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Miserere mei, Deus.
HAVE 1 mercy, O good God, on me, | |
| In greatnesse of thy grace: | |
| O let thy mercies manifolde | |
| My many faults deface. | |
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| Foule, filthy, loathsome, vgly sinne | 5 |
| Hath so defiled me: | |
| With streames of pity wash me cleane, | |
| Els cleane I cannot be. | |
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| Too well my foule uncleansed crimes | |
| Remembrance do renew; | 10 |
| Too plaine in anguish of my heart | |
| They stand before my view. | |
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| To thee alone, O Lord, to thee, | |
| These euils I haue done, | |
| And in thy presence: woe is me | 15 |
| That ere they were begun! | |
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| But since thou pardon promisest, | |
| Where heart’s true ruth is showen; | |
| Sheu now thy mercies vnto me, | |
| To make thy iustice knowen: | 20 |
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| That such as do infringe thy grace, | |
| Be made asham’d and shent; | |
| As rife thy mercies to beholde, | |
| As sinners to repent. | |
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| With fauour view my foule defects: | 25 |
| In crimes I did beginne; | |
| My nature bad; my mother fraile; | |
| Conceiu’d I was in sinne. | |
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| But since thyself affectest trueth, | |
| And trueth itselfe is thee, | 30 |
| I truely hope to haue thy grace, | |
| From sinne to set me free: | |
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| Since to the faithfull thou before | |
| The secret science gaue, | |
| Whereby to know what thou wouldst spend | 35 |
| The sinfull world to saue; | |
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| Whose heauenly hysope, sacred drops, | |
| Shall me besprinckle so, | |
| That it my sinne-defiled soule | |
| Shall wash more white than sno. | 40 |
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| O when mine eares receiue the sound | |
| Of such my soule’s release, | |
| How do sinne-laden limmes reioyce | |
| At heart’s true ioye’s encrease! | |
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| From my misdeeds retire thy sight; | 45 |
| View not so foule a staine; | |
| First wipe away my spots impure, | |
| Then turn thy face againe. | |
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| A cleane and vndefiled heart, | |
| O God, create in me; | 50 |
| Let in me, Lord, of righteousnesse | |
| A spirit infused be. | |
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| From that most glorious face of thine | |
| O cast me not away; | |
| Thy Holy Ghost vouchsafe, O God, | 55 |
| With me that it may stay. | |
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| The ioy of thy saluation, Lord, | |
| Restore to mee againe; | |
| And with the spirit of graces cheefe | |
| Confirme it to remaine: | 60 |
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| That when at thy most gracious hand | |
| My sutes receiued be, | |
| The impious I may instruct, | |
| How they may turn to thee. | |
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| For when, O Lord, I am releast | 65 |
| From vengeance and from bloud, | |
| How ioyfull I shall speake of thee, | |
| So gracious and so good! | |
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| The Lord wilt giue me leaue to speak, | |
| And I thy praise will shew; | 70 |
| For so thy graces do require, | |
| Thou doest on me bestow. | |
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| If thou sinne-offrings hast desired, | |
| As wonted were to be, | |
| How gladly those for all my illes | 75 |
| I would haue yeelded thee! | |
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| But thou accepts in sacrifice | |
| A sorrowing soul for sinne; | |
| Despising not the heart contrite, | |
| And humble minde within. | 80 |
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| Deale graciously, O louing Lord, | |
| In thy free bounty will, | |
| With Zion, thy deare spouse on earth, | |
| And fortifie it still: | |
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| That so thou mayest thence receiue | 85 |
| That soueraigne sacrifice | |
| From altar of all faithful hearts, | |
| Deuoutly where it lies. | |
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| To thee, O Father, glory be, | |
| And glory to the Sonne, | 90 |
| And glory to the Holy Ghost | |
| Eternally be done. | |
