earnestness, with which the good pronounce safety to me. Incredible is the malice of the wicked, for that at each least motion of my foot, at each stray which I walking make, scarce obsoruing the going out of my right way, they have delivered such obloquys in my prejudice, which (wicked as they are) by them should not have been spoken, nay even against them who had obstinate will, never to return to thy ways: But I am content, I am appaied, that I am converted, that, I am turned to thee, ready to satisfy for my sins, to banish sin, yea to tread it under foot, through fear which I am well taken with, of thee my glorious good Lord.  
For that I am prepared for punishment even as a beast ready at the altar for sacrifice, thy afflictions, thy scourges, are not to me at all heavy, yea rather I may well say I receive them in the bosom of my past life, as fruits fruits, and effects of its patience. And were it not that the grief which I have, for having offended thee in my disordered error, from thy ways, and in my wickedness had not laid open the leaf where in thy book it is registered, I would enforce myself with serious attention, with all my power to lay it open before thee, with more bewailing, moaning, as from my hearty sorrow, and then should flow from mine eyes showers of tears: but since that all what I am is in thy sight, I only say, that since I have acknowledged the manner of my trespasses, I have not, nevertheless borne patiently thy corrections, but yet I have chastised myself, without any regard or compassion of myself, with compunction so far as I could, clothed with human body; as is well known unto thee; nothing seemed to strike me more, to displease me more, then that my enemies should triumph over me, seeing me buried in the depth of my utter ruin.  
Let my adversaries be assured that I will confess mine iniquities, and that I will tenderly and carefully think of my transgr●…ssions, the sorrow of which is humbly prostrated before thee; let them rather be assured that after my acknowledgement of them, I shall so meditate of my self, as that I shall be so solicitous of them, and of my zealous duty to my Lord, that the hearts-greife that I shall take deeply to myself for them, shall be so intensive, that my heart having broken & passed over all its stubborn hardness, shall be so enabled with the clemency of thy mercy, that the painful inflictions on my sins, shall prove no other than the suffering the pain I shall have of my not being able to grieve so much as I would; and through the merit of so fervent, so vigorous, so profound a heart-quilling grief, and yet without which there is no access to thy kingdom; I hope to ascend by those such steps by which the feat of the stars is arrived to, heaven come to; for that my complaints, my moanings, my extreme afflictions, my showering tears, which I will tēpe●…uously through the anguish of my grieved soul pour forth both day and night incessantly, shall be my scourges, my Purgatory, my Hell.  
But alas! mine inimies live, they are established, remain stout, and pertinacious, no otherwise then is pride against humility, and there are more risen up, even as Ants in corn and flies in milk, who wickedly hate me: and yet I am not hence shaken at all, troubled aught thereat. For I, whilst they become perverse and mischievous, will win thy justice, with me doleful tears, whence the wicked, and those who care more for the terrestrial world, then for Heaven, (not as yet destroyed according to their sin's wretchedness) shall fall into the extremity of misery, in whose arms they so much rejoice, as little infants in the bosoms of their mothers, for they know not the fourd, the passage that they come from, that tender, preserve, and sollicitouslie keep the wings of their souls, from the entanglings of its birdlime, in which ensnaring labyrinths confounded is he for ever, who acnowledgeth no other God then wordly pleasures: hence really is it that such an one may most undoubtedly be called miserable: for that hope doth blaze, nay twinkle any ray, beam of its safety on him, even so much as he is punished by the self fame his sin, as are the envious by their selfe same rancour, their selfe same envy. But I my good and gracious Lord, will never staunch my eyes weep, nor will ever impose stillness or silence to this my tongue, nor ever will take to me a minute of repose from my grief, and heavy heart's throbbs, until that even here where I breathe forth and that earnestly, my lamentations, thy mercy show some sign at least, that thou hast pardoned me.  
All they who uniustly return evil for good (who are most l●…ke to the keepers, the watchers of bees, who when so that they have had from them tribute of honey, & vaxe, they chasse them from their hives, their houses, with fire and smoke) have torn me in the sight of the people, with the tallones of their wickedness; and for that I followed not the ways, which their crooked steeps had made, they would praise the semblance of my just works with the spittings of iniquity, in public as●…euering, basely esteeming my fear of God, & provoking me to show my dislike of the stings of their fal●…nesses; their ways I decline, bending my body, and fixing mine eyes, on the ground, my head downward, and altogether contracted with in myself bearing with the stings which sometimes have notably hurt me, with the s●…lfe-same patience, where with wisemen suffer the boldness and want of wit of fools; it sufficing me to be justified in the judgement of our Lord, upon which pillar doth all my hope rest, for I am most assured, that he will always be such, and the same to me.  
Abandon me not my Lord, my God, who am without thee as is a horse without a courbe, yea even without a bridle, a ship without a rudder: and as that moved by the fierceness of his nature, is wont to be resty, to run away with his rider; and this made ouer-swif●…ly glideing through the impetuous winds, often abutteth, striketh against the rocks: Even so I provoked, enforced, by the perfidiousness, & vexation which my persecutors impose on me, shall likely fall headlong into my precipice, be broken in pieces, and utterly ruined, if thou hide thy face, subtract but thy favourable assistance from me, with the twinkling of whose eyebrow, thou governest the governors and the celestial and terrestrial regiments. O Lord for pity-sake deign to be my Leader who am blind, & vouchsafe, not to separate thyself from me, who beseech thee, by the tears, and the deep sighs which my sorrow poureth forth, and frameth for no other cause, but to separate myself from sin, which hath brought me to such misery that I am unworthy to lo●…ke thee in the face, whose splendour o●…lie is consolation to the distressed, afflicted as am I.  
Incline then to help me, as charity doth assist the needy, & the mother's milk the child's hunger. Have regard my Lord to my health to my safety, for it is all in thee only, who art my way, my truth, and my life, and likewise of all those who apprehend the way of conserving themselves from the snares of sin, as from sword, and fire: and although they sin they know with more affect to lament their defects, than can the good soul rejoice in their perfections. I beseech thee with my heart even come up to this my tongue, which delivereth what it dictateth, in such sort, that it is not in thee to deny, that pity, that mercy, never denied by thee to any, who craves it in such sort as do I. For otherwise I should be a prey to the fraudulencies of my enemies, greedy of my loss, yea of my utter destruction, were it not that I had reacknowledged myself, were it not for the hope which I have had in thy infinite goodness.  
The end of the third Psalm.   

THE FOURTH PROLOGUE.  
as soon as David ended his third song, he seemed not unlike a Pilgrim, who calculating within himself, measuring in his mind, and silently casting up the length of the way he is to walk, and having overcome a great part thereof already, reposeth himself under the shade to whose cool●…es, the pleasant gently whisking wind invited him, there somewhat taking his breath, which the toil of painful travail had partly bereft him of. And as a Pilgrim's mind is all bent, all taken up, meditating on the journey which he is to make; so was he all converted to God, his thoughts w●…re only entertained, and intensively on God, and nevertheless playing or rather carelessly dallying with the strings, moving his fingers here and there on them, without any whit reflecting on their sound, which he hearing, yet well might I say, heard not; resting his chin on his breast, the hottest and bitterest tears that ever issued, eved reigned, or were ever poured forth, from the eyes of any one that never so deeply grieved; he let fall. One might take notice so far of his distilling, his melting in tears, as of wa●… me water in a large basin, which receiveth the blood of a vein opened may be taken notice of as water all over bloody: and to this his plentifully pouring forth of tears, were interchangeably mingled some sighs deeply fetched; so grievous, that if the fall of such floods of tears, and the sound of such sighs had been heard by any man breathing, he would even have sworn, that in the Caverne or grott there was a windy rain, a sharp and bitter tempest: and vndo●…edly if the winds could have had ingress they would have made fly, would have scattered, and made known, the complaints delivered by his eyes, his tongue, and his breast, and carrying them to the ears of all the people of Israël, each one of the would have made all haste to comfort their poor King; who (some gross and heavy tears swallowed up, blubbering, yexing, throbbing) in an instant turned his eyes as a man affrighted, extremely possessed with fear and terror of wbat came then to his mind, what then was presented as object to his fantasy, or rather impressed, and it seeming to him that the horrible and obscure shadow of his transgressions, would hastily, and most violently snatch him away; he with fervency equivalent to his conceived misery, cried out aloud, in an high strain singing thus.   

THE FOURTH PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  M●…serere mei Deus s●…cundum. Psalm 50. 
HAVE mercy on me God, not according to the propo●…tion of my little, my poor, my alas! poor, my feeble merit, yea alas! I may say even my scarce no desert, either through my fasts, or prayers, or wearing sack cloth, signs though of denying my lelfe, or for my bitter tears, but according to that thy great mercy, wherewith thou dost surpasle in height of magnificency, (and in what not?) Heaven's beautiful vault, the brave seeming comely boult of the mountains, the sea's arms, the earth's bosom, the bottomless deeps, and the measure and extent of the universe: insomuch with thee, let trespasses be, whatsoever possibly they may be, they are less than a little point in the midst of a circle of great capacity, of marvelous compass: even poison which in itself engendereth sin, sometimes maketh it swell in such manner that it though moving thee to disdain, boldly lifteth itself up in such sort, that it seemeth it would aspire to the top of the height of that thy mercy. But for that I am sure that thy mercy overcometh the severity of thy justice, I find not my sin's so desperate which heretofore feared to come too late to find pardon, for thou willest that a contrite heart say only, I have sinned. And so much only said from a contrite heart, thou endowest them with such plenty of thy grace, that their hearts, yea and their very souls joint ie bewail, bitterly bemoan themselves, for the injuries that their hardness, their such perverseness, wrought to their miserable preiud●…e, and to their unspeakable grief against thee; my hardness my perverseness, differeth not a whit, from what is spoken of, wherewith hitherto I have offended thee; ah! but alas! whatsoever poor wretch I am, I seek to hide me under the brave ample shrowding-wings of thy merciful indulgency and pity, by its goodness I beseech thee most humbly that thou secure me.  
O Lord help me, and according to the multitude, the infinite reach, large extent of thy mercy, thy commiserations, which are more than are the flakes of the snow, then are the drops of the rain, blot out, cancel mine iniquities, my crimes, which although justly acknowledged to be infinite, yet they arrive not to the number of thy pities, of thy commiserations; by which thou savest trespassers. And the bridles, the restraints wherewith fasting courbeth gluttony, wherewith chastity curbeth luxury, humility checketh and restraineth pride, charity covetousness, and true goodnature, well disposed humanity envy; and the spurs, the lively stirrers up awaken and chase away sloth and lazines, are the gifts, which these compassions do give, which thou hast on distressed misery and ignorant errors which daily are done in thy sight: thy clemency mercifully shineth with more favourable and cheerful aspect on him, who after transgression reasumeth himself, then on any one, who hath never t●…espassed: and there is nothing to be far●…her herein delivered, for true it is that there a●…e more acts of virtue, as more resignanations to thy will, more earnest endeavours, and more merit it amendment after sin, then is there for such to have abstained from sin; and the fear which a man is sensible of whilst he is contristated, deeply sad, extremely afflicted for his sin●…e; his such like heart's deep compunction is more available, than the securie of him, whosoever he be, of Paradise, rejoicing in his not having trespassed: And for that, o Lord, my merciful God, I would tender such a sorrow, as might be answerable to my grievous offences, and that I know all to be in vain, of no validity, without the favour of thy grace; I the same conjure thee, call thee to account on that ground, that tenant of the joy known, that thou hast of the moans, lamentions, and hearts-gri●…fes of sinners, that thou cleanse me in the font, and ever-flowing-cleere spring of thy infinite mercy.  
Wash me, and wash me again clean, which the water of that merciful spring in all, and all fully wholesome, full of grace; full of health, whose least channels, whose least veins bedew, besprinkle the heads of the just, with grace and health. Let the earnest petitions of me a poor distressed man, so far take place with thee my Lord, my God, that I may bathe myself, wash myself, cleanse myself in water of such quality which is good against rustiness, and mire which my sin's and imperfections have wrought and contracted on me, even as drops of rain, of a sweet gentle shower poured from Heaven do please, marvailously comfort, yea confer to the better being of a bird, after it hath suffered the Sun's heat. Here is the full state of what I humbly crave, that thou wash and cleanse me from sins; for the blotts, blurs, stains, they have made on me, are foul & filthy to abomination, & whilst they are seen on this my flesh, my soul (that abhotreth them, as those things which prompt unto it the danger of its health) can never enjoy the tranquillity, the entire peace, which they enjoy, who serve thee with a pure & clean heart. But be it so that thou wash me, and cleanse more often, my soul each hour be coming more pure, more unspotted, white, hence, will receive that comfort, which will the limbs of one even now relieved, & released from an infirmity, in washing himself in a bath of costly and odoriferous spices.  
For that lastly I have opened the eyes of my mind, closing those of my body, I know that my sin (which I cast behind me and was careless of, having taken the world's delights for my counsel, for my directions) is always against myself; and whatsoever at any time hath fallen out against me, hath beme drawne on me for my trespasses: hence I to keep of it's heavy burden from me, to make it stand far of, and to secure myself of it, have made me a buckler, a defence framed of the fear I have of thee, my Lord: & the perfidious, and wicked, never cease to molest me with shrewd and importunate snares: but because I am well advised how to carry myself against them I am able, assisted by thee, held up by thee, to keep myself from being aught deceived by them, and keep my soul from their frauds, their foul deceits; and with the hope that I conceive, and understand more in God, then in my tears, I shall make them fly far from my face, as I desire to fly far from it; the which sweet and fair though it seem, is both sharp and brutish, most horridlie ugly. But thou yet Lord seest with what gestures, and in what manner, they (they wicked) flatter me, and endeavour to make me such as they are, by their diverse ways of drawing me to be alike to them, laughing at my tears, & showing at the self same cave, where I praise, give laud, and glory to thee, the palace where thy despisers keep in, incessantly vil●…fying, scorning the patience of my pen●…tencie; whilst I crush, even burst my knees on the earth, they lie at ease and pleasure on their downy coutches; I who neither see them, now hear them as erst I was want, my thoughts entertained by my fantasy far otherwise them to give attention to them, strengthening myself with gifts of thy virtue, hope with my spirit to transcend as far my body, as the body doth surmount, command, and ouer●…ule the spirit, for being oppresied, burdened by it, I was in imminent danger, there was little, alas! wanting that it had not made me fall under thine anger, thy heavy wrath.  
But here behold the prophetical spirit, which entereth into me again, I am hereof truly sensible, I perfectly know it Lord, yea even as the eyes of a dim sight, yea of a man almost blind sensibly distinguisheth the appearance, and disappearance of light and therefore I acknowledge & perceive that I have sinned against thee, in thy sight; but the ill which I have done in thy presence, shall maintain, make good, yea justify thy word, which thou hast so often sent forth, spoken by the tongues of thy Prophets, in which thou didst lay open, all the sublime subjects, the hidden, the profound, and unsearchable mysteries of thy truth; hence thy Son, all taken up, all enamoured, with love to humane kind, descending of my lineal stock, will come to suffer, cleansing, yea purely purifying by his death, the foul spots which Adam contracted on it. And in the same instant, that thou shalt be arraigned, yea adjudged, thou shalt overcome thy persecutors, being wretched against thee, in so much as that they astonished, and altogether possessed with admiration, with a clear, loud, & high strained voice shall deliver, this is the Son of God indeed. And therefore my Lord pardon me, who come to thee, my only refuge, in such manner let thy forgiveness be, as thy Son in his preaching, teaching, shall state, shall ordain. Alas! my good and gracious Lord, pardon me my transgressions for that (so long as my heart is prompt, & most ready to repent, and my tongue lively quick & nimble to pray to the, and my eyes well disposed, altogether bend to pour forth tears) I am not in state ever to want faith, in my well apprehended confidence of thy mercy.  
Not to cover, not to excuse my trespasses and crimes o Lord, but to demonstrate to what exigent I am reduced, what need I have of thy mercy, I say that I am conceived in iniquity: whence it consequently followeth that thy justice truly forget not my sins of frailty, which are in numerable, as also those of my Ancestors, and howbeit in carnal delight, wherein each one is conceived, is no damnation, yet from the same proceedeth our hereditary stray, our error, even such from the first of men for which we are punished with co●…porall death, and by reason of the world's growing worse and worse, there and worse, there would also follow us that of the soul; if thou hadst not prescribed by foredecree the coming of him, which by thy grace I have spoken of before. But what miracle or wonder is there in a sinner's transgression, being borne in sin? my mother conceived me in sin, hence sinned I, before I was borne, and coming into the world's light, sin accompanied me, which is multiplied on me, as my hours, days, months, and years, in such sort, that the hairs of this my beard, and the hairs of this my head, and tresses of it, are very few, compared with the number of my sins, and to attempt to disburden my self without the assistance, and favour of thy grace, is for one man's strength, one man's force, to make mountains even, to lay mountains flat, to root, to grub up the woods, and make the Seas d●…y. Behold for that thou hast always loved truth and justice, yet hast not thou made me know that no sin, and that no desert is ever without its punishment, or without its reward from thee; but by thy making me return to the understanding of myself, which is sound very difficult, in a man invested with humane flesh, thou hast declared to me the unknown, obscure, and the altogether hidden things, and the misteryes of thy wisdom: & deigning to enrol me among the Prophets, I have foretold and will Prophecy, that which cannot be otherwise, that which cannot fail to be so, and what sometimes taketh not effect, by the means of grace granted by God, to the desert of repentance. Truly my Lord the apprehension, the understanding I have of the state of thy juslice, hath made me lament, weep on, and for my sins, which transgression I do bewail, and will ince●…antlie, yet so long as I may have leave and licence so do: and this my holy resolution hath made me, and further will make me worthy of thy mercy, and of thy wisdom, and hence issueth, ariseth, springeth that constancy for which I always besoúght thee, only to be enabled in the perseverance of thy service and in abstaining from Sinne.  
Therefore that I may keep, myself from all that which moveth, and with great temptations inciteth a man to forget thee, thou shalt cast all over me hyssop, the meanest of herbs, to the end that I through example of its meanness, and virtuous lowliness, may correct by such a pattern, my pride: or give me it to drink, as doth the ●…hisitiā in form of potion, who knoweth that the infirmity is inward, I shall be purged, released of any defect whatsoever shall be found about my heart: and after thou shalt have purged away my such inward infirmities, with the juice expressed by the press of thy pious hands, and gathered from the same herb growing and nourished in the garden of thy mercy; thou shalt wash me outwardly with the water which leaping, casteth forth, twinckleth, and gurgleth, in the fountain and everlasting spring of thy mercy; hence shall I be cleansed of any whatsoever least deformity, which my conscience might have contracted on me, through the fervour of my repentance, which done I shall in whiteness surpass, far exceed, & excel the snow, which flaketh on the top on the bosom, & foot of a mountain, which is not forcibly carried by any wind: and so cleansed, purified, in wardlie expurged and washed, I will appear in thy presence, as a soul even now come from Heaven, and taking beams, irradiations, from the lamp of thy grace, as a man who though over joy keepeth no mean, is become even now not himself, I will open my mouth, and with all fervour, thank thee, and praise thee with my voice, and with the full strain of my hearts true affect.  
I who ruminating on my loss, my destruction am become humble in that pride, and sad in that joy, in which (to my great prejudice) I was unhapie, when as heretofore I was both proud and merry, in so much as I shall never be happy, never merry (as it seemed to me I was in times past) until thou cheerest me up with that favour, that superabundant grace, which may from thee proceed to the assuring me of my safety, of my salvation. O then, and not before my humbled bones will exult, will take comfort, will express their great joy, then truly, really, all the spirits, all the faculties of my soul, shallbe rejoiced, with a true, and most unfeigned gladness, lessened, yea formerly depressed though the fault of sin, by means whereof the sustentacles, the main columns of my life, are afflicted, perplexed, enfeebled, even as the stems of the flower deluces by wind and rain: and only for that the power of sense weakeneth the mind, & the power coming f●…om the mind, represseth the sense, and subdueth the body, hence is it that virtue, overcome by vice of sense, can only be sustained, can only and solely be relieved through the help of thy grace: which no sooner cometh to any body, but that the soul mastereth the body in all his reasons, aversions and fullest powers: so that pronunce, aswell joy to me, as also sprightly and fully possessing comfort, and exceeding gladness by the tongue of that thy grace, thy mercy, without which each repentance is of no effect, is altogether in vain, were it not for that little comfort, which the tears of my penitency affordeth me; which were it turned into despair, will be to my utter loss, yea both death and Hell to me.  
Look not on my sins, hide not thy face from me, for my humbled bones are rejouced, have taken comfort, and since that hyssop having been used in my behalf, hath had the effect of a wholesome medicine to me, and that I am washed, yea cleansed with the waters of thy grace; grant I humbly beseech thee my Lord that so it be. For thy presence whilst it looketh on a sinner, judgeth his sins, his grievous transgressions, and adjudging them, likewise inflicteth on them condign punishment: Hence be it that thou take no farther notice of them, for if thou dost not mark them, thou wilt never call them to thy memory, nor record at all their iniquities; which are so grievous whensoever they are laid open and displayed before thy sight, that though thy mercy have forgiven them, thy justice might punish them. O yield my Lord so much unto me though a miserable distressed wretch that thou not only not look on my transgressions, but look not at all on them, turn aside thy eyes from my perverse will: & doing me such like favour, such indulgence; my trespasses, all which are registered before thee, may become canceled: Hence they will be no more seen, hence not adjudged, hence not punished: and I have not a wavering but a confident hope, that thou wilt entirely, and most compleatlie fulfil these my ardent desires, for that I have changed myself, I am transformed, for that I now am become, a new man, another man: nor am more he, who hath so much sinned, alas no! far otherwise is it now with me, my being other then formerly I was, my being better is through the ptiviledge, the prerogative of thy grace, which hath so inexpressible a quality and force, that no sooner hath it inclined itself, even sprinkled itself on any who crave it humbly, but that it so rectifieth him, yea in such ways, in such inclinations, as that he hence becometh a man of good will, a man who desireth nothing more than to take up thy commands, to observe them, to honour and love thee, yea for thy goodness, as a contrite doth.  
Lord now, yea even now, newly create me, make unto me even now a clean heart, and propitiouslie grant that I may make myself such an one, that I may become through the means of sorrow for my transgressions such an one that standing by thee I may seem like to a little boy by his father side, who laughing and weeping is full of devices in his mi●…nardizing tricks & dalliances, which purity, and innocenty moveth in him. And for so much as thou knowest my heart, which cannot be said to be clean (respect had to the old sin) notwithstanding through thy grace, do thou please to let it be so, that it be ennobled, made worthy to be the place of abiding yea even the lodge of thy grace, and the organ or instrument of thy profound secrets, and root of those branches, from whence must spring the fruit of universal redemption of mankind. Form, shape, make in me a new heart, such an one as is clean, most candid, in manner of such of theirs who never transgressed against thee, for I am now another manner of man, than erst I was for so much as concerns my particular; he who is a sinner he who is loaden with sin, is no companion for me, I desire to have no conversation with him, he is not fit for me to converse with. Ah! since so it is, most expedient it is, that the hand of thy mercy alone, do not only create in me a new, and clean heart, but that also with the selfsame act, thou do newly make in me a spirit, a soul just, upright, and clearly purely good, which void and free from the enthralments, the miserable subjection & slavery of sense, may be enabled, become hence fully, and completely endowed with gifts, with undoubted abilities, to preach; to teach forth to the people of the world what, and of what condition, of what rare nature, is thy grace, thy bounty, and thy mercy.  
Oh! alas! my Lord, even as thou art pleased to digne me, through thy singular favour, to hide thy face from my transgressions; disdain not also, yea vouchsafe graciously, not to chase me from thy aspect, from the glorious sight of thee, let thy animadversion, thy taking notice fall more attentively on my good will, my good-meanings, my zealous desires, then on my wicked transgressions; and for the fault of my sin, bereave me not, deprive me not, of that thy blessed presence, thy blessed aspect, from the lights of whose irradiations, even showers of inexpressible consolation, are poured on the lust, thy saints; let me not be a cast of an abandoned of God, let not thy holy spirit be taken from me, which through thy goodness thou hast enlarged me with, hast freely given me; which is that remorse of conscience which maketh me lament and bitterly weep for my sins, and that perce●…uance I have knowing how to confess them interceding for myself through thy great mercy. But be it so, thou do not give me leave to see thy countenance, shutting thy ears, in so much as that thou hear not my voice I shallbe reduced into such an estate, that I shall prove to have no remorse of conscience, nor ought of knowledge, which hath made me have recourse to thee; hence should I become the miserablest of men, alas! a prey of desperation, the case altered, changing holy spirit into a perverse, wicked, and reprobate spirit. So that my Lord take tender care of me, for my case is full of danger. Turn thy gracious benignity towards me, my Lord, grant unto me that I may affix mine eyes, on those thine eyes, rare lamps, even as the Eagle looketh on the Sun, and let me contemplate in thee, that thy countenance, thy blessed vision, my safety.  
Give unto me again the joy of my being saved, which through sin I had lost. Be it so that thou do not graciously give it me again; I am more than assured that I shall never recover it. When thou shall through thy bounty have given it me, make good, make safe, confirm in me that principal spirit, that is, that spirit which is now full entertainer in me, of me, which wholly and fully possesseth me overcometh me; for thou well knowest that in us are two incitements, two spurs, one of sense, the other of reason, which are the good and ill spirits, and within us they continually contest, fight it out for the prey of the soul. Conserve in me therefore that good which may well guide me, and be a certain, and most perfect directory to my wellbeing and giving it strength and virtue, grant unto it that it may remain constantly victor of its adversary, and I through the security of my safety, and through the grnce I am enlarged with of this my good spirit, which will be as an effect of my thankfulness, I will teach to the unjust, to the wicked, the means by which the favour of God's mercy is acquired, is vudoubtedlie won.  
I will instruct wretched transgressors in thy Law, (not men of upright heart, who have no need of my teaching, my directions) the fords of thy holy and most sacred ways; in which each one who taketh for guide the lamp of the just, may be assured, walking on, persevering, to arrive to thy glorious palace. And I will labour with earnestness, with such ardent fervour, that even impious and most ungodly men, who fear not thee, are not affrighted, and are not shaken, at thine anger, thy wrath, and thy fury; shallbe converted, shall return to thee, become other, new men: and thy being come to such pass, so reclaimed, speedily they will be favourably heard, for in thy presence is seen I know not how to call it, human wit cannot atrive to express it, that, which teacheth one to know one's ●…elfe, and to call, crave humbly beseech thee for mercy, on the effect whereof, the issue whereof, doth the safety of each one depend and hence be it that thou conserve in me that spirit which I have spoken of, which frequentl●…e repeat to thy goodness, and by the means thereof I will cease farther to weep for my sins, to bewail them any more, and I will make an end of all my lamentations, and become thy friend, hence will follow, will succeed a doctrine and wisdom, a fullness of knowledge, which will show score out, evidently demonstrate the ways, the paths, yea the tracks, the foot steps, of thee our good and glorious Lord to all future ages.  
Yet again my Lord, whilst favourably thou lende●…t thine ear to these my prayers, my most humble petitions, free me, acquitt me, o my e●…er good and gracious Lord, from the wicked, lewd, cruel, and ab●…ominable villainy of murder, which ministereth deserued●…ie occasion of thy disgrace towards me: and therefore free me my Lord from it, for being that I am appointed to preach, to declare to the Universe, to the whole world, thy mercy, by which heretics shallbe converted, and the perverse wicked also, it is necessary that thou pardon me, giu●…ng me full remission of all my trespasses: and so doing and giving pardon to me so heinous a transgressor of thy laws, through this one example of me who have sinned, to the swing, to the full extent, of what man can miserable arrive to, each sinner alured, all possessed of desire, and of hope to save himself, will have speedy recourse to thee, to crave, to humbly beseech thee, of thy such grace and mercy, even as I have done, even as I have called on thee my Lord, and God of my salvation, whose innate connatural goodness, and bounty (when so that thou shalt have freed me from the guilt of my carnality, as also from the blood of one, when as, ah! wretch that I was through my effrene, disordinate, & resty unbridled appetite, I immersed, drowned myself in murder) my tongue expeditelie with all promptness, shall exalt & show forth thy name, preach thy justice. Hence ●…hould I be well known to sinners, ●…ho recalling themselves into them●…elues, who converted, will deplore, and miserably lament their trespasses, even as I do mine.  
Lord, since that I am invested, seated in the place, in the degree, in the rank of the good, through the bounty of that thy bounty, and not through the merits of aught good I have done, and being so changed, as that from a wicked and wretched man, I am become a new man, a just man, even raised through thy grace; thou the self same benign Lord, shalt open my lips, by thy holy spirit, infusing into them gifts of speech, even such which may be best agreeable to thy will, expedient, yea necessary: thou having so enabled them, given unto them such power, such faculty, I shall no sooner be hereof advertised, but that my mouth shall breathe forth hymns, shall exalt, and magnify thy praise. For that one●…ie and indeed is true and entire laud, which is sent fo●…th to thee our Lord, our God, others are vain, deceitful and mere shadows, howbeit the praises which thou deservest, are incomprehensible, and cannot be taken up, be reached unto by human capacity, by human understanding, for that thou art the mover, and Author of all gifts, all virtues, and of all graces which we know; hence is it that in all my composements of P●…almes, and singing them I have always given attributes to thee, of glory, and praise: and the glory and praise which deservedly and duly I have given the, have beme the hosts, oblations and sacrifices upon the elevated parts of thy Temple, and upon thy Altars.  
Praise and glory by tongue and heart I have sacrificed to thee my Lord, and wouldst thou have had other sacrifice, truly, really, I would have offered up other; but I see in spirit most evidently, and am satisfied fully, that thou wilt not be appeased, pleased, like of holoca●…sts, & the time will come that thou shalt dislike, be displeased at such sacrifice; for that they are ceremonies which outwardly make a show; and otherwise is it with thee, for the minds good intent●…ōs are received, entertained, and grateful to thee: & therefore wouldst thou that Abraham should sacrifice his pure heart, his simply good and sincere intentions, and not his son; howbeit the sacrifice of the old law, was no other than a mere figure of that sacrifice that the Son of God will make & offer up to his Father in redemption of human kind: But if thou art not pleased, art aversed from the sacrifices made of beasts, them shall not there be any offered but unto thee? & how then shall we appease thee? when thou shalt be even ready to inflict on us scourges for our trespasses, when they are even miserable falling on us, shall then thy mercy be in vain, of which we can take no benefit at all? and shall we no way penetrate so far, investigate, find out how, by what means possibly, to acquire it? if so thou please that sacrifice be our means by which we may arrive to it, fully attain it, gain it acquire it.  
Look here, observe well, for that I do foretell with the spirit of prophecy, what ought to be the sacrifices now spoken of: the sacrifice pleasing, accepted of, grateful to God, is a spirit a soul contribulated, a troubled and afflicted heart, not unlike to a beast brought to be sacrificed, which is killed on the Altar which bleateth, beloweth, and kicketh struggleth in his fall, which is wrought by the sharp, violent instrument of knife, and fire, suffering in the same manner as will thy most blessed Son: and hence is it that the lamentions, the heavy tears of an heart contribulated, much grieved, ruminating seriously on its offences, in mean while praising our good Lord, demandeth, craveth his grace, is accepted by him in place, in lieu of a beast, victimed, offered up in sacrifice. The simple, pure, clean, sincere, and sanctlie mind, is always ready, through its love to suffer martyrdom, death, and that sacrifice which God willeth: such a readiness of a sincere mind, and purely taken, fully enamoured with true repentance, not farther overwhelmed in wickedness, is that host, that sacrifice which doth reconcile man with God: from a contrite and an humble heart God will never look of, or despiset; but will not regard oxen, sheep, and lambs offered unto him without zeal, and without the tears and sorrow of the heart. And assure as any thing can be true foretold, infallibly it will come to pass, that the Messias to come shall say with a loud voice, shall give notice to the universe, to all the world: Bulls, and beasts I have at times received as sacrifices to me offered, but the hearts and minds, their pure and sincere meanings, not always: then my Lord since that I sacrifice my heart, and my mind, enrich me with thy mercy.  
Through thy infinite goodness, be bountiful, gracious and merciful to Zion, which such name have I given to the contemplation and speculation of them, who though their desire of truth will obtain, will arrive to the knowledge of thy Son. Alas! my Lord let it be so, I humbly crave at thy merciful hands, that the walls of Jerusalem, may be built, which I conceive as a show of peace, and union which ought to be with human kind in human kind, to the praising, honouring, and adoring thee only. Stay not, delay not to perform this thy benignity heretofore within thyself resolved of, fully decreed: and send thy Son, by whom, on whom this our new Church must be instructed, taught, built, and grounded: and in such manner building, raising the walls of Jerusalem, there will be built, raised in their souls, the excellency, the virtue of thy sapience, thy wisdom which will improve them so much enl●…ghtē them, will so build and frame in themselves that such understanding which giveth the perceivance, the clear light, and even the very vision of eternal peace, without which their souls would perish together with their bodies, aswell through the general ingratitude, as also by reason of the sin of the first father, whose faults would have proved Hell & damnation to all human kind, were it that with thee, thy bounteous decree, merciful benignity, had not otherwise stated a supply, a redress, to this inexpressably woeful misery, through the hands of that thy selfe-same clemency, and of thy proper bounty; who art more inclinable to show benignity to Zion, then that of the raising of the walls of Jerusalem, which I crave not, who am all tears, all penicencie, and all scourge of repentance, to confirm and assure myself in the grace of my Lord and God, who when he shall have sent his Son to the world, will verify with his truth my words.  
When so thy son shall descend into the world, thou wilt accept the sacrifice of justice, for it will be justly expedient, and it shallbe offered up unto thee, in memory of his passion, and of his death. I say that thou wilt accept holocausts, sacrifices laid on the Altar and oblations: gifts by which means God is acknowledged rendering him glory, apparently, most evidently, not without the singular, and inexpressible joy of hair's comfort, which oftentimes made all cheerful, doth visibly appear in the sight of its sacrifice. Lord, then worthily calves shallbe laid on thine Altar, for that they who then shall sacrifice to thee, may become illuminated by thy truth; hence thou shalt receive from them, not only victim, beasts killed for sacrifice, oblations, and holocausts, but likewise the sacrifice of a sincere heart, the entire love of a pure soul, and the holocaust that the light, yea fire of charity, and true zeal of faith, together with the other perfect and holy virtues will offer up to thee: and all those external demonstrations those outward works willbe received from thy goodness in sign of those inte●…nall, and true ones of the mind and heart. These willbe the sacrifices and presents, wherewith thou shalt be honoured, & where with thy Majest●…e shallbe glorified, and appeased, & here I end for that thy spirit doth not dictate, or prompt me with more which hitherto hath caused me to speak.  
The end of the fourth Psalm.   

THE FIFTH PROLOGUE.  
AFTER that the Prophet had earnesily importuned, yea e●…en conjured the great mercy of God to take compassion of him, to have ●…ercy on his trespasses, he was yet on his knees, moved not place, and fearing that he ●…ght yet again see the image of his sin whi●…h gave sign of punishment, even poin●…ed at the place thereof, Hell: he durst not ●…ift up his head, his countena●…ce to heaven, ●…hich he contemplated more with hidden, ●…hen he did with open eyes; and standing without any motion, h●…e recited, recorded (with his heart to God, his lips moving not ●…t all) the forewritten, fore delivered Psalm; and who living had seen him, and observed his posture, in that venerable gesture, would not only have beheld a sinner truly penitent, but he might likewise have learned, how one ought sincerely to repent, being burdened with sin: and for that it seemed to him, that he was unworthy of pardon, in such sort his thoughts on his trespasses did greeveously oppress him, that he bewailed, piteously groaned, sighed and sobbed deeply. Imagine the inexpressible grief, for no otherwise was it, then as if he had heard a c●…rtaine voice deliver unto him that God almighty had ranged him among the reprobate, that he had altogether abandoned him and had utterly forsaken him, in so much as that he was for all eternity deprived of his grace: and whilst thus he was astonished, confounded yea marvelously abstracted from himself he measured with the arm of his phantasy, of his deep thoughts the largeness, the extent of the body of his trespasses; his diligent inquisition finding them immeasurable, insomuch as he could not by any means give account of the immensity thereof, at once he shook and trembled all over, and in that shaking and trembling he seemed to be a si●…kman, now being taken with quivering shake and the rigorous pangs of death: and much fearing that his scattered and weak prayers, through want of words and manner of their delivery, had no audience from God, preparing his sorrowful and deeply aggreived heart, yea making it redouble its contrition touching again the strings, now newly reviving, and quickening his voice, clearing his pipes, which had already moved to commiseration of his case, the seat of his penitency, humbly uttered.   

