THE SOULS Lamentations, and love to God.  Preces & Lachrymae. 
Dumps and tears of REPENTANCE.  Aut ora, aut abi. Aut Poenitendum, aut pereundum. 
LONDON, Printed by Tho: Purfoot. An: 1614   

To the Christian READER.  
Think not (good Christian READER) that these Prayers may only be appropriated unto myself. They are not only the Anatomy of my Soul, and the discovery of my life; but whatsoever penitent & true hearted Christian shall light upon them, I doubt not but he will think they were devised & ordained of God for him. By them thou mayst find the Scripture verified, which saith; To the weak I become as weak, that I may win the weak, 1. Cor. 9 22. Or rather that, Whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation; or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation & salvation, 2. Cor. 1.6. If God bring some to the gates of death for the comfort of others; what account we all aught to make jointly of ourselves, and what possible comfort to minister one unto another severally, in temptations, in afflictions, in poverties, in necessities, in all the world's jniuries wherewith we are vexed every day, thou seest. Seeing also we esteem nor to discover our nakedness, and to set our jnfirmities unto the view of men for his servants sakes, that their joy may be full; knowing that if they be weak, so are we, if they be strong, so are we: if they be sinful, so are we: if they be penitent, so are we. Let God be glorified, and let every sorrowful soul triumph in Christ upon the view of our weakness. For he that refused not us, refuseth none of his that come unto him, call upon him faithfully, turn from jniquity, and worship him in spirit and in truth. This one thing I entreat of thee, Ask not my name: it will not profit thee; I am thy fellow servant, let that suffice thee: In thy prayers remember me for a while, if thou know me, and know me by thyself, and it shall satisfy me to the full: I do & will pray for thee. Our Lord jesus Christ be with thy Spirit. Amen.   

To the Sinner.  
CHristian Sinner: be not offended at the passions of these Prayers. Thou wilt not: thou canst not: if ever thou hast felt either thy sins, or thy saviour; the one to afflict and affright thee, the other to ease & refresh thee. There is no greater burden than the burden of sin: There is no greater joy than the joy of the holy Ghost, given and inspired of God through Jesus Christ our Lord, The one is hell, and the other is Heaven here on Earth. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity: but a wounded spirit who can bear? And so contrary: The heart that is possessed with The peace of God that passeth all understanding; no doubt, rejoiceth with joy unspeakable and glorious. Add hereunto: If the dear Saints of God, (especially the holy Prophet David,) forced not, as it were, to shun themselves in the eye of the world, that they might satisfy their Consciences, and glorify God▪ It ought not to seem strange to any sanctified soul, that the Author hereof hath made himself (in a manner) a gazing stock to the world, to Angels, and to men: To become weak unto the weak that he might win the weak; all to all, that at the least he might gain some. It is no matter what shame be poured on the face of a sinful, miserable, and mortal man: so that one soul thereby may be gained to Christ. And I like exceedingly of that excellent resolution of supereminent Saint Augustine. Confitebor infirmitates meas oraturis pro me fratribus. Be thy discretion what it will, this is mine in God. And so I wish thee the comfort of heart in the Sautoir of the world; of whom I am sure thou hast great need, as well as I.  
Thine in truth and charity. B: L.   

DEVOUT PRAYERS.  

¶ A Confession, lamentation, and submission to God.  
O Lord, my God: I have sinned, and done wickedly, I have grievously sinned, & done exceeding wickedly: my sins are in number infinite, and most abominable in nature. Oh good Lord: I have provoked thine excellent Majesty, and thy strong power, and thine upright justice, to condemn me body and soul suddenly. Surely it is of thy mercy that I am not already consumed: I have deserved presently, even now (Lord) before the next nioment, to be delivered up into the hands of hell, and of the Prince of darkness, the Tyrant of the soul of man, Satan the Devil. For I have served him and neglected thee: I have from my youth obeyed him and despised thy Majesty (oh most glorious, mighty, and terrible God) thy power, and thy justice I have despised and set at nought: And yet if this were all: I had committed but small offence in respect of that which I have done. For thy mercy, thy mercy (oh Lord) thy compassions (oh good God) thy compassions infinite, and unspeakable, and unconceivable, evermore alluring me, calling me back, & even beseeching me (my Conscience bearing witness) to refrain from iniquity, I have cast behind me, and most vile wretch, than whom there is none liveth more wretched that shall be saved, I have trodden and trampled under my feet. True it is (my God and my merciful Redeemer) it is most true: that when thou hast offered me grace, I have refused it, & when thine Angel hath stood on my right hand, and Satan on the left, I have rejected thine Angel, and turned aside unto Satan, I have leaned unto the left hand, and not unto the right. So I have traitorously misused thy Majesty, & have showed myself a notorious, wilful, and unrepentant rebel: yea as a swift Roe of the Forest, or as a Dromedary of Midian, or as a wild Ass of the Wilderness, that snuffeth up wind at pleasure: I have run hastily and headlong from the right and high way of life, into bypaths of death and destruction: I have entered league with sins, and have travailed quietly hand in hand with the Princes of everlasting darkness: I have suffered myself to be led by them unto the bottomless pit: & therein I had almost plunged myself unawares: I was even clean gone from thy presence, and remembered thee no more: Then, even then (oh sweet God) when I was held in chains of darkness, thou didst send thine Angel and deliver me. What shall I give unto thee? How shall I be thankful? I will praise thee with joyful lips: I will sing to thee from the ground of my heart. Accept the sacrifice of praise, I will take the cup of salvation, and pray unto thee. Behold I come unto thee right humbly, oh Lord hear me, oh Lord hear me: O Lord despise me not. If thou makest as though thou hearest not, I die, and what profit is there in my blood? Spare me (good Lord) spare me Hear and forgive, I present unto thee Christ jesus, he came into the world to save sinners: of whom not S. Paul, but I, even I the slave of sin that now am before thee, I am the chief: which I speak not (Lord) for fashion, but from the depth of an oppressed and wearied Conscience thou knowest: It is time for thee now to lay to thy hand: for they have destroyed thy law within my soul. They, even mine enemies, & thine enemies, my sins and villainies have destroyed thy law. I am brought even hard to death's door, and Satan, yea truly many Satan's, and many fiends, and furies, and concupiscences, and Legions of Devils in me have almost made an end of me. My soul is a pray unto them. O Lord deliver me, and be merciful unto me. Deliver my soul from the jaws of the Lions. Deliver me for jesus Christ's sake, sprinkle his blood over my scorched Conscience: yet if thou suffer me to lie a while in these flames, Lord grant me patience, and I willingly suffer. Thy will be done. I know thou wilt deliver me, for thou hast promised and canst not lie, and thou art able readily: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.   

