.■>.^>^^ I' ^^*b* 'vvV u • ■,>„■> .''.■■lU' aV V" '?/<^f Digitized by tine Internet Arciiive in 2011 witii funding from Princeton Tlieological Seminary Library littp://www.arcliive.org/details/devoutparapliraseOOblyt 6 ^^X^a^?^ N Jf. Lrrj.j'^//'t I /If ff J'r A DEVOUT PAR A PHRASE ONTHE SEVEN Penitential Psalms: O R, A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO REPENTANCE. ]\'Iany are tvilling to fall ivith David, 'ujho ivill not rife again nvith David. Whereas He is not propofed to you as a Pattern for Sin, but as an Example, if you ha've fallen, to rife again. Let the Innocent then take nvarning, by Him, not to fall; and Sinners, by following Him, learn to rife. St. Augustin in Psalm L. r By RBL^TH, Disc. Car. — S.T.P. 7'he Second Edition. LONDON: Printed, by J.Hoyles, for the AUTHOR. MDCCXLII. To the much Honour'd LADY Mifs Ursula Mannock, DAUGHTER to Sir FRANCIS MANNOCK, Bart. Madam, HIS little Work being defign'd for the fpiritual Benefit of Chriftians in general, of the Good as well as of the Bad, as well of the Perfe^ as of the Imperfeol -, I know not how to enforce the Penitential Sentiments, It is calculated to excite in them All, better than by prefixing to It fuch a living lively Inftance of Corapunilive Innocence as neither the Guilty nor theGuiltlefs can except againft. I cannot therefore be fo complaifant to your Humi- lity as to omit fhewing that Inftance in Ifou, who, tho' No-One can difcover any Fault in You, are neverthelefs as lowly in Mind and as mortified in * A your DEDICATION. youf Manners as They need be, who are chiefty fignalized by their Faults. I mean not however to infinuate that You have not any Failings, becaufe We can point- out None. No, Madam j It ill becomes Me to alTail You with Flattery, who have every Right to expedl from my Function and Gratitude Nothing but Truth. Not the Infant of a Day is free from Blemifh in the Sight of Go D . Our greatefl Innocence confifts now only in the Fewnefs of our Faults ; and Such of us as are the moft free will neverthelefs find upon in- ward Refearch but too much Caufe for Compunc- tion, even without having the Curtain drawn from before our hidden Sins. Inftead then. Madam, of diffuading you from perfedling your Innocence with the Spirit of Chriftian Penance, I heartily exhort you to perfevere in the Im- provement of Both. Your Conftancy is fure to be rewarded with an eternal Crown of Glory hereafter : And ycu have already a Sample of the temporal Recompenfe you may exped, even here, in that Bloom of Health which Heaven has at length reftored to you as the gracious Premium of that Chriftian Patience Fortitude and. Refignation to the Divine Will, with which you fo chearfully endured the long Series of Infirmities it pleafed the Almighty DEDICAriON, Almighty to fend you for Trial of your Fidelity. For, whatever your Bodily Phyficians may, think ; I, who have had the fpiritual Care of you hereto- fore, cannot help looking upon your prefent happy Re-eftablifhment rather as a BlefTing granted to your own religious Virtues than as a Cure perform*d> by their medicinal Ones. What better Ufe then. Madam, can you make of that Bleffing than to improve it to the Honour of the Almighty Donor and to your own Advancement in his Love ? My great View therefore, in prcfenting you this Paraphrase, is to forward your pious Difpofitions to fo defirable an End j next indeed to the Defire of promoting the fame blifsful Purfuit in Others by your Example. I fhall not therefore. Madam, make any Apology for dedicating it to You, without your previous Con- fent and even without your Knowledge ; becaufe, I imagin myfelf in need of None. I could not have been fo well acquainted with your Modefty and Hu- mility as I am, and not expefted a Refufal, if I had ask*d your Permiflion. Why then fhould I make any Virtue of yours a Snare to you, by tempting you to decline, for once in your Life, the being inflru- mental to a general Good ? That would have been but an Ungrateful Return for the gracious Re- ception DEDICATION. ception which (Thanks to the Generofity of your Honour'd Parents and Self) 1 have To often met with at Giffard's-Hall ; where Many of the Senti- ments contain*d in this flender Volume were firft conceived and where Some of the happieft of them the Piety of your Pradice help*d me to. But I fhall keep you too long in a State of Vio- lence, if I fay more : You, who are, I hope, too much taken-up with earning Praife to have Time any more than Patience to hear it. To conclude then, as becomes Me ; I fincerely wifh you, all the Spiritual BlelTings which Heaven can beftow, together with every temporal Happinefs confiftent with Them : And, humbly intreating a Share in your pious Thoughts, I am, with utmoil Zeal and Candor, MADAM, ' Tour mofi refpe5lfnl, Moji devoted^ humble Servant, In Christ, F. B L Y T H. THE PREFACE T O T H E Catholic Reader. T has been the laudable PraBice of the Churchy in all Ages^ to prefcribe^ to repenting Sinners ^ a fpecial Application to Prayer and fpiritual Exercijes as one Fart of the temporal SatisfaSlion due, from them, to God, for their paji Offences. And of all the Forms of Prayer propofed by the Church to the Faithful, there is, perhaps, no Set of Devotions more frequently enjoin d by DireBors to their Penitents, by way of facra- mental Penance, than the Seven Peniten- tial Psalms J as indeed there is not Any A 3 more 11 The PREFACE. more proper for that holy Ptirpofe : They con- taining all the Piety and JJnSiion ' necejfary to rail'e the Soul of a Si?iner^ once converted to God, to a fncere perfect and lafiing Repen- tance ', if they be but rightly made ife of Whence comes it then fill ^ that, of the Many ^ who recite thefe facred Pfalms, by ivay of fa- cramental SatisfaBion for their Sins^ in obe- dience to their fpiritual Diredlors^ there arefo 'Very Few to be founds who do not again retapfe into their former finful Condition^ and, in fo doings lofe the Fruits of a confrm' d Repentance, which their Ghoftly-Fathers intended thtm, by enjoining this devout Exercife f The Source of it feems to be this, that, for want of imder- fianding Many of the elevated and myftical Ex- prejjions contain* d in Each of thefe ./acred. Canticles, and for want either of natural Talent or fpiritual Knowledge enough to make a proper Application of them to themf elves, very Few enter into the true Spirit with which they ought to be ifcd. So that the Major Part of Peiiitents, contenting themfelves with a verbal Repetition The PREFACE. m Repetitio7i of this Part of their fpiritual Pe?iaf2ce, make it rather a?i A5i of ObedieJice only, than a fruitful AB of Obedience Kepeji^ iance and Devotion. The Confcquence of which is, thaty if in virtue of facramental Grace ^ they do depart , from the Tribunal of ConfeJTion, acquitted of the Guilt of their Sifis, they feldom depart fuficicntly purified from every Attach^ vient to it. It cannot ivell be wonder d therefore, that, in Such, their Pafions Jhould gather firejigth, and their pious Rcfolutions grow fainter, as the Mediocrity of their Fervor decreafes -, befet, as they are, o?i every fide, by inveterate Habits, frefi Temptations, and the Revival of their former, but halfflifled, AffeBions to Evil, What lefs have they to apprehend, when they are unpro-^ vided with that vigorous Ardor of Love for God and Self-detefiation, which a pure and perfe5l Contrition arifuig fro?n a thorough Senfe of his infinit Goodnefs and their own Unworthi^ nefs, alojte, can give to repenting Sinners. For, /ito' Attrition, that is, a fincere Sorrow, proceeding iV f he I^ R E F A C E. proceeding from fome inferior Motive ^ fuch ai^ the Fear of Hell, &c. and excluding all aBuat Will toSih', tho\ I fay, /^/^ Attritiojj, *when joind with facramental Grace, may be fufficient to juftify a Sinner ; yet it is by fer- vently and conjiantly afpiring to a perfect Coii- tritioh, that he mufl hope to attain to a Confir- mation in Grace. 7b help repenting Sinners to This then, is the chief Intent of fpiritual Di- reBors, In enjoining them the Seven Peni- tential Psalms, in part, or in full, of their facramental Pe?tance. And This they cannot well mifs of, if they ferioufly and fin- cerely repeat them in the fame Spirit, with which the Holy Prophet penn'd them, I imagind therefore, that it could neither be an unprofitable nor an unacceptable Office, to Such as are fine erely defirous of converting them- f elves wholly to God j if I fijould labour to render this devout Exercife familiar to them in a fort and pious Paraphrafe, which might enable Them, who are obliged to repeat all or any of thefe Pfalms, by way of facramental Penance, the PREFACE. V Fenance, to reap the fruits, of Fervor, as well as the Merit of Obedience, from thejn ; and teach ^hofe, ivho recite them out of voluntary Hu?niliation, how to afpire to a perjedi Con^ trition. When 1 refohed upon this TJtidertaking, I ivas not infenfible either of the Dificulty of the Task or of my own natural Inequality to it. But the fever eign Confidence I have reafon to place in the divine AJJi/ia?Ke left me no room to doubt, but that the fame unwearied Infpirer vf all Wifdoni and Goodnefs, who has fo oftett perfeBed his Praife from the mouth of Infants and Sucklings, could, and even would (feeing the Purity cf 7ny Intentions) teach Sinners, by Ihe Mouth of a Sijuier, the Way to a perfeSi 'Repetitance. Wherefore, as no Sinner, perhaps'^ rcer did, with lefs Defert, receive greater Lights and Graces, from the Divine Mercy, in the Pe~ nite?itial Way, than my Self; The leaf Acknow- ledgment, I thought, I could make, of the infinit Gratitude which I my f elf owe my God, for his Goodnefs to Me in particular, ?nufi be the endea- a vouring vi The P R E F A C E. vourmg to forward Others in fpiritual Com" punBion. For tho I cannot charge myfelf with the Specific Guilt J which Jirji gave Occafon to thefe devout ABs of Contrition J yet confidering the more weighty Duties of the Priefts of the New Law than Thofe of the Prophets of the Old, and the greater Graces and Helps communicated to Us than to Them, / cannot help thinkings that all TranfgreJJio?is and Qmiffions^ coiitrary to the greater PerfcBion, we ought to tend-to, are more haimus and Icfs pardonable, in Us, than in Them. And therefore, when I look back on my own Life in particular, and, in this Light, view my former Vanities and paft NegleSls of Public Good, I cannot but thitik myfelf in more 7ieed, than ever David was, of promoting Con- trition in myfelf, by forwarding it in Others. However This may feem foreign to the pre- fent Purpofe, it really is not fo. For, in the Firft Place, it is the general Concern cf all Chrifiians, as well Laity as Clergy, to entertain a jujily mean Opijiion if themf elves. However free The PREFACE. vii free Any of us all may have preferred oiirfehei from abfohite Mortal Sms, if we do but con- fider, on one hand, the infinit Purity of God in hi mf elf and the Immenfity of his Mercies to us ; and, on the other hand, how oppoft Every the leaf Venial Sin is to that Sovereign Purity, and how ungrateful a Return it is, for the ineffable Graces, Lights, Means, and Calls to Per- feBion, which we have from ti?ne to tifne received, from that Source of all Bounty -, we Jhall find but too great room for the deepeft Contrition in ourfelves, which we cannot better afpire-to than by endeavouring to promote it in Others. In the next place, with regard to Us Priefis, as every Omiffion of the Good, we are impowerd by our FunBion to do, is an Injury done to the Public -, I, for my own part can take no fairer Opportunity, than this Peniten- tial 'Treatife affords me, of attoning for any paft Deficiencies, by prefent and future Afiidui- ties to ferve them. In fiB, it was this Motive, which chiefiy fet me upon the following Under- taking : Which, fuch as it is^ I here prefent / a 2 ffiy viii The PREFACE. my Readers with, heartily unjlmig. It may hi profitable to All. ^o give them therefore fome Idea of ity I f!:all juji add afuccinB Account of the Method I have ohferved through the Whole, In this Edition, the Reader will find the Pa- raphrase immediately after the Preface, con- trary to the Method obferved in the Firft Edition ; in which It follow d the Titles and Arguments cf the Several Pfalms ^j It here preceeds them. My Reafon for this Alteration is, that the devout Penitent may not be dctaiji'd too long from his penitential Exercifes^ by Matters which belong more to the Erudition of the Mind, than to the Emolition of the Heart, And yet as the Heart cannot aB but by DireBion from the JJnderftanding, and a Mind well infiruBed is the better able to mollify the Will and give a Right Bent to it j / did not thijik it would be advifeabk to omit them. And therefore 1 have thrown them together at the End of the Book, Jpy way of Appendix to it -, that the learned Curious may have Matter of Amufement and the pious Illiterate 7?iay not want Matter of In- flruBion, The P R E F A C E. Ix JlruBicn, in fuch Leifure Hours ^ when they are neither difpojed to pray, nor yet to pafs their Time "ivithoKt fome devout Employ capable of fitting them for Prayer, For the Text of the Pfalms 7 have rather followed the Manual than the Douay Verfion ; as the Difference is not material, as Both are approved of and as the Former is in mofi hands. My chief Reafon however for doing this is, that They, who fiall have read this Paraph rafe at^ tentively, may read the Pfalms with more Fruit in their Manuals^ when they have not This at hand. To the Paraphrafe I have endeavoured to give fiich a penitent Turn as every Repenting Sinner' s Mind ought to have after Abfolution : And to fiicceed in this the better, have purfued thofe very Sentiments which the fimple LeSiure of the Text raifed in my own Soul ; tho' not without confulting the Fathers and other orthodox able Divines, for their Affent ; left, trufting to my own feeble Lights, I might run into Error, ^nd to the little Familiarity I have acquired with t The P R E F A C E. fwith Them, it is, that I owe all the Succefs ; if I have at all imitated, as I have endeavour' d to do, that noble Trajifport, or Trajijition from one devout Sentiment to another, which is fo njery peculiar to the Royal Pfalmifl. TheDefre of copying after whom, as much as the Nature of the Work would permit, with regard to this Particular, was theReafon of my enlarging upon fome Pajfages much lefs than I might have done. And yet I have made the Whole fomething longer than was abfolutely needful, for the Sake of making every Verfe a kind of feparate Prayery or AB of Humiliation -, that Such as have neither Obligation, nor Time, nor aBual Incli- nation, to repeat a whole Pfalm at once, may, at any time, find a devout AB of contrite Afpira^ iion, almofi in any Part they firft cafl their eyes on. Wherefore, if it be objeBed that the Whole is too extenfive for one continued AB of Devotion-, from what I have juft jnention'd, it will be eafy to anjwer, that This would be more than it is intended for. I only defign it as a Practical Guide The PREFACE. xi Guide to teach the Illiterate^ how to read the Text 'with Fruity when Obligation or Piety JJjall lead them to make ufe of it. NeverthelefSy if^ at any titne, the Fervor of a Per/on^ to whom thefe Seven Pfalms are enjoin d by way of Penance^ fiould prompt him to add the volun- tary Pena?ice of reciting this Parapkrafe alfo ; the fame Fervor will naturally fuggefl to him, that What is too long for one continued Exercife, may not be too long for feven Intervals ofLeifure, So that, if he fiould have the Seven Pfalms en- join d him to fay once a Week ; it may not be^ perhaps, any mighty Grievance for him once a Da\\ through the Week, to add the Paraphrafe on One of them, in their fever al I'urns. I fay this, not to lay a Burden upon Any : For it is plain, there can be no Burden, as there is no Obligation. I mean no more then than a Hint to Thofe, whofe State of Life allows them Lei fur e and whofe Zeal may lead fhem to fuper-erogatory Exercifes of Devotion. With regard to the Merit of this Paraphrafe, / have nothing more to fay, in Us behalf, than that 3cii the PREFACE. that the 'Thoughts are Orthodox and, I hope, iioi itnproper for any Perfon to entertain, in reading the Text. / do not, however, by any means, pretend to deliver them as the only or bejl Turn which may be given to the Words of the Royal Pfalmift. / only offer them as the Sentiments which thofe Words raifed in me onperufng them y and What, I hope, may prove as beneficial, at leaf, to Such as are pleafed to adopt them, as they were to me in penning them down. As therefore I do not prefume to afcribe, to this little Work, the Merit of a FerfeB Piece -, I am not afraid of trufing to the Candour of the "Learned for overlooking any immaterial De^ ficiencies, or Wants of Embcllifiment , in a Work which is calculated chief y for the iinletterd plainer Vndcrfandings. Much lefs can I appre- hend, that Partiality, Party, or Prejudice, will interfere, in a Work of this Nature, to ohjiruSl the little general Good It may do, by farting . trivial ObjcBions. Provided Good be done, and God's Honour be advanced ; it matters little. Who, or how iifignificant, be the Infrument. And The PREFACE. xili And Jlender as the Merit df this Pet-formdnce iftay be J fohie Good^ in all probability, it may and will do. Since, if it be found, by competent fudges, to fall Jhcrt of the End for which I defign it, there is Room to hope, that So?ne abler Divine will employ his Zeal in giving the Public a PerfeB Piece on the fame Subject Which I fhould be fo far from being forry for^ that, next to the Happinefs of excelling in Good my f elf, I could 7iot wifh for a greater Pleafure than to fee my Endeavours to do well 7?iade the Means of Another's doing better. In the mean time, I am willing to believe, that This will not he unprofitable : And the more, becaufe the uni-^ verfal Approbation, which the firfl Edition of it met with, from Church and Laity, long before it was known, who wrote it, makes ??ie hope, that ifs Kifid Reception was no EffeB of Partiality to the infignificant Author. . For the greater Satisfaction cf every Reader ^ I have left the words of the Text unalterd in the Paraphrafe and diflijiguifiSd them by diffe- rent Characters, that he may be able, at one b Glance^ 3dv The P R E F A C E. Glance y to difcern them from my F^xplanatmiL And yet I have endeavour' d fo to connedi Both as to make them appear but one compleat Senfe^ if the Difference of Charadlers was removed. This I have done, to give him the greater Eafe in judgtJig of the Naturahiefs of the Connexion, I have here a7id there i?ite?'fpe?fed the Para- phrafe ivith ufeful moral RefleBions, that the Mind of the Penitent, at the fame time as It is lifted up to God in Devotion, may be helfd to proper Hints, how to improve that Devotion in PraBice. Thd This I have not done without the venerable Sandtion of thofe Sacred Writers who have trodden this Path before me : And where I have done it, I have take?z care rather to enforce than interrupt the Fervor of Prayer, Again in feme places of the Paraphrafe, / have put into the Hebrew ( or rather into the Chriftian) Penitent's tjiouth fome penitential 'Exp ref ions cf other Prophets, as well Such as were after David, in point of time, as Thofe who preceded him. Which cannot, I prefume, be deenid an Impropriety ; confdering, m one hand, that The PREFACE. XV that it was neither impojjible nor improbable for David, who was himfelf a Prophet and confe- quently infpired fy God, to entertain the fame holy Sentiments as other Prophets not his Co- temporaries^ and to forebode tnany Thijigs fpoken- of by Others poflerior to him in time : Be fides that the Senfe of many of thofe Rxpreffions may be found in one Part or other of this facred Monarch's own Writings^ tho' not altogether in the fame Words. And on the other hand^ as this Paraphrafe is defignd for the XJfe of Chrifiian Penitents, who are^ by fo many Cen- turies^ pofterior to all the Prophets, it camiot be improper to borrow from ihefe any Contexts capable of ftirring up Chriftians to a perfect Contrition^ by placing the Royal Penitent's Repentance in it's ftrongeft Light. At the Coiichfion of every Pfalm, I thought it could not be amifs to fuit the Paraphrafe on the Glory be to the Father, 6?c. to the imme- diately preceding SubjeB^ that the Penitent may renew his Fer^-cor to the Bleffed Trinity by the freflj Conf deration of different Mercies h 2 receii:ed XVI The preface: received from It^ and may learn the pious Art €jf dherjifyhig his Ejaculations of Pralfe tq the Almighty^ en e'very Occafion. The Prayer at the end of Each Pfalm, he will fee^ is a brief Summary of the Whole Pfalni and Para-: phrafe j ijohich he ?nay make life of as his Lel^ fure and Devotion fuggeft^ when neither obliged nor inclined to fay the Pfalm itflf. And at the End of all he will find a Paraphrafe ori Pfalm LXIX, which I have purpofely added for the Bejiefit of Such as fall add^ to the Re-: petition of the Seven Penitentiai, Psalms, Tte of the Litanies of the Saints ^ in which the faid Pfalm is included. Jn the AvvrEii'Dix^ after the Gen eral Argu- pient or Account of this Work, I have given the Title proper to each Pfalm, as It ftands in *;6^ Vulgate tranflated. Utter ally according to the learned Englidi Verfion of the Douay Bible^ To which I have added a brief Explanation for the SatisfaBion cj the Unlearned. Immediately (ifter This I have likewife annext a brief Argu- pent or A^c count cf iU Pfalm i.tff^ that the Readcrs^ The PREFACE. xvii Readers may have fome hiftortcal Notion of if^ the better to enable them to enter into ifs true fpiritual Senfe. T^he Annotations on fome obfctire Pajjages in the Pfalms were, in the former Edition^ placed under the Pajfage they explained, in the '•eery fame Page. A Method which, tho' 'very commonly made ufe of, is, in my Opinion, not only very offenfive to the Eye, by the Irregularity it gives to the Form of the Page, but often very diftraBirig to the Mind, by taking-off the Atten- tion of the Reader jroni the main Subjedi, even when the Explanation is, by repeated Readings become fo familiar to him as to be 7io more needful for hi?n to read. And therefore, iz'here there is no Necejjity for placing Annotatiofis jointly with the Pajfage they explain, I cannot but think it much better to place them apart -, efpecially fince, the Reader having it always in his Power, by the Help of proper Rotations, to recur to them elfewhere, if he wants to perufe them ; the fame End is equally anfwerd. For this p.eafon, in the prefent Edition, I have placed the ikvili The P R E F A C E. the abovefaid Annotatiom immediately after the Argument of the particular Pfalm they federally belong to. And that the Reader may turn to them with eafe, have pointed-out the Page they /ire in^ by diftinBive References. And now left Any, who may be difpofcd to be tnore than ordinarily pleafed with this little Performance, attribute to me the Praifes I do not deferve -, I think myfelf hound to own that I cm greatly indebted for the chief Succefs in this Undertaking, tinder Go a, to the Sacred Interpreters who have gone before me. For tho* J have follow d no One in particular, it is cwing to the Lights I have borrowed from All that I have been able to fucceed thus- far for the Spiritual Advancement of the Penitent Souls for whofe life t wrote it. Indeed in the Argu- ments I have chief y follow d the Learned and imweariedly elaborate Ferrandus, finding him the moft accurate of any in the Sphere of litter al Scholiafts. And him in feme places I have little more than tranfcribed, as I have Raynerius, in fome Parti of the Goieral Argument. So that there^ The PREFACE. xlx there J if any thing be found of injudicious or triflings perhaps^ upon comparijig Notes ^ it 'will prove to he my own. But be that as it may : Whatever is con- tain d in this little Treatife of good or indiffe- rent^ I moji chearfully fubmit to the approbation or cenfure of that One^ Holy, Catholic, and Apojlolic Church whofe unworthy Son I am, and in whofe Obedience I hope to live and die, as one whotn neither, Fear of Death nor hove of TJfe can feparate from that Faith and Charity of Goi> which is in Christ Jesus. And that I may ever perfft in this Difpoftion, I earnefth befeech All, who fall find this little "Labour ufeful to them, to make me a Sharer in their Fruits of Fenance : That what is wanting in me to deferve this Blefpng, their joiitt Peti^ tions may obtain for me, from the Throne of Mercy, PSALM JJ . uratf/y/ inv (t Sc PARAPHRASE ON T H E- S E V E N Penitential Psalms: The ANTIPHON PARAPHRASED. Paraphrase. EMEMBER not^ O Lord J we