THE FIFTH PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  Domine exaudi orationem meam. Psalm 101. 
FAVORABL●… hear my prayer 〈◊〉 my Lord, my gracious Lord; in which thou sees the contrition of 〈◊〉 heart contribulated, contristated, aggreived to the height, the full extent and uttermost period of a sad, ah! 〈◊〉 sad soul, for it's having sinned against thee. Alas! let it be so that my lamentations, my moans, my doleful cries, may come to thee in such their state: nor let for thy goodne●… sake, that distance of place be an obstacle to them, nor let winds transfer them, or violently carry them away; let there not be any impediment which may have power to interpose itself between thine ears, and my voice; any thing which may disuiate, turn another way thy hearing from my (oh!) such lamentations: rather receive the prayers I send forth to thee, con●…ormable to the nature of thy mercy, and observe me, look on me how it is, for I pray more with my heart, than call I loudly out with my tongue. For I right well know that who turneth himself to God with sincere, with unfeigned intention, fulfilleth, accomplisheth his prayer, before the words are uttered: thy goodness, not expecting that the words appear before thee. So that let the clouds be dispersed which through this air, have made the fogs of the pride of my transgressions, and let my cry through-passe up thither, where thou abidest, that I may with it testimony, give thee assurance of my mind most attentively, seriously, and with fullness of spirit, contrite.  
Oh! my Lord, hide not thy face from me, as those Ma●…sters hide their faces from their servants, who trespass against them, who for that they take themselves to be injured, by such their transgressions, do not only deny their countenance which they humbly crave, but also deny the hearing of them speak, and to give them leave to ask for pardon, for mercy, therefore do they so, to the end that they may learn to correct themselves, of their neglects of duty, even as I have learned who deservedly should have inflicted on me myself only, for my not fearing of thy chastisements all the scourges wherewith God punisheth the infinite coute of the wicked. But though so it be, though I deserve such inflictions, do not hide thyself from me: rather at what time soever I am oppressed, incline thine ear to me, not answerablie to my perverseness, but according to what becometh thy mercy, in such sort that in the tribulations, extreme afflictions which my soul shall feel through repentance, and in these, which my body shall suffer in penitency; hear thou with a friendly ear, and if so doing thou commiserate not, thou be not moved to merciful pity on my prayers, which my misery will desiver, will send, will make known to thee, I am then even content to stand to my misery, to abide in this miserable state. But if thou hear me, for that thou art pity itself, I am then free from fetters, from bonds, in which sin made account to hold me for ever.  
Though the great the ardent desire I have to be free from the snares, the entanglements of sin, I reunfold myself to thee, and beseech thee again my Lord that in what day soever I shall invoke thee, call earnestly on thee, thou hear me favourably, and that speedily, I say that thou please to grant unto me thy grace, at what time soever the light of well knowing of well discerning, distinguishing, shallbe with me, my eyes being freed, disincombred of obscurities, obfuscations, which even at noon day, the vain winds, the puffs of vain glory, do blast, do blow on them.  
And for that my days fail, vanish as smoke, not producing, not bringing forth in my seasons, in my harnests any thing but fruit of damnation, I might well doubt to find peace and atonement with thee; but still ●…auring confidence in my penitent sufferance, and my contrition, one whereof argueth my outward sorrow, the other giveth credit and testimony of my inward heart's grief, my compunction of soul I doubt not, I fear not aught: For the strength of thy great mercy doth secure me. But it greineth me very much that pride hath converted them into such smcke, into which their thanklesnes, their careles●…es, even aiming to have will to raise themselves to Heaven are turned, returning their puff of vanity into that nothing at all, into which are dissolved mists, fogs, and clouds, the winds adversaries, enemies of their condensitie, of their grossness, sharply blowing. And my days being that is my vain works, my vain deeds, in which I spent my time, deficient, ill pas●…ed over, unworthily consumed, my bones inflamed by the fire of wordly pleasure, are become no otherwise then a thing quite burnt: for that the soul retired, altogether recol●…ected into it ●…elfe, hath bereft them of that nourishment; hence they remained in continual heat: and in their last burning hair, not unlikely had they offended, and notably hurt the faculties and the virtues of the soul, had not ●…eturnd to thee my Lord, who helpest the poor, the beggars, supplye●… them, makest the strong feeble, and exaltest and raisest up the humble.  
My heart hath been smitten and is dried in me not unlike hay, and hence falleth on me all this, for that I have forgotten through my wretched carelessness to eat my bread. The true bread of our life, are the commandments of the Law, the works of mercy and other pious offices, which are spiritual food on which the soul is fed, to the end it perish not, it's utter loss and death follow not, which hence cometh and hence only, for that it eateth not of this food, for other nourisheth not, but poisoneth. But I who timely have reflected on myself, & in time make my recourse to thee confessing to have fallen greiviously, to have offended mortall●…e, for not having accustomed myself, for not having used and made election of such ford, yet despair I not of my safety, of my salvation: But rather like a man who hath drunk poison, whose heat extremely burneth his heart, and all his bowe●…ls, his entrailes, and suddenly having recourse to help, hath put himself, into the hands, and skill of a learned, expert, and prudent Physician, by whose presence he finde●…h himself to be alleviated, eased (though the hope he hath) of the greatest part of his sufferance, of his g●…iefe: I requiring, humbly craving assistance, cure, help of thee, find promised unto me through my p●…nitencie, and through thy commi●…eration, thy mercy, the health, the safety, which I seek for my soul, which recomforted, newly rejoiced, in the compunction, the deep grief of its heart.  
Through the continual and incessant voice of my plaints, my grievous lamentations, my bones are in such manner so clung to my flesh, that I seem to be a body hunger-starved, consumeth for want of food, in which is shut up a spirit so weak, so overtyred with faintness, that with much difficulty can it send forth so much vital breath, that may show that it liveth, and to this state am I reduced, to this pass am I come, for that I have not nourished my soul with thy food, hence is it that my bones are destroyed, my strength gone, and (the forces, the virtue of my soul, each day more and more consuming through my faults, my trespasses) I am reduced to such an estate, that I am as it were a man who lying on the earth, can hardly be thought either to be alive or dead: and through thus such like weakness, I have so little breath, so little strength, in me, that I fear I cannot open my mouth to comfort me with the bread of health which the hope giveth me which my tears have in thee, I say those tears which my heart poureth forth to make thee fo●…get my transgressions.  
I am become like a Pelican sayest thou by my tongue, & I apprehended it, I understand it right well; for that in enlightening me, and giving me grace, that I may conceive it, thou dost througlie purify my spirit, dost give light & force to such a tenor, to such being, to such an height, that I return, reassume to speak in thy name, in thy person, and hence thus do I speak; I am like a Pelican; I will open my breast with the bill of my merciful will, and in the solitude of the world (which well may be so termed, for that in it, respect had to thee, relation to thee weighed, each one is dead) with my blood will I resuscitate, raise again Nations, the Gentiles, as doth the Pelcan, his young ones, who dead reassume life in the blood of the bird, which hath brought them forth: but even as the Owl in his place of abiding, in his perching place, seeth nothing but darkness, so I in the world shall see no other but obscurity, heavy, gloomy darkness of sin, foggns, mists of pride, and smokes of vanity.  
Yea yet and again thou speakest (my Lord) saying, I awaked, watched, and am become like a solitary sparrow upon the roof of an house: thy word meaning that when others shall esteem thee dead, thou wilt watch, thou wilt awake, which is as much to say that to our seeming, resuscitating, rising again the third day, thou shalt have seemed to have slept, but in the days that thou shalt sleep, imposing end, making completion of thy miraculous works, which thy will hath decreed to expedite, to finish compleatile, with thy works thou shalt even sweat, take heavy pains for the common good, the common safety of all the Universe, of all the world, and breaking, rending a sunder and in pieces, the gates of Hell, with the force of thy pity, thy tender mercy, binding, banishing, and to everlasting fire condemning our old adversary, thou shalt demonstrate in this such like slumber, in this such like sleep, that thou wert attentive, that thou wert always watchful, that thou didst fully watch for the public benefit of thy creatures. And in so doing thou w●…lt resemble a lovely retired solitary sparrow, who after his flight from el●…where, strangerlike, alone, one only, pitcheth himself, allighteth, and remaineth, as in a place of rest, in a house, wherein are many people allodged. I say that thou having disposed, consummated those affairs which thou hast to do on the earth, thou shalt advance thyself, and mount to Heaven, remaining ever after in Paradise with the Angels, and among the souls, as one only God, and one only Saviour of the world: But thou procedest further in my words.  
At all times even they who most especially should remember themselves of the benefits they have received from my largesse from my great bounty, calumniated me, laid to my charge falslly & maliciously crimes, in such sort as if my good works were wicked and those who praised me in my presence, speaking ill of me behind my back, yea tearing me to pieces with their spiteful malicious tongues, conspired against me as if I were not a Saviour, but a Tyrant of their wellbeing, their safety, their salvation; and it shallbe true, Lord that the unfaithful, and they whose hearts are perfidious, and blind at the light of thy miracles, taking in ill part thy wonders, which they cannot infringe, cannot deny (height of the worst of damnable wretches, than whom none exceed) will come, will arise against thee as wol●…es do against a simple & most innocent lamb; having no will to take notice, to remember themselves, to have known the truth of those thy misteryes, in thy presence, which they praised, they extolled; and far otherwise, far from that truth, they made a head, they made a congregation, and sect against thy most just, thy most precious blood, yet shed for them, so that they confess, and penitently acknowledge that they wrongfully injured thy innocence with their envy, their malicious heart burning, which was invented against thee, upon those their false grounds, which one day thou wilt deliver and express thyself.  
For I most humbly did eat ashes, as bread, I mingled my drink with tears, thanking them heartily, yea further enriching them with my favours, whosoever made me hit with the fire of charity, and sprinkled and dropped on me these ashes, and these tears, giving me them to dinner & to supper: The envy and wickedness of the unjust disquieted me, molested me with the injuries of reprehension, rebuke, control, it displeasing them that I should re ceive into my grace sinners, by reason of the virtue of their repentance. And not only will they seek in such manner, by such ill offices, to calumniate me to detract from me, and to forge crimes against me, but they will machinate, work, prepare death to me innocent, for my, innocence. And as sure as aught can have infallibility, this shall follow, shall happen, for that thou sayst it; and for the falseness, the perfidiousness, and height of disloyalty, of the minds of Princes of this people; in their knowing that the preaching, letting be divulged, and declaring thy truth, is the end of destroying wicked custom, which they will bring in practice to thy Church, to deprive the poor of their means, under pretext of great devotion, great zeal to sacrifice their gifts to thee, by charge whereof, their purses emptied, they shallbe open enemies of thy justice, and of thy truth. And for that that will be, that thou willest be, I speak in the person of human kind, who speaketh with the tongue of the first father.  
Through thine anger, and thy disdain, thy wrath, moved in thee, through my sin, which I Adam transcending the bounds of obedience, committed, I was deprived, be●…eft of the principallest state of happiness, of felicity, and beatitude of the blessed yision of all goodness of God: and I was through mine error, my fault, my sin cast down into ruins from a precipice, I was cast headlong down to a miserable state through such my lamentable fall. And so is it that the magnificent advancement, which v●…ithout any merit of mine I received from thy bounty, through fault of my ill and perverse malicious will, and ingratitude hath been my utter and last overthrew and ruin; but thy mercy will not, that the punishment of my trangression, of my gre●…ueous faults (if we will not our se●…ues, provoking thy displeasure, th●…ne anger, by new trespasses) be the loss of the soul, but only of the body, hence may I say, that.  
