The Life and Repentance of Mary Magdalene · chunk 26 of 38
Wager, Lewis · published 1566 · first performed or written 1558 [c.1550-1566] (Annals) moral T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation typicality 0.71 · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
That soul which of late was a place of devils, He hath made a place for himself by his clemency, Purging from thence the multitude of evils. The mercy of Christ thought it not sufficient, To forgive her sins, and devils to purge, But giveth her grace to be penitent, That is, her soul ever after this day to scourge. The virtue of Repentance I do represent, Which is a true turning of the whole life and state, Unto the will of the lord God omnipotent, sorrowing for the sins passed with displeasure & hate. That is to say, all the inward thoughts of the heart And all the imaginations of the mind, Which were occupied evil by Satan's art, Must hence forth be turned after an other kind. David my father on his sins did always think, How horrible they were in God almighty's sight, Tears were his sustenance, yea both meat & drink, His hole meditation was in heaven both day & night So that Repentance is described in Scripture, To be a returning from sin with all the soul & heart, And all the life time in repenting to endure, Declaring the same with the senes in every part. As thus, like as the eyes have been vainly spent Upon worldly and carnal delectations, So henceforth to weeping and tears must be bend, And wholly given to godly contemplations. Likewise as the ears have been open always To here the blaspheming of God's holy name, And filthy talking evermore night and day, Now they must be turned away from the same. And glad to hear the Gospel of salvation, How God hath mercy on them that do call, And how he is full of pity and miseration: Raising up such again as by sin did fall. The tongue which blasphemy hath spoken, Yea and filthily, to the hurt of soul and body: Whereby the precepts of God have been broken, Must hence forth praise God for his mercy daily. Thus like as all the members in times past, Have been servants of unrighteousness and sin, Now Repentance doth that service away cast, And to mortify all his lusts doth begin. True repentance never turneth back again: For he that layeth his hand on the plough, & looketh away, Is not apt in the kingdom of heaven to reign, Nor to be saved with my saints at the last day. O Lord without thy grace I do here confess, That I am able to do nothing at all, Where it pleaseth thee my misery to redress, Strength me now that hence forth I do not fall. Grant me Lord such a perfect repentance, And that I look no more back, but go forward still, Put my misery evermore into my remembrance, That I may forethink my life that hath been so ill.
seed 43: T4 · seed 44: T5 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
That soule which of late was a place of deuils, He hath made a place for him self by his clemencie, Purgyng from thence the multitude of euils. The mercy of Christ thought it not sufficient, To forgeue hir synnes, and deuils to pourge, But geueth hir grace to be penitent, That is, hir soule euer after this day to scourge. The vertue of Repentance I do represent, Which is a true turnyng of the whole lyfe and state, Unto the will of the lord God omnipotent, Sorowing for the sinnes past with displesure & hate. That is to say, all the inward thoughts of the hart And all the imaginations of the mynde, Which were occupied euill by Sathans arte, Must hence forth be turned after an other kynd. Dauid my father on his synnes did alway thinke, Howe horrible they were in God almighties sight, Teares were his sustenance, yea both meat & drinke, His hole meditation was in heauen both day & night So that Repentance is described in Scripture, To be a returnyng from syn with all the soule & hart, And all the life tyme in repentyng to endure, Declaring the same with the senes in euery part. As thus, like as the eyes haue ben vaynly spent Upon worldly and carnall delectations, So henceforth to wepyng and teares must be bent, And wholly giuen to godly contemplations. Likewise as the eares haue ben open alway To here the blasphemyng of Gods holy name, And fylthy talkyng euermore night and day, Nowe they must be turned away from the same. And glad to heare the Gospell of saluation, How God hath mercy on them that doe call, And how he is full of pitie and miseration: Raisyng vp suche agayne as by synne dyd fall. The tong which blasphemie hath spoken, Yea and filthily, to the hurt of soule and body: Wherby the precepts of God haue ben broken, Must hence forth praise God for his mercy daily. Thus like as all the members in tymes past, Haue ben seruantes of vnrighteousnesse and synne, Now Repentance doth that seruice away cast, And to mortifie all his lustes doth begynne. True repentance neuer turneth backe agayn: For he yt laieth his hād on the plough, & loketh away, Is not apt in the kingdom of heauen to raigne, Nor to be saued with my sainctes at the last day. O Lorde without thy grace I do here confesse, That I am able to do nothyng at all, Where it pleaseth thee my miserie to redresse, Strength me now that hence forth I do not fall. Graunt me Lord suche a perfect repentance, And that I looke no more back, but go forward still, Put my miserie euermore into my remembrance, That I may forthinke my life that hath ben so yll.