CHRISTIAN Prayers and Meditations in English French, Italian, Spanish, Greeke, and Latine.
IMPRINTED at London, by Iohn Daye. An. 1569.
Elizabeth Regina.
2. PARALIPOM. 6. ‘Domine Deus Israel, non est similis tui Deus in coelo & in terra qui pacta custodis & misericordiam cum seruis tuis, qui ambulant coram te in toto corde suo.’
❧ Prayers to be sayd in the mornyng: and first when you awake out of your sleepe, pray thus.
MOste mercifull God and father of our Sauior Jesus Christ, I moste humbly thanke thee for the sweete sleepe and comfortable rest which thou hast geuen me this night past: besechyng thee, that lyke as thou hast now awaked my body from sleepe, so thou wouldest awake my soule from the slepe of sinne and darkenes of thys world: and that which thou [Page] hast now awaked out of slepe, thou wouldest after deathe (wherof this sleepe is but an image) restore & rayse agayne to life euerlasting. Oh gracious God, make my body (I hartely pray thee) such a companion, or rather a minister of godlines to my soule, this day and all the tyme of this present lyfe, that in the lyfe to come it may be pertaker with y e same of euerlasting happines, thorough Jesus Christ our Lord.
¶ Occasions to meditate.
HEre call to mynd the great mirth and blessednes of y e euerlasting resurrectiō. Also remember to muse vpō that most clere light, that bright mornyng and new clearenes of our bodies after the long darknes which they haue bene in. All then shall be ful of vnspeakable ioyes and felicitie.
❧ When you behold the day light, pray.
O Lord God, thou most glorious & true lyght, from whēce this light of the day & sunne doth spring, and shyne vnto vs: O lyght which lightnest euery mā that commeth into this world: O [Page] light which knowst no night nor euening, but art alway a midday most cleare and fayre: without whome all is most horrible darknes, and by whō all things are most splendent: O thou wisdome of the eternall father of mercies, lighten my mynd that I may see those thynges onely which please thee, and may be blynded to all other thynges. Graunt me so to walke in thy wayes by the light of thy holy worde, that nothing els may be lyght and pleasaunt vnto me.
¶ Occasions to meditate.
MVse a while, how much the light and eye of the mynde and soule is better then of the body. Also how much more we ought to care for the soule that it may see wel, then for the body. Moreouer, that beastes haue bodely eyes as well as men, but men only haue eies of the mind, and that such as are godly wise.
❧ When you arise, pray.
OVr first parentes cast downe themselues from a most excellent, high, & honorable estate, in to shame and misery, and in to the deepe sea of all wickednesse [Page] and mischiefe: but (oh Christ) thou puttyng forth thy hande, didst rayse them vp agayne. Euen so we, except we be raysed vp by thee, shall lye still for euer. O good Christ, our most gracious redemer, as thou doost mercifully rayse vp now this my body, euen so I beseeche thee rayse vp my mynde and harte to the true knowledge and loue of thee, that my conversation may be in heauen where thou art.
¶ Occasions to meditate.
THinke how foule the fall of Adam was by reason of sinne: and so of euery one of vs from the height of gods grace. Againe, thinke vppon the inestimable benefite of Christ, by whose helpe we daily arise agayne from our fallynges.
❧ When you are made redy, to begin the day withall, pray.
O Almighty God & most mercifull father, thou knowest & hast taught vs also somethyng to knowe, that the weaknes of man and woman is great, & that without thy grace they can neither [Page] do nor thinke any good thing. Haue mercy vpon me, I hūbly beseche thee, thy most weake, fraile and vnworthy chylde. Lighten my mynde that I may with pleasure looke vpon good thinges onely. Enflame my hart with the loue therof, that I may carefully couete them, and at the last by thy gracious cōducting, may happely attayne them, thorough Jesus Christ our Lorde. I distrustyng altogether myne owne weakenes, commende and offer my selfe both soule and body into thy handes.
❧ Cogitations meete to begin the day withall.
THinke first that man consisteth of soule & body, and that the soule is from heauen heauenly, firme and immortall: but the body is from the earth earthly, fraile and mortall.
Agayne, thinke that though by reason of sinne wherein you are conceyued and borne, the partes of the soule which do vnderstand and desire, be so corrupte that without speciall grace to both partes you can neither know nor loue any good thyng in gods sight, much lesse then, do that is good: yet this notwithstandyng, thynke that you are regenerate by Christes resurrection (which your [Page] baptisme requireth you to beleue) and therefore to do also some good in the sight of God through Christ: for whose sake our poore doynges are accepted for good, the euill and infirmitie cleauing therunto, not beyng imputed through faith.
Thinke that by fayth, which is gods séede (for they which beleue are of God and made Gods children) geuen to those that be ordeyned to eternall life: thinke (I say) that by fayth you receiue more and more the spirit of sanctification, through the vse of Gods worde and sacramentes, and earnest prayer, to illuminate your minde, vnderstanding, iudgement, and reason, and to bow, forme, frame and inflame your affections with loue and power to do that that good is, and therfore vse you the means aforesaid accordingly.
[Page] Thinke, that by this spirite you are thorough faith coupled to Christ as a liuely member, and so to God, and as it were, made one with hym: and by loue, which springeth out of this faith you are made one also with all that be of God, and so you haue fellowship with God and all good men that euer were or shall be, in all the good that God and all his saintes haue or shall haue. Thinke, that as by faith and loue through the spirite of God you are now entred into this communion (the blessednes whereof no tounge can expresse) so after thys lyfe you shall first in soule, and in the last day in body also, enioy for euer the same societie most perfectly which now is but begonne in you.
Thinke, in consideration of your heauenly estate, how your body is the temple of the holy ghost, your mēbers [Page] of Christ, the whole worlde and all thinges therein are your owne. Therfore say vnto your soule: O my soule, arise, follow God, contemne this world, purpose well and pursue it, long for the Lordes commyng, be ready and watch that he come not vpon thée vnwares. And forsomuch as you must liue to Gods pleasure, sée the vocation and state of your life wherunto God hath called you, and pray to god for grace, knowlege, and habilitie to take the most profitable thinges in hand, well to begin, better to go on, and best of all to ende the same to Gods glory and the profite of others, and thinke that tyme lost wherin you speake not or do not, or at tho least thinke not something to Gods glory and the commoditie of his children.
❧ At the sunne going downe, pray.
HOw vnhappy are they (O Lorde) on whō thy Sunne goeth downe and geueth no lyght, I meane thy grace which is always cleare as the midday. Darke night vnto thē is the midday which depart from thee. In thee is neuer night, but alwayes day light most cleare. This corporall Sunne hath his courses, now vp, now down: but thou deare Lord, if we loue thee, art alwayes one. O that thys blocke and veile of sinne were taken away frō me, that there [Page] might be alwayes cleare day in my mynde.
¶ Occasion to meditate.
THinke, that as we are not sory when the sunne goeth downe, because we know it will rise agayne: euen so we should not sorrow for death, wherwith the soule and body do parte asunder: for they shall eftsones returne and come together agayne in most glorious wise.
❧ When the candels be light, pray.
MOst thicke and darke cloudes do couer our myndes, excepte thy light (O Lord) do driue them [Page] away. Thy Sunne (O most wise worker) is as it were a firebrand to this worlde. Thy wisdome whereby light commeth to both soule and body, is a firebrand to the spirituall world. After day when the night commeth, thou hast geuen for the remedy of darknes a candell. After sinne, for the remedy of ignoraunce, thou hast geuen thy doctrine which thy deare sonne hath brought vnto vs. O thou that art the author and maister of al truth, and art the true lyght, make vs so to see, that the dimnes of our myndes may be driuen cleane away.
¶ Occasions to meditate.
THinke that the knowledge which God geueth vnto vs by the candel light (wherby we see those thyngs in this night of our bodies which are expedient for vs) should make vs to wishe much more for this spirituall light of our soules, this doctrine of our saluation, and when we gette it, the more to esteme it, and diligently to embrace it: Agayne, that as all would be horrour without candell light, so there is nothing but meere [Page] confusion where Gods worde taketh not place.
❧ When you make your selfe vnready, pray.
THys our lyfe and weake knit body by reason of sinne, by little and little shall be dissolued, and so shall be restored to the earth from whence it was taken: then will be an ende of this vanitie which by our folly we haue wrought to our selues. O most meke father, so do thou vntie & loose me (for y u art he that hast knit these my weak members together) that [Page] I may perceiue my selfe to be loosed and dissolued, & so may remember both of whome I was made, and also whether I must go, least I be had vnprouided vnto thy tribunall seate.
¶ Occasion to meditate.
THinke that as we do willingly put of our garmentes because we shall receiue them againe when the night is past: so we should not vnwillingly forsake our bodies when God by death shal call vs, because we shall receyue them againe in the resurrection of the iust.
❧ When you enter into your bed, pray.
THe day now ended, men geue thēselues to rest in the nyght, and so this lyfe finished, we shall rest in death. Nothing is more like this life thē euery day: nothing more lyke death thē slepe, nothyng more like to our graue then our bed. O Lord our keper and defender, graunt that I now laying me downe to rest, beyng vnable to keepe my selfe, may be preserued from the crafts and assaultes of the wicked enemy. And graunt further, that when I haue runne the race [Page] of this lyfe, thou wouldest of thy mercy call me vnto thee, that I may lyue and watche with thee for euermore. And now gracious God, geue me to take my rest in thee: and bring to passe that thy goodnes may be euen in sleepe before mine eyes, that slepyng I be not absent from thee, but may haue my dreams to draw me vnto thee, & so both soule and body may be kept pure and holy for euer.
❧ An other prayer.
O Lord Jesus Christ, my watchman and keper, take me to thy care: graunt that my body slepyng, my minde may watch in thee, and be made mery by some sight of that celestiall and heauenly life, wherin thou art the king & prince, together with the father and the holy ghost, where the Aungels and holy spirits be most happy citizens. Oh purify my soule, keepe cleane my body, that in both I may please thee sleping & waking, for euer, Amen.
¶ Occasion to meditate.
THinke, that as this troublesome day is now past and night come, and so rest, quietnes, and pleasant sléepe, which maketh most excellent princes, and poore wretches alike: euen so after the tumultes, troubles, temptations and tempestes of thys life, they that beleue in Christ, haue prepared for them an hauen and rest most pleasant and ioyfull. As you are not afraid to enter into your bedde, and to dispose your selfe to sléepe, so be not afraid to die, but rather cherefully prepare your selfe therunto.
Thinke that now you are néerer your ende by one dayes iourney, then you were in the morning.
❧ A prayer to God the Father, for the true knowledge of the mystery of our redemption in Christ.
O Almighty God & Father of our Lorde Jesus Christ, and by him also our father, the father of all mercy and God of all consolation, haue mercy vpon vs and heare our prayers.
We most humbly beseche thee, for thy deare sonne Jesus Christes sake, for his merites and cruell death which he suffred, to deliuer vs from eternall death and the power of darknes: send into our hartes thy spirite of truth, to worke [Page] in vs a true, liuely, and stedfast faith, that the cleare light and brightnes of thy gospell, the glory of Christ, may shine vnto vs, & lighten our mindes, that we may learne & vnderstand the wonderfull & vnspeakable riches of y e mystery of our redemption in Christ, and by Christ. O father of glory, geue vnto vs the spirite of wisdom, and bryng vs into the true knowledge of this thy beloued sonne Jesus Christ, and the knowledge of thy selfe. Open and lighten the eyes of our myndes and vnderstandyng that we may know what the hope is whereunto thou hast called vs, and how riche the [Page] glory of thine enheritance is vpon thy saintes, and the excedyng greatnes of thy power towards vs: y t by true faith, by vnderstanding and knowledge of thine eternal wisdom (which is Jesus Christ) we may be in dede as we are called, true christians and vnfeyned professoures of thy holy name, to worship thee in spirite and truth, and to set forth the glory of thy grace geuen vnto vs in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
O deare Father, wryte in our hartes loue of thy law, hate to all sinne, thankfulnes of hart, and continuall heat of [Page] thy holy spirite, for thy sonne Jesus christes sake. To whom with thee and thy holy spirit, be all honour, maiestie, glory, thankes, rule, empire, and dominion, for euermore.
❧ A forme of thanks-geuing for our redemption, and prayer for strength and encrease of faith.
ETernal praise & thanks bee geuen vnto thee deare God & father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which hast blessed vs with all spirituall blessinges in heauenly thinges by Christ, in that thou hast chosen vs in hym before [Page] the foundation of the worlde was layd, that we should be wythout blame before thee through him: by whome we haue redemption through hys bloud, euen the forgeuenes of our sinnes: In whom, after we heard the worde of truth, the Gospell of our saluation, wherein we beleued, we were sealed with the holy spirite of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance: which spirite hath and doth beare witnes vnto our spirites, that we are thy children, and therefore cryeth in our hartes, Abba, Father. And thus most gracious father, when thou hast once geuen the earnest peny of our [Page] saluatiō into our hartes, thou doost not repent of thy gift & calling, neither wilt thou at any time, breake thy couenant of grace and mercy in Christ thy sonnes merites, confirmed in vs by that seale and loue token. For what though we be weake in our beliefe? shall our vnbeliefe make thy promise of no effect? No, thou wilt alwayes be found true, but all men be liers. And yet Lorde, thou doost most graciously behold and accept, be it neuer so little a sparke of fayth. We say therefore & cry vnto thee with one that wept and said: I beleue Lord, helpe my vnbeliefe. Yea that little, be it neuer so [Page] little, is thy mere gift also. The which as thou hast begon: so (most merciful Lord) encrease the same more and more, to the peace and comfort of our conscience, and the glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
❧ A meditation for the exercise of true mortification.
HE that wil be ready in waighty matters to deny hys owne will, and to be obedient to the will of God, the same had neede to accustome himselfe to deny his desires in matters of lesse waight, and [Page] to exercise y e mortificatiō of his owne wil in trifles. For if that our affections by this daily custome be not (as it were) halfe slaine, surely, surely, whē the plunge shall come, we shall finde the more to do. If we cannot watch with Christ one houre, as he sayth to Peter, we vndoutedly can much lesse go to death with him. Wherfore, that in great temptatiōs we may be ready to say wyth Christ: Not my wyll but thyne be done, (in that this commonly commeth not to passe, but where the rootes of our lustes, by thy grace deare father, are almost rotten and rooted out by a daily deniall [Page] of that they desire) I humbly beseche thee for Christes sake to helpe meherein. First pardon me my cherishing and (as it were) watering of mine affectiōs, obeying them in their deuises and superfluous desires: wherethrough, in that they haue taken deepe roote, and are to liuely in me, I secondly do beseche thee to pull them vp by the rootes out of my hart, and so henceforthe to order me, that I may continually accustome my self to weaken the principall roote, that they by rootes and braunches may loose all their power. Graunt me (I beseche thee) that thy grace may daily mortify [Page] my concupiscence of pleasure in thinges, y t is, of wealth, riches, glory, liberty, fauour of mē, meates, drinkes, apparel, ease, yea and life it selfe, that the horror and impaciency of more greuous things, may be weakened, and I made more pacient in aduersitie. Wherunto I further desire and pray thy goodnes (dere father) that thou wilt adde this: namely, that I may for euer, become obedient and ready to do thy good will in all things, hartely and willingly to serue thee, and do whatsoeuer may pleàse thee. For doubtles, although we accustome our selues in the pleasaunt thinges of this life, [Page] to a mortification and deniall of our selues, yet we shal finde enough to do when more bitter and weighty crosses come. For if thy sonne our Sauiour (euer wont to obey thy good will) prayed so hartely and often: Not my will but thy will be done, wherby he declareth him selfe to be very man, how can it be but we, whose nature is corrupt, not only in natiuitie, but in the rest of our whole life also, shal find both our handes full in great and greuous temtations wholy to resigne our selues vnto thee. Graunt therfore (deare father) for thy christes sake, I most hartely beseche thee, thy grace and holy [Page] spirite, to be effectuall in me, that daily I may accustome my selfe to deny my will in more easy and pleasant things of this lyfe, that when neede shal be, I may come vnto thee with a resigned will, alwayes stedfastly expecting thy mercy, and in the meane season, cōtinually obeying thee with readines and willïngnes, doing whatsoeuer may most please thee, through Christ our lord, which liueth with thee &c
¶ A meditation of the comming of Christ to iudgement, and of the rewarde both of the faithful & vnfaithful.
[Page] OH Lord Jesus Christ, the sonne of the euerliuing God, by whō all thinges were made, are ruled and gouerned, as of thy loue, for our redemption thou didst not disdaine to be our mediatour, and to take vppon thee our nature in the wombe of a virgine, purely and without sinne, by the operation of the holy spirite, that both y u mightest in thine owne person wō derfully beautifie and exalte our nature, and worke y e same in vs also, first abolishing the giltines of sinne by remission, then sinne it selfe by death, and last of all, death by raysing vp againe these our bodies, that [Page] they may be like vnto thyne owne glorious and immortall body, according to the power wherewith thou art able to subiect all thinges vnto thee: as (I say) of thy loue for our redemption thou becamest man and that most poore and afflicted vpon earth by the space of xxxiii. yeres at y e least, in most humilitie, and payedst y e price of our raunsome by thy most bitter death and passion (for the which I most hartely geue thankes to thee) so of the same thy loue towardes vs, in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory, with flaming fire, with thousandes [Page] of saintes, with angels of thy power, with a mighty cry, shoute of an Archangell, and blast of a trumpe, sodenly as a lightning which shineth from the East, &c. when men thinke least, euen as a thiefe in the night when mē be a slepe, thou wilt so come (I say) thus sodainly in the twincklyng of an eie, all men that euer haue bene, be and shall be, with women and children, appearyng before thy tribunall iudgemēt seat, to render an accompt of all thinges which they haue thought, spoken, and done against thy law, openly and before all Aungels, saintes, and Deuils, and so to receiue y e iust [Page] reward of thy vengeaunce, if that they haue not repented & obeyed the gospell, and so depart from thee to the Deuill & his angels and all the wicked which euer haue bene, be, or shall be, into hell fire, which is vnquencheable, and of paynes intolerable, easeles, endeles, hopeles, euen from the feare of thy glorious & mighty power.
But if they haue repented and beleued thy gospel: if they be found watching with their lampes & oyle in their handes: if they be found ready appareled with the wedding garmēt of innocency: if they haue not hardened their hartes, & hourded vp the treasure of thy vengeaunce [Page] in the day of wrath to be reuealed, but haue vsed the tyme of grace, the acceptable tyme, the time of saluatiō, that is, the time of this lyfe, in the which thou stretchest out thy hande, and spreadest thine armes, calling and crying vnto vs, to come vnto thee which art meeke in hart and lowly, for thou wilt ease all that labour and are heauy loden: if they haue visited the sicke and prisoners, comforted the comfortlesse, fedde the hungry, clothed the naked, lodged the harbourles, if they haue not loden their hartes with glotony, and surfeting, and [Page] carefulnes of this life: if they haue not digged and hid their talent in the ground, doing no good therwith, but haue bene faithfull to occupy thy gifts to thy glory, and here washed their garmentes in thy bloud by harty repentance: then shal thy aungels gather them together, not as the wicked which shall be collected as fagots, & cast into the fire, but as y e good wheate that is gathered into thy barne: then shall they be caught vp to meete thee in the clouds: then shall their corruptible body put on incorruption: then shall they be indued with immortality and glory: then shall they be with thee, [Page] and goe whether thou goest: then shal they heare, Come blessed of my Father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning, &c. then shall they be set on seates of maiestie iudging the whole worlde: then shall they raigne with thee for euer: then shall God be all in all with them and to them: thē shal they enter and enherite y e heauenly Jerusalem and the glorious restfull land of Canaan, where is alwayes day and neuer night, where is no maner of weping, teares, infirmitie, hunger, colde, sickenes, enuy, malice, nor sinne: but alwayes ioy w tout sorow, mirth without measure, pleasure w t out [Page] paine, heauenly harmony, most pleasant melody, saying, and singing: holy, holy, Lorde God of hostes. &c. Finally the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the harte of man, that they shall then enherite and most surely enioy, althogh here they be tormented, prisoned, burned, sollicited of Sathan, tempted of the flesh, and entangled with the worlde, wherethrough they are enforced to cry, Thy kingdome come: Come Lord Iesu, &c. How amiable are thy tabernacles? Lyke as the harte desireth the water brookes, &c. Now let thy seruaunt departe [Page] in peace: I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ: We mourne in our selues, wayting for the deliueraunce of our bodies, &c. Oh gracious Lord, when shall I find such mercy with thee, that I may repent, beleue, hope and looke for these thinges, with the full fruition of those heauenly ioyes which thou hast prepared for all thē that feare thee, and so rest with thee for euermore.
