1O My poor soul, fall not flat down, vex not thy self out of measure: the burden of thy sins presseth thee sore in deed, but be not for all that, quite overwhelmed: thou art thrust down so low into the deepest deeps, that thou haddest need cry loud for to be heard of him, which dwelleth in the highest heights: And the ever burning hell fire is not far from that lake, whither thine iniquities have plunged thee, so as thou mayest, as it were, perceive the Echo of their cries & desperate howlings, which be there cast without all hope of ever coming forth. But the Lord which brings even to the borders of hell his best ⟨image 53⟩beloved, when they forget themselves, knows also how well to bring them back again. Go no further then downward, but lift up thine heart together with thy cry, and say not in thy self, God hath rejected me from before him, for, such language God likes not. Thou criest unto God, and wherefore, but only because he hath awakened thee? For lo, what he crieth in thine ears: My people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I grieved or irked thee?2 O my God, what shall I answer thee hereto? He which receiveth the offence, goeth first about to excuse him: The Judge falleth a beseeching of the guilty party: and what can I say, my God, but that I can not comprehend that which thou doest for me, who could not so ⟨image 54⟩much as have any being, haddest not thou made me? And after thou haddest made me, either I forgot all that thou haddest done for me, or else the remembrance thereof representing unto me mine unthankfulness, astonisheth my sense, and stoppeth my mouth. Rather thou thy self Lord, declare unto me what thou hast done for me, so as I may never forget it. Thou madest me of nothing in the person of my first father, and is it not somewhat to be made somewhat of nothing? Thou hast fashioned me in my mothers womb, thou hast taken me from thence, as it were by thine own proper hands: thou hast suckled, nourished and brought me up, by raising up unto me such as did it according to that will and ability, which thou gavest them. Throughout ⟨image 54⟩this infancy, from how many harms didst thou defend me? In so much as I owe thee even so many lives, as I have passed days and hours, minutes and moments:
1O My poore soule, fall not flatte downe, vexe not thy selfe out of measure: the burden of thy sinnes presseth thee sore in deede, but bee not for al that, quite ouerwhelmed: thou art thrust downe so low into ye deepest deepes, yt thou hadest neede cry lowde for to bee heard of him, which dwelleth in the hyghest heights: And the euer burning hell fire is not farre from that lake, whither thine iniquities haue plunged thee, so as thou mayest, as it were, perceiue the Echo of their cryes & desperat howlings, which be there caft without al hope of euer cōming forth. But the Lord which bringes euen to the borders of hell his best ⟨image 53⟩beloued, when they forget themselues, knowes also howe well to bring them backe again. Goe no further then downward, but lift vp thine heart together with thy crye, and saye not in thy selfe, God hath reiected mee from before him, for, such lāguage God likes not. Thou cryest vnto God, and wherefore, but onely because hee hath awakened thee? For loe, what he cryeth in thine eares: My people, what haue I done to thee? or wherein haue I grieued or yrked thee?2 O my God, what shall I answere thee hereto? He which receyueth the offence, goeth first about to excuse him: The Iudge falleth a beseeching of the guyltie partie: and what can I say, my God, but that I can not comprehende that which thou doest for me, who could not so ⟨image 54⟩much as haue any being, hadest not thou made mee? And after thou hadest made mee, either I forgat all that thou hadest done for mee, or els the remembrance thereof representing vnto mee mine vnthankefulnesse, astonisheth my sense, and stoppeth my mouth. Rather thou thy selfe Lord, declare vnto me what thou hast done for mee, so as I may neure forget it. Thou madest mee of nothing in the person of my first father, and is it not somewhat to be made somewhat of nothing? Thou hast facioned mee in my mothers wombe, thou hast taken mee from thence, as it were by thine owne proper handes: thou hast suckled, nourished and brought mee vp, by raysing vp vnto mee such as did it according to that will and habilitie, which thou gauest them. Throughout ⟨image 54⟩this infancie, from howe many harmes didst thou defend me? In so much as I owe thee euen so many liues, as I haue passed dayes and houres, minutes and moments:
- 11 Out of the deep places.1 Out of the deepe places.
- 2have I called unto thee, O Lord.haue I called vnto thee, O Lorde.
