The Seven Days, Confession – Introduction
AN HVMBLE CONFESSION OF SINNES.
OEternall God, and moſte mercifull Father, I confeſſe and acknowledge before thine heauenly Majeſtie, that I am a moſte miſerable ſinner: firſt,Sinne by nature. becauſe I was conceiued in ſinne, and borne in iniquitie: next, by reaſon I hauehave added to the ſinnes of my nature, the ſinnes of a damnable life. For there i… no Precept of thy Law which I hauehave not broken; neither is there any judgemēt which I hauehave not deſerued.Inſenſible. But yet this increaſeth my woe, that whē I am thus wounded, I feele not my wound; but doe lie ſleeping, as Ionas did, when the tempeſt of thy judgements doeth aſſault mee But (alace) this is moſte grieuous of all,Ionah 1.5. that when thy Majeſtie by the ſweete voyce of thy worde,Against knowledge. haſt called mee to repentance, I cloſed mine cares to thy warninges. If thoſe who tranſgreſſed the law of Moſes, Deu. 19.15vnderunder two or three witneſſes, died without mercy; much more I, who hauehave troden vnderunder my feete the blood of the New Teſtament,Heb. 10.29 and hauehave accounted light of the offers of thy grace, and by the teſtimonie of mine owne conſcience, am worthie of condemnation. And ſeeing I am arraigned before thy Tribunall, I flee to thy ſelfe, as to a Citie of refuge,Deut. 19.3 where I will pleade my cauſe by an humble Confeſſion. Therefore I ſall downe vponupon the knees of mine heart, before the portes of thy merciemercy, begging of thee the ſpirit of vnſained repentance; that acknowledging my ſinne, I may finde grace in thine eyes. But becauſe the beginning of repentance is to ſee my ſinne, open mine eyes, O Lord, that I may ſee my nakedneſſe, & bewaile the dayes of my ſinne. I will giuegive vp dittie againſt my ſelfe: I will giuegive out doome againſt my ſoule: I will condemne my ſelfe, that thou mayſt abſolue me: I wil hauehave my ſinnes before mine eyes, that thou mayſt caſt them behinde thy backe: I wil remember them, that thou mayſt forget them: I wil repent them, & thou wilt forgiue them. I acknowledge my ſins,Pſal. 51.3. & mine iniquitie is euer before mee: O Lord, thou loueſt the trueth in the inward affections.Ibid. 6. I am content that ſhame be to mee, if honour come thereby to thee, that thou mayeſt be juſt when thou ſpeakeſt,Ibid. 4. and pure when thou judgeſt.
Firſt, I confeſſe, that I was created to thy Image, but ſinne hath ſo diſgraced and defaced it in me, that there appeareth no print thereof in my nature. I was white as the ſnowe,Ier. 13.23 but am become blacke as the More: my righteouſneſſe is as a menſtruous garment.Eſa. 64.6. Reſtore thine Image in me, and repare thy ruinous building. Thine honour ſhall bee greatter in reforming, than in forming me: as in my reſurrection thy glorie ſhall kythe more than in my creation. The liberalitie of thy goodneſſe appeared when as thou ſtamped ſuch graces in my nature: but thy mercies, which indure for euer, may bee ſeene when thou reneweſt thoſe gifts, which I hauehave prodigallie waſted and ſpent vponupon ſinne. Transforme mee, O Lord, to thy ſimilitude; that as thou art holy, wiſe, mercifull, patient, bountifull, &c. ſo I may repreſent thee (in ſome meaſure) in them all. As for mine infancie,Mans ſtate in infancie. I knowe not what I was: a poore Suckling, vponupon my Mothers Breaſtes: I could no wayes helpe my ſelfe, but by weeping. I was caſten vponupon thee from the wombe: by thy prouidence I was kept, and thine Angels guarded mee. But this I know, that an Infant of one day, is not cleane before thee: hauehave mercy vponupon mee, therefore, O my God, and by the holy infancie of my Sauiour, I beſeech thee, aboliſh whatſoeuer guiltineſſe I hauehave contracted in my Childhood, euen from my birth.Childhood. Then I grew a Childe, which I doe well remember: & the poyſonable roote of ſinne, which lay hid in mine infancie, ſprang foorth in my childhood. And then (for as little as I was) I began to diſdaine, yea, to ſnite my fellowes. I had no delight to pray, nor heare thy word, albeit my Parents and Maſters many times did commaund mee. I ſpent that time, euen the firſt fruites of my youth, in ydleneſſe. My ſinfull life, and wicked nature, delighted not to bee inſtructed in learning and vertue: which my neglect of time is nowe puniſhed in mine age, for the which I craue thy mercy. O remember not, good Lord, the ſinnes of my youth: neither howe ignorant I hauehave beene of thy trueth.Pſal. 25.7. But by the holy childhood of thy Sonne, purge the ſinnes of my childhood: and of thy great mercy. O Lord, pittie mine ignorance.
But when I paſſed the yeeres of my childhood,Adoleſcencie. I entered into mine Adoleſcencie, in a middle age, betwixt a Boy and a Man. Alace, for pittie! when I call to minde that time of my life, my ſoule is aſtoniſhed; fearing that thou wilt make mee to inherite the ſinnes of my youth. Thou gaueſt mee ſtrength of bodie, and quickneſſe of minde: but how vyldlie abuſed I all thy benefites? I with the prodigall ſonne, hauehave ſpent all my precious youth in ſinne. Oh, when I thinke vponupon the monethes of vanitie, when I gaue my ſtrength to ſinne, and did conſecrate the firſt fruits of my life to Sathan, my ſoule fainteth. O Lord, I am aſhamed when I thinke vponupon my lende and beaſtly behauiour; more beſeeming a Beaſt, than a Man. O Lord, thou haſt not ſuffered all my follies to be made patent to the world, neither didſt thou ſlay me in my ſinne. Let not my ſecrete ſinnes ſtand in the light of thy countenance: for thine honour is to couer ſinnes: therefore, let them paſſe like a ſhaddow. If Ioſeph did pardon thoſe ſinnes of his Brethren, wilt thou,Gen. 45.1. O Lord, call to minde the follies by the which I hauehave offended thee? Alace, I was not onelyonly fooliſh, and inſolent, but I was mad: I contemned all admonitions of thy ſeruauntes: I thought my Parentes, and Elders, were but fooliſh; and I euaniſhed in my mad rage. I was nigh vntounto the gates of Hell: I poſted, and ranne, as ſwiftly as the Dromadarie,Ier. 2.24. or the wilde Aſſe. But thou tookeſt mee in my monethmonth: and when I was ladened with ſinne, then thou mercifully chaſtiſedſt mee: while I was burning in the flame of my luſtes, thou tamedſt mee by a grieuous diſeaſe, and ſickneſſe, which thou layedſt vponupon mee; by which my bodie was brought vnderunder. Bleſſed bee thou, O Lord, who hadſt that care of mee, that thou chaſtiſedſt me, and nurturedſt mee, that I ſhould not periſh with the wicked worlde. Thou didſt meete thy ſeruant Paul, when hee went to Damaſcus, Act. 9.3.and ſmoteſt him to the ground with blindneſſe, that he might riſe againe a new man, to honour thee. Thou diddeſt preuent Dauid, by the hand of Abigall, 1. Sam. 25.23.who ſtopped him from ſheeding of blood. O moſt mercifull Lord, thou didſt meete mee by thy rodde, and didſt caſt mee downe, and rayſedſt mee vp againe. Before I was afflicted I went aſtray: but now I hauehave learned to followe thy Commaundementes.Pſal. 119.67. Now I thy poore Supplicant, vponupon the knees of a ſorrowfull ſoule, craue pardon, and grace, for all the tranſgreſſions of my youth.
But, O my God, as I grew in yeeres, ſo I grew in ſinne,Age. and I forgot thy former mercies. I went to Iericho, and mine enemies wounded mee vponupon the way,Luk 10.33 and left me for dead: my fellowes paſſed by mee, but gaue mee no comfort. But thou, O pittifull Samaritane, hadſt mercy vponupon mee: thou filledſt my woundes with the wine of thy blood: thou powredſt in the oyle of thy ſpirit to ſoften them: thou tookeſt mee vponupon thy ſhoulders, and broughteſt mee to the Inne of thy Church, where I might remaine vntill I was perfectly cured. Prayſe bee vntounto my God, who left mee not in my ſinne, but had compaſſion vponupon mee. But, Lord, hauehave pittie, for my ſoule is inwardly tormented, when I thinke on my former dayes, and how I hauehave ſinned againſt thee.
My Senſes are defiled, my Seeing, my Hearing, my Taſting,The ſight. my Smelling and my Touching. Alace, I made not a couenant with mine Eyes, but they were full of filthineſſe:therefore now doe I water my Couch with the teares of my complaint. Forgiue, O Lord,Pſal. 6.6. my wandering lookes; and nowe ſet min… Eyes vponupon thee: that the Eyes of min… Heart beeing purified, with a pur… Heart I may ſee God.Math. 5.8
I opened the doores of mine Eares, vntounto the ſtrange voyces of thine enemies. I welcomed Sinne,The hearing. whenſoeuer it came to my Soule: But, alace, I repent, and wiſh at God, that I had not done ſo. Yet nowe, O Lord, open the doores of my Soule; that thou mayeſt ſound the voyce of joye and gladneſſe, that the.Pſal. 51.8. Bones which thou haſt broken may rejoyce.
