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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| 1. | The first part. |
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 | Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne |  |
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.
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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.
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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
| Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne | |