Sermons on the Song of Hezekiah, Meditation

Sermons on the Song of Hezekiah · Meditation

❧A MEDITATION OF A PENITENT SINNER: VVRITTEN IN MANER OF A Paraphraſe vponupon the 51. Pſalme of Dauid.

¶I hauehave added this meditation folowyng vntounto the ende of this boke, not as parcell of maiſter Caluines worke, but for that it well agreeth with the ſame argument, and was deliuered me by my frend with whom I knew I might be ſo bolde to vſe & publiſhe it as pleaſed me.

¶The preface, expreſſing the paſſioned minde of the penitent ſinner.

THe hainous gylt of my forſaken ghoſt

So threates, alas, vntounto my febled ſprite

Deſerued death, and (that me greueth moſt)

Still ſtand ſo fixt before my daſeld ſight

The lotheſome filthe of my diſteined life,

The mighty wrath of myne offended Lorde,

My Lord whos wrath is ſharper than the knife,

And deper woundes than doble edged ſworde,

That▪ as the dimmed and fordulled eyen

Full fraught with teares & more & more oppreſt

With growing ſtreames of the diſtilled bryne

Sent from the fornace of a grefefull breſt,

Can not enioy the comfort of the light,

Nor finde the waye wherin to walke aright:

So I blinde wretch, whome Gods enflamed tre

with pearcing ſtroke hath throwne vntounto y^e groūd,

Amidde my ſinnes ſtill groueling in the myre,

Finde not the way that other oft hauehave found,

Whome cherefull glimſe of gods abounding grace

Hath oft releued and oft with ſhyning light

Hath brought to ioy out of the vgglye place,

Where I in darke of euerlaſting night

Bewayle my woefull and vnhappy caſe,

And fret my dyeng ſoule with gnawing paine.

Yet blinde, alas, I groape about for grace.

While blinde for grace I groape about in vaine,

My fainting breath I gather vp and ſtraine,

MercieMercy, merciemercy to crye and crye againe.

But mercy while I ſound with ſhreking crye▪

For graūt of grace and pardon while I pray,

Euen then deſpeir before my ruthefull eye

Spredes forth my ſinne & ſhame, & ſemes to ſaye

In vaine thou brayeſt forth thy bootleſſe noyſe

To him for mercy, O refuſed wight,

That heares not the forſaken ſinners voice.

Thy reprobate and foreordeined ſprite,

For damned veſſell of his heauie wrath,

(As ſelfe witnes of thy beknowyng hart.

And ſecrete gilt of thine owne conſcience ſaith)

Of his ſwete promiſes can claime no part:

But thee, caytif, deſerued curſe doeth draw

To hell, by iuſtice, for offended law.

This horror whē my trēbling ſoule doth heare,

When markes and tokens of the reprobate,

My growing ſinnes, of grace my ſenſleſſe cheare▪

Enforce the profe of euerlaſtyng hate,

That I conceiue the heauens king to beare

Againſt my ſinfull and forſaken ghoſt:

As in the throte of hell, I quake for feare,

And then in preſent perill to be loſt

(Although by conſcience wanteth to replye,

But with remorſe enforcing myne offence,

Doth argue vaine my not auailyng crye)

With woefull ſighes and bitter penitence

To him from whom the endleſſe mercy flowes

I cry for mercy to releue my woes.

And then not daring with preſuming eye

Once to beholde the angry heauens face,

From troubled ſprite. I ſend confuſed crye,

T… craue the crummes of all ſufficing grace.

With foltring knee I fallyng to the ground,

Bendyng my yelding handes to heauens throne,

Poure forth my piteous plaint w^t woefull ſound,

With ſmoking ſighes, & oft repeted grone,

Before the Lord, the Lord, whom ſynner I,

I curſed wretch, I hauehave offended ſo,

That dredyng, in his wrekefull wrath to dye,

And damned downe to depth of hell to go,

Thus toſt with panges and paſſions of deſpeir,

Thus craue I mercy with repentant chere.

❧A Meditation of à penitent ſinner, vponupon the 51. Pſalme.

HaueHave merciemercy vponupon me (o God) after thy great merciHAueHave mercy, God, for thy great mercies ſake.

O God: my God, vntounto my ſhame I ſay,

Beynge fled from thee, ſo as I dred to take

Thy name in wretched mouth, and feare to pray

Or aſke the mercy that I hauehave abuſde.

But, God of mercy, let me come to thee:

Not for iuſtice, that iuſtly am accuſde:

Which ſelfe word Iuſtice ſo amaſeth me,

That ſcarce I dare thy mercy ſound againe.

But merciemercy, Lord, yet ſuffer me to craue.

MercieMercy is thine: Let me not crye in vaine,

Thy great merciemercy for my great fault to hauehave.

HaueHave merciemercy, God, pitie my penitence

With greater merciemercy than my great offence.

And according vntounto the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences.My many ſinnes in nomber are encreaſt,

With weight wherof in ſea of depe deſpeire

My ſinking ſoule is now ſo ſore oppreſt,

That now in peril and in preſent fere,

I crye: ſuſteine me, Lord, and Lord I pray▪

With endleſſe nomber of thy mercies take

The endleſſe nomber of my ſinnes away.

So by thy merciemercy, for thy mercies ſake,

Rue on me, Lord, releue me with thy grace.

My ſinne is cauſe that I ſo nede to hauehave

Thy mercies ayde in my ſo woefull caſe:

My ſynne is cauſe that ſcarce I dare to craue

Thy merciemercy manyfolde, whiche onelyonly may

Releue my ſoule, and take my ſinnes away.

So ſoule is ſinne and lotheſome in thy ſighte,Waſh me yet more from my wickednes, and clenſe me from my ſinne.

So foule with ſinne I ſee my ſelfe to be,

That till from ſinne I may be waſhed white,

So foule I dare not, Lord, approche to thee.

Ofte hath thy merciemercy waſhed me before,

Thou madeſt me cleane: but I am foule againe.

Yet waſhe me Lord againe, and waſhe me more.

Waſhe me, O Lord, and do away the ſtaine

Of vggly ſinnes that in my ſoule appere.

Let flow thy plētuous ſtreames of clenſing grace.

Waſhe me againe, yea waſhe me eueryevery where,

Bothe leprous bodie and defiled face.

Yea waſhe me all, for I am all vncleane.

And from my ſin, Lord, cleanſe me ones againe.

HaueHave merciemercy, Lord, hauehave merciemercy:For I knowledge my wickednes, and my ſinne is euer before me. for I know

How muche I nede thy merciemercy in this caſe.

The horror of my gilt doth dayly growe,

And growing weares my feble hope of grace.

I fele and ſuffer in my thralled breſt

Secret remorſe and gnawing of my hart.

I fele my ſinne, my ſinne that hath oppreſt

My ſoule with ſorrow and ſurmounting ſmart.

Drawe me to merciemercy: for ſo oft as I

Preſume to mercy to direct my ſight,

My Chaos and my heape of ſinne doth lie,

Betwene me and thy mercies ſhining light.

What euer way I gaze about for grace,

My filth and fault are euer in my face.

Againſte thee onelye hauehave I ſinned, & don euill in thy ſight.Graunt thou me mercy, Lord: thee thee alone

I hauehave offended, and offendyng thee,

For mercy loe, how I do lye and grone.

Thou with allpearcing eye beheldeſt me,

Without regard that ſinned in thy ſight.

Beholde againe, how now my ſpirite it rues,

And wailes the tyme, when I with foule delight

Thy ſwete forbearing mercy did abuſe.

My cruell conſcience with ſharpned knife

Doth ſplat my ripped hert, and layes abrode

The loth…ſome ſecretes of my filthy life,

And ſpredes them forth before the face of God.

Whō ſhame frō dede ſhameleſſe cold not reſtrain,

Shame for my dede is added to my paine.

But therey Lord, O Lord ſome pitie take,

That thou mighteſt be founde iuſt in thy ſayinges, and maieſt ouer come when thou art iudged.Withdraw my ſoule from the deſerued hell▪

O Lord of glory, for thy glories ſake:

That I may ſaued of thy mercy tell,

And ſhew how thou, which mercy haſt behight

To ſighyng ſinners, that hauehave broke thy lawes,

Performeſt mercy: ſo as in the ſight

Of them that iudge the iuſtice of thy cauſe

Thou onelyonly iuſt be demed, and no moe,

The worldes vniuſtice wholy to confound:

That damning me to depth of during woe

Iuſt in thy iudgement ſhouldeſt thou be found:

And from deſerued …la…es releuyng me

Iuſt in thy mercy mayſt thou alſo be.

For lo, in ſinne, Lord, I begotten was,For loe, I was ſhapen in wickednes, and in ſinne my mother cō ceiued me.

With ſede and ſhape my ſinne I toke alſo,

Sinne is my nature and my kinde alas,

In ſinne my mother me conceiued: Lo

I am but ſinne, and ſinfull ought to dye,

Dye in his wrath that hath forbydden ſinne.

Such bloome and frute loe ſinne doth multiplie,

Such was my roote, ſuch is my iuyſe within.

I plead not this as to excuſe my blame,

On kynde or parentes myne owne gilt to lay:

But by diſcloſing of my ſinne, my ſhame,

And nede of helpe, the plainer to diſplaye

Thy mightie mercy, if with plenteous grace

My plenteous ſinnes it pleaſe thee to deface.

Thou loueſt ſimple ſooth, not hidden face

With trutheles viſour of deceiuing ſhowe.But lo, thou haſte loued trueth, the hidden and ſecrete thinges of thy wiſedome thou haſte opened vntounto me.

Lo ſimplie, Lord, I do confeſſe my caſe,

And ſimplie craue thy mercy in my woe.

This ſecrete wiſedom haſt thou graunted me,

To ſe my ſinnes, & whence my ſinnes do growe:

This hidden knowledge hauehave I learnd of thee,

To fele my ſinnes, and howe my ſinnes do flowe

With ſuch exceſſe, that with vnfained hert,

Dreding to drowne, my Lorde, lo howe I flee,

Simply with teares bewailyng my deſert,

Releued ſimply by thy hand to be.

Thou loueſt truth, thou taughteſt me the ſame.

Helpe, Lord of truth, for glory of thy name.

With ſwete Hyſope beſprinkle thou my ſprite:Sprinkle me, Lorde, with hiſope and I ſhalbe cleane: waſhe me and I ſhalbe whiter then ſnow.

Not ſuch hyſope, nor ſo beſprinkle me,

As law vnperfect ſhade of perfect lyght

Did vſe as an apointed ſigne to be

Foreſhewing figure of thy grace behight.

With death and bloodſhed of thine only ſonne▪

The ſwete hyſope, cleanſe me defyled wyght.

Sprinkle my ſoule. And when thou ſo haſte done,

Bedeawd with droppes of mercy and of grace▪

I ſhalbe cleane as cleanſed of my ſynne.

Ah waſh me, Lord: for I am foule alas:

That only canſt, Lord, waſh me well within,

Waſh me, O Lord: when I am waſhed ſoe,

I ſhalbe whiter than the whiteſt ſnowe.

Thou ſhalt make me heare ioye and gladneſſe, at the bones which thou haſt broken ſhal reioyſeLong hauehave I heard, & yet I heare the ſoundes

Of dredfull threates and thonders of the law,

Which Eccho of my gylty minde reſoundes,

And with redoubled horror doth ſo draw

My liſtening ſoule from mercies gentle voice,

That louder, Lorde, I am conſtraynde to call:

Lorde, pearce myne eares, & make me to reioyſe▪

When I ſhall heare, and when thy mercy ſhall

Sounde in my hart the goſpell of thy grace.

Then ſhalt thou geue my hearing ioy againe,

The ioy that onelyonly may releue my caſe.

And then my brooſed bones, that thou with paine

Haſt made to weake my febled corps to beare,

Shall leape for ioy, to ſhewe myne inward chere.

Turne away thy face from my ſinnes, and do away all my miſdedes.Loke on me, Lord: though trēbling I beknowe,

That ſight of ſinne ſo ſore offendeth thee,

That ſeing ſinne, how it doth ouerflowe

My whelmed ſoule, thou canſt not loke on me,

But with diſdaine, with horror and deſpite.

Loke on me, Lord: but loke not on my ſinne.

Not that I hope to hyde it from thy ſight,

Which ſeeſt me all without and eke within.

But ſo remoue it from thy wrathfull eye,

And from the iuſtice of thyne angry face,

That thou impute it not. Looke not how I

Am foule by ſinne: but make me by thy grace

Pure in thy mercies ſight, and, Lord, I pray▪

That hateſt ſinne, wipe all my ſinnes away.

Sinne and deſpeir hauehave ſo poſſeſt my hart,Create a cleane hart within me, O God: and renew a ſtedfaſt ſpirit within my bowels.

And hold my captiue ſoule in ſuch reſtraint,

As of thy mercies I can fele no part,

But ſtill in languor do I lye and faint.

Create a new pure hart within my breſt:

Myne old can hold no liquour of thy grace.

My feble faith with heauy lode oppreſt

Staggring doth ſcarcely creepe a reeling pace,

And fallen it is to faint to riſe againe.

Renew, O Lord, in me a conſtant ſprite,

That ſtayde with mercy may my ſoule ſuſteine▪

A ſprite ſo ſetled and ſo firmely pight

Within my bowells, that it neuer moue,

But ſtill vphold thaſſurance of thy louelove.

Loe proſtrate, Lorde, before thy face I lye,Caſt me not away from thy face, and take not thy holy ſpirit from me.

With ſighes depe drawne depe ſorow to expreſſe▪

O Lord of merciemercy, merciemercy do I crye:

Dryue me not from thy face in my diſtreſſe,

Thy face of merciemercy and of ſwete relefe,

The face that fedes angels with onelyonly ſight,

The face of comfort in extremeſt grefe.

Take not away the ſuccour of thy ſprite,

Thy holy ſprite, which is myne onelyonly ſtay,

The ſtay that when deſpeir aſſaileth me,

In fainteſt hope yet moueth me to pray,

To pray for mercy, and to pray to thee.

Lord, caſt me not from preſence of thy face,

Nor take from me the ſpirite of thy grace.

Reſtore to me the comforte of thy ſauing helpe, & ſtabliſhe me with thy free ſpirit.But render me my wonted ioyes againe,

Which ſinne hath reſt, and planted in theyr place

Doubt of thy mercy ground of all my paine.

The taſt, that thy louelove whilome did embrace

My chearfull ſoule, the ſignes that dyd aſſure

My felyng ghoſt of fauor in thy ſight,

Are fled from me, and wretched I endure

Senſleſſe of grace the abſence of thy ſprite.

Reſtore my ioyes, and make me fele againe

The ſwete retorne of grace that I hauehave loſt,

That I may hope I pray not all in vayne.

With thy free ſprite confirme my feble ghoſt.

To hold my faith from ruine and decay

With faſt affiance and aſſured ſtay.

I ſhal teach thy waies vntounto the wicked, & ſinnes ſhall be tourned vntounto thee.Lord, of thy mercy if thou me withdraw

From gaping throte of depe deuouring hell,

Loe, I ſhall preach the iuſtice of thy law:

By mercy ſaued, thy mercy ſhall I tell.

The wicked I wyll teache thyne only way,

Thy wayes to take, and mans deuiſe to flee,

And ſuche as lewd de…ight hath ledde aſtray,

To rue theyr errour and returne to thee.

So ſhall the profe of myne example preache

The bitter frute of luſt and foule delight:

So ſhall my pardon by thy mercy teache

The way to finde ſwete mercy in thy ſight.

Hyue mercy, Lorde, in me example make

Of lawe and mercy, for thy mercies ſake.

O God, God of my health, my ſauing God,Deliuer me from bloud o God, God of my helth & my tong ſhall ioyful lye talke of thy iuſtice.

HaueHave mercy Lord, and ſhew thy might to ſaue,

Aſſoile me, God, from gilt of giltleſſe blod,

And cke from ſinne that I ingrow…ng hauehave

By fleſhe and bloud and by corrupted kinde.

VponUpon my bloud and ſoule extende not, Lorde,

Vengeance for bloud, but mercy let me finde,

And ſtrike me not with thy reuengyng ſworde.

So, Lord, my ioying tong ſhall talke thy praiſe,

Thy name my mouth ſhall vtter in delight,

My voice ſhall ſounde thy iuſtice, and thy waies,

Thy waies to iuſtifie thy ſinfull wight.