¶ A wrestling with hardness of heart, and a betaking of the Soul unto God's dispose.  
OH merciful Lord God, I am utterly ashamed & confounded: I am grieved at the very heart: my Soul is heavy and full of sorrow; my bones are dried, and my sight faileth me, because of my sins. I lie in the midst of my cruel enemies, and the snares of Hell do hold my heart in heaviness: it grieveth me to confess, it grieveth me very sore, the remembrance of mine iniquities is a vexation unto my soul, the shame of them which yet I have not shamed to commit in thy sight carelessly, commonly, presumptuously, and peevishly, doth even astonish and amaze my wounded and languishing conscience: Yet I must confess and will not deny unto thee (Oh my God) I have sinned exceedingly. Ah Lord God show me thy countenance, and turn thy loving and favourable face towards me, give ear unto my prayers, and consider my meditations; my mournful meditations, how I mourn in myself, and am vexed. Here (Oh Lord) yet vouchsafe to hear my request, vouchsafe to hear the confession of my sinful and ungodly life, of my wanton, and wicked behaviour; of my vile and abominable sins and transgressions whereby I have dismayed my heart, daunted my courage of faith and godliness, & even (without thee) dammed myself body and soul. Hear I most humbly beseech thee (most loving Father of heaven) who never disdainest nor scornest them that come unto thee. Hear my sins, my sins, my sins. Alas: how can I repeat them? how can I remember them? they are more in number then the hairs of my head, and my heart hath failed me. I am even already in the hell, and I lie covered with them and blinded (O God) I cannot see thy face. If not now, even when thou wilt. If thou never will't, I know it not, for who hath known thy mind (O Lord) or who hath been thy Counsellor? Yet seeing I know not whether thou wilt shine unto me in the face of jesus Christ, or no: I will therefore trust in thee, and rest upon thee, & bequeath my soul unto thee, though thou kill me. And now according to my duty I will confess, if hateful heart filled with sin do say not for my duties sake, yet for the ease of my stomach: and if I so hate myself, and envy mine own ease, yet even for spite to my corrupted conscience; I will confess my wickedness, and I will lay open my abominations, that I may delight in their remembrance, not that I delight in them, but that I abhor them, and myself for them, and therein I take delight. Wherefore I confess unto thine eternal Majesty freely without constraint, willingly without compulsion, gladly, and joyfully, joyfully that so much grace is left unto me to confess, but sorrowfully to my soul, (and woe worth my soul that ever I have so abused, defaced, wounded it) but I confess, I confess, & where shall I begin: I confess I have sinned against Heaven, and against thee, against Earth, & against thee, against myself, and against thee, against all men, and against thee, against the whole course and order of nature, and against thee, against my creation, and against thee, against my redemption, and against thee, against my justification, and against thee, against my Sanctification, Preservation, Faith, Hope, Charity, godliness, virtue, all grace that ever was given me (and it hath been given in great measure) and against thee; against thee (Oh heavenly Father) and thy Majesty, mercy, and glory, and power, and justice, and goodness, I have offended and trespassed most heinously & villainously. Oh Lord pardon me, Oh Lord forgive me, forgive my pride, and arrogancy, forgive my negligence, contempt, and security; forgive my idleness, and vanity; forgive my profanes, & impiety; forgive my uncleanness, and unchastity; forgive my oppression, & injury; forgive my gross, and godless, and shameful, and unnatural, and unmeasurable, and unsatiable wickedness. Accept my confession, accept my contrition, accept my acknowledgement, accept my judgement, and condemnation of myself; for mine own conscience hath condemned me, and my overmany, and out-crying sins have witnessed against me, if thou (Oh merciful judge) pronounce the sentence of damnation against me, it is thy mercy that thou hast stayed thy fierce wrath, & ten thousand times deserved vengeance thus long: yea verily, that thou didst not forthwith pass thine irrevocable sentence, it is thy great mercy. If now thou wilt do it and show me mercy no more, thou mayest do it in very equity of justice, thou hast my confession, it doth me good that I have been vexed therewith, would it might please thee I might be more vexed until my hatred be perfect against ungodliness; thy will be done. I commit myself into thy hands. Do with me as seemeth good in thine own eyes, thou art a gracious God. Death is my desert, I am even glad and it rejoiceth me, that yet in one thing I can be obedient unto thèe, even in yielding my soul to thy holy will though it be to throw down to hell. Hell is my right and my portion, the inheritance that I have deserved. If I be cast thereinto I must be content: But yet there is hope. I deal with a merciful judge; well: let there be no hope, Take my confession O God of my soul, do thy pleasure, if I die I die worthy of a thousand deaths, none more worthy. Alas my soul, alas my soul, Come sweet jesus, come quickly, the pit is deep, it is bottomless, despair hath taken hold upon me, and it draweth me, Lord shall I be damned indeed? oh take the sacrifice of a contrite spirit: oh remember the blood of jesus Christ: oh wash me, and cleanse me, and thou shalt find no wickedness in me. Lord shall I be damned, that sometime have trusted in thee, and have hoped in thy holy name? I commit my soul into thine hands; oh remember thy son Christ; and so I commit it into thy merciful hands again: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.   

¶ A comfortable conceit upon review of the soul under God's protection: And an earnest entreaty for godly perseverance.  
I Committed my soul into thy hands (oh Lord thou GOD of mercy) render it, restore it now; nay thine it is and keep it I beseech thee, and let me have a sight of it. Oh thanks be unto thy divine Majesty and unspeakable mercy, that yet once again thou hast washed, and cleansed it, that thou hast sprinkled the blood of jesus Christ over it, that thou hast adorned and beautified it with glorious grace, and hast not taken thine holy Spirit from me. Lord pardon my unthankfulness. Go my soul unto thy God at all times, for he loveth thee, he hath once loved thee, and he loveth thee for ever. Go unto him, and tie thyself, be not separated oh my soul. He is thy God, he is thy Creator, he is thy redeemer, he is thy Saviour. O worship thou him in the beauty of holiness. Oh merciful Lord God have pity yet again on my distressed, forlorn, and forsaken soul. It is wonderfully wounded unto the death. Oh save me, save me oh Lord, why am I thus? why art thou angry with me for ever? I will hope in thy holy name, oh let me not go away ashamed because I have put my trust in thee. Who ever trusted in thee, and was confounded? And shall I? Surely thou wilt hear me, thou wilt help me, thou wilt comfort me; My heart telleth me: thy spirit beareth witness unto me, that I shall be relieved, and comforted, and made glad, and exceeding joyful, with the light of thy countenance. Behold, even as the eyes of a servant do look unto the hand of his master, and the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her Mistress, even so mine eyes wait upon thee my God, until thou have mercy upon me. Make speed O Lord and be not slack, it is time, it is high time I beseech thee Lord let me beg my soul out of the hands of Satan, for jesus sake, and draw my soul (oh loving Father) unto jesus Christ: let him command Satan to yield it up again. Seeing he hath no title, no interest, why should he have any possession, oh that it were wholly employed in thy service. Hear then Lord, and forgive all my sins past, my Rose-coloured and blood-red sins: remember thy mercies in jesus Christ my only Saviour & most loving Redeemer; to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, one God Almighty, eternal, and most merciful, be praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.   

¶ An excellent wrestling with jesus Christ.  
OH sweet jesus Christ son of God, son of the Father, lord of life, son of David, redeemer of the world have mercy upon me miserable sinner. I have defaced the glorious Image after which I was created: I have perverted my ways, and delivered my soul into the power of Satan. I was held captive, and bound in the chains of everlasting darkness, yet thou (Oh Lord) didst redeem me with thy most precious blood: thou didst deliver me, and set me at liberty: thou didst offer up thine own body upon the cross, and submit thyself unto the death for my sake, and this my redemption thou didst seal in my heart by the most comfortable gift of Faith, and other Christian virtues attending thereupon: so that I gave myself to love thee, and cheerfully to serve thee; and call upon thee: then didst thou answer me again, and filledst my heart with gladness; yea (sweet jesus) thou knowest that my heart within me hath leapt, and danced for joy of thy loving countenance, and unspeakable mercies. May it please thee, I know it doth please thee (Oh merciful Redeemer) to continue thy loving kindness towards me. I know, and I confess (for if I deny I am a liar) that I have notwithstanding thy tender love towards me, in redeeming my sinful and wretched soul, greatly, and notoriously abused, and contemned thy goodness; wanton, and wickedly kicked, and spurned against thy holy grace, the seal of mine eternal election, and redemption, wonderfully, and strangely, (oh good Christ) thou knowest most villainously, presumptuously, and almost despitefully defacing and rasing out the print thereof by most heinous transgressions heaped up together, & increasing in great measure in most vile and abominable sort; so that I had almost lost faith, and fallen from grace: But continual and everlasting praise be given to thee: thou hast lifted me up from the gates of death, from the pit of hell, and power of the Devil. The sly and subtle snares of damnation were spread under me, and I stumbled, and fell; and now was hell and death, and damnation, preparing a triumph over my soul, now was the Devil stepping with his greedy teeth to tear; and lo, thou son of God, thou saviour of men, thou strong and mighty by thy mighty power, whereby thou art able to subdue all things unto thyself, didst pluck me out of his teeth, and deliver me. What shall I render unto thy Majesty? thy power, thy goodness, thy mercy, thy most undeserved (true Lord, and most true) compassion, and pity? What shall I render unto thee for all the good that thou hast done unto me? Surely I will confess unto thee my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin. I will magnify and praise thy name for ever. I will speak of thy loving kindness, and make mention of thy salvation; Oh Lord, who is like unto thee, that deliverest me from him that is to strong for me, and spoileth me? My soul shall make her boast of thee, and shall not be ashamed, because thou Lord hast helped me, and comforted me. Moreover (oh my jesus) I will not cease to pray unto thee, dispose me thereunto I most humbly beseech thee, for without thee I can do nothing. Oh let my prayer come before thee, and enter into thy presence, Let me never be so mightily overcome, and so shamefully overthrown as I have been. Give me thy constant spirit: breed in my heart and Conscience a deadly hatred, and desperate enmity of sin and wickedness: let me never be reconciled unto them again: Oh let my soul love thy most precious blood, by which it is washed and cleansed from most vile corruptions. Let me die (oh Lord) and depart this life before I so contemptuously, as indeed I have done, tread, and trample it, as it were under my profane feet. Oh let me die first I unfeignedly desire thee (my sweet Saviour:) For why should I live to dishonour thee in such sort? Why should I live still to provoke thy wrath, and mine own unquietness? I have profaned thy sanctified and sanctifying blood, I have buffeted thee on the face; I have whipped and scourged thee most cruelly: I have by most odious impiety crucified thee afresh unto myself. Ah sinful wretch laden with iniquity; heavy laden; Oh laden, oh when wilt thou refresh me? quicken me in thy righteousness, and cleanse me from all my filthiness, oh cleanse me & I shall be clean, whiter than snow, clearer than glass, acceptable to the righteous judge God our Father, loving, and merciful, who never refuseth thee (oh Christ) his well-beloved Son. I beseech thee, I beseech thee restore me; make glad my heart again, render now thy grace, which I have lost by my trespass; and from presumptuous sins (oh Lord) keep me: set Angels about me to draw me by violence from such ungodliness. If thou wilt thou canst make me clean, and thou art mercy itself, and yet hitherto none hath trusted in thee, and been sent away empty, and thou art able, For all power is given to thee in heaven and in earth; and at the name of jesus every knee must bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: now I commit my cause unto thy divine wisdom, and unspeakable mercy: now I crave pardon, now I crave grace, and continuance therein, and in thy good time thou wilt not fail to give, (oh Lord) strengthen my patience, and increase my faith, for thine is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever Amen.   