❧ A meditation concerning the lyfe euerlastyng, the place where it is, and the incomparable ioyes therof.
[Page] THat there is an enerlasting life, none wil deny but such as wil deny God. For if he be true & iust (which he must needes be, or els he is not God) then can there not be but an eternall life. That he hath both spoken it and promised it, in Math. 25. 1. Cor. 16. Hebr. 4. 11. 13. 1. Petr. 1. it plainly appeareth, and els where in very many places. So that to deny an euerlasting lyfe, is to deny God, to deny Christ and all that euer he did, also to deny all pietie & religion, to condemne of foolishnes all good men, martyrs, confessors, Euangelistes, Prophetes, Patriarckes. Finally [Page] the deniall of eternal life is no thing els, but a deniall of the immortalitie of the soule, and so a plaine making of man no thing better then beastes. If it be so, let vs then eate and drinke, for to morow we shall die. Lord preserue vs frō this Saduceal and Epicureall impietie, and graunt vs for thy mercies sake (deare God) that we may be assuredly perswaded, that there is in deede an eternall life and blisse wyth thee, for them that put their trust in thee, amongst whome accompt me for thy mercies sake.
Agayne, this eternall lyfe, and the place appoynted for [Page] them that be thy seruauntes, all men do graunt to be wyth thee: Albeit they do not think that because thou art euery where, therfore eternall life is euery where: For they by thy worde do know, that in as much as no man can see thee and liue, this eternall lyfe and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition, after in an other world, wher unto by corporall death they do depart and are translated to a place aboue them, where thou dwellest in a light whervnto no man can approche. Abrahams bosome (they read) was aboue, as the place for the wicked, was a lowe and [Page] beneath. Helias was caught vp into heauen, and thy sonne our deare sauiour prayed, that where he is, those also might be, which thou hadst geuē him and might se his glory. Now, he (deare father) we learne by thy spirite, was ascended and taken vp in his very body into heauen, whether Steuen loked vp and sawe thy Christ standing on thy right hand: to whom he prayed: Oh Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite. Graunt I beseche thee, gracious god and father, y t I may haue a cleane hart, more & more to see thee, and so in spirite to see and loke often vpō this place: whether bring me at the length in body [Page] also, I humbly pray thee.
Now, what a thyng this euerlasting life is, no man is able to conceiue, much lesse able to vtter: For the peace of god which is eternall life, passeth all vnderstanding. The eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither can mans harte conceiue those thinges, which thou (deare God) hast prepared for them that loue thee. Whatsoeuer therfore can be spoken or imagined of thy kingdom, of the clearenes, ioy and felicitie of the same, is nothyng in comparison: as we may see by y e Prophets, which (because they could not otherwise) vnder corporall things, [Page] haue shadowed the same: So that the confidence of eternall life, what a thing it is, can in no wise be told. Howbeit some what we may be brought into some sight of it, by earthly thinges, to thinke on this sort. If God hath geuē here so many thinges in a strange place, how many are the great good thinges that be at home? If in a prison are so many mercies, how many are they in the palace? If the wicked haue so many benefites, what is the store prepared for thy seruāts, O Lord? If thy children finde such comfortes in the day of teares and mournyng, what shall they finde in the day of y e [Page] mariage? If with beastes men beyng, haue the vse of so innumerable blessings, oh how many are the blessinges whiche they shall enioy with thy Angels, and with thee thy selfe (O dere God) when they shal see thee, and haue the fruition of thee, in whome is fulnes without lothing of all good & faire thinges: so that nothyng can be more desired, and that for euermore?
This thy children do not so see as they now beleue it: I say that euen in their bodies they shal see it for euer, as Job sayd. They heleue that they shall see thee, and their owne eyes beholde thee, when these [Page] our corporall eyes, our bodies beyng raised, shall do their duties. Such a knowledge of thee they beleue to haue, as shall not be onely intellectuall and by faith, as now it is: but euen a full sight and fruition, yea a comunction and felowship with thee. Now they see but in a glasse, euen in a darke speaking: but thē they shal see face to face. For faith, though it be the substaunce of thinges hoped for, and a certain darke sight of thee: yet it may not be compared to the rewarde of faith, & glorious sight which we shall see in the life to come, when fayth & hope shall cease.
Now, thy children know [Page] y t they be thy children, though it yet appeare not what they shall be. We know (say they) that whē our Christ God and man shall appeare, then shall we be lyke vnto hym: for we shall see him euen as he is. Oh great prerogatiue, to see Christ as he is. Which is not to be considered so much for the mā hoode, as for the Godhead it self: as Paule doth also write, that when all thinges are subiect vnto the sonne, then shall he be subiect vnto thee (deare Father) also that God may be all in all. And therfore Christ our sauiour praied for vs, that we might know thee the onely true God. Not y t our Christ [Page] thy sonne is not with thee, the true, coequal, and substanciall god, but that we might know how that after the iudgement such a mystery of hys mediatourship shall not be in heauē, as is now in earth. Then thou blessed trinitie, God the Father, God the sonne, and God the holy ghost shalt be all in all: thou shalt be the end of our desires, thou shalt be loked vpon without ende, thou shalt be loued without lothyng, thou shalt bee praysed without wearinesse. Althoughe lothsomues be wont to folow fulnes, yet our fulnes in the contemplatiō of thy pleasures shall bring with it no kinde at [Page] all of lothsomnes. Sacietie of ioyes shall be in the beholding of thee. Pleasures are on thy right hand for euer. We shalbe satiffied when we arise after thyne image: I meane in the resurrection. Oh deare father, shew thy self vnto vs, and we aske no more. Oh graunt vs with thy Saintes in euerlasting lyfe, to prayse wyth perpetual prayses, thy holy name. Happy then and happy again wer we, if that day wer come that we myght sing wyth thy aungels, elders, and innumerable thousandes, a new song & say, thou Christ Jesu which wast slayne, art worthy to receyue power, and riches: and [Page] wisdome, and strength, & honour, and glory, and blessyng. In thys blessed lyfe all kynde of maladies, griefes, sorrowes and euils be farre away, and all ful of all kinde of mirth, ioy & pleasure. Oh that we might see now a litle with S. John that holy Citie, new Jerusalē, descending frō heauen, prepared of god as a bride trimmed for her husbande. Oh that we might now somethyng heare the great voyce speakyng out of the throne, behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be hys people, and he shalbe vnto them their god: he will wipe away all teares [Page] from their eies, and death shal be no more, nor wepyng, nor crying, nor sorrow: for the former thinges are gone.
¶ An other meditation of the blessed state and felicitie of the life to come.
THis body is but a prison wherein the soule is kept, and that verely, not beautifull nor bright: but most foule and darke, disquiet, fraile, and filled vp with much vermine and venemous vipers (I meane it cōcerning our affections) standing in an ayre most vnwholesome, and prospect most lothsome, if a [Page] man consider the excrementes of it, by the eyes, nose, mouth, eares, hands, feete, and all the other partes. So that no Bocardo, no Little ease, no Dungeon, no Bishops prison, no gatehouse, no sincke, no pit, may be cōpared in any point, to be so euill a prison for the body, as the body is for and of the soule: wherethrough the children of God haue bene occasioned to cry & lament their long being in it. Oh saith Dauid, how long shall I lye in this prison? Oh wretch that I am (sayth Paule) who shall deliuer me out of this body of sinne? which is an heauie burden vnto the soule, as the wise [Page] man sayth. And therefore the godly cry, now let thy seruant depart in peace. Oh that I were dissolued and had put of this earthly and fraile tabernacle.
Take me vnto thee, and bring my soule out of thys prison, that it may geue thankes vnto thee O Lord. For so long as we be in thys body, we can not see the Lord: yea it is as an heauy habitation, and depresseth downe sore the spirite fro the familiaritie which it els should haue with God. This world & life is an exile, a vale of misery, a wildernes, of it self being voide of all vertues and necessaryes for eternall life, [Page] full of ennemies, sorrowes, sighings, sobbings, gronings, miseries, &c: In daunger to hūger, cold, heate, thirst, sores, sicknes, tentations, trouble, death, and innumerable calamities, being momentanye, short, vnstable, and nothing but vaine, and therfore is cō pared to a warfare, a womās trauaile, a shadow, a smoke, a vapour, a worde, a storme, a tempest, in the which Gods people feele great molestations, greefes, & troubles, now of Sathan him selfe, now of the world, now of their owne flesh, and that so wonderfully, diuersly, daungerously, & contrarily, that they are enforced [Page] to cry: Oh Lorde, when shall we come and appeare before thee? when shall this misery end? when shall we be deliuered out of this vale of miserye? out of thys wildernes? out of thys continuall affliction and most perilousseas? But where thou art (Lorde and deare father of mercy) there is not only no prison, no dolours, no sorow, no sighinges, no teares, no sicknes, no hūger, no heate, no colde, no paine, no temtations, no displeasure, no malice, no pride, no vncleannes, no cō tention, no tormentes, no horrour, no sin, no filth, no stinch, no dearth, no death, no weeping, no teares, no misery, nor [Page] mischiefe: there is (I say) not onely no such thing, or any eeuill, noysome, or displeasaunt thing: but all libertie, all light, all pleasauntnes, all ioy, reioysing, mirth, pleasure, pastime, health, wealth, riches, glory, power, treasure, honour, triumph, comfort, solace, loue, vnitie, peace, concord, wisdome, vertue, melody, meekenes, felicitie, beatitude, and all that euer can bee wished or desired, in most securitie, eternitie, and perpetuitie y t may be thought, not onely of man, but of Angels and Archangels, yea aboue all thoughtes. The eye hath not seene the like, y e eare hath not heard it, nor no hart [Page] is able to conceaue in any poynt, any part of the blisfull beatitude which is with thee most deare God and Father, most deare Lorde and Sauiour, most gratious good God and comforter. Where thou art, O blessed God, the Archaungels, Aungels, Thrones, powers, dominations, Cherubins, Ceraphins, Patriarkes, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Virgins, Confessors, and righteous spirites, cease not to sing, night and day: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lorde God of hostes: honor, maiestie, glory, power, empire and dominion be vnto thee, oh God the creator, oh Lord Jesu the redemer, oh [Page] holy spirite the comforter. In recordation of thys, Oh how thy childrē reioyce? how contemne they y e pleasures of thys worlde? how litle esteme they any corporall greefe or shame? how desire they to bee with thee? How amiable are thy tabernacles, Oh Lorde God of hostes, say they: my soule hath a desire to enter into y e courtes of the Lorde: my hart and my soule reioyceth in the lyuyng God. Blessed are they y t dwell in thy house, they that may alwayes be praysing thee. For one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where. I had rather be a doore keper in the house of my God, then [Page] to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines: for the Lord God is a light & defence. And againe: lyke as the Hart desireth the water brookes: so longeth my soule after thee, Oh God: my soule is a thyrst for God, yea euen for the liuing God. When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God? My soule thirsteth for thee: my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land, where no water is. They (thy childrē I meane O Lord) desire the day of that their redemption: stil they cry: let thy kingdō come: they cry: Come Lord Jesu: they lift vp their heades lookyng for thy appearing, Oh Lorde, which [Page] will make their vile body lyke to thine owne glorious & immortall body: for when thou shalt appeare, they shall be like vnto thee. Thy Aungels will gather them together, & they shall meete thee in y e cloudes, and bee alwayes with thee. They shall heare thys ioyfull voyce: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning. Then shall they be like to thy Aungells. Then shall they be like vnto the Sunne in thy kyngdome. Then shall they haue crownes of glory, and be endued with white garmentes of innocēcie and righteousnes, and Palmes of victory in their [Page] handes. Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible inheritance, which they shall enioy for euermore, Amen.
¶ A Meditation of the presence of God.
THere is nothyng that maketh more to true godlines of life, then the perswasion of thy presēce (deare father) and that nothyng is hyd from thee, but all to thee is open and naked, euē the very thoughtes, which one day thou wilt reueale and open, either to our praise or punishment in thys life: as thou [Page] diddest Dauids faultes which he dyd secretly. 2. Reg. 12. or in the lyfe to come. Math. 25. for nothyng is so hid that shall not be reuealed. Therfore doth the Prophet say: Woe to thē that keepe secrete their thoughtes to hide theyr counsell from the Lorde, and do their workes in darknes, saying who seeth vs? Graunt to me therefore (deare God) mercy for all my sinnes, especially, my hid and close sinnes. Enter not into iudgement with me, I humbly besech thee. Geue me to beleue truely in thy Christ, that I neuer come into iudgement for thē: that with Dauid I might so reueale them and confesse [Page] them vnto thee, y t thou wouldest couer thē. And graunt further, y t hence forth I alwayes thinke myself cōtinually cōuer saunt before thee, so that if I do well, I passe not of the publishing of it, as hypocrites doe: If I do or thinke any euill, I may forthwith know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men. Graunt me, that I may alwayes haue in minde that day wherin hyd workes of darknes shall be illumined, and also that sentence of thy sonne, that nothing is so secret which shall not bee reuealed. So in trouble and wrong I shall finde comfort, and otherwise be kept through thy grace [Page] frō euil: which do thou worke I humbly besech thee, for Christes sake,
Amen.
❧ A Meditation of death, and the commodities it bringeth.
WHat other thing do we dayly in thys present life, then heape sinne vppon sinne, and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse? so that thys day is worse alwayes then yesterday, by encreasing as dayes, so sinnes, and therefore thy indignation, good Lorde, agaynst vs: but when we shall be let goe out of the prison of thys body, and so taken into thy blessed company, [Page] then shall we be in most safety of immortalitie and saluation, thē shall come vnto vs no sicknes, no nede, no paine, no kind of euill to soule or body: but what soeuer good we cā wish, that shall we haue, and what soeuer we loth, shall be farre from vs. O deare father, that we had fayth, to beholde these thinges accordingly. Oh that our hartes were perswaded therof, and our affections enflamed with y e desire of them. Then should we liue in longing for that which now we most loth. O helpe vs, and graūt that we being ignorant of thinges to come, and of the tyme of our death, which to [Page] thee is certain, may so liue and finishe our iourney here, that we may be ready and then depart, when our departing may make most to thy glory & our comfort through Christ.
What is thys lyfe but a smoke, a vapour, a shadow, a warfare, a bubble of water, a worde, grasse, a flower? That we shall die it is most certaine: but the time, no mā can tell when. The longer in this life we do remaine, the more wee synne, which will turne to our further paine. By cogitation of death, our mindes be often, in a maner, oppressed with darkenes, because we do but remember the nyght of [Page] the body, forgetting the light of the mynde, and of the resurrection. Hereto remember the good thinges that after thys life shall ensue, in certaintie of faith, without wauering, and so shall the passage of death be more desired. It is like a sayling ouer the sea to your home and countrey: it is like a medicine or purgation to y e health of soule and body: it is the best Phisicion: it is lyke a womās trauaile. For as the chylde beyng deliuered, commeth into a more large place then the wombe wherin it did lye before, so the soule beyng deliuered out of the body, commeth into a much more larger and [Page] fayrer place, euen into heauen.
❧ A meditation concerning the sober vsage of the body, and pleasures in this life.
THe beginning of all euill in our kynde of liuyng springeth out of the deprauation and corruptnes of our iudgement, because our will alwayes followeth that which reason iudgeth to be folowed. Now, that which euery man taketh to be frendly and agreyng to his nature, the same doth he iudge necessarily to be good for hym, and to be desired. This is meate, drinke, apparel, riches, fauour, [Page] dignitie, rule, knowledge, and such lyke, because they are thought good & agreeyng either to the body, or to y e mind, or to both, for they helpe either to the conseruation or to the pleasure of man, accompted of euery one amongest good thinges.
Howbeit such is the weaknes of our witte on the one parte, and the blindnes and too much rage of our lustes on the other part, that we beyng left to our selues, can not but in the desire of thynges which we iudge good and agreeyng to our nature by the iudgement of our senses and reason, we cannot (I say) but [Page] ouerpasse the boundes wherby they myght be profitable vnto vs, and so we make them hurtfull to vs, which of themselues are ordayned for our health. What is more necessary then meate and drynke, or more agreeyng to nature? but yet how few be there which do not hurt themselues by thē? In lyke maner it goeth with riches, estimation, frends, learning, &c. Yea although we be in these most temperate, yet when there wanteth the spirit our regeneratour, we are so drowned in them that we vtterly neglect to lift vp our myndes to the good pleasure of God, to the ende we might [Page] imitate and follow God our maker by yelding our selues ouer, duly to vse his gyftes to the common and priuate vtility of our neighbours.
But now, God onely is life and eternity, and cannot but demaunde of vs hys handiworke, that we should render our selues and all we haue to the ende wherefore we were made, that is, to resemble for our portion, his goodnes, as those which be nothing els but witnesses & instrumēts of his mercy. So that when we wholy do naturally striue against that kind of life wherto he hath create vs, by seking alwayes our selues, what other [Page] thing ought to ensue, but that he should againe destroy vs & take away his notable giftes, wherwith he therfore indued vs that by all kinde of wel doyng we should resemble his image: yea what other thyng may ensue but that he should leaue vs & that eternally, that we might feele and by experience proue how bitter a thing it is to leaue the lord in whom is all goodnes? Oh that I might therfore find such fauor in thy sight deare father, that thou wouldest worke in me by thy holy spirite, a true knowledge of all good thynges, and harty loue to the same, through Christ Jesus our lord and only [Page] Sauiour.
Amen.
❧ A meditation vpon the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.
OH Lord Jesus Christ, the sonne of y e almighand euerliuyng God, by whome all thynges were made, and be ruled and gouerned: thou the liuely image of the substaunce of the Father, the eternall wisedom of God, the brightnes of his glory, god of God, light of light, coequal, coeternall, and consubstancial with the father: thou which of the loue thou hadst to mankynde when he was fallen [Page] from the felowship of God into the societie of Sathan and all euil, didst vouchsafe for our redemption to become a Mediatour betwene God & man, taking to the Godhead our nature, as concerning the substaunce of it, and so becamest man: also the heire of all, and most merciful Messias: which by y e power of thy Godhead & merites of thy manhode, hast made purgatiō of our synnes, euē by thine owne self, whilest thou wast here on earth, being now set on the right hand of thy father for vs, euen concernyng our nature, in maiesty, glory, and power infinite: [Page] I pray and humbly besech thy mercy, to graunt me at thys present, to rehearse some of thy passions and suffringes for me the last night that thou wast here before thy death, that thy good spirite myght therby be effectual to worke in me faith, as well of the pardon of my synnes by them, as mortification of myne affections, comfort in my crosses, and paciēce in afflictions, Amen.
In the midst of thy last supper with thy deare Apostles, these thynges could not but be before thee, namely that they all would leaue thee, the most earnest would forsweare thee, and one of the xij. should most [Page] traitrously betray thee: which were no small crosses vnto thee. Judas was admonished of thee to beware, but when he tooke no heede, but wilfully went out to finish his work, contemnyng thy admonition and counsell, he could not but vexe thy most louyng hart.
After supper, there was contention amongs thy disciples, who should be greatest after ter thee, yet dreamyng carnally of thee and thy kyngdome, and hauyng this affection of pryde and ambition busie amonges them, notwithstandyng thy diligence in reprouyng and teachyng them.
After thy admonition to thē [Page] of the crosse that would come, therby to make them more vigilant: so grosse wer they that they thought they could wyth their two swordes put away all perils: which was no little griefe vnto thee.
After thy cōmyng to Gethsemane, heauines oppressed thee, & therfore thou wouldest thy disciples to pray. Thou didst tell to Peter and his fellowes, that thy hart was heauy to death. Thou didst wyll them to pray, being carefull for them also, lest they should fall into tēptation. After this thou wentest a stones cast from thē and didst pray thy selfe, falling flat and groueling vppon the [Page] earth: but (alas) y u feltest no comfort, and therfore thou camest to thy disciples (which of all others were most sweete & deare vnto thee) but lo to thy further discomfort, they passe neither of thy perils, nor of their owne, and therfore sleepe apace. After thou hadst awaked thē, thou wentest agayne to pray, but thou foundest no comfort at all, & therfore didst returne agayne for some comforte at thy dearest frendes handes. But yet againe (alas) they are fast a sleepe. Wherupon thou art enforced to go agayne to thy heauenly father for some sparckle of comfort in these thy wonderfull crosses & [Page] agonies. Now here thou wast so discouraged and so comfortles, that euē streames of bloud came runnyng from thine eies and eares, and other partes of thy body. But who is able to expresse the infinitenes of thy crosses, euen at thy beyng in the garden? All which thou sufferedst for my sake, as well to satisfy thy fathers wrath for my sinnes, as also to sanctify all my sufferinges, the more gladly to be susteyned of me.
