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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 | Seuen Sobs of a Sorrowful Soule for Sinne |  |
51
A Dialog betweene Christ and a Sinner.
Christ.Arise from sin thou wicked man,
before the trump dooth sound:
Least thou among the guiltie sort,
a damned soule be found.
My sheepe why doost thou persecute?
my lambs why dost thou kill?
My selfe why dost thou crucifie,
52
Arise I saie, arise, arise.
Sinner
What fearefull thundring voice is this,
that soundeth in mine eare:
Which bids me rise, and brings my soule,
and all hir powers in feare?
Christ
It is the voice of him thy iudge,
that shall thy iudger bee:
Which bids thee rise while sunne dooth shine,
53
For after sunne be set in shade,
and darksome clouds appeere:
Too late is then for to arise,
if thou arise not heere.
Arise I saie, arise, arise.
Sinner.
O Lord by grace I now behold,
wherein I did offend.
Christ.
What made thee thus against my saints,
54
Sinner
It was my fault through ignorance,
by which I might not chuse.
Christ.
And yet I saie thine ignorance,
shall not thy faults excuse.
Sinner.
By grace I am repentant made
wilt thou not mercie haue?
Christ.
If thou by grace repentant bee,
55
Sinner.
O Lord blot out my filthie deeds,
and clense mee from my sinne:
Christ.
Arise and walke, thou art made cleane
as thou beleeu'st therein.
56
Another dialog betweene Christ and a sinner, to be soong as the former.
CHRIST.Awake frō sleep and watch awhile,
prepare your selfe to praie;
For I mine angell will send foorth
to sound the iudgement daie;
That mine elect and chosen sort
might find my saieng true:
How that the time I shorten will,
for them and not for you.
Awake I saie, awake, awake.
SINNER.
And yet, ô Lord, the little whelps
would licke the crums that fall
The chosen sort are very few,
but many doost thou call.
CHRIST.
I call to you that will not heare,
I stretch mine armes at large,
For to embrace such as doo come,
and all your sinnes discharge.
Wherefore if you refuse to come,
I will you then forsake;
57
and them my children make:
Awake therefore and rise from sleepe,
awake, I say, awake.
SINNER.
Not so, good Lord, thy mercie far
aboue our sinnes abound.
CHRIST.
And yet I will a iusticer
in iustice mine be found.
SINNER.
Thy promise is to pardon sinne,
and therein art thou iust.
CHRIST.
Your sinnes repent, and praie therefore
in vaine is els your trust.
SINNER.
O Lord thy grace must this performe,
or else it cannot be.
CHRIST.
My grace you haue, the same applie,
and blessed shall you be.
SINNER
Through this sweet grace, thy mercie
we humblie doo require
58
By mercie mine I you forgiue,
and grant this your desire.
AMEN.
A Conflict betweene the Spirit and the Flesh in the Soule of Man.
SPIRIT.My soule giue eare to me thy spirit,
of that I say to thee;
Forsake the pleasures of thy flesh,
and ioine thy selfe with me:
Thy flesh is filthy, fraile, and fon
and nought but sinne containes;
Whose due deserts through wickednesse
is euerlasting paines.
FLESH.
My soule not so great proofe thou hast
of pleasures that I bring;
59
and euery other thing:
Forsake me not but ioine with mee,
which am thy flesh and bone.
For I the receptacle am
of all thy powers echone.
SPIRIT.
If thou after thy flesh wilt go,
then surely shalt thou die;
If thou wilt walke with me thy spirit,
we will him mortifie:
For thou betweene vs both art plast,
and at thy libertie,
To whether part thou wilt incline,
to liue or else to die.
SOVLE.
Alas what great conflict is this,
I sillie soule sustaine;
Betweene the pleasures of my flesh,
my spirit threatning paine:
I greeued am my flesh should lose,
yet glad my spirit might win,
But of the twaine whose part to take,
my doubt is great therein.
SPIRIT.
Thy flesh is disobedient,
vnkind and cruell still.
60
Yet I poore soule indifferent,
make neither good nor ill.
FLESH.
