Andrewes

1I have sinned, O Lord,

2Against Thee, O Lord, against Thee,

3In Thine eyes having no reverence

4for Thy presence,

5I by nature rottenness and a worm,

6vile dust,

7By sin, the bondslave of Satan;

8By vice, viler than hell.

9I have sinned

10Sins

11many in number, drops

12more than the hairs of my head.Ps. xl. 12.

13Manifold in kind,

14Manifold in their places, upon every green field,i

15under every leafy tree,

16Many times over, done again and again,

17As a fountain its waters,

18So my heart its sins;Jer. vi. 7.

19Until into a habit,ii

20scarlet,Isa. i. 18.

21sold;1 Kgs. xxi. 25.Rom. vii. 14.

22Until into a nature,

23the leopard's spots,

24the Ethiopian's skin;Jer. xiii. 23.

25Until I am myself not a sinner,

26but sin.Mic. i. 5.

27I have sinned

28Sins

29Isa. lii. 8.Broad,

1Jer. xxx. 14.Hard,i

2[ver. 15]In quantity great,

3Ps. xxv. 11.Long, from my mother's breasts;

4Isa. v. 18.Thick, cords of iniquity;

5Hos. ix. 9.Deep,

6Ps. xxxv. 4.Heavy as { a burden. / lead. }

7Reaching to heaven itself

8with their own cry.

9I have sinned

10Sins

11Worst in quality,

12Because for nothing, for vanities,Rom. vi. 21.ii

13for a handful of barley, a morsel of bread;Ezek. xiii. 19.

14Because with greediness,Eph. iv. 19.

15sin upon sin;[*Isa.* xxx. 1.]

16Because with a hard forehead;Jer. iii. 3.

17Because unto offence;Matt. xiii. 7.

18Because unthankful,Rom. i. 21.

19A dog to the vomit,

20A sow to the wallowing;2 Pet. ii. 22.

21Because a Christian.Gal. ii. 21.

22But from thence, because

23Thou art just, and true

24are Thy judgments,

25I eat the fruits of lying.

26Rom. vi. 21.For what fruit have I now in

27those things whereof I am ashamed?

28[*Jer.* ii. 13.]Empty cisterns, that hold no water.

1Ps. xl. 9.My days are consumed in vanity, and my yearsi

2in anguish of heart.

3[*Rom.* i. 28.]Thou hast given me over to the desires of mine own heart, that

4I should do the things which were not convenient.

5[*Ps.* xxxviii. 3.]And now there is no health in my flesh because

6of Thy wrath, neither is there rest in my bones because

7of my sin.

8[*Ps.* xliv. 15.]Add to this the confusion of face that

9is ever before mine eyes, and the shame that covereth

10my countenance.

11[*Ps.* cxix. 120.]Moreover my heart is tossed to and fro, and my flesh

12trembleth for fear of Thine eternal judgments;

13[*Jer.* ii. 19.]And last of all, a bitterness beyond bitter

14death, that I have forsaken God, and am forsaken

15of Him.

16Woe is me, a deserter, that

17I should have done these things.

18Behold, O Lord, how vile I am become,

19and now my soul

20loatheth my life.[*Job* x. 1.]

21I am stiff and numb with the greatness

22of my grief.

23Isa. xxxiii. 15.And what shall I say now? or wherein shall I openii

24my mouth? what shall I answer, when I myself have done these things?

25To which of the saints shall I flee?[*Job* v. 1.]

26O wretched and unhappy man,

27who shall deliver me from the body

28of this death?[*Rom.* vii. 24.]

29When I have no more that

30I may do or say, this only remaineth,

1that I direct mine eyes unto

2Thee.

3Unworthy am I to direct them, yet

4direct them I will.

5Ps. cxxx. 2.Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O Lord;

6Lord, hear my voice.

7If Thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark iniquities,

8O Lord, Lord, who may abide it?

9Enter not into judgment with Thy

10servant, for in Thy sight shall no

11man living be justified.

12I appeal therefore, O Lord, from Theei

13unto Thee,

14From Thee the just,

15Unto Thee the merciful,

16From the seat of justice,

17Unto the throne of grace,

18From Thee the judge,

19Unto Thee the Father in Christ.