After thy bloudy prayer thou camest, and yet agayne foundest thy disciples a sleepe, and before thou canst well awake them, loe, Judas cōmeth with a great bande of men, to apprehend [Page] thee as a theefe, and so doth, leadyng thee away bound, to y t hie Bishops house Annas, & so from him to Cayphas. Here now to augment this thy misery, behold thy disciples flie from thee: false witnesses be brought against thee: thou art accused and condemned of blasphemy: Peter, euen in thy sight forsweareth thee: thou art vniustly striken for answering lawfully: thou art blindefield, striken and buffeted all the whole nyght in the bishop Cayphas house, of their cruell seruauntes.
In the mornyng betymes y u art condemned agayne of the priestes, of blasphemy, & therfore [Page] they bring thee before the secular power, to Pilate, by whom thou art openly arrayned as other theeues and malefactors were: and when he saw that thou wast accused of malice, yet he did not dismisse thee, but did sende thee to Herode where thou wast derided shamefully, in commyng and goyng to hym and from hym all the way, especially after Herode had appareled thee as a foole.
Afore Pilate agayne therfore thou wast brought, and accused falsly: no mā did take thy part, or speak a good word for thee.
Pilate caused thee to be [Page] whipped and scourged, and to be handled most pitifully, to se if any pitie might apeare with the Prelates, but no man at all pitied thee.
Barrabas was preferred before thee: all the people, head and taile, was against thee & cryed, hang thee vp: vniustly to death wast thou iudged: thou wast crowned w t thornes that pearced thy braines: thou wast made a mocking stocke: thou wast reuiled, beaten, and most miserably handled.
Thou wentst through Jerusalem, to the place of execution, euen to the mount Caluery: a great crosse to hange thee on, was layde vppon thy [Page] backe to beare and drawe, as long as thou wast able.
Thy body was racked, to be nayled to the tree: thy hāds were bored thorow, & thy feete also: nayles were put thorow them to fasten thee thereon: thou wast hanged betwene heauen & earth, as one spewed out of heauē, and vomited out of the earth, vnworthy of any place: the high priest laughed thee to scorne: the elders blasphemed thee, and sayd, God hath no care for thee: the common people laughed and cried out vpon thee: thrist oppressed thee, but vineger onely & gall was geuen thee to drinke: heauen shined not on thee: the [Page] Sunne gaue thee no lyght: the earth was afrayd to beare thee: Sathan tempted thee, and thine owne senses caused thee to cry out: My God my GOD why hast thou forsaken me? Oh wonderfull passions which thou suffredst. In them thou teachest me, in them thou comfortest me: for by thē God is my father, my sinnes are forgeuen. By thē I should learne to feare God, to loue God, to hope in God, to hate synne, to be patient, to call vppon God, and neuer to leaue hym for any temptations, but with thee to cry: Father into thy handes, I commende my spirite.
A meditation of Gods power, beautie, goodnes, &c.
BEcause thou lord woul dest haue vs to loue thee, not onely doost thou will, entice, allure & prouoke vs, but also doost commaund vs so to do, promisyng thy self vnto such as loue thee, and threatning vs with damnation if we doo otherwyse: wherby we may see both our great corruption and noughtines, and also thine excedyng great mercy towardes vs.
First, concerning our corruptiō and noughtines, what a thing is it, that power, riches, authoritie, beautie, goodnes, liberalitie, truth, iustice, (which all thou art good lord) [Page] cannot moue vs to loue thee? Whatsoeuer thynges we see, fayre, good, wyse, mighty, are but euen sparkles of that power, beautie, goodnes, wisdom, which y u art. For to y e end thou mightst declare thy riches, beuty, power, wisdom, y u hast not only made, but still doost conserue all creatures to be (as Dauid sayth of the heauens) declarers and setters forth of thy glory, and as a booke to teach vs to know thee.
How fayre thou art, y e beautie of the Sunne, Moone, Stars, light, flowers, riuers, fieldes, hils, birdes, beastes, men and all creatures, yea the goodly shape and forme of the [Page] whole world doth declare.
How mighty thou art, we are taught by the creation of this world euen of nought, by gouerning the same, by punishing the wicked mighty Giants therof, by ouerthrowing their deuises, by repressing y e rages of the sea w tin her bounds, by stormes, by tempestes, by fires: these and such lyke declare vnto vs thine inuisible, almighty, and terrible power, whereby thou subduest all thinges vnto thee.
How riche thou art, thys worlde, thy great and infinite treasurehouse doth well declare. What plenty is there, [Page] not onely of thinges, but also of euery kinde of things? Yea how doost thou yearely and daily multiply these kyndes? How many seedes doost thou make of one seede? yea what great increse doost thou bring it vnto? These cannot but put vs in remembraunce of the exceedyng riches that thou hast. For if to thyne enemies which loue thee not (as the most part in this world be) if to thē thou geuest so plentifully thy riches here, what shal we thinke that with thy selfe thou hast layde vp for thy frendes?
How good thou art, all creatures generally and perticularly do teach. What creature [Page] is there in the worlde which thou hast not made for our cō moditie? I will not say how that thou mightst haue made vs creatures without sense or reason if thou haddest would. But amongst al things, none doth teach vs so thy great loue towardes vs, as doth y e death of thy most dearely beloued sonne, who suffred the paynes and terrours thereof, yea and hell it selfe, for our sakes. If this thy loue had bene but a smal loue, it would neuer haue lasted so long, nor Christ shold neuer haue died.
❧ A prayer to Christ crucified.
[Page] AS thou O Lord, wast crucified for me, so I beseeche thee crucify me with thee, that I may ryse agayne with thee to euerlasting lyfe. Thy flesh was crucified for me: crucifie with thee (O Christ) the kingdom of the flesh which hath dominion in me, that I may put of the olde Adam, and by newnes of lyfe, may be transformed into thee that second Adam, sinne, infidelitie, and the whole tiranny of Sathan beyng vanquished and ouercome. Bring to passe, O Lord, that by thy crosse and painefull sufferyng, thy yoke may be to me made light, and thy burden easy, that willingly [Page] and gladly following thee, I may come whether thou art gone: that is, to thy father most blessed and immortall, from whom nothing shall afterwardes be able to seperate vs.
❧ A prayer to Christ ascended and reigning in glory.
OH good Christ, our first begotten brother and tender harted Joseph: [Page] oh naturall sonne of that Father, to whome we are made children of adoption through thee: oh our head reigning on high in glory: forget not vs thy poore members here on earth, wherinto abasyng thy selfe, thou camest downe and sufferedst for vs most cruell death. Out of this thy throne of maiestie and glory, thou put test vs in assured hope & confidence, that we also shall attain to that blessed place whether thou art gone before to take possession for vs. Oh our strong tower of defence and succor, what can hurt vs now trusting in thee? Most vnhappy are they which are ignorant [Page] of thee. Most happy are they which alwayes beholde thee. Blessed are they which haue knowen thee here in the dayes of their mortalitie: but more blessed are they which see thee in the heauens, and shall see thee raigning with thy father in ioyes incomparable.
Oh Lord, the onely ioy and comfort of our soules, shew vs thy louing countenance: embrace vs with the armes of thy mercy: receiue vs O good Joseph thy younger brethern, with y e kisse of comfort: poure into our hartes thy holy spirit: plucke vs vp from the earth & earthly things: open our eies and lift them vp vnto thee: open [Page] thy mouth and call vs vnto thee: open our eares that we may heare thee, so that whatsoeuer we do speake or thinke, it may be directed vnto thee alone, our redemer, mediatour and aduocate.
¶ If ye be risen agayne with Christ, seke the thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right haud of God: set your affection on thinges that are aboue, and not on things which are on the earth.
❧ A prayer for the auoyding of Gods deserued wrath and vengeaunce for our sinne.
WHen we looke backe & behold our sinfull lyfe past, what a dungeon [Page] of errors, vice, and wickednes openeth it selfe vnto vs? so that there is no man but he must needes be ashamed of himself when he calleth to mind what he hath bene, and tremble when he considereth the wickednes and sinfull course of hys life to come. For who shal vndertake that the rest of our lyfe shall be any better then that is past? How can we then sufficiently magnifie & prayse thy great mercy, which hast differred thy punishment so long? Beholding therfore this our daungerous and miserable state, we come vnto thee (O thou great and mighty iudge) in trembling & feare, [Page] humbly beseching thee not to heape vppon vs thy deserued vengeance, but let thy tender kindenes and loue thou bearest to Jesus Christ thy deare sonne our gracious Lord and redemer, couer our iniquities: for whose sake, though we deserue all extremity, thou doost pardon vs.
¶ If thou Lord shalt straitly marke our iniquities (O Lord) who shall be able to abide it?
¶ A prayer to God for his helpe and protection against the obstinate enemies of the truth.
MOst righteous iudge, God of all mercy and comfort, which by thy [Page] secret iudgement and wisdom doost suffer the wicked to triumph and increase for a tyme, for trial of the faith of thy welbeloued little flocke, and the mortifying of their lustes, but at length to the vtter confuliō of the enemies, and ioyfull deliuerance of thy people: looke down, we besech thee, on thy dispersed sheepe out of thy holy habitation in heauen, and strengthen our weakenes against their furious rages: abate their pryde: asswage their malice: confound their deuises, wherwith they lift vp thē selues agaynst Christ Jesus thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour, to deface his glory and [Page] set vp Antichrist. We be not able of our selues to thynke a good thought, much lesse to stand against their assaultes, except thy vndeserued grace and mighty arme defend and deliuer vs. Performe thy promises made to Jacob, and stop the mouthes of the cursed Edomites. Call them to repentance whom thou hast appointo saluation, bring home them that runne astray, lighten the blynde, and teache the ignoraunt: forgeue all those that wilfully and obstinately rebel not against thy holy will, let thy feareful threatnings pierce our stony hartes, and make vs tremble at thy iudgemēts.
[Page] Make the examples of them whom thou hast ouerthrowne in their own deuises, as Cain, Cham, Nemrod, Esau, Pharao, Saule, Achitophell, Judas, & such other to be a warning for vs, that we set not vp our selues agaynst thy holy will. Graunt free passage to thy holy worde, that it may worke effectually in vs the worke of lyfe and blessed hope of our saluation, to the eternal praise of thy maiestie, through our mediatour Christ Jesus: to whome with thee and the holy ghost, three persons and one God, be prayse & thanksgeuyng in all congregations world without end. So be it.
¶ A Prayer for the afflicted and persecuted vnder the tyranny of Antichrist.
O Mercifull father, who neuer dost forsake such as put their trust in thee: stretch forth thy mighty arme to the defence of our brethren, by the rage of enemies persecuted and greuously tormented in sundry places for the true profes1ion of thy holy Gospell, who in theyr extreme necessitie cry for comfort vnto thee. Let not thy long suffering O Lorde, be an occasion eyther to encrease the tyranny of thy enemies, or to discourage thy children, but with [Page] speede O Lorde, consider their great miseries and afflictions. Preuent the cruell deuise of Aman: stay the rage of Holophernes: breake of the counsell of Achitophell. Let not y e wicked say: Where is now their God? Let thy afflicted flocke feele present ayde and reliefe from thee O Lord: looke downe vpon them with thy pitifull eye from thy holy habitation: send terrour and trembling among their enemies: make an end of their outragious tyrāny: beate backe their boldnes in suppressing thy truth, in destroying thy true seruantes, in defacing thy glory, & in setting vp Antichrist. Let them not thus [Page] proudly aduaunce them selues agaynst thee and thy Christ, but let them vnderstand and feele that agaynst thee they fight. Preserue and defend the vine which thy right hād hath planted, and let all nations see the glory of thine annointed,
Amen.
¶ A Prayer to be sayd before the receauing of the Communion.
O Father of mercy and God of all consolation, seing all creatures do knowledge and cōfesse thee to be their gouernour & Lord, it becōmeth vs the workmanship [Page] of thine owne handes, at all times to reuerence & magnifie thy godly maiestie: First, for that thou hast created vs to thine owne Image and similitude, but chiefly because thou hast deliuered vs frō that euerlasting death and damnation, into the which Sathan drew mankind by the meanes of sinne: from the bondage wherof neyther man, nor Angell was able to make vs free, but thou (O Lorde) riche in mercy, and infinite in goodnes, hast prouided our redemption to stand in thine onely and welbeloued sonne: whom of very loue, y u didst geue to be made man like vnto vs in all [Page] thinges, sinne excepted, that in hys body he might receaue the punishment of our transgression, by hys death to make satisfaction to thy iustice, and by hys resurrection to destroy him that was author of death, and so to bring againe life to the worlde, from which the whole ofspring of Adam was most iustly exiled.
O Lord, we acknowledge that no creature was able to comprehend the length and breadth, the deepenes and height of that thy most excellent loue which moued thee to shewe mercy where none was deserued, to promise and geue lyfe where death had [Page] gotten victory, to receaue vs into thy grace when we could doe nothing but rebell against thy maiestie. O Lord, y e blind dulnes of our corrupt nature will not suffer vs sufficiently to weigh these thy most ample benefites: yet neuertheles at the commaundement of Jesus Christ our Lorde, we present our selues to thys hys table (which he hath left to be vsed in remembraunce of hys death vntill hys comming agayne) to declare and witnes before the world, that by hym alone we haue receaued libertie and life: that by hym alone thou doest acknowledge vs to bee thy children and heyres: that [Page] by hym alone we haue entrance to y e throne of thy grace: that by him alone we are possessed in our spirituall kingdome, to eate and drinke at his table, with whom we haue our conuersation presently in heauen, and by whom our bodyes shall be raised vp agayne from the duste, and shall bee placed with hym in that endles ioy, which thou (O father of mercy) hast prepared for thine elect before the foundation of the world was layde, And these most inestimable benefites we acknowledge and confesse to haue receaued of thy free mercy and grace, by thine onely beloued sonne Jesus [Page] Christ. For the which therfore we thy congregation, moued by thy holy spirite, render to thee all thankes, praise, and glory, for euer and euer.
¶ A thankesgeuing after the receauiug of the holy Communion.
TOst mercifull father, we render vnto thee all prayse, thankes, honour, & glory, for that it hath pleased thee of thy great mercies, to graunt vs miserable sinners, so excellent a gift and treasure, as to receaue vs into the fellowship & company of thy deare sonne Jesus Christ [Page] our Lord, whom thou hast deliuered to death for vs, & hast geuen hym vnto vs as a necessary foode and nourishment vnto euerlasting lyfe. And now we besech thee also (O heauenly father) to graunt vs thys request, that thou neuer suffer vs to become so vnkind, as to forget so worthy benefites, but rather imprint and fasten them sure in our hartes, that we may grow & encrease dayly more and more in true fayth, which continually is exercised in all maner of good workes: and so much y e rather (O Lord) confirme vs in these perillous dayes and rages of Sathan, that we may constantly [Page] stand and continue in the confession of the same, to the aduauncemēt of thy glory, which art God ouer al things, blessed for euer, So be it.
¶ A Prayer for wisedome to gouerne the Realme.
ALmightie God & King of all Kinges, Lorde of heauē & earth, by whose ordinaunce Princes haue gouernance of mortal mē, wheras the wisest King Salomon plainly confesseth him self vnable to gouerne his kingdome without thy helpe & assistance: how much lesse shall I thy handmaide, being by kinde a [Page] weake womā, haue sufficient abilitie to rule these thy kingdomes of England and Ireland, an innumerable & warlike nation, or how shall I possibly be able to beare the infinite weight of so great a burden, vnlesse thou (O most mercifull father) as thou hast of thine own liberalitie, without my deseruing and agaynst the expectation of many, geuen me a kingdome and made me to reigne, doe also in my reigning endue and helpe me with thy heauenly grace, without which, none, euen the wisest among the childrē of men, can once thinke a right thought. Thou therefore (O endlesse [Page] foūtaine of all wisedome) send downe from thy holy heauen, and frō the soueraigne throne of thy maiestie, thy wisedome, to be euer with me, and alway to assist me, to watch and labour with me in gouerning the common weale: and that it may so teach and instruct me thy hādmaide, that I may discerne betwene good & euill, and betwene right & wronge, that I may euer haue willingnes, boldnes, & power, to geue deserued punishment to y e giltie, louingly to defend the innocent, liberally to cherish the painefull and profitable members of the common weale: finally without regard of persons, [Page] w tout accompt of worldly respectes take in hand, execute, and performe that which I shall know to please thee alone: that when thou y e rightfull iudge that shalt require many & great thynges at their handes to whom many and great thinges are committed, shalt call vs all to a straite reckening, I be not condemned as giltie of euill gouernaunce: but if I thy handmaide, by naturall frailtie, weaknes, and want of cōsideration, shall in any thing haue swarued from the right way, it may please thee of thy great mercy (most soueraigne king and most louing father) for
[Page] Jesus Christ thy sonnes sake, to pardon me, and graunt that after this earthly kingdome expired, I may with thee enioy the heauenly and euerlasting kingdome, through the same Jesus Christ thy sonne, our Lorde and Mediator, to whom with thee and with the holy ghost, the only king of all worldes, immortall, inuisible, & onely wise God, be all honour and glory for euer. ⸫
Domine ne in furore.
O Lorde rebuke me not in thine indignatiō: neither chasten me in thy displeasure.
My soule is also sore troubled: but Lord how long wilt [Page 42] thou punish me?
Turne thee, O Lord, and deliuer my soule, Oh saue me for thy mercies sake.
For in death no man remē breth thee, and who will geue thee thankes in the pit?
I am wery of my groning, euery night wash I my bedde and water my couch w t teares.
My beautie is gone for very trouble, and worne away because of all mine enemies.
Away frō me all that worke vanitie, for the Lorde hath heard the voyce of my weping.
The Lorde hath heard my petition, the Lord will heare my prayer.
All mine enemies shall be [Page 43] confounded & sore vexed: they shall be turned backe and put to shame sodainly.
¶ A prayer taken out of the VI. Psalme.
WE deserue without dout (O almighty God) for our wicked offences and infinite sinnes, to be seuerely chastised of thee: but trustyng to thy great mercy, we most humbly beseeche thee that thou wilte not punishe vs in thy wrath, nor in thy heauye displeasure. We tremble, O our good father, and be in manner astonied with feare, when we call to mynde our owne sinnes and thy righteousnes. Do not therfore, we besech thee, as we haue with our euill deedes [Page 44] deserued, throw vs downe to hell, for there we shall not be able to sing to thy glory, nor to set forth thy prayse. Our enemies do gredily desire to haue it so: but thou, O God, looke backe vpon the teares of them that trust in thee, & make the workers of wickednes to depart from vs. Finally so heare vs, that they all may be ashamed & confounded that are enemies to our safetie and to thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
❧ Beati quorum.
BLessed is he whose vnrighteousnes is forgeuen, and whose sinne is couered.
Blessed is the man vnto whome the Lorde imputeth no sinne, and in whose spirite there is no guile.
For while I helde my tong, my bones consumed awaye, thorough my daily complayning.
[Page 46] For thy hand is heauy vpon me day & night, and my moysture is lyke the droughte in sommer.
I will knowledge my sinne vnto thee, and mine vnrighteousnes haue I not hid.
I sayde, I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord, and so thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne.
For this shall euery one that is godly, make his prayer vnto thee, in a tyme when thou mayst be found: but in y e great water floudes, they shall not come nigh hym.
Thou art a place to hide me in, thou shalt preserue me from [Page 47] trouble, thou shalte compasse me about with songes of deliuerance.
I will enforme thee & teach thee in the way wherein thou shaltgo, and I wil guide thee with mine eye.
Be ye not lyke to horse and mule, which haue no vnderstanding, whose mouths must be holden with bit and bridle, lest they fall vpon thee.
Great plages remayne for the vngodly, but who so putteth his trust in the Lord, mercy embraceth hym on euery syde.
Be glad O ye righteous & reioyce in the Lord, & be ioyful all ye that are true of harte.
¶ A prayer taken out of the XXXII. Psalme.
WE are taught by thee, O our most good and mighty God, that here in standeth the true felicitie of those that be thyne, that their sinnes be forgeuen, couered, and not layd to their charge in thy iudgement. Of the obtaining whereof, if euer there were neede, now it appeareth that we haue greatest neede of it, when the calamities of this present time do set our sinnes before our eyes. For we feele that thy hand waxeth heauy vppon thy church, wherefore we haue thought it best for vs not to cloke our synnes, but to confesse them openly before thee, and we distrust not, that thou of thy great goodnes wilt forth with pardon & forgeue vs our offences.