imp]oreThee,oz/r own pad Offences^ either Original or Actual, to be averft to us f jr them. Nor be mindful of thofe perfo- nal OlFences of our Pa^ rents by which they have rebel!' d againfl thee, to punifli them either here or hereafter. For tho' Thou ar't a jealous God vifiting the Sins of Fathers upon Antiphon. ^Jbernot, O Lord, our OffenceS;,nor Thofe of our Parents:Nei- ther take Thou Ven- geance our Sins. on their 2 u^ Far AT n R AS E o?2 th their Children to the third and fourth Genera- tion of Them who hate Thee j yet ar't thou a propitious God fhewing Mercy to Thoufands of Them who love Thee and keep thy Com- mandments. O ! Exert then thy tender Mercy to Them and Usj Neither take 'Thou Vengeance on their, or our. Sins : But gracioufly accept our prefent Rep'^ntance and Love for Thee, to blot-out their Guilt and ours and to remit, to Them and Us, all the bitter Confequences, eternal or temporal, of having finn'd againft Thee j efpecially thofe temporal Punifliments which may obflruct our fpeedy Converlion to Thee. FIRST Seven Penitential Psalms. FIRST Penitential Psalm: Par aph r as e. My all-gra- cious Lord! I befeech Thee, in the day of Judgment, that Day when thy Averfion to' Evil fhall be made manifeft, Rebuke me not^ examin me not, in thy Indigfiationy with utmofl Rigour : Nor let the Hor- ror of my Crimes provoke Thee to chajiife me in thy Damnation. 2. Rather let the Frailty of my Nature induce Thee to have Mercy on me here, Lord J hecaufe I am infirm and exceffively weaken'd by Sin. Ah! heal me then c 2 *\ Sff Appendix Vage 19, Psalm. ordI Re- buke me not in thy * Indio;nation : nor chaftife nie in thy + Anger. Anger with eternal 2. Have mercy on me Lord; be- caufe I am with 4 ^ P A R A P H R A S E c;2 //;^ rfP^"'7"^> Grace: infirm: Heal ror Thou, Lord, knoweii, that I am nothing of My- ITLC, Lord ; felf : Becaufe the Corrup- Kecirifc mv tion of Evil and of evil -j-^ - Affe6tions is fo ingrafted -DOllCS arC in me, that ?ny very Bofies dliordcr'd. are dijorder'd with it. 3. vf;z^ well, alas, well ^_ ^^^J .^ may They be fo j when p, '^ , . "^ even ;%jy Soul is vei-y much i^OUl IS VCrV difiurUd with the difor- jY^nrj-j^ r}J. derly Tumults within me, ^ \ "> \ t> difturb'd with the Guilt iturb d : i3ut they have involved me in, ^}|0U Lord and difturb'd with the 1 i ^ dreadful Apprehenfions of i'^OW lOllg . thy terrible Judgments. But thou. Lord, ar*t flill a gracious God, who wil't not the Death of a Sinner but rather that he be converted and live : How long then, how long wil't Thou be * unmoved by my Sighs ? How long wil't Thou delay thy healing Help and leave me to myfelf ? 4. Ah ! Twm then, O ^^ Tlim O "Lord, my Saviour, turn j 1 1 from the Severity of thy -L'^Jrcl, aild Juflice ; Turn thy faving dcHver mV Looks iS^w« Penitential Psalms. 5 Looks towards me, mjd 3oul : SclVC delher my ^til from the p - Body of this Death which ^^^ ^^^ thy decoys it away from Thee. JVIgrcv's fkkc. O fave me for thy Mercfs fake, and not for any Merit of mine, from my perverfe Inclinations ; that, by Grace alive to Thee, I may glorify Thee on this fide the Grave, while I have the Time and Means offcr'd me to do fo. 5. Becaufc^W., there is ^. Becaufe Is one among jt the Dead to . _ the Grace of Repentance, there IsNoiie even in this Life, ^.vho is amon^'ft the mindful of Thee , withUti- -p. if lity to his Salvation : And -L^e^d VVilO IS in Hell O my God, where mindful of no Order is to be found, ^^U^^ . Anri but the hateful Horror of ^ ^^^^ ' ^^^^^ eternal Blafphemy dwells ill Hell WHO on every Tongue and in ^J|J ^Onfefs every Breair, who wtll con- fefs to Thee with any Hopes tO i nee . Oi Redemption ? 6. For this Reafon have 6 + T Ji^ve I been t'lred^ in Body, with Mortiiication , inceiTantly Deeil tired groaning \ See Appendix Page 20. 6 A 'P ARAP u RASE on tbe groajung to Thee, in Satif- i^lxh o-roan- fadion for my paft Sins: . 5^ And ilill my Soul, un- i^^^g • J^Very wearied with Contrition, Nl^'llt will fhall pour forth it's Grief T '^ n toThee^andE^^ryAT/^y?;/ ■"■ ^^^" ^^7 ivill I'wafh^ with drops of Bcd : I will Compundion, ^;;'5^^, the .^^^^^ ^._ Bed of fenfual Pleafures *;'^'-^^ ^Y this lethargic Confcience CoiTch with has wallow'd-in fo long : j^^y 'Tpo r-c Yes, O my God, I will ^ water my Couch, that Couch of Sloth and fpiri- tual Indifference, in which I have loiter'd till now ; and will water it with my Tears of Penance, till I wipe-off every Stain which renders me offenlive to Thee. 7. For, however thy ^^ ]y[^ J^ Mercy forbids me to de- . i-r " 1 •> ^ fpair, thy Jurtice com- IS (lilorder d pared with the Greatnefs With FurV \ of my Guilt urges me to t tremble. Infomuch that ^ ^m grOWn I cannot face my Crimes Oldamong'ft •'"'"'->; ^ry'^', ^J^ .°f all my Ene- vc\yoQ\x\,tsatjGrderd%inth . -' Fury againfl myfelf. And lUiCS. how. Seven Penitential Psalms. 7 how, O Good God, can I avoid being incenfed againft my wretched Self, when, upon Exa- mination, I find that I am groivn Old m Ini- quity a?nong[ft all my Efiemies, as well infernal Ones, whofe Malice I have often prevented by tempting myfelf, as thofe finfiil Companions whofe wicked Exam.ple I have fo readily fol- low'd and fo often out-flript. 8. But ah forgive, all- g. Be ^one gracious Sovereign, for- *^ give me! For henceforth trOlll me all I renounce all Occalions YewtlOWOrk of offending Thee. Begofie j . . ^ from me henceforth, O IniqUlty; De- Satan i be gone O fleflily caufe OUr Appetites; be gone O -r 1 r , Companions in Iniquity; ^"^^^ nam be gone all Te luho work heard the Iniquity, by Counfel, by y^j r Suggellion, by Example ^ ^J or otherwife. From this Weepillg. Minute forward, will I ever fliun all kind of Commerce with you, more than Death ; becaufe our Lord^ calling me to. the Grace of Repentance, hath heard the Voice of my Weeping. 9. Yes 8 A P A R A P H R A S E 0;Z ^'Z;^ 9. Yes: For Thou, O p.Oui'Lord my God, fee'ft how fin- 111 j cere it is ; and You, O J^^^^ heard Enemies to my Salvation, j^iy Pctltioil \ lliall ahb fee it, by my ^ ^ j j Perfeverance. For fince ^"^^ I-Ora Our Lord hath mercifully hatll rC- heard my Petition in the ^^J^.^^ Ivemillion of my Sins j -^ iince our Lord hath re- i ray CI". ceived ?7iy Prayer^ reward- ing it with the Gift of Converfion j I will blulh to be ungrateful to the Bounty of fo li- beral a Lord. 10. And O God of ^^^ L^^ ^JJ my Hopes 1 Let all 7ny -j-, £ww/^j M//Z) at their im- I'^^Y Jinemies potence, at theirGuilt, and blufll and at thy Mercy which they ^^ terrified ' fo much abufe : Let Satan blufh at his vain Attempts Let them bc to feduce me again, blufli |;|^^j^-j-j' J _ back at thy Goodnefs in de- in livering me from him ; ^I'^d alnailied and O ! let Him and Them fpeedilv". he terrified^ by thy Power, from Seven {^enit'ential Psalms. 9 from tempting me again to offend Thee : Let my earthly Enemies too, the wretched Com- panions of my SinSj be terrified by thy Juflice from tempting thy Clemency any longer. Let themy by my Example, be turn'd-back from their finful Ways and be penitently ajhamed of them fpeedily : That They, who have accom- panied me in finning againfl Thee, may joia with me in appeafing thy offended injured Majefly. All the Glory then of GlorvbetO my Converfion be given to ^ t^ 1 Thee, O God //^^ F^//?;^r, ^^e rather, who haft created me to ^iwA tO the enjoy Thee forever ^ And ^ 1 to Thee, O God the Son, ^^^^^^ ^^^ tO who did'fl lay down thy the Holv- precious Life to atone for /^U^fL my pafl Iniquities ; Aid to Thee, O God the Holy-Ghoji, who has't again rcflored me to my heavenly Inheritance by thy converting Grace. As it was in the Begin- J^g |^ WclS 111 m7ig due to Thee, before ^ -p Aught was created j is now tllC JDl^^III - under the Difpenfation of niH-*^*, IS llOW, thy Mercy and Grace ; and d ever 10 -^ Pa R Ai> H RAs E o« the roer f.:all be in that happy aildeVCr fliall World which Thou has't - ^^_ - - gracioufly prepared for thy *-^^? ^ OriU. faithful Servants to enjoy withoUtEnd. mMout End. Amen, O * Sacred Three-in-Orie, A- -^^^W* MEN : Let the Univerfe be fill'd with thy Glory : Amen. The PRAYER. /^Almighty Majefty, whofe ^^^ Judgments are juft, whofe Counfels are terrible, and whofe Mercy is infinit ! Who fhall be able to contend with Thee^, w^hen Thou ilial't come to judge the World by Fire? O fave us then with thy preventing Grace in this Life! Convert the Ri- gor of thy Juftice into lenitive Bounty; and confider the Frailty of /S^^^ Penitential Psalms. ii of our Being, by Nature prone to all which is evil and averfe to all which is good. Ah I turn thy attradting Looks towards us; that conquering our ftub- born HeartS;, fubduing our de- praved Appetites, and refcuing our captive Souls from vicious Ties and from all the Powers of Satan, thy Goodnefs may find room to re-admit us to thy Fa- vor. And give us fuch a deep Contrition for our Sins, as, crown'd with Perfeve ranee, may fuffice to gTiard us in the Day of Wrath from thy eternal Ven- geance. Permit not Us, dear gracious Lord , the Images which thou has't form'd on d 2 purpofe 12 l/i VaKAVKR ASE on the \ purpofe to enjoy Thee, to lofe \ the Sight of Thee forever. But ! give us fuch a true Seraphic Love as may transform us into Saints, and lift us to that blifs- ful State where we may love and praife, and be abforb'd in^ Thee, to all Eternity. Amen. SECOND Seven Penitential Psalms. 