Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne Comprehending those seuen Psalmes of the Princelie Prophet David, commonlie called Poenitentiall; framed into a forme of familiar praiers, and reduced into meeter by William Hunnis ... Whereunto are also annexed his Handful of Honisuckles; the Poore Widowes Mite; a Dialog between Christ and a sinner; diuers godlie and pithie ditties, with a Christian confession of and to the Trinitie; newly printed and augmented |
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Domine ne in furore. Psal. 38.
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 | Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne |  |
20
Domine ne in furore. Psal. 38.
1. The first part.
1
Within my soule, ô Lord,doe manie troubles spring,
Sometime by feare of punishment,
that temprall things may bring:
2
Which happen may to mewhile I this life abide,
For mine offenses done to thee,
which cannot passe vnspide:
21
3
Sometime, ô Lord, by feareof sicknes and disease,
Which here we suffer for his guilt,
that first did thee displease.
4
Sometime againe by feareof death that follow must,
Which in a time vnlooked for
shall al consume to dust:
5
And last by feare, ô Lord,of euerlasting paine,
Which I by sin haue well deserud,
therein for to remaine.
6
But yet, ô blessed Lord,when thou shalt angrie be,
Infurie thine correct me not,
nor poure thy wrath on me.
7
And though thy bow be bent,with arrow set therein,
And ready thou my soule to wound,
for my committed sin:
8
Yet let thy mercie mouewith ruth on me I craue;
Because thou knowest I cannot giue
the thing that I not haue.
9
For thou must first me giue,Yer I can giue to thee;
For of my selfe and from my selfe,
comes but iniquitie.
10
Thine arrowes I confesse,so deepe haue pearst my heart,
22
can seuer them apart.
11
For if by craft I mightthese wounds make whole againe,
And so escape eternal death,
and euerlasting paine;
12
My feare should be the lesse,my ioy a great deale more:
But thou, ô Lord, the leach must be,
for sicknesse mine and sore.
13
Thine hands thou hast inforstso heauy vpon me,
As death with dart I know right well,
cannot auoided be.
14
O death, vnto the manthat substance hath at wil,
How sharpe and bitter is thy dart,
when thou comst him to kill?
15
Lord in my flesh I feele,no health there is at all:
For when I thinke most sure to stand,
I rediest am to fall.
16
But blessed are those men,which neuer did offend
In sinfull lusts; but haue themselues
kept cleane vnto the end.
17
For in their soules they findgreat quietnesse and rest,
And euery thing they take in hand,
doth turne vnto the best.
23
18
But contrarie to those,that spend the daie and night,
In exercise of wickednesse,
and take therein delight.
19
For they in conscience feelesuch busines, broile, and strife,
That for to thinke vpon their sin,
a hel is to their life.
20
O Lord, among those sort,my selfe haue gone astraie,
And from the face of anger thine,
could neuer flee awaie.
21
Yet thou hast suffered me,and giuen me grace at last,
For to acknowledge al my faults,
and wicked life now past.
22
My bones were void of rest,by reason of my sin:
And all my bodie greeued was,
without and eke within.
23
Sinne may wel be compardevnto a serpent vile,
Which with his bodie, head, and taile,
doth manie one begile,
24
For where the serpents head,to enter doth begin
There al the bodie with the taile,
apace comes sliding in.
25
The motion first to sinne,vnto the head applie,
24
then is the bodie nie.
26
The fact once being done,then is the serpents taile
With head and bodie entred in,
where he must needs preuaile.
27
For why this serpent sinneso high himselfe doth reare,
Aboue mine head, the weight of whom
is more then I can beare.
28
And this by sufferance came,by licence that I gaue,
This serpents head into my soule
his entrance first to haue,
29
For now hath he brought inhis bodie, taile, and al;
And therwith doth surcharge my soule
that she is like to fal.
30
The burthen is so great,that many times (alas)
She is compeld to do the thing
she would not bring to passe.
31
Too hard it is for methis serpent to expel,
It must be thou ô mightie king,
the strength of Israel.