[Page 49] Wherfore being thine owne, we beseche thee at this tyme, when we doubte not that thou wilte be founde, that thou wilt not suffer thy people to be ouerwhelmed of the vngodly which now abounde like vnto ouerflowing waters. Be thou to vs a place of succour & refuge in these afflictions. Do thou instruct and teach vs the wayes of saluation, and whatsoeuer portion of brutish and vntamed lust remaineth in vs, do thou with the bitte and bridle of thy spirite so subdue and restraine, that we be not for it throwne hedlong into euerlasting destruction. And at length O Lord let the sorrowes and miseries be poured out vpon the enemies of thy glory: but let those that trust in thee be fenced and defended with thy singuler bountifulnes, that they which be zelous louers [Page 50] of thy name and vpright in harte, may reioyce in thee and triumphe with perfect gladnes, through Iesus Christ our Lord.
❧ An other out of the same Psalme.
THey are vndoubtedly blessed (O almighty GOD) to whom of thy mercy thou hast vouchsaued to pardon their sinnes, and not to impute to them but to couer and forgeue all the wickednes and misdoing what so euer it be, that hath heretofore defiled them. We do most certainly know, that it is impossible for vs to obteine so great a benefite, vnlesse we do first onely see our owne [Page 51] euils and bewray them to thee, and poure forth into thy bosome what so euer we haue sinnefully, wickedly, and shamefully committed against thy law. Wherefore we confesse to thee, O our heauenly father, that our vnrighteousnes is most haynous, and that our consciences are most miserably ouerburdened with the weight of our wickednes. Thou therefore with thy mercy do now relieue vs, and whatsoeuer misdoyng and iniquitie remaineth in vs, we besech thee that thou wilt louingly and mercifully wipe it away from vs. Deliuer vs from the miseries hangyng ouer vs, instruct vs with true vnderstanding, and with thy prudent care so gouerne vs, that we do not with euill affections runne out of kinde, and become as most folishe brute beastes: but that being garnished [Page 52] with thy goodnes, we may be cheared with true gladnes and perfect ioy before thee, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
❧ Domine in.
PUt me not to rebuke (O Lord) in thine anger, neyther chasten [Page 53] me in thy heauy displeasure.
For thine arrowes stick fast in me, and thy hand presseth me sore.
There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure, neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sinne.
For my wickednes are gone ouer my head, and are lyke a sore burthen to heauy for me to beare.
My woundes stincke and are corrupt through my folishnes.
I am brought into so great trouble and misery, that I go mourning all the day long.
For my loines are filled with a sore disease, and there is no [Page 54] whole part in my body.
I am feble and sore smitten I haue rored for the very disquietnes of my hart.
Lord thou knowest all my desire, and my groning is not hid from thee.
My hart panteth, my strēgth hath failed me, and the lyght of mine eyes is gone from me.
My louers and my neighbours did stand looking vpon my trouble, and my kinsmen stoode a farre of.
They also that sought after my life laid snares for me, and they that wente about to doo me euill, talked of wickednes, and imagined deceipt all the day long.
[Page 55] As for me, I was like a deafe man and heard not, & as one that is dombe, which doth not open his mouth.
I became euen as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofes.
For in thee O Lorde, haue I put my trust: thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God.
I haue required that they (euen myne enemies) should not triumph ouer me, for whē my foote slipte, they reioyced greatly against me.
And I truely am set in the plague, and my heauines is euer in my sight.
For I wil consider my wickednes, and bee sory for my [Page 56] sinne.
But mine enemies liue and are mighty, & they that hate me wrongfully are many in number.
They also that reward euil for good are agaynst me, because I know the thyng that is good.
Forsake me not (O Lord my God:) be not thou far fro me. Hast thee to helpe me O lord (God) my saluation.
A prayer taken out of the XXXVIII. Psalme.
REbuke and chastice vs (O Lord) as children, but withdrawe thy wrath and heauy hand [Page 57] from our present distresses. For we feele thy hande and the daungers wherin we be: we perceyue them to be past the cure of mans remedy, which happeneth vnto vs not vnworthely for our deseruing. For sinnes and wickednesses haue euery way ouerwhelmed vs, wherwith we are ouerburdened and pressed downe farre more then we be able to beare. Hereof commeth our sorow and that we be in maner fainted with griefefulnes of harte. We see our neighbours and frendes estranged from vs, our enemies to lay snares for vs, and to attempt all the wayes to our destruction. Thou therefore (O God) for thy great mercy, first reconcile vs to thy selfe, in pardonyng all those thinges that we haue most wickedly committed against thee, and thē make hast to helpe vs. We loke for [Page 58] no other refuge but thee, whose wont it is to be at hand to succour them that call vppon thee, & to satisfie their petitions. Thou art not ignoraunt how, while we are thus shakē with aduersities, antichristes do triumphe against vs, and they daily increase in strength & number that do wrongfully hate vs. Wherefore we beseche thee, good father, forsake vs not in so great afflictions, sith thou art our onely safety, make hast (we pray thee) to helpe thy church, and to succor her now beyng in extremest perill, for Iesus Christes his sake.
Amen.
Miserere mei deus.
HAue mercy vppon me, O God, after thy great goodnes accordyng vnto y e multitude of thy [Page 60] mercies, do away myne offences.
Washe me throughly from my wickednes, and cleanse me from my sinne.
For I knowledge my faultes, & my sinne is euer before me.
Against thee onely haue I sinned, and done this euill in thy sight, that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying, and cleare when thou art indged.
Beholde, I was shapen in wickednes, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me.
But lo, thou requirest truth in the inwarde partes, & shalt make me to vnderstande wisdome secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with [Page 61] Jsope, and I shall be cleane, thou shalte washe me, and I shall be whiter then snow.
Thou shalt make me heare ioy and gladnes, that y e bones whiche thou hast broken may reioyce.
Turne thy face from my sinnes, and blotte out all my misdeedes.
Make me a cleane hart (O God,) and renue a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirite from me.
O geue me the comforte of thy helpe againe, and stablish me with thy free spirite.
Then shall I teache thy [Page 62] wayes vnto the wycked, and sinners shall he conuerted vnto thee.
Deliuer me from bloudgiltines O god, thou that art the God of my health, & my tonge shall sing of thy righteousnes.
Thou shalt open my lippes O Lord, and my mouthe shall shew thy prayse.
For thou desirest no sacrifice, els would I geue it thee, but thou delightst not in burnt offringes.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirite, a broken and contrite hart O god shalt thou not despise.
O be fauourable and gratious vnto Sion: builde thou [Page 63] the walles of Jerusalem.
Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of rightousnes, with the burnt offringes and oblations, then shall they offer young bullockes vppon thine aulter.
A prayer taken out of the LI. Psalme.
WE do with one whole consent and with harty prayers craue of thy mercy (O almightye God) that we maye be cleansed, washed, and wyped from our wickednesses, sinnes and offences. We acknowledge and confesse how we haue heretofore done euil in thy sight, but our sinnes shal [Page 64] neuer be able to make thee vniust or vnfaithfull. We do well vnderstande that we deserue not, that thou shouldest performe to vs the noble and most honorable promises that thou hast made vs, but herein we haue neede to be relieued, and our case to be supplied with thy truthe and constancie. Thou seest how we are borne into the world, corrupt and defiled euen from our birth, which were also before our birth conceyued in wickednes. Cleanse therfore our soules, and vouchsaue to beautifie them with that cleannes that is pleasaunt in thy sight. Geue vs a pure hart, & a spirit vpright, holy, and couragiously well disposed, that we may not be cast away from thee as vngodly persons, but may receyue true ioyes and perfect gladnes. If thou shalt haue deliuered [Page 65] vs from sinnes whiche do accuse vs as guilty of eternall death, then shall our lippes be opened to prayse thee with cherefulnes. Graunt we beseche thee that we may come to thee with the sacrifice wherwith thou art principally debated, that is, of a broken spirite, an abaced and humbled courage. There both our present sorowes shal be eased, and thou shalt be pleased with the prayses wherwith we shall magnify thy name. Shew forth thy good will to Zion, that is, to thy church. Thou seest in how great daunger she is tossed, she is oppressed both within and without. We beseche thee deliuer her not onely from outward enemies, but also inwardly so reforme and renew her, that she may be accōpted worthy of thee her spouse, through Iesus Christ our lord Amē
¶ A prayer taken out of the same Psalme.
WE acknowledge (O Almighty God) wyth how daungerous spotte of sinnes we haue defiled our soules, which beyng most greuous and sorrowfull vnto vs, and we not able with our owne power nor by any kinde of good workes to washe away the same spottes, this onely refuge is left vs, to flie vnto thee the fountaine of mercy that it may please thee to haue pitie vpon vs, to washe away our iniquities to blot out our sinnes and cleanse the corruptions wherunto we are from our birth and conception subiect. For when thou shalt haue freely & liberally pardoned the offences and misdoinges wher with we are loden, then shalt thou appeare most true, faithful & constant [Page 67] in thy promises. Vouchsaue to sprinckle vs with the bloude of of thine onely sonne, by which alone our body and soule may be restored to perfect and healthfull gladnes. We craue to haue a new hart created in our bodies, and to haue a principall spirite geuen vs, wherby, not as by constraint, but earnestly, hartily, and willingly we may offer to thee the sacrifice of an afflicted and abased courage, which thou art wont neuer to despise. Finally that so beyng made cleane and purified, by thy fauour and mercy, we may alway offer to thee sacrifices of prayse, through Iesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
❧ Domine exaudi.
HEare my prayer (O Lord) and let my cry come in vnto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the tyme of trouble, encline thyne eares vnto me when I call, O heare me and that right soone.
For my dayes are consumed away like smoke, & my bones [Page 69] are brent vp as with a firebrand.
My hart is smitten downe and withered like grasse: so that I forget to eat my bread.
For the voice of my groning my bones will scant cleaue to my flesh.
I am become lyke a Pellicane in the wildernes, & lyke an Owle that is in the desert.
I haue watched and am euen as a sparrow that sitteth alone vpon the house top.
Mine enemies reuile me all the day long, and they that are mad vpon me, are sworne together against me.
For I haue eaten ashes as it were breade, and mingled [Page 70] my teares with weping.
And that because of thyne indignation and wrath, for thou hast taken me vp and cast me downe.
My dayes are gone lyke a shadow, and I am withered like grasse.
But thou (O Lorde) shalt endure for euer, and thy remembraunce throughout all generations.
Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vppon Sion, for it is tyme that thou haue mercy vpon her, yea, the tyme is come.
And why: thy seruauntes thinke vppon her stones, and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.
[Page 71] The heathen shall feare thy name (O Lorde,) and all the kinges of the earth thy maiestie.
When the Lord shall build vp Sion, and when his glory shall appeare.
When he turneth him vnto the prayer of the poore destitute, and despiseth not theyr desire.
This shall be written for those that come after, and the people whiche shall be borne, shall prayse the Lord.
For he hath looked downe from his sanctuary, out of the heauen did the Lord beholde the earth.
That he might heare the [Page 72] mourninges of suche as be in captiuitie, and deliuer the children appointed vnto death.
That they may declare the name of the lord in Sion: and his worship at Jerusalem.
When the people are gathered together, and the kyngdomes also to serue the Lord.
He broughte downe my strength to my iourney, and shortned my dayes.
But I said, O my God take me not away in the middest of myne age, as for thy yeares they endure throughout all generations.
Thou Lord in the beginning hast layde the foundations of the earth, and the heauens [Page 73] are the workes of thy handes.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: they shal all wax olde, as doth a garment.
And as a vesture shalt thou chaunge them, and they shall be chaunged: but thou art the same, and thy yeares shall not faile.
The children of thy seruants shall continue: and their seede shall stand fast in thy sight.
A prayer taken out of the CII. Psalme.
OF our selues (O almighty God) we are vnwoorthy that our prayers shoulde haue accesse vnto thee, [Page 74] forasmuch as we haue daily broken thy law and commaundemēts and haue liued not accordyng to thy gospell and our vocation. But thou of thy mercifulnes, hide not away thy face from our prayers & supplications. For we are greuously vexed and assaulted with great perils. Wherfore bow down thine eare vnto vs, and spedily graunt fauour to vs that call vppon thee. First we craue to be releued of our sinnes and offences, that our feble hart may be strengthened in thy way, and that thou do moisten the consumed strength of our soule with thy holy spirite, that we may liue to thee, and being restored & renewed, we may make thy name and thy gospell to be well reported. Then we pray thee to turne thy force and power against those that slaunder and blaspheme the [Page 75] name of thy sonne and his holy doctrine. Haue mercy now we beseche thee, on Zion, that is, thy churche, for now it seemes to be tyme that thou shew her thy fauour. Looke downe we pray thee, from thy hie habitation, and behold our calamities. Heare the groning of those that be bound, beaten, and in maruelous wise tormē ted for thy names sake. Saue thy sheepe out of so great daungers, which are not onely put to death, but also cursedly threatened with extreme damnation by Antichrist that yet at length thy childrē may liue with rest and quietnes in thy presence, through Iesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
¶ An other out of the same Psalme.
[Page 76] OAlmighty father, the company of the faithfull craueth thy helpe, which is cruelly oppressed wyth the tiranny of sinne, so as the oily moisture of godlines is almost dried vp in them, their mouth is stopped that it cannot syng thy prayses, and there is in a maner in the whole body no one member, that doth his duetie to relieue an other. Wherfore thou that art alwayes one, rise vp to succour vs, for now we thinke it tyme for thee to helpe thy afflicted church. This if we shall obtaine, we doubt not that the feare of thy name & true godlines shall be largely spread abroad. For if thou shalt rescue the people from so greuous miseries, thou shalt make men know that thy truth endureth alway cōstant and vnremoued, which euer remaneth [Page 77] one toward thine elect, how so euer heauen and earth be tossed with chaunges, and shaken til they perishe. By this thy truth, not of our owne strengthes and deseruinges, but by thy louing and mercifull working, we pray to be saued and restored, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
❧ Deprofundis cla.
OUt of the depe haue I called vnto thee (O Lord:) Lord heare my voyce.
[Page 78] O let thine eares consider wel: the voyce of my cōplaint.
If thou Lorde wilt be extreme & marke what is done amisse: oh Lord who may abyde it?
For there is mercy with thee therfore shalt thou be feared.
I looke for the Lorde, my soule doth wait for him: in his word is my trust.
My soule flyeth vnto the Lorde: before the mornyng watch (I say) before the morning watch.
O Israell trust in the Lord for with the lord there is mercy: and with him is plenteous redemption.
And he shall redeme Israel [Page 79] from all his sinnes.
¶ A prayer taken out of the same Psalme.
THou art oft wont (O almighty God) greuously to afflict thy faythfull people, that thereby they may retourne to thee with feruent and perfect repentaunce, whereof nowe in thy churche we haue experience, in these most troublesome times. For we that heretofore haue infinite wayes bene vnthankfull to thee, & haue daily broken thy law, are oftentimes so vexed with the fiercenes of the diuell and his seruantes that we are constrained to cry to thee out of the most depe pitte of our miseries, & to pray thee that thou wilt not so seuerely punishe [Page 80] our sinnes. If thou (O God) be determined to marke and punish our iniquities according to their deseruinges, which of vs shall be so cleane and holy, that he shall be able to stand before thy righteousnes. But sith we knowe that thou art full of exceding mercy, we do both morning & euening loke vp for thy helpe. Although therefore our offences be many, yet it may please thee of thy most plentifull goodnes and mercy to succour vs, that beyng deliuered from these instant perils, and from the miseries that oppresse vs, we may both beleue and report that with thee alone is true redemption, through Iesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
An other prayer taken out of the same psalme.
[Page 81] FOrasmuch as (O almighty God) we are continually tossed in the depe sea of temptations▪ and are not able of our selues to withstand them, we do for our great necessitie beseche thee mercifully to relieue vs. For if thou beyng iudge and examiner of all our doynges, shalt narrowly marke all our offences against thee, and rigorously punish them, who shall be able to stand before thy throne? Wherefore sithe there is with thee great and infinite clemency, as our only trust is therin, so we beseche thee that our iniquities may therby be redeemed. With this onely confidence we are daily & hourely nourished, and do trust that thou wilt neuer forget the true Israell, that is, thy church. Graunt therfore we pray thee that we may obtayne of [Page] thee pardon of our sinnes as the true and perfect fruite of this affiaunce, thorough Iesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
❧ Domine exaudi.
HEare my praier O lord and consider my desire hearken vnto me, for thy truth & righteousnes sake.
And enter not into iudgement [Page] with thy seruaunt: for in thy sight shall no man liuyng be iustified.
For the enemy hath persecuted my soule, he hath smiten my life downe to the ground: he hath layd me in the darkenes, as the men that haue bene long dead.
Therfore is my spirit vexed within me, and my hart with in me is desolate.
Yet doo I remember the tyme past, I muse vppon all thy workes, yea, I exercise my selfe in the workes of thy handes.
I stretch forth my handes vnto thee, my soule gaspeth vnto thee as a thirstie land.
[Page 84] Heare me (O Lord) and that soone, for my spirite waxeth faint, hide not thy face frō me least I be like vnto them that go downe into the pit.
O let me heare thy louyng kindnes betymes in the mornyng, for in thee is my trust, shew thou me the way that I should walke in, for I lift vp my soule vnto thee.
Deliuer me (O Lord) from mine enemies, for I flie vnto thee to hide me.
Teache me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my god, let thy louyng spirite lead me forth into the land of righteousnes.
Quicken me O Lorde, for [Page 85] thy names sake, and for thy righteousnesse sake bryng my soule vnto thee.
And of thy goodnes slea myne enemies, and destroy all them that vexe my soule, for I am thy seruaunt.
¶ A prayer taken out of the 143. Psalme.
WE do earnestly desire (O lord God) that thou wilt encline to our common petitions, and for thy truth and mercies sake heare the prayers that we poure out before thee. And we deny not that the sinnes wherwith we haue greuously offēded thee, do not so deserue. But if thou wouldest deale with vs by extremitie of thy law & iudgement, [Page 86] and dryue vs to seuere trial, forasmuch as no mortall man, yea no creature, be the same neuer so pure and holy, were able to abide it, we also without doubte must nedes be condemned and not able to stand before thy iudgemēt seat in thy presence. It may therefore please thee with thine accustomed clemency and pity to behold how vehemently our ennemy pursueth our soules, wherby we are so vexed and ouercome, that our case semeth litle to differ from the estate of the dead, so sore is our spirit accombred within vs, and our harte astonied. Yet do we wel remember of thy former and auncient mercy wherby thou art wont wondrously to succour thine elect whē theyr cases are most dispaired. Wherefore now we doo not onely lift vp our handes, but also with all our [Page 87] hartes we crye to thee that thou wilt deliuer thy church frō thyne enemies, and so gouerne vs wyth thy good spirit, that hereafter we may accordyng to thy wil & good pleasure faithfully do those things that are vpright and holy, beyng brought out of this distresse, & reuiued by thy strengthe and helpe through Iesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
¶ An other out of the same Psalme.
SO great O Lorde, is our wante of righteousnesse, that all such as are well in structed with thy spirite, do well know how vnable we are to stande before thy iudgement. Therfore when we wey our deseruinges, [Page 88] our spirite fayleth, and our harte is amased. But by and by we turne to thy mercy, and do confesse that our vnrighteousnesse commeth not of our self, but is thy worke. Vpholden and encouraged with thee, we flie to thy fauour in our perils of this lyfe. For vnlesse thou doo helpe vs, we plainly see our saluation past recouerie. Shew vs the way wherein we may safely go, and teach vs the manner how to performe thy wyll, and with thy holy spirit that procedeth from thee, gouerne all our doings & thoughts, through Iesus Christ our lord, Amen. *§§*
❧ Here beginneth the Letany and Suffrages.
O God the father of heauen, haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners.
O God the father of hea. &c.
O God the sonne redemer of the world, haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners.
O God the sonne redemer of. &c.
O God the holy Ghost proceding from the father and the sonne: haue mercy vpō vs miserable sinners.
O God the holy Ghost proceding. &c.
O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, thre persons and one [Page] God: haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners.
O holy, blessed, and glorious. &c.
Remember not Lord our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neyther take thou vengeance of our sins. Spare vs good Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redemed with thy most precious bloud, and be not angry with vs for euer.
Spare vs good Lord.
From all euill and mischiefe, from sinne, from the craftes and assaultes of the deuill, frō thy wrath, and from euerlasting damnation.
[Page] Good Lord deliuer vs.
From all blindnes of hart, frō pride, vayne glory and hipocrisy, from enuy, hatred, and malice, & all vncharitablenes.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
From fornicatiō and all other deadly sinne, and from all the deceites of the world, the flesh and the Deuill.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
From lightninges and tempestes, from plague, pestilence and famine, from battaile and murder, & from sodaine death.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
From all sedition and priuie [Page] conspiracie, from all false doctrine and heresy, frō all hardnes of hart, and contempt of thy word & commaundement.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
By the mistery of thy holy incarnation, by thy holy Natiuitie and circumcision, by thy Baptisme fasting and temptation.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
By thyne agony and bloudy sweat, by thy crosse and passion, by thy precious death and buriall, by thy glorious resurrection and ascension, and by the comming of y e holy Ghost.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
[Page] In al time of our tribulation, in all tyme of our wealth, in the houre of death, and in the day of iudgement.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
Me sinners do beseche thee to heare vs O Lorde God, and that it may please thee to rule and gouerne thy holy Church vniuersally in the right way.
