An other confession of sinnes.

O Eternal God and most merciful father, we confesse, and acknow­ledge here before thy diuine ma­iestie,Rom. 3. Psal. 14. that we are miserable sinners, conceiued and borne in sinne and in­iquitie,Psal. 51. Rom. 7. so that in vs there is no goodnesse: for the flesh euermore re­belleth against the spirite, whereby we continually transgresse thy holie precepts and commaundements, and [Page 168] so purchase to ourselues through thy iust iudgement, death, and damnati­on.Gal. 5. Rom. 2. Iere. 3. Esai. 20. Notwithstanding, (O heauenly father) for as much as we are displeased with our selues for the sinnes we haue committed against thee, and doe vnfeinedly repent vs of the same, we most humbly beseech thee for Iesus Christes sake, to shew thy mercy vp­on vs, to forgiue vs al our sinnes, and to increase thy holy spirit in vs,Col. 3. Rom. 6. Ephe. 4.5. 1. Pet. 2. that we acknowledging from the bot­tome of our harts our owne vnrigh­teousnesse, may from hencefoorth, not onely mortifie our sinfull lustes and affections, but also bring foorth such fruites as may be agreeable to thy most blessed wil, through Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour: whome thou hast already giuen an oblation and an offering for our sinnes, and for whose sake we are certainly persua­ded that thou wilt denye vs nothing [Page 169] that we shall aske in his name, ac­cording to thy will. For thy spirite doth assure our consciences, that thou art our mercifull father, and so lo­uest vs thy children through him, that nothing is able to remoue thy heauenly grace and fauour from vs. To thee therfore with the sonne and the holy Ghost, be all honour and glorie, world without end. So be it.

A prayer to be said in the Morning.

O Eternall GOD and heauenly father, seeing that by thy great mercy we haue quietly passed this night, graunt we beseech thee, y^t we may bestowe this day wholy in thy seruice, so that all our thoughts, wordes, and deedes, may redound to the glory of thy name, and good ex­ample of our brethren. And as it hath pleased thee to make the sunne [Page 170] to shine vpon the earth, to giue vs bodilie light: euen so vouchsafe to il­luminate our vnderstanding with the brightnesse of thy spirit, to direct vs in the way of righteousnesse, so that what thing so euer we shall ap­plie our selues vnto, our speciall care and purpose may be to walke in thy feare, and to serue and honour thee, looking for all our wealth & prospe­ritie, to come from thy only blessing, and that we may take nothing in hand, which shall not be agreeable to thy most blessed will.

Furthermore, that we may in such sort trauell for our bodyes, and for this present life, that we may haue alwayes a further regard, that is, to the heauenly life, which thou hast promised to thy children: and in the meane season, that it may please thee to preserue and defend vs both in bodie and soule, to strengthen vs [Page 171] against al the temptations of the di­uell, and to deliuer vs from all perils and daungers that may happen vnto vs, if we be not defended by thy god­ly power.

And for as much as to begin well and not to continue, is nothing: we beseech thee to receiue vs not onely this day, into thy holy protection, but also for the time of our whole life, continuing and increasing in vs daily, thy grace and good giftes ther­of, vntill thou shalt bring vs to that happie state, where we shal fully and for euer be ioyned vnto thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour, which is the true light of our souls, shining day and night perpetually.

And to the end that we may ob­taine such grace at thy hand, vouch­safe (most mercifull father) to for­giue and forget all our sinnes, which we haue heretofore committed a­gainst [Page 172] thee, and for thine infinit mer­cies sake to pardon the same, as thou hast promised to those that aske of thee with vnfeined heart, for whom, as for our selues, we make our hum­ble petitions vnto thee, in the name of thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ, in such sort, as he hath taught vs, saying: Our father, &c.

An other prayer to be said in the Morning.

O Almightie and most gratious God, we hartily thanke thee for the sweete sleepe and comforta­ble rest, which thou hast giuē vs this night past: and for as much as thou hast commaunded by thy holy word, that no man should be idle, but all occupied in godly and vertuous ex­ercises, euery man according to his calling: we most humbly beseech thee, that thine eyes may attend vp­on [Page 173] vs, daily defend vs, cherish, com­fort, gouerne vs, and al our counsels, studies, and labors, in such wise, that we may spend and bestowe this day according to thy most holy will, set­ting thee alwaies before our eyes, ly­uing in thy feare, working that may be found acceptable before thy diuine Maiestie, through Iesus Christ our Lord. So be it.

An other prayer for the Morning.

WE humblie and heartily giue thankes vnto thee (O heauē ­ly father) through thy deare­ly beloued sonne Iesus Christ, that to thy innumerable benefites, hither­to powred vpon our soules and vpon our bodies, thou hast kept vs this night past from many euills, both spirituall and corporall, and nowe of thy mercy doest offer & giue vs time [Page 174] to repent and to amend our liues, so that we might liue hencefoorth, not as we will, but as thou wilt: and as our bodyes doe drawe continually nearer and nearer their end (the graue I meane:) so our soules might ap­proch to their end, that is, heauen and not hell: for in one state we stand not still, but either we are nearer & nea­rer the happie state of life, or else the vnhappie condition of death eternal.

Wherefore we beseech thee to be mercifull vnto vs, good father, and as of thy goodnesse thou giuest vs time to repent and liue godlie, so of the same thy goodnesse in Christe, we humbly beseech thee to giue vs thy gratious gift of true, holie, perfect, & perpetuall repentaunce, that we may more and more lament our former sinfull life, trusting vnfeignedly in thy rich mercy, through the merites of Iesus Christe, for the pardon of [Page 175] all our sinnes, and that we may vn­faignedly purpose, and effectually la­bour to amende our liues this day, & so long as we haue to liue, in all our doings and wordes, and euen in our verie thoughtes, to the praise of thy holie name, and good example of our brethren.

And for as much as thou knowest our weaknesse, our ignoraunce, and great vntowardnesse to carrie any great crosse or affliction: we beseech thee our sweete father, so to temper and order al things towards vs this day and for euer, that we be neuer further proued & tempted, then thou wilt make vs able to beare, and so to helpe vs in the same, as may be most to thy glorie and our saluation, tho­rough Iesus Christe our Lorde. A­men.

An Euening prayer.

[Page 176] O Lorde God, father euerlasting, and full of pitie, we acknow­ledge and confesse, that we be not worthie to lift vp our eyes to heauen, much lesse to present our sel­ues before thy diuine Maiestie, with confidence that thou wilt heare our prayers and graunt our requestes, if we consider our owne wretched de­seruings. For our consciences do ac­cuse vs, & our sinnes witnes against vs, & we knowe that thou art an vp­right Iudge, which doest not iustifie the sinners and wicked men, [...]xod. 2. but pu­nishest the faultes of such as trans­gresse thy commaundementes. Yet most mercifull father, since it hath pleased thee, to commaund vs to call vpon thee in all our troubles and aduersities, promising euen then to helpe vs, when we feele our selues, as it were swallowed vp of death & desperation, [...]sal. 50. [...]sal. 18. we vtterly renounce all [Page 177] worldly confidence and trust, & flee to thy souereigne goodnesse, as our only stay and refuge, beseeching thee not to call to remembrance our manifold sinnes and wickednesse,Psal. 79. whereby we continually prouoke thy wrath and indignation against vs: neither our negligence, nor our vnkindenesse, which haue neither worthilie estee­med, nor in our liues sufficiently ex­pressed the sweete comfort of thy ho­lie Gospel reuealed vnto vs: but ra­ther to accept the obedience & death of thy sonne Iesus Christ our Lord,Heb. 9.10 who by offering vp his bodie in sa­crifice once for all, hath made a suffi­cient recompence for all our sinnes.

Haue mercy therefore vpon vs (O Lorde) and forgiue vs our offen­ces. Teach vs by thy holy spirit,Psal. 19. that we may rightly way them, and ear­nestly repent vs for the same: and so much the rather (O Lord our God) [Page 178] because that the reprobate, [...]sal. 58. [...]sal. 5. and such as thou hast forsaken, can not praise thee, nor call vpon thy name: but the repenting heart, the sorrowful mind, the conscience oppressed, hungering and thirsting for thy grace, shall euer more set foorth thy praise and glorie.

[...]sal. 22.And albeit we be but wormes & dust, yet thou art our creatour, and we be the worke of thy handes: [...]. Cor. 6. yea thou art our father, and we thy chil­dren: thou art our shepheard, and we thy flock: thou art our redeemer, and we thy people whome thou hast dearely bought: [...]ere. 10. thou art our God, and we are thine inheritance.

[...]sal. 6.Correct vs not therefore in thine anger (O Lord our God) neither ac­cording to our desertes doe thou pu­nishe vs, but mercifully chastice vs with a fatherly affection, that all the worlde may knowe, that at what time so euer a sinner doeth repente [Page 179] him of his sinne from the bottome of his heart, [...]zech. 18 thou wilt put away all his wickednes out of thy remembrance, as thou hast promised by thy holie Prophet.

Finally, forasmuch as it hath plea­sed thee to make the night for man to rest in, as thou hast ordeyned him the day to trauell, graunt (O deare father) that we may so take our bo­dily rest, that our soules may conti­nually watche for the time that our Lord Iesus Christe shall apeare for our full deliuerance out of this mor­tal life,Luke 12. Matth. 6. Luke 22. and in the meane season that we be not ouercome by any fanta­sies, dreames, or other temptations, but may fully set our mindes vppon thee, loue thee, feare thee, and rest in thee, in such sort that our verie sleepe also may be to the glorie of thy ho­ly name.

Furthermore, that our sleepe bee [Page 180] not excessiue or ouer much, after the insatiable desire of the flesh, but onely sufficient to content our weake na­ture, that we may the better be dis­posed to liue in all godly conuersa­tion to the glorie of thy holie name, and profite of our brethren, through Iesus Christe our Lorde: in whose name we make our humble petitions vnto thee, as he hath taught vs.

Almightie and euerliuing God, vouchsafe we beseech thee to graunt vs perfect continuance in thy liuely faith, augmenting and increasing the same in vs daily, vntill we growe to the full measure of our perfection in Christe: whereof we make our con­fession, saying: I beleeue in God the father, &c.

The Lorde blesse vs and saue vs, the Lorde make his face to shine vpon vs, and be mercifull vnto vs: the Lorde [Page 181] turne his fauourable countenance to­wardes vs, and graunt vs his peace.

The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ, the loue of God, and the communion of the holie Ghost be with vs, and re­maine with vs for euer. So be it. 2. Cor. 13.

An other Euening prayer.

MOst mercifull God and tender Father, which besides thine in­estimable mercies declared and giuen vnto vs in the making of the world for our sakes, in redeeming of vs by the death of thy deare Sonne Iesus Christe, in the calling of vs to the knowledge of thy blessed worde, in keeping of vs hitherto in thy ho­lie Church, and in thy most grati­ous gouerning of vs, and all things hitherto for our singular wealth and commoditie, hast also most fatherly [Page 182] cared for vs, and kept vs this day from all daungers both of soule and body, giuing vs health, food, apparell, and all other thinges ne­cessary for the comfort and succour of this poore and miserable life, which many other do want: for these and all other thy good gifts and gra­tious benefites, which thou of thine owne goodnesse only and father­ly prouidence hast hitherto powred vppon vs, and doest presently powre vppon vs and many other, wee most humbly thanke thee and praise thy holy name, beseeching thee, that as all things are now hidden by meanes of the darkenes which thou hast sent ouer the earth, so thou wouldest vouchsafe to hide and burie all our sinnes, which this day or at any time heretofore wee haue committed a­gainst thy holy commaundementes: and as nowe wee purpose to lay our [Page 183] bodies to rest, so graunt the garde of thy good Angels to keepe the same this night & for euermore: and when soeuer our last sleepe of death shall come, graunt that it may be in thee good father, so that our bodies may rest both temporally and eternally, to thy glorie and our ioye, through Iesus Christ our Lorde. So be it.

An other Euening praier.

O Eternall God and most merci­full father, who this day, and al the time of our life hast grati­ously defended, nourished, and pre­serued our soules and bodyes, and made such fatherly prouision for vs poore sinners, y^e of thy louing kind­nesse we haue rich portions, not only in the creatures of heauen and earth, but also in that plentiful redemption which thy most deare sonne Iesus [Page 184] Christ hath purchased for vs: graunt vnto vs (O merciful father) the assi­stance of thy grace and holie spirite, that as our bodies shall nowe take their naturall rest, euen so our soules and mindes, at the beholding of thy goodnesse towardes vs, may quiet themselues in thee, and conceiue such inward pleasure & heauenly sweete­nesse in thy loue, that whatsoeuer we shall from henchfoorth, either thinke, speake, or doe, it may be all to the ho­nour of thy holie name, through Ie­sus Christ thy deare sonne our Lord and onely Sauiour. Amen.

Thy mightie hand and outstretched arme (O Lord) be stil our defence: thy mercie and louing kindnesse in Iesus Christ thy deare sonne, be our salua­tion: thy trueth and holie word our instruction: thy grace and holie spi­rite, our comfort and consolation vnto the end, and in the end.

A praier for the remission of sinnes.

O Almightie and euerliuing Lord God, the deare Father of our Sauiour Iesus Christe, which hast made heauen and earth, the sea, & all that therein is, which art the only ruler and gouernour, conseruer and keeper of all thinges, together with thy dearely beloued Sonne Christe Iesus our Lorde, and with the holie ghost the comforter: O holy, righte­ous, & wise: O strong, terrible, migh­tie, and feareful Lord God, gouernor of the whole world, iudge of al men: O exorable, patient, and most grati­ous father, whose eyes are vpon the wayes of all men, and are so cleane, that they cannot abide impietie: thou searchest the heartes, and triest the verie thoughtes and reynes of all men, thou hatest sinne, and abhorrest iniquitie.

[Page 186]For sinnes sake thou hast grieuous­ly punished mankind, thy most deare creature, as thou hast declared by the penaltie of death layde vppon all the children of Adam: by the casting of Adam & his ofspring out of Para­dise, by the cursing of the earth: by the drowning of the world: by the burning of Sodom & Gomor: by hard­ning the heart of Pharao, so that no miracle coulde conuert him: by the drowning of him and his people in the redde sea: by the ouerthrowing of the Israelites in the wildernesse, so that of sixe hundreth thousand there were but two that entred into the lande of promise: by reiecting King Saul: by the punishmentes vppon thy seruaunt Dauid, notwithstāding his heartie repentaunce: by gree­uously afflicting Solomon in him­selfe and his posteritie: by the cap­tiuitie of the tenne tribes: and by the [Page 187] thraldome of the Iewes, wherein vntil this present day they continue, a notable spectacle of thy wrath to the world, against, and for sinne.

But of all spectacles of thy anger against sinne the greatest and moste notable is the death and bloudy pas­sion of thy dearely beloued sonne Iesu Christ. Great was thine anger against sinn, when in heauen & earth nothing could be found which might appease thy wrath, saue the bloud­shedding of thine only & most dear­ly beloued sonne, in whom, was and is all thy delight. Great was the sore of sinne that needed such a salue: mightie was the maladie, that nee­ded such a medicine. If in Christ, in whom was no sinne, thy wrath was so fiarce of our sins, that he was con­strained to cry: My God, my god, why hast thou forsakē mee? Howe great & importable then is thine anger a­gainst [Page 188] vs, which are nothing but sin­full? They that are thy children, through the contemplation of thine anger against sinne, set foorth most euidently in the death of Christe, doe tremble and are afraide, lamenting them selues vpon him, and heartily crying for mercie: whereas the wic­ked are altogether carelesse and con­temptuous, nothing lamenting their iniquities, or crying to thee heartily for mercie and pardon. Amongest whom we are rather to be placed, thē amongst thy children, for that we are so shamelesse for our sinnes, and care­lesse for thy wrath, heaping daily sinne vpon sinne, so that the measure hath ouerflowed and ascended vp to heauen, and brought thy heauie pla­gues vpon vs, which are but earnest for greater to ensue: therefore to vs pertaineth shame, and nothing else is due but confusion.

[Page 189]What shall we doe? what shall we say? who can giue vs penitent heartes? who can open our lips, that our mouthes might make acceptable confession vnto thee? Alas, of our sel­ues we cannot thinke any good, much lesse wish it, and least of all do it. As for Angels, or any other creatures, they haue nothing but that which they haue receiued, and thei are made to minister vnto vs: So that where it passeth the power of the master, the minister must needes want. Alas then, what shall we doe? Thou art holie, and we vnholie: thou art good, and we nothing but euill: thou art pure, and we altogether impure: thou art light, and we most darke darke­nesse: howe then can there be any a­greement betwixt vs? O what now may we do? Dispaire? No, for thou art God, and therefore good: thou art mercifull, and therefore thou forgi­uest [Page 190] sinnes: with thee is mercie and propiciation and therefore thou art worshipped.

when Adam had sinned, thou ga­uest him mercie before he desired it: and wilt thou denie vs mercie which nowe desire the same? Adam excused his fault and accused thee: but wee accuse our selues and excuse thee: and shall wee be sent emptie away? Noe found fauour when thy wrath a­bounned, and shall we seeking grace, be frustrate? Abrahā was pulled out of Idolatrie, when the world was drowned therein: and art thou his God onely? Israell in captiuitie in Egypt was gratiously visited, & de­liuered: & deare God, the same good Lord shal we alwaies be forgotten?

How often in the wildernes didst thou defer and spare thy plagues at the requests of Moses, when the peo­ple them selues made no petition to [Page 191] thee? and seeing wee not onely nowe make our petitions vnto thee thrugh thy goodnesse, but also haue a me­diatour for vs, farre aboue Moses, euen Iesus Christ, shall we (I say) deare Lorde departe ashamed? So soone as Dauid saide, I haue sinned, thou diddest foorthwith answere him, that he should not dye: thou haddest taken away his sinnes: and gratious God, euen the selfe same God, shall not we which nowe with Dauid gladly confesse, that we haue sinned, shall we (I say) not heare by thy good spirit, that our sinnes be pardo­ned? O graunt that with Manasses we may finde fauour and mercy.

Remember that thou hast not spa­red thine owne onely deare Sonne Iesus Christ, but giuen him to dye for our sinnes, to rise for our righte­ousnesse, to ascend for our possession taking in heauen, and to appeare be­fore [Page 192] thee for vs for euer, a high priest after the order of Melchizedech, that through him we might haue free ac­cesse to come to thy throne, nowe ra­ther of grace, then of iustice. Remēber that thou by him hast biddē vs aske, and promised that we should receiue, saying: Aske and ye shall haue, seeke and ye shall finde, knocke and it shall be opened vnto you▪ O deare GOD and most meeke and mercifull father, we heartily beseech thee to be merci­full vnto vs, for this thy Christes sake, for his deaths sake, for thy pro­mise, trueth, and mercies sake. Haue mercie vpon vs, pardon and forgiue vs al our sinnes, iniquities and tres­passes, what so euer we haue com­mitted against thee, in thought, word or deede, euer or at any time hitherto by any meanes. Deare father, haue mercie vpon vs. Though we be poore, yet our Christ is riche: though [Page 193] we be sinners, yet he is righteous: though we be fooles, yet he is wise: though we be impure, yet is he pure and holie: for his sake therefore be mercifull vnto vs.

Call to minde how thou hast pro­mised that thou wilt powre out of thy cleane waters, and wash vs from our filth, and cleanse vs from our e­uills. Forget not that thou hast pro­mised to take from vs our stonie heartes, and to giue vs soft heartes, new hearts, and to put into the mid­dest of vs right spirites. Remember thy couenant, namely, that thou wilt be our God, and we shall be thy peo­ple: that thou wilt put out of thy memorie for euer, all our vnrighte­ousnesse, and hast promised to write in our mindes and heartes thy lawe and testimonies.

Remember that thou dost straitly charge vs to haue none other Gods [Page 194] but thee, saying, that thou art the Lord our God. O then declare the same to vs all, we heartily nowe be­seech thee. Forgiue vs our sinnes, forget our iniquities, cleanse vs from our filthinesse, wash vs from our wickednesse, powre out thy holie spirite vpon vs. Take from vs our hard heartes, our stonie heartes, our im­penitent heartes, our distrusting and doubtfull heartes, our carnall, our secure, our idle heartes, our impure, malicious, arrogant, enuious, wrath­full, impatient, couetous, hypocriti­call, and epicurical harts: and in place therof giue vs new harts, soft harts, faithfull hearts, mercifull hearts, lo­uing, obedient, chast, pure, holy, righ­teous, true, simple, lowly, and patient hearts, to feare thee, to loue thee, to trust in thee for euer.

Write thy lawe in our harts, graue it in our mindes, we heartily beseech [Page 195] thee. Giue vs the spirite of prayer: make vs diligent and happie in the workes of our vocation: take into thy custodie and gouernaunce for e­uer our soules and bodies, our liues, and all that euer we haue. Tempt vs neuer further, thē thou wilt make vs able to beare: and what so euer thou knowest we haue neede of in soule or bodie (deare God and grati­ous father,) vouchsafe to giue vs the same in thy good time: and alwayes, as thy children guide vs, so that our life may please thee, and our death praise thee, through Iesu Christ our Lorde: for whose sake we heartily pray thee, to graunt these thinges thus asked, and al other thinges ne­cessarie for soule and body, not onely to vs, but to al others also, for whom thou wouldest that we should pray, specially for thy children that be in thraldome, in exile, in prison, miserie, [Page 196] heauinesse, pouertie, sicknesse, &c.

Be mercifull to the whole realme of England, and graunt vs all true repentance, and turne from vs the euils that we so wickedly haue de­serued. Pardon our enimies, persecu­tors and slaunderers, and if it be thy pleasure turne their hearts. Be mer­cifull vnto our parents, brethren, and sisters, friendes, kinsefolkes, and fa­miliars, neighbours, and such as by any meanes thou hast coupled and lincked to vs by loue or otherwise: and vnto vs poore sinners here ga­thered together in thy holie name, graunt thy blessing and holie spirite to sanctifie vs, and dwel in vs as thy deare children, to keepe vs this day and for euer from all euill, to thy e­ternall glorie, and our euerlasting comfort, & the profite of thy Church, which mercifully maintaine, cherish and comfort, strengthening them that [Page 197] stand, so that they neuer fall, lifting vp them that be fallen, and keepe vs from falling from thy truth, through the merites of thy dearely beloued sonne Iesu Christ our onely Saui­our, which liueth and reigneth with thee and the hol [...]e Ghost, to whome be all praise and honour, both nowe and for euer. Amen.

A prayer for the true know­ledge of the mysterie of our re­demption in Christ.

O Almightie God, and father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and by him also our father, the father of all mercy, & God of all consolation, haue mercie vpon vs and heare our prayers. We most humbly beseech thee, for thy deare sonne Iesus Chri­stes sake, for his merites and cruell death which he suffered to deliuer vs from eternall death, and the power of [Page 198] darknesse: send into our heartes thy spirit of truth, to worke in vs a true, liuely, & stedfast faith, that the cleare light and brightnesse of thy Gospell, the glorie of Christ, may shine vnto vs, and lighten our mindes, that we may learne and vnderstand the won­derfull and vnspeakable riches of the misterie of our redemption in Christ and by Christ.Ephe. 2. O Father of glorie, giue vnto vs the spirite of wisedome, and bring vs into the true know­ledge of this thy beloued Sonne Iesus Christe, and the knowledge of thy selfe. Open and lighten the eyes of our mindes and vnderstan­ding, that we may knowe what the hope is wherevnto thou hast called vs, and howe rich the glorie of thine inheritance is vpon thy Saints, and the exceeding greatnesse of thy power towardes vs: that by true faith, by vnderstanding & knowledge of thine [Page 199] eternall wisedome (which is Iesus Christe) we may be in deede as we are called, true Christians, and vn­feigned professors of thy holy name, to worship thee in spirite and trueth, and to set forth the glory of thy grace giuen vnto vs in Christe Iesu our Lord. Amen.

O deare Father, write in our heartes loue of thy lawe, hate to all sinne, thankfulnes of heart, and con­tinuall heate of thy holie spirite, for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake: To whome with thee and thy holie spi­rite, be all honour, maiestie, glorie, thankes, rule, empire and dominion, for euermore. Amen.