God of my health, from bloud I ſaued ſo

Shall ſpred thy prayſe for all the world to know.

Lo ſtraining crampe of colde deſpeir againe

In feble breſt doth pinche my pinyng hart,Lord, open thou my lippes, and my mouth ſhal ſhewe thy praiſe.

So as in greateſt nede to cry and plaine

My ſpeache doth faile to vtter thee my ſmart.

Refreſhe my yeldyng hert, with warming grace,

And looſe my ſpeche, and make me call to thee.

Lord open thou my lippes to ſhewe my caſe,

My Lord, for mercy Loe to thee I flee.

I can not pray without thy mouyng ayde,

Ne can I ryſe, ne can I ſtande alone.

Lord, make me pray, & graūt whē I hauehave praide.

Lord looſe my lippes, I may expreſſe my mone▪

And findyng grace with open mouth I may

Thy mercies praiſe, and holy name diſplay.

Thy mercies praiſe, inſtede of ſacrifice,If thou haddeſt deſired ſacrifice, I wold hauehave geuen thou delyteſt not in burnt offringes.

With thankfull minde ſo ſhall I yeld to thee.

For if it were delitefull in thine eyes,

Or hereby mought thy wrath appeaſed be▪

Of cattell ſlayne and burnt with ſacred flame

Vp to the heauen the vaprie ſmoke to ſend:

Of gyltleſſe beaſtes, to purge my gilt and blame,

On altars broylde the ſauour ſhold aſcend,

To peaſe thy wrath. But thy ſwete ſonne alone,

With one ſufficing ſacrifice for all

Appeaſeth thee, and maketh the at one

With ſinfull man, and hath repaird our fall.

That ſacred hoſte is euer in thine eyes.

The praiſe of that I yeld for ſacrifice.

The ſacrifice to God is a trobled ſpirit: a broken and an humbled hart, o god, thou wilt not deſpiſe.I yeld my ſelf, I offer vp my ghoſte,

My ſlayne delightes, my dyeng hart to thee.

To God a trobled ſprite is pleaſing hoſte.

My trobled ſprite doth drede like him to be,

In whome taſtleſſe languor with lingring pain…

Hath febled ſo the ſtarued appetite,

That foode to late is offred all in vaine,

To holde in fainting corps the fleing ſprite.

My pining ſoule for famine of thy grace

So feares alas the faintneſſe of my faithe.

I offre vp my trobled ſprite: alas,

My trobled ſprite refuſe not in thy wrathe.

Such offring likes thee, ne wilt thou deſpiſe

The broken humbled hart in angry wiſe.

Shew fauour, o lord in thy good will vntounto Sion, that … walles▪ of Hieruſalem may be bylded.Shew merciemercy, Lord, not vntounto me alone:

But ſtretch thy fauor and thy pleaſed will,

To ſprede thy bountie and thy grace vponupon

Sion, for Sion is thy holly hyll:

That thy Hieruſalem with mighty wall

May be encloſed vnderunder thy defenſe.

And bylded ſo that it may neuer fall

By myning fraude or mighty violence.

Defend thy chirch, Lord, and aduaunce it ſoe,

So in deſpite of tyrannie to ſtand,

That trēbling at thy power the world may know

It is vpholden by thy mighty hand:

That Sion and Hieruſalem may be

A ſafe abode for them that honor thee.

Then on thy hill, and in thy walled towne,Then ſhalt thou accept the ſacrifice of righteouſneſſe, burnt offringes and oblations▪ then ſhall they offre yonge bullockes vponupon thine altare.

Thou ſhalt receaue the pleaſing ſacrifice.

The brute ſhall of thy praiſed name reſoune

In thankfull mouthes, and then with gentle eyes

Thou ſhalt behold vponupon thine altar lye

Many a yelden hoſt of humbled hart,

And round about then ſhall thy people crye:

We praiſe thee, God our God: thou onelyonly art

The God of might, of merciemercy, and of grace.

That I then, Lorde, may alſo honor thee.

Releue my ſorow, and my ſinnes deface:

Be, Lord of merciemercy, mercifull to me:

Reſtore my feling of thy grace againe:

Aſſure my ſoule, I craue it not in vaine.

FINIS.

End of the text · John Calvin, Sermons on the Song of Hezekiah (1560)