We beseech thee to heare vs good Lord.
That it may please thee to keepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee, in righteousnes and holynes of life, thy seruant Elizabeth our most gracious Queene and [Page] gouernour.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee, to rule her hart in thy faith, feare and loue, & that she may euermore haue affiaunce in thee, and euer seeke thy honor and glory.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to be her defender and keeper, geuing her the victory ouer all her enemyes.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee, to illuminate all Bishoppes, Pastoures and ministers of the Church, wyth true knowledge [Page] & vnderstanding of thy word: and that both by their preachyng and lyuyng they may set it forth and shew it accordingly.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to indue the Lordes of the Counsell, and all the nobility, with grace, wisdome, and vnderstanding.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee, to blesse and keepe the Maiestrates, geuing them grace to execute iustice and to mayntayne truth.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
[Page] That it may please thee to blesse and keepe all thy people.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to geue to al nations vnity peace and concord.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to geue all thy people encrease of grace, to heare meekely thy worde, and to receiue it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruites of the spirit.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth, all such as haue erred and are deceaued.
[Page] We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to strenghthen such as do stand, and to comfort and helpe the weake harted, and to rayse vp them that fall, and finally to beate downe Sathan vnder our feete.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to succour, helpe, and comfort all that be in daunger, necessitie, and tribulation.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to preserue all that trauell by land or by water, all women labouring with childe, al sicke [Page] persons and yong children, and to shew thy pitie vpon all prisoners and captiues.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to defend and prouide for y e fatherles children and widowes, and all that be desolate and oppressed.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to haue mercy vpon all men.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to forgeue our enemyes, persecutors and slaunderers, and to turne their hartes.
[Page] We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to geue and preserue to our vse, the kindly fruites of the earth, so as in due tyme we may enioy them.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
That it may please thee to geue vs true repentance, to forgeue vs al our sinnes, negligēces and ignorances, and to endue vs with the grace of thy holy spirite, to amend our liues according to thy holy worde.
We beseech thee to heare vs. &c.
¶ Sonne of God, we beseche thee to heare vs.
[Page] Sonne of God we beseech thee to heare vs.
O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world.
Graunt vs thy peace.
O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world.
Haue mercy vpon vs.
O Christ heare vs.
O Christ heare vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Christ haue mercy vpon vs.
Christ haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
[Page] ¶ Our father which art. &c.
And lead vs not into tēptatiō: But deliuer vs from euill. Amen.
¶ The virsicle.
O Lord deale not with vs after our sinnes.
Aunswere. Neither reward vs after our iniquities.
Let vs pray.
O God, mercifull father, that dispisest not the sighing of a contrite hart, nor the desire of such as be sorowfull, mercfully assist our prayers that we make before thee in al our troubles & aduersities whensoeuer they oppresse vs: and gratiously [Page] heare vs, y t those euils which the craft and subtiltie of y e Deuil or mā worketh agaynst vs may be brought to nought, & by the prouidence of thy goodnes they may be dispersed, that we thy seruauntes beyng hurt by no persecutions, may euermore geue thankes vnto thee in thy holy Church, thorough Jesu Christ our Lord.
O Lord arise helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy names sake.
O God, we haue heard wyth our eares & our Fathers haue declared vnto vs the noble workes y t thou didest in theyr dayes, and in the olde time before them.
[Page] O Lord arise, helpe vs, and deliuer vs for thy honour.
Glory be to the father, and to the sonne, and to y e holy Ghost: as it was in the beginning, is now. &c. Amen.
From our enemies defend vs, O Christ.
Gratiously looke vpon our afllictions.
Pitifully behold the sorrowes of our hartes.
Mercifully forgeue the sinnes of thy people.
Fauorably with mercy heare our prayers.
O Sonne of Dauid, haue mercy vpon vs.
Both now and euer vouchsafe [Page] to heare vs O Christ.
Gratiously heare vs O Christ, gratiously heare vs O Lord Christ.
O Lord let thy mercy be sheshed vpon vs.
As we do put our trust in thee.
Let vs pray.
WE humbly besech thee, O father mercifully to looke vpon our infirmities, and for the glory of thy names sake, turne from vs all those euils that we most righteously haue deserued: and graunt that in al our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and euermore serue thee in holines [Page] and purenes of liuing to thy honor and glory, through our onely mediatour and aduocate Jesus Christ our lord, Amen.
A prayer for the Queenes Maiestie.
O Lord our heauenly father, high and mighty, king of kings, Lord of Lords, the only ruler of Princes which doest frō thy throne behold all the dwellers vpon the earth: most hartely we besech thee with thy fauour to beholde our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth, & so replenish her with the grace of thy holy spirite, [Page] that she may alway incline to thy will, & walke in thy way. Indue her plentifully with heauenly giftes. Graunt her in health and wealth long to liue. Strēgthen her y t she may vanquishe and ouercome all her enemies, and finally after thys life, she may attaine euerlasting ioy & felicitie, through Christ our Lord,
Amen.
In the tyme of any common plague or sicknes.
O Almighty God, which in thy wrath in y e tyme of king Dauid diddest slea with the plague of pestilence, three score and ten thousand, [Page] and yet remembring thy mercy, diddest saue the rest: haue pitie vpon vs miserable sinners, that now are visited with great sicknes and mortalitie, that like as thou diddest then commaunde thyne Aungell to cease from punishing: So it may please thee to withdraw frō vs this plague and greuous sicknes through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
A prayer of Chrisostome.
ALmighty God which hast geuen vs grace at this tyme with one accorde to make our common supplications vnto thee, and doost promise, that when two [Page] or three be gathered together in thy name thou wilt graunt theyr requestes: fulfil now (O Lord) the desires and petitions of thy seruauntes, as may be most expedient for them, graunting vs in this worlde knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life euerlasting,
Amen.
¶ In time of sicknes.
MOst mercifull redemer, thou art alwais merciful, who art alwaies the Sauiour, whether y u doest send health or sicknes, wealth or aduersitie, [Page] ioy or sorow. For it is of great mercy whē by outward afflictions (as it were by bitter, but yet wholsome medicines) thou doest heale y e inward diseases of the soule: and by temporarie troubles, which do last but for a short time, doest prepare vs to eternall ioyes which endure for euer. And thy self, O gratious Sauiour, passing into thy glory through the greatest afflictions of thys worlde hast trodē out vnto vs by thy steps, that way to true and perfect felicitie, in the which no humble and true seruant ought eyther to disdaine or to shrincke, to followe after hys Lord and Master so going before hym. [Page] But for so much as without thee we can doe nothyng that good is, I besech thee to endue me with thy heauenly grace, that I may take vp willingly & obediently thys crosse which thou hast appoynted vnto me, and folow after thee: and that I may drinke of, as it were this medicinable cup, though bitter vnto y e flesh, which thou the heauenly phisitian doest thus offer vnto me, patiently without grndging or murmuring agaynst thee: and that I may with thy faithfull seruant Job and with vnfayned lips and hart, say: the Lord hath geuen, the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the [Page] Lorde, so is it come to passe: blessed be the name of y e Lord. For if I haue receiued gladly, youth, health, riches, honour, and ioy, at thy handes O lord, why should I refuse patiently to take age, sicknes, aduersitie, and sorrowe at thy handes also? These thinges be in dede very greuous vnto fraile nature and fleshe: but thou my Lorde, though most perfectly innocent, infinitely hast suffered more greuous thinges for me, and I haue deserued infinitely more greuous thinges, who haue so oft deserued hell. But yet thou knowest the frailtie of our humane condition and nature. Wherefore I [Page] besech thee, as thou pourest sharpe wine into our woūdes to bite away the corruption of our sinnes, so after the example of the mercifull Samaritane set forth in thy holy Gospell, to resemble thy selfe, adde vnto the sharpe wyne of thy correction, the suppling oyle of thy mercifull comfort, wherby I may be able to suffer things, which otherwise are intolerable vnto me. And if it bee thy pleasure to encrease sorow vpon me, encrease also thy grace and gift of patience in me, and turne these worldly and bodily afflictions to the profite of my soule, by mine acknowledging of thy iustice in punishing [Page] me worthely, and thy mercy in correcting me graciously, euen like as a father hath pitie vpon hys children whē he beateth them, and by my submitting of my owne will vnto thy holy will, & patiently taking of this thy prouing and trying of me, whether I loue thee or no, may offer that sacrifice of obedience which is acceptable vnto thee. And when thy fatherly pietie shall be contented with thy meeke chastising of me, then I besech thee send calme after thys tempest, quietnes after thys trouble, and ioy after thys sorrow: that I may render thākes vnto thee for double causes, both that [Page] thou hast first corrected and amended me an vnprofitable seruaunt, and afterward hast taken away the bitternes of affliction with the softnes of thy comfort, in the one hauing regard of necessitie, in y e other not forgetting my infirmitie, and in both as in all thinges alwaies remembring thy mercy: vnto the which I doe commend and betake my self both body and soule, now and for euer. Vnto thee with the father and the holy ghost, one God of most excellent maiestie, be all prayse, honour, and thankesgeuing, for euer and euer, Amē.
¶ An other in sicknes.
ALmightie God and most mercifull father, who doest correct all those whō thou doest receaue, bringing euen vnto the very gates of death, and yet reducing backe againe: I besech thee that as thou hast with thy sharpe visitation and greuous sicknes already corrected me thy disobedient seruaunt, so thou wilt also after thys thy fatherly correction, mercifully relieue and restore me if it may so stand with thy gratious goodnes, euen as thy beloued sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ vppon earnest sute and [Page] prayer (as in hys holy Gospell is mentioned) relieued, and restored vnto health the rulers sonne, being in extreme sicknes and at the very poynt of death: which my most humble sute I likewise entirely make vnto thee most mercifull father, in the name of y e same thy dearlybeloued sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ, who liueth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost world without end,
Amen.
¶ In time of sicknes.
O Most mightie & most mercifull Sauior Jesu Christ, y e onely sonne [Page] of the liuing God, who being here vpon the earth amongest mortall men, by the healing of all diseases, and pardoning of the sinnes of such as put theyr trust in thee, diddest declare vnto the world that thou art that onely heauenly and perfect Physition, as well of our soules as of our bodyes: and when such as trusted in theyr owne righteousnes did lay it to thy charge as a fault, that thou diddest keepe company with sinners, thou diddest expressely testifie, that not such as were in health, but such as were sicke had nede of y e Physitian. Beholde O heauenly Physitian, here in me a matter [Page] most worthy of thy diuine cure, most meete to shew both thy power and mercy vppon. Behold a person sore oppressed both with the sickenes of my soule and body. Beholde me thy handmaiden vpon whom from my tender yeares vnto thys day, thou hast heaped so great & so many, and almost infinite benefites of thy gratious goodnes, whom being borne of a king and Queene, thou hast not onely endued with giftes of grace, meete for a kingdome, but also hast deliuered me from many & great daungers, out of the handes of my enemies, & from y e snares of death which they had set [Page] for my life, hast exalted me vnto the dignitie of a Queene, and placed me in the high estate of honour amongest mortall persons, and that not through any my deseruyng, but onely of thy free goodnes and mere liberalitie. But now O Lord, either lest too much worldly prosperitie should cary my minde astray and cause me to forget my selfe and my boūden dutie towardes thee, or els for that I being by thee made a Queene ouer thy people, haue neuer as I ought to doe from my hart acknowledged and confessed my self to be the subiecte and handmaiden of thy Maiestie, neither behaued [Page] my selfe towardes thee accordingly, as became thy bond maiden, neither being thankfull towardes thee, as my most gratious Sauiour, nor obedient vnto thee, as my most dreadfull Lord, or els for other causes vnto thy diuine wisedome best knowen: now I say, eyther wholesomly to admonish, or most iustly to punishe thy disobedient seruant, and so gratiously to correcte and amend me, thou hast stricken me with a greuous sicknes of my body, and very daū gerous vnto my life, and also troubled & abashed my minde with terrours and anguishes of my soule: and withall thou [Page] hast by my daunger sore flighted and amased thy people of England, whose safetie & quietnes next after thee, seemeth to stay vppon me aboue all other worldly creatures, and vpon my life and continuance amongest them. Wherfore as well I as thy people cōmitted▪ vnto me, bowing the knees of our hartes before thy maiestie, do hūbly besech thee most gratious Sauiour, in thy iudgement to remember thy mercy, and according to thy accustomed goodnes, to deliuer me thy handmaiden from thys present perill of daungerous sicknes. And first O heauenly Physitian, I besech thee heale [Page] my soule, pardoning my vnkindnes towardes thee, forgeuing my forgetfulnes of thee and of my selfe, & vtterly blotting out and putting cleane away all other my sinnes committed agaynst thy Maiestie. Heale my minde, reforming and instructing me with thy heauenly grace, that I may take thys sicknes, which thou hast most iustly punished me withall, contentedly and paciently, as a bitter, but wholesome medicine of all y e diseases of my minde offered vnto me by thee, as it were by y e handes of the best Physician. And withall heale my body also making it sound and pure frō [Page] all infirmities, & remnantes of sicknes, y t I may be throughly cured by the hauing of a whole minde in a whole body: and that I hauing obteyned perfect health of both by thy only benefite, not onely my self, but also all thy people of England with me may both be taught by the perill past, hereafter to geue due reuerence and obedience vnto thy maiestie, and for the deliuerie from so great a daunger, and benefite of perfect health, may magnifie thy goodnes and mercy with perpetuall prayses and continuall thankesgeuing: who with thy heauenly father, and the holy Ghost are one immortall and [Page] most glorious God, to whom belongeth all Empyre, power, and maiestie worlde without end.
Amen.
¶ A Prayer to be sayd after sicknes or any other kinde of crosse or affliction.
ALmightie & most mercifull father, I thy poore creature & worke of thyne handes acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my manifolde sinnes and offences, which I frō my youth vp vnto thys day haue cōmitted agaynst thee in thought, [Page] word, and deede, & am taught and moued by thy worde and grace to be hartely sory for the same, beseching thee for Jesus Christ thy deare sonnes sake, to haue mercy vpon me, and to forgeue me all these myne offences, according to thy great mercy and promise, which hast sayd: At what time so euer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne frō the bottome of hys hart, I will put all hys wickednes out of my remembraunce. Ezech. xviij.
O Lord, I confesse that I was borne in sinne, and conceaued in wickednes, and am by nature a childe of wrath: for in my fleshe dwelleth no good thyng, and of my selfe I [Page] am not able to thinke a good thought, much lesse to do that thou in thy lawe requirest of me, which hast sayd: Cursed is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the lawe, to doe them. Again, thy law is spirituall, but I am carnall, sold vnder sinne. Therfore O Lorde, I come vnto thee for grace, (which hast sayd: Aske & ye shall haue, seeke and ye shall finde, knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you) to preuent and draw my will vnto all goodnes: for none can come vnto thee except he bee drawen: and except we bee borne from aboue we can not see the kingdome of God.
Therfore O Lorde renue in [Page] me a right spirite, that I may receaue strength and ablenes to do thy righteous will. Assist me with thy grace, that I may be strengthened with power in the inward man, and be armed with thy holy armour, which is the brestplate of righteousnes, the shield of fayth, the hope of saluation for an helmet, and the sworde of the spirit, which is thy holy word, that I may stand perfect in all that is thy will, and bee found worthy through Christ, to receaue the crowne of life which thou hast promised to all them that loue thee.
Graunt that I may euer desire & will that which is most [Page] pleasing and acceptable to thy will.
Thy will be my will, & my will be alwayes to follow thy will.
Let there be euer in me one will and one desire with thee, and let me neuer desire to will or not to will, but as y u wilt.
Graunt me that aboue all things I may rest in thee, and fully quiet and pacifie my hart in thee: for thou Lord art the true peace of the hart, and perfect rest of the soule.
Thou knowest Lord what is most profitable and expedient for me: wherfore do with me in all thynges as it shall seeme best vnto thee: for it [Page] may not be but well that thou doest, which doest most iustly and blessedly dispose all things after thy most godly wisdome.
Graunt vnto me O Lorde, that I may esteeme all things in this world as they be, transitory and soone vanishing away, & my self also with them, drawing towardes my end: for nothing vnder the Sunne may long abide, but all is vanitie and affliction of spirite.
O Lorde God which art sweetenes vnspeakable, turne in to bitternes to me all transitory and earthly delightes which may draw me from the loue of eternall thinges.
Blessed are they that for the [Page] loue of thee set not by the pleasures of thys world, but crucifie the fleshe & the lustes therof, so that in a cleane and pure conscience they may offer their prayers vnto thee and be accepted to haue company with thee and thy blessed Angels.
O euerlasting light, send down y e beames of thy brightnes, and lighten the inward partes of my hart.
Open my hart that I may beholde thy lawes, and teach me to walke in thy commaundementes.
Beholde my weaknes (O Lorde) and consider my frailnes best knowen vnto thee.
I couet to cleaue fast to heauenly [Page] thinges, but worldly affections and tentatiōs plucke me backe: they dayly rebell and suffer not my soule to liue in rest.
Which although they draw me not alway to consent, yet neuertheles their assaultes be very greuous vnto me.
Oh what a life may this be called, where no trouble nor misery lacketh? where euery place is full of snares of mortall enemies?
For one trouble or temptation ouer passed, an other cō meth by and by, and the fyrst conflict yet during, a new battaile sodeinly ariseth.
Tedious it is to me to liue [Page] in such battell: but I perceaue such conflictes are not vnprofitable for me, whilest I know my selfe and mine infirmities the better, and am therby compelled to seke helpe at thy hād.
It is good for me O Lord, that thou hast thus exercised and humbled me, that I may learne to dread thy secrete and terrible iudgementes, which scourgest euery child that thou receauest, which woūdest and healest, which bringest downe to the gates of hell, & bringest backe againe.
I yelde thee thankes therefore that thou hast not spared my sinnes, but hast punished me with scourges of loue, and [Page] hast sent affliction & anguishe within and without.
Of grace and fauour it is, O Lord, that thou sufferest thy seruauntes to be troubled and afflicted in this world, because they should not be condemned with the world.
Thou wouldest that they should here be broken with affliction, that they may after rise in a new light and be clarified and made glorious in thy kingdome.
Oh holy father thou hast ordained it so to be, & it is done as thou hast appoynted.
Wherefore O Lorde, geue me the grace to rest in thee aboue all thinges, and to quiet [Page] my hart in thee aboue all creatures, aboue all glory and honour, aboue all dignitie and power, aboue all health and beautie, aboue all riches and treasure, aboue all ioye & pleasure, aboue all fame and praise, aboue all mirth and consolation that mans hart may take or feele besides thee. For y u Lord art most good, most wise, most righteous, most holy, most iust, most blessed, most high, most mightie, most cōfortable, most beautifull, most louing, most glorious, in whō all treasures of goodnes most perfectly rest.
And therfore what soeuer I haue besides thee, it is nothing vnto me: for my hart may not [Page] rest nor fully bee pacified but onely in thee.
Oh Lorde Jesu, who shall geue me winges of perfecte loue, that I may flie vp from these worldly miseries, and rest with thee?
Of Christ the king of euerlasting glory, my soule cryeth vnto thee with cōtinuall groninges, and sayth: how long taryeth my Lord God to come to me?
Oh whē shall the end come of all these miseries?
When shall I be cleane deliuered from the bondage of sinne?
When shall I Lorde, haue my minde onely fixed on thee, [Page] and be mery in thee with perfect ioy and gladnes?
Whē shall that blessed houre come that thou shalt visite me and make me glad with thy blessed presence, when thou shalt be to me all in all?
When shall I come vnto thee and feele and enioy those sweete consolations, which with thy blessed Sainctes are alwayes present?
When shall I haue peace without trouble, peace without and peace within, and on euery side stedfast and sure?
Oh Lorde Jesu, when shall I stand and beholde thee, and haue full sight and contemplation of thy glory?
[Page] When shall I be with thee in thy kingdome that y u hast ordayned for thine elect people before the beginning?
Oh blessed mansion of that heauenly Citie: Oh most cleare day of eternitie, whom y e night may neuer darken.
Thys is the day alwayes cleare and mirry, alwaies sure and neuer chaunging.
Thys day shineth clearly to thy Sainctes in heauen (oh gracious God) with euerlasting brightnes: but to vs here on earth (so great is the darknes of sinne in vs) it shineth obscurely, & as it were a farre of: we see but a glimmering therof.
[Page] Would to God thys day might shortly appeare & shyne vnto vs, and that these worldly vanities were at an end.
Thy heauenly Citizens know and feele how ioyfull thys day is: but we the children of Eue, straūgers and exiles here on earth, doe lament and bewaile the bitter tediousnes of thys present lyfe, short and euill, full of sorrowe and anguishe:
Where man is oftentimes defiled with sinne, encumbred with afflictiō, vnquieted with troubles, lapped in cares, busied with vanities, blinded with errours, ouercharged with labours, vexed with tentations, [Page] ouercome with vayne delightes and pleasures of the world, and miserably wrapped in many kindes of calamities.
Wherfore O Lord arise and helpe me: comfort mine exile: asswage my sorrowe: destroy the power of mine enemies, the kingdome of sinne, Sathan, the world, and my wicked flesh, which alwaies make battaile against me, and bring these conflicting dayes to an end: so shall I sing prayses vnto thee, O God of my saluation, & magnifie thy holy name world without end, Amen.
Certayne sentences taken out of the scripture.
❧ Of the kingdome of God, and how all kinges ought to seeke his glory.
Psalme. 10. b. 16.
GOd is king for euer and euer, but the heathen shal perish out of the land.
Psalme. 11. b. 5. 6. 7.
God will trie the righteous but his soule abhorreth the vngodly, and him that delighteth in wickednes. Upon the vngodly he will rayne snares, fire and brimstone, and tempestes, stormes shalbe their portion and drinke. For God most righteous, loueth righteousnes, his countenance wil [Page 2] beholde the iust.
Micheas. 4. b. 7.
The Lord himselfe shalbe their king vppon the mount Sion from this tyme for euermore.
Esay. 33. d. 22.
The Lord is our iudge, the Lorde is our lawe geuer, the Lord is our king, and he himselfe shalbe our Sauiour.
Psalme. 47. a. 1.
Clappe your handes all ye people, make a noyse vnto the Lord with a ioyful voyce. For God is high and terrible, he is the great king vpon all the earth. He will subdue the people [Page 3] vnder vs: and the nations vnder our feete. He hath chosen for vs our inheritaunce, the glory of Jacob, whom he loued. The Lord ascendeth in a triumph (and) God with the sounde of a trumpet. Sing Psalmes to the Lorde, sing Psalmes, sing psalmes, to our king, sing Psalmes. For the Lord is king of all the earth, sing Psalmes (all you that haue) skill. God reigneth ouer the heathen: God sitteth vpon his holy throne. The Princes of the people are assembled together (for to be) the people of the God of Abraham: for the fieldes of the earth be Gods, who is highly exalted.
Psalme. 146. 6. 10.
God thy Lorde shall raigne O Sion, to the worldes end, throughout all generations. Prayse ye the Lord.
Psalme. 68. a. 4. 5. b. 8. 12. c. 17. 18. 19. 20. 32.
Sing vnto the Lord, sing Psalmes vnto his name: magnifie hym that rideth vpon the heauens as it were vpon an horse in hys name euerlasting and reioyce before his face. He is a father of the fatherles, and the iudge of widowes (he is) the Lord in hys holy habitation. The earth shooke, and the heauens dropped at the presence of the Lord, euen Sinay [Page 5] it selfe shooke at the presēce of the Lord, Lord of Israell. Kinges with their armies did flie, they did flee, and the ornament of an house deuided the spoyle. The charettes of the Lord are twenty thousand, euen thousandes of Aungels, and the Lord is among them in holy Sinay. Thou wenst vp on hie, y u hast led captiuitie captiue, y u hast receaued giftes for men: yea euen (for) those that be disobedient, that God the Lord might dwell (among them). Blessed be the Lord, who day by day powreth hys (benefites) vpō vs: and is God of our saluation. The Lord is our Lord for to saue vs: and [Page 6] all maner of wayes for death pertayneth to God the Lord. Sing vnto the Lorde, O ye kingdomes of the earth. O sing Psalmes vnto the Lord, who rideth vpon the most highest eternall heauens: loe he sendeth out a mighty voyce in hys voyce. Acknowledge the Lorde to be mighty: hys maiesty is ouer Israell, and might in the cloudes. O Lord thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israell geueth might, and strēgth vnto hys people. Blessed be the Lord.
Psalme. 44 a. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Thou art my king O God, [Page 7] commaund that Jacob be saued. Through thee we will ouerthrow our enemyes: and in thy name we wyll treade them vnder that rise against vs. For I will not trust in my bow, and it is not my sworde that can saue me. But it is thou that sauest vs from our enemyes: and thou puttest thē to confusion that hate vs. We make our boast of God all the day long, and we will confesse thy name for euer.
Psalme 45. a. 6. b. 7. 10. 11. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17.
Thy throne O Lord endureth for euer and euer, the scepter of righteousnes is the scepter [Page 8] of thy kingdome. Thou hast loued iustice, and hated vngodlines: wherfore y e Lord euen thy Lord hath anointed thee with the oyle of gladnes more then thy fellowes. Harken O daughter and consider, incline thyne eare: forget also thine owne people and thy fathers house: so shall the kyng haue pleasure in thy beutie: for he is thy Lorde, and worship thou hym. The kings daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is of wrought golde. She shalbe brought vnto the king in raymēt of nedle work: the virgins that follow her, and her cōpany shalbe brought vnto thee. With ioy and gladnes [Page 9] shal they be brought (and) shall enter into the kinges palace. In steede of thy fathers thou shalt haue childrē: whom thou mayst make princes in all landes. I will remember thy name from one generatiō vnto an other: therefore shall the people praise thee, world without ende.
Psalme 48. b. 9.
O Lorde according to thy name, so is thy prayse vnto the worldes ende, thy right hand is full of iustice.
Psalme. 99.
God raigneth, the people be in a rage: he sitteth (betwene) [Page 10] the Cherubins, the earth quaketh. God is great in Sion, and high aboue all people. They shall prayse thy name, great and dreadfull (for) it is holy, and a kings power (that) loueth iudgement. Thou hast ordayned all things according to equitie: thou hast caused iudgement and iustice to be in Jacob. Magnifie God our Lord: and kneele downe before hys foote stoole, for it is holy. Moses and Aaron among his Priestes, and Samuell among such as call vppō hys name: these called vppō god, and he heard them. He spake vnto them out of the cloudy piller: for they kept his [Page 11] testimonies, and the law that he gaue them. O God our Lord thou heardest them, O Lord thou didest forbeare thē: and thou tookest auengement for their owne inuentions. Magnifie God our Lord, and kneele downe before hys holy hill, for God our Lord is holy.
Psalme 100. a.
Be ye ioyful in God all that be in y e earth: serue God with gladnes, and come before hys face with a ioyfull noyse. Be ye sure that God is the Lord, it is he that hath made vs, and not we our selues: we are hys people, and the sheepe of hys pasture. Goe your way into [Page 12] his gates with thanksgeuing, and into hys courtes wyth prayse, be thankefull vnto him and blesse his name. For God is gracious, his mercy is euerlasting, and his truth from generation to generation.
Psalme. 101. a.
I will syng of mercy and iudgement, I will sing vnto thee O God Psalmes. I will endeuor my selfe to be fully instructed in the way of perfectues: when thou wylt come vnto me, I will goe vp and downe in the midst of my house in the perfectnes of my hart. I will neuer set before myne eyes any deuilish thyng: [Page 13] I will detest to do the worke of transgressours, it shall take no holde of me. A froward hart shall depart from me. I will not once know any euill. I will destroy hym who priuily slaundreth hys neyghbour: I wyll not suffer hym who hath a proude looke, & a great stomacke. My eyes shalbe vppon such in the land as haue a true meaning, that they may sit with me: he that leadeth a perfect life shall minister vnto me. There shall no deceitfull person haue any seate in my house: He that telleth lyes shal not tary long in my sight. I wyll euery morning destroye all the vngodly in the land: [Page 14] that I may roote out from the Citie of God all workers of wickednes.
Psalme. 145.
I wil magnify thee O God my king, and I will blesse thy name for euer and euer. I wil blesse thee euery day, and I wyll prayse thy name for euer and euer. Great is God and most worthy to be praysed: and hys greatnes can not be searched out. One generation shall prayse thy workes vnto an other: and they shall declare thy mighty power. I wil set forth in wordes, y e glorious maiesty of thy excellentnes, and thy wondrous workes. I [Page 15] wil also declare thy greatnes so that men shall speake of the force of thy terrible actes. They shall vtter out of theyr mouth a memoriall of thyne aboundant kindnes: and they shall sing of thy righteousnes. God is gratious and merciful, loth to be angry, and great in louing kindnes. God is good vnto euery man, and his mercy is aboue al his workes, All thy workes shall confesse it vnto thee O God, and thy saintes shall blesse thee. They shall shew y e glory of thy kingdome: and talke of thy power. That they may make knowne to the children of men hys manifolde power, and the glorious [Page 16] maiesty of hys kingdome. Thy kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome, and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages. God vpholdeth all such as fall, and lifteth vp all those that be bowyng downeward. The eyes of all wayte vpon thee, and thou geuest thē theyr meate in due seasō. Thou openest thy hand, and satisfiest the desire of euery thyng. God is righteous in all his wayes: and holy in all hys workes. God is nigh vnto al them that call vppon hym, vnto all such as call vpon hym in truth. He wyll fulfill the desire of them that feare hym: he wyll also heare theyr cry, and he wyll [Page 17] saue them. God preserueth all those that loue him, but he wil bring to nothing such as be vngodly. My mouth shall speake the prayse of God: and all fleshe shall blesse hys holy name for euer and euer.
Luke. 1. d.
Christ shall raigne in the house of Jacob for euer, and of his kingdome there shal be none ende. §§
❧ Promises, admonitions and counsels to good kinges, with examples of their good successe.
Deut. 7. d. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20.
THen thou shalte make hym kyng ouer thee, whom the lord thy God shall chose. Euen one from among thy brethren shalte thou make kyng ouer thee, and thou mayst not set a straunger ouer thee, which is not of thy brethren. But he shall not multiply horses to himselfe, nor bryng the people [Page 19] agayne to Egipt to increase the number of horses: forasmuch as the Lorde hath sayde vnto you, ye shall henceforth go no more agayne that way. Also he ought not to multiply wyues to hymselfe, least hys hart turne away, neyther shal he gather hymselfe siluer, and golde to much. And when he is set vpō the seat ofhys kingdome, he shall write hym out a copye of thys lawe in a booke before the Priestes y e Leuites: And it shall be wyth him, and he ought to read therein al the dayes of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lorde hys God, and to keepe all y e words of this lawe, and these ordinaunces [Page 20] for to do them: And that his hart arise not aboue his brethrē, and that he turne not from y e cōmaundement to the right hand or to the left: but that he may prolong hys dayes in hys kingdome, he and hys children in the midst of Israell.
The wordes of Iosua to the people.
THe Lorde hath geuen vnto you a land flowing with milke & hony.
Now therefore feare the Lorde and serue hym in perfectnes and truth, and put away the Gods which your fathers [Page 21] serued on the otherside of the floud, and in Egipt, and serue ye the Lorde. If ye forsake the Lord, & serue strange Goddes, he wyll turne and do you euill, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. And the people sayd vnto Josua: Nay, but we wyll serue the Lord. And Josua sayde vnto the people: ye are witnesses against your selues, that ye haue chosen you the Lord to serue hym. And they sayd we are witnesses. Then put away (said he) y e straunge Gods which are among you, and bow your hartes vnto the Lorde God of Israell. The people sayd vnto Josua: The [Page 22] Lord our God will we serue, and his voyce will we obey. And Israell serued the Lorde all the dayes of Josua, and all the dayes of the elders that ouerliued Josua, and which had knowen all the workes of the Lord, that he had done for Israell.
¶ Admonitions out of the word of God.
THere shal not a man be able to withstand thee in all the dayes of thy. [Page 23] life. For as I was with Moses so will I be with thee, and will not sayle thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong therefore and bolde, for vnto thys people shalt thou deuide the land for inheritaunce, which I swore vnto their fathers to geue thē. Onely be thou strong, and of a stout courage, that thou mayest obserue and do according to all y e law which Moses my seruaunt commaūded thee. Turne from the same, neyther to right hand, nor to the left, that thou mayest doe wisely in all that thou takest in hand. Let not the booke of this lawe departe out of thy mouth, but occupy thy mynde [Page 24] therein day and night, that thou mayest obserue and doe according to all that is written therein: For thē shalt thou make thy way prosperous, and thē thou shalt do wisely. Haue not I commaunded thee that thou shouldest be strong and hardy, and not feare, nor be faint harted? For I the Lord thy God am with thee whether soeuer thou goest.
Exodus. 15. a. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. &. b. 11. &. 15. c. 18. &. d. 21.
I will sing vnto the Lorde for he hath triumphed gloriously, the horse and hym that rode vppon hym hath he ouerthrowen in the sea. The Lord [Page 25] is my strength and prayse, and he is become my saluation: he is my God, and I will glorify him, my fathers God, and I will exalt hym. The Lord is a man of warre, the Lord is his name. Pharaos charetes, and his host hath he cast into the sea, his chosen captaynes also are drowned in the redde sea. The deepe waters haue couered thē, they sunke to the bottom as a stone. Thy right hād Lord is become glorious in power, thy right hand Lorde hath al to dashed the enemies. And in thy great glory thou hast ouerthrowen them that rose vp against thee: thou sendest forth thy wrath which cō sumed [Page 26] them euen as stubble. Who is like vnto thee O Lord amongst Goddes? Who is like to thee, so glorious in holines, fearefull in prayses, shewing wonders. The Lorde shall raigne for euer & euer. Sing ye vnto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his ryder hath he ouerthrown in the sea.
For sickenes.
IF thou wilt harken vnto the voyce of the Lord thy God, and wylt do that which is right in his sight, and [Page 27] wilt gene eare vnto his commaundementes, and keepe all his ordinaunces, then will I put none of these diseases vpō thee, which I haue brought vpon the Egiptians for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
2. Chronicles. 2. a. 5. 6. b. 11. &. 9. b. 8.
Great is our God aboue all Goddes. But who is able to builde hym an house? when that heauen, and heauen aboue all heauens is not hable to receiue hym, what am I then that shoulde builde hym an house? nay, but euen to burne sacrifice before him shal this building be. The Lorde [Page 28] setteth a wyse kyng ouer the people whome he loueth, that they may longe endure and prosper. Blessed be the Lord thy God which hast lust to thee, to set thee (king) on his seat, that thou mightest be king for the Lord thy God, because thy God loueth Israell (and hath delite) to make them continue euer, therefore made he thee king ouer them, to do right and equitie.
Exodus 18. c. 18. d. 21. d. 23.
Thou canst not alone sustaine the burthen of ruling a whole kingdome, but heare my wordes and counsell, and the Lord shalbe with thee.
[Page 29] Moreouer thou shalt seeke out among all the people men of actiuitie, and such as feare God, true men, hating coueteousnes, & place (of these) ouer y e (people) rulers of thousandes, rulers of hundrethes, rulers offifties, and rulers of tennes. And let them iudge the people at all seasons: and euery great matter that commeth, let thē bring vnto thee, but let them iudge all small causes themselues, and so shall it be easier for thy selfe, & they shall beare a burthen with thee. If thou shall do this thing and God charge thee withall, thou shalt be able to endure, and yet the [Page 30] people shal come to theyrplace in peace.
1. Reg. 12. b. 13. 14. 15. &. c. 20. &. d. 24. 25.
Samuel said vnto the people. Beholde the king whome ye haue chosen and whom ye haue desired, loe y e Lorde hath set a king ouer you. If ye will feare the Lord and serue hym and heare hys voyce, and not disobey the word of the Lord, both ye and the king that raig neth ouer you shall follow the Lord your God. If ye wyll not harken vnto the voyce of the Lord but disobey y e Lordes mouth, then shall the hand of the Lord be vppon you and on your fathers. Yet depart not [Page 31] from following of the Lord, but serue the Lorde wyth all your hartes. Therefore feare ye the Lord, and serue him in the truth, and with all your hartes: and cōsider how great thinges he hath done for you. But if ye do wickedly, then shall ye perishe both ye and yourking.
The wordes of Samuell to be truely spoken by all good rulers.
1. Reg. 12. a. 3. 4. 5.
BEholde here I am, beare recorde of me before the Lorde, and before hys annoynted: whose Oxe haue I taken? or whose Asse haue I takē? who [Page 32] haue I done wrong to? whom haue I hurt? or of whose hand haue I receaued any bribe, to blind myne cyes therewith? and I wil restore it you. They sayde. Thou hast done vs no wrong, nor hurt vs, neyther hast thou taken ought of any mans hand. He sayd vnto thē agayne: The Lord is witnes agaynst you, and his annomted, is witnes this day, that ye haue founde naught in my handes. And they aunswered: he is witnes.
1. Reg. 13. b. 13. 14.
Samuell sayde to Saule: Thou art become a foole, thou hast not kept the commaundement [Page 33] of the Lorde thy God, which he commaunded thee: For at this tyme woulde the Lord haue stablished thy king dome vppon Israell for euer. But now thy kingddme shall not continue: The Lord hath sought him a man after hys owne hart, and the Lord hath commaunded to be captayne ouer his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commaunded thee.
2. Reg. 14. b. 9. 11. c. 17. &. d. 20.
The king and hys throne should be giltlesse, and ought to remember the Lorde hys God, and not to suffer much bloudshed.
[Page 34] The king is as an Angell of God in hearing of the good and bad, therefore the Lorde God is with hym.
The king is wise according to the wisedome of an Angell of God, to vnderstand all thinges thac are in earth.
2. Paral. 9. b. 7. 8.
Happy are the mē and people vnto whom God geueth a wise king.
God maketh one a king that he shoulde do according to right and equitie.
Esay. 32. a. 12.
A good and godly king shal gouerne after the rule of righteousnes, [Page 35] and the princes shall rule according to the balance of equitie. And that man shall be vnto men as a defence for the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest, like as a riuer of water in a thirsty place, and the shadow of a great rocke in a dry land.
Ieremy. 22. a. 1. &c. b. 9.
Thus sayth the Lorde: Goe downe into the house of the king of Juda, & speake there these wordes, and say: Heare the word of y e Lord thou king of Juda that sittest in y e kingly seat of Dauid, thou and thy seruaunts, and thy people that goeth in & out at these gates. [Page 36] Thus the Lord commandeth? keepe equitie and righteousnes, deliuer the oppressed frō the power of the violent, do not greue, nor oppresse the straunger, the fatherles, nor the widow and shed no innocent bloud in this place. And if ye keepe these thinges faithfully, then shall there come in at y e dore of thys house kinges to sit vpon Dauides seat: they shalbe caried in charetes, and ride vppon horses, both they and their seruaunts, and their people. But if ye will be obedient vnto these commaundemētes. I sweare by my owne selfe saith the Lord, this house shalbe wast. For thus hath [Page 37] the Lord spokē vpon y e kinges of Juda: thou Giliad art vnto me y e head of Libanus: shall I not make thee so wast as y e Cities y t no men dwell in? I wyl prepare a destroyer w t his wepōs for thee, to hew down thy especial Cedar trees, & to cast them in the fire. And all the people that goe by thys Citie shall speake one to an other: wherefore hath the Lord done thus vnto thys noble Citie? Then shall it be aunswered: because they haue broken the couenaunt of the Lorde theyr God, and haue worshipped & serued straunge Gods.
Psalme 18. 48.
[Page 38] God hath wonderfull oft deliuered hys kyng, and he hath done mercifully vnto Dauid his annoynted, and to hys seede for euermore.
Psalme. 24. a. 1. 2. &. b. 7.
The earth is Gods, and all that therein is: the world and they that dwell therein. For he hath layde the foundations of it vppon the seas, and he hath set it sure vppon the floudes. Lift vp your heades O ye gates, and be ye lift vp ye euerlasting dores, and the king of glory shall enter in. Who is the king of glory? It is God both strong and mighty, it is God mighty in battayle. Lift [Page 39] vp your heades (O ye gates) and be ye lift vp you euerlasting doores, and the king of glory shal enter in. Who is the king of glory, euen the God of hostes, he is the king of glory.
Psalme. 21. a. 1. &c.
The king ought to reioyce in thy strength, O God, and he ought to be exceeding glad of thy saluation. Thou hast geuen hym his hartes desire, and hast not denyed hym the request of hys lippes. For thou hast preuented him with good blessinges, and hast a crowne of pure golde vppon hys head, He asked life of thee, and thou gauest hym long dayes, euen [Page 40] for euer and euer. Hys honour is great through thy saluatiō: thou hast layd glory and great worship vppon hym. For thou hast placed him to be blessings for euer, and hast made hym glad with the ioy of thy countenaunce. Because the kyng trusteth in God, and in y e mercy of the most highest: he shall not miscary. Thyne hand will finde out all thyne enemyes: thy right hand will finde out them that hate thee. Thou wilt make like a burning fornace in tyme of thy fury: God will destroy thē in hys wrath, and fire shall consume them. Thou wilt roote their fruite out of y e earth, and their seede [Page 41] from among the children of men. For they intended mischife against thee, and imagined a crafty deuice: (but) they could not (bring it to passe) Therefore thou wilt put them to flight (and) direct thine arrowes against their faces. Be thou exalted O God according to thyne owne might: so we wyll sing: & with Psalmes we will prayse thy power.
Psalme. 72.
O God geue vnto the king thy iudgements: and thy righteousnes vnto y e kinges sonne. Then he will iudge thy people according vnto iustice, and thy afflicted according to equitie. [Page 42] The mountaynes also & hilles shall bring peace to the people by the meanes of righteousnes. He will iudge the afflicted amongst the people, he wil saue the children of the poore, and subdue y e oppressor. They will feare thee as long as the sunne and moone shineth from one generation to an other. He will come downe lyke the rayne into a fleece of wolle, euen as the dropes that water the earth. In hys dayes the righteous shal flourishe▪, and there shall be aboundaunce of peace so long as the moone endureth. Hys dominion also shall be from the one sea to the other, and from the floud vnto [Page 43] the end of the earth. They that dwell in the wildernes, shall kneele before hym, his enemyes shall licke the dust. The king of Tharsis and of the Iles shall offer presentes: the king of Sheba and Seba shall bring giftes. All kinges will worship hym, all nacions will do him seruice. For he wil deliuer the poore when he cryeth, and the afflicted, and hym that hath no helper. He wyll haue compassion vpon y e poore and nedy: and he wil preserue the soules of the poore. He will deliuer their soules frō deceite and oppressiō, and their bloud shall be in hys sight. He wyll liue, and he wyll geue to the [Page 44] poore of the golde of Sheba: and he wyll pray alwayes for hym, and dayly he wyll blesse hym. A handfull of corne shall (be sowed) in the earth, vpon the toppe of hilles, and y e fruit thereof shall make a noyse like Libanus, and shall flourishe in the Citie lyke grasse vppon the earth. Hys name shall endure for euer, hys name shall be spread abroad to the world, so long as the sunne shal shine, all nations shall be blessed in hym, and shall call him blessed. Blessed be God the Lord: the Lorde of Israell which onely doth wonderous things. And blessed be the name of his maiesty for euer: and all the earth [Page 45] shalbe filled with his maiesty,
Psalme. 80. a. 1.
Heare O thou shepheard of Israell, thou that leadest Joseph lyke a sheepe: and thou that sittest vppon the Cherubins, shewe thy gratious presence.
Romaynes. 5. d.
They shall raigue through Jesus Christ, receauing aboundance of grace, and gifte of righteousnes. §*§
❧ Sentences of threatening to euill kinges, and examples of their euill successe.
1. Reg. 15. 10. d. 16. 17.
THe woorde of the Lorde came vnto Samuell saying. It repenteth me that I haue made Saule king. For he is turned from me, and hath not performed my commaundementes. And Samuell was euill apaid, and cryed vnto the Lord all night. And Samuell rose early to meete Saule in the mornyng, and when he came vnto him he said. Let me tell [Page 47] thee what the Lord hath sayd to me this night. And he sayd vnto him say on. Samuel said when thou wast little in thine owne syght, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israell, and the Lord annointed thee king ouer Israell?
Ieremy. 13. c. 18. 19.
Tell the king & the Queene humble your selues, sitte you downe low, for your dignitie shall be throwen downe, and the crowne of your glory shall fall from your head. The Cities towardes the south shalbe shut vp, and no man shal open them, all Juda shall be caried away captiue so that none shal [Page 48] remayne.
Ieremy. 21. d. 11.
Unto the house of the kyng of Juda say thus: Heare the worde of the Lorde. O thou house of Dauid, thus sayth the Lord: Minister righteousnes and that soone, deliuer the oppressed from violent power, or euer my terrible wrath breake out like a fire, and burne so y t no man may quench it because of the wickednes of your imaginations. Beholde sayth the Lorde I will come vpon thee that dwellest in the valleyes rockes and fieldes, and say, tush who wil make vs afraid? or who wyll come into our [Page] houses. For I will visite you (sayth the Lord) because of the wickednes of your inuētions, and will kindle such a fire in your wood, as shall consume all that is about you.
Prouerbes. 28. a. 2. c. 15. 16. 21.
For the wickedues of the land the Prince is oft chaunged: but through a man of vnderstanding and wisdome a realme endureth long. As a roaring Lion and an hungry beare, so is an vngodly Prince ouer the poore people. Where the Prince is without vnderstanding, there is great oppression and wrong: but if he hateth coueteousnes, he shall [Page] long raigne. To haue respect of persons (in iudgement) is not good, for that man wyll do wrong, yea euen for a peece of bread.
Psalme. 2. a. 2. 4. 5. 10. 11. 12.
The kinges of the earth stand vp and the rulers take counsell together against God and agaynst hys annointed. He that dwelleth in heauen will laugh them to scorne, the Lord will haue them in derision. Then wyll he speake vnto them in hys wrath: and he will astonish them with feare in hys sore displeasure. Thou shalt brast them with a rod of yron, and breake thē in peeces [Page] like a potters vessell. Wherefore be you now well aduised, O ye kynges: be ye learned ye that are iudges of the earth. Serue ye God in feare, and reioyce ye wyth trembling. Kisse ye the Sonne least that he be angry, and so ye perishe from the way. If hys wrath be neuer so little kindled, blessed are all they that put theyr trust in hym.
Ieremy. 13. b. 11. 2. Parallepo. 3. [...].
Saule, Roboam, Achab, with all their posteritie, Sellam, Jehoakim. 4. Reg. 13. c. 24. a. Ieremiae. 22. c. 18. came vnto an euill end.
[Page] Dauid, Salomon, Jehosephat, Ezechias, Josias, &c. Godly kinges raigne prosperously, haue victory ouer their enemies.
Lamentation of Ieremy. 2. b. 9
The goodly Citie and temple of Jerusalem are destroyed vtterly: the king and Princes are caryed away to the Gentiles, they haue neyther lawe nor prophetes, nor yet any vision from the Lord. The Senatours of the daughter Sion sit vpon the ground in silence: they haue strawed ashes vpon their heades, and girded themselues wyth sackecloth: the maydens of Jerusalem [Page] hang downe their heades to the ground.
Iudicium. 9. c.
King Abimelech being wickedly chosē and wicked, worketh hys owne destruction, and destruction of those that did chuse hym.
Luke. 19. c.
Those Citizens that wyll not haue Christ to raigne ouer them are destroyed.
Luke. 19. c.
The king asketh an accompt of hys seruauntes. §*§
❧ A prayer taken out of the booke of Wisdome. Cap. 9
O God of my fathees, and Lorde of mercies (thou that hast made all thinges with thy worde, and diddest ordayne man through thy wisdome, that he should haue dominiō ouer thy creatures whiche thou hast made, and that he should order the world according to holines and righteousnes, and that he shouid execute iudgement with a true harte) geue me wisdome which is euer about thy seate, and put me not out from among thy children: [Page] for I thy seruaunt and handmaiden am a feable person, of a short tyme, and to weake for the vnderstandyng of thy iudgementes and lawes. And though a man be neuer so perfect among the chyldren of men, yet if thy wisdome be not with him, he shall be of no value. O sende her out therefore from thy holy heauens, and from the throne of thy Maiestie, that she may be with me, and labour with me, that I may know what is acceptable in thy sight: for she knoweth and vnderstandeth all thinges, and she shall lead me soberly in my workes, and preserue me in her power. So [Page] shall my workes be acceptable by Christ our Lorde, to whome wyth thee and to the holyghost, be all honour & glory, worlde without ende. Amen. ⸫
❧ Ʋn bref formulaire d'Oraison.
¶ La Preface.
O Seigneur bon Dieu & Pere, que ton nom soit benit à iamais. Dispose mon coeur, ouure mes leures, & me conduis par ton saint Esprit, à vne vraye recognoissance de toutes mes fautes, à fin que mō Oraison soit exaucée de toy au Nom de ton filz Iesus Christ. Ainsi soit-il.
¶ La Confession des pechez.
SEigneur mon Dieu, Pere eternel & toutpuissant, ie recognoy & confesse deuant ta sainte & haute Maiesté, que ie [Page] n'ay cessé depuis ma naissance, & ne cesse tous lesiours, estant conceuë & née en iniquité & corruption, de transgresser tes commandemens. Quoy faisant, ie ne puis selon ton iuste iugement, euiter ruine & perdition: Toutesfois ayāt desplaisir de t'auoir offensé, condēnant & moy, & mon peché: puis qu'il t'a pleu de nous aymer, lors mesme que nous estions tes ennemis, en tesmoignage dequoy tu nous as donné ton filz vnique, & bien aymé, pour mediateur & aduocat entre toy & nous, nostre Seigneur Iesus Christ, auec promesse d'obtenir en son Nom, tout ce que nous te demanderons.
Vueille donc Dieu tresbenin [Page] & pere misericordieux en son Nom & en sa faueur me faire pardon & mercy. Et en repurgeant mon coeur de toute vanité & souillure, m'addresser & cō duire par tō saint Esprit, en toutes mes voyes, à fin que ie chemine selon tes saints & diuins commaundemēs tous les iours de ma vie, à la gloire de ton Nō, Par iceluy ton filz bien-aymé. Ainsi soit-il.
¶ L'oraison pour le Matin.
MOn DIEV mon Pere & mon Sauueur, comme maintenant tu enuoye ton Soleil sur la terre, pour donner la lumiere corporelle à tes [Page] creatures, vueille aussi illuminer mon coeur & mon enten demēt, par la lumiere celeste de tō saint Esprit: à fin que ie ne pense, ne dise, & ne face rien sinon pour te seruir & complaire. Que durant tout ce iour mon but principal soit de cheminer en ta crainte, te seruir & honorer, attendant tout heur & prosperité de ta seule benediction. Que selon mon corps & mon ame tu sois mon protecteur, me fortifiant contre toutes les tentatiōs du diable, & de la chair, me preseruant des entreprinses & conspiratiōs de tous mes ennemis, leurs complices & adherēs.
Et d'autant bon Dieu que ce n'est rien de bien commencers [...] [Page] on ne perseuere, qu'il te plaise, nō seulemēt pour ce iour me receuoir sous ta conduite & protectiō, mais pour tout le cours de mavie: continuāt & augmētant de iour en iour les dōs & graces de ton saint Esprit en moy iusques à ce qu'estant vnie & coniointe auec ton filz vnique, mon Sauueur, ie puisse iouir de ceste vie bien-heureuse laquelle tu as promise à tous tes eleuz. Pariceluy ton filz, nostre Seigneur Iesus-Christ. Ainsi soit-il.
¶ Action de Graces.
DIeu tout bon & tout sage, Pere celeste, plein de misericorde & clemēce, reduisant [Page] en memoire les oeuures de tes mains, ie ne puis sinon admirer ta grande sapience & bonté infinie, laquelle tu as declarée enuers toutes tes creatures, & singulierement au regard de moy, comme de m'auoir donné estre, mouuement, & vie: mais aussi outre les benefices infinis, que tu distribue cōmunément à tous hommes de la terre, tu m'as fait tant de graces speciales, qu'il m'est impossible de les reciter, ne mesme les pouuoir comprē dre. Il t'a pleu par la lumiere de ton Euāgile me deliurer des tenebres d'erreur & d'ignorance, voire me retirer des abismes de de mort, & de la confusion horrible, ou i'estoye destinée selon [Page] la corruption de ma nature: & ainsi m'as tu transportée au royaume de ton filz bien-aymé, lequel selon ton plaisir & decret eternel, s'est donné soy mesme pour mes pechez.
Il ya aussi Seigneur, que m'ayant receuë en tō Eglise au nombre de tes enfans, tu m'as eleuë & choisie par ta prouidence admirable pour me decorer sous la Maiesté de ta grandeur d'vn estat d'honneur & d'excellence, assauoir de la dignité Royale pour le gouuernemēt & conseruation de ton peuple.
Or maintenāt selon la parole de Dauid, quelle chose rēdrayie au Seigneur pour tous ses biē faitz enuers moy? Ie say que tou [Page] te ma vie deuroit estre consacrée à vne perpetuelle action de graces; pour annoncer auec la gent sainte & le peuple acquis, les vertus de celuy qui nous à appellez des tenebres à sa merueilleuse lumiere. Le calice de deliurāce ne deuroit bouger de mes mains, n'y les Cantiques nouueaux de ma bouche. Mais Seigneur, fay moy la grace, comme iadis tu as faite à Dauid, homme selon ton coeur. Lequel traitant de ce mesme Argument, & recitantles tesmoignages de ta bonté, disoit, Ainsi est-il Seigneur, Ie suis ton seruiteur, Ie suis ton seruiteur filz de ta chambriere, tu as rompu mes liens, Ie te sacrificeray sacrifice d'actiō de graces [Page] reclameray le nom du Seigneur. Ainsi di-ie Seigneur de moymesme, & ce par ta grace, Iesuis ta seruante, Ie suis ta seruante. Tu as rompu mes liens, & m'as preseruée au milieu des dā gers de mort, tu m'as mis au large & en sauueté. Au Roy des siecles, immortel & inuisible, à Dieu seul bon & seul sage, soit honneur & gloire és siecles des siecles par Iesus Christ son filz nostre Seigneur. Ainsi soit-il.
Oraison pour tout le Royaume & corps de l'Eglise selon leurs Estas & membres.
DIeu tout puissant, Pere celeste, tu as donné commandement à tes fideles de prier les vns pour les autres, auec promesse [Page] de les exaucer au Nom du mediateur ton filz bien-aymé.
Moy donc ton humble seruante en confiance de tes promesses, & en consideration des necessitez si grandes & si vrgentes, qui se presentent de toutes pars, Sathan faisant tous ses effors pour mettre la terre en confusion, & sur tout pour empescher le cours de ton Euangile. Seigneur bon Dieu auquel est mon refuge & mon esperance, ie te supplie & requiers comme tu és le Pere des lumieres, qu'il te plaise d'illuminer les coeurs & les entendemens de tous hommes, d'autant que tu veux toutes gens estre sauuées, & venir à la cognoissance de verité. Et cōme [Page] specialemēt tu as ordōné qu'on prie pour les Rois & tous ceux qui sont constituez en dignité, à fin que la societé humaine viue en paix & tranquillité auec toute pieté & honnesteté.
Moy donc sachant combien les courōnes & les sceptres sont pesans, & l'administratiō d'iceux difficile, pour s'en bien acquitter, soit au regard de toy, mon Dieu, ou de mes subiectz, Ie te requiers de tout mon coeur, tant pour moy, que pour tous autres que tu as constituez en ce mesme degré de prééminence, de nous donner, ce que iadis t'a demandé vn Salomon, duquel tu as approuué l'Oraison, comme l'ayant mise en son coeur, & en sa [Page] bouche par ton saint Esprit, lequel nous apprend de bien prier aydant noz infirmitez.
O Seigneur bon Dieu tu m'as fait regner au milieu de ton peuple, tu donneras à ta seruante & à tes seruiteurs vn coeur entendu pour iuger tō peuple, & pour discerner le bien d'entre le mal, à fin que nous ne soyons point inutiles, ou mesme pernicieux en vne vocation si sainte.
Donne nous aussi des Conseillers prudens sages & vertueux, chassant loing de nous, tous ambitieux, malins, cauteleux, & hypocrites.
Donne des Iuges, hommes veritables haissans auarice, & fuyans l'acception des personnes, [Page] à fin que mon peuple soit gouuerné en toute equité & droiture, les bons soustenus en leur Iustice & innocence, les iniques punis & chastiez selō leurs demerites.
Fay aussi Seigneur que tous ceux, desquelz tu m'as commis la charge en main, me rendent le deuoir d'vne iuste obeissance, à fin qu'il y ait vne bonne & sainte vnion entre le chef & les membres, & que par ce moyen tous cognoissent que de toy seul depend l'Estat des Royaumes & le gouuernemēt des republiques. Et que par ainsi ie puisse à iamais chanter à ta louenge le Cātique de Dauid, ou il proteste de faire le deuoir de bon Prince.
PSEAVME. c 1.
[Page] Ie te prie aussi Pere veritable & Sauueur pour tous ceux que tu as ordonnez vrays Pasteurs à tes fideles & ausquelz, tu as commis la charge des ames, & la dispensation de ton sacré Euangile que tu les conduise par ton saint Esprit, à fin qu'ilz soyent trouuez fideles & diligēs en leur sainte vocation.
D'autrepart que tu chasse les faux Pasteurs, hommes corrompus d'entendement, loups pesans, ambitieux, & auaricieux, qui ne seruent qu'à destruire & perdre tes Eglises.
Et d'autant que tu requiers en tous tes enfans le zele de ta maison, fay moy la grace de repurger en mō peuple toutes sectes, [Page] heresies, & superstitiōs, à fin que tes Eglises soubz ma charge profitent & accroissent de iour en iour en la verité de ton Euangile à toute iustice & sainteté.
Que generalement il te plaise de faire vne deliuerance & restauration de tes Eglises par toute la terre, enuoyer ouuriers à ta moisson, hommes idoines & suffisans pour recueillir les poures brebis esgarées soubz la houlette de ce grand pasteur des ames ton filz Iesus Christ.
Quant aux auditeurs ceux qui desia font profession de ton Nom que tu leur donne vne vraye perseuerance en foy, en charite, & en toutes bonnes oeuures pour la gloire de ton Nom, [Page] & à leur salut.
Quant aux autres qui cheminent encore en la vanité de leur sens que tu touche leurs coeurs & leur donne des yeux illuminez, à fin que tous se rengent pour te seruir & complaire.
Finalement ô Dieu de toute consolation, ie te prie d'auoir pitié des calamitez & afflictions de toutes tes creatures en general. Des peuples que tu visite par pestes, guerres ou famines. Des personnes que tu afflige par poureté, prison, maladie, bannissemēt, ou autres tes verges, soit en leurs corps ou en leurs esprits.
Et singulierement que tu aye pitié de tes eleuz qui souffrent & endurent pour le tesmoignage [Page] de ton saint Euangile.
Et cōme il t'a pleu me faire ce bien, & cest honneur, de donner repos en ma terre, estans les autres Royaumes en horribles cō fusions, & que tu m'as enuoyé les entrailles de ton filz Iesus Christ, pour leur donner refuge en leurs oppressions: fay moy la grace d'estre vraye nourrissiere & tutrice des tiens selon la parolle de tō Prophete Isaye, pour auoir vne vraye compassion tant de ceux qui sont icy, que de tous autres, à fin qu'en l'accomplissement de tes promesses, lors que la parolle sera dite, Venez les benits de mon Pere, possedez le Royaume qui vous à estè preparé des la fondation du monde, [Page] que lors tu me reçoiue. Pere celeste, au nombre de tes enfans, pour l'amour de ton filz, mon Sauueur Iesus Christ. Auquel auec toy & le saint Esprit soit honneur & gloire eternellemēt.
Amen.
¶ L'oraison pour le Soir.
SEigneur mon Dieu, mō Pere, & mon Sauueur me prosternant en toute humilité deuant ta sainte Maiesté, ie te requiers biē affectueusement, comme tu m'as fait la grace d'estre paruenuë à la fin de ce iour, d'autant que tu as creé la nuit pour le repos des hommes que tu me face ce bien auectes autres benefices infinis de [Page] tellemēt reposer ceste nuit pour le soulagement de mon infirmité, que mon coeur estant tousiours esleué à toy, mon ame ait aussi bien son repos spirituel, cō me le corps prend le sien.
Que mō dormir ne soit point excessif, pour complaire outre mesure à l'aise de ma chair, mais seulement pour la necessité de ma nature, à fin que demain ie soye mieux disposée à tō seruice.
Preserue moy aussi de toute souilleure de corps & d'esprit, & me garde des tentations de l'ennemy, & contre tous dāgers qui me pourroyent auenir.
Et pource que ce iour n'est point passé que ie ne t'aye offensé en plusieurs sortes & manieres, [Page] comme tu enuoye maintenātles tenebres en l'absence du Soleil pour cacher toutes choses, ainsi vueille effacer toutes mes offenses par ta misericorde infinie, à fin que iamais elles ne viennent en compte deuant ton iugement.
Toutes lesquelles choses ie te requiers & demande au Nom & en faueur de ton filz vnique mon Seigneur & Sauueur Iesus Christ, comme luy-mesme nous à donné la reigle de te prier.
NOstre Pere qui es és cieux.
Ton Nom soit sanctifié. Ton regne aduienne. Ta volonté soit faicte, en la Terre comme au Ciel. Donne nous auiourd' huy, nostre Pain quotidien. Et nous [Page] pardōne noz offences, ainsi que nous pardonnons à ceux qui nous ont offencé. Et ne nous induy point en tētation: mais deliure-nous du mal. Car à toy est le regne, la puissance, & la gloire, és siecles des siecles. Ainsi soit il.
¶ Oraison pour faire deuant la consultation des affaires du Royaume.
O Seigneur nostre bō Dieu qui contemple d'enhaut tout ce qui est au Ciel & en la Terre, duquel le throne est admirable & la gloire incomprehēsible, deuant lequel la congregation des Anges se tient en crainte.
[Page] Nous ton humble seruante & tes seruiteurs estansicy assemblez en ta presence, pour traiter & aduiser aux affaires qui cō cernent la vocation sainte à laquelle tu nous as appellez par ta grace, cognoissans que tu soustiens & conserue sous la conduite de ta prouidence l'estat & gouernement de tous les Royaumes de la terre, & que c'est à toy de presider au milieu des Princes en leur conseil.
D'autre part recognoissans que nous sommes enuironnez de tenebres, remplis d'erreurs & d'ignorāces, & mesme indignes de ton assistence si tu regardes à nos iniquitez.
Pour ces causes bon Dieu, [Page] nous te prions au nom de ton filz vnique nostre Seigneur Iesus Christ de nous pardonner toutes nos offenses, & pour l'amour d'iceluy nous communiquer les dons & graces de ton saint Esprit, à fin qu'estans poulsez du vray zele de ta gloire, & d'vn amour paternel enuers le peuple que tu nous as donné en charge. Nous puissiōs auec prudence & sagesse traiter les choses qui maintenant seront proposées.
Dispose donc Seigneur nos bouches, nos coeurs, & nos entendemēs, nous faisant cognoistre les choses que tu approuue pour les embrasser, & discerner les mauuaises pour les decliner [Page] & chasser.
D'auantage que tu tienne tellement la main à toutes nos deliberations, que tu nous en face veoir vne heureuse issuë, à la gloire de ton Nom, au bien & profit de nostre peuple, & à la descharge de nos consciences.
Ce que te demandons humblement en la faueur de ton filz bien-aymé, comme par luy sommes enseignez de te prier.
Nostre Pere qui es. &c.
¶ Priere.
❧ Confession de'peccati, al Signore.
IDdio et Signor mio. Humilmentè, & con animo pieno d'infinito dispiacere d'hauerti offeso, & d'offenderti tutto di, io humil serua tua, et pecca trice, mi presento dinanzi la tua diuina maestà per confessare ingenuamente, & liberamente i miei peccati, et chiedertene perdono. Sono, come [Page] sai, concetta, & nata in peccato, dall'istessa massa di corruttione uenuta, onde è tolto tutto l'human lignaggio: trouomi sempre piena di cattiui affetti, & non fo mai cosa che buona sia, oue il tuo santo spirito mi guidi, ma ogni hora piego alla terra, & al male, oue mi tira il peso graue di questa carne. Le occasioni d'offenderti per l'altezza del luogo oue m'hai posto, per le ricchezze, per gli agi, et per gli honori, sono molte, & molte, Infiinitè le tentationi, continue, & vrgentissime: la mia carne è fragile si, che non fo altro che errori, & graui peccati dinanzi à te Dio mio, onde sento sopra di me l'ira tua giusta insino allultima condennatione. Dall'altra parte hauendomi [Page] mi tu piantato, per infinita tua misericordia vna viua fede nel cuore, che Cristo è la mia vera e certa salute, & che per lui è riceuuta ogni anima lauata nel suo sangue, dalla tua pietà: ecco che vengo con sicurta, et certa fede a trouar perdono appresso il tribunal della misericordia tua per esso Giesu Cristo. Riceui dun que ti prego padre benigno questa tua figliuola, che viene all' vbidienza paterna: raccogli pastore amoreuole questa pecorella errante, che torna al' tuoouile, & guarisci medico celeste, tutte le piaghe dell'anima mia con la medicina della tua gratia: assicurandomi prima nella conscientia mia, che tutti ï peccati essen domi rimessi, io sia pacificata con esso te, & appresso con lo spirito tuo rinouandomi, [Page] & sanctificandomi ogni di, meni questa vita, che mi resta in santità, & giustitia nel tuo cospet to, e della tua chiesa, fin che mi chiami alla gloria di vita eterna, la quale aspetto, & attendo sicuramente per Giesu Cristo Signor mio, cui sia honore & gloria perpetuamente. Amen. *§§*
❧ Oratione prima come creatura di Dio.
RIconoscendo Signore, com'io sono tua creatura, creata ad imagine & Somiglianza tua, opera eccellente delle tue mani sopra tutte l'altre creature, io te ne rendo gratie infinite, e ti prego humilmen te, che ti piaccia far ch'io habbia con tinuamente cura & riguardo di nō isuilire, nè imbratare questa tua [Page] santissima imagine, ristoratami per Giesu Cristo: anzi conseruandola pura & sincera d'ogni affetto carnale, riluca innanzi gli occhi di tutti lo splendore del tuo volto, c'hai spar so sopra di me, alla gloria tua, per Giesu Christo.
Amen.
❧ Oratione seconda, come Cristiana, e Regina.
IDdio padre, et pro tettor mio, Grandemente mi sento debitrice alla tua clementia, hauendomi à buon'hora chiamata per la predicatione dell Euangelio di Giesu Cristo alla vera pietà, & sincerità della tua [Page] religione, affine che con l'autorità, che m'hai dato, & co'l zelo, di che ti sono debitrice, fossi istrumento tuo di ripiantare, e stabilire in questa parte del mōdo, oue t'è piaciuto ch'io à nome tuo regni, la tua pietà et santissima religione. Pregoti Dio mio, & buon padre, che si come in parte con la gratia tua ho seruito in questo alla tua santa volontà, cosi ti piaccia di torre ogni impedimento, e resistenza d'infideltà dal mio papolo, et à me di bene in meglio inspirar buona volontà, & ardente zelo, dan domi mezzi efficaci, istrumenti atti & sufficienti, accio possa, si come desidero, spiantando ogni maluagio seme d'empietà, spargere, seminare, & radicare il tuo santo Euangelio in tutti i cuori, aggrandendo per [Page] tutto questo regno tuo terreno, quel celeste di Giesu Cristo, al quale sia sempre honore & gloria. Cosi sia.
❧ Oratione terza per l'amministratione della Giustitia.
VLtimamente Iddio supremo Re, & Signor mio: Io confesso, che molto grande fra le grandezze terrene, è l'honore, & la dignità in che tu m'hai posta, et posta, & mātenutamici miracolosamente, cō seruandomi, et liberandomi da molti mali, & pericoli d'huomini cattiui. Riconosco che se fin qui con alcuna [Page] prudenza, vigilanza, giustitia equità, misericordia & in pace ho amministrato l'ufficio, che tu mi hai imposto, tutto è stato dono della tua paterna bontà con esso me. Or'io ti prego caramente, che tipiaccia perseuerare, tenendomi le mani di sopra, humiliandomi sotto il tuo imperio, à cui io sono serua, & dammi che questa corona, che mi hai posto in capo, io la tenga sempe sotto i tuoi piedi: e lo scettro regale postomi nelle mani serua alla gloria tua, alla giustitia & equità del tuo popolo, alla pace, et concordia del Regno. Sia l'intelletto della tua serua chiaro & giusto, la volontà sincera, i giudici equi, & pij. Dammi Signore aiuti, consegli, & ministri abbastanti, retti, & sufficienti, pieni di pietà, & [Page] del tuo santissimo timore, sieno i popoli fideli, e disciplinabili. Perche io, e tutto il mio gregge viuendo in trā quillità, & pace, habbiamo agio, & tempo quieto di seruire alla tua maestà: pregandoti, & supplicandoti di tutto cio per Giesu Cristo Signor mio, e tuo vnigenito figliuolo, al quale con esso te, & con lo spirito santo sia honore & gloria eternamente. Cosi sia.
❧ Primera oracion.
DIos mio y Padre mio dulcissimo, cuya bondad es infinita, cuya misericordia nunca se puede agotar, y cuya boca siempre dize verdad: porque tu eres la mesma verdad que has prometido a los que en ti creen, à los que en ti confian y ponen su esperança libraros, ampararlos y ser les Padre [Page] en todas sus necessidades assi temporales como espirituales: y esto lo has cumplido con la obra ni mas ni menos que tu lo has prometido de palabra: como lo testifican muy muchos testimonios de tu sagrada Escriptura. Assi libraste à Noe del diluuio, à Abrahan de los Chaldeos, à Lot de Sodoma, à Iacob de las sangrientas manos de su proprio hermano Esau, à Daniel del lago de los Leones y d Sufanna del falso testimonio de aquellos dos malditos viejos y iniquos iuezes. Yo tu humilde sierua me prostro, O Dios mio, [Page] O Padre mio delante del throno de tu diuina Magestad, y te doy gracias infinitas, gracias quan grandes yo puedo, porque me has hecho vna del numero de aquellos que tu libraste de grandes afliciones: que me libraste de las crueles manos de mis enemigos, los quales como lobos hambrientos me pretendian chupar la sangre y tragar me biua. Teniā me vn tal odio, por (que) yo ponia en ti solo toda mi esperança, porque yo no me auergonçaua del Euangelio de tu amantissimo Hijo: mas antes me honraua del, como aquella [Page] que tenia por cierto el Euangelio ser potentia tuya para dar salud à todos los que creen. Plegate O Dios mio, dar me gracia que yo no me oluide de vn tan insigne beneficio y merced: no permitas que la buena yerua de gratitud y agradescimiento que tu Magestad ha plantado en el jardin de mi anima, la ahoguen las espinas: las quales son la solicitud y cuydado de las cosas temporales, y el engan̄o de las riquezas. Haz Sen̄or, que de tal manera yo las possea, que yo sea sen̄ora dellas, y no ellas de mi, que yo siempre estè aparejada [Page] para las emplear en tu seruicio. Todo esto te demando en el nombre de tu Hijo Iesu Christo: el qual es mi Dios, mi Sen̄or y mi Redemptor. Amen.
❧ Segunda oracion.
SEn̄or Dios todo poderoso y Padre mio amantissimo, (que) por tu admirable bondad y immensa misericordia has querido hazer à mi pobre pecadora hija de Adan, instrumento de tu gloria, instrumento con que tu [Page] seas glorificado constituyendo me por cabeça y gouernadora deste tu opulentissimo Reyno en estos tan infelicissimos tiempos, en que tu yglesia vnica espo sa tuya es en tan gran manera oprimida de la tyrania de Satanas y de sus ministros, ten por bien assistir me con tu sancto Espiritu, el qual es Espiritu de sabiduria y de inteligencia, Espiritu de cōsejo y de fortaleza, Espiritu de sciencia y de temor tuyo, para que yo tu sierua tēga coraçon entendido que pueda discernir entre lo bueno y lo malo: y desta manera sea en este tu [Page] Reyno administrada iusticia, sea lo bueno aprouado y remunerado: y por el contrario lo malo condenado y castigado. Pues que para esto tu has constituido el Magistrado y le has puesto el cuchillo en la mano. Esto te pido O Sen̄or y Dios mio en nombre de tu vnigenito Hijo Iesu Christo mi Redemptor y intercessor. Amen. §§
❧ Tercera oracion.
O Sen̄or Dios mio y Padre mio, immortales gracias hago à tu diuina Magestad con mi boca, con mi coraçon y con quanto yo soy, por las infinitas misericordias de que has vsado con migo: que no solamente me has hecho criatura tuya, hechura de tus manos formada à la imagen y semejançatuya, [Page] me has por la muerte y passion de tu vnico Hijo Iesu Christo reconciliado contigo, adoptado me y hecho hija tuya, hermana de Iesu Christo tu primogenito y de todos aquellos (que) en ti creen, en ti esperan y confian: mas aun porque me has hecho esta tan sen̄alada y tan rara merced, que siendo yo vna muger de mi naturaleza flaca, timida y delicada, como lo son todas las demas, me has querido hazer robusta, animosa y fuerte para resistir à tanta multitud de Idumeos, Ismaelitas, Moabitas, Agarenos y otra infinidad [Page] de gentes y naciones (que) se auian juntado, conjurado, conspirado y hecho liga, contra ti, contra tu hijo y contra todos aquellos que confiessan tu nombre y tienen por vnica regla de salud a tu sancta palabra. O Dios mio, O Padre mio, cuya bondad es infinita y cuya potē cia es immensa, que sueles escoger las cosas flacas deste mundo para cōfūdir y destruir las fuertes, perseuera, perseuera por la gloria de tu nōbre, por la honra de tu Hijo, por el descāso y quie tud de tu yglesia afligida en dar me fuerças para (que) yo como otra [Page] Debora, como otra Iudith, como otra Esther libre à tu pueblo de Israel de las manos de tus enemigos, leuantate Sen̄or iuz ga tu causa. Derrama tu ira sobre las gentes que note conoscen y sobre los Reynos que no inuocan tu Nombre. Sea conoscida entre las naciones delante de nuestros ojos la vengança de la sangre de tus sieruos que es derramada. Entre de lante tu acatamiento el gemido de los presos, y segun tu gran potencia reserua los que estan ya deputados para morir. Sean Sen̄or los que persiguen à tu [Page] yglesia auergonçados y conturbados perpetuamente, y sean confundidos y perezcan. Conoscan que tu, cuyo nombre es IEHOVA, eres solo el Altissimo sobre toda la tierra. O Sen̄or concede esto à tu yglesia por aquel vnico intercessor y abogado nuestro que siempre està delante de tu Magestad intercediendo por ella, que es Iesu Christo tu eterno Hijo: el qual con tigo y con el Espiritu sancto es vn solo Dios y Sen̄or nuestro. Amen. § §
❧ Precatio Reginae.
ADmirabilis est, deus opt. Max. iudiciorum tuorum abyssus. Tu rex regum, Dominator dominantium. Tu imperia quibus visum est aufers & transfers, euellis & plantas, destruis & aedificas. Tu, quae tua est singularis benignitas, ancillam tuam mortis penè filiam liberasti: me, me captiuam in patrio & regali solio collocasti. Tibi igitur gratias ago, tibi laudes & hymnos cano, tuū nomen dies & noctes celebrabo. Per te patriae libertas, doctrinae veritas, ecclesiae tranquillitas restituta sunt. Beneficiū [Page] tuum, tuum solius fuit, ministerium meum. Onus certè humero muliebri graue, te leuante leue. Adiuua obsecro clementissime pater, necscelera mea, aut merita parentum, aut populi mei respice, quia mala & infinita sūt: sed misericordiae tuae memineris, quia antiqua & aeterna et om nibus miseris exposita est. Serua regnū, tuere religionē, defende causam tuam, reginā tuā, populū tuum & meum. Dissipentur hostes tui qui bella volūt: qui adorant sculptilia pudefiant & conuertantur. Ne simus praeda gentibus quae te non norunt, & nomen tuum non inuocant. Confirma ô Deus opus quod caepisti, affla spiritum principalē seruulae [Page] tuae, & pusillo gregi tuo, vt religionis castitatem cum morū puritate coniungamus, vt vuas non labruscas, & fructus dignos resipiscentia, dignos Euangelio proferamus, quò immortali hoc thesauro immortaliter fruamur, quò hic tibi viuentes & morientes regni tui caelestis haereditatē aliquando cernamus, per Christum Iesum Dominum nostrū. Si quidem tuum est regnum, potentia, & gloria in omnem perpetuitatem. Amen.
❧ Precatio ad deum pro foelici regni administratione & populi incolumitate.
SVmme rerum opifex & seruator deus, quū hic ad maiestatis tuae pedes humilis iaceo, mecū (que) [...]eriò reputo quàm indigna sim cui aurē benignus praebeas, vndi (que) suffusa pudore vix audeo ad te oculos attollere. Cum enim iam olim in ipso matris vtero peccati labes me infecisset, ob id (que) (vt reliqui Adami nepotes) abortu dignissima essem, me tamen hinc tua paterna manus eduxit at (que) in lucem edi permisit, editam cum Christo mori, & mortuam vt aeterna vita fruerer, renasci. Et tamen (miseram me) iuuentus mea, immo mea incunabula nihil nisi prioris [Page] illius vitae fecem spirarunt. Vnde iterum iam me iudicem iratum exspectare te debui. At tu pro infinita tua bonitate me indignissimam ab aulicis voluptatibus ad regni tui delitias, per Sanctorum cōmunionem & vocem euangelij tui etiam tum vocasti. Cum (que) verbis tuis non satis attentè & diligenter auscultarē, etsi me vnà cum alijs huius regni ingratis virga tua percussisti, tamen vicit tua hic quo (que) bonitas genuinam malitiam. Ecce enim dum me loco filiae, qualem me in Christo adoptaras, detrudere debeat tua iustitia: infinitae clementiae cedens, & nouo me beneficio cumulans, è carcere & custodia, at (que) adeo è faucibus leonū solutam ad regnum euexisti, aureo diademate immeritum caput cingens, & regali sceptro dextram ornans. Addo & illud (quod ex omnibus [Page] non minimum esse censeo) quòd christū ex regno Angliae exulantē, quasi postliminio redeūtem ministerio meo restituendū cōcesseris. Haec sunt benignissime pater, praecipua tuorum in me beneficiorum capita: quae quanto excellentiora sunt, tanto indignius erga te me gessi, dum vitam meam nouis subinde vitijs corrumpo. Vnde fit vt horum consideratione de mea salute planè desperem. Sed rursum cum luculenta tua in Christi sanguine sancta promissa memoria repeto, tota reficior & recreor, & recuperata pristina spe tuum thronum securior accedo, non quidem oblatura aliquid quod meis peccatis expiationi esse possit: sed tā tum vt Christi tui oblationem, qua semel perfectos effecit qui sanctificātur, mihi sanctificationē & expiationē esse patiare, supplicatura, [Page] me (que) in tuam clientelā ita suscipias, vt quando ouium adipi obsequium, pecudum carni & sanguini virtutes labiorum anteponis, tuis laudibus efferendis & mandatis tuis exequendis reliquū vitae cursum transigam. Nominatim vero cum me faeminū & imbecillem, & solam ad huius regni gubernacula sedere dignatus sis, & huius administrationis (quae omniū difficillima existit) me coràm Christi tui tri bunali rationē reddere oporteat, porrige pater, porrige inquā è sublimi solio filiae tuae, quae illi ad tam arduū munus obeundū necessaria esse iudicas. Dedisti cōsiliarios, da dextrè eorum vti consilijs: illis autem & piam & aequam & sanam mentē, industriam vero sedulam, vt quae mihi subdito (que) populo vsui sint, & prouidere sub tuo praesidio, & consulere velint ac queant. [Page] Dedisti insuper vt renatus verbo tuo idem populus eodem mecum foueri & ali se patiatur. Da ergo qui eos pascant etfideles pastores, & pios sanos (que) doctores. Caeterum mercenarios & omne genus luporum ab hoc nostro quantuluscū (que) est, tibi Christo (que) dicato grege arce. Quin & gregem ipsum nouis tuis beneficijs ita orna, vt tibi tuum supremum honorem, nobis tua in hac parte vice fungentibus obsequentiam, sibi inter se mutuam charitatem nusquam deneget. Conserua porro tua bonitate mihi partam pacem, & ab omni belli impetu assere patriam & regnum, potissimum ab intestinis & domesticis tumultibus, quibus bona iam orbis Christiani pars quatitur, immunes nos prolege. Et quoniā pauperrimi cuius (que) at (que) [Page] abiectissimae conditionis hominis afflictio ad nos qui tui sumus, attinet: etiam afflictorum omnium qui tua opera promptiori egere videntur, vt te misereat supplex oro & obtestor: Id (que) meritis & nomine filij tui domini nostri Iesu Christi, qui tecū viuit & regnat in omnem aeternitatem. Fiat.
Alia precatio.
SVmme Deus, qui me iam ab ineunte aetate, & antequam in lucem essem aedita, admirabili potentia, incredibili (que) prouidentia a capitali humani generis inimico, eius (que) sceleratis administris hactenus tutam incolumem (que) cō seruasti: concede itidem vt tua singulari benignitate freta, cum ab omnibus clandestinis insidiis, tum etiam a domesticis exteris (que) hostibus eripiar, & ea libertate mentis (que) quieto tranquillo (que) statu consistam, vt populum regnum (que) meae fidei ac tutelae commendatum, sartum [Page] tectum ab omnibus periculis tuearis: & cum ex hac vita migrauero, tecum immortali fruar beatitudine, in omnes aeui aeternitates. Amen. § §
Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you.
Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for &c.