A forme of thankesgiuing for our redemption, and prayer for the strength & in­crease of faith.

[Page 200] Ephe. 4.ETernall prayse and thankes be giuen vnto thee, deare God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ, which hast blessed vs with all spiri­tuall blessing in heauenly things by Christ, in that thou hast chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world was laide, that we should be without blame before thee through him, by whome we haue redemption through his bloud, euen the forgiue­nesse of our sinnes: in whome, after we heard the word of truth, the gos­pell of our saluation wherein we be­leeued, we are sealed with the holie spirite of promise, which is the ear­nest of our inheritance, which spirite hath and doth beare witnesse vnto our spirits, that we are thy children, and therefore cryeth in our heartes: Abba Father. [...] 8. And thus (most grati­ous father) when thou hast once gi­uen the earnest pennie of our salua­tion [Page 201] into our heartes, thou doest not repent of thy gift and calling, neither wilt thou at any time breake thy co­uenant of grace and mercie in Christ thy Sonnes merites, confirmed in vs by that seale and loue token. For what though we be weake in our be­liefe,Rom. 3. shall our vnbeliefe make thy promise of no effect? No, thou wilt alway be found true, but all men are liars. And yet Lord, thou doest most gratiously beholde and accept, be it neuer so little a sparke of faith. We say therefore and cry vnto thee, with one that wept and saide:Matth. 9. I beleeue Lord, helpe my vnbeliefe. Yea, that little, be it neuer so litle, is thy meere gift also. The which as thou begun, so (most mercifull Lord) increase the same more and more, to the peace and comfort of our conscience, and the glorie of thy name, through Iesus Christ. Amen.

A thankesgiuing to God for his great benefites.

HOnour and praise be giuen to thee (O Lorde God almightie) most deare father of heauen, for all thy mercies and louing kindnesse shewed vnto vs, in that it hath plea­sed thy gratious goodnesse, freely and of thine owne accorde, to elect and choose vs to saluation afore the be­ginning of the world: and euen like continuall thankes be giuen vnto thee, for creating vs after thine owne image, for redeeming vs with the precious bloud of thy deare Sonne, when we were vtterly lost, for sanc­tifying vs with thy holie spirite in the reuelation and knowledge of thy sacred word, for helping and succou­ring vs in al our neede and necessitie, for sauing vs from all dangers both of bodie and soule, for comforting vs so fatherly in al our troubles and af­flictions, [Page 203] for sparing vs so long, and giuing vs so large a time of repen­tance. These benefites (O most mer­cifull father) like as we do acknow­ledge that we haue receiued of thy onely goodnesse, euen so we beseech thee for thy deare sonne Iesus Chri­stes sake, to graunt vs alwayes thy holie spirite, whereby we may conti­nually growe in thankefulnesse to­wardes thee, be led in all trueth, and comforted in all aduersitie.

Strengthen our faith, O Lorde: kindle it more and more in feruent­nesse and loue towardes thee and our neighbours for thy sake. Suffer vs not (most deare father) to receiue thy word any more in vaine, but graunt vs alwaies the assistance of thy grace and holy spirite, that in heart, word, and deede,Halowe [...] be thy name. we may sanctifie and doe worship to thy holy name: that we may helpe to amplifie and increase [Page 104] thy kingdome,Thy kingdome come. Thy will be done. and that what so euer thou sendest, we may be heartily wel content with thy good will and plea­sure. Suffer vs not to lack the thing (O father) without the which we can not serue thee:Giue vs this day, &c. but blesse thou so all the workes of our hands, that we may haue sufficient, and not to be chargeable, but rather helpefull vnto other. Be mercifull, O Lorde, vnto our offences:Forgiue vs &c. and seeing our debt is great which thou hast forgiuen vs in Iesus Christ, make vs to loue thee and our neighbors so much the more. Be thou (O father) our captaine and defender in all temptations:Leade vs not into temptati­on. holde thou vs by thy mercifull hande, that we thereby may be deliuered from all inconueniences,But deli­uer vs frō euill. and end our liues in the sanctifying and honouring of thy name, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A praier for true mortification.

O God my creator, preseruer and euerlasting defender, where first in my creation I was made like vnto thine owne likenesse, the diuell (alas) hath since by Adams fal made me ougly, monstrous, and like euill fauoured to him selfe. For what are nowe,Col. 3. Lord, mine earthly members, but (as thine Apostle writeth) adul­terie, whoredome, vncleannesse, vn­naturall lustes, euill concupiscence, couetousnesse (which is the worship­ping of Idols) and such other, for the which thy wrath is wont to come vpon the children of vnbeliefe? Ne­uerthelesse, Lorde, of thy great mercy and goodnesse, against this so great a mischiefe, a much greater remedie thy fatherly prouidence hath ordai­ned: for thou hast sent Iesus Christ thy deare & only natural Sonne into this worlde, the vale of miseries, to [Page 206] loose the workes of the diuell,1. Iohn 3. and to take away my sinnes.

1. Iohn 5.Therefore sathan hath nowe no­thing to brag of, for through Christ, all that beleeue in thee and so become thy children, do ouercome the world, the flesh,Iohn 3. and the diuell. And this is the victorie which ouercommeth thē all, euen our faith. That faith I meane, which is persuaded that who so euer beleeueth in Christ, shall not perish,1. Iohn 5. but haue euerlasting life.

That faith which beleeueth y^e te­stimonie to be true which thou God the father doest testifie of thy sonne, so making thee no liar: and this is y^e testimonie, that thou hast giuen vs eternall life.Rom. 8. That faith which belee­ueth that thou father, who raisedst vp Christ from death, shalt also quic­ken our mortall bodies through thy holie spirite dwelling in vs. That faith which beleeueth it to be true [Page 207] which thy Sonne Christe affirmed with a double oth,Iohn 14. verily, ve­rily I say vnto you, he that beleeueth in me, the workes that I doe, the same shall he doe, and greater woorkes then these shall he doe, bicause I goe to my father. And finally, that faith which beleeueth that nowe Christe hath bene lift vp on the crosse,Iohn 12. he shal draw al things vnto him. This faith (I say) is the victorie which ouer­commeth our enimies, the diuell, the world, and our flesh.

Thou therfore, deare father, which hast promised to giue what so euer I shal aske in thy deare sonne Iesus name,Iohn 14 for thy great mercie and in­fallible truthes sake, doe nowe in me the thing that he came for: lose in me the workes of the diuel, & take away my sinnes,1. Iohn [...] I beseech thee: make sted­fast my faith and confidence in thy promised mercies and mercifull pro­mises: [Page 108] so that I assuredly beleeuing in thee, may haue (as thou promisest) euerlasting life, & making thee (deare God) no liar, may beleeue, feele, and knowe in my heart and conscience, that the same euerlasting life is thy meere and free gift vnto me, yea, al­readie of thy great goodnesse, vndou­tedly giuen me, being nowe transla­ted from death to life.

Of a thankfulnesse wherof, Lord, cause me nowe daily to mortifie my earthly members:Rom. 8. yea, deare father, sith thy spirit which raised vp Christ from death, dwelleth within me, doe thou (who raisedst Christ frō death) quicken my mortall bodie through thy spirite so dwelling in me, I be­seech thee: yea Lord Iesu, according to thy promise (bicause thou art now gone to thy father) make me worke this wonderfull great worke y^t thou spakest of,Iohn 14. I meane, make me being [Page 209] of my selfe but a lumpe of sinne, and a monster most ougly, (as the vices whereon the members of my earth­ly bodie are aboue declared to be cō ­pact,Col. 3. doe proue) make me, I say, yet through thy grace, to hate, abhorre, flee, and subdue all adulterie, whore­dome, vncleannesse, vnnaturall lu­stes, euill concupiscence, vnordinate desires, wantonnesse, tendernesse, de­licatenesse, idlenesse, dronkennesse, gluttonie, slothfulnesse, distrust, des­paire, ignorance, weakenesse, wilful­nesse, idolatrie, superstition, hypocri­sie, heresie, error, sects▪ variance, strife, wrath, enuie, slaunders, lying, swea­ring, cursing, vainglorie, pride, coue­tousnesse, theft, deceit, flatterie, and what so euer else, O Lorde, fighteth or rebelleth against thy holy spirite: and then (O Father) I will boast & make vaunt against myne enimie the diuell, that I haue done greater [Page 210] workes then thy deare sonne Iesus did,Iohn 14. at what time hee spake these wordes among the Iewes, because albeit he vanquished Sathan, yet in as much as hee himselfe was vtterly without sinne, the victorie seemed the more easie. But I to vanquishe sathan, being my selfe altogether sin­full, yea, contrarie to my most sinfull nature to subdue sinne, the diuel, and mine owne fleshe, it seemeth a more victory and a greater worke then the other. For the which neuerthelesse, I will with all submission acknow­ledge vnto thy diuine maiestie, that the whole victorie, Lorde, in deede, is thine, and thy holy spirite the be­ginner and finisher both of the will and the worke.

Now therfore (Lord Iesu) streng­then mee with thy grace and might, that thou maist by mee a most sinfull wretche, drawe all these my earthly [Page 211] members and horrible vices before rehearsed, vnder my feete, that I may not onely fight against them, but also subdue them,Rom. 8. Iohn 12. so that they may all turne to the best for mee, as meete matter whereon I may exer­cise my faith, powre forth my hearty prayer, and giue thee most heartie thankes for victorie: wherby I may learne and haue experience that thou hast in mee drawne all thinges vnto thee, insomuch as thou thus (Lord) of thy diuine power drawest both the diuel and the sinne that dwelleth in me, to set foorth thine honour and glorie, which thing for thy mercies sake bring to passe, O God my crea­tor, preseruer & euerlasting defender.

A meditation for the exercise of true mortification.

HE that will be ready in weigh­tie matters to denie his owne [Page 212] will, and to be obedient to the will of God, the same had neede to accu­stome him selfe to denye his desires in matters of lesse weight, and to ex­ercise mortification of his owne will 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 can not watch with Christ one houre, (as he saith to Peter) we vndoubtedly can much lesse goe to death with him. Where­fore, that in great tentations we may be ready to say with Christ: Not my will, but thy will be done: (for as much as this cōmonly 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 of that they desire) I humbly beseech thee for Christes sake to helpe me herein.

[Page 213]First pardon me my cherishing, and (as it were) watering of mine affections, obeying them in their de­uises and superfluous desires: where through, in that they haue taken deepe roote, and are too liuely in me. I secondly doe beseech thee to pull them vppe by the rootes out of my heart, and so hencefoorth to order me, that I may continually accustome my selfe to weaken the principall roote, that the by rootes and branches may loose all their power. Graunt me (I beseech thee) that thy grace may daily mortifie my concupiscence of pleasure in thinges, that is, of wealth, riches, glorie, libertie, fauour of men, meats, drinkes, apparel, ease, yea, and life it selfe, that the horrour and impatiencie of more grieuous things may be weakned, and I made more patient in aduersitie.

Wherevnto I further desire and [Page 214] pray thy goodnes, deare father, that thou wilt adde this: namely that I may for euer become obedient and readie to doe thy good will in all things hartily and willingly to serue thee, and do whatsoeuer may please thee. For doubtles altho [...]gh wee ac­custome our selues in the pleasaunt thinges of this life, to a mortifica­tion and deniall of our selues, yet we shall finde inough to doe, when more better & weighty crosses come. For if thy sonne our sauiour (euer wonte to obay thy good will) prayed so har­tily and often: Not my will, but thy will be done, (whereby he declareth himselfe to be verie man) how can it be, but we, whose nature is corrupt, not onely in natiuitie, but in the rest of our whole life also, shall find both our handes ful in great and greeuos temptations, wholy to resigne our selues vnto thee.

[Page 215]Graunt therefore deare father, for thy Christes sake, to mee a most mi­serable wretch, thy grace and spirite to be effectuall in mee, that daily I may accustome my selfe, to deny my will in more easie and pleasant thin­ges of this life, that when neede shall be, I may com vnto thee with a re­signed wil, alwaies stedfastly expec­ting thy mercie, and in the meane season, continually obeying thee with readinesse and willingnes, do­ing what so euer may most please thee, through Christ our Lord, who liueth with thee, &c.

A meditation of the comming of Christ to iudgement, and of the reward both of the faith­full and vnfaithfull.

OH Lord Iesus Christ the son of the euerliuing God, by whom all thinges were made, are ruled [Page 216] and gouerned: as of thy loue for our redemption thou didst not disdaine to be our mediatour, & to take vpon thee our nature in the wombe of a virgin purely and without sinne, by the operation of thy holie spirite, that both thou mightest in thine owne person wonderfully beautifie and ex­alt our nature, and worke the same in vs also, first abolishing the guilti­nes of sinne by remission, then sinne it selfe by death, and last of all, death by raising vp again these our bodies, that they may be like to thine 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 three and thirtie yeares at the least, in most humilitie, and paiedst the price of our ransome [Page 217] by thy most bitter death and passion: (for the which I most heartily giue thankes to thee) so of the same thy loue towardes vs, in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the clouds of heauen, with power and great glo­rie, with flaming fire, with thousāds of Saintes, w^t Angels of thy power, with a mightie cry, shout of an Ar­changel, and blast of a trumpe,Matth. 24 sou­denly as a lightening which shineth from the East, &c. when men thinke least, euen as a theefe in the night, when men be asleepe, thou wilt so come, I say, thus soudenly in the twinckling of an eye,Matth. 2 [...] all men that e­uer haue bene, be, or shall be, with women and children, appearing be­fore thy tribunall seate, to render an account of all thinges, which they haue thought, spoken, and done a­gainst thy lawe, openly and before all Angels, Saintes, and diuels, and so [Page 220] shall their corruptible bodie put on incorruption: then shall they be en­dued with immortalitie, and glorie: then shall they be with thee, and goe whither thou goest: then shall they heare: Come blessed of my father, pos­sesse the kingdome prepared for you from y^e beginning &c. then shall they be set on seats of maiestie, iudging y^e whole world: then shall they reigne with thee for euer: then shall God be al in al with them and to them: then shall they enter and inherite heauen­ly Ierusalem, and the glorious rest­full lande of Canaan, where it is al­ways day and neuer night, where is no manner of weeping, teares, infir­mitie, hunger, colde, sickenesse, enuie, malice, nor sinne: but alwayes ioy without sorow, mirth without mea­sure, pleasure without paine, hea­uenly harmonie, most pleasant melo­die, saying and singing: Holie, holie, [Page 221] holie, Lord God of hoastes, &c.

Finally the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, that they shall then inherite and moste surely enioy, although here they be tormented, prisoned, solicited of Sa­tan, tempted of the flesh, and intang­led with the world, wherethrough they are inforced to cry:Apoc. 22▪ Thy king­dome come: Come Lord Iesu, &c.

Howe amiable are thy tabernacles? Like as the Hart desireth the water brookes, Psal. 42. &c. Nowe let thy seruant de­part in peace. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. Rom. 8. We mourne in our selues, wayting for the deliue­raunce of our bodyes, &c. Oh grati­ous Lorde, when shall I finde such mercie with thee, that I may repent, beleeue, hope & looke for these things, with the full fruition of those hea­uenly ioyes which thou hast prepa­red [Page 222] for all them that feare thee, and so rest with thee for euermore.

A meditation of the life euer­lasting, the place where it is, and the incomparable ioyes thereof.

THat there is an euerlasting life none will denie, but such as wil denie God. For if he be true and 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 Mat. 25. 1. Cor. 15. Heb. 4.11.13. 1. Pet. 1. it plainely appeareth & else­where in very many places. So that to deny an euerlasting life, is to de­nie God, to denie Christ and all that euer he did: also to denie all pietie and religion, to condemne of foolish­nesse all good men, Martyres. Con­fessors, Euangelistes, Prophets, Pa­triarches. [Page 223] Finally the denial of eter­nall life is nothing else but a deniall of the immortalitie of the soule, and so a plaine making of man nothing better then beastes. If it be so, let vs then eate and drinke,1. Cor. 15 for to mor­rowe we shall die. Lord preserue vs from this Saduceall and Epicuriall impietie, and graunt vs for thy mer­cies sake deare God, that we may be assuredly persuaded, that there is in deede an eternall life and blisse with thee, for them that put their trust in thee: amongest whome accompt mee for thy mercies sake.

Againe this eternal life,Where this eter­nal life is. and the place apointed for them that bee thy seruantes, all men do graunt to bee with thee. Albeit they do not thinke, that because thou art euerie where, therfore eternal life is euery where. For they by thy worde do knowe, that in as much as no man canne see [Page 224] thee and liue,Iohn 4. this eternall life and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition, after in an other world, wherevnto by corporall death they doe depart, and are translated to a place aboue them, [...]. Tim. 6. where thou dwel lest in a light whervnto no man can approch. Abrahams bosom (they read) was aboue, as the place for the wic­ked was alowe and beneath. Helias was caught vp into heauen, and thy deare Sonne our Sauiour prayed, y^e where he is,Iohn 17. those also might be which thou haddest giuen him, and might see his glorie. Nowe he (deare father) we learne by thy spirite, was ascended & taken vp in his very body into heauen,Acts. 7. whither Stephan looked vp & saw thy Christ standing on thy right hande, to whome he prayed, O Lord Iesu receiue my spirite. Graunt, I beseech thee, gratious God and fa­ther, that I may haue a cleane heart, [Page 225] more and more to see thee, and so in spirite to see and looke often vpon this place: whither bring me at the length in bodie also I humblie pray thee.

Nowe what a thing this euerla­sting life is, no man is able to con­ceiue, much lesse able to vtter: For the peace of God which is eternal life, 1. Cor. [...]. passeth al vnderstanding. The eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, nei­ther can mans heart conceiue those thinges which thou (deare God) hast prepared for them y^t loue thee. What so euer therefore can be spoken or imagined of thy kingdome, of the clearenesse, ioy, and felicitie of the same, is nothing in comparison, as we may see by thy prophetes: which (bicause they could not otherwise) vnder corporall thinges, haue shad­dowed the same.What know­lege may be had in this life of the life euerla­sting. So that the confi­dence of eternall life, what a thing it [Page 226] is, can in no wise be tolde. How­beit, somwhat wee may be brought into some sight of it by earthly thin­ges, to thinke on this sort. If God haue giuen here so many things in a strange place, how many are y^e great good things y^t be at home? if in 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 seruantes, Oh Lord? If thy children finde such cō ­forts in the day of tears & mourning, what shall they find in the day of the marriage? If with beastes men bee­ing, haue y^e vse of innumerable bles­singes, Oh how many are the bles­singes which they shall enioye with thy Angels, and with thy selfe (O deare God) when they shall see thee, and haue the fruition of thee: in whō is fulnes without lothing of all good and faire things, so that nothing can [Page 227] be more desired, & that for euermore.

This thy chidren do not so see as they now beleeue it: I say y^t euen in their bodies they shall see it for euer: as Iob saide. Iob. 19. They beleeue that they shall see thee, and their owne eyes beholde thee, when these our corpo­rall eyes, our bodies being raised, shall do their duties. Such a know­ledge of thee they beleeue to haue, as shall not be only intellectuall and by faith, as now it is, but euen a full sight and fruition, yea, a coniunction and fellowship with thee.1. Cor. 13 Now they see but as in a glasse, euen in a darke speaking: but then they shall see thee face to face.Heb. 11. For faith, though it be the substance of things hoped for and a certaine darke sight of thee: yet it may not be compared to the reward of faith,1 Ioh. 13. and glorious sight which we shall see in the life to come, when faith and hope shall cease.

[Page 228]Nowe, thy children knowe that they be thy sonnes, though it yet ap­peare not what they shall be. We know (say thei) that when our Christ God and man shal appeare, then shal we be like vnto him, 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 y^e manhood, as for the godhead it selfe, as Paule doth also write,1. Cor. 15 that when all things are subiect vnto the Sonne, then shal he be subiect vnto thee deare father also, y^t God may be al in al. And therfore Christ our Sauiour prayed for vs, that we might knowe thee the onely true God: Not that our Christ thy Sonne is not with thee, the true, coequall, and substantiall God, but that we might knowe how that after the iudgement such a mysterie of his mediatourship shall not be in heauen, as is now in earth.

[Page 229]Then thou blessed Trinitie, God the Father, God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost shalt be al in al: thou shalt be the end of our desires: thou shalt be looked vpon without end: thou shalt be loued without lo­thing: thou shalt be praised without wearinesse. Although lothsomenesse be wont to followe fulnesse, yet our fulnesse in the contemplation of thy pleasures shal bring with it no kinde at all of lothsomenesse. Satietie of ioyes shalbe in the beholding of thee.Psal. 16. Pleasures are on thy right hande for euer. We shall bee satisfied when we arise after thine image,Psal. 17. I meane in the resurrection.

O deare father, shewe thy selfe vnto vs, and we aske no more. Oh graunt vs with thy saintes in euer­lasting life, to praise with perpetual prayses thy holy name. Happie then and happie againe were wee, if that [Page 230] day were come, that we might singe with thy Angels, elders, and innu­merable thousands, a new songe, and say:Apoc. 5. Thou Christ Iesu which wast slaine, art worthy to receiue power, & riches, and wisedome, and strength, & honor, and glorie, and blessing.

In this blessed life all kinde of maladies, griefes, sorrows, and euils be far away, and all full of all kinde of mirth, ioy and pleasure. Oh that we might see now a little with saint Iohn that holy citie newe Ierusalem, descending from heauen prepared of God as a bride trimmed for her hus­band. Oh that we might now som­thing heare the great voyce speaking out of the throne: Behold the Taber­nacle of God is with men, and he will dwel with them, and they shall be his people, and hee shall bee vnto them their GOD: he will wipe away all teares from their eyes, and death sha [Page 231] be no more, nor weeping, nor cry­ing, nor sorrowe, 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 ve­rily not beautilfull nor bright, but most foule and darke, disquiet, fraile, & filled vp with much vermine & venomous vipers (I mean it con­cerning our affections) standing in an aire most vnwholsome, & prospect most lothsome, if a man consider the excrements of it by the eyes, nose, mouth, eares, handes feete, and al the other partes. So that no Bocardo, no Little ease, no Dungeon, no Bishops prison, no Gatehowse, no sinke, no pit, may be compared in any poynt to be so euill a prison for the body, as the [Page 232] bodie 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, Howe long shall I lye in this prison? Oh wretch y^t I am (saith Paule) who shall deliuer me out of this bodie of sinne? Rom. 7. which is an heauie burden to the soule, as the wiseman saith. And the godly cry:Luke 2. now let thy seruant de­part in peace. O y^e I were dissolued, & had put off this earthly and frayle tabernacle.Psal. 143. Take me vnto thee, and bring my soul out of this prison, that it may giue thanks vnto thee, O Lord. For so long as we be in this bodie, we can not see the Lord: yea, it is as an heauie habitation, and depresseth downe sore the spirit from the famili­aritie which it else should haue with God. This world & life is an exile, a vale of miserie, a wildernesse of it selfe, being voyde of all vertues and [Page 233] necessaries for eternall life, full of e­nimies, sorrowes, sighings, sobbings, gronings, miseries, &c. In daunger to hunger, colde, heate, thirst, sores, sicknesse, tentations, trouble, death and innumerable calamities, being momentanie, short, vnstable, and no­thing but vaine, and therfore is com­pared to a warfare, a womans tra­uell, a shaddowe, a smoke, a vapour, a word, a storme, a tempest, in y^e which Gods people feele great molestatiōs, griefes, & troubles, now of satan him selfe, nowe of the world, now of their owne flesh, & that so wonderfully, di­uersly, daungerously, and contrarily, that they are inforced to cry: O Lord, when shall we come and appeare be­fore thee? when shall this miserie end? when shall we be deliuered out of this vale of miserie? out of this wildernes? out of these continuall afflictions and most perillous seas?

