The sinful mans searchThe sinfull mans search

O what grief could be like to this, or what condemnation could be so heavy, sith there was no wickedness in his hands? sith he was the brightness of his fathers glory, & the sun of righteousness that shined in the world: as to see his days at an end, to see such throbbing, sighs, and careful thoughts (without cause of his) so deeply engraven in the tables of his breast. But was this all? no my brethren, sith his excellency was such above all creatures, that the world was not worthy to give him breath, it was a greater grief unto him, to see himself made a worm and not a man, a shame of men, and contempt of the people; to see his life shut up in shame and reproaches, how could it but shake his bones out of joint, & make his heart melt in midst of his bowels: who was ever so full of woe? & who ever bin brought so low into the dust of death? ⟨image 11⟩upon whom did the malice of Satan ever get so great a conquest?

O what greefe could bee like to this, or what condemnation could bee so heauie, sith there was no wickednes in his hands? sith he was the brightnes of his fathers glorie, & the sonne of righteousnes that shined in the world: as to see his dayes at an end, to see such throbing, sighes, and carefull thoughts (without cause of his) so deeply engrauen in the tables of his brest. But was this all? no my brethren, sith his excellency was such aboue al creatures, that the world was not worthy to giue him breath, it was a greater greef vnto him, to see himselfe made a worme and not a man, a shame of men, and contempt of the people; to see his life shut vp in shame and reproches, how could it but shake his bones out of ioint, & make his heart melt in midst of his bowels: who was euer so ful of wo? & who euer bin brought so low into the dust of death? ⟨image 11⟩vpon whom did the mallice of Sathan euer get so great a conquest?

This though it were exceeding, yet it was not all, no, it was but a taste of grief in comparison of the rest: behold therefore (if your watery eyes will suffer ye to behold) the depth of all miseries yet behind: the sin that he hated he must take upon his own body, and bear the wrath of his father poured out against it. This is the fullness of all pains that compassed him round about, which no tongue is able to utter, nor heart conceive: the anger of the father burneth in him, even to the bottom of hell, and deep sink of confusion: it wrapped him in the chains of eternal death: it crucified him, and threw him down into the bottomless pit of calamity, and made his soul by weeping and wailing to melt into these bitter tears trickling from his eyes. O God my God, why hast thou forsaken me?