13 SECOND Penitential Psalm: Par aph rase. i,m?^^ LESS ED are Psalm. P^J Tbey, my God; ^^^M ( and O how- happy ! ) who have turn'd from their wicked Ways, to feek Mercy and Grace from Thee; labo/e Ini- quities aj'e therefore for- given^ as to the Guilt ; and *whofe Sins are cover' d^ by the Gift of a lincere and from the Wrath to-come. 2. O ! Thrice blejj'ed is the Man to 'whom the Lor d^ in confideration of a pure and perfed; Contrition , hath not imputed Sin ; but gracioufly remitted both his Guilt and every Pu- jiifhment due to it ; fo Itif^^l are They, whofe Iniquities are forgiven: and whofe Sins are covered. perfed Repentance, 2. Biefled is the Man, to whom the Lord hath not imputed purifying 14 A PaRAP H RASE C« /^tf purifying his Heart, that gjj^ . j^qj. ^^ no Sin remains in him, zjor - r> *\ is there the leaft Guile, tn^fe VjUliC the leaft Remnant of fin- in hlS SouL ful AfFe<5lions, or corrupt Inclinations, left in his Soul. 3- But I O gracious 3. Becaufc I God ! what Realon have I ^ to prefume, good as Thou 112, VC bCCIl has't been in blotting out fijgnt mV the Memory of my Guilt, -q •' that Thou il:iould'ft remit ijOnCS arC all the temporal Puniih- P[TOWn old ment due to it ? For ah ! b ment aue lo it r ror an : • i what do I not deferve to ^ J j" fuffer, becaufe I have fo ing-OUt all long been filent in the ^J^^ J^y \oV\Z. Confeflion of my Sins and ^ ^' fo tardy in recurring to Thee for Grace and Mercy ? Juil is it then, that I now fuffer : Juftly am I puniih'd with a Decay, which waftes the very Marrow of my Bones : And juftly are they weaken'd, as if 1 was grown eld with the number of my Years. And what temporal Suffering, dread Lord, can be equal to my Deferts, for daring thy Divine Majefty till now, with my crying-out j all the Day long, in S they Jhill not fo much as cojne near him to fliake his Fidelity to Thee. 9. Thou, O God of my ^ XhoU ar't Salvation art my only Re- fuge. To Thee alone will I Hiy Refuge have Recourfe from the ^^^^^ ^J^^ ^n bill at ton or vicious In- chnations, diabolical Sug- 1 riDUlcltlOn geftions, and worldly Al- ^^,j^-^j.j j^^^j^ lurements, which almolt over- f Set Appendix Fr.ge 25. Sei-en Penitential Psalms. ig over-whelm me in the furroUllded Midfl of the earthly Mi- ^ --. feries with uinch thy juft ^^^^ • ^^J }^Y:^ Judgment hath furrounded refcUC ITie me, in temporal PunMi- £-^.^^^^ ^y^ ment for my Crimes. An ! hafte then, Almighty who CnCOm- Goodnefs, hafte to my p^{g j-j^P Relief. Thou, My Joy ; ^^ Thou only Delight of my Soul, releafe mc from all farther temporal Effedls of thy Re- fentment and even rejciie me from Them who already encompafs me^ before they over- whelm ine indeed.' lo. What fay'ft thou jq. J ^rjl} then, my Loving Lord ? . ^ Ah fpeak all gracious Ma- §1^^ t\\^^ jefty ! for thy Servant Ullderftand- heareth Thee. Methinks, • ^ i . I hear thy heavenly Voice ^^b ^^^ ^^' chearing my Soul v/ith ftruct thcC Words of Comfort. <' If ^^ ^J^^ y^Z^f " Thou wilt but ufe It -^ " rightly; / r^ill give which thoU *' thee, fay'ft Thou, Un^ fliaFt ^O : I ** derjlanding, an Under- ..- ^ '' ftanding to know thy- ^^ ^^ ^7 ■ e 2 *' felf 20 A Pa R A p H R A s E c;; the *' felfandme: yfWwith "Rypc UDOll " my Grace will I /-^/r/^i^ ^^ ^ ** thee in all things necef- tUCC, " fary for thy Salvation, in the Way which thou " Jhall go in this Life to reach the Qlory of " the Next. And that Thou may 'ft not ilray " from it, I "will vouchfafe to fx my proted- " ing Eyei upon thee, if thou wil't fix a con- " trite Heart on me. " II. I will. Dear Lord, ji^ ][)q y^Q^ I will ; for from this In- - ftant I am wholly thine. beCOmC aS But fpeak again, Almighty thc Hoifc Sovereign: For 'ah thy ^^^ fheMuk, Words are to my Senle ^ ' fweeter than Honey and which haVe' the Honey-comb. » Do ^^^ Under- *' noty thou lay it, become " fenfual, a^ is the wild Itanding. " unmanaged Horfe, and be not thoughtlefs *' like the indolent ungovernable Mule : Crea- *' tures which have no JJndcj'fianding to fubdue " their Paffions with j and therefore fland ex- ** cufed for yielding to them. But whatExcufe, *' O Sinner, can'il Thou bring for proftitming *' Reafon and Grace to thy mere brutal ** Appetites?" la. Ah Sevefi Penitential Psalms. 21 12. Ah None, my God ! Worfe am I than the vileft Brutes, if I abiife the Ta- lents Thou has't given me to railfcmyfelf above them. And yet alas how often have I done fo ! But O 12. With a Muzzle and Bridle tie-up the Jaws of thofe , who forget, all-bounteous Love, j^ ^^^^ ^ forget what hitherto is x " paft. Recall my Reafon proach tO and reftore thy Grace. nTfjpp And if I ever forfeit them again j then ivith a Muzzle of perpetual Difappointments a?2d with a Bridle of the fharpefl Miferies on Earth curb and embitter all my criminal Purfuits. And thus tie-up the ilubborn Jaws of Me and all thofe fenfeleis Creatures who do not approach to Thee with humble Hearts and contrite Spirits. 13. Alas what fenfelefs Mortals are not They, who ftubbornly refift thy gra- the fcOUrgeS cious Call and turn their ^C ^ Sinner * Backs on Thee to follow Sin and Satan ! For ?nany^ ( O how many ) are the Scourges of a Sinner, as 3. Many are But Mercy Ihall encom- well 22 A P A R A P H R A S E 0;z /Zi|f weUin themiferable Ef- pafshim.who fedts of Sin in this Life as | ^U * in thofe more terrifying A^C)petn 111 Tortures with which thy the Lord. everlafling Vengeance fliall purfue the unre-. penting Criminal beyond the Grave ! But \ ah how good as w^ell as juft is God ! For Mercy jftill, eternal Mercy, JImll encompafs Him, who rightly bopeth in the Lord. 1 4- ^^ >;/"A there- j^^ g^ '^ fore, and let your Joy be ^ ^ . ^ -^ center'd in the Lord your •*-^-*- ^^ X-uQ- God, not in your Senfes, Lord andtC- or Aught which is peri£ha- • • T -H- ble. And rejoice with the J^ICC, yC JUlt : utmoft Fervor of Devo- Andglory^all tion all Te Juft: Juft, yeRi^hteOUS not merely in yourlelves, /^ .--r but chieflly in the co-ope- Ol Heart. rative Grace and Merits of your Saviour ! And glory all ye Righteous, Penitent and pure of Heart. Yes, join with Me in giving all the Glory of our prelent State of Grace to that Al- mighty Majefty, to whom alone It is origi- nally due. Glory be to the Al- GlorV bc tO mighty unbegotten Fa- - ^ . thers Sovereign Power; ^^^ i atHei^ And Se^en Peniti;ntial Psalms. 