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 |  |
12
Beatiquorum. Psal. xxxij.
The first part.
[1]
O God, I know by grace, through faiththe sinner is made iust,
Though we offend; yet iustifide
by grace through faith we trust
2
Which grace & faith are thy good gifts,which thou hast giuen vs free,
And thorough them the works we doo
are made right good to be.
3
I therefore Lord my faults confesse,by helpe of heauenly grace,
And vtterlie my sinnes forsake,
and do them al deface:
4
Beseeching thee me to admitwith those that blessed bee,
And to forgiue the trespasses
which I haue doone to thee.
5
For blessed is the man indeed,whose wickednesse and sin,
Is cleane forgiuen and couered,
as they had neuer bin.
6
I will not hide my sinnes from thee,nor seeke them to excuse;
But with my heart will them confesse,
and doo my selfe accuse.
7
For, Lord, who goes about to hidehis own iniquitie;
13
that al the world may see;
8
Thou wilt him strip and naked make,to his perpetual blame,
When he to iudgement shall arise,
and liue in endlesse shame.
9
And therefore blessed is the man,to whom thou Lord shalt saie,
I not impute thy sinnes to thee,
nor to thy charge them laie,
10
He in whose spirit no fraud is found,shal blessed be also,
And looke what thing he takes in hand,
shall prosper wel and gro.
11
If I for sinne should faine my selfeall sorrowfull to be,
And were not so, then should be found
both fraud and guile in me.
12
Or if I should account my selfea man that liueth iust,
Hauing my conscience stuft with sinne,
so full as may be thrust:
13
There shuld appeer great fraud in mefor deepe dissembling so;
Nor why, in me no goodnesse dwels,
as of my selfe I kno.
14
If euer any good were there,it surely must be thine,
Yet as for sinnes I many haue,
and they by right are mine.
14
15
For while, ô Lord, I held my peace,confessing not my crime,
My bones did waft through daily plaints,
I made from time to time.
16
My soule doth feeble waxe and faint,because I held my peace;
But now I haue my sinnes confest,
I feele hir strength increase.
17
I kept that backe I should haue told,or else excus'd the same;
And that I should haue closelie kept,
did publish to my blame.
18
I hid the sinnes that I haue done,and they remained still,
And boasted forth the good I did,
contrarie to thy will.
19
Thus were the works ye I had wroughtquite lost with their reward,
And I among that sort remaine
whom thou doost not regard.
20
For daie and night thy heauy hand,vpon me thou hast laid,
And in my trouble was I turnd,
when I was sore afraid.
21
My tribulation scourged me,my moisture is made drie,
My verie backe bone striken was,
that I began to crie.
22
My conscience likewise striken was,with pricke of great remorse,
15
till grace the same did force,
23
And make me knowledge al my faultsthat I had done to thee;
Thus hath thy grace made me confesse,
all mine iniquitie.
The second part.
[1]
Lord when against my selfe I spake,shewing what I had bin,
Thou Lord, forthwith didst cleane remie
my wickednesse and sin.
2
So soone as I determind was,no longer them to hide,
Thou Lord straight way forgauest me,
my faith the same hath tride,
3
And yer my voice was in my mouth,thine eare was in my heart;
Thus hath thy mercie clensed me
throughout in euery part.
4
Thou art more ready to forgiue,than we are to confesse,
So that we do our selues accuse,
and shew our guiltinesse.
5
Some blame the diuel as cause of sin,some destinie do blame,
Some other saie complexion theirs
cannot auoid the same;
6
But, Lord, I leaue such vaine excuse,and with the prophet saie,
16
its I, I not denaie;
7
Its I my selfe that wrought this wo,through mine iniquitie,
Its I O Lord, and not the deuil,
nor yet my destiny:
8
Yet by thy sufferance, Lord, they mayonelie entise a man;
But to inforce or him compell,
that do they neuer can.
9
Wherefore good Lord, my sickly souleto health againe restore.
For this ought all thy holy ones
to praie in time therefore.
10
This is the time in which thou wilt,giue eare when we do cal;
For after this no time there is
thou wilt vs heare at all.
11
This is the time, Lord thee to seeke,while that thou maist be found,
This is the time thou wilt vs heare,
and keepe vs safe and sound
12
From rage of many waterflouds,that with temptations flo;
And from the proud and wicked sort,
with manie troubles mo.
13
These shal no time approch to vs,to do vs any harme;
For why thy grace shal beat them backe
by strength of mighty arme.
17
14
Although amid this water floudof surging waues of sin,
We tossed be among the rocks,
yet are not drownd therein.
15
For thou, ô Lord, art my refugefrom troubles al that be,
And though temptations of the world
about haue compast me;
16
I not regard inticements theirs,nor threats that they shal make
For why my faith assureth me
that thou my part wilt take.
17
Thou Lord art only my defense,my ioy is al in thee,
Thou shalt me compasse round about,
and safe deliuer me.
18
The tabernacle of my souleis round about me set
With enemies, such as do seeke
mine hinderance and let.
19
But yet O Lord thy prouidenceshal me deliuer stil,
And from al dangers me defend,
after thy holy wil.
20
Thou wilt informe and shew to methe way that I shal go:
This life is but a pilgrimage
I passe in to and fro.
21
Of this way Lord, thou art the end,and marke whereat I shoot;
18
and foes of mine confute;
22
And in the running of my course,my faith so strong may be,
That I may haue one of those games
of immortalitie.
23
Thus shal thine eie of strong defenceon me be fixed sure,
And I with ioie shal able be
this trauel to indure.
24
For Lord if thou shouldst turne thy faceor cast thine eie aside,
I should not able be to run,
nor labor this abide.
25
But should be as the horse and mulethat vnderstanding want:
Such of thy grace, faith, and good works,
Both barren be and scant.
26
They are too proud and scornfull eke,thy lawes to hold and keepe,
The lusts and pleasures of the flesh
so lulleth them asleepe,
27
But yet the mouthes of such wild beasts.thou Lord with bit and brake
Shalt snaffle them with chaine and curbe,
that do thee so forsake.
28
For great and many are the plaguesof those that sinners be,
By meanes whereof a number, Lord,
are turned vnto thee.
19
29
And thou, O lord, that didst thē plagefor their correction,
Wilt also giue them comfort great,
and consolation.
30
And he that trusteth in the Lord,he shall be compast in
With mercie and remission
of all his former sin.
31
Be glad therefore ye righteous,and in the Lord reioise:
For he by grace hath made you iust,
through his most louing choise:
32
Which were before stifnecked, proud,now gentle meeke and mild;
Not by your merits, but by grace,
as father to his child.
33
Al ye that be vpright of heart,in God reioice also;
And to his will submit your will,
in anguish, paine, and wo,
34
And as S. Paule th'Apostle wasmade great in his distresse,
So Lord in all extremitie
grant me the like successe,
Amen.
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