[Page 234]But where thou art (Lorde and deare Father of mercie) there is not onely no prison, no doloures, no sor­rowe, no sighings, no teares, no sick­nesse, no hunger, no heate, no colde, no paine, no tentations, no displea­sure, no malice, no pride, no vnclean­sure, no contention, no torments, no horror, no sinne, no filth, no stinche, no dearth, no death, no weeping, no teares, no miserie, no mischeefe: there is (I say) not onely no such thing, or any euill, noysom, or displea­sant thing, but all libertie, all light, all pleasantnesse, all ioye, reioycing, mirth, pleasure, health, welth, riches, glorie, power, treasure, honour, tri­umphe, comfort, solace, loue, vni­tie, peace, concorde wisedome, ver­tue, melodie, meeknesse, felicitie, beatitude, and all that euer can bee wished or desired in most securitie, eternitie, and perpetuitie, that may [Page 235] be thought not onely of man, but of Angels an Archangels, yea aboue al thoughtes.1. Cor. 2. The eye hath not seene the like, the eare hath not heard, nor no heart is able to conceiue in any point, any part of the blissefull bea­titude which is with thee most deare Lorde and Sauiour, most gratious God and comforter.

Where thou art, O blessed God, the Archangels, Angels, Thrones, Powers, Dominatiōs, Cherubines, Seraphines, Patriarches, Pro­phets, Apostles, Martyrs, Uirgins, Confessours, and righteous spirites cease not to sing night and day: Ho­ly, Holy, Apoc. 4. Holy, Lorde God of Hostes, Honour, maiestie, glorie, power, em­pire, and dominion, be vnto thee, Oh God the creator, O Lord Iesu the Re­deemer, Oh holy spirit the comforter. Apoc. 5.

In recordation of this, O howe thy children reioyce? howe contemne [Page 236] they the pleasures of this worlde? Howe little esteeme they any corpo­rall griefe or shame? howe desire they to be with thee? Howe amiable are thy tabernacles, Oh Lorde GOD of hoastes, Psal. 84. say they? My soule hath a de­sire to enter into the Courtes of the Lord: my heart and my soule reioy­ceth in the liuing GOD: blessed are they that dwell in thy house, that they may be alwayes praising thee. For one day in thy Courtes, is better then a thousand elsewhere. I had rather be a doore keeper in the house of my God, then to dwell in the tentes of vngod­linesse, for the Lord God is a light and defence. Psal. 42. And againe, Like as the Hart desireth the water brookes, so longeth my soule after thee, O God. My soule is a thirst for God, yea, euen for the li­uing God. When shall I come to ap­peare before the presence of God? My soule thirsteth for thee, Psal. 63. my flesh also [Page 237] longeth after thee, in a barren and dry land, where no water is.

They (thy children I meane O Lorde) desire the day of that their redemption.Rom. [...]. Still they cry, Let thy kingdome come. Apoc. 22▪ Phil. 3. They cry, Come Lord Iesus. They lift vp their heads, looking for thy appearing, Oh Lord, which will make their vile bodies, like to thine owne glorious and im­mortall bodie. For when thou shalt appeare, they shallbe like vnto thee. Thy Angels wil gather them toge­ther,Matt. 24. and they shall meete thee in the cloudes, and be alwayes with thee. They shall heare this ioyfull voyce [...]: Come ye blessed of my father, possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning.

Then shal they be like to thy An­gels. Then shall they be like vnto the Sonne in thy kingdome.Matt. 13. Apoc. 7. Then shall they haue crownes of glorie, [Page 238] and be indued with white garments of innocencie and righteousnesse, ha­uing palmes of victorie in their han­des. Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible in­heritance which they shall inioy for euermore. Amen.

A meditation of the pre­sence of God.

THere is nothing that maketh more to true godlinesse of life, then the persuasion of thy pre­sence, (deare father) and that no­thing is hid from thee, but all to thee is open, and naked, euen our verie thoughts which one day thou wilte reueale and open either to our praise or punishment in this life: as thou didest Dauids faults which he did se­cretly. 2. Reg. 12. or in the life to com Math. 25. for nothing is so hid that [Page 239] shall not be reuealed. Therfore doth the prophet say: Wo to them that keepe secrete their thoughtes, to hide their counsell from the Lord, and do their workes in darknesse: saying, who seeth vs?

Graunt mee therefore deare God, mercie for all my sinnes, especially my hidde and close sinnes. Enter not into iudgement with me, I humbly beseech thee, giue mee to beleeue tru­ly in thy Christ, that I neuer come into iudgement for them, and that with Dauid I mighte so reueale them vnto thee, that thou wouldest in thy great mercie couer them. And graunt further, that hencefoorth I may alwaies thinke my selfe conti­nually conuersaunt before thee, so that if I do wel, I neede not to passe of the publishing of it, as hypocrites do: if I thinke or do any euil, I may forthwith knowe that the same shall [Page 240] not alwayes be hid from men.

Graunt me that I may alwayes haue in minde that day wherein the hid workes of darknesse shal be illu­minated, and also that sentenee of thy sonne, that nothing is so secret which shall not be reuealed. So in trouble and wrong I shal finde comfort, and otherwise be kept through thy grace from euill, which doe thou worke I humbly beseech thee for Christes sake.

A meditation of the proui­dence of God.

God worketh al in al maruellously, iu­stly, and holilie.THis ought to be vnto vs most certaine, that nothing is done w^tout thy prouidence, (O Lord) that is, that nothing is done, be it good or bad, sweete or sower, but by thy knowledge, that is, by thy will, wisedome, and ordinaunce, (for all these knowledge doth comprehend [Page 241] in it) as by thy holy worde wee are taught in many places, that euen the life of a sparrowe is not without thy will,Matth [...] nor any libertie or power vpō a porket haue all the diuells in Hell,Matth. [...]. but by thy appoyntment and will: which will we alwaies must beleeue most assuredly to be all iust and good, how so euer otherwise it seeme vnto vs: for thou art maruellous and not comprehensible in thy wayes, and holy in all thy workes.

But herevnto it is necessarie also for vs to knowe no lesse certeinely,God worketh▪ by meanes, without meanes, & against meanes. that though all thinges be done by thy prouidence, yet the same proui­dence hath many and diuerse meanes to worke by, which meanes beeing contemned, thy prouidence is con­temned also. As for example. Meat is a meane to serue thy prouidence for the preseruation of health and life here, so that hee which contemneth [Page 242] to eate because thy prouidence is cer­teine and infallible, the same con­temneth thy prouidence.

In deede, if it were so that meate could not be had, then should we not tie thy prouidence to this meane, but make it free as thou art free, that is. that without meate thou canst helpe and giue health and life, for it is not of any neede that thou vsest any instrument or meane to serue thy prouidence. Thy power & wisedome is infinite, and therefore should we hange on thy prouidence euen when all is cleane against vs. But for our erudition & infirmities sake, it hath pleased thee by meanes to worke and deale with vs here, to exercise vs in obedience, and because we cannot [...]lse (so greate is our corruption) su­steine thy naked and bare presence.

Graunt me therefore deare father, I humbly beseech thee for Christes [Page 243] sake, y^e as I something now knowe these things, so I may vse this knowledge to my comfort & commoditie in thee: that is, graunt that in what state soeuer I be, I may not doubt but the same doth come to mee by thy most iust ordinance, yea, by thy mercifull ordinance: for as thou art iust, so art thou merciful: yea, thy mercie is aboue all thy works.

And by this knowledge graunt mee that I may humble my selfe to obey thee, and looke for thy helpe in time conuenient, not onely whē I haue meanes by which thou maiest worke, and art so accustomed to do: but also when I haue no mea­nes, but am destitute therof, yea, whē all meanes be directly and cleane a­gainst mee: graunt I say that I may yet still hang vpon thee and thy pro­uidence, not doubting of a fatherly end in thy good time.

[Page 244]Againe, least I should contemne thy prouidence, or presume vppon it by vncoupling those thinges which thou hast coupled together: preserue me from neglecting thy ordinarie & lawfull meanes in all my needes, if so be I may haue them, & with good conscience vse thē, although I know thy prouidence be not tied to them further then pleaseth thee: and grant that I may with diligence, reue­rence and thankfulnes, vse them, and thereto my deligence, wisedeme and industrie in all thinges lawefull to serue thereby thy prouidence, if it so please thee: howbeit, so that I hang in no part on the meanes or on my diligence, wisedome, and industrie, but onely on thy prouidence: which more and more persuade me to be altogether fatherlie and good, howe far so euer otherwise it appeare and seeme, yea, or else is felt of me. By [Page 245] this I being preserued from negli­gence on my behalfe, and despaire or murmuring towards thee, shall be­come diligent and patient through thy meere and alone grace: which giue and increase in me, to the praise of thy holy name for euer, through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour. Amen.

A Meditation of Gods power, beautie, goodnesse, &c.

BYcause thou Lord wouldest haue vs to loue thee, not onely doest thou will, entice, allure, and pro­uoke vs, but also doest command vs so to do, promising thy self vnto such as loue thee, and threatning vs with dānation, if we do otherwise. Wher­by we may see both our great cor­ruption & naughtinesse, & also thine exceeding great mercie towards vs.

First concerning our corruption [Page 246] and naughtinesse: what a thing is it, that power, riches, authoritie, beau­tie, goodnes▪ liberalitie, truth, iustice, (all which thou art good Lord) can not moue vs to loue thee? Whatsoe­uer thinges we see faire, good, wise mighty, are but euen sparcles of that power, beautie, goodnesse, wisedome, which thou art. For to the ende thou mightest declare thy riches, beautie, power, wisedome, goodnesse, &c. thou hast not only made, but still doest conserue all creatures to bee (as Dauid saith of the heauens) de­clarers & setters forth of thy glory, & as a book to teach vs to know thee.

How faire thou art, the beauty of the Sunne, Moone, Starres, light, flowers, riuers, fieldes, hills, [...]irdes, beastes, men, and all creatures, yea, the goodly shape and forme of the whole worlde doth declare.

How mightie thou art, wee are [Page 247] taught by the creation of this world euen of naught, by gouerning the same, by punishing the wicked migh­tie Giants thereof, by ouerthrowing their deuises, by repressing the rages of the sea within her bounds, by stor­mes, tempests, & fires. These & such like declare vnto vs thine inuisible, almighty, & terrible power, whereby thou subduest all things vnto thee.

Howe rich thou art, this worlde, thy great and infinite treasure house doth well declare. What plentie is there not onely of thinges, but also of euerie kinde of thinge? Yea how dost thou yearly and daily multiply these kindes? How many seedes dost thou make of one seede? Yea what great increase dost thou bring it vn­to? These can not but put vs in re­mēbrāce of the exceeding riches that thou hast. For if to thine enemies which loue thee not (as the moste [Page 248] part in this world be) if to them thou giuest so plentifully thy riches here, what shall we thinke that with thy selfe y^u hast laid vp for thy friendes?

Howe good thou art, all creatures generally and particularly do teach. What creature is there in the world which thou hast not made for our cōmoditie? I will not say how that thou mightest haue made vs crea­tures without sense or reason, if thou haddest would. But amongest all things, none doeth so teach vs thy great loue towardes vs, as doeth the death of thy most dearely beloued sonne,Iohn 15. who suffered the paines & ter­rors thereof, yea and of hell it selfe, for our sakes. If this thy loue had bene but a small loue, it would neuer haue lasted so long, nor Christ should neuer haue died.

A Meditation concerning the sober v­sage of the bodie, that it may be sub­iect and obedient to the soule.

THis our bodie which God hath made to be the Tabernacle and mansion of our soule for this life, if we consider it accordingly, we could not but vse it otherwise than we do: that is, we would vse it for the souls sake being the guest thereof, and not for the bodie it selfe, and so should it be serued in things to helpe, but not to hinder the soule. A seruant it is, & therfore it ought to obey to serue the soul, that the soul might serue God, not as the bodie will, neither as the soule it selfe will, but as God will, whose wil we should learne to know & behaue our selues thereafter. The which thing to obserue is hard for vs nowe, by reason of sinne which hath gotten a mansion house in our [Page 250] bodies, and dwelleth in vs as doth the soule. To the which (sinne I meane) we are altogether of our selues inclined, because we naturally are sinners and born in sinne, by rea­son wherof we are ready as seruants to sinne, and to vse our bodies accor­dingly, making the soule to sit at re­ward, and pampering vp the seruant to our shame.