23 And to the eternally be- ^^^ |-q x\\Q gotten Son^ infatliomable , Wifdom; And to the in- ^011, aiia tO exhaultible Goodnefs of x}^^ Holy- the Holy-Ghoji, proceed- pt^^fL ing from Them-Both. ^li^iU And may their co-equal, J^g jj^ ViciS 111 co-eternal Power,Wifdom, -, -p Goodnefs, and every other ^^^ ijeglll- Attribute forever be a- 111112*, IS HOW, dored as it «« in the ^ndcVerfhall Begtnnmg, without be- ginning ; is no-iV in the DC;, vVorld prelent WoAA and ever withoUtElld. fiall be m that World which {hall fubfift ^without AmCll. any Rnd : Amen. O gracious Trinity ! Let it be lb, for thy blelTed Name's Sake ; for the Sake of all thy Creatures, and for the Sake of Me : A Sinner, yes j but a converted contrite and humble Sinner : Amen. Amen. ^m^ The 24 ^ P AR A P H R A S E ^;Z //^^ The PRAYER. /^ My all-gracious Go d ! How greatly good ar't Thou! How have I dared thy Juftice with my moft heinous Offences! And how long have I not fhamefuUy delayed to fue to Thee for Mercy in the Confef- fion of my Faults 1 Yet Thou, more merciful than I deferved, flow in Anger tho' terrible in Wrath;, inftead of taking me away in Sin and pouring on me thy eternal Vengeance^, has't kindly conquered my inveterate Malice with thy preventing Grace ; and turning towards me ;S'fW« iPENlT£NTIAL PsAlMS. . ±^ me thy fa ving Looks has't call'd me to Thee and cleanfed my Soul from that foul Guilt by which I merited the endlels Pains of Hell. Juft is it there- fore, my offended Maker, that thou fliould'ft punilh me in this Life, and That feverely too. But ah have Pity ! As thou ar't all Tendernefs, have Pity on my Frailty and add the Remiflion of thy temporal Vengeance^ Grant me a deep Contrition, fuch a One as may efface all which is paft; and never let me feel thy angry Scourge : Or if thy Juftice makes it necef- fary ; O let me feel it gentle and not beyond the Power thou f giveft 26. A P A R A p H R A s E c;z the giveft me to bear it. Thou fuf^ fereit None of us to be tempted beyond our Strength. Punifli me not then. Heavenly Lord, as I deferve ; but chaften me with fuch a Parent-Love as may attract me more and more to Thee, by aiding me to bear it with all due Submiflion For^ titude and Humblenefs of Soul. And chiefly give me. Loving Majefty, the Gift of Perfeve- ranee ; that I may ftedfaftly adhere to Thee and never more, like Bsafts of Burden, gratify my fenfual Appetites in oppofition to that Reafon and Grace which Thou endow 'ft me. with; noi-^ doing fo^, incur the Seven Penitential Psalms. zy the Curfe Thou has't entaifd on unrepenting Reprobates. Ra- ther, O generous Recompenfer of our ufelefs Services^ enrich me with thofe Virtues which Thou vouchfafeft tobe pleafed with in us; that, juftified by thy unmerited Bounty co-ope- rating with our little Deeds, T^ with the Reft of thy beloved Flock, may forever gratefully acknowledge, praife, and mag- nify thy unexhaufted Mercies : ThYou^hJefus Chriji our Lord. Amen. f 2 THIRD 28 A Pa R A p H R A s E o;z the T H I R D Penitential Psalm, Paraphrase. Psalm. MYZor^GoD, i my Sovereign and my Father I Look down with Eyes of Pity on my ^g ^^^ -^^ troubled boul j and graci- oufly releafe me, 1 im- thy Indlgna- plore thee, from the Ter- ^Jq^-j • nor rors which befet me. Re- -, n'r hike me 72c f forever ; nor ^a-^w-ACUC niC /// thy Indig??alJon caft me hi thv All- out from Thee. Let not my SuiTerings extend be- t) yond this Life, nor chaJJife me in thy Anger ^ with the Purgatorial Fire of the Next. 2. Ah ! as thou has't 2. Bccaufe kindly remitted that Guilt ^ ^ by which I had merited thy * ArrOWS thy eternal Difpleafure^ are faftcn^d floop thy Mercy, Gracious God, * 5ff Appendix Tcge i\. iSrj^/z Penitential Psalms. 29 God, yet a little farther, Jn me I And to remit every Punifh- »-pi -i j ment which may detain -'■ ^^^^ ^^^ ^ me, after Death, from laid thy Hand enjoying Thee tho' but ^ ^ for a Minute -, becauje, m - r this Life, thy Arrows of HlC. Compunction are fafterfd in fjte r And fince, in juil Chaftifement of my Sins, T^hou has't laid thy correding Hand hea^oy upon fne here ; O fparc me in thy Clemency hereafter. 3. At prefent. Lord, ^^ ThcrC is thou fee'ft that there is U U1 no Health in my bodily ^^ neaiCll Faculties. Thou ar't Wit- in my Flcfll nefs to the deftruClive Ef- ^^ ^r. Pre- fe(fts of my Crimes, what Ha vock they have wrought ICnCC 01 tliy in my Flefi, and how Wratll : Mv void I am of inward as -p* ^ well as outward Strength, ■OC)neS liave Eafe, and Comfort to nO Rcfplt at bear-up with Steadinefs ^^^ g- j^^ ^^ at the Prefence, at the .O Profpedt which the Con- my SlhS. fcioufnefs of my Faults gives me, of thy Wrath. When I confider how much, how often, I have «o -^ Paraphrase on the have perverfely offended thee ; my Soul is fo convulfed with Grief, with Shame, with Love and Fear, that my very Bone^ have no Rejpt of Peace at the Sight and wretched Remem- brance of my Sins. 4. Bat ah offended Ma- Bccaufc iefty ' How dare I talk of ^ . . . Remembrance to Thee ? my illiqUltieS Thou alone can'ft remem- ^j.^ £■ rOWH ber my manifold Offences J , becaufe my Iniquities are ^DOVC my fo great and fo numerous, Head ; Alld^ that they are grown above j-|^^ ^ weio^h- the Faculties of my poor fc> Head', and have fo ffupi. tj Burdcn, fied and corrupted my ^|^^y ^^^ j^^^ tJnderftanding and Me- -' - mory,thatinvainIfearch COITLC JieaVy the Number and Heinouf- upon mC, nefs of them. Forget them then. Dear gracious God, forget them 5 or affift me to recollect:, to know and to be- wail, them, in a Manner fatisfacSory to Thee. For alas they are fwoln to a Giant-Size and multiplied ' like the Sands of the Sea. A?2d therefore like a weighty Burden they are become (q heavy upon me, that Nothing but thy Grace an(} tov;? Penitential Psalms. 31 land the Proofs I already have of thy infinit Mercy could preferve me from their over- whelming me with Defpair. 5. But what Room ^^ ]y[y ^^y^^ have I, Dear Lord, to •£! j defpond or doubt of thy ai'C pUtriiied Mercy, when thy Good- ^^^J COrrup- nefs thus prevents the fu- j 1 j-ir* ture Severity of thy Ju- *^^^ ? ^^^^ ^^' ftice by punifhing me in iCct Oi my this Life ? Although then Q-yyj^ Follv thy Vengeance purfues me •' fo far, that my Sores, the inveterate Wounds which Sin has made in my Soul, are even ■piitrified and corrupted; I will not complain of Severity in Thee. But, humbly kiffing thy Fatherly Hand which corred^ me, T own, that the (harpefl Miferies I feel in this World are but the deferved EffeB of my own Folly. 6. It is true, indeed, 6. J am bc- ^2X1 am become wretched: Ah how wretched! COmCWretch- Wretched with the Dif- ^^ aild bCHt- orders which my irregular i f- T7 Condua have entail'd up- ^^^^'^^ ^O JiX- on this poor weakly Body s tremitV : I wretched with the finful Habits 52 A F ARAfHK ASE en the Habits Vice has left be- ^^^^^ _ ^^^^^f. hind it in this Mind and ^ r i 11 Heart J and wretched with lOrrOWlul all a Diftafte to all which is (J^^ d^V. good and a Propenfity to all which is corrupt. So that, in Body and in Spirit, oppreft by the unwieldly Weight a?2d bent-do%vn to Rxtremity^ I have no Strength, without Thee, to fhake-ofFthe miferable Clogg which hinders my Soul from centering in Thee It's only Happinefs. O help me then ! For from that Inftant, when thy converting Grace difplay'd me to myfelf in all my Deformity, even to Now, / ijcent about for rowful, nay dif- confolate with Contrition all the day-\oT\^. 7. And the more I look y^ Bccaufe into myfelf, the more, O ^ God, have I Caufe to be- ITiy LoillS are wail the Wickednefs of llU'd With li- my former Life and to im- ^ r- \ \ plore thy Mercy to guard AUllOllS \ And me from myfelf for the tllCrC IS 11 future. Becaufe Such is Up^UU ^ ^,. the cruel Sting, which -"^^ithinmy the Guilt Thou has't Flefll. cleanfcd my Soul from lias left in my Nature, that my Loins are filldiiith perverfe Ilhifions and continual Srjen F EH iTtUT I AL Psalms. 3^ continual Incentives to forbidden Pieafures; and there is no true Health in my Flejh, too much corrupted by criminal Indulgences to be yet recover'd from it's criminal Inclinations to Luxury. 8. Hence is it, O my g. I am af- gracious God, that -^ '^-^ n* o j ■» thus offliBed and forrow- nlCted and ful ; and hence am I now nuillblcd. CX- hiimbled exceedingly in thy j • -1 t Divine Prefence. And CCcdingiy: I what Room have I not roar'd - OUt for the greateft Humili- xylth the ation, Dread Sovereign, ^^ ^ when I confider how foul vJroailS 01 I am in thy Sight ? Look j^y fjcart. then, O Lord, with an Eye of Pity on the Humiliation and Repen- tance thou has't given me, and make me. clean : For to this Purpofe have / roar'd-out •to Thee ivith the Groa?is of Contrition frora my Heart. 9. But why do I fay ^ Lord, all this to Thee, My all-fee- -p. .