Woe is mee, that euer I taſted the delicates of ſinne; and that as Eua, The … ſting G….3.6.by her taſte and ſight, brought that guiltineſſe vponupon her ſelfe and vsus: ſo I, by mine abuſing of theſe good benefites, hauehave procured, that with the prodigall Childe thou ſhouldeſt bring me to pouertie. O God, keepe mee, that I neuer taſte the foode of the king of Babel; but let mee eate the pottage of Daniel thy ſeruant.Daniel. 1.8.
The Smelling.Oh, that the ſtinking ſmell of ſinne were away from mine head. Let mee ſmell the ſauour of thine Oyntmentes, thy Myrrhe,Pſal. 45.8. and thy Caſſia, when thou commeſt from thine Yuorie Palaces.
The Touching.Oh, that euer I ſtretched foorth mine hand to ſinne. Now, Lord, extend d mine hand to thy ſeruice; to bee bountifull to the Poore, and to ſow my ſeed vponupon m…nie waters, that I may reape eternall joye. My minde is repleniſhed with ignorance, mine heart is indured, my will is rebellious to thy will, my mouth an open ſepulchre, and my feete are ſwift to run to euill.
O Lord, hauehave pittie on mee, and remember that Chriſt, my Lord, was wounded in all the members of his bodie, and in all the members of his bodie; that by his woundes I might bee cured.Preuenting grace. Preuent mee by thy grace: …eke thy loſt Sheepe: and light the …andle of thy word,Matth. 15.24. that thou mayeſt …de thy loſt Pennie: And when thou …aſt found mee, Lord, giuegive mee thine …companying grace,Accompanying grace that it doe not …rſake mee. Put the Ring on my ſin…er, euen the Ring of thy louelove and fa…our. And laſt, I beſeech thee, beſtow …pon mee thy following grace,…ollowing grace. which …ay crowne the whole mercies that I …aue receiued all my life.
Sinne, alace, ſticketh faſter to mee …an doeth my fleſh, yea, the marrow …ithin my bones. O Lord, make diui…on betwixt vsus,Sinne ſeparateth vsus from God. and ſeparate it from …ee, which hath made ſo long ſepara…on betweene thee and mee. It is a …urthen, which lyeth vponupon mee, and is …oo heauie for mee to beare; therefore, … my God, eaſe mee thereof, that with …acritie, and readineſſe of heart, I may …erue thee all the dayes of my life, as I …aue ſerued ſinne before. Alace, was …ot I the cauſe that thy Sonne died, …ine Angels are offended, and thy Church grieued? O Lord, let mee be …omforted before my departure, that I may bee the occaſion of all their joye… by my repentance; as I was the cauſe of their ſorrowe, by my fall, and foule defection.
But, alace, when that I hauehave repented mee of my former wickedneſſe, I am readie to runne backe vntounto that filthie puddle of ſinne, from the which I was newlie waſhen: yea, I hauehave fallen more often than ſeauen times euerie day: but thou, O Lord, with thy mercifull hand, didſt lift me vp againe. Therefore, deare Father, hauehave merciemercy vponupon mee, I beſeech thee, and continue thy louelove and fauour towards mee; and let mee not fall as doe the wicked, who fall, and riſe no more.
Sende vntounto mee, O my God, faithfull Admoniſhers, and let the Righteous rebuke mee: yea, let mee not want the checkes of mine owne Conſcience, that I durſt forſweare my promiſe to my God.Breach of promiſe to God. I promiſed to amend my life, but I hauehave not performed mine oath, and hauehave come vnderunder a double guiltineſſe. I purpoſed to ceaſe from ſinne, euen when I vowed, thinking to ſtand by mine owne ſtrength: But nowe, good Lord, I beſeech thee, that thou wouldeſt giuegive mee thy conſtant Spirit, that I may ſtand by thy power,Pſa. 51.10 and fall no more.
If thou wouldeſt narrowlie marke mine iniquities, O Lord,Iob 5.3. I could not aunſwere thee to one of a thouſand: yea, mine owne mouth condemne mee,Iob 9.20. and mine owne cloathes would defile mee. Waſh mee, therefore, O my God: Purge mee with Hyſſope,Pſal. 51.7 and I ſhalbe cleane: with Myrrhe and pure Water, and I ſhall bee whiter than Snow. O, paſſe by my great ſins: for mercy pleaſeth thee.Mich. 7.8.
