The Mother and the Child, Psalm 130
Pſalme 130. De profundis.
1 Out of the deepe hauehave I called vntounto thee O Lord: Lord heare my voice.OVt of the deepe bottome of the depth, I cryed vntounto thee my God: loſt & couered in the fearefull cauernes of the earth, I called vppon thy name. Hearken vntounto my voice, giuegive eare vntounto my prayer. For all hope of ſuccour was gone; I looked about mee, and behold nothing but horrour and fearfulneſs: yet hauehave I not loſt courage, but waited for that which thou haſt promiſed to all thoſe who liue in feare of thy name, and are obedient to thy commandements.
Bow down then O Lord,2 O let thine eares conſider well the voice of my complaint. a fauourable eare to my complaint. If ſinne hauehave interpoſed it ſelfe betweene thee and me, to exaſperate thee againſt mine offences, and to mooue thee againſt my prayer, which I make vntounto thee; driue it out of the ſight of thine eye of merciemercy: or rather O Lord, cloſe for a while thine eye of iuſtice, vntil the eare of thy clemencie hauehave receiued my confeſsion, & the humble requeſt which I make vntounto thee. For I come not to ſtand vppon mine owne iuſtification; but vponupon thy gentleneſs and bounty.
3 If thou Lord wilt be extreme to marke what is don amiſſe; Oh Lord who may abide it?If thou ſhouldſt keepe a regiſter of our faults, and cal vsus to a ſtrict account for them, who could endure O Lord the rigour of thy iudgement? What day is there of my whole life, that deſerueth not a whole age of torments? Thou mighteſt bring vponupon mee all the puniſhments of hell, and yet the greater part of my ſinnes remain vnpuniſhed.
But thou art ready to receiue to merciemercy the ſinner that commeth to thee with confeſsion in the mouth,4 For the… mercy wi… thee: therfore ſhalt thou be feared. and contrition in the heart. No ſooner hath he looked toward thy merciemercy; but he feeleth it work in him, breaking and diſſoluing ſinne, which had frozen his heart with feare and amazement. The puniſhment vvhichwhich hangeth ouer his head, departeth farre from him; carying away with it, this miſerable carefulnes, which is a hel to the cōſciences contaminated with iniquitie. For this cauſe O Lord, would I neuer vtterly forſake thy lawe: but hauehave alwaies attended, when it would pleaſe thee to bee gracious vntounto me. For hee that is ill aduiſed, and deſperate in his ſin, and abandoneth his ſoule, as paſt recouerie, doth like to the abhominable vſurer, who becauſe he hath ſuffered ſome loſſe of goods, goes and hangs himſelfe.
5 I looke for the Lord, my ſoule doth waite for him, in his word is my truſt.My ſoule hath not done ſo: for euen then when ſhe felt thine hand heauie vponupon me▪ exacting part of the puniſhment, which my faults had merited; yet did ſhee ſtill hold faſt the hope in thy promiſes.
6 My ſoule flyeth vntounto the Lord: before the morning watch, I ſay before the morning watch.When the ſtripes vvere multiplyed vponupon my back, I cryed vntounto thee, O Lord, Thy wil be done: only giuegive me as much ſtrength as affliction. Meaſure my paine according to my vigour: and if thou encreaſe my …orment, augment my cou…age: and ſo haſt thou dealt with me O Lord.
Let all true Iſraelites therfore both day & night,7 O Iſrael truſt in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy: and with him there is plentious redēption. but their cōfidence in God, …ook vponupon him, and to him …lone for all their ſuccour: …or his ſuccour is readie, …nd neuer faileth thoſe that with integritie of conſcience, and puritie of wil call vponupon him. Though their trouble be great & terrible, as ſoone as the Lord doth incline his eare to their cry, ſo ſoone ſhall they finde themſelues deliuered. For he aboundeth with merciemercy, and neuer faileth to ſuccor thoſe who make their recourſe to him. Inſomuch, that his bountie taketh away all the ſorrow, that we had for beeing ſinners; and makes vsus as it were reioice that we had fallen; as at the cauſe, for which wee hauehave had ſuch trial of his mercy: for if our faults ſurmount meaſure, his grace exceedeth all imagination. Wee hauehave deſerued a long and hard captiuitie; but loe, he hath deliuered vsus, and ſet vsus at moſt ſweet libertie: wee hauehave blinded the eyes of our vnderſtanding; and lo, …ee commeth to illighten …s. O Iſrael, ye hauehave ſinned againſt the Lord: yee hauehave made a mocke at his lawe, and ſported your ſelues in …he breach of his commandements, and forgotten his …ounty ſo plentifully pow…ed vponupon you.
He hath freed thee from miſerable bondage:8 And he ſhal redeeme Iſrael: from all his ſins. he hath …ed thee with bread from …eauen: hee hath made …reames to guſh out of the …ard rocke, to giuegive thee drinke: he hath giuen thee the moſt delicious garden of the earth for thine habitation: he hath made a couenant with thee, & made thee know his will. But ye hauehave conſpired againſt his honour, gone a whoring after ſtrange Gods, and troden his lawe vnderunder your feet: in a word, ye hauehave merited all the puniſhments of hell: and yet ſtill doth he offer himſelfe moſt graciouſly vntounto thee: he will redeeme thee with the price of his bloud, from the ſlauerie of ſin, to which thou hadſt of thine own accord bound thy ſelfe. Behold him, who himſelfe payeth the ranſome, for thoſe that hauehave betrayed him; vvho taketh vppon himſelfe the puniſhment of our backſliding, and the paiment of our forfeit. With what words ſhall we render him thankes? Open my lippes, my God, my Creator, my Redeemer, that my voice may bee lifted vp in that meaſure, as mine heart is enflamed with a boyling affection to giuegive thee praiſe and thankes, and to abaſe my ſelfe in the knowledge of my ſelf; that I may rouſe vp my ſpirits in the knowledge of that ſacred myſterie, whereby wee are reincorporated with thee, and admitted againe to thy couenant, to enter into this bleſſed participation of glorie; wherein all thoſe ſhall triumph, who ſhallbe partakers of the merite of the paſsion of thy welbeloued Sonne, the true and onelyonly Sauiour of the world.