Saint Peters remorse

Peter's Denial. JJ Tissot. Brooklyn Museum

Remorse upbraides my faultes
    Selfe blaming conscience cries
Synn claymes the hoast of humbled thoughtes
    And streames of weeping eyes
Let penance lord prevayle [5]
    Lett sorowe sue release
Lett love be umpier in my cause
    And pass the dome of peace
If dome go by desert
    My lest desert is death [10]
That robbes from soul immortall joyes
    From bodye mortall breathe.
But in so highe a god
    So base a wormes annoy
Can add no praise unto thy powre [15]
    No bliss unto thy joye
Well may I fry in flames
    Due fuell to hell fire
But on a wretch to wreake thy wrath
    Cannot be worth thyne Ire [20]
Yett sith so vile a worme
    Hath wrought his greatest spite
Of highest treasons well thou mayst
    In rigour him endite
Butt mercye may relente [25]
    And temper Justice Rod
Foe Mercy doth as nuch belonge
    As Justice to a godd.
If former tyme or place
    More right to mercy wynne [30]
Thow first wert Author of my self
    Then umpier of my synne
Did mercye spynn the thredd
    To weave in Justice Loome
Wert thow a father to conclude [35]
    With dreadfull judges Doome
It is a small reliefe
    To say I was thy childe
If as an evell deserving foe
    From grace I be exilde [40]
I was I had I Coulde
    Are wordes importing wante
They are but dust of dead supplies
    Where needfull helpes are scant

Once to have bene in blisse [45]
    That hardly can retorne
Doth but bewray from whence I fell
    And wherefore now I mourne.
All thoughtes of passed hopes
    Encrease my present Crosse [50]
Like ruynes of decayed joyes
    They still upbraide my losse
O mylde and mightye lorde
    Amend that is amisse
My synn my sore thy love my salve [55]
    Thy cure my comfort is
Confirme thy former deede
    Reforme that is defilde
I was I am I will remayne
Thy charge thy choise thy childe. [60]

Notes

[l3] hoast: Two senses: A great company; a multitude; a large number. The bread consecrated in the Eucharist, regarded as the body of Christ sacrificially offered. Sin tempted with thoughts of happiness and fulfilment but the fruit of sin was 'humiliation', a host of humiliating thoughts leading to a sense of humility.

[l6] sue:  To follow as a consequence or result. Obsolete. 1559   W. Baldwin et al. Myrroure for Magistrates Richard II. i   Shame sueth sinne, as rayne drops do the thunder.

[l7 & l32] umpier: umpire, judge, arbitrator.

[l8] dome:  A judgement or decision, esp. one formally pronounced; a sentence;

[l9]: desert: An action or quality that deserves its appropriate recompense; that in conduct or character which claims reward or deserves punishment.

[l10] lest: least.

[l14] annoy: A mental state akin to pain arising from the involuntary reception of impressions, or subjection to circumstances, which one dislikes; disturbed or ruffled feeling; discomfort, vexation, trouble.

[l23] Treasons: A reference firstly to Peter's betrayal thgrough denying Christ; but, secondly, suggestive of the treasons committed by the 'reformers' in sixteenth century England and of the alleged 'treason' committed by faithful Catholics against the regime ('Crown').

[ll29-32]: Peter (and with him, all who have betrayed Christ through sin), pleads for mercy in recalling an earlier time and place in his life when God was his creator rather than his judge. The opposition continues:
Author (creator)           Judge
Mercy                           Justice
Father                           Judge

[l47] bewray: To reveal, divulge, disclose, declare, make known, show. Obsolete. 

[ll55-56]: My sin is my sore, Thy love is my salve, Thy cure is my comfort.

[ll59-60]: May be read horizontally (cumulatively) or vertically. Cf first stanza in Christs bloody sweate.