Christian meditations upon eight Psalms of the prophet David. Made and newly set forthChristian meditations vpon eight Psalmes of the prophet Dauid. Made and newly set forth

For what am I Lord in my self but corruption, but unrighteousness, but death? Alas then, shall I perish? For out of all doubt, death is the wages of sin. But the case so stands, O God, that no evil is incurable to the Almighty. ⟨image 25⟩He which hath drawn all things out from nothing, can he be hindered to make again his own work? He that caused light to come out of darkness, shall not he bring again from death to life? Yes certainly, otherwise death being the stronger, might thrust God out of his seat. Now then, Lord, my disease being past cure of all creatures, I come to thee, who canst do all that thou wilt: and who hast showed yet more excellent testimony of thy goodwill in saving man, then thou diddest of thy might in creating him. Thy might surely was witnessed by a mean well becoming thee, when thou madest all of nothing, framing man to thine image and likeness: and this same infinite power appears clearly in the conservation of all thy creatures. But what ⟨image 25⟩is all this in comparison of that work, mans Redemption?¹ Blessed then is he, not simply whom thou hast created, (for man turned this blessing of creation into an assured curse by ill using it but rather is he blessed, whom thou hast ransomed through such a great goodness of thine, as every way excels. For less unworthy of thy gracious boū tie is he, which yet hath no being, then is the sinner: And thou contentedst not thy self (O great depth of goodness) to restore to sinful man that bliss which he had lost, but thou gavest him a far better: For having created him such a one, as by swerving from his perfection (as in deed he did) might fall also into sin, death, and curse, thou finally makest him such a one by redemption, as he can neither sin ⟨image 26⟩nor dye, but is blessed for ever. O strange thing, O great and chief master work of God! Al wretchedness comes by sin, and yet none comes to happiness, but having passed first and foremost by sin: not that bliss comes out of sin, but because mercy presupposeth misery, pardon a fault, and quickening a former death. But whence comes this pardon? From thy self, O Lord, and from thy pure bounty.