- ing God ? Thou, Lord, W ^^^^^^ IS knoweft, the Secrets of befor^TheC' all Hearts, and all my De- ^4 -^ Paraphrase en the Jire is before Thee, Thou o«/4 mV knoweft better than Ij , ^ whether my Intention is Groan IS not fo pure and my Sorrow fo J^|JJ^j^ f^^^^ fincere and deep as They ought to be. If they are 1 JlCC. not fo; mend them, O Sovereign Goodnefs, and make them perfectly pleafing to thcc : ^nd tho' my Groan is not hidden from thee^ permit me to alledge it to thee in my Behalf. For to whom fhall I pour-forth my Soul in Hopes of Succour, unlefs to Thee, who fee' ft how much I want it ? lo. Thou knowefl, that, ^^^ MvHcart from the unhappy Hour . ui J when fira I parted with ^ ' troubled ; Innocence, ??iy Heart is niV StrCDgth and ever fince has been l,^\.U fr^rCo troubled with the bittereil ^^^^ lOria- Remorfes of Confcience, kcnmc: Alld as well as with inceflant |-"Up T jcrhf of Tumults of diforderlyAp- -p, ^ petites J that all t?jy Stength ^V -t^V^S it- of Body and Mind Jjath fclf is llOt forfaken me j and that No- y,^\\}y^ ^^ thing is left within me, in Lieu of all my former hatural Vigour, bet natural Seven Penitential Psalms. 35 25atural Impotence of Relolution, Sloth of Spirit and Languidnefs in ferving Thee : Aud- io flrongly have my PalTions confounded th^ Light both of my Underflanding and of tny Eyes, that my Sight itfelf\ if Thou hide it thy enhghtening Grace but for a Minute, is not ivith me but to lead me into Error and Sin. 1 1 . Thou then, Sweet A/fv Saviour, Thou ar't my ^^ . j -^ only Light. And yet alas -t ncndS and how have I not perverfely niV Ncig^h- refiftedthee.'MethiaksI ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^_ heaf thee graeiouily re- proaching Me and all fuch near, and Wretches as I am with ftoo^-Up a- our havmg (after drawing- . -. -*• near Thee, as thyFriends, gaim t HlC. in the ProfelTion of thy Name) bafely ftood-up, like Foes, againft thee, by bringing Scandal on thy facred Faith with our unchriftian Lives. But flill, O lovins: Lord, how often even then did'ft thou re^ proach me, with converting Grace 1 Even then my Friends, the heavenly Legions, with Intercefiion to thy Throne, and Many of thy Minifters, my Neighbours in this Life, •with kind Expoflulation, drezi;-near to lead me g 2 back 3^ A V A-KAVURA^-E on the back to Thee from whom I wander'd. Andy only when conilrain'd by my untowardly Ccndud, Jlood-up againjl me with the Arms of Cenfure. Still All was loft on this unyielding Heart, till thy more powerful Mercy bid it freely melt. 12. Alas! How fre- j^. And quently have I not veri- ^- . fied thy fadly facred Pro- ■•- ^^^ y ^110 phecy, that They, who are WCrC llCar iieareft Thee in the Con- ■ ^^^^ feffion of the Lip would . _ ftand the fartheft off Thee atar-OtT; and in the Zeal of Anions! XhcV who How frequently have I, a r« i Chriftian, nay a Catholic lOUgllt my One, flood farJier-ofF thy Life, ufcd holy Praaice than Many Y^qJ^j^^^ •who externally are plunged in Error I More bafe Myfelf in undermining thus the Honour of thy Name than They, who bafely fought thy Life with open Violence. And hence what Wonder is it, that All, who love thy facred Laws, that Catholics, They, ivho icere neareji me in Faith, Jlocd afar-off Wnh. Horror of my inconfiftent Life ? Nay and that They\ %vho fought my Life to fave it to Eternity, the Saints Se^'en Penitential Psalm=. 37 Saints in Heaven and Earth, i/fed Violence to themfelves to difcontinue their kind Offices and /liun all Converfe with a Sinner fo un- gratefully perverfe as Me. Had'ft Thou too fhunn'd me, O my Saviour; or had'ft thou not ufed the facred fee ret Stratagems of thy ineffable Wifdom to fave me; what mufl have become of me ! ^ I j. But what, My Sa- ^^^ ^^^ viour, ftill terrifies me ,_p- ^ more, is, to refled, that J- ^^J-) ^^'ho Many of thy Enemies as foU^ht me well as mine: Both They, J^^^.^^ f J.^ who fought to lelien thy -i-^ -• /- 1 j Authority, and They, who -T^lic - hOOd, fought to do me Harm y and ftudy'd fioke Faljhood, taking oc- j^^^g-^^ ^y Gallon from my Ill-Be- haviour to throw their tilC JL/2.y. Scandal on that facred Faith which I difgraced by owning and not living-up to. And ah how often (Thou beft knoweft) have they not Jludyd thence Deceits againft it all the Day I And how fhall I, Dread Lord, atone for all this Mifchief, but by re- curring to thy Mercy for the Means ? 14. How 38 A Paraphrase on the 14. How many times, 14. Butl^ aS Dear Lord, has't Thou ^ ^ ' been perfonally reviled 5 a Ueat-Mail, while Thou, as if deprived did HOthear: of all Senfation, has't nei- A.^^^ V^Z."^ aS ther made Reply nor j 1 r) feem'd to hear 1 But ah ! a duniD T Cr- it was not for want of ^^^ who Hearing, nor of Truths to 1 . juftify thyfelf. It was Pa- OpCDS llOt hlS titnce, Meeknefs, Charity MoUth. andGoodnefs which feem- in<^ly ftopp'd thy Mouth and fhut thy Ears to make me open mine to thy Defence and Praife, But /, alaa, as ^ Deaf-Man^ whofe Ears are affected by no Sounds, ftdod fo profoundly filent, that, when I fhould have ftopt the Revilings of thy Enemies, / did not, would not, hear. And tho' my evil Life gave fre- quent Caufe to Heretics to fcandalize thy Church, inftead of making Reparation for the public Scandal, by publicly acknowledging my Sin, Iii:a$ as a dumb Perfon^ ivho opens not his Mouth. 15. ^Wfuchan inve- jr And I terate Habit of criminal Deafnefs did confcious becaiTie aS a Guilt, Seven Penitential Psalms. 39 Guilt, falfe Shame, and jyja^i-i wlin DifTipatioM beget in mei -, ^ that I became at length a^ ClOtn HOt a Man who really doth not \\^2iX ' and hear-j deaf to the loud 1 1 Reproaches of my finful ^^^^" ^^^ t Confcience; deaf to the RcprOofs itl public Out-cry which my ^jg ^^^^j^ icandalous Conduct railed againft my-felf; deaf to the Defamation It brought upon thy holy fpotlefs Church ; and ah! Deaf to all thy Graces, Calls and endearing Invitations to Repentance Not that I lofs'd the Senfe of Hearing ; but that the hideous Voice of Sin pleafed my in- feded Organs better than thy heavenly Voice, Divine Charmer, fweetly Charming with Wifdom and Goodnefs ! y^nd therefore alas was I dumb too as a Man who hath ?20 Re- proofs in his Mouth. For, O my God ! How could I be otherwife ? With what Fruit could 1 reprove or file nee thy Enemies, by praifing and confefTing Thee with my Lips, while my profligate Acftions were a Denial of thee in Fad:? 16. But now, dear God 6. Bccaufe and baviour, prajied be -j--, thy Name for it forever, iHave hopcd thy f5f^ Appendix Page 2,2. 4© A Par A p H R AS E £?;? /^(? thy Goodnefs has gain'd \i^ ThcC O over me an ample Vid:ory -p . , *^Y^ of Lovei and now be- -Lorcl ; 1 HOU hold me all thy own. WlFt hear Thouar':myfo!eD.fire, q ^^^^ and all my Hopes and ^ Wiflies are center'd in my GoD. Thee. Wherefore, becaufe I have hoped in *^Ihee^ O Lord^ I will prefume to intreat thy Mercy to forgive me all thefe Tranfgreffions, and guard me with the Gift of Perfeverance from offending Thee again. And Thou^ who giveft me this Holy Confidence, wilt add the farther Mercy, to hear me, when I fue to Thee. For Thou, Lord^ ar't my All-gracious God. 17. For this Reafon, ly, For I fince my Converfion to /- ? 1 T Thee, full of Confidence l^^Y d^LCt llOt in thy efficacious Grace, / my EnCmicS fafd and fay, in the abun- j-^ JqJ^q OVCr dance of my Fervor : Let '^ not my Enemies, the Ene- ^^ ^^ aiiy mies of my Salvation, re- timC \ And joice and infolently tri- 1 •! umph over f}ie, on account J of the Follies and Vices I FcCt tOttCr, have. Seven Penitential Psalms. 41 have, at any thne, been f-Kpy rr)Olr ' thy paternal for ScOUrffeS: Scourges mints, L,\ic, For, r^ - n fo I may but Efcape thy aild myCrnef Vengeance in the Next, is continually I care not who looks . 0* U down with Contempt and 1-^ ^'^Y ^^g^^-. Ridicule upon me. To this End do I daily, h nay 42 A Paraphrase on the nay hourly, gi-ieve that ever I difpkafed Thee % and my Grief is continually in 7ny Sight, ,9. And why Ihould 19. Becaufcl Men revile me and not .,, j ^ rather rejoice and be '^^111 deCiare pleafed (Ah my God! my Tlliquity, did they know and love ', , • , Thee, they would) k- ^l^Cl tLlllk Oil caufe I u-ill declare wy my Sill. Iniquity and^ without ceaf- ing, think on my Sin : that Habitude in Sin by which I fo long perfifted in offending Thee without Ceafe ; and will think on it to repent of and atone for it, and to avoid repeating it. 20. 5w^ Ml, O God, alas 20 But lllV my formerly Comrades in ^ . *^ Sin, but now my fpiritual liliemiCS llVC Enemies, live and perfifl ^X\di aiC in their Iniquity j a?2d be- caufe I have turn'd from g^'OWn pOW- Thcm to ffiiow Thee, erfulovermc; are now grc^^n po^^erful ^^^ Thcv over me, in taunting me ^ ^ and reviling my Repen- who hate mC tance. And ^hey, ui^o ^^^njuftiy, arC had Reafon to have hated -\ . •'. me fcr finning and did mUitipiied. not. Seven Penitential Psalms. 43 not, and only now hate me unjufily for leaving Sin, are multipliedhtyondi my Power to labour at reforming them. O Thou, Dear Saviour, then, who knoweil them, convert and pardon them ! But fafter not their Taunts to fhake my Faith to Thee. 21. Thou knoweft, 'yi Lord, how They, who re- ' j^ turn Evil for Good, They who rctum who, as I alas too often "pyjl fVx^ have done, pervert the g^ \ n Befl of Adions into Scan- CjOOQ, llan- dal and Obloquy, have (J^f'd mC* bc- jlander'd me. How do T T -T 1 they fneer and call me C^^lC 1 tol- unfteady Fool, becaufe I low'd Good- have forfaken Evil and r follow' d thy attracting Voice, O Fountain of all Goodnefs I How do they feoff, deride, and call in queftion my Senfe, Sincerity, and Perfeverance ! But fhall I let their Sneers prevail to overcome my Con- ftancy? Ah forbid it, gracious Jesus! And rather let me blufh to death to find my felf fo little arm'd with Fortitude as to be troubled at them. h 2 22. Ah! 44 -^ P A R A P H R A S E C;Z //iif 22.Ah?Iimp!oreThee ,,. Forfakc then , jorjake tne not with ^^ thyAffiflance,Oicr^,my HlC llOt, O Saviour and my God I T)e- Lord. ITIV fart net J tho' but for an ^>, -p^ Inflant, fr&7}i me with thy ^O D . 1>C- Grace. For, without partllOtfrom Thee, what am I ? A mere forlorn and linful Thing, wcrfe, infir^itly worfe, than Nothing. 23. Attend then mer- Attend cifully to my Help, tj i Lord, For, without thy tO my rlclp Affiftance, I can do no- O Lord;, the thing; no not call upon q^^^ ^£ thee : Whereas, with That ^ J I can do all Things. . Salvatioil. Vouchfafe then, Dear Re- deemer, to remember, that Thou ar't the God of my Salvation. O give' me therefore Grace to merit that I may find a Jesus in Thee ! Glory be to Thee, O QJory bc tO Immenfity of the Father, \^ JJ' \^ reaching from End to End ^^^ •'- "-tnCi , ftrongly; a?jd toThtQ, O and tO thc infinit Knowledge of the Son^ Se'ven Penitential Psalm?. 4^ Son, difpofing all Things ^ ^^^^ ^^ Iweeulyj ana to Thee ^ ^ 1 tt ineffable Charity of the thc Holy- Holy-Ghoft, inflaming All Ghoft. with efficacious Grace and Love ! And may all Glory be paid you, O lacred Tri- nity, y]s it was in the Be- ginnings when this Re- demption was decreed j h now by the Grace reap'd from it by all Faithful Chriftians and which all ^yifhout End Men might reap 5 and ever . JJ:all be by the Glory, Ameil. which All, who make a right Ufe of it, fhall be lifted to in that World, which will fubfifl without End. Amen, my God and Saviour, jbnen : Be it fo 3 Amen, As it was in the Begin- ning, is now, and ever fliall be. World The 46 u?^ P A R A P H R A S E 0« /y&^ ne PRAYER. God of my Salvation ! gracioufly vouchfafw to turn-away thy angry Eyes from mylniquities. No longer keep in mind the Number of my Crimes to puniih them : But rather blot them out forever. Accept the Punifliment^ Thou has't already infliited on me^, as a full Atone- ment for my paft Offences; and condefcend, in pity to my Weaknefs, to relax thy juft Se- verity to me. Remember, Deareft Sovereign, what I am ; and be not ftill incenfed againft a Worm, a Wretch, a Thing of Nought. Seven Penitential Psalms. 47 N cuaht. Look down and view my Sufferings, not the Guiit which brought them on me ; for That Thou has't forgiven. Or, if Thou do'ft behold my Sins ; view my Repentance too. I fee my Faults ; confefs them ; and, with utmoft Bitternefs of Soul, bewail them. O Pardon then. Dear Saviour, Pardon ! And, as I pray toThee with lively Hope; be pleafed to hear my Pravers with fpeedy Mercy. See how the fad Remembrance of my for- mer Life afflicts me, and how I grieve at all the Scandals I have ^iven. O conceal them and all the bad Effedls of them both in myfelf and Others I Come, God 4^ A Pa R A P H R A S E e;? //5,f God of MercieS;, comC;, and eafe this troubled Heart ! For furely It is contrite. O heal this proud rebellious Fleili ; and mitigate the Ills I feel ! Though,, if it be thy blelTed Pleafure to have me fuffer-^on; thy Will, not mine^ be done. Still, Savi- our of my Soul, accept thefe Sufferings in exchange for All which 1 might otherwife be doom'd to fuller after Death. Let me notfaffer in this World and in the Other too. But fly to my Afliftance with thy Grace, and help me to fuftain what- ever Sicknefs, Lofl'es, Difap- pointments, Injuries and Scorn, Thou pleafeft to chailife me with in ^f-u^^z Penitential Psalms. 49 in this Life; and teach me to bear them with fuch a Fortitude and chearful Steadinefs of Love for Thee as may be pleafmg to Thee ; that^ when Thou pleafefl: to releafe me hence, I may, without one Minute's long De- lay, be lifted to enjoy and ho- nour Thee forever : Amen, FOURTH 50 A P A R A P H R A 5 E ^;? //i^' FOURTH Penitential Psalm. Paraphrase. Psalm. 5 <^^ I- ^^m- LORD, whofe i. M!^^ j^^y-R Mer. O ^\ Property is al- ways to have Pity and to fpare, Ha'-ce CV Oil ITIC- O mercy on me, a miferable cr^^ arnn^r- binner. And as Ihou , -' cameil: not to call the dillg tO thy Jufl but Sinners to Re- ore^t ATcrrV pentancej ah! gracioufly ^ condefcend to fave me, God, and according to thy great Mercy accept my Repentance. For Thou, Lord, who has'c given it to me, knoweft how true it is. 2. And therefore fince 2. And clC- Thou wil't not the Death - . of a Sinner, but rather, COrdlllg tO that He be converted and tllC Mlllti- live; accept, Dear Lord, ^^^^ ^£ t , the Converlion Thou has't ^ J wrought in me, according v^OlTlp^lIiOnSj ^ ' to S€V€?i Penitential Psalms. ^i U the infinit Multitude of Klof^Oiif m\r thy tender Compajjions ; and t • • ^ blot-out my Iniquity^ fo iniquity. tJiat the leaft S^ain of Sin, or AfFedion to It, may no longer remain in me. 3. It has pleafed thy ^_ Walll lllC preventing Goodnefs to ^.-- make me clean from the H-IaI 11101 C Guilt of my paft Offen- fVoill IHV Illi- ces: O let it then pleafe • ^ j thy preventing Clemency 1 j '> to iDafi me fiill more from cleailfc llie my Iniquity, by removing i^^^^^ ^^y ^^^^ from me every Inclination ^ to relapfe j and fo cleanfe me from my Sin as to make every Occafion of offending Thee again more horrible to me than Death. 4. Thou fee'ft, My ^^ Bccaufe I frracious God, that I nei- , ti 1 ^her feek to hide nor ex- ackllOwlcdge cufe my Offences. O let my Illiquity; my Lord then be no longer ^^.^J g*^^ iiacenfed againfl: me, be- , ^ . caufe I acbioivledge my IS aiWayS DC- Iniquity v/ith utmofi: De- fQ^-^ JYIC teflation of it j a?2d am fo far from forgetting the Guilt which thy tender i 2 Complacency '52 ^ Paraph RASE o« //j grievous Fault: And of- and OVer- ten alas too often, have ^^^^^ ^\^^^ balely done, without a Blufh fuch Evil before ThoU 2X t *Thee^ as I {hould have jvid^ed. blufli'd to do before the ^ ^ Meaneft of thy human Creatures, This I confefs to Thee, my God, Vvith the moil bit- ter Sorrow and fincereft Compunction ; that Thou ?nay fh&nct find room to forgive me and, forgiving, be found fuft in fulfilling thy Words by * '^eg Appendix Vage 37, Seven Penitential Psalms. ^^ by which Thou has't promifed, if the Wicked return to Thee with all his Heart, Thou wil't have Compaffion on him; and that Thou may'ft triumph and overcome the impenitent Wicked, ivbe^i thou ar't prefumptuouflyy^^^^-^ and impiouily accufed of unjufl FartiaHty in forgiving Me and not Them. 6. Alas my God! What ^ For Rp am I in thy Sight but a ^ Lump of Uncleannefs and nOld 1 WaS Filth? I own it, Lordj conCcived ill for Behold I was conceived j . in the Wretchednefs of iHiqUltieS ; original Iniquities', and and ill SinS /;/ the very Heat of Con- j • j -* #■ cupifcence and Pronenefs ^^^ ^ ^^^'' of Nature to 6'/«j, did my therCOnCeivC Mother coitceive me. And hence is derived that na- tive Propenfity which hurries me on, towards all which is corrupt and linful. 7. I fay not this, Lord, For Bc- to extenuate the Heniouf- . , , ^, nel^ of my Crimes, but to i^^^d i hOU magnify the Praifes due h^s't loVcd to thy Mercy For Be- ^^.^^j^ . ^j^, hold T^hou hast always loved 54 ^ P A R A P H R A S E O;? //5