O aHoly, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth! Suffer me who am but bdust & ashes, to speak unto thy most glorious Majesty. I know that thou art a cconsuming fire. I acknowledge that I am but withered dstubble, my esins are in my sight, and Satan fstands at my right hand to accuse me for them. I come not to excuse, but to gjudge my self worthy of all those Judgements, which thy justice might most justly inflict upon me a wretched creature, for my sins and transgressions. ⟨p. 615⟩The number of them is so great, the nature of them is so grievous, that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes, 8how much more loathsome in thy sight? I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son, 9that I am altogether unworthy to have the name of thy meanest servant. And if thou shouldest but recompense me according to my desert,10 the earth (as weary of such a sinful burden) should open her mouth and swallow me up, like one of Dathan's family, 11into the bottomless pit of hell. For if thou didst not spare the natural branches, those Angels of glorious excellency; but hurledst them ⟨p. 616⟩down from the heavenly habitations, into the pains of hellish darkness, to be kept unto damnation, when they sinned but once against thy Majesty? and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise, 12when they did but transgress one of thy laws? Alas, what vengeance may I expect, who have not offended in one sin only,13 heaping daily sin upon sin, without any true repentance, drinking iniquity as it were water, 14ever pouring in, but never pouring out any filthiness: and have transgressed not one, but all thy holy laws and commandments. Yea this present day, which thou hast straightly commanded me to keep holy, to thy praise ⟨p. 617⟩and worship, I have not so religiously kept and observed, nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart, as was fit, to meet thy blessed Majesty in the holy assembly of thy Saints. I have not attended to the preaching of thy word, nor to the administration of thy Sacraments, with that humility, reverence, and devotion, that I should. For though I was present at those holy exercises in my body; yet Lord I was overtaken with much drowsiness; and when I was awake, my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts: that my soul seemed to be absent, and out of the Church.
O aHoly, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabbaoth! Suffer me who am but bdust & ashes, to speake vnto thy most glorious Maiestie. I know that thou art a cconsuming fire. I acknowledge that I am but withered dstubble, my esinnes are in my sight, and Sathan fstands at my right hand to accuse me for them. I come not to excuse, but to giudge my selfe worthy of all those Iudgements, which thy iustice might most iustly inflict vpon mee a wretched creature, for my sinnes and transgressions. ⟨p. 615⟩The number of them is so great, the nature of them is so grieuous, that they make me seeme vile in mine owne eies, 8how much more loathsome in thy sight? I confesse they make mee so farre from being worthy to be called thy Sonne, 9that I am altogether vnworthy to haue the name of thy meanest seruant. And if thou shouldest but recompence mee according to my desert,10 the earth (as weary of such a sinfull burthen) should open her mouth and swallow mee vp, like one of Dathans family, 11into the bottomlesse pit of hel. For if thou didst not spare the naturall branches, those Angels of glorious excellency; but hurledst them ⟨p. 616⟩downe from the heauenly habitations, into the paines of hellish darkenesse, to be kept vnto damnation, when they sinned but once against thy Maiesty? and didst expell our first Parents out of Paradice, 12
- aIsai. 6.3.
- bGen. 18.27
- cHeb. 12.29.
- dJob 21.18Iob 21.18
- ePsal. 51.3.
- fZach. 3.1.1
- g1 Cor. 11.31.
- 82 Sam. 6.22.
- 9Luk. 15.21.
- 10Psal. 106.17.
- 112 Pet. 2.4.
- 12Gen. 3.23.
- 13Rom. 2.5.
- 14Job 15.16.Iob 15.16.