¶ A comfortable confession and Supplication.  
O Lord God, great and fearful, most mighty, and full of strength: Behold how I mourn in my prayer, and am vexed, my sorrows are gone over my head, my sins are bound up in a bundle to be laid upon me, nay to be repeated, my soul is pained and pined away through my daily complaining, and yet thou (oh righteous judge) continuest holy, and just in thy judgements. Thy punishments are inflicted upon me; thine arrows stick fast in me, thou hast wounded me sore; but in mercy thou hast chastened me, my rebellious have deserved much more, nay infinite; and yet it pleaseth thy Majesty to be merciful unto me, even so Father because it is thy good pleasure to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. O God of mercies and compassions; of Father, and Spirit of all comfort, and consolation, hear thy servant that putteth his trust in thee; hear, and give ear: thy mercies have drawn me unto thee, and thine innumerable compassions have constrained me to acknowledge unto thee Holy, holy, holy, true in promise; faithful in mercy; full of kindness, long suffering and of great goodness, wonderful in pity, and most wonderful, thou sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy punishment thou art not cruel, but severe; nay rather gentle, and merciful: even gentleness, and mercy, and meekness, and patience, and tender love, and kindness itself. I see it, I find it, I confess it, I give thanks for it. What shall I render to thee? I will thank thee, for thou hast wounded, and thou hast cured, and thou hast healed me, thou hast suffered me to slip into the gates of hell, and thou hast delivered me. Oh ye that fear the Lord, magnify ye the lord with me, oh let us come before him in the beauty of holiness; for he hath regarded the contemned estate of a sinner, and he only forgave my sin: my soul doth testify & make her boast of the Lord, I sought him early and late, in the day time and in the night season (this was my duty, this was my necessity:) for a while he hide his face from me, and I was troubled; for a while he was angry, and I consumed; for a while he held my sins before me, and I was amazed, ashamed, and confounded: but he turned his mercy toward me, and I received comfort, I conceived hope, I perceived that of very faithfulness he caused me to suffer grief; O magnify the Lord with me. He woundeth, and maketh whole again; he afflicteth, and he delivereth out of affliction; he hath showed me sorrows, and yet in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart, his comforts have refreshed my soul. What comforts? Christ my Redeemer: my Saviour, my King, and my God. Verily a King. He hath taken my sins, my presumptuous sins, and defaced them. He hath entered into my soul, and dispossessed Satan, Legions of Devils he hath chased, and gotten himself the victory. Rejoice in the Lord thy King (oh my soul) he ruleth in the midst among thine enemies. They are brought to nothing that sought to destroy thee. jesus is in the midst of thee, even in thy heart, and in thy soul to save, he sitteth there, even there also in thy conscience. Oh my redeemed soul between the Cherubins; Behold thy king, behold, and be glad, his train is with him, his Angels minister unto him, & about thee they stand to drive away the fiends of hell, and to defend thee. Why then art thou so sad oh my soul? what aileth thee? Canst thou not rest upon thy saviour, thy horn, and thy buckler, and the strong God of thy salvation? O put thy trust in God; be strong, and of a good courage, and he shall establish thy heart, even jesus that delivereth thee from the wrath to come, he shall so establish thine heart, and save thee. O bless his holy name. Oh praise him, and magnify him for ever, he only is the Lord, he only is the King, and there is none but he; Oh jesus I adore and worship thee. Oh Christ I praise, & give thanks unto thee, Oh Redeemer I confess unto thee, mine is the shame, thine is the glory, mine is the weakness, thine is the power, the kingdom, the dominion, and rule over sin and Satan, death, and hell. Sat still while thou art there; behold I scorn at sin and Satan, they cannot enter. avant Satan. jesus is the Lord, thou hadst miserably spoiled me; but lo my Redeemer is come; avant Satan. Sweet jesus; mighty Lord; my king; thy mercy is sweet, thy might is invincible, the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of holiness; holiness the life of the soul, the seal of life, the earnest of inheritance in the kingdom of Heaven. O King in my heart sit still, rule still, live still. And of a truth will God dwell with man? I thank thee, I honour thee, I adore thee. Oh King live for ever. Amen, Amen.   

¶ A very devout and zealous complaint against Inconstancy & hypocrisy.  
I Said I would forsake my wickedness, and eschew mine iniquity in thy sight, I resolved from a perfect and upright heart (oh my GOD thou knowest) to give an everlasting farewell to my sin, I promised thy most sacred and excellent Majesty from the ground of my grieved Conscience, that I would never return as a Dog to my vomit, or a Sow that is washed to the wallowing in the mire. But alas how weak? how faithless? how inconstant? how forgetful am I? how soon am I carried aside, and turned out of the way? how is my soul become a snare to take myself? how is my body a very bondslave to the filthy desires of my soul? how am I altogether corrupt and abominable as before? I hate my sin, and I commit my sin, I abhor my rebellion, and yet yield to my rebellion. How is my soul pained, and my body pined by reason of my sin? I have fasted, and watched, and prayed, and wept, and confessed, and craved pardon many times, carefully, zealously, vehemently: and have received comfort, conceived hope of thy constant spirit, and yet my sin remaineth. O vile wretch! O slave of sin! O drudge of transgression! O vassal of Satan that I am! what shall I do? whither shall I fly? to whom shall I resort for deliverance? If I say unto my body do not yield, it resisteth; If I say to my soul be not overcome, it denieth. I am wholly evil, and there is no good thing in me. And yet my soul is more abominable than this: for it flattereth me as though it would be obedient to thy spirit (oh God) but it dissembleth with me. It is a very hypocrite, in nothing constant, in nothing steadfast but in hypocrisy, and in deceit, it promiseth, and it performeth not. Why art thou so wicked oh my soul? why art thou so false unto me? why dost thou suffer Satan thine enemy & murderer to poison thee, and so to kill thee? Oh miserable soul? why wilt thou die? oh jesus my life why am I departed from thee? Oh jesus come unto me whom my soul loveth. One depth calleth another: the depth of misery, the depth of mercy. My misery is deep, but thy mercy is bottomless, & I know no end thereof. What then? be of good cheer my soul, go, seek thy saviour, follow after him. Thy sins are many, and thou canst not number them, they are heinous, and odious, and thou canst not esteem the abomination of them: but he hath numbered them, and he knoweth their quality, and his mercies are without number & measure. Infinite and not definite to any persons; thou art not excepted; to any times this day thou shalt be accepted, as it is written. At what time soever, etc. oh put thy trust in God, and in the mercy of the most high, thou shalt not miscarry, he is the help of thy countenance, and thy God. Trust to him, rest in him, depend upon him; follow after him, wrestle with him, pray unto him, and leave him not till he bestow a blessing: till he change thy heart, and make it new, be not faint, neither forgetful; without him thou shalt have no rest, and in him thou shalt find rest, and ease, and comfort, and joy, and eternal life, and everlasting felicity, thou knowest my Soul when thou art with him thou art quiet, and glad because of the light of his countenance, when thou art from him, thou art sad because thou art from thy joy. Oh seek thy Redeemer; forget not thy Saviour, his mercy is thy life, oh life grant mercy. Oh Christ save. I am a Leper, if thou wilt thou canst make me clean. I am the Publican, oh Lord be merciful unto me a sinner, a great sinner, a grievous sinner, the chief of sinners. Truth, oh truth, oh faithful and true, oh sweet jesus, who hath need of thy mercy as I have? Thou canst not bestow it on a more needy beggar? One drop of thy mercy sweet jesus, sweet jesus. Amen, Amen.   

¶ The dump or damp of despair: whereout the sinner labouring, pitifully complaineth and crieth unto Christ jesus to be refreshed and comforted.  
DAy by day have I cried unto the Lord, and in the night when I was waking I thought upon his mercies, and called for them. For I saw the ugly shape and innumerable multitude of my sins crying vengeance day and night. I perceived I was afflicted, my soul was heavy, and my body pined away, I cherished my flesh, and it would not remain, it rotten, and decayed. For the anger of the Lord, & the indignation of the most high, I brought my life down unto the ground, and my sorrows were increased in my heart. For I was pained within me, and straightened in my own bowels, than spoke I to the Almighty, and said as the Prophet taught me. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away as it were a moth fretting a garment, & I said, My wounds stink, and are corrupt through my foolishness, and I said, Thine arrows stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore. For I prayed daily, and yet my sin remained, and the punishment of my sin was hard upon me. The Almighty had covered his face with glory, and I was troubled, I found no rest in myself, no refuge in any creature. Then I stood amazed in the presence of my God. For I could not speak, my sins were unfolded, and laid open in his sight, & he remembered them. So I drew nearer and nearer unto the pit, and accounted myself among the wicked. I was silent before the high Majesty and most excellent glory, for I could not speak, yea, my heart wandered too and fro, and I sought to hide me from his presence: But it would not be. The eye of jealousy seeth all things, and the ear of jealousy heareth all things, and my sins were bound up in a bundle before him, and the punishment for them lay sore upon me. Then I said again. Lord dost thou so correct thine own children? Where shall the wicked appear? Surely they shall vanish away like smoke when thou appearest to them in glory. But I said of myself I am cast out of thy presence, and I am numbered with the reprobate generation. Nevertheless, when I saw I could not lie hid, neither could avoid the righteousness of the righteous judge, neither yet was able to pacify my vexed conscience, because I found no means in myself to forsake mine own iniquity, wherewith I am clothed as with a cloak. When I perceived indeed, and knew thoroughly the most poor, wretched, and miserable estate of my soul, inclinable to no goodness, but most vehemently with might and main striving against it: I came trembling unto the Lord jesus, I made my complaint and powered out my supplication before him, in this manner. Oh jesus Christ the only Saviour, anointed of the high God: Lord of life, of consolation, and eternity, Redeemer of the world, reconciler of man unto God: priest, and mediator for ever, clothed with the flesh of man to deliver man from hell beneath. Oh mercy, and goodness, and compassion itself, thou makest friendship between life and death, mortality, and immortality, corruption, and incorruption; Hear me (O Lord) and cast me not away: wherefore didst thou die, but for sinners? why didst thou come into the world but to save sinners? To what purpose didst thou deliver thyself into the hands of sinners? Was not this the cause of thy obedient life, and cruel death, the wretchedness of sinners? Why then (oh jesus) I am a sinner. Why art thou absent from me? Thou camest not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance; call me then unto thee, and draw me: For I cannot come of myself, I cannot come when I am called, except I be drawn; without thee I can do nothing: I cannot come unto thee, Call me, draw me, come for me. I lie in the pit, I am spoiled of robbers: I am rob of thy robes, mortification, and sanctification. The spoilers are my sins, my concupiscences, my corruptions within me. They (oh jesus) even they have spoiled me, dis-robed me of thy graces, disfurnished me of thy riches, and virtues; Oh good Samaritan while I am weltering in my blood, Oh while I am in my blood, despise me not, pass not by me, have pity, and compassion upon me. Bring thy blood, thy most precious blood, precious, because not to be valued at any price, better than the balm of Gilead, power it into my wounds, it is wine, it is oil, it hath a saving virtue, O save me my Saviour, jesus the son of David have mercy upon me, I thirst for thee, I long for thee, I faint for thee. jesus thou son of David have mercy upon me, I have hoped in thy holy name. For why art thou the son of David? Is it not because of thy sure mercies to David? and to his seed for ever? And who is the seed of David? are not they that call upon thee, that rest in thee, that have no other salvation but thee, the seed of David? O than I have no helper, no saviour, no redeemer, but thee, (oh Lord of life. O Prince of peace, oh GOD my righteousness.) I have none but thee. I am then the seed of David, perform to me the holy things of David, the promises of eternal life. O son of David have mercy upon me. If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, purge me oh Physician of the soul: purge me, and make me clean, let thy blood wash me thoroughly, and I shall be clean; I have deserved thy just conceived fury: no reason thou shouldst hear & save, but thine own mercy, & thine own love: I appeal unto them: wherefore hast thou called me, and taught me thy truth? In vain? O let it not be in vain. Wherefore do I believe thee to be saviour of sinners? in vain? O let it not be in vain But if I be not saved I believe in vain. Lord hear my prayer, and let my sorrowful sighing come before thee. So I trust. I will not distrust, Help my unbelief: I will lay my salvation on thy shoulders, oh Christ jesus. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever, and ever. Amen.   

¶ An humble suit for a lively faith.  
OH Almighty God, and most merciful Father, thou knowest my sorrows, and my rolling repentances within me; how I am grieved, and vexed that I have transgressed against thee, oh Lord thou knowest. The terrors, and troubles of my heart are all open before thy Majesty, whom that I have provoked to take swift vengeance upon me I confess, yea (oh mighty Monarch of heaven and earth) I confess freely and willingly, that damnation of body and soul is my due, and the rather for that by mine iniquities best known unto thy sacred Majesty, I have refused Faith in the blood of thy Son jesus Christ. I have hardened my heart, and increased my contempt against him. Now Lord, seeing it hath pleased thee to call to my remembrance, and consideration my transgressions, to give me grace to confess and acknowledge them in a detestation of them: to seek and sue for thy Son jesus Christ in whom thou art well pleased, I beseech thee (oh Father) good Father as thou hast loved mankind freely; so give me the most excellent and comfortable gift of Faith, in the death and passion of jesus Christ, that I may believe steadfastly to my comfort in him, that he is the Saviour, & Redeemer; not only of others but of me also, even of me (oh Father) thy Creature, though miserably deformed by sin. Oh send thy holy spirit of grace into my heart, that I being dead & stinking in the grave of my wickedness; yet may arise, and live to thee, and thy glory for ever, through the powerful might of jesus Christ, by an unfeigned and settled faith in my heart. Oh heavenly Father, I am almost swallowed up of despair, thy punishment doth so amaze me; Oh deliver my soul from that fearful monster. I am ashamed and confounded before thee, my sins are so many since my youth up, & now thou callest them to thy remembrance, and I cannot answer one for a Thousand. I will therefore lay mine hand upon my mouth, and keep silence before thee, waiting for thy deliverance, and for faith in jesus Christ; oh send me faith, lively and working, and comforting, that I may go forward courageously in the path of sanctification all my life long. Grant this oh Father, that I may glorify thy name, and rejoice in thee and in thy saving health jesus Christ my only Lord, Redéemer and Saviour. To whom with thee, and that desired and longed for holy Ghost, three persons, and one Coequal, and coeternal God, be all glory and praise, and Dominion and Majesty, and thanksgiving from henceforth, and for evermore, Amen.   

¶ A gladsome thanksgiving for the taste of God's mercy.  
Eternal GOD, whose habitation is in heaven, and whose wonderful and gracious providence in all the world: thanks be given to thy most sacred Majesty, that being so high, thou hast respect unto the lowly: that being so powerful and mighty, thou hast regard to my misery. Oh gracious and most loving Father in jesus Christ my Saviour, hath it pleased thee indeed to take the prey from the mighty (my soul from Satan) and to let the just captivity go free? my sinful soul and body indeed, and truth, snared and captived of the Prince of darkness, to be loosed from the chains of hell, infirmity, enormity, presumption, custom of iniquity? it is true, it hath pleased thee? even so Father, because it was thy good pleasure. I acknowledge, and confess that this hath proceeded of thine everlasting and never dying mercies. I will therefore take up the cup of salvation, that thou hast reached unto me, and drink it up, health unto my bones, to my bowels, to my navel, to my soul. I have sucked the dregs of the cup of trembling; but the cup of trembling is taken from me, now thou hast refreshed me with cheerful wine, the blood of jesus Christ. I will make mention of thy righteousness always, I will sing praise & honour unto thee with my whole heart: I was dead, but I am alive, I was withered like hay; but now I shall flourish as a green herb, beyond all hope. Lo: this this is the portion of them that turn from iniquity in jacob, and fear the Lord serving him in uprightness and truth. Thus is the Lord merciful unto his servants whom he hath chosen: He keepeth them that they do not fall for ever. Thus is he merciful unto them for his own sake. O King of Kings, thou dweller in eternity, seeing so far it hath pleased thee to visit the distressed estate of a sinner, and to lead me in the path of righteousness, thou art unchangeable, one and the same, and hast never used to repent thee of thy compassions, hear me, and give ear, and look upon me through thy son jesus Christ, and please thyself with me. Grant that I being continually covered with his obedience (as with a cloak) may be ever acceptable in thy sight, accompany me the whole race of my mortal life, with his, and thy most sacred and wise grace, that so it may appear to the joy of my sorrowful heart, and peace of my conscience; as also to the sight and perfect knowledge of men, that thou art merciful unto me of a truth, that thou hast lifted me up; that in thy wrath thou didst punish me: but in thy mercy hast compassion on me; because I have hoped in thy holy name, and have waited for thy salvation. And as for me (my God) perform the work of comfort, which thou hast begun in me, and increase the joy of my spirit from day to day, and bring me forth into the light, a mirror of thy mercies, & a spectacle of thine unspeakable and rich compassions, through jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.   

¶ The Sinners denial of himself, and lowly petition to be accepted of God, and received into his conduct.  
O Almighty God, Father of mercies, and God of all consolations: I have now seen, and had experience in deed and truth, that in me, that is in my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing. For the very fountain is corrupted, even my heart within me, the fountain of all my actions. I find it indeed full of filthiness in itself: full of rebellion against thee; hating thy most excellent Majesty, and even wishing that thou werest no God at all, that it might the more frankly, and freely set on fire the whole course of nature in me, and so draw me body and soul into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, Fire that never goeth out. I do here therefore freely acknowledge and confess, that my destruction is sought mightily & mainly by myself: but my Salvation is of thee. I do unfeignedly repent me of my wicked heart, and as heretofore I have in uprightness & truth dedicated and devoted the same unto thy heavenly protection: (as thou knowest): so now in like manner I wholly resign myself into thy hands, beseeching thee to take this ungodly heart, and frame it anew, to make it pliable, and fit for thyself. I know thou hast no need of my service, for thou canst command the stones, and they will arise and praise thee. But yet seeing I wholly deny myself, and betake my life to the good government of thy Son jesus Christ my blessed Saviour: I beseech thee, oh Lord I beseech thee accept the soul of thy servant. Let me now see and experience the power of Christ against Satan. I have experienced mine own power which is weakness, not able to encounter with the strong man. The life that hereafter I shall live, let me live it wholly, (oh merciful Father) by the faith in the death of jesus Christ, and let Christ live in me by his gracious and sanctifying spirit, that from henceforth I may unfeignedly detest, and abhor my former wickedness and may be renewed as a garment, and receive the Kingdom of Christ in my conscience as a Child, even so (Father of heaven): so be it. For thou hast magnified thy mercies in me, and so magnify them for ever. Thou hast disappointed Satan of my soul, and so disappoint him still; of a truth I perceive that thou art faithful, and true in thy promises, and lovest thy Children with an everlasting love. Glory, and honour, and great worship, and all power, might, and Majesty, be ascribed unto thee. For thou art worthy oh GOD most high. Amen.   

¶ In the instant and urgent assault of Temptation, a very earnest prayer.  
LOrd, why abhorrest thou thy servant? why hidest thou thy face from me? Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling place, thou possessor of heaven and earth, thou maker of all things, thou lover of men, thou saver of souls hear and give ear, and let my prayer enter into thy presence. The tempter is ready, my heart is weak, my soul is wicked. I shall conspire against thee with Satan, I shall enter a league with death and hell: I am fettered in the chains of eternal damnation: Oh Lord God Almighty, strong, and merciful, hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: Behold mine own desires are confederate against me, and mine inward affections conspire together to overthrow me. Now even now, am I ready to be taken away: now my sinful body vexeth my simple soul, now my simple soul enthralleth herself to my sinful body: Now hear, and help, oh God of heaven: my Saviour said it; I surely find it: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Satan is strong, he is very strong, he hath strengthened me against myself. Oh strength of Israel, strength of thy Chosen, strength of thy Children, strengthen me for myself, as Satan hath strengthened me against myself. If thou my God, my rock, my refuge will save, who can destroy? If thou wilt deliver, who shall imprison? If thou wilt but say the word: let the just captivity go free: give me the soul (oh Satan) that I have loved for ever, that I have elected before the world; that my son hath redeemed with his precious blood: what Satan? What sin? What death? What hell? What hatred? what curse? what law? what guilty conscience? what despair? what damnation can hold it back? Thou art Almighty, thou art All-sufficient, mighty against all that resist thy might, and therefore all these: sufficient for all that band themselves against thy sufficiency, and therefore for these. For these (O Lord God most merciful and loving Father) whether they be in me, or about me, thou art Almighty, thou art all-sufficient. Wicked sin, a guilty conscience, a despairing soul, these are within me; O God dispossess them. Law, and curse, hatred, and hell, death, and devil, and damnation itself; these are about me: Oh Lord disperse them. Arise (Lord) and let thine enemies be scattered: let these that hate thee flee before thee. Oh deliverer of the captives, helper of the afflicted, reliever of the oppressed, comforter of the grieved, my temptation is at hand, my temptation is at hand. I fall, I fall, Lord lift me up. Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me. Where art thou my God? Oh my soul what dost thou? where art thou my God? My soul whither wilt thou? what have I done unto thee? why dost thou betray me? But where art thou my God? Oh hear me now I call. O help me now I cry unto thee. The assault is grievous, the violence is villainous, the danger is desperate, oh wretched creature that I am: Who shall deliver me from this body of death? Oh I am weak hearted. I am soul sick. I am faint spirited. I find no means of resistance. Now I fall, now I yield, now I am tempted, now I am taken, now I consent, now I run headlong upon mine own damnation. Oh my breast is pinched, my heart is pained, my soul afflicted, my infirmity surprised, my conscience vexed, mine affection inflamed, my presumption increased, I yield, I fall, I sin, I die. Oh God, oh good God, oh gracious God hear me: oh spirit, oh holy spirit, oh comfortable spirit (thy name is the comforter) oh come and assist me. O jesus, sweet jesus, jesus that deliverest us from the wrath to come. Come hear me, come help me, come save me, come stand by me. Rebuke Satan, rebuke sin, I beseech thee (my Saviour, my gentle Saviour) rebuke my sinful soul that resteth upon thee, reform my soul that longeth for thee: Suffer me not to be tempted above my strength, of myself I have no strength; Be thou my strength, my castle and deliverer, at this time, and at all times, in my perplexities, assaults, and temptations: So be it, even so be it, so I trust, and so I rest. jesus that deliverest us from the wrath to come. Amen.   

¶ A prayer for grace and diligence to pray.  
OH most merciful God, and loving Father: I confess, & acknowledge my negligent and careless behaviour towards thee, as in all the course of godliness, so chief in devotion and godly prayer. Have mercy upon me, and forgive my security. I have hindered many good things from myself that I have not prayed for. I have thereby vilified thy heavenly blessings, and riches of thy mercy: I have brought leavenesse unto my soul: Oh gracious God, stir up my dull and dead spirit, and quicken me in thy holiness, that my breast being set on fire, and inflamed with thy manifold mercies and graces, I may diligently direct my petitions unto thee, and so obtain according to my necessitty. Open mine eyes O Lord, that I may see my wants clearly, touch my heart that I may pray unto thee faithfully, fervently, & continually. Hear me (oh good God) and quicken me according to thy mercy. Oh disperse mine iniquities as a cloud after a great rain. Now after the time that thou hast visited my sin upon me, return, return I beseech thee in great compassion. My soul is afraid of thy judgements, I am beaten back with fear of thy wrath; when I think to pray, my heart is cold within me, I am astonished, and suddenly cast down. LORD, lift me up to thy throne in prayer, thou that hast lift me up from the gates of death. Where is thy lively spirit? Sweet God, jesus my Saviour promised me the comfortable spirit. In his name I beseech thee send it into my heart. It will teach me and warn me to pray: so shall I be sure to obtain my prayers. Hear me (O Lord) for my Saviour jesus sake, to whom with thee, and the holy Ghost be all honour, glory, and praise. Amen.   

¶ A thankful acknowledgement of divine mercies in judgements.  
OH most mighty Lord God, Creator, Governor, and possessor of Heaven and earth: Wisdom is about thy throne, and thy kingdom is established in judgement. Whatsoever pleaseth thee, that dost thou in heaven and in earth, and in all deep places. Thou beholdest, and considerest the ways of men: and thou rewardest every man according to his works. Thou callest for punishment, and it runneth like the swift lightning upon the transgressors. Thou commandest vengeance, and vengeance entereth into all places, the stately palaces of Princes, and the beggarly cottages of the poor. There is nothing hid from the brightness of thy presence. Thine eyes in every place (a thousand times brighter than the Sun) behold the evil and the good. There is nothing can be delivered from the fircenes of thy wrath. It burneth like fire even to the bottom of hell. Thou dost correct the wicked with the vengeance of eternal fire. Thou dost chasten thine own children (when they go astray and wander in the paths of the ungodly) with the corrections of men, Infamy, poverty, sickness of body, weakness of mind, imprisonment, banishment, persecution, and temporal death. Oh Lord our governor how excellent is thy name? how wonderful are thy judgements in all the world? And yet for all this how few there are, even a very few, that consider thy work that is done under the Sun; that ponder thy judgements though they be upon themselves? Oh palpable blindness, oh dull forgetfulness, oh great security, oh gross impiety, thou smitest, and no man regardeth, thou punishest, and no man considereth, thou layest thy judgements to the view of all men, and no man layeth them unto his heart. Blessed is he whom thou instructest by punishment, and guidest in the way of judgement. Surely this is a great mercy, and it passeth all thy works, O teach me thy judgements, thy loving corrections have made me glad: To me thou hast revealed mercy in judgement, thou hast assured consolation by correction. Why so? For I prayed unto thee in the sorrows of my soul. Correct me O Lord yet in thy judgement, not in thy fury, etc. So I prayed, for I was content to bear thy punishment, because I had sinned against thee. This my prayer thou hast graciously granted unto me, thou hadst respect unto the humble suit of a sinner. Therefore in thy fury thou didst not correct me with violent fire which doth devour the Adversary, with everlasting pains thou didst not reward me as I deserved: but in judgement thou hast punished me, with the corrections of men: Infamy, poverty, sickness, weakness; and such like, and so thou hast granted my petition, thou Lord hast received my prayer, thou hast chastened me with thy Children, lest I should be condemned with the reprobate. And thus to me thou hast revealed mercy in judgement. Thus thou hast assured consolation by correction. Here is thy mercy (oh merciful God) to grant me my request this was thy mercy to give ear in this thing unto a sinner, this was thy great mercy, I grant it, I confess it, I profess it, I praise thy name for it: Oh jehova. This is the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, oh God my heart is ready, my heart is ready, I will sing & give praise. Awake my glory, awake my grace, awake my soul, all the secrets of my Soul awake. I myself will awake right early. Rejoice (my dear Soul) in the Lord thy God, and again I say rejoice. Oh righteous Father: thou hast executed thy justice, and extended thy mercy upon me both together. Who can declare thy noble Acts, and show forth all thy praise? who can do as thou dost? can a Man? can a Saint? can an Angel? can any power, and Principality, any throne, or dominion bring good out of evil, sweet out of sour, honour out of shame, life out of death, out of vengeance mercy, as thou dost? To thee therefore (oh jehova) and to thee alone shall all flesh come, shall all creatures in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth be subject, to thee shall my soul and all the secrets of the same be dutiful, and obedient from henceforth and for evermore. I will sing unto thee among much people, and will not be ashamed. I will speak of thy praises in the congregations, my Soul shall make her boast of thee, and I will ever remember this, that in wrath thou thinkest upon mercy. I will remember and not forget: even so be it (oh Father of heaven) through jesus Christ thy only Son, in whom thou art well pleased, my only Saviour in whom I am fully comforted. So be it.   

¶ A Meditation sealing Eternal Election by the consideration of good Education.  
O Most gracious God, and loving Father, who in thy son jesus Christ before the world was made didst predestinate, & foreappoint some men to life, and some to death, some to glory, and some to contempt, some to salvation, and some to condemnation, even of thy good pleasure. I give thee most humble, and hearty thanks that thou hast chosen me to life, glory, and salvation, freely, and of thine own accord, when it might have pleased thee to reprobate me for ever. Even so (Father) because it was thy good pleasure: a taste of this love and favour thou hast given me by the revelation of jesus Christ. Hereby I am assured that I am predestinate unto eternal life, that I have faith in the death & bloodshed of jesus Christ. O Lord increase my Faith. Moreover this thine ancient love, eternal, and without beginning is manifested to me more perfectly, for that it pleased thee that I should not only be borne of godly parents embracing thy truth, but also by them be brought up and trained from my childhood in a course of godliness and virtue, that so coming unto riper years I might be grounded & established in thy holy ways. Oh merciful father, my conscience and sins do testify against me that I have not deserved the least of thy mercies that thou hast enriched me withal from my youth up, much less this so great and inestimable a grace to be followed with thy loving kindness, and attended upon by thy grace through good education all my life long to this present hour. For (to confess a truth) I have not ceased to provoke thee continually, I have not ceased to transgress against thy holy Majesty, in thought, word, and deed every day, yea Lord in great and grievous sort, early and late, in childhood, in youth, in middle age, ignorantly, and wittingly, weakly and presumptuously, in such sort (O Father) that it is marvel I am not already consumed, already condemned. Yet for all this, thy loving favour hath accompanied me evermore; and now I perceive the good fruit of godly education. Oh my God what shall I render unto thee? how shall I be thankful? what recompense dost thou look for? behold I will thank thee in Christ jesus thy beloved Son, and my blessed Saviour: I will trust in thy mercy for ever through him. I will live in thy fear by his power, I will serve thee with an unfeigned heart, and glorify thee in my body, and in my soul, by the working of his grace and spirit all the days of my life. Oh continue forth thy loving kindness towards me from henceforth, and for ever, that being conducted and guided through this vale of misery; after I have a little recovered my strength in body and spirit, performed my duty, patiently suffered, and endured the appointed cross for me: I may in the end receive the end of my faith and hope: even the salvation of my soul, and at that great day the glorification of both body and soul through the same, my Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, to whom with thee, and the holy Ghost, be eternal and equal praise for ever. Amen.   

¶ In weeping, mourning, and bitter anguish, a confession and prayer.  
OH Lord God, what shall I say unto thee? O father of Heaven how shall I entreat thee? I am horribly afraid of thy judgements, I am wonderfully abashed at thy glorious presence, I am utterly ashamed of mine own baseness, vileness, wretchedness, dust, & ashes: flesh and blood, filth and froth, swill, and sin that I am, who shall give me access and entrance before thy Majesty? who shall help me to entreat for thy mercy? The blood of thy Son I have polluted and profaned, the holy spirit of grace I have refused and despited. I confess my wickedness, and I am sorry for my sin. The remembrance thereof is grievous unto me, the burden thereof is intolerable. Albeit my due desert is hell, death, and damnation: Yea, and perpetual vexation and terror of heart, until the sentence of destruction and eternal confusion be executed upon me, a spirit of unquietness to trouble me (like the spirit of Saul) from henceforth even for ever: Yet I will hope in the multitude of thine unspeakable mercies vouchsafed to all sinners in their deepest distress and misery. In most humble wise as it becometh an inferior vassal to his puissant and Almighty prince and liege Lord; as it becometh a Malefactor to an upright and most wise judge, as it becometh a very disobedient & stubborn servant to his careful Master, and finally a prodigal and wilful Child to his most kind and loving Father: I submit myself wholly distasted of mine own deserts, and utterly detesting mine own abominable conceits, words, and works against thy holy will, and commandment, in the wound of conscience, and from the depth of a mind thoroughly grieved with my rebellions I most submissly and earnestly call and cry unto thy most gracious Majesty and mercy, for pardon and forgiveness of my heinous crimes and innumerable transgressions, in all humility and tribulation of spirit, beseeching thy fatherly goodness to lay them upon the back of thy dear son jesus Christ, that All-sufficient Redeemer, Reconciler, and Saviour of all those that put their trust in his most absolute merits, and perfect obedience. O my God: my sure trust is in him, that he will be pleased to accept me for one of those whom he calleth in the Gospel, labouring and heavy laden with their sins to be relieved, and eased; Not for any other reason, but because he is the right hand of thy mercy, reached out unto fainting and languishing sinners, whereof I am one. Wherefore (oh dear Father of Heaven) despise me not approaching to the throne of grace in his only name, but let me be possessed with the spirit of assurance of faith sprinkled in my heart, from an evil conscience, that I may find grace to help me now in this time of need. I do feel certainly, I do find the gnawing Worm eating up my heart, the venom of thine arrows drinking up my spirit, the rigour of thy judgements perplexing my thoughts, the severity of thy punishment astonishing and amazing my weak and feeble wits, so that I know not, either what course to take to ease myself, either what words to use to entreat thy mercy. O Lord God, great and fearful, be not as a Lion unto me, do not set me as a mark to shoot at, for thou never failest to hit where thou aimest, thou hittest full and home, thy shot is of an Archer of perfect strength, thy strokes are deadly strokes, thine arrows are venomed with the fire of wrath that burneth for ever. Who is able to abide? wilt thou still hold my sins before my face? wilt thou still increase the sorrows of my heart? Alas what is my strength? What is my faith that thou triest me? Surely thou canst find nothing in me; but exceeding weakness, a daunted Spirit, a despairing soul. The thought of all my sins since my youth up being now set in order before me, doth quench the light of the assured faith which I hoped was within me. O good Father prove me but this once, and withdraw thy punishment from me. Let not this fit of thy lasting indignation make an end of me. I know assuredly thou hast, and daily dost forgive sin, greater and more heinous sin then mine. For in the very depth of my disobedience I have always restrained the unbridled affection, and surely thou hast never suffered me to this hour to give my full and whole consent to any sin whereinto I have fallen since I was borne. In consideration whereof (sithence I have the sure testimony of a good conscience, that I am one of thy chosen) I humbly entreat thy Majesty to incline thine ear to my supplication, and to deal with me, as with a son remembering himself, and returning unto thee in weeping, & great mourning. Let the grief of my heart, and the tears of mine eyes be accepted for all that I can do, and lay all the burden of my transgressions: late, and long since past, upon the back of my blessed Saviour jesus Christ, who for such as I am died, and suffered the bitter cup of thy wrath. O be thou pacified, and well pleased in him, who suffered the Just for the unjust, and endured causeless, and undeservedly all extremities, to the end thou (O righteous father) shouldst be pacified and well pleased, with all penitent & believing sinners, notwithstanding the multitude, magnitude, and turpitude of their transgressions. Were mine abominations now to be committed, though I might conceal them from the world, I would not perform them in the presence of thy Majesty, because thou art a God of pure eyes, and canst not behold iniquity. I fear thee. I love thee. I do reverence before thee. I adore thy purity, integrity, thy perfection. I am desirous to be like unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. My soul hath desire and a longing to please thee, & persevere in thy ways, and to be renewed in righteousness, and true holiness, after thy blessed Image. When my sins are forgiven, and my transgressions wiped out of the score of thy judgements; then shall mercy embrace me, and loving kindness compass me, every morning, then shall my faith work by thy love, shed abroad in my heart through the holy Ghost, then shall my wont strength, and much more also possess, & enarme my soul against all my deadly foes, then shall I be cleansed and made fit for every good work. So shall the Comfort of my heart be restored unto me again, and I will serve thee in Spirit and truth all the days of my life. And do render unto thee in the mean time, nothing doubting of thy free pardon, all honour, glory, praise, power, dominion, & thanks, now and for evermore. Amen.   

¶ A Deprofundis full of hope, and godly resolution.  
OH Lord my God the comforter of all the chosen, from whose only throne proceedeth joy & gladness, peace and comfort, and everlasting felicity, in whose presence is the fullness of joy, at whose right hand there are pleasures for evermore, without whose cheerful countenance, and pleasant aspect nothing is amiable, no Soul is joyful; vouchsafe to shine into my woeful heart, even pined & consumed with grief, through my daily complaining: miserably rend, and torn in pieces through continual mourning day & night, perplexed and distracted unto the very death through perpetual tribulation, and anguish without ceasing. I know that one favourable aspect of thy grace upon me can restore me to unspeakable gladness. Oh that it were thy pleasure to afford it me, to bring me back from the grave, which I behold as it were already opened for my transgressions. In truth my grief is not conceived of me; yet it doth astonish me. I find myself in far worse case than ever in my life, never was I pierced so much at the heart root. I have not heretofore received so deep, and desperate, and deadly wound in my conscience. If thou (Lord) vouchsafe to rid me out of this thraldom, and even hellish captivity, being fast bound in the chains of damnable thoughts, O my Lord, my good God, my heart & tongue shall sing for ever unto thy praise. I will publish thy mercies, I will teach thy judgements unto thy people. I will praise thee in the great congregation. I will wholly consecrate and devote myself unto thee all the days of my life. Oh Father of heaven give & bestow freely upon me the most excellent gift of an unfeigned Faith, that my sins are forgiven me for thy dear son jesus Christ's sake: let me fully be assured thereof by the Spirit the comforter. Indeed it doth not belong unto me I confess, I confess, I will not deny. For I have behaved myself more like a reprobate, and damned creature then one of thy children. Surely such Carrion curs as I am, that trample the blood of jesus Christ, and despise the spirit of grace so sinfully, so shamefully, so often, so odiously, so presumptuously, so intolerably, as I have done, are not worthy the lest crumb of thy merciful comfort: yet Lord, sith I am but dust and ashes, and through the frailty of the old Adam, I have thus abused thy goodness, refusing and vexing thy holy spirit, for which damnable insolency, I am now most woefully distracted, and almost bereft of my small wits; the deep thoughts whereof do so dangerously assault me; O my Father, and my God: contend not with me any longer; I shall surely despair, and be damned, if thou send me not aid and peace of Conscience speedily; How can I lie in these scorching flames? Oh consider mine exceeding weakness, Oh good Samaritane: power wine and oil into my bleeding wounds. Oh sweet jesus let me not be cast away, because I have put my trust in thee. I will not let thee go until thou bless me. (Now blessed Saviour) many of my prayers have been refused let this be accepted; sith thou hast given me a time to repent, with most humble thanks give me leave to accept it. Cast me not out of thy presence. I desire to be at rest in my spirit, that I may go cheerfully forward in the holy service. What shall I say? how shall I entreat? good Lord have mercy upon me. Oh let thy tender mercies comfort my distressed, and heal my wounded heart, one drop of thy mercy sweet jesus, sweet jesus, mercy or no mercy, all honour, and glory, and praise, and power, might, and Majesty be ascribed unto thee for ever and ever Amen.   

¶ A true penitents confession, and petition for grace.  
O MOST mighty Prince & Potentate of Heaven and Earth, Lord God of hosts, invincible & incomprehensible Spirit, whose wisdom is infinite, whose power unresistible, whose mercy unspeakable, have mercy upon me most woeful Captive & Caitiff, enthralled to sin, to Satan, to the powers of darkness, to the sorrows of soul, to the tribulations and anguish of a guilty Conscience, by my most heinous offences, and criminous enormities, most ridiculous, and absurd vanities, wherein once I found some fond delight; but now I find no sound comfort, only discontentment, indignation, woe, and shame. I am abashed, and confounded, and in a wonderful perplexed agony, that I should so deeply, so deadly, so often, offend thy most excellent Majesty, who art a God of pure eyes, and canst not behold iniquity. For albeit such is the drowsy dullness of our cursed corruption, that we cannot, and the saucy presumption of our wilful inclination, that we will not set thee before our eyes, when we are tempted to sin, and moved to transgression: yet certain is it, that thine ear of jealousy heareth all things, and thine eye of jealousy seeth all things and nothing is hid from the brightness of them, ten Thousand times brighter than the Sun, but whatsoever work is in our hands, whatsoever word in our mouths, whatsoever thought or imagination in our hearts, thou O Lord knowest it altogether. And as all our ways & works, are all naked and open before thy sight; thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity, therefore when we are sinful, yet thou continuest holy, excellent in glory, upright in justice, Almighty in power; as thou many times sparest when we deserve punishment; so thou many times woundest with thy just revenge when we feel it not till afterwards, we flatter ourselves in our own sight, till our abominable sins be found out, till thou reprove us sharply, and severely set before us the things that we have done, till thou makest a Catalogue and roll of our offences, & settest our secret sins in order before us, and presentest thyself withal a just revenger, our manifold breaches, of thy holy Commandments, and manifest contempt of thy bl●…ed word, of thy just judgements and of thy loving mercies, consider not in our hearts, our most accursed, and damnable estate wherein we daily plunge ourselves most odiously, and abominable, yea though our sins be not of the smallest; but great and grievous, and heinous and enormous abominations; yet either such is the gross darkness, and palpable blindness of our minds, and understandings, or such is the deadness of our infected consciences, that we run on still from one iniquity to another, till we suddenly fall into thy heavy displeasure, till thine indignation and fiery wrath break forth like fire upon us, and we be not able to quench it. Hence is it that we are plunged into many fearful gulfs of desperation. We are affrighted with many ugly sights of our sins, hence we are wounded at the very heart with many distrustful thoughts of thy mercies, and as many desperate imaginations of thy vengeance The pains of hell get hold upon us, and the fear of thee doth undo us, before either we stand in awe of thy Majesty, or seek after thy mercy; Oh my God and Saviour I confess unfeignedly this my case: so I have transgressed, so little I have regarded, so I am oppressed; Wherefore O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, who hast appointed repentance for sinners, who dwellest in eternity, and yet in the humble and contrite spirit: In the name of thy holy, and blessed, and only beloved son our Lord and Saviour jesus Christ, who hath promised ease to all that labouring and heavy laden, come unto him: who cannot break the bruised Reed, and will not quench the smoking flax, I most humbly and earnestly beseech and entreat thy fatherly goodness to forgive me all my sins, to lay them upon his back, the true scapegoat, and send them into the wilderness, the land of oblivion, that my Conscience through faith in his most precious blood and meritorious sacrifice may be fully discharged of them all. O Prince of peace, send peace into my heart: the peace that passeth understanding, that peace which thou gavest for a Legacy to thy Disciples, when before thy death thou didst make promise of that spirit the Comforter. O holy spirit of Comfort, the only joy of thine elect, let thy blessed presence so cheer and glad my soul, that being assured of thy saving health, I may delight to serve thee, and to sanctify myself more and more with all alacrity and pleasure of my spirit attending on thy will, & walking in thy ways all the residue of this my pilgrimage, & mortality. Grant this O Father, Son, and holy Ghost, holy, blessed, and eternal Trinity, the Author of Life, the giver of grace, the God of power, whose wisdom is peerless, whose dominion is endless, whose mercy is bottomless: To whom be all praise, honour, and glory, for ever, and ever, world without end, Amen.   

¶ A special form of submission, and supplication to the Almighty.  
IT cannot be denied (oh Lord GOD almighty) it is too well known to thee, and too too lamentably experienced in ourselves, that we are nothing else but a sink, and swill, and puddle of sin, a mass and lump of rebellion. That there is no light in our understanding, no good inclination in our good will, no grace in our life: we have erred, and strayed from thy ways ever since we were borne, through the original Concupiscence and Corruption wherein we are conceived, we have never ceased to break thy holy Commandments, and to run headlong into all manner of disobedience. When the tempter is ready we are fit to be tempted, as he is never unready; so we always are tempted, and taken in most dangerous and deadly gins. Woe and alas to our most weak & feeble souls, wherein there is neither power, nor will, nor wisdom to withstand the fierce and violent assaults of the spiritual wickednesses that fight against us, that entrench, and encamp themselves round about us; when we think that all is safe, then rush they upon us, as the Philistims did upon Samson, & we through dalliance with this wanton Delilah of our own flesh, and filthy vanity of this wicked world are lulled a sleep in carnal security, and have lost our spiritual strength of Faith, hope, and godliness, and so are taken, and bound, and blinded, and lead away Captives, & held in thraldom, and scorned of those wicked and hellish fiends, who greatly delight in the destruction and confusion of thy children, which thirst and long after our eternal damnation. In tender and bitter consideration whereof most lamentably complaining unto thy most excellent and incomprehensible Majesty, (oh Lord God of hosts) thy most distressed and forlorn servant, and adopted son showeth, and openeth his grievances: and being tired, wearied, and overburdened with most cunning crafts & subtle sleights, as also most outrageous tyrannies, and impetuous violences of his implacable, infernal foes: in all humility and lowliness of mind with no less grief and sorrow of a perplexed heart, most submisly, devoutly, and fervently beseecheth thy supereminent, & far most exceeding excellent Highness, to send out thy most mighty and powerful spirit to aid and assist me in these assaults. Oh let thine Angels pitch their tents round about me to discomfit all those that have evil will at my soul. Of thy goodness beat them back that annoy me. I am sore troubled and hindered in that course of godliness wherein I would walk. Oh let me run the way of thy Commandments, and set my heart at liberty. My soul hath a desire and a longing to be partaker of thy strength: I know none so weak, yet none so desirous to be strong in thee. Oh my God set me not against thee as a mark, my building is of the clay, my foundation is in the dust. How can I choose if thou deliver me into the hand of tempters, but fall away presently? Arise (O God of my Salvation) and let mine enemies be put to flight, let me not be overthrown, because I have hoped in thy holy name. Let no temptation overcharge me, because my trust is only in thy mighty hand, and outstretched arm. Were it that I rested in myself at all, or that I did not wholly renounce mine own strength, which is very feebleness itself; I should not dare to call upon thee: but sith I am wholly discouraged and cast down in myself, and indeed I labour with temptations, and am heavy laden with many sins, I presume in all possible objection, and prostration of my soul and body, from a broken and a contrite spirit, which thou never usest to despise, to entreat thy favour and fatherly protection, that (according to his most gracious promise) I may be refreshed and eased by thy blessed Son my only hope and Saviour. I do very well know, and in all dutiful thankfulness upon mine own experience I acknowledge, that the holy spirit the comforter proceeding from you both, is of All-sufficient and invincible force and wisdom to withstand, and confound all those that come against my soul. Be they never so many Legions of unclean and wicked spirits: yet one only comfortable Influence, and Inspiration of that your mighty and victorious spirit of Grace is fully able to mortify, and kill all the venomous contagions and infections wherewith they have empoisoned my seely soul. Wherefore (O Father of eternal mercies) who lookest upon the abject and forlorn offenders, with a loving and compassionate aspect, who art wont to be entreated of broken hearted wretches, I beseech thee, I beseech thee, with distilling tears I humbly, hearty, and earnestly beseech thee hide not thy face, withdraw not thy helping hand from me; but in tender consideration of my exceeding grief, and distraction of mind for my sins past, mine apparent frailness, and admirarable weakness, to resist assaults and temptations to come; be present with me thou guide and governor of my life, to smite the enemy at his approach. Enter into me O spirit of power, and rule within me mightily; Keep the Sconce, the Fortress, the Bulwark, the Castle of my heart: unite, and knit my will and thoughts unto thee, and enable me with a garrison of heavenly graces, that I may not only defend myself; but plague them that hate and hurt my soul. For I am thy servant, and so willbe for ever. All other freedom is but bondage and slavery, thy only service is perfect freedom, and therefore unto that do I betake myself. Receive me (O Lord) and cast me not away. I will fight in thy field, and dwell in thy house all the days of my life, because to fear thee, and love thee, and live after thy will is my whole delight, and perfect joy. And glory be unto thee, O God most high; even all glory, honour, and praise, now and for evermore. Amen.   

¶ A petition for a feeling Conscience.  
I Am now determined and fully resolved, Lord God eternal, most gracious and merciful Father, to give an everlasting farewell to all mine impious and presumptuous designs. Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me: aid and assist me with thy constant Spirit. There is no beginning, there is no ending, there is no proceeding in a godly course without thy special help. Satan by the world and original corruption is able to overthrow the strongest soul. But the strength of one of thine Angels is far beyond all power of Satan. How much more the powerful inspiration of the spirit of grace? Now Lord, I am persuaded by the same that I am fully reconciled unto thee: that my many and mighty sins are utterly defaced, and razed out of the Book of the memorial of thy most just judgements. Wherefore in assured confidence of thy manifold mercies, and full assuranre of thy loving favour; in all humility and lowliness of heart I submit myself to thy most mighty Majesty, beseeching the same to look upon my misery, whereinto I have plunged myself by my folly; and put the most holy spirit of Comfort, Christian courage, and Constancy upon me: And let it rule within me to the overthrowing of the kingdom of Sin and Satan in my Heart and Conscience, in my Life and Conversation continually. It is well known unto thee, and I do acknowledge, that such, and so great are, and have been, mine enormities from time to time, that they are able to break the stoutest heart; the remembrance