My days are declined as the Sun, when it goeth down towards the Evening, and they are become even as shadows. And well delivereth he the truth: For if there had not been transgression in our first farther, our days, that is as much to say, our lives, who have our descent from him would have been eternal, and not short, not suddenly passed over as a shadow; whence the sons of men would not live with that care, and with that fear, which they inceslantlie have of their graves, and of death; and I David should not have come under the yoke of time, of years, arid, dry as hay: who before overcome in greenness the Emeralds, and if so it were I should not have to expect the sacrifice of the son of my Lord, nor were I to suffer, to participate of the punishment of this transgression, through which thou hast not only shortened our life, but we are subject, and liable to the scourge of penance and sigthe of death.  
But thou my Lord shalt not fail, nor come to nothing as a shadow, thou shalt never be lessened, thou shalt never be changed, be otherwise then thou art, rather thou shalt be and remain for ever and ever, and even as then thou wert powerful to punish us, so likewise thou shalt without end be powerful to free us, and the memory of thee shall remain from generation, to generation, in all ages and times: nor shall the Heaven ever be beheld, be gazed on, nor Sea, nor Earth, but that each one shall wonder at the power of thy virtue, and for that thou art that merciful God (the memory of whom ought to last together with thy power to all times, and ages) thou will deign to recover us again to receive us graciously, being the works of thy hands, into the bosom of thy mercy, to the end that through all ages, all times, in the hearts of people sustained and made happy therewith the memory of thy goodness, and of thy power, which is infinite, as art thou shall remain, who.  
Rising again shalt have mercy on Zion, although the trespasses of our first father, and of us are infinite; When thou shalt rise again, I am assured, that thou wilt pity, commiserate, and have mercy on Zion, which I figure for human generation, for human ki●…de: and for that at length the time is come to have mercy thereon, let sinners rejoice, who through the coming of thy Son into this world, do rise and come forth, from the place of their sepulchres, through the hand, of the power of thy merits, mercifully conferred on them: Let them rejoice, who will know to suffer the persecution of the wicked. Give them courage my Lord, and comfort them with the hope of arriving to thy kingdom, for that thou hast laid open to them the gates wherebie they may ascend thither, through the virtue of faith, and their endurance, their sufferance, their patience: and well deserve they to be with thee partakers of Paradise, since that Martyrdoms for thy sake are dearly welcome to them.  
I say Lord, that there will arise many Apostles, and servants of thy son resuscitated, risen again, to whom the stonnes of mountains shallbe more pleasing, than the jewels, than the gems of the East: an●… these such (enamoured, altogethe●… taken up, fully possessed, rapt wit●… Marty●…domes, by which meane●… they may have place in thy grace, they may please thee, win thee t●… them, despising sword, stones, gallows, cross, and prisons) will divulge, will preach the truth, dictated, delivered, appointed to be in th●… tongue of the Gospel; and after their passions suffered, and at an end, to exalt thy name, moved through example, which thou our Lord wilt give them, praying for their Crucifiers, they shall have compassion of the countries wherein they suffered: I say that the Martyrs shall be moved to pity, to sensible commiseration of them who do put them to death, do Martyrise them, praying thee that the authors of their pesecutions, be converted, who although they are wicked, were yet not withstan●…ing framed, moulded of the same ●…arth, which were they themselves ●…amed of by thee.  
And for that thou wilt have an ●…mcomprehensible compassion, an ●…credible mercy on human kind, & ●…r that thy most just servants shall ●…ke delight, & singular consolation in Martyrdom, which shall be impo●…ed on them, inflicted on them in thy ●…eruice, Oh blessed truth to appear, ●…o shine in thee with more splendour, ●…nd with much more clear light, ●…nd countenance, then doth the Sun ●…ake show of, when it is even newly ●…sen from the Ocean, the main ●…ea, and through the faithful means ●…f thy preachers, all Nations shall ●…ot only honour thy name, but ●…ey shall tremble at it, and fear it: ●…nd all the kings of the earth, perceiing that their splendour, and geeatnes compared to thine, are far less than the light of the stars, whilst the beams of the Sun enlighten the firmament, with their bright resplendent rays (which imitating thy goodness, with the same bounty, doth shine on the wicked as on the good) shall fear ●…hy glory, more than their subjects, their people shall fear them, under whom they are in obedience, in duty, whom they obey, for that in it, in that thy truth is seated, the height of justice which severely doth execute justice on all their transgressions, which without aught fearing thee, have been heinously and mortally committed, in thy sight, before, or after the knowledge of truth.  
For our Lord hath built Zion in the pure, and sincere hearts of men chosen, elected by the holy Ghost thanks for Zion, thanks for this ne●… speculation, and this new Church there willbe laid open a way, an even path, by which with fewer, readier, shorter steps, Heaven may be arrived to, Paradise acquired: and that this is true, he will be seen in his glory: He shall evidently be seen, in that direful, most dreadful day of doom, of universal judgement, in which will appear as to his glory, how he she wed himself, what he did, what he suffered to redeem us, it will be then seen, how he died for us, how he died that we might ●…ue and not dye; it will be also shown, that if it depend not on our obstinacy, as to his glory, the Devil shallbe overcome, and tied up in his proper chains, for that the mercy of redemption, aught to extend itself to the saving of us all, and so ought to be and is of such nature, for that he loveth us each one eqnally; and if so that yet not withstanding the desert of our wicked wretched trespasses transgressions, grievous sins, shall condemn us to the pit of Hell, yea even that is agreeable, & conformable to his glory; for herein shall his power be demonstrated, clearly shown, to all and each one of those who would, that so far as concern them his blood should be lost, be of no worth, spi●…t in vain, and remaining always in perfidiousness, in perverseness, in wretchedness, are never consoled, comforted with lively hope of saving themselves: hence is it that God doth never turn the such eye of his mercy, with which he looketh on them who are humble.  
He hath respected the prayers of the humble; and so hath he done, for that the irrecoverable cause of loss, is not the burden, the weight, the grievousness, nor the number of sins: but the danger is placed, hath his being and seat, in the hardness of mind, hardness of heart, in that iniquity, that wretchedness of not being of good will to be converted, and to remain in such pride, as not to have recourse to God: from hence ariseth it, that they who live in such like obstinacy, are necessarily damned, for they lying down, wallowing in the dreggs, the mire of sin, without ever turning themselves either with heart, eyes, or works to God, it is all to nothing, it is impossible to be otherwise, than that they die in God's disgrace, as perfidious wretches, and enemies of their own safety, and of their souls. But they who look not on the weight, the burden, nor on the number of their trespasses, but rather rectify, and turn aright their minds, to his immense and inexhaustible mercy, imploring humbly craving pardon of their transgressions committed against him; procure unto themselues, through tears & through penitent hearts-grief, that God neither will nor can refuse them, deny them the grace of his mercy, and be their sins as heavy burthesome, great as imagination can conceive, as much, & as fully, as far as can be passibly, he hath not only not despi●…ed their prayers, though coming from sinners voices, but not hiding his face from them, hath given full hearing, full audience to them, and favourably he heareth them, he inclineth his gracious attentive ear, as he doth to the benedictions, and praises, which those who are perfect in heart, and spirit give to his blessed name. And such bounty of God shallbe known to such an one, who shallbe worthy to know it.  
These delivered shall be written in another generation, hereafter, for the jews, through their most wicked and perfidious pertinacy, obstinacy, shall know them; as the day is discovered by the Moles, and the Sun by the owls; and the wilfully blind not seeing the lights of the new Testament, shall not receive the truth preached by the word, the Son, to the justice of the first, shall God's mercy assist: nor hence can it be otherwise, but that by the Jews he suffer death, whence the knowledge of this new law is taken away from them. But the Gentiles which shall be certainly thine, faithfully thine, on whom shall be transferred, translated, turned over, this thy truth, will praise thee their Lord, receiving each part, each parcel of it, & observing it, as the laws of divine mercy ought to be observed, which will never despise the prayers of what sinner soever, who is contrite, & humbled, even as a people (so far as concerns the light of truth) new he created, who heretofore were possessed, altogether in belief of false Gods; hence they will give praise and thanks to thee Lord, for that thou hast been to them bountiful of those thy graces, through which thy bounty man is made secure from death, and from Hell; and all this will come to pass, willbe in its time; for that God hath vouchsafed to look on them.  
For our Lord hath looked downward from on high, for that he hath looked from Heaven on Earth, ou●… souls are made inhabitants, Citizens of his kingdom; and this gift hath his goodness bestowed on us, wh●… looking on the world forseeth th●… eternal danger on us the works o●… his hands, & for that he reguardet●… those his works, loveth them with that affection, with which God loveth him, who always loved him, moved tenderly to pity, commiseration of human kind, made his Son man, and dying as man, taking man out of the deeps, hath received him in the bosom of his great mercy. But I fear, I tremble, to think on what will become of us, if God did not look on us, from his residence on high; if he did not seriously affix his eyes on the necessities of human kind; or if he looked on us with less affection, than he hath heretofore done, woe! yea woe indeed to our souls, nothing but los●…e & utter perdition, for that would have been another grief, and torment, another inexpressible-lamentable calamity which Hell would have made for them, than is that which time worketh, and the bringing to nothing these tresses, this flesh and bones. But in considering what thou hast done from Heaven on Earth, thou compleatlie finishedst, gavest full effect to that which thou thoughtest on, decreedst on the day in which thou createdst the world; and the miserable lamentations of human kind (who seemed with loud voices, to call out upon thy Son to their help) as it were, enforced thee.  
The hearing of the pitiful moans of bondmen, occasioned in thee, caused in thee, bred in thee the effect, the issue of thy most sublime, and most profound care, hence thou vouch●…afedst to send thy son for our Redemption. O my good and gracious Lord, it being that all things that ever shallbe, are present to thee, thou didst hear the wail, the moans, the compassionable outcries and tears of Limbus, which showered like a tempest from their eyes, who confined in darkness, were favoured, assisted by the goodness of their works; which they had done in their life's time, and deserving pardon for the trespasses, made by Eve's husband, by Adam, thou determinest, thou decreest, that they should taste of the fruit of ●…hy mercy, as the sons of them who were dead, likewise have tasted: I mean Christians, whose ancestors died before that atonement v●…as made, & fully established between God and man, who lived in thy disfavour, in thy disgrace, through the sin of him, who was the first who disobeyed thee; and were it not that thou didst humble thyself, to incarnate thy divinity with thy humanity, neither from Limbus, nor from Hell, were they to be untied, nor ever were they to be freed, discharged, no not thy friends, nor the sons of them that have not known Christ.  
Thou shalt illuminate with thy grace, the sons of them, who are dead without thy light▪ to the end that they declare in Zion, the name of thee our Lord, and thy praises in Jerusalem, undoubtedly these self same will preach thy name, to the bene●…it, to the safety of souls: for that from fruit of preaching succeedeth praise and to God's glory the conversion of Nations, and to Jerusalem and Zion peace, and the speculation, the contemplation shall bring joy & singular hearts-comfort, (true faith obtained) the true, & most perspicuous light of truth, by means of the servants, and friends of Christ, & then shall the world triumph, in its perfect joy, for that God shallbe accorded, God shall have made atonement with man, in testimony whereof, he shall forget the disobedience of him that was expelled, banished, from terrestrial Paradise, for having valued an apple at an higher rate than God's commandment.  
But when so the name of our Lord, shallbe preached through all the world, congregating and gathering together contemplation, speculation, and peace in one, both kings & people, to the end they may serve God, the Christ Turrian Church, into which shall be collected, assembled, the people as also Kings.  
Maketh this answer to God, who in the way of his goodness, his virtue called it his spouse, it pleased him to see it held in reverence, much honoured by the selected number of the good. Show me the length of my days, sincel perceive, I clearly see my accrease, advancement, and glory, Kings and people coming to me, for no other end but to serve thee. And so much doth it say always, beholding its greatness, as if it had before it all Heretics, all Antichristians, & all false Apostles, who will come to molest it, to displease it, to wrong it, to trespass against it, with the malicious perverseness of their devilish doctrines, with the power and might of their abominably wretched works, and with the deceit of a feigned goodness: And thus earnestly encited, provoked with a sensible fear, converting itself to thee with all its fervour possibly, yet again thus proceedeth.  