Oh therefore (good Lord) that it would please thee to open this geare vnto me, and to giue me eyes to con­sider effectually this my body what it is, namely a seruant lent for the soule to soiourne in, and serue thee in this life: yea it is by reason of sinne that hath his dwelling there, become now to the soule nothing else, but a prison, and that most streit, vile, stin­king, filthie, and therfore in danger of miseries to many in al ages, times and places, till death haue turned it [Page 251] to dust whereof it came, & whither it shall returne, that the soule may re­turne to thee from whence it came, vntill the day of iudgement come, in the which thou wilt raise vp that body, that then it may be partaker with the soule, and the soule with it inseparably of weale or woe, accor­ding to that is done in and by the same bodie here now in earth.

Oh that I could consider often and hartily these things, then should I not pamper vp this bodie to obey it, but bridle it that it might obey the soule: then should I flie the paine it putteth my soule vnto by reason of sinne and prouocation to all euill, & continually desire the dissolution of it with Paul, and the deliuerance from it as much as euer did prisoner his deliuerance out of prison: for al­onely by it the diuell hath a dore to tempt, and so to hurt me: in it I am [Page 252] kept from thy presence, & thou from being so conuersant with me, as else thou wouldest be: by it I am restrai­ned from the sense and feeling of all the ioyes and comforts (in manner) which are to be taken as ioyes and comfortes in deede. If it were dis­solued and I out of it, then could Satan no more hurt me, then woul­dest thou speake with me face to face, then the conflicting time were at an end, then sorrowe would cease, and ioy would increase, & I should enter into inestimable rest. Oh that I could consider this accordingly.

Another Meditation cōcerning the sober vsage of the bodie and pleasures in this life.

THe beginning of all euill in our kinde of liuing, springeth out of the deprauation and corruptnesse of our iudgement, bicause our will [Page 253] alwaies followeth that which reason iudgeth to be followed. Nowe, that which euery mā taketh to be friend­ly and agreeing to his nature, the same doth he iudge necessarily to be good for him, and to be desired. This is meate, drinke, apparell, riches, fa­uour, dignitie, rule, knowledge, and such like, bicause they are thought good and agreeing, either to the bodie or to the minde, or to both, for they helpe either to the conseruation or to the pleasure of man accounted of e­uerie one amongest good things.

Howbeit, such is the weaknesse of our wit on the one part, & the blind­nesse and too much rage of our lustes on the other part, that we being left to our selues, can not but in the de­sire of things which we iudge good and agreeing to our nature, by the iudgement of our senses and reason, we can not (I say) but ouerpasse the [Page 254] boundes wherby they might be pro­fitable vnto vs, and so we make them hurtfull vnto vs, which of them­selues are ordeined for our health.

What is more necessary then meat and drinke, or more agreeing to na­ture? but yet howe fewe be there which doe not hurt them selues by them? In like manner it goeth with riches, estimation, friends, 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 mindes to the good pleasure of God, to the end we might imitate and followe God our maker by yeelding our selues ouer, duly to vse his gifts to the common & priuate vtilitie of our neighbors.

But now, God only is life and e­ternitie, and can not but demaund of vs his handie worke, that we should [Page 255] render our selues and all we haue to the ende wherefore wee were made, that is, to resemble for our portion, his goodnesse, as they which be no­thing else but witnesses and instru­ments of his mercie: So that when wee wholy doe naturally striue a­gainst that kinde of life wherevnto he hath created vs, by seeking alwais our selues, what other thing ought to insue, but y^e he should againe de­stroie vs, and take away his notable giftes, wherewith he therfore indued vs, that by all kind of wel doing we should resemble his image: yea what other thing may ensue, but that hee should leaue vs, and that eternally, that we might feele and by experi­ence proue howe bitter a thing it is to leaue the Lorde, in whome is all goodnes? Oh that I might therefore finde such fauour in thy sight (deare father) that thou wouldest worke in [Page 256] me by thy holie spirit, a true know­ledge of all good things, and heartie loue to the same: through Christ Ie­sus our Lord and onelie Sauiour. Amen.

A Meditation of death, and the commodities it bringeth.

WHat other thing doe we daily in this present life, but heape sinne vpon sinne, and hoorde vp trespasse vpon trespasse? so that this day is worse alwaies thē yester­day by increasing, as daies, so sinnes, and therefore thy indignaiion, good Lord, against vs: but when we shall be let go out of the prison of this bo­die, & so taken into thy blessed com­panie, then shall we be in most safe­tie of immortalitie and saluation, then shall come vnto vs no sicknesse, no need, no paine, no kind of euill to soule or bodie, but what so euer good [Page 257] we can wish, that shall we haue, and what so euer we loath, shall be farre from vs. O deere father, that we had faith to behold these thinges accor­dingly. O that our hearts were per­suaded thereof, and our affections inflamed with the desire of them. Then should we liue in longing for that which nowe we most loath. Oh helpe vs, and graunt that we beeing ignorant of thinges to come, and of the time of our death, (which to thee is certain) may so liue and finish our iourney here, that we may be ready, and then depart when our departing may make most to thy glory, and our comfort through Christ.

What is this life but a smoke, a vapour, a shadowe, a warrefare, a bubble of water, a worde, grasse, a flower? That thou shalt die, it is most certeine, but the time no man can tell when. The longer in this life [Page 258] thou doest remaine, the more thou sinnest: which will turne to thy more paine. By cogitation of death our mindes be often in manner op­pressed with darkenesse, because wee doe but remember the night of the body, forgetting the light of the mind and of the resurrection.

Hereto remember the good things that after this life shall insue with­out wauering in certeintie of faith, and so shall the passage of death bee more desired. It is like a failing ouer the sea to thy home and countrie: it is like a medicine or purgation to the health of soule & bodie: it is the best Physition: it is like to a womans trauell. For as the childe being de­liuered commeth into a more large place, then the wombe wherein it did lie before: so thy soule beeing deliue­red out of the bodie, commeth into a much more large and faire place, [Page 259] euen into heauen.

A meditation vpon the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ.

OH Lord Iesus Christ, the sonne of the euerliuing God, by whom all thinges were made, and be ruled and gouerned: thou the liuely Image of the substance of the Fa­ther, the eternall wisedome of God, the brightnes of his glorie, God of God, light of light, coequal, coeter­nal and consubstantial with the Fa­ther: thou which of the loue thou hadst to mankinde, when he was fallen from the fellowshippe of God into the societie of Sathan and al e­uill, didst vouchsafe for our redemp­tion, to become a mediator betweene God and man taking to thy godhead our nature, as concerning the sub­stance of it, and so becamest man, al­so the heire of all, and most mercifull [Page 260] Messias, which by the power of thy Godhead and merites of thy man­hoode, hast made purgation of our sinnes, euen by thine own selfe, whi­lest thou was here on earth, beeing nowe set on the right hande of thy father for vs, euen concerning our nature, in maiestie, glorie, and power infinite. I pray and humbly beseech thy mercie to graunt me at this pre­sent to rehearse some of thy passions and sufferinges for me the last night that thou wast here before thy death, that thy good spirite might therby be effectuall to worke in me faith, as well of the pardon of my sinnes by them, as mortification of mine af­fections, comfort in my crosses, and patience in afflictions, Amen.

In the middest of thy last supper with thy deare apostles, these things could not but be before thee, name­ly that they all would leaue thee, [Page 261] the most earnest would forsweare thee, and one of the twelue should most traiterously betray thee: which were no smal crosses vnto thee. Iudas was admonished of thee to beware, but when he tooke no heede▪ but wil­fully went out to finish his worke, contemning thy admonition & coun­sell, he could not but vexe thy most louing heart.

After supper there was contention amongest thy Disciples, who should be greatest after thee, yet dreaming carnally of thee and thy kingdome, & hauing this affection of pride and ambition busie amongest them, not­withstanding thy diligence in repro­uing and teaching them.

After thy admonition to them of the crosse that would come, therby to make them more vigilant, so grosse were they, that they thought they coulde with their two swordes put [Page 262] away all perils, which was no little greefe vnto thee. After thy comming to Gethsemane, heauinesse pressed thee, and therfore thou wouldest thy disciples to pray. Thou didst tell to Peter and his fellowes, that thy hart was heauie to death. Thou didest will them to pray, being carefull for them also least they should fall into tentation. After this thou wentes [...] a stones cast from them, and diddest pray thy selfe, falling flat and groue­ling vpon the earth: but (alas) thou feltest no comfort, and therefore thou camest to thy disciples (which of all others were moste sweete and deare vnto thee) but loe, to thy fur­ther discomforte they passe neither of thy perils, nor of their owne, & there­fore sleepe apace.

After thou hadst awaked them, thou goest againe to pray, but thou foundest no comfort at all, and ther­fore [Page 263] diddest returne againe for some comfort at thy deerest friends hands. But yet againe, (alas) they are fast a sleepe. Whereupon thou art inforced to go againe to thy heauenly father for some sparke of comforte in these thy wonderfull crosses and agonies. Nowe, here thou wast so discoraged & so comfortlesse, that euen streames of bloud came running from thine eies and eares, and other partes of thy bodie. But who is able to ex­presse the infinitenesse of thy crosses, euen at thy being in the garden? All which thou sufferedst for my sake, as wel to satisfie thy Fathers wrath for my sinnes, as also to sanctifie all my sufferinges, the more gladly to be susteined of me.

After thy bloudie prayer thou ca­mest and yet againe foundest thy dis­ciples a sleepe, and before thou canst well awake them, loe, Iudas com­meth [Page 264] with a great bande of men to apprehend thee as a theefe, and so do­eth, leading thee away bound to the high Bishops house Annas, and so from him to Caiphas. Here now to augment this thy miserie, behold thy disciples flee from thee: false witnes­ses be brought against thee: thou art accused and condemned of blasphe­mie: Peter euen in thy sight forswea­reth thee: thou art vniustly stricken for answearing lawfully: thou art blindfold, stricken and buffetted all the whole night in the Bishop Cai­phas house of their cruel seruants.

In the morning betimes thou art condemned againe of the priestes of blasphemie, and therefore they bring thee before the secular power to Pi­late, by whom thou art openly ar­rained as other theeues and malefac­tors were: and when he sawe that thou wast accused of malice, yet he [Page 265] did not dismisse thee, but did sende thee to Herod, where thou wast shamfully derided in comming and going to him and from him all the way, especially after Herod had apparel­led thee as a foole.

Afore Pilate againe therfore thou wast brought and accused falsely: no man did take thy part, or speake a good worde for thee.

Pilate caused thee to be whipped and scourged, and to be handled most pitifully, to see if any pitie might appeare with the prelates, but no man at all pitied thee.

Barrabas was preferred before thee: all the people, heade and taile, was against thee, and cried: hang him vp. Uniustly to death wast thou iudged thou wast crowned with thorns that pearced thy braines: thou wast made a mocking stocke: thou wast reuiled, beaten & most miserably handled.

[Page 266]Thou wentest through Ierusalem to the place of execution, euen to the Mount of Caluarie: a great crosse to hang thee on, was laide vpon thy backe to beare and drawe, as long as thou wast able.

Thy bodie was racked to be nay­led to the tree, thy handes were boa­red through, and thy feete also, nailes were put through them to fasten thee thereon: thou wast hanged betweene heauen & earth, as one spued out of heauen, and vomited out of the earth, vnworthie of any place: the high Priest laughed thee to scorne: the elders blasphemed thee, and saide, God hath no care for thee: the com­mon people laughed and cried out vpon thee, thirst oppressed thee, but vineger onely and gall was giuen thee to drinke: heauen shined not vpō thee: the sunne gaue thee no light: the earth was afraid to beare thee: sa­thā [Page 267] tempted thee and thine owne sen­ses caused thee, to crie out: My God my God why hast thou forsaken me? Oh wonderful passions, which thou sufferedst. In them thou teachest me: in them thou comfortest mee: for by them GOD is my father: my sinnes are forgiuen. By them I should learne to feare God, to loue God, and neuer to leaue him for any tentations, but with thee to crie: Fa­ther into thy handes I commend my spirite.

A prayer to Christ crucified.

