Meditations Upon Eight Psalms, Part 6
A meditation vponupon the 130 Pſalme.
1 Out of the deepe places.O My poore ſoule, fall not flatte downe, vexe not thy ſelfe out of meaſure: the burden of thy ſinnes preſſeth thee ſore in deede, but bee not for al that, quite ouerwhelmed: thou art thruſt downe ſo low into ye deepeſt deepes, yt thou hadeſt neede cry lowde for to bee heard of him, which dwelleth in the hygheſt heights: And the euer burning hell fire is not farre from that lake, whither thine iniquities hauehave plunged thee, ſo as thou mayeſt, as it were, perceiue the Echo of their cryes & deſperat howlings, which be there caft without al hope of euer cōming forth. But the Lord which bringes euen to the borders of hell his beſt beloued, when they forget themſelues, knowes alſo howe well to bring them backe again. Goe no further then downward, but lift vp thine heart together with thy crye, and ſaye not in thy ſelfe, God hath reiected mee from before him, for, ſuch lāguage God likes not. Thou cryeſt vntounto God, and wherefore, but onelyonly becauſe hee hath awakened thee? For loe, what he cryeth in thine eares: My people, what hauehave I done to thee? or wherein hauehave I grieued or yrked thee?hauehave I called vntounto thee, O Lorde. O my God, what ſhall I anſwere thee hereto? He which receyueth the offence, goeth firſt about to excuſe him: The Iudge falleth a beſeeching of the guyltie partie: and what can I ſay, my God, but that I can not comprehende that which thou doeſt for me, who could not ſo much as hauehave any being, hadeſt not thou made mee? And after thou hadeſt made mee, either I forgat all that thou hadeſt done for mee, or els the remembrance thereof repreſenting vntounto mee mine vnthankefulneſſe, aſtoniſheth my ſenſe, and ſtoppeth my mouth. Rather thou thy ſelfe Lord, declare vntounto me what thou haſt done for mee, ſo as I may neure forget it. Thou madeſt mee of nothing in the perſon of my firſt father, and is it not ſomewhat to be made ſomewhat of nothing? Thou haſt facioned mee in my mothers wombe, thou haſt taken mee from thence, as it were by thine owne proper handes: thou haſt ſuckled, nouriſhed and brought mee vp, by rayſing vp vntounto mee ſuch as did it according to that will and habilitie, which thou gaueſt them. Throughout this infancie, from howe many harmes didſt thou defend me? In ſo much as I owe thee euen ſo many liues, as I hauehave paſſed dayes and houres, minutes and moments: and yet during all that age, I neyther could knowe my ſelfe, whereby to know how much I ought thee, nor yet thee, whereby to thanke thee for it. What other thing then did ſtirre thee to do well by me, but onelyonly thy goodneſſe? Paſſing further on in yeeres, mine vnworthineſſe grewe on together with mine age, and thy largeſſe on the other ſide grewe ſo much the more, hauing beſtowed abundantly on mee not onelyonly witte, health, and ſo many other giftes of vſe in this life, which alſo thou beſtoweſt liberally ſometime on thy greateſt enemies: but thou haſt imparted to mee the knowledge of thy ſauing health by thy deare Sonne our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt: Thou comfortedſt me in a thouſand afflictions, thou haſt borne with mee in tenne thouſande ſinnes, thou haſt vpholden me in innumerable temptations: ſhortly, thou neuer ceaſedſt by thy bountie to fight againſt my malice, and againſt my rebellion by thy patience. Loe, what thou haſt done to me, Lorde: Nowe what is it that I hauehave done againe? Alas, my God,2 Lorde, heare my voyce: let thine eares attend to ye voyce of my prayers. if I enter into this deapth of ripping vp mine iniquities, whereof any one ſufficeth to make me guiltie of eternall death, ſurely I am quite vndone.
3 If thou, O Lorde, ſtraightly markeſt iniquities, O Lord, who ſhal ſtand?2 I can then doe nothing elſe, but beſeeche thee to heare my cries: and thou wilt do it, Lorde. For, O Lorde God, who coulde euer hauehave abiden before thee, if thou, hadeſt taken the lawe on his ſinnes?
4 But mercy is with thee, that thou mayſt be feared.4 Take heart againe, my ſoule, for thy Iudge is the fountaine of compaſſion, otherwiſe there were none order to ſerue and beſeeche him, but all in vaine. It is true, thou haſt lauiſhed out his riches, but thy God is as riche, and as farre from nigardlineſſe as euer: Thou haſt thralled thy ſelfe to ſinne and death, but thy God hath redeemed thee with a more then ſufficient ranſom: Saye rather with that poore vnthrift,5 I hauehave wayted on the Lorde: my ſoule hath wayted, and I hauehave truſted in his worde. I goe to my father: hee will receiue thee without caſting thee in the teeth, yea rather he will reioyce of thy returne, hee wayteth to embrace thee with his mercy. Doe not as did Adam, who ranne away from his face whome hee had offended: Should the ſicke man flee the Phiſition? Whither ſhoulde a poore body goe, but to him that will and can helpe him? Hee hath giuen his Sonne for thee, and will he nowe reiect thee? Weeneſt thou that Ieſus Chriſt, who hath bought thee ſo deere,6 My ſoule waiteth on the Lorde more then the morning watch watcheth for the morning. wil now loſe thee? Waite for his grace rather, and if hee be ſlowe to reache his hande, conſider that thou ſlackeſt much more thy turning to him. Doubt not of his wil, ſith both in his worde, and in his dealing towardes thee, thou haſt yet more cleare and euident teſtimonies thereof, then thou haſt of his might. Be rather in thy warde, watching alwayes, without being weary or ſlumbering,7 Let Iſrael waite on Lord: for yt with the Lorde is merciemercy, and with him is great redemption. vntill he appeare as the dawning of the day, chaſing away the darkeneſſe wherein thou art plunged.
7 And you whoſoeuer, ouerthrowen like mee, followe mine example and aduiſe, goe we all my brethren to that great eternall God, ioyning together with the acknowledgement of our faultes, hope, which neuer diſappoynteth them that hauehave it, being ſetled vponupon his infallible trueth. If our ſinnes bee innumerable, his merciemercy is infinite towardes the repenting, beleeuing, hoping, and praying.
8 And he ſhall redéeme Iſrael from all his iniquities.8 Will wee hauehave any other proofe hereof, then that incomprehenſible louelove, wherethrough this good father was mooued, euen not to ſpare his ſonne? Then this infinite louelove of this great ſhepheard, which made himſelfe of none accompt, to enriche vsus? Who hath charged himſelf with al our ſinnes, not one except? Who was obedient for his poore Iſrael, that is to ſaye, his elect, euen to that death of the croſſe? I embrace thee with both mine armes, O Ieſus Chriſt, which haſt reconciled me to the Father, aſſuring me by thy Spirite, of the comfort of my ſaluation in thee, and ſo faſt embracing thee, I receiue the pledges of life and euerlaſting bliſſe. Amen.