20Admit, O Lord, this peaceable appeal.

21If Thou admit it not, we perish.

22And, O Lord, carest Thou not, if

23we perish?[*Mark* iv. 28.]ii

241 Tim. ii. 4.Thou who wouldest have all men saved,

252 Pet. iii. 9.Thou who wouldest have none perish.

261. Surely, O Lord, I am Thine,

27Ps. cxix. 94.oh save me.

28[*Ps.*] cxxxviii. 10.The work of Thine own hands, I beseech Thee,

29Wisd. xi. 25.despise not.

1Ps. cxvi. 16.Thy servant, the son of Thine handmaid,i

2Matt. xviii. 27.A servant, and a waster,

3yet a servant.

4Thy son, bought namely with the price

5Of the blood of Thy Son, that

6I might receive the adoption,[*Gal.* iv. 5.]

7Though I have lost the free birth

8of a son, yet Thou hast not lost the pity of a Father.

9Luke xv. 17.Though a naughty son, and a prodigal,

10yet a son for all that.

11Dan. ix. 19.Thy Name is called upon me.

12Heb. xi. 16.Thou art not ashamed to be called

13our God.

14We are Christians,

15For we are bought with Thy Christ,

16And of Him are we named.

17Spare Thine own work,ii

18Spare Thine own Name,

19Spare the price of Thine own blood,

20If Thou wilt not spare us.

212. But I am a sinner,

22John ix. 30.And God heareth not sinners:

23Ps. lxxxix. [46.]Yet remember, I beseech Thee, what my

24substance is;

25[*Ps.*] lxviii. 39.Call to mind that I am flesh, and a wind

26that passeth away, and cometh not again.

27[*Ps.*] ciii. 14.Know our frame, whereof we

28are made; Remember that we are but

29dust.

1{ Dust, | { frail,i

2Wind, | light,

3Flesh, } | dissolved. }

4Job xiii. 25.And Thou, O Lord, wilt not pursue the

5stubble.

61 Sam. xxiv. 15.Wilt Thou chase a flea?

73. Thy creature,

8And now wretched,

9Yea, and a suppliant unbidden,

10Spare the suppliant.

112 Sam. xix. 19.David spared Shimei that cursed him,ii

12[*1 Sam.* xiii. 14.]And David was a man after Thine own heart,

13Do Thou therefore spare.

14[*1 Kgs.* xx. 31.]Behold, we have heard that the kings of Israel

15are merciful; let us put therefore sackcloth upon

16our loins, and ropes upon our heads, and

17let us go out to meet him, and say, Let my soul,

18I pray Thee, live;

19Peradventure he will save our souls.

20Is there any King of Israel

21more merciful than Thou?

221 Kgs. xxi. 29.Because Thou, O Lord, didst spare Ahab,

23who had sold himself unto sin, when he humbled himself,

24Spare me also, I beseech Thee.

25Ps. lxxx. 4.How long wilt Thou be angry with Thy people?

26With him that maketh supplication, that offereth prayers?

27Job xxx. 33.Surely, O Lord, I hide not

28my sin, as Adam,

29Ps. cxli. 4.I excuse not excuses in sin.

1Of mine own accord I confess,

2I have sinned, I have done iniquity,

3I have dealt unjustly, I have been rebellious,

41 Cor. xi. 30.But I judge myself,i

5I think upon it again,

6I pronounce the sentence,

72 Cor. vii. 10.I take vengeance myself upon myself.

8Spare, O Lord,

9Accept the sacrifice

10[*Ps.* li. 17.]Of a troubled spirit,

11Of a contrite heart,

12Of a disquieted soul,

13Of wounded reins,

14Of a conscience sore.

154. Against Thee have I sinned,

16And yet, O Lord, Thou wilt have mercy upon some.

17Ps. lxxxix. [46.]Hast Thou made all the children of men hereii

18for nought?

19Num. xiv. 15.Shall the enemy upbraid Thee, that Thou didst create us

20to slay us, or, because Thou hatedst us, didst create us that Thou

21mightest destroy and blot us out; or because Thou canst not save?