Let not thy goodness call me away in the midst of my days: Lord thy days, thy years, thy time shall out last all generations, and shall transcend all ages; but I who perceive dangers to be hanging over me, which tongues, ill example, and wretched minds of wicked Christians, will attempt to make me headlonglie fall into, am in great fear lest I become les●…ened, and fail in the midst of my days, as do the lambs of a flock decrease in number, trhough the rot. For it seemeth to me, already to be governed, by the rod of some pastors, much more greedy, desirous of my blood, & of the blood of my flock, then will they be, of my firmness, my strength, my constancy, and their safety, their salvation hence trembling not without reason, not without great cause, I humbly crave that thou let not me become less, fail in the fairest bloom yea flower of my youth, and remember, reflect hereon, that I am thine handmaid, and thy spouse: hence is there no reason that I fail to flourish. Grant unto me that I may live ever joined to thee (who shalt ever be, always live) at least as long as the world and human generation lasteth: and that shall so be, if so thou from age to age, from nation to nation maintain me in the hearts, & in the union of kings and people.  
Thou Lord in the beginning didst make the Earth, and the Heavens are works of thy hands: and in the labours of such operations, of such works thou show'dst thy power, thy glory, & thy eternity; & so didst thou to the end that we might live here below, until that our works might deserve there above their reward: so boundless is the love, that thou who art the maket of all things dost bear to us, who setting aside the privilege which we have of being of thy making, we are even as things of nothing. Thou my Lord God mad'st the Sun, the Moon & the Stars, with other Heavenly works of thy everlasting hands, and all for us, for our souls to speculate on, to look on, to contemplate, whose souls free in their election, in their choice, are able, if willing, to be accepted of, admitted, and to be received in the College, in the fellowship of Angels in the order, in the state, and rank of Archangels, in the number of Cherubins, in the choir of Seraphins, and in the society of all the military troops of Heaven, treading under our feet the Celestial signs & Planets, which shall have an end, if so it shall please thee.  
They shall perish, but thou shalt always be, thou shalt always remain, and they shallbe consumed, come to nothing like garments. It is true Lord, that what participateth not in condition, in quality and substance of thy eternity, shall become fume, shall resolve itself into smoke, shall come even to nothing: but those things which have measure, have quantity, and substance from thee, shall remain entire: for that thou only art eternal, and the Heaven's participaters of thy virtue, shall remain, together with all other things that thy omnipotency please remain, as our souls, which thou createdst, for (if that they through themselves be not deficient) they eternally dwell with thee. But each other thing shall decline, be worse and worse, even as daily worn clothes, are become at length through continual wearing, nought worth, altogether worn out, consuming, as do all terrestrial things. And in this second death wherewith time, armed with years, beateth down and maketh an end of all things, thy power and eternity is demonstrated, is clearly shown, which can do what it will, hence if it please thee, thou wilt likewise change the Heavens.  
So that it please thee, if thou wilt, thou shalt remove the heavens out of such their now place, and thou shalt change them as a garment: for the same power thou hast on the world, thou hast on the Heavens: thou hast made them and thou canst destroy them, thou canst pull them all to pieces, unjoint them, remove them from their proper spheres, and in a moment thou canst make other axeltrees, new Poles, and other lights, other sun's, other Stars, & other Moons, and the Heavens with its lights shallbe subject to change, and increase of number if it so be thy will. But thou art always the same without being under any other power but thine own selfsame, and thy years will not fail, for time hath nothing to do with them, they are not subjects to time; hence they shall always have being, they shall never have end nor though there pa●…e, it importeth not how many lustres, how many ages, how many hundred years; to thee the account, is even of one day, is not diminished, is not wanting: for thou art he, who is author of the self same Eternity, which ought necessarily, must be with thee always in its proper state, in its proper power.  
And for that thy pity, commiseration, thy mercy is infinite, answerable to the affection, to the great love, thou bearest unto us; the offsprings, the sons of thy servant shall live and inhabit with this thy eternity, and the generation of them shall ever remain, be conserved for ever; and from hence thy graces, occasion that thy mercy dilate, extend itself to just men, and to such persons who will employ all their time and labours in obeying thee, both fearing thee, and loving thee: from whence the good souls, always remaining shall have more felicity than the Heavens themselves, which thou peradventure wilt make a new, but these shall always live with thee, and this hath not only been largesse of thy bounty to thy servants, but also to their children's children, for ever, if so be by their default they fail not to make election at all, to live well.  
The end of the fifth Psalm.   

THE six PROLOGUE.  
AFTER David had uttered the aforesaid prayer, the last sound of his voice, of his harmonious tunes, made a murmuring, a like to what is heard in the Heavens, and in the air, when it beginneth to thunder: and falling of, breaking of by a seeming stealth by little and little, as it were insensensibly, no otherwise then doth the last inclining, lowly and covert sound, in the silent murmur of instruments of music, whenas the skilful art of the Musitiàn leaveth to touch them; the penitent King received into his soul an unusual consolation, an unspeakable comfort, which denoted to him, gave him so clear understanding, as that he found in himself an infallible, and most undoubted certainty, that God had opened his ears to his prayers, and received him by them, with that clemency, wherewith the prayers of his true and faithful servants find entertainment. But not withstanding it not seeming apparently unto him that his penitency was yet arrived to the completion and period of the remission of his sins, not abstracting a jott, not turning of his mind a whitt, from serious, and most attentive contemplation, consideration of the mercy of God, he was astonished, and in deep suspense, re●…apitulating in his mind, taking into his thoughts again casting up again the accounts of his first life, how formerly he had lived, and thinking within himself, of his good and just enlightening thoughts, which moved him to give credit, to the wholesome and sound Counsels and threats of Nathan: for from hence came it that he entombed, interred alive, enclosed within the horrid darkness of the Cave, deploring his grievous transgressions with such like affect and fervency, which God requireth at the hands of a siuner; having been all time taken up with such pleasures which the world willingly giveth us; for that we love it, as we ought to love Heaven; yet reposing some what his right hand on his beard, and his forefinger overth wart his lips, he well knowing, being most ascertained, that only breathing forth, yea pathetically singing hymns of his penitency, could set him again in state of well being, in the grace of God returned to him with his heart, with his face lifted up, with the countenance of a penitent, with words well and harmoniously delivered strait utered these.   

THE six PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  De profundis clamavi ad te. Psalm 129. 
FROM the deeps I have called out to thee my Lord; o Lord my Lord favourably hear my prayers: for now I beseech thee, as I have many times ●…arnestly implored thee, and this my petition, my supplication, my humble prayers, which I ofter at thy feet, arise from the depth of my heinous transgressions, and for that they have as it were over cast, over whelmed, yea even buried my soul in the bottomless pit of Hell, I come to thee, alas! I have recourse to thee, with a voice rendering forth words, drawn, sent from the bottom of my heart, and framed in the bottom of this Cave, this dungeon, only to move thy mercies, pardon unto me, for all the sins I have miserably and wretchedly trespassed in, which I have humbly acknowledged from the hour, from the moment of my reassuming myself, even to this very instant. In such sort that my prayer may be registered in the book where are recorded the transgressions forgiven to them who know to sin, and who knew to repent themselves, who having sinned, yet ran the course to recover themselves by repentance.  
Let thy ears be attentive to the voice of my supplica●…ions, for there is no centre so discost, so far of, so deep, which controls thy hearing of them, who invoke thee, call upon thee for help, for aid from their hearts. The words my Lord framed by them who have some diffidence, doubt, mistrust in thy grace, are not blown away by wind, or dissolved into wind through the distance which is from thy height, to our low, & deep places, it is far otherwise, for thou hearest them in such sort, as if they who send them up to thee were at hand, present: and so being it, that we are in thy sight, in thy presence, through the infiniteness of thy bounty, although we are most unworthy to be nigh thee, thou dost save us. And therefore good God hear me attentively, who call on thee with my heart, whilst also I wail, I moan, I weep in this obscure and dark Cave: Hear me with such favourable audience, as thou didst hearken and lend thine ear to jonas, who from the bottom of the Whale's belly, called on thee his Lord, earnestly, fervently, and with a truly contrite heart; O than my Lord let me also be heard, favourably hear me, yea and hear me in such manner, that hearing me thou grant me my requests, my humble petitions; for o my Lord now it is long sithence that I have with my prayers invocated thee, called unto thee, with a loud and earnest voice: and though so it be, that thou art in the height of thy glory, and 〈◊〉 in the Centre of my sin, let it please thee, deign that thy ears hear me compassionately, to whose ears it is even harmony to hear their prayer who in this life pray with their hearts, as is delectably sweet in that other life, other state and being, the hearing the lauds, the thanks, which the Angel's tune to thee, and melodiously send forth, with exalted voices.  
But if so that thou shalt take strict notice of iniquities, of trespasses Lord, o my Lord, who soiled with them, who so burdened, shall be able to sustain thee; who such can look on thee? not any such undoubtedly will there be who can support thy justice, if thou dost not forget, lay aside the taking notice of the sins of such: for that there is not any so just, nor so perfect in this horrible sea of tribulation, who can (if so be it thou dost adiuge him, with the severity, the rigour of thy justice only) sustain, bear the burden (although he do cover himself, defend himself, under the buckler of the vert●…e of heart & fortitude of mind) of his trespasses, for on the head of him that transgresseth thou dost inflict thy terrible punishments, thy horrible scourges. But for that thou hast made thy mercy companion of thy ju●…ice, and for that each of them is infinite, I being not able to have access, re●…ourse to thee, by means of this, make me worthy that I may arrive to thee by means of the other. Truly there is not any who through his own deserts, and through his innocence, being in such state of sin, could susta●…ne, undergo thy judgement, if so that on such an one, thou hadst put in practice▪ in execution thy justice only: But because thou knowest Lord what, and of what quality, what condition, is human frailty of, thou hast ma●…e us know thy mercy, hence are we confident, hence are we appeased, hence rest we sure in it, thanks be to it through thee.  
For with thee is mercy, for thy law have I sustained thee: I say in demonstration how much, yea and what is the mercy of thy gracious commiserating goodness, thou shalt send down thy Son into the world, whence I who through thy grace and virtue know this new law, and this new order, this new disposition of things, whereby each one who will may be saved in thy decreed mercy, have in sustaining, supporting placed my hopes in thee, and I am not confounded, I am not in despair, but if thou so wert not pleased, that I know to recount the goodness of thy grace, which thou hast given me, as also that thou wilt not pardon every one, but yet wilt send thy Son to dye for the salvation of sinners, I should not have been this present day to be confounded and to despair of myself, only thincking on the demerit of my most greivious transgressions.  
My soul hath sustained itself in thy word, my mind hath hoped in our Lord through the stable hope, which I have had in God, my soul is held up, lifted up, maintained in thy word, which hath dictated, which hath spoken that which thou hast willed I should speak of, and concerning Christ, who will not only come to preach his mercy to them, who hope in it, but he will likewise teach it to him, who after him hath Commission, command, and is bound to make it known in his name as I deliver it clear, who am all consolated in the hope which I have always had in thy mercy: and it seemeth to me that I have done much having sustained on myself the burden of these my such so great transgressions: but I should not have been able to undergo so much had not my soul hoped in its Lord, and had it been bend, employed, working in so fervent a penitency, which with thee is of some merit, which thou so prisest, thanks be to thy goodness; thy grace, which enlargest it with, to the end it deserve; but I hence forward will yet further bring forth fruit worthy of penitency, not only repent me to have been a trespasser, to have been wretched.  
From the morning watch until night let Israël hope in our Lord: for that God is fully merciful, and for that he loveth us so much from the beginning, to the end of our life, let the elected people, that is, those who seek for their health, their safety, their salvation in God, hope in our Lord, who from the instant that a man is borne, until the instant of his death, is always merciful; nor supporteth he that the sinner sheed in vain any of the tears proceeding from his repentance, nor any of the words of his prayers; no, no; for they are safely laid up in the Exchequer, where are carefully conserved, surely kept, the treasures heaped up, laid up in store in Heaven, to adorn with sempiternal, with everlasting magnificence and glory the souls of the elected. And let not the good only hope, and sinners in God always, and at all times of their lives, but let them hope, watching evermore on their safety, their salvation: even as a servant doth in the watch which his master hath appointed him to, who not for that he began to execute his charge, but for the having fully discharged, what he was appointed to do, to the very time that he called him from it, atcheiveth, winneth the reward prepared, appointed for him.  
