The teares or lamentations of a sorrowfull Soule Set foorth by Sir William Leighton |
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| 2. | The second Lamentation containeth Godly
and deuout prayers for constancie in afflictions,
and to beare malicious slaunders patiently. |
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 | The teares or lamentations of a sorrowfull Soule |  |
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The second Lamentation containeth Godly and deuout prayers for constancie in afflictions, and to beare malicious slaunders patiently.
1. The first part of the second lamentation
The repentant sheweth that his miseries and troubles increase dayly: and therefore his aduersarie that iudge with a carnall eie, say that God hath forsaken him, but he replieth to them that God alwaies chastiseth them whom he loueth, and doth but correct his children as a louing father doth, for the amendment and bettering of their life.
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O Lord how doe my woes encrease,how many are my miseries:
My troubles rise and neuer cease,
men iudge thou wilt not heare my cries:
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They say thou wilt me quite forsake,that ther's no helpe for me in thee:
But Lord they are but such that make,
their sensure with a carnall eye.
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And do not spiritually discerne,thy secret purpose and intents:
Correcting thē whō thou would'st learne
to know thy law & cōmaundements.
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Chastizing them whom thou do'st loueand scourging them oft with thy rod:
that thou their harts & minds maist moue
to feare and serue thee mightie God.
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The wicked outward meanes preferre,& worldly helps at neede they muster:
And not to God themselues referre,
nor comfort take from heauenly lustre.
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Who workes by meanes his sacred will,and without meanes, brings to effect:
And against meanes, can saue or kill,
for those him serue his, true elect.
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Therefore let not their mallice moue,nor yet their taunts dismay my mind:
I will hould fast by God aboue,
whose promise iust & true I find.
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I striue thy statutes Lord to keepe,what thou cōmaund'st I will performe:
Direct me right to thee I creepe,
O Lord doe thou my life reforme.
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Defend me Lord from their dispight,that watch to catch me in their snare:
And to intrap me day and night,
with nettes and ginnes er'e I be ware,
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And scoffe me basely with reproach,with shamefull scandalls and disgrace:
With thy protection Lord approach,
and let thy mercy me imbrace.
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Let not me come within the reach,of their inuentions and deuice:
whose facts are foule, they faire in speach,
and by base flattery me entice.
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Nor such as lie in waite for me,obtaine, their wish who doe desire:
Fit time and oportunitie,
to worke the euill as they conspire.
FINIS.
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2. The second part of the second lamentation.
The repentant prayeth that God would direct him in the right path, that so he may grow from grace to grace, and from vertue to vertue, he also confesseth that his sinnes deserue very sharpe punishments and yet desireth that the Lord would spare him in his mercy.
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O let me treade in the right path,& walke frō faith to faith in loue:
Obserue thy lawes and shun thy wrath,
and forward to all vertue moue.
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And let my conscience witnes beare,of my faith and integritie:
Let all men see the christall cleare,
and pure heart of conformitie.
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Though I good father cannot liue,free from all sinne and all offence:
And some take cause, though I none giue
yet keepe thou cleare my conscience.
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Shall I deserue still I doe,mens iust reprouffes, though in discretiō
And that against my meaning too,
and suffer carnall mens oppression.
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That breake forth into bitternes,against me that am weake and lame:
And vomit out their filthines,
that thou hast don, they count my shame
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And take it as an argument,that I am in deiection:
And thinke it is thy full intent,
to keepe me from protection.
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Indeed O Lord I must confesse,my sinnes deserue sharpe punishment
Worthy of more and not of lesse,
then all the plagues on me hast sent.
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I more should tast then I can beare,or able them for to endure:
Thy mercies yet they doe me spare,
and make me cleane that am impure.
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But in my weakenes of mine hauiour,I this haue done which caus'd me fall:
And therefore trust in Christ my sauiour,
his pretious bloud hath paid for all.
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Depending on thy mighty power,to saue, keepe, and deliuer me:
Least miseries doe me deuour,
and enemies my sorrowes see.
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And take occasion to pursue,pretending to my soule no good:
Inuettred hatred they renue,
to eate my flesh & drinke my bloud.