Remember not, O Lord, mine ingratitude, and vnthankfulneſſe toward thy Majeſtie,Ingratitude for all thy manifolde and rich benefits, which thou haſt ſo bountifullie beſtowed vponupon mee from time to time: Ne yet, good Lord, remember mine hypocriſie, and ſuperficiall ſeruice,Hypocriſie. which manie times I hauehave done vntounto thee, both priuatelie, and in thine Houſe. I craue pardon for theſe two ſinnes, which are moſt haynous: and I moſt humblie beſeech thee, euer hence forwarde, to giuegive mee a thankfull minde and heart, vntounto thee, for all thine innumerable benefites and bleſſinges, and ſinceritie in thy worſhip: that with a ſingle eye, and a true heart, I may glorifie thee, O my Creatour, all the dayes of my pilgrimage heere in this life, and heereafter with thy Sainctes for euer.
Oh, and alace, I am ſorie, and doe moſt heartilie repent mee, for thoſe manifolde injuries which I hauehave done vntounto my Neighboures,Injuries to our neighbour. euen for lacke of louelove towardes them. But, O Lord, I am no wayes able to reckon mine hainous ſinnes, and grieuous offences, which I hauehave committed both againſt God and man, no more than I am able to count the haires of mine head, or the ſandes of the Sea, or the Starres of Heauen. But binde thou all my tranſgreſſions in the bundle of thy merciemercy, and burne them in the fire of thy louelove: Oh, burie them all in the bowels of thy CHRIST, and in the graue of perpetuall obliuion. For why? O Lord, thy Name is MercieMercy,1. Gods Name is MercieMercy. and thy nature mercifull; yea, thy merciemercy is aboue all thy workes, and in dureth for euer.2. His nature mercifull.
Thy promiſe is, O God, that thou wilt not caſt off thoſe that come vntounto thee. Thou haſt ſworne, that thou delighteſt not in the death of a ſinner,3. His promiſe and oath. but that hee bee conuerted, and liue. Thou commandeſt all that are wearie,4. His Commandemēt. Matt. 11.28. Luke 18.1. and laden with ſinne, to come vntounto thee, and thou wilt eaſe them. Thou commendeſt the vnjuſt Iudge, who at laſt yeelded to the importunitie of the Widow. Therefore, O Lord, according to the riches of thy mercies looke vponupon mine infirmities. Beſtow vponupon …e, O Father, the Comforter,Ioh. 14.26 euen the Spirit of trueth, who may leade mee in all veritie through this Wilderneſſe: and thy conſtant Spirit, who may eſtabliſh mine heart by his grace; and who may ſanctifie me, and purifie the ſountaine of my ſoule, that all good actions may aboundantlie ſpring from thence.
And finallie, O Lord, I reſigne my bodie and ſoule into thine hand; beſeeching thee moſt intirelie, that thou wilt keepe thine owne Lodging; that I may bee directed, by thine holie Spirit, in the courſe of this tranſitorie life: that I hauing the aſſurance of the forgiueneſſe of all my former ſinnes, and likewiſe a care, feare, and reuenge of my corruption, I may learne to number my dayes,Pſa. 90.12 & redeeme the time, and ſpende (and ende) my life to thine honour, praiſe, and glorie, through IESVS CHRIST, my Lord and onelie Sauior. Amē. So bee it.
MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS, vponupon the Lordes ſeuen dayes worke.
MOSES, albeit hee was borne after the Flood, yet he prophecieth of thinges done from the beginning of the Worlde, and hath written fiue Bookes of the ſame: GENESIS, GENES.which ſignifieth Generation, becauſe it containeth the beginning both of the Worlde, and of the Church.EXOD. EXODVS, an Out-paſſage, or deliuerie of the Church from Aegypt. LEVITICVS, LEVIT.ſetteth downe both the Orders and Offices of the Leuits, for the right miniſtration of Gods ſeruice. NVMBERS, a Reckoning of men, NVMB.wherein God performeth his promiſe to Abraham, Gen. 22.17that his ſeed ſhould be like the ſtarrs of heauē. DEVTERONOMIE, DEVT.or a Second Law, or Declaration of the will of God, before the death of Moſes. He beginneth at the Creation, by which he confuteth the Opinion of the Eternity of the World. To ſuch as inquire what God was doing before the Creation,What God was doing before the World. I anſwere with S. Auguſtine, Hee was preparing Hell for ſuch curious braines. And to ſuch as aſke where he was, I ſay that God needed no place, who is comprehended in no place. Places are made for bodies, which are conprehenſible: the Creatour beeing incomprehenſible, hath no neede therof. Neque tempus habet quando, neque locum ubi, Auguſtine.neque modum quomodo, neque cauſam cur fit: that is, Hee hath neither a place wherein hee is, nor a time when, nor a manner how, nor a cauſe why he is. But he was in himſelfe, and had a perfect delectation in his owne Trinitie.