University of Virginia Library

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To the Queenes Maiesties Highnesse.

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The Author.

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The first Meditation.

[Ah helples wretch! what shall I doo?]

The gates of hel wide open stand,
for to receiue me in,
And feareful feends alreadie be,
to torment me for sin.
Alas, where shall I succor find?
the earth doth me denie,
And to the sacred heauens aboue,
I dare not lift mine eie.
If heauen and earth shal witnesse be,
against my soule for sin,

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Vntimely birth (alas) for me,
much better then had bin.
And now despaire approcheth fast,
with bloudie murdring knife,
And willeth me to end my griefes,
by shortening of my life.
Shal I despaire? thou God forbid,
for mercie more is thine,
Than if the sinnes of all the world
were linked now with mine.
Despise not then most louing Lord,
the image of thy face,
Which thou hast wrought and deerelie bought
with goodnes of thy grace.
And sith the bloudie price is paid,
and bitter paines al past;
Receiue my plaints, accept my spirit,
and mercie grant at last:

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The 2. meditation.

[Thou God that rulst & rainst in light]

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The 3 meditation.

[Before thy face and in thy sight]

Before thy face and in thy sight,
haue I, deuoid of shame,
O Lord transgressed willinglie,
I doo confesse the same.
Yet was I loth that men should know,
or vnderstand my fall,
Thus feard I man, much more than thee
thou righteous iudge of all.
So blind was I and ignorant,
yea rather wilful blind,
That suckt the combe, and knew the Bee
had left the sting behind.
My sinnes, O God, to thee are knowne,
there is no secret place,
Where I may hide my selfe or them,
from presence of thy face.
Where shal I then my selfe bestow?
or who shal me defend?
None is so louing as my God;
thy mercies haue no end.

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In deed I grant, and do confesse
my sinnes so heinous bee,
As mercie none at all deserues:
but yet thy propertie
Is alwaies to be mercifull,
to sinners in distresse;
Whereby thou wilt declare and shew
thy great almightinesse.
Haue mercie Lord on me therefore,
for thy great mercies sake;
Which camst not righteous men to call,
but sinners part to take:

The 4 meditation.

[Most gratious God, doo not behold]

Most gratious God, doo not behold
the number of my sin,
Ne yet consider with thy selfe
how wicked I haue bin;
But rather thinke I am but dust,
or as the withered haie,
Which flourisheth to daie in field,
to morrow shorne awaie.
my flesh rebels against the spirit,
my spirit too weake is found,
By sinne conceiu'd in mothers wombe,
my soule first caught his wound,

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My flesh is fraile, too weake and vaine,
to do the thing I should,
And what I would not, that do I,
contrarie that I would.
Thou seest, O Lord, how weake I am,
not able for to stand
Without the succour, helpe and aid
of thy most mightie hand.
And what is he that wil not staie
the man thats like to fall?
Or wil refuse the sicke to helpe,
for helpe when he doth call?
If thou wilt laie vnto my charge,
the burden of my sin,
O Lord, the conquest is but small,
that thou thereby shalt win.
For why, thy glory and thy praise,
in mercie doth consist,
Vnto the which I yeeld my selfe,
to do with what thou list.

The 5. meditation.

[If I demaund what mercie is]

If I demaund what mercie is,
thou God wilt answere me,
That mercie is th'abundance great
of thy diuine pitie.

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Wherewith thou vewst th'afflicted sort,
that on the earth doo lie:
And what is this compassion then,
but proofes of thy mercie?
Our fathers old the same haue felt,
and now in rest doo raine,
And thou art stil the selfe same God,
for euer to remaine.
Our fathers were conceiude in sin,
and so are we likewise:
Wilt thou compassion shew on them,
and children theirs despise?
One faith in Christ we al professe,
one God in persons three,
As thou compassion hadst on them,
compassion haue on mee.
Ponder, O God, my harts desire,
most humblie doo I craue;
And doo away al my misdeeds,
and so compassion haue.
And as of sinners many a one,
whose number is vnknowne,
Thou didst vouchsafe to draw to thee,
and make them all thine owne:
So now vouchsafe most gentle God,
likewise to draw me in,
And make me righteous by thy grace,
forgiuing me my sin.

So shall my soule reioice, reioice,
and stil for mercie crie,

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Peccaui, peccaui,
miserere mei.

The 6. Meditation.

[Most mightie God, I do confesse]

Most mightie God, I do confesse,
ten thousand and times and more,
Thou hast me washed from my sinne.
and salued still my sore:
But I through sinne am falne againe,
and fowler now am made,
Than euer was the filthie swine
with mier ouerlade.
How oftentimes shall we forgiue,
ech other that offend;
Seuentie times seuen, the scripture saith,
which signifies no end.
If man to man such fauour shew.
that wretched caitiues bee,
How much more thou, O gratious God,
to them that call on thee.
It is thy nature to forgiue,
my nature can but fall;
Though thou be iust in al thy works,
thy mercie passeth all.
What time a sinner doth repent,
and turnes to thee at last,
Al sinnes fore doone thou wilt forget,
thy promise so hath past.
Behold, o God, I turne to thee,
with sorrow for my sin,

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And doo repent euen from my hart,
that I so lewd haue bin.
Now wash me Lord yet once againe
with fountaine of thy grace,
That I among thy sacred saints,
with thee may haue a place.

The 7. meditation.

[Like as the guiltie prisoner stands]

Like as the guiltie prisoner stands
before the iudge so tride,
With quaking breath, and shiuering lims
his iudgement to abide:
Euen so, O God, before thy face
in feareful state I stand,
And guiltie crie to thee my iudge,
and now hold vp my hand.
Nothing haue I to plead for life,
no goodnesse is in me,
Of sinne, deceit, and wickednesse,
guiltie, good Lord, guiltie.
Thus by thy righteous doome, O God,
and sacred law diuine,
Condemnd am I to endlesse paine,
through iust deserts of mine.
Alas, what then is to be said,
or what is to be doone:

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For mercie yet wil I appeale,
to Iesu Christ thy sonne.
For neuer yet hath it beene heard,
since first the world began,
That Iesu Christ did turne his face,
from any sinfull man
Which vnto him for mercie came,
with sad repentant mind:
O Lord shal I then be the first
that shal no mercie find?
Shal I be he thou wilt despise,
that humblie comes to thee?
No no, sweet Christ thy promise is
for to deliuer mee: