Blessed God! what a world of evils are within us?1 We have sinned (O Lord) above the number of the sands of the seas, our transgressions (O Lord) are multiplied, our offences are exceeding many: Many sure, that contain these streams, and yet how many are the rivulets that issue from them? There be evils of weakness against God the Father, whose attribute is Power; there be evils of ignorance against God the Son, whose attribute is Wisdom; there be evils of malice against God the holy Ghost, whose attribute is Love. Can we add any more? Mark but our thoughts, our delights, our consents to evil: or if these be not enough, see a swarm indeed that continually assault us, ⟨p. 22⟩anger, hatred, envy, distrust impatience, avarice, sacrilege, pride, despair, presumption, indevotion, suspicion, contention, derision, exaction, (give me leave to breathe in the numbering of this bedroll) perjury, blasphemy, luxury, simony, perplexity, inconstancy, hypocrisy, apostasy: here is a number numberless, gross sins, little sins, known sins, hid sins; Who can understand his errors? O Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults, Psal. 19.12.2 The days of life are few, but the evils God knows how many; he that would number them may tell a thousand, and yet not tell one of a thousand: Can the proudest Pharisee justify himself? Remember the swarms that lurk in thy venomed conscience, number thy wanton words, thy carnal thoughts, thy unchristian gestures, thy outrageous sins, & come they not in by troops and herds, thicker then the frogs in Egypt? well may we stand amazed at their number, and as convicted prisoners, cry for that Psalm of mercy,3 Lord have mercy on us, most evil wretched sinners.
Blessed God! what a world of evils are within us?1 We have sinned (O Lord) above the number of the sands of the seas, our transgressions (O Lord) are multiplied, our offences are exceeding many: Many sure, that contain these streams, and yet how many are the rivolets that issue from them? There be evils of weakness against God the Father, whose attribute is Power; there be evils of ignorance against God the Son, whose attribute is Wisdome; there be evils of malice against God the holy Ghost, whose attribute is Love. Can we adde any more? Mark but our thoughts, our delights, our consents to evil: or if these be not enough, see a swarm indeed that continually assault us, ⟨p. 22⟩anger, hatred, envy, distrust impatience, avarice, sacriledge, pride, despair, presumption, indevotion, suspition, contention, derision, exaction, (give me leave to breathe in the numbring of this bedroll) perjurie, blasphemie, luxury, simony, perplexitie, inconstancy, hypocrisie, apostasie: here is a number numberless, gross sins, little sins, known sins, hid sins; Who can understand his errours? O Lord, cleanse me from my secret faults, Psal. 19.12.2 The dayes of life are few, but the evils God knows how many; he that would number them may tell a thousand, and yet not tell one of a thousand: Can the proudest Pharisee justifie himself? Remember the swarms that lurk in thy venomed conscience, number thy wanton words, thy carnal thoughts, thy unchristian gestures, thy outragious sins, & come they not in by troops and herds, thicker then the frogs in Egypt? well may we stand amazed at their number, and as convicted prisoners, cry for that Psalme of mercie,3 Lord have mercy on us, most evil wretched sinners.
- 1Orat. Manass.
- 2Psal. 19.12.
- 3Miserere mei.