32
Thou that the diuels drauest forthout of the men possest,
Vouchsafe this serpent to expel,
and set my soule at rest.
25
33
Thy grace must worke in meto be contrite in hart,
And this from thee, to me must come,
withouten my desart.
34
My bones corrupted are,and putriside so sore,
By reason of my follies past,
that wo is me therefore.
35
The marks of mine old sins,doo rotten waxe againe,
And fresh and greene they doo appeare,
to further more my paine.
36
By reason of my sinne,I am a wretch become,
Setting my mind on earthly things,
like beast both brute and dum.
37
And crooked am I made,vnto the very end;
The daie throughout continuallie
with wo and greefe I spend.
38
Because I am throwne down,and not compeld thereto;
No violence did me inforce
thus wickedly to doo.
39
It was my will, which ledintelligence awry.
And that which reason willed me,
the same did I denie,
40
Will is the middle part,Lord of my soule I know:
26
did reason ouerthrow
41
Wherby my loines are ful,that is, my flesh to saie,
Repleat is with illusions,
that me deceiue alwaie.
42
Ah wicked flesh of mine,that doth my soule intise;
Thou hurtst thy selfe, offendst my God,
by thy lewd exercise.
43
And by this lust of mine,no health is in my flesh,
For sin my soule and body greeues
still day by daie afresh.
44
My soule tormented is,by sight of mind vncleane;
My bodie weake and feeble brought,
through lust made bare and leane,
45
Thus I afflicted sore,and weary low am brought,
And am a bondman vnto sinne,
in word, in deede, and thought.
46
This sinne so setled is,that it will not depart,
Which causeth me To rore and crie
with sorrow from my hart,
47
O Lord the great desire,that doth proceed from me,
And mourning much that I do make,
not hidden is from thee.
27
48
Thy sight is of great strength,for end thereof is none,
And be the distance nere so far,
thy power and strength is one.
49
Thy sight, O God, attainsto distant al that bee,
And makes no change of more or lesse,
as is with vs we see.
50
My heart is troubled sore,my strength is gone me fro;
Likewise the sight of both mine eies,
from me is gone also.
51
The tribulations great,wherewith my sinful hart
Is vext, and troubled night and daie,
about in euerie part.
52
Is, Lord, forfeare of thee,and of thy punishment,
Which thou shalt render vnto me,
for this my life mispent.
53
O Lord, remooue from me,this cloudie mist of mine,
And with thy grace and mercy mixt
annoint my dusked cine;
54
That I the way may see,wherein thou hast delight,
And in the same my steps direct,
to walke both daie and night,
Amen
28
The second part.
[1]
My wretchednes, O Lord,is more then may be said,
Its not alone the greefe of hart,
that maketh me dismaid.
2
Ne feeblenes of strength,deprest with vices all,
Nor in the blindnesse of my soule,
which readie is to fall,
3
But otherwise it coms.and stil increaseth more,
That is, where I thought comfort find,
is turned to my sore.
4
My friends and neighbours Lord,in whom I put my trust,
Against me altogither stood,
and shewd themselues vniust,
5
And they that stood me next,far off got them away;
And such as waited for my life,
set on me as a praie.
6
The force of wicked feends,O Lord, is verie strong:
No earthly power is like to theirs,
if thou them suffer long
7
To exercise their force,on sinners al that bee,
Not one among ten thousand shal
be left aliue to thee.
29
8
They study to deceiue,by wordly pleasures vaine,
And ioies such as the flesh desires,
to bring vs endlesse paine.
9
These Lord haue sought for me,and wrought me ill the while,
And with deceitfull vanities,
did daily me beguile.
10
Lord many times I feele,when I thus tempted am,
Such pleasures spring, I ioy thereat,
not looking whence they came.
11
Or at the least, O Lord,I would not vnderstand,
Ne see the snares for me were laid,
to bring me vnderhand.
12
The pleasures of the fleshso sweet sounds in mine eare,
That what is spoken there against,
I list not for to heare.
13
But as one being deafe,with silence passe away,
And as a man that dumbe is borne,
haue not a word to say.