22Ps. lxxiv. 28.Remember this, that the enemy hath

23reproached the Lord, and that the foolish people hath provoked

24Thy Name.

25Rom. iii. 23.Everywhere all have sinned, and have come short of

26the glory of God.

27Job ix. 3.If Thou wilt contend in judgment, not

28even the most righteous shall be able to answer Thee one

29of a thousand.

1Job xxv. 3.Neither the infant of one day, nor the very starsi

2are clean in Thy sight, and in Thine angels

3Thou hast beheld folly.

4Ps. cxxx. 3.If Thou wilt be extreme to mark iniquities, none

5shall abide it;

6If to enter into judgment, none shall thence

7depart justified.

8Josh. vii. 9.And what wilt Thou do unto that great Name of Thine?ii

9What unto those riches of Thy mercy,

10Gal. ii. 21.What unto the blood of Thy Son?

11Shall He die for nought?

12Surely the world shall perish, except Thou multiply

13Thy mercy toward us.

14God forbid.

15[*Rom.* xi. 32.]Surely Thou hast concluded all under sin,

16That Thou mightest have mercy upon all.

17Upon all { Who can acknowledge their sins, / Who have thereby deserved misery, }

18Who desire to return unto Thee with their whole heart.

19All these hast Thou made beloved in

20Thy Beloved;

21And not little sinners,

22But { Manasseh in the old, / Paul in the new, }

23That in them Thou mightest shew the excellency of Thy compassion;

24that Thou mightest open the gate of hope

25Unto the chief of sinners.

265. Wherefore spare me, that desire

27to return into favour.

1Ps. xxx. 11.For what profit is there in my blood, ifi

2I go down into the pit?

3[*Ps.*] vi. 5.Shall any in death give Thee thanks?

4or shall there be any in hell to remember Thee?

5[*Ps.*] liii. 13.Shall Thy wondrous works be known in the dark,

6or Thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?

7Isa. xxxviii. 18.Surely the grave shall not confess Thee, neither

8shall Death praise Thee, they that go down into the pit

9shall not look for Thy truth; The living,

10the living, he shall confess Thee, as I do this day.

11Ps. cxviii. 17.I shall not die, but live, and

12declare the works of the Lord.

136. Nay, if I know Thee well, O Lord, andii

14Thy disposition,

15Thou art good to the good and to them that deserve well,

16gracious to strangers and to them that deserve nothing,

17merciful to the evil, and to them that deserve ill.

18Upon this last I take my stand.

19Isa. xliii. 24.When for no man's sake Thou canst,

20When for nothing's sake, for

21Thine own sake Thou forgivest sins,

22So easy art Thou to pardon.

237. But David the prophet durst pray thus,

24Ps. cxix. 29.Have mercy upon me out of Thy law; as though

25the law itself proclaimed Thee gentle.

26And so indeed Thou art;

27Thy law from Thine own mouth soundeth thus.

28Exod. xxxiv. [6, 7.]The Ruler, the Lord God, merciful

29and gracious, longsuffering and of much compassion,

1who keepeth mercy for thousands, who

2taketh away iniquity and wickedness.

3Num. xiv. 7.And by this very word of Thine did Moses

4afterward adjure Thee, that Thou wouldest pardon the people.

58. But Esaias and Abacuc dare,i

6for this cause, to call it Thine own work to shew mercy:

7As though to punish and to chastise were a strange work,

8and abhorrent from Thy disposition.

99. Nor was it the law and the prophets only,ii

10nature itself persuaded Job of this, by the leading of Thy Spirit.

11Job xxxiii. 23.If there be with him an Angel speaking,

12one of a thousand, to declare unto man

13Thy righteousness,

14He will have mercy upon him, and say, Deliver him,

15that he go not down into corruption;

16For I have found wherein I may be gracious unto him.

17Then shall he pray unto God, and

18He will be favourable.

19Ps. xxxiv. 6.O taste and see how gracious is

20the Lord:

211 Pet. ii. 3.Blessed is the man that hopeth in Him.

22HIS MERCY.

23Ps. cix. 20.Sweet,

24[*Ps.*] lxix. 17.Pleasant,

25[*Ps.*] lxiii. 4.Better than life.