For that in our Lord is mercy and most copious, most fully abundant redemption, I have always hoped in him, & I have evermore confided, put my sure and most undoubted trust, in my castigation, in my reclaim, in my amendment, and in the health, in the salvation which the coming of his Son shall bring to us. And for that I without all uncertainty know, that I shall make atonement with him, (notwithstanding I was masked under the disguise, the weed of sin, which had so estranged me, that I underwent imminent danger, to have never reassumed myself, never reacknowledged myself) I will rejoice in the height, in the depth of my pensivenesie, of my grievous heaviness, and whilst that I shall endeavour, heartily labour to praise my Lord, and to render thanks to my Lord always imploring pardon, peace, and tranquillity, thy ordinances o God, thy decrees will hasten to give happy dispatch to the safety of Israël, which trustethin thee our Lord, fulfilling, accomplishing thy truth as I by my voice have delivered.  
Let the elect confide in our Lord, and this our merciful and gracious Lord will redeem Israël, will free Israël from all its transgressions; and sending into the world his only begotten Son, all the trespasses, all the heinous sins of mankind shallbe bought out, be redeemed, by his most precious blood: and through the merit of it, we shall not only reap the fruit, the great benefit of having our old sins forgiven us, but in like manner all our offences which by us hawe been possibly able to be trespassed in, in his sight, who will always be indulgent, favourable, clear in aspect, to any one who shall endeavour to behold with a pure mind, and a fervent will of a contrite heart, the peaceable mild and rarely favourable cast of his admired and dreadful countenance; from whose eyebries, rays, beams are cast, are sent forth of that glory, which his mercy dispenseth to any who desireth to glorify himsel●…e in him.  
The end of the sixth Psalm.   

THE SEAVENTH PROLOGUE.  
IF so be that at any time the petitions, the humble supplications, the most fervent importuning prayers of his servants were acceptable, pleasing, grateful to God, then were these of David, who pulled up them by the roots, from the bottom of his heart, no otherwise then doth the wind root out, grub up, from the Earth's deeps, the roots of t●…es, which it by the great force, the vi●…ce of it's tepestuous motion, throweth down. And well made he show of it, in him it was e●…idently seen, that his prayers had favour able hearing, and were pleasing to God, for having opened his benign, merciful, and most commi●…erating ears to his heartiest wishes, he struck him with such an inexpressible joy in an instant, spr●…g and framed in his heart (he being in a kind of an exta●…ie, not knowing how so) that he seemed a man whose mind hath apprehended some what, such as he cannot express, give a denomination to, declare what it is, which not with ●…anding proceedeth so far that it marvailously taketh him, extremely possessed by ●…ght of hearts-ioy, yea, and to overjoy 〈◊〉 such like as are they, who are ascended to the height, to the complete fullness of Beatitude, which they desired. And in this his sudden surprise of hearts sala●…e, hearts inexpressible comfort, his spirit attentive, nay fixed on divine ●…ontemplations, he saw as it were in a vision the word of God to come down from Heaven, and to proceed from the mouth of the Angel incarnating itself in the blessed Virgin, he saw Christ borne, he saw him adored by the Magj. The three Kings, he saw him dispute in the Temple, he saw him fly with his Mother into Egypt, he saw him baptised in jordan, he saw him with his Apostles, he saw him h●…ale the ●…ick, raise the dead, and cast out Dewills', and traunced, extased in a Prophetical vision, he saw him anointed by Magdalen, saw him at his last supper w●…h his Disciples, saw him pray in the garde●…; saw him betrayed, saw him scourged, saw him crowned with thorns, saw him adjuged to death, saw him nailed on the Cross; and in seeing him break the gates of Limbus, he was taken, and fully possessed with that joy, that unspeakabls hearts-comfort, which he was to feel a s●…oone as Christ should redeem him out of the darkness together with his ancestors, his forefathers; and he being sanctified in his merits, he saw him rise again, and in seeing him ascend to Heaven, and to sit at the right hand of his father, anew break forth into these words.   

THE SEAVENTH PSALM OF THE PENITENCY OF DAVID.  Domine exaudi orationem meam, auribus. etc. Psalm 142. 
LORD, favourably hear my suppliant petitions, my humble prayer; stitre up thyself, awaken, be thou moved to look with the gracious eyes of thy mercy on my heart's sincere repentance, which through the desert of prayers, which is tendered unto thee, is not unworthy of thy gracious and favourable audience, thy truth and thy justice well weighed: not according to the truth & justice of thy Laws, which condemn, and inflict sharp punishments suddenly on sin, according to the quality, the greatness, the heinousness of the demerit; but according to thy truth and ●…ustice, with which is joined that thy mercy, which is absolutely and ●…olely in thee, for thou being the author of the Law, thou only through the height of thy boun●…ie ca●…st forgive the transgressors, acquit them of it. There are many valued by thee just, who are accounted by the judges of the world delinquents: but the contrary seemeth to be in me, for by the people I am deemed just, and in thy sight I know myself so burdened with tresp●…sses, that until I perceive thou hast forg●…en me, acquitted me of them, I will never dry mine eyes, they shall always weep, and I will never close up my month, I will always call on thee, and I will never be at repose of heart, which imploreth its Lord, that he.  
Enter not into judgement on his servant for to take notice of each fault, trespas●…e on a servant, is not a work worthy of a master, and to take animadversion, strict accoun●…e of each our trip, our stumblings, would be to make us all despair: for if thou weigh the multitude of the fault we commit, the weight of them would be such, that nothing would be found so bur●…nsome; hence we should be all lost: and therefore, forg●…t patcell of our trespasses, let them not be brought, and laid open before the Tribunal of thy most just judgement, for that all those who hold themselves just, in the other life when all human generation shall be judged, thy shall not be justified by thee.  
Enlarge me, be bountiful unto me, and make me worthy of the gu●…fts of thy grace whereof by thy goodness, and thy bounty, every man is made worthy who offereth the pureness, and innocence of his soul, by t●…e means of a contrite hea●…t, so shalt thou our God as it were substitute thy goodness to my correction, in regard that it maketh for my salvation and thy glory: Nor for this cause shall thy justice be impaired or lessened, which were it not in so g●…eat a Majesty (so great is the presumption of mankind) that they would receive as from a firm deed, that the infinite benefits which they received of thee were due to them by obligation: whence it would follow that there were no way, whereby those that are wicked, might come to amendment of themselves, to correct themselves, and those who are incorrigible, who never willbe good, but are perverse and refractory (who living have not believed in thee) shall in nothing be dif●…erent from the good, and those who have recovered goodness; for as much as works are not paid according to deserts: & herein it is necessary that thy justice fail not, but whilst we are in this life, which is the place of our race, which we must run over to come to thee, for this cause ought we each one (the reward being certain and eternal, extending itself, beyond the bonds of sin) always to determime time, to abtaine the set down price, which is not allotted to one only, but to all those who shall come the goal, to the bounds of the race. Let damnation fall on them, who have depised so great a gain, so great a reward, which thou h●…st published to be run for, and to be rewarded, though yet for their so small, so slender desert, when the time cometh of each one's receiving r●…ward, they do not only find themselves farre●… of from receiving aught of valuation, aught of price, aught of reward: but evidently they perceive that they have ●…rayed, yea, that they are altogether out of their way, and hence so it happeneth, for that they pursued less worthy ends, and lesie honourable.  
O Lord and my God, the effects, the fruits of sin, have reduced me, have plunged me in obscurity, in dark places, even as are they who are dead for time and ages. My sin Lord hath seated me in darkness, for there is no greater obscurity, then that which is interposed betw●…ene the way of good, and the eye of our perceivance. Hence strayed we, and lost the light which directeth us, showeth us the way, the means to come to our true end. And certain it is, that a ma●… blinded in the night, the obscurity, the darkness of sin; parteth not yet from day, from light of virtue, and truth, but having contracted custom and habit in the clouds, the mists, and fogs of vice, he is best and only pleased, with them: and only hateth the Son, the light, which ariseth from the bosom of virtue and living well; on which if I had contemplated, my spirit had never proved anxious, full of grievous care, and my heart would never have so much, (alas!) for me been troubled, contribulated. Truly if I had opened mine eyes to the light of truth, ●…hutting them from the obscurities, the darkenesses of falseness, of lies: contribulations, and those anxious, rising & taking ground from fear of damnation had not moved my spirit to reflect on itself: From whence my heart, my soul which seeth in me nothing else but sin, would not be so conturbated, so much out of frame, by reason of the contemplation, of the thought of the misery of its sins.  
I have reflected on other past and former times, and recording them, remembering myself of them, I have thought of the felicity in which thy largesse, thine infinite bounty stated our first Father: and likewise shall I weigh how he was punished by thee for the transgression of thy Commandment, not only that he should dye, but also that living, he should sweat, fear, be a cold, be hungry, bashful, and should have all other such like passions, with which each man is borne through sin, drawing on himself such thy disdain. And further meditating on all thy works which give unto us health, conserve our lives, save our souls, hear favourably our prayers and make us worthy of thy grace, and ruminating also, on, the day, night, moon, stars, sun, water, air, fire, Heavens, deeps, mountains, vall●…ys, plains, woods, birds, brute beasts, on the hot, the cold, the temperate season, the winds, the hail, the snow, the Clouds, rain, and on all that which is apparent, besides what is under the fantasy, and human imagination: and knowing that such admirable mysteries are works of thy hands, to the end only that our soul, (to which thou bearest an immense and unspeakable love, for that it is made to thy likeness) may enjoy thy Paradise, and among thy Angels; in this knowledge I have lamented the infelicity the ●…nhappines into which my sin hath brought me: and each day fearing the sword of thy justice, which hangeth over my head, it was doubtful, that I had not been ruinated, and utterly overthrown in despair; but the sin, the steadfast hope of my safety, which my desert leadeth me to, my desert through my most profound, my most deeply conceived grief, which I have for that sin, which first drew me from thee, teacheth me to implore mercy at thy hands.  
I have unfolded my hands to thee, and in such manner, and in such carriage, in such act I have demonstrated, the lowliness of my heart, and the disposition, the inclination of my mind, & in so doing, I have made appear that I was unlike to brute beasts, who have their hearts fixed on the earth, without any spirit or spark of rea●…on: and in such remorse of its se fe●…l have opened the mouth of it, cra●…g of thee, calling unto thee, imploring remission of my transgressions, and to show unto thee, that I only desire, and nothing so much as to be returned into thy favour, into thy grace; behold here my Lord, that even now newly and again, I do beseech thee, with mine arms extended, and with m●… tongue, and wi●…h my lowly humble mind, that thou please to shower, pour down on me thy grace, and mercy: for my soul is even, yea and no otherwise then a●…d, dry earth, without water, in thy presence; water me I say, shower on me, cast on me thy grace, which if so thou do, I shall bring forth to my salvation most plentifully and abundantly fruit, as doth the earth replenished with its moisture, when the heavens in its due season power on it rain, whence April all jocund, all delightfully pleasant, taketh pleasure, singular content to see its meadows, & its gardens, which by means of the waters, bring afterwards forth roses and flowers, and likewise fruits of all kinds.  
Hear me favourably, yea and speedily, my Lord, and let fall upon me the irrigations, the waterings of thy grace, for I am prepared to receive them in my soul; and that hence only for that the intention of my extreme bad will is now changed, is not now wretchedly bend and malign, desire teacheth me no more, she weth me no more to fly into the bosom of vice; it flieth its enticements, even as sense flieth reason, and the body the scourge; hence mayst thou shower on me thy divine grace; for I shall receive it in my soul with that proper and ever seen greediness, that dry and barren land, and the a●…d, and parched sands, receive, drink up, & bless the showers of rain, which fall from Heaven in the mid●…t of summer; and the fruit, which the land promiseth thus enabled, thus notably supplied by the waters which have been very singular helps, and welcome guests to their welfare, slaking, yea satisfying their thirsts, doth my penitence promise to thee, Lord, so let it be that thy grace which I so much call out for, and with a loud voice, abundantly fall on me, for with earnestness and fullness of sincerity I crave it, I implore it.  