14
Indeed I must confessemy selfe I haue not sought,
Nor spake against my wickednesse
in such sort as I ought.
15
But as one deafe and dumbe,that sin no time would blame,
30
how to auoid the same.
16
Yet true it is, O Lord,let man his faults confesse,
With sighs and sorrow from his hart,
he did thy lawes transgresse.
17
Yea let him do his best,and satisfaction make;
And yet if he be void of hope,
thou wilt him sure forsake.
18
For Iudas sorrow made,when he had thee betraid,
And did restore the siluer backe,
and downe againe it laid.
19
He openly confest,he sinned greeuouslie,
In that he had falslie betraid
the innocent to die;
20
And wanting hope, we see,into despaire he fel,
And hangd himselfe vpon a tree,
among the rauens to dwel.
21
Hope is the gift, O Lord,that from thy grace proceeds,
And grace brings faith, and faith brings loue
from which brings fruitfull deeds.
22
And for because that Idid alwaies hope in thee,
Thou wilt me heare, ô Lord my God,
and safe deliuer me.
31
23
My hope is firmely fixt,and cannot be remooude;
Because thy grace assureth me,
my faith is not reprooude.
24
Thus haue I said, ô Lord,least any time at all,
Mine enemies should ouer me
triumph to see me fall.
25
For whiles my feet did slide,against me much they spake;
That is to saie, whiles my desires,
the waie to sinne did take,
26
And were from thee remooudeto follow lothsome lust;
Then did mine enemies reioice,
to see me in the dust.
27
But Lord, I me submit,vnto thy discipline,
And meekely take correction thine,
for old offenses mine.
28
And haue my selfe prepardvnto the whip of paine,
Whereby my griefe and dolour may
stil in my sight remaine.
29
And Lord thou knowest of old,there is no good in me;
Not one man good vpon the earth,
not one seeke after thee.
30
Among thy chosen sort,vnfaithfulnes was found,
32
were thousands cast to ground:
31
Then how much more, alas,of wretches such as I,
That dwel in houses made of clay,
must sinne continuallie?
32
I will confesse to theeall mine vngodlinesse,
And for my sinnes wil take more thought
than any can expresse.
33
And yet O Lord thy gracemust worke this good in me;
By which I stedfast lie beleeue
I chosen am of thee.
34
For now by grace I mindmy sinfull life t'amend,
And vnto vertue will applie
my selfe vnto the end.
35
I see the follies past,wherein I tooke delight,
To be both vile, wicked and nought,
and odious in thy sight.
36
And though my foes do liue,and ouer me made strong,
And they which hated me are great
and do me treble wrong:
37
No maruel it's, O Lord,for why they mighty be,
And are except thy grace assist,
too strong alwaies for me.
33
38
They haue long time deuisddeceitful crafty gins,
And by the same haue ouerthrowne
the strongest in their sins.
39
If any time I fleerepentance for to find,
Then one of these malicious spirits
assaileth straight my mind;
40
And with deuises new,and frauds that be vnknowne
He craftilie doth me subdue,
and so makes me his owne.
41
Thus Lord when I am bent,thy goodnesse to pursue,
Mine enemies do me detract,
and breed my bale anew.
42
The wicked feend (alas)doth many times me greeue;
The world also doth follow me
the daies I haue to liue.
43
The flesh doth me prouokewith lust both lewd and nought:
Thus by these three mine enemies
I am in thraldome brought.
44
Yet, Lord, forsake me not,ne let thy grace depart;
Least that mine enemies vnwares
do thorough pearse mine hart.
45
And though sometime, O Lord,thy presence thou withdraw,
34
and bring me more in aw.
46
Yet Lord, thy grace restoreto me poore wretch againe,
That I thereby may him resist,
to make his trauel vaine.
47
Giue heed therefore my God,which art my helpe and health,
Whose mercy and whose goodnes shewd
is to my soule cheefe wealth,
48
Giue temporal health, O Lord,as vnto thee seemes best,
And to my soule thy sauing health,
in heauen with thee may rest,
Amen.
| Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne | |