The Seventh Penitential Psalm (Psalm 143)

This word redeme that in his mowth did sownd
Did put David, it semyth unto me,
As in a traunce to starre apon the grownd.
And with his thowght the hyght of hevin to se.
Where he beholdes the Word that shold confownd
The sword off deth, by humble ere to be
In mortall mayd, in mortall habitt made
Eternall lyff in mortall vaile to shade.

He seith that Word, when full rype tyme shold come
Do way that vayle by fervent affectione,
Torne off with deth, for deth shold have her dome,
And lepeth lyghter from such corruptione.
The glutt of lyght that in the ayre doth lome,
Mann redemid, deth hath her distructione ;
That mortall vaile hath immortalite ;
David assurance off his iniquite,

Wherby he frames this reason in his hert :
" That Goodnes wych doth not forbere His Sonne
" From deth for me, and can therby convert
My deth to lyff, my sin to salvation,
" Both can & woll a smaller grace depart
" To hym that suyth by humble supplication.
And sins I have his larger grace assayd
" To aske this thing, whi am I then affrayd?

" He grauntyth most to them that most do crave,
And he delyghtes in suyte without respect;
Alas my sonne persuys me to the grave
Sufferd by God my sinne for to correct ;
But of my sinne sins I my pardonne have
My sonnis persuyt shall shortly be reject.
Then woll I crave with suryd confidence."
And thus begynnis the suyt off his pretence.

Here my prayer, O Lord, here my request,
Complysh my bone, answere to my desire,
Not by desert, but for thyn own byhest

In whose ferme trowgh, thou promest myn empyre
To stond stable, and after thy Justise
Performe, O Lord, the thing that I require;

But not off law, after the forme and guyse,
To entre Jugement with thy thrall bond slave
To plede his ryght, for in such maner wyse

By fore thy syght no man his ryght shall save ;
Ffor off my sellff, lo this my ryghtwisenes.
By skourge and whipp and prykyng spurrs I have

Skante rysen up, such is my bestlynes ;
Ffor that, my enmy hath pursuyd my lyff
And in the dust hath soyld my lustines ;

Ffor that, in heins to fle his rage so ryff
He hath me forst as ded to hyd my hed ;
And for bycawse within my sellff at stryff

My hert and spryte with all my force were fled,
I had recourse to tyms that have ben past,
And did remembre thy dedes in all my dred.

And did peruse thy workes that ever last;
Wherby I knew above those wondres all
Thy mercys were — Then lyfft I up in hast

My handes to Thee : my sowle to thee did call :
Like bareyne soyle, for moystre off thy grace.
Hast to my help, O Lord afore I fall,

Ffor sure I fele my spryte doth faynt a pace ;
Torne not thy face from me, that I be layd
In compt off them that hedlyng down to pase

In to the pitt. Shew me by tyms thyn Ayde
Ffor on thy grace I holly do depend
And in thi hand, sins all my helth is stayde.

Do me to know what way thou wolt I bend ;
Ffor unto The I have reysd up my mynd.
Rydd me O Lord, from that that do entend

My foos to me ; ffor I have me assind
Allway within thy secrette protection ;
Tech me thy will that I by The may fynd

The way to work the same in affection.
Ffor Thou, my God, thy blyssyd upryght spryte
In lond of trowght shalbe my dyrection.

I Thow, for thy name, Lord, shalt revive my spryte
Within the ryght that I receyve by Thee,
Wherby my lyff off danger shalbe quyte.

Thou hast fordone theire grete iniquite
That vext my soule ; thou shalt also confownd
My foos O Lord for thy benignite,

Ffor thyn ame I thy servant ay most bownd.