Hide not thy face from me, deprive me not of thy gracious aspect, although I am unworthy to contemplate it, to be such a favourite of thy benignity; for if so that I perceive myself to be bereaved thereof, I should then clean lose myself, I should then be out of my wits, I should not know what to judge aright, even as a Pilot, whom the impetuous, furious and outrageous winds have bereaved of help, and all judgement; and I should become like to those who go down into the Lakes. Truly Lord, if I should once take notice that I were banished from thy sight, I should be drowned in desperation, and so my wickedness, my abomination by which I am insulted on as the Mariner by tempests, and fearful and terrible waters:, in whose furious merciless depths, he is always, yea, even ready to be swalloved up. So that I humbly beseech thee withdraw not, retire not, no way hi●…e thy face, thy gracious aspect from me, in which is seated the hope, the help, and the beatitude, that blessing, and the inexpressible joy of each one who good is: to the end that I fall not miserable into the profound deep●… Centre, bottomless pit, horrid ●…ulfe of despair. I am sure that though my sin, through its heinousness hath passed the bounds of any remission, yet is God inclinable, disposed, ready to pardon me, for that I have learned, yea I know how to implore him for mercy: farther I am undoubtedly ascertained, that he will never slake, never defer, put of the forgiving of any, who is not sluggish to crave, who loytereth not to repent himself: for his clemency hath such power, that it can in one moment, in one instant, cancel the sins of many long run years.  
In this, even now in this present morning, let me know the nobility, dignity, exce●…lencie of thy mercy, and remitting all my grievous offences, show unto my repentance, & to my hearts sorrow, that it availeth any one, to have hoped in thee, to have put trust in thee: but if so that thou hear me not favourably, graciously, what example would they pattern by, who think, resolve to return into thy grace, through means of punishing themselves, for their former wickedness, girding themselves with sackcloth, so cloated? Pardon me o my Lord, my God, and retard not, delay not, prorogue not. For besides that the weak body is inclined to sin, as fire to burn flax, or whatsoever that fully dry is, as tinder and the rest, the danger, the (alas) great hazard of despair, which attempteth to drown me in its lake, is as thou seest, well knowest yet imminent, hanging yea yet over me, and unhappy for me, if thou do not direct my feet by the said ways.  
Instruct me in the way, draw its lines for me demonstrativelie, by which I am to walk, since I have elevated, lifted up my soul unto thee, my way ought to be charity, simplicity, sincerity, piety, goodness, truth, poverty and faith: and when so thou shalt have remitted my former transgressions, teach me from thence forward how, and in what manner I may restrain myself, courbe myself, keep myself from offending thee, and sustain, be a sustentacle, strength, and a column to my soul elevated raised up in thy service, not now at all valuing vain pleasures, which usually entice, entangle yea enthrall the body, and forsomuch as it is now fully solicitous, tenderly vigilant in obeying thee, confirm it, enable it, sprinkle it, yea power out on it, thy favonr: that so assisted, yea strengthened, in it's upright and just carriage, in it's well doing, vice enter not, nay come not nigh it, but that it seeing itself in hope of its salvation, it be far more contented than it was in the overweening delights of its damnation, that it may fly from them, even as the will to sin hath left me, is extinguished in me, fled from me, as also all the affections which I have borne to the disports of sin, which gave me up a prey to its associates, and my enemies, from whose hands free me o Lord.  
Discharge me of mine enemies, free me from them, my Lord my God, for that I who heretofore estranged myself, alienated myself, went far from thee, flying from thee until this present, through their allurements I who conjured, conspired against my safety, my salvation, am now, o now my Lord altogether returned to thee, and from thee do I expect my joy, my heart's gladness, and in thee solely, and only do I hope, confessing my sin, and my ingratitude; and therefore free from the hands of the wicked, & wretched adversaries David, thy servant: and when so that thou shalt have endowed me with so much ability, so much fortitude, that I may be able to defend myself from their assaults, yet farther teach me to do thy will, to alleternitie, instruct me to obey thee, to fear thee, to serve thee, for thou art my Maker and my God. And for that thou hast created me, conserve me in the obedience of thy will, & make me such, that I may withdraw myself from the society, company of my enemies, who grieve for that I persever not in working iniquity conformable to their malign, most malicious, and wretched desires, whose perfidiousness, made me lay ●…side yea forget my obligations, my duty to thee, and as if there were ●…ot a ●…oule in me, they enticed me to place all my care in giving ease, in giving pleasure to my body, (which being of earthly mould, aught to be despised as dust) striving by all means to procure an eternal habitation for an immortal soul.  
Thy good spirit, shall conduct me into the right land: for thy name sake Lord, thou shalt revive me, make me live again, in thy equity in thy justice, thy uprightness, since that the perverse spirit, a while since, which had drawn meto the depths of Hell, is passed of, is gone, is no more to be found: the pure and perfect spirit of God shall give unto me, allot me a place, a degree in the congregation, in the company of the just, and shall exalt me, advance me in the regions of the living; and in such manner, through thy bountiful goodness, not for any upright office of mine, thou shalt raise me, make me live though I be a sinner, which is not to be enstyled other than a proper justice, annexed with the clemency of the same divinity, and for that even now I am extinguished, put out, through such desert of my grievous transgressions, reduce me into grace, enlighten me with thy grace through thy mercy: & in ●…o doing, it will be even a rendering me that life which sin hath bereaved me of, which so often killeth the soul, as often, as it trusting to it, gives it way, power, and po●…ession of itself. And to be willing to raise it again, it is necessary that my contrition employ itself, by means of equity, wherewith thy most benign and clement mind, without prejudicating, forejudging, the reasons the grounds of justice dost forg●…ue us, and return us again to life.  
Thou shalt deliver my sonle out of tribulation, anguish, grief, affliction, and in thy mercy thou shalt disperse mine enemies. When so thou shalt have restored me again in state of thy grace, Lord, o my Lord deliver my soul from those heart-greifes, and from the passions where with the sting of conscience doth quell it, subdue it, utterly overthroweth it at all hours, at all times; for there is no heavy burdensome grief, which may be compared in any proportion, can any ways, yea even seem to arrive to the height of that inexpressible sorrow, alas! deeply and inly conceived, meditating, ruminating fully of the loss of so inestimable a jewel, of that excellently sublime, that incomp●…ehensible, and perpetual felicity, and for what? for his demerit, his just desert, contracted on himself, for which they are punished with the miserable depths of Hell and damnation. But yet look on again, Ah! behold here whilst we live in this world, we are reconsoled, we take courage again, so soon as we do but even so much as reflect on thy illimited, thy boundlesse mercy and goodness, into whose arms my repentance hath cast me, for which, thou shalt disperse, cast of from me, & acquit me of all my transgressions through thy clemency: even as winter shall let fall and scatter the leaves of trees, and fair weather the waters of the Sea with its billows, and so shall I be free from tentations, and from molestations and vexations, which our common adversary machinateth, and always worketh against our soul, his end being to conduct it, to carry it, to eternal horrid punishment, to Hell.  
Strengthen me against all those occurrences, which disturb, disquiet, & put my soul out of frame, disperse all my enemies who evermore molest me and afflict me, for I am thy servant: nor am I affrighted or daunted, although the number of them, who lie in wait to molest & to entrap me is infinite, for that thy power, thy arm only can with its least motion, suppress, cast down, utterly destroy what army soever, what force soever there be. So that Lord have care & regard of thy servant, defending him, protecting him from the hostility, that his enemies move against him, who are enemies likewise of thee Lord. It is the office of a true Lord and Master (so much the rather, if so he be powerful as thou art) not to suffer any to wrong to injury his servants, for in protecting them, he salves, he conserveth his own proper honour. And were it not that I deserve that thou apply thy mercy for other respect, the desert, the merit in acknowledgement that really I am thy servant might take place: and into this such like servitude, the sin of the first man, hath brought me, who so far as concerneth him deserved eternal death, but thy clemency hath done, as doth a severe, upright and just father, who being offended most greivouslie by his son, abstracting the love of his flesh and blood, yet pity, commiseration, mercy, giveth not way to him to punish him conformably to the greatness of his transgressions, but depriving him of his paternal inheritance, by no means will he give way that he be at all about him, except only in the nature of servants, who necessarily must labour for their livings with industry, much pain and sweat, through continual toil. Whence he who is justly punished through his father's wrath, remaineth in such a mean estare, in such a low condition of life until such time that mercy (time over coming disdain) returneth him again through his favour, into his first well being. Lord I through my old former disobedience, am become of a free man, a ●…laue, and I shallbe like to the Son that hath provoked his father's wrach against him: hence it is expedient, that I pass my days, in this state, sweeting, labouring to appease thee: until thy Son come to release me from the yoke of neck and sole, which the servitude, into which human kind is fallen into, through the first transgression of thy commandment, hath contracted. Then we received again into our first happiness, thou wilt not receive us, not account us then, aliens, strangers, not slaves or bondmen, but being made by thee Citizens of thy glorious Kingdom, and Empire of Heaven, thou wilt receive us through thy grace as sons of adoption.  
The end of the seaventh Psalm.   

THE EPILOGUE To the Seven Psalms of the penitency of David.  
AFTER, that attract●…ue love of winning heavenly glory, and the terrible fear of horrid punihment had moved David, in Seven Psalme●… to be wail his transgressions, the hope of reward, and the comfort of hearts-ioy inwardly conceived, for the fruits which he was hence to reap, to gain, to win (thanked be his penitency) he suddenly raised himself from the ground, and standing bolt upright on his feet, first taking up his harp, and placing it under his left arm, now armed with courage as 〈◊〉 man freed, set at full liberty, he was so strangely enlightened that h●…e heard with the ears of his mind all the Psalms, which he had with tears sung; rehearsed, recorded, and rarely war●…led by the Angels, and being thus seriously attentive to the harmony of their notes, which were delivered by the Angelical tongues, voiced with an incomprehensible, and unspeakable sweetness, in an instant he found himself, eased, discharged of the burden, that his trespasses had laid on him, & hereby perceiving that God had received him through his mercy into the bosom of that grace, which h●…e so fervently implored, he retired himself, issued out of the tomb, made hot by his ●…ighes, and moist by his tears. No sooner came he to the light, but that the air itself seemed to clear up, in the cheerful splendour of his countenance; which though it were pale through fasting, and obscure, muddy, swarthy, cloudy through his penitency, his eyes seeming as it were without motion through his tears; his spirits not withstanding were so purified by having entertained the grace of God (which made pure his soul, with the selfsame resplendent light, that the Angels a●…●…luminated withal) that his face seemed the face of Moses, glistering bright with that divinity which God had thereon impressed, when as his magnificent, his most high & mighty majesty, within a Cloud of fire, whose fllames he composed of the streaming fulgore of the Sun, and of the heat of the stars, yet vouchsafed not to speak; but gave way, granted that he might behold those his most sacred and holy shoulders wherewith he holdeth up the Heavens, & all the Hemispheres. Now David inflamed with the holy Ghost with which our Lord had infused him for his repentance, ●…eturned to instruct and correct his people, who moved by the example of their good King, all their endeavours, their works turned to make themselves perfect in the ●…ight of him their God. But what fortunate ages, what blessed times, would happily fall unto their shares who so should be crowned with such happiness, as is to live under the laws of those Princes, who laying aside the height of mind, and the pride of their Kingdoms, confess the transgressions which they commit to the prejudice of men, yea, & to the dishonour of God? True●…y people would be more blessed than are they miserable, if so that they who reign, I say not lame●… their cruelty, injust homicides, and adulteries, with the same fervour of mind which David did his, but if so that they (no otherwise then if God were not, or being ha●… no power over their pride) at least would not glory in their adulteries, in their m●…thers, and in their impieties, which da●… they grei●…ously and heinously offend 〈◊〉 with open de●…ng of him who first 〈◊〉 last punisheth or rewardeth each one.  
The end of the Epilogue.