3. The third part of the second lamentation.
The poore suppliant complaineth that God doth refuse to assist and helpe him, and hideth his face from him to his seemming. Neuertheles he continueth importunate and will not be denied as pleading the merits and mediation of Christ, in whom God the father is well pleased.
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O Lord consider my great moanes,preuēt ye dangers cōming nigh me
My heart is rent with grieues & groanes,
I fly to thee O Lord stand by mee.
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Why standest thou a loofe a lasse,seem'st not my troubles to regard:
Why turnst thou Lord away thy face,
mine heart doth hope for some reward.
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Why hidest thou thy selfe me fro.when troubles are so much abounding
As though thou lord did'st me not know
thy darts are always mine hart wounding
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There is no helpe for me in thee,they say thou nothing do'st respect me:
I ne'rethelesse will come to thee,
in Christ his name wilt not reiect me?
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The rather therefore me relieue,that righteous men may well perceiue:
Thou ready art thine ayde to giue,
and their desires wilt not deceiue.
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And not to faint when they are tride,with like affections any waies:
But shall with patient minde abide,
thy will, and giue thy name the praise.
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The dullest hearts thou dost prepare,to call on thee and thou againe:
Do'st heare their cries & them do'st spare
and easest them of griefe and paine.
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4. The fourth part of the second lamentation.
The repentant in humility reasoneth with God that sith that the Lord threatneth sorrowes to those that seeke to other Gods, that he would be pleased to mittigate his afflictions, and to romoue his heauie hand, because he poore man onely flyeth to the Lord as his chiefe rocke and fortresse whereon he may safely build.
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How long O Lord, how long wilt thouforget me & how long shall I:
Seeke to be hard and know not how,
to make thee listen to my cry.
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How long shall I thy councell seeke,yet ignorant what course to take:
I pray to thee, O Lord most meeke,
with sighes & groanes which neuer slake
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My heart with griefe and heauines,pow'rs forth complaints continually:
Before thee in my great distresse,
yet inward light obtaine not I.
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That lighten should my pensiue souleand comfort mine afflicted heart:
Thy wrath with rigour doth controule,
my forward hopes and causeth smart
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Thou threatnest sorrowes to increaseto such as seeke to other Gods:
Why should not then my torments cease
that child-like feare, thy awfull rods.
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Sith I in thee my faith repone,why should I then true wisdome want
It being sought from thee alone,
why doest thou then refuse to grant.
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Thou did'st create all men at first,and do'st preserue, & all maintaine:
Thy sunne doth shine on best & worst,
the same to all thou do'st remaine.
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But sith to thee alone I kneele,and onely, vnto thee doe call:
O let me Lord thy mercies feele,
and let thy dropps of mercie fall.
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With thee there is redemption,and thou deliuerest all that trust:
In Christ for their saluation,
by whom the sinfull are made iust.
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Thou keep'st thē safe vnder thy wingsof fauour, from the mercilesse:
Thy fauour giueth all good things,
to thine elect in their distresse.
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O therefore be my rocke whereon,I may both safely build and rest:
Castle of refuge, Arke alone,
in which I am in safetie blest.
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For thou hast promi'st in thy loue,that they that put their trust in thee:
Like Syons mount which doth not moue
shall safely stand eternally.
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Breake thou the chaines which haue me ty'de,remoue the sorrowes from my heart:
Wherewith Lord all my vaines are dry'd
and I am parcht in euery part.
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That I walking at libertie.with a free spr'ite may salue my sore:
My hope may liue, and crosses die,
and I sing praise to thee therefore.
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And let my foes no more preuaile,that Lyon-like doe me destroy:
And like to Wolues they me assaile.
that spoile the sheep, the shepheards ioy
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O carry me, Lord in thine armes,throughout thiese miseries cleane away
And safely keepe me from all harmes,
that now sticke fast in mire & clay.
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Let no vntimely suddaine fate,cut off my daies er'e fully spent:
Or raging floudes sincke mine estate,
nor swallow me incontinent.
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But rather Lord returne them backe,these swelling waues that roare & rage
On euery side to worke me wracke,
their gusts & tempests, Lord asswage
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Let me passe on my mortall course,and finish thiese my daies of life:
Of thy meere loue and kind remorse,
in peace and loue, from hate and strife.
FINIS
| The teares or lamentations of a sorrowfull Soule | |