University of Virginia Library

Psalm 51.

[My sinful soule, arraind of twofold gilt]

My sinful soule, arraind of twofold gilt;
Of Spouse-bed wrongd, of bloud ah fouly spilt;
With saddest grief in tears imbrynd repents:
And wailed crimes at mercies feet prezents.
O sourse of grace, whence seas of mercies flowe,
Release my gilt; and love returning shewe.
MY gilt releasd, then clenze my soule from stain;
From stain, which sin behynd stil makes remain,
And nue sin breeds. But since my pensiue sight,
Sin, gilt, and stain, stil wound, by day, by night;
With sour remorse since them I, Lord, deplore;
Ah cure them, Lord, and rightĕous grace restore.
NO mortal law dooth me transgressour make:
Thy law divine, whose iustice heăvens dooth shake;
Thee supreme Iudge, sole thee, my sin offends;
Whose piercing vieu to secretst thoughts extends.
Ah evĭl I, Lord, in thy pure eys have doon:
So iust reproof, so iudgement right is com.
WHAT shal I plead, of sin defiled mass;
From sin who com, through sin to death must pass?
From mould deformd lo form I first receiv'd:
And mother frail in sin warm life conceiv'd.
But thow in soules thyn owne true form dezirĕst:
And wisdom deep it to restore inspirĕst.
AND thus I stood: but now orethrowne by sin,
Deformd, defyld; ah Lord, let grace begin
Recure to woork: with spring, with hysop thyn;
So scour this soule, more white then snowe to shyn:
And comfort, Lord; ô ioy now make me hear:
That bruzĕd bones returning strength may cheer.
REMOOVE my sins from thy offended ey:
And cancel all my falts. Hear once my cry:
Clean hart crëate; right spĭrit in mee renue:
Then wavĕring mynd with heăvenli stay endue.
Ah cast not off griev'd breaker of thy law:
Nor HOLI SPIRĬT soules sovĕrain life withdraw.
Restore the ioy of thy sweet saving grace:
And sins bond powĕr with thy free spĭrit displace.
THEN erring soules my thankful zele shal burn
Thy ways to teach: who glad to thee shal turn.
And then my song, (but bloud keep, Lord, away,
My saving Lord,) thy iustice shal display.
Sole thou my lips once open, Lord, again:
And ioiful mouth shal sacred praise proclaim.
IF sacrifice thy powĕr divine might please,
If offrings burnt thy burning wrath appeaze;
What would I spare? but nought in heăven obtains
Beasts life, in man while beastlike mynd remains.
Mans owne griev'd spĭrit, is Gods best sacrifice:
His sighs, his tears, doost ne're, iust Lord, despize.
THEN ô return: ô bless stil Sion deer:
Ierusalems stil lingring wals uprear.
With cleered harts then wee, in legal rites,
Iust sacrifice, wherein great God delights,
Shal bring: yong buls at altars side shal bleed:
And offrings burnt th'undying flames refeed.