Remember my sweet soule,
what flesh hath doone for thee,
SPIRIT.
Thy flesh for to subdue,
sweet soule take part with mee,
FLESH.
If thou my part wilt take,
we shall the victors bee.
SPIRIT.
If thou wilt him forsake,
then heauen is due to thee.
SOVLE.
The spirit makes men religious.
obedient and kind:
The flesh makes men rebellious,
and monsters beastlie blind;
The soule through power makes them men
as maker hath assind.
Wherefore my spirit I ioine with thee,
with all the force I can:
Awaie packe hence vnsauorie flesh,
the filthest part of man.
FINIS.
61
An humble sute of a repentant sinner for mercie.
Giue eare, ô Lord, to heare,
my heauie carefull cries:
And let my wofull plaints ascend,
aboue the starrie skies.
And now receiue the soule,
that puts his trust in thee:
And mercie grant to purge my sinnes,
mercie, good Lord, mercie.
my heauie carefull cries:
And let my wofull plaints ascend,
aboue the starrie skies.
And now receiue the soule,
that puts his trust in thee:
And mercie grant to purge my sinnes,
62
My soule desires to drinke,
from fountaine of thy grace
To slake this thirst, ô God, vouchsafe,
and turne not off thy face.
But bow thy bending eare,
with mercie when I crie,
And pardon grant for sinful life,
mercie, good Lord, mercie.
from fountaine of thy grace
To slake this thirst, ô God, vouchsafe,
and turne not off thy face.
But bow thy bending eare,
with mercie when I crie,
And pardon grant for sinful life,
mercie, good Lord, mercie.
Behold at length, ô Lord,
My sore repentant mind,
Which knocks with faith, & hopes therby
thy mercy great to find.
Thy promise thus hath past
from which I will not flie,
Who dooth repent trusting in thee,
shall tast of thy mercie.
Mercie, good Lord, mercie, mercie.
My sore repentant mind,
Which knocks with faith, & hopes therby
thy mercy great to find.
Thy promise thus hath past
from which I will not flie,
Who dooth repent trusting in thee,
shall tast of thy mercie.
Mercie, good Lord, mercie, mercie.
63
Another to the same effect.
[Behold, ô God, the wretched state]
Behold, ô God, the wretched state,
my sillie soule is in:
How sore opprest and ouerchargde,
with foule and filthie sin.
Behold likewise the prison foule,
I meane my baned brest:
Where wickednes and sinne abounds,
and breeds my soules vnrest.
my sillie soule is in:
How sore opprest and ouerchargde,
with foule and filthie sin.
Behold likewise the prison foule,
I meane my baned brest:
64
and breeds my soules vnrest.
Behold O God, how oft my soule,
doth lift her selfe to thee:
As one in dungeon darke and deepe,
desiring light to see,
Behold also how faine it would,
do that might please thy will:
But cruell sinne with his affects
doo draw me backward still.
Behold I do not that I would,
as lawe of thine requires,
But I doo that I would not doo,
contrarie my desires.
Such is the working of the feend
such be his wilie waies,
With lust to set my hart on fire,
whereby my health decaies.
Such plesant baits laies he abrode
with poisned hookes of sin,
And traines my senses all thereto,
and drowns my soule therein.
But mercie is with thee my God,
for such as mercie craue,
Among the which I humblie aske,
some mercie for to haue.
For light offense thy mercie small,
may soone appease thine ire,
But mine offences manifold,
thy mercies great desire.
And sith by mercie I must win,
thy fauor and thy grace,
From my misdeeds and sinfull life,
with mercie turne thy face.
doth lift her selfe to thee:
As one in dungeon darke and deepe,
desiring light to see,
Behold also how faine it would,
do that might please thy will:
But cruell sinne with his affects
doo draw me backward still.
Behold I do not that I would,
as lawe of thine requires,
But I doo that I would not doo,
contrarie my desires.
Such is the working of the feend
such be his wilie waies,
With lust to set my hart on fire,
whereby my health decaies.
Such plesant baits laies he abrode
with poisned hookes of sin,
And traines my senses all thereto,
and drowns my soule therein.
65
for such as mercie craue,
Among the which I humblie aske,
some mercie for to haue.
For light offense thy mercie small,
may soone appease thine ire,
But mine offences manifold,
thy mercies great desire.
And sith by mercie I must win,
thy fauor and thy grace,
From my misdeeds and sinfull life,
with mercie turne thy face.
An other to the same purpose.
[My soule ô God, doth now confesse]
My soule ô God, doth now confesse,
a wicked life long led in sinne:
And how the same to thee is knowne,
yer that my lips to speake begin.
Such is the frute, such is the tree,
with mercie Lord deliuer mee.
a wicked life long led in sinne:
And how the same to thee is knowne,
66
Such is the frute, such is the tree,
with mercie Lord deliuer mee.
Shall I, ô Lord, for this despaire
of hope, of helpe, and health at last?
Or shall I thinke thou seek'st reuenge,
vpon my sinfull life thats past?
No, no, my faith doth witnes mee,
Thy bloud from sin hath set me free.
of hope, of helpe, and health at last?
Or shall I thinke thou seek'st reuenge,
vpon my sinfull life thats past?
No, no, my faith doth witnes mee,
Thy bloud from sin hath set me free.
AMEN
67
A Lamentation touching the follies and vanities of our youth.
Alacke when I looke backe,
vpon my youth that's past,
And deepelie ponder youths offense,
& youths reward at last:
With sighes and sobs I saie;
ô God I not denie,
my youth with follie hath deseru'd,
with follie for to die.
But yet if euer sinfull man,
might mercie mooue to ruth,
Good Lord with mercie doo forgiue,
the follies of my youth.
vpon my youth that's past,
And deepelie ponder youths offense,
& youths reward at last:
With sighes and sobs I saie;
ô God I not denie,
my youth with follie hath deseru'd,
with follie for to die.
68
might mercie mooue to ruth,
Good Lord with mercie doo forgiue,
the follies of my youth.
In youth I rangde the feelds
where vices all did grow,
In youth alas I wanted grace,
such vice to ouerthrow.
In youth what I thought sweet,
most bitter now I find.
Thus haue the follies of my youth,
with follie kept me blind.
Yet as the eagle casts her bill,
whereby hir age renueth:
o Lord with mercie do forgiue,
the follies of my youth,
where vices all did grow,
In youth alas I wanted grace,
such vice to ouerthrow.
In youth what I thought sweet,
most bitter now I find.
Thus haue the follies of my youth,
with follie kept me blind.
Yet as the eagle casts her bill,
whereby hir age renueth:
o Lord with mercie do forgiue,
the follies of my youth,
Amen:
69
A Psalme of reioising for the woonderfull loue of Christ, ratified by his meritorious death and passion for our spirituall redemtion.
Let vs be glad and clap our hands,with ioy our soules to fill:
For Christ hath paid the price of sinne,
with mercie and good will.
By his good will he flesh became,
for sinfull fleshes sake:
By his good will disdained not,
most shamefull death to take.
By his goodwill his bloud was spilt,
his bodie all to rent:
By his goodwill to saue vs all,
he therewith was content.
By his good will death hath no power.
our sinfull soules to kill:
For Christ hath paid the price of sinne,
with mercie and good will.
Since Christ so deerely loued vs,
let vs from sinne refraine:
For Christ desireth nothing els,
in lieu of all his paine.
And that we should ech other loue,
as he vs loou'd before:
70
and dwell for euermore.
Let then our loue so dwell in him,
our wicked lusts to kill:
For Christ hath paide the price of sinne,
with mercie and good will.
AMEN.
A praier for the good estate of Queene ELIZABETH.
Thou God that guidst both heauen & earthon whome we all depend:
Preserue our queene in perfect health,
and her from harme defend.
Conserue hir life in peace to raigne,
augment hir ioyes withall:
Increase hir friends, maintaine hir cause,
and heare vs when we call.
So shall all we that faithfull be,
reioyse and praise thy name:
O God, ô Christ, ô Holy-ghost,
giue eare and grant the same.
AMEN.
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