AS thou, O Lord, wast crucified for me, so I beseech thee crucifie me with thee, that I may rise againe with thee to euerlasting life. Thy fleshe was crucified for me: crucifie with thee (O Christe) the kingdome of the flesh, which hath dominion in me, that I may put off the olde Adam, and by newnesse of [Page 268] life may be transformed into thee the second Adam, sinne, infidelitie, and the whole tyrannie of sathan beeing vanquished and ouercome.

Bring to passe (O Lord) that by thy crosse and paineful suffering, thy yoke may be to me made light, and thy burthen easie, that willingly & gladly following thee, I may come whither thou art gone: that is, to thy father most blessed and immor­tal, from whom nothing shall after­ward be able to separate vs.

A prayer to Christ ascended and reigning in glorie.

OH good Christ, our first begot­ten brother and tender hearted [Page 269] Ioseph: Oh naturall sonne of that Father, to whom we are made chil­dren of adoption through thee: Oh our head reigning on high in glorie: forget not vs thy poore members here on earth, whervnto abasing thy selfe thou camest downe and suffe­redst for vs most cruel death. Out of this thy throne of Maiestie & glorie, thou puttest vs in assured hope and confidence, that we also shal attaine to that blessed place, whither thou art gone before to take possession for vs. Oh our strong tower of defence and succour, what can hurt vs nowe trusting in thee? Most vnhappie are they which are ignorant of thee: Most happie are they, which always behold 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 reigning [Page 270] with thy Father in ioyes incompa­rable. Oh Lorde the onely ioye and comforte of our soules, shewe vs thy louinge countenaunce, embrace vs with the armes of thy mercie: re­ceiue vs, O good Ioseph, thy yon­ger brethren with y^e kisse of comfort: powre into our harts thy holy spirit: plucke vs vp from the earth & earth­lie things: open our eyes & lift them vp vnto thee: open thy mouth, & 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 redee­mer, mediator and aduocate.

An other.

THou Lord didest put away Ma­rie Magdalen from the kissing of thy feete,Iohn. 2 [...] ▪ because thy flesh was not yet exalted, and shee knewe not yet the dignitie of thy clarified bo­die, and beautified with the glory of immortalitie, but was addicted one­ly to thy bodily presence.

She yet sought the liuing among the deade,Luke. 24▪ neither was it knowne to her that thou wast equall with thy father. Wherfore thou wouldest not suffer her so much as to kisse thy feete: because it was a thing vnwor­thy for thy maiestie, Oh thou migh­tie Lion of the tribe of Iuda: thou cō ­querour of hel and death, euer liuing and immortall, thou art nowe risen from death for vs: thou art now as­cended to thy father and our father, and sittest at his right hand in glo­rie: suffer vs to come neare vnto thee [Page 272] that wee may kisse thee: yea, Lorde, thou louer of our soules,Cant. 1. come thou rather vnto vs, and kisse vs with the kisse of thy mouth, that we may bee glad and reioyce in thee: drawe vs that we may runne after the sauour of thy sweete oyntmentes:Psal. 17. that wee may beholde thee in righteousnesse, and when thy glorie shall appeare we may be satisfied: for in thy pre­sence there is fulnesse of ioy,Psal. 16. and in thy right hand there are pleasures for euermore.

A prayer for true repentance.

MOst gratious God & mercifull Father of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, because I haue sinned & don wickedly, and through thy good­nesse haue receiued a desire of re­pentaunce, wherevnto this thy long suffering doth drawe my harde hart: [Page 273] I beseech thee for thy great mercies sake in Christ, to worke the same re­pentance in me, and by thy spirite, power, and grace, so to humble, mor­tifie, and feare my conscience for my sinnes to saluation, that in thy good time thou maist comfort and quicken me again, through Iesus Christ thy dearely beloued sonne, So be it.

A prayer for the strength and increase of faith.

O Merciful God and deare father of our Lord and sauiour Iesus Christ (in whome as thou art well pleased; so hast thou comman­ded vs to heare him) for as much as he often biddeth vs to aske of thee, and also promiseth that thou wilt heare vs, and grant vs that which in his name we shal aske of thee: loe gratious father we are bold to begge of thy mercie through thy sonne Ie­sus Christ one sparkle of true faith [Page 274] and certaine persuasion of thy good­nesse and loue towards vs in Christ, where through I being assured of y^e pardon of all my sinnes by the mer­cies of Christe thy sonne, may bee thankefull to thee, loue thee, & serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life.

A prayer for the true sense and feeling of Gods [...]auour and mer­cie in Christe.

OH Lord God and deare Father, what shall I say that feele all things to be (in maner) with me as in the wicked? Blind is my mind crooked is my will, and peruerse con­cupiscence is in mee, as a spring or stinking puddle. O howe faint is faith in me? How little is my loue to thee or to thy people? How great is selfe loue? Howe harde is my heart▪ By the reason whereof I am [Page 275] moued to doubt of thy goodnes to­wardes me, whether thou art my mercifull father, and whether I be thy childe or no. In deede worthily might I doubt, if that the hauing of these were the cause, & not the fruite rather of thy children. The cause why thou art my father is thy mer­cie, goodnes, grace & truth in Christe Iesus which can not but remain for euer. In respect whereof thou hast borne me this goodwill, to bring me into thy Church by baptisme, and to accept me into the number of thy children, that I might be holie, faith­full, obedient and innocent: and to call me diuerse times by the ministe­rie of thy worde into thy kingdome: besides thy innumerable other bene­fites, alwayes hitherto powred vp­pon me. All which thou hast done of this thy good will which thou of thine owne mercie barest to mee in [Page 276] Christ, and for Christe, before the worlde was made. The which thing as thou requirest straitly y^t I should beleeue without doubting, so woul­dest thou that in all my needes I should come vnto thee as vnto a Fa­ther, and make my mone without mistrust of beeing heard in thy good time, as most shall make to my com­fort. Loe, therefore to thee deere Fa­ther, I come through thy sonne our Lord, mediator and aduocate Iesus Christ, who sitteth on thy right hand making intercession for me, and pray thee of thy great goodnes and mer­cie in Christ to bee mercifull vnto me, that I may feele in deede thy sweete mercie as thy childe. The time (Oh deare Father) I appoint not, but I pray thee, that I may with hope still expect and looke for thy helpe. I hope that as thou for a lit­tle while hast left mee, so thou [Page 277] wilt come and visite me, and that in thy great mercie, whereof I haue need by reason of my great miserie.

Thou art wont for a little season in thine anger to hide thy face from them whome thou louest, but sure­ly (O Redeemer) in eternal mercies thou wilt shew thy cōpassions. For when thou leauest vs, O Lord, thou doest not leaue vs verie long, ney­ther doest thou leaue vs to our owne losse, but to our iucre and aduaun­tage: euen that thy holie spirite with bigger portion of thy power and ver­tue, may lighten and cheare vs, that the want of feeling of our sorrowe, may be recompenced plentifully with the liuely sense of hauing thee to our eternall ioy: and therefore thou swa­rest that in thine euerlasting mercie thou wilt haue compassion on vs. Of which thing, to the end we might be most assured, thine oth is to bee [Page 278] marked,Esai. 54. for thou saiest: As I haue sworne, that I will neuer bring any more y^e waters to drown the world: So haue I sworn that I wil neuer more be angry with thee, nor reprooue thee. The mountaines shal remoue, and the hilles shal fall downe, but my louing kindenesse shall not moue, and the bonde of my peace shall not faile thee. Thus saist thou, the Lord our mercifull redeemer.

Deare father, therefore I praye thee remember, euen for thine owne truth and mercie sake, this promise and euerlasting couenant, which in thy good time I pray thee to write in my hart, that I may know thee to be the onely true God, and Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent: that I may loue thee with all my heart for euer: that I may loue thy people for thy sake, that I may be holie in thy sight through Christ: that I [Page 279] may alwayes not only striue against sinne, but also ouercome the same daily more and more, as thy chil­dren doe, aboue all thinges desiring the sanctification of thy name, the comming of thy kingdome, the doing of thy will here on earth as it is in heauen, &c. through Iesus Christ our redeemer, mediatour, and aduo­cate. Amen.

A prayer against our spirituall enemies, the diuel, the worlde, and the flesh.

O Lord God, the diuell goeth a­bout like a roaring Lion, see­king whom he may deuour: the flesh lusteth against the spirite, the world persuadeth vnto vanities, that we may forget thee our Lord God, & so for euer be damned. Thus are we miserably on euery side beset and be­sieged of cruell & vnrestfull enemies, [Page 280] and like at euery moment to perish, if we be not defended with thy god­ly power against their tyrannie. We therefore poore and wretched sinners despairing of our owne strength, which in deede is none, most hartily pray thee to indue vs with strength from aboue, that wee may bee able through thy helpe, with strong faith to resist sathan, with feruent prayer to mortifie the lustes of the fleshe, with continuall meditation of thy holy lawe, to auoide the foolish va­nities and transitory plesures of this wicked worlde: that through thy grace we being set at libertie from the power of these our mortall ene­mies, may serue thee here in true ho­lines and righteousnes, and after be partakers of the euerlasting ioyes prepared for thy children, which as they are greate and vnspeakeable, so are there fewe that doe enioye them. [Page 281] For straight is the way, and narrow is the gate that leadeth therevnto, & fewe there be that find it. Notwith­stāding (O God) thou hast a little flock to whom it is thy pleasure to giue that ioyfull kingdome: whose names are written in y^e booke of life. Make vs therefore of y^e number, for Iesus Christs sake, and place vs a­mongest those thy sheepe which shall stande on thy right hand to receiue y^e blessed inheritaunce, and dwell with thee for euermore.

A prayer for present helpe in tentation.

DEare father, to whom it is more easie to do all thinges, then for me to thinke any one good thing: Loe, doe thou but speake a worde, and thy deadlie sicke seruaunte my soule, shalbe made whole. Helpe (O Lord) for thy great mercie sake, [Page 282] for thy truth sake, and for thy deare sonne Iesus Christ sake, and let thy strength suffice against my weake­nesse, and thy holy spirit against my sinfull flesh and old man.

Thou art faithfull (O Father) who hast promised that I shall not be tempted further, then▪ thou wilt make me able to beare. Giue nowe therefore thy grace and strength vn­to thy seruaunt, that I may with a strong faith in thine infallible truth and promised mercie, vanquishe and subdue what so euer rebelleth a­gainst thy most blessed wil. Preserue and keepe holy my soule and body, and let them not be defiled & made a dungeon of diuels & wicked spirits, through delectation in sinne. Behold deare father, the postes thereof are sprinkled with the pretious bloud of thy deare son, & of thy great mercie they are made the temple and taber­nacle [Page 283] of thy holy spirite. Shall now (alas) the diuell, the worlde, or the fleshe, plucke from thee that thing which presently crieth to thee with assured trust in thy promised helpe? Nay father▪ but graunt that I may by thy mightie power, turne all their crafts, deceits, and raging assaultes vnto the increase of my faith, & that by experience of thy fatherly assi­stance in this my present temptation, I may with assured hope & trust in thy ready helpe & comfort, ouercome my saide enemies hereafter in like assaultes, and prayse thy holy name for the victorie, through Iesus Christ our Lord.

Remedies against sinneful mo­tions and tentations.

First remember that sinne is so hei­nous a thing, that God by his iustice might worthily damne thee for the same, and is therefore to be abhorred as a sweete poyson, a flattering death and destruction of the soule which would out thee off from God thy Sa­uiour, and make thee a bondslaue to sathan thy deadly enemie.

Auoide therefore euen at the first the occasions thereof,Psal. 137. and betimes quash out the braines of the children of Babylon against the harde stones, whiles yet they be young and weake, least when they be growen elder and stronger, they dash thee to peeces.

And for remedie against the same, flee vnto God, who commandeth thee to call vpon him in thy troubles, and promiseth to deliuer thee, and wil not [Page 285] suffer thee to be further tempted then he wil make a way out,1. Cor. 11. whereby thou shalt escape: and doubt not, but hee that causeth thee to hate the sinne which thy nature is to loue, will deli­uer thee also from the daunger there­of, and make thee to triumph ouer sa­than, to his confusion, to Gods glorie, and to thy great comfort: which are causes that our tender louing father sendeth tentations vnto vs: and he that is not tempted, what is he?

Now after thou hast obteined the victorie, remember two thinges: first to giue most heartie thankes to God for his grace and assistance, whereby thou hast ouercome, and be not vn­thankfull in any wise: and then that he who continually goeth about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may deuour, will not be long or farre away from thee, but wil attempt againe the same or as euill wayes to ouercome [Page 286] thee. Watch therefore and pray.

A prayer for the auoyding of Gods heauie wrath & ven­geance for our sinnes.

OH Lord God, strong & mightie, great and fearefull, which dwel­lest in the heauens, and workest great wonders, wee thy miserable children here vppon earth, doe moste humbly beseech thee to be merciful vnto vs, to pardon our offences, and to forgiue vs all our sinnes. O Lord, enter not into iudgement with thy seruantes, for if thou doe, there shall no fleshe be saued in thy fight.

We confesse and acknowledge, O Lorde, that it is our sinnes, whiche hath moued thee to wrath, and to shewe such fearefull tokens of thy displeasure towardes vs in these our dayes: first with fire from heauen, [Page 287] betokening thy hote burning indig­nation and wrathfull displeasure for sinne, which aboundeth at this daye: then with such horrible and mon­strous shapes against nature, as were neuer seene here in our dayes, nor in any time before vs, which do be­token to vs none other thing, but thy plagues to come vpon vs for our degenerate and monstrous life and conuersation: and nowe besides all this, by great mortalitie, plague, and pestilence thou hast terribly threat­tened vs, fatherly warned vs, & mer­cifully called vs to repentance. The axe is set to the roote of the tree, and if wee bee not as rotten members without all sense and feeling, wee may perceaue our fearefull de­struction and desolation to bee at hande, (vnlesse wee speedily repent and turne to thee) because wee haue bene so long taught out of thy most [Page 288] holy and sacred word, & yet no fruits of repentance or Christian life will appeare.

Woe and alas to these our dayes, that neither preaching by word most comfortable, nor preaching by fire most terrible, nor preaching by mon­sters most strange and ougly, nei­ther yet by plagues and pestilence most horrible, will stirre vp our sto­nie heartes, and awake vs from our sinnes.

We feare (O Lorde) that the Turkes with all the rest of the vn­beleeuing will condemne vs in the last day: which if they had bin so long instructed by the comfortable prea­ching of thy word, and sweet promi­ses of thy Gospel, or seene the woon­ders which we haue seene, no doubt their righteousnesse would haue shi­ned at this day, to our great shame and confusion. Thou hast no lesse [Page 289] warned vs (O Lorde) of thy feare­full displeasure & heauie plagues at hand for our great wickednesse, then thou didest the Israelites of that hor­rible destruction which came vpon them, whom thou first in mercie diddest cal to repentance by the prea­ching of thy worde: but when no warning would serue, thou diddest send them monstrous and fearefull signes and tokens, to declare that thy visitatiō was not farre off. But they like vnto vs at this day, did always interpret these things after the ima­gination of their owne vaine hearts, promising to themselues peace, when destruction was ouer their heads.

Which things when we do call to minde (for as much as they are writ­ten for our learning, example and warning) it maketh vs to tremble and quake for feare of thy iust iudge­ments. For if thou hast thus dealt [Page 290] with thine owne deare and chosen children, in token of thy great wrath against sinne: what shall wee looke for, who do no lesse deserue thy fear­full scourge (for of mercie it is that thou doest thus long forbeare vs) and liue as though there were no God at all to be reuenged vpon our sinnes? It maketh vs to feare & crye inwardly in our soules: Come Lorde Iesu, holy & true in all thy doings, & shorten our daies:Apoc. 22. bring this our pil­grimage to an end: suffer vs not to heap sinne vpon sinne vntill the day of vengeance, least we be caught vp amongst the number of the wicked and reprobate, which shall neuer see thy louing countenance.

It maketh vs to crie to thee (O Lorde) Let thy kingdome come, and end this our sinefull life, wherein we doe nothing but prouoke thee to wrath.

[Page 291] Correct vs not, Psal. 6. O Lord, in thine in­dignation, neither chasten vs in thy heauy displeasure. And though to vs belongeth nothing but shame & con­fusion, though our offences haue de­serued to be visited with the rod, Psal. 89. and our sinnes with scourges: yet in mercie Lorde, & with fatherly correctiō, cha­sten vs, and thy louing kindnesse take not away from vs. Psal. 57. To thee we flee for succour: vnder the winges of thy mer­cy shalbe our refuge, vntill thou turne thy wrathfull countenaunce from vs. We know that thy mercie is aboue all thy works, Eccle. 2. and euen as great as thy selfe: therfore wit we say with holy Iob,Iob. 13. Though thou kill vs, yet will wee put our trust in thee.

Thou camest to comfort & pluck out of the dungeon of hell, suche wretches as wee are. Thou art the good Samaritan that camest to heale [Page 292] our deadly woundes: thou art that good Physitian that camest to cure our mortall infirmities: thou art the good sheepheard that camest to seeke vs wandering and lost sheepe,Luk. 15. and to bring vs to thy folde againe: & more then that,Ephe. 5. thou art our brother, flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bones, which hast tasted of our infirmities, felt our temptations,Esai. 53. and borne the burden of our sinnes: therefore at thy handes we looke for mercie against the day of vengeance. And though thou punish vs, yet our hope is and euer shallbe, that thy rodde shall no further touch vs, then shal make to thy glorie, our commoditie, and the strengthening and increase of our faith.

Let this thy Preaching sundrie ways (O Lord) be sufficient for our warning, and graunt that we may speedily & from the bottome of our [Page 293] heartes repent, endeuour to doe thy righteous and blessed will reuealed in thy worde, and frame our liues according to the same, that we may here liue in thy feare all the dayes of our life, and after this our sinnefull course is ended, may dwel with thee in thy blessed kingdome, through the death & merites of Iesus Christ our onely redeemer. So be it.

Another praier for the auoiding of Gods deserued wrath hanging ouer vs for our sinnes.

WHen we looke backe and be­hold our sinful life past, what a dongeon of errours, vice, & wickednes, openeth it selfe vnto vs? so that there is no man but he must needes be ashamed of him selfe when he calleth to mind what he hath ben: & trembleth when he considereth the wickednes and sinneful course of his [Page 294] life to come: for who shall vndertak [...] that the rest of our life shall bee any better then that is past? How can we thē sufficiently magnifie & praise thy great mercy, which hast deferred thy punishmēt so long? Beholding ther­fore this our daungerous & misera­ble state we come vnto thee (O thou great and mightie Iudge) in trem­bling and feare, humbly beseeching thee not to heape vpon vs thy deser­ued vengeance, but let thy tender kindnes & loue thou bearest to Iesus Christ thy sonne our gratious Lord and redeemer, couer our iniquites: for whose sake (though we deserue all extremitie) thou doest pardon vs.

A prayer to be saide of all such as suffer any kinde of crosse.

[Page 295]ALmightie God, king of al kings, & gouernour of al things, whose power no creature is able to re­sist, to whome it belongeth iustly to punish sinners & to be mercifull vnto them that truely repent: wee con­fesse thou doest most iustly punishe vs, for wee haue greeuously sinned against thee, and wee acknowledge that in punishing vs thou doest de­clare thy selfe to be our most mer­cifull father, as well because thou doest not punishe vs in any thing as we haue deserued, as also because by punishing vs thou doest call vs, and (as it were) draw vs to increase in repentance, in faith, in prayer, in con­temning of the world, and in heartie desiring for euerlasting life and thy blessed presence.

Grant vs therfore gratious Lord, thankefully to acknowledge thy great mercie, which hast thus fa­uourably [Page 296] dealte with vs in puni­shing vs, not to our confusion, but to our amendement. And seeing thou hast sworne that thou wilt not the death of a sinner, but that he turne and liue, haue mercie vppon vs and turne vs vnto thee, for thy dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christes sake, whome thou wouldest shoulde bee made a slaine sacrifice for our sinnes: thereby declaring thy great and vn­speakeable anger against sinne, and thine infinite mercie towards vs sin­full wretches.

And for as much as the dulnesse, blindnes, & corruption of our hearts is such, that we are not able to arise vp vnto thee by faithfull and heartie prayer, according to our great neces­sitie, without thy singular grace and assistance: graunt vnto vs, gratious Lorde, thy holy and sanctifying spi­rite, to worke in vs this good work, [Page 297] with grace to weigh and consider the neede and greatnesse of that wee doe desire, and with an assured faith and trust that thou wilt grant vs our re­questes, because thou art good and gratious, euen to younge Rauens calling vppon thee, much more then to vs for whome thou hast made all things, yea, and hast not spared also thine owne deare sonne: because thou hast commaunded vs to call vppon thee: because thy throne whereto wee come, is a throne of grace and mercie: because thou hast giuen vs a mediator Christe to bring vs vnto thee, being the way by whome wee come, being the dore by whome wee enter, and being our head on whome we hang and hope, that our poore pe­titions shall not be in vaine, through him and for his names sake.

Wee beseech thee therefore of thy rich mercie, wherein thou art plenti­full [Page 298] to all thē that call vpon thee, to forgiue vs our sinnes, namely, our vnthankfulnesse, vnbeleefe, selfeloue, neglect of thy worde, securitie, hypo­crisie, contēpt of thy long suffering, omission of prayer, doubting of thy power, presence, mercy, and good will towardes vs, vnsensiblenesse of thy grace, impaciencie, &c. and to this thy benefite of correcting vs, adde thy gratious gift of repentaunce, faith, the spirite of prayer, the contempte of this worlde, and heartie desiring for euerlasting life. Indue vs with thy holy spirit according to thy co­uenant & mercie, as well to assure vs of pardon, and that thou doest accept vs into thy fauour as thy deare chil­dren in Christ and for his sake, as to write thy lawe in our heartes, and so to worke in vs, that we may nowe begin and goe forwards in beleuing lyuing, fearing, obeying, praying, [Page 299] hoping, and seruing thee, as thou dost require most fatherly and most iust­ly of vs, accepting vs as perfect in thy sight, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer of the afflicted for the profession of Gods worde.

O Gratious God, which seekest all meanes possible, howe to bring thy children into the fee­ling and sure sense of thy mercie, and therefore when prosperitie will not serue, then sendest thou aduersitie, gratiously correcting them here whō thou wilt haue elswhere to liue with thee for euer: wee poore wretches giue humble prayses and thankes to thee, that thou hast vouched vs wor­thy of thy correction at this present, hereby to worke that which wee in prosperitie and libertie did neglecte. For the which neglecting and many [Page 290] other our greeuous sinns, wherof we nowe accuse our selues before thee, (most mercifull Lord) thou mightest most iustly haue giuen vs ouer, and destroied vs both in soule and body. But such is thy goodnes towards vs in Christ, that thou seemest to for­get all our offences, and as though we were farre otherwise then we be in deede, thou wilt that wee should suffer this crosse nowe laide vpon vs for thy truth and gospels sake, and so be thy witnesses, with thy Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, & Confessours, yea, with thy dearly beloued sonne Iesus Christ: to whom thou doest now here beginne to fashion vs like, that in his glory we may be like to him also.

O good God, what are we on whō thou shouldest shew this great mer­cie? Oh louing Lord, forgiue vs our vnthankefulnesse and sinnes. Oh [Page 301] faithfull father, giue vs thine holy spirite nowe to crie in our heartes, Abba deere father: to assure vs of our eternall election in Christ: to reueale more and more thy truth vnto vs: to confirme, strengthen, and stablishe vs so in the same, that we may liue and die in it as vessels of thy mercie, to thy glorie, and to the commodi­tie of thy Church. Indue vs with the spirit of thy wisedome, that with good conscience we may alwayes so aunswere the enemies in thy cause, as may turne to their conuersion or confusion, and our vnspeakeable cōsolatiō in Christ Iesus: for whose sake wee beseech thee hencefoorth to keepe vs, to giue vs patience, and to will no otherwise for deliuerance or mitigation of our miserie, then may stand alwayes with thy good plesure & merciful will towards vs.

Graunt this deare father, not on­ly [Page 302] to vs in this place, but also to all others else where, afflicted for thy names sake, through the death and merites of Iesus Christ our Lorde. Amen.

A prayer to God the father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.

O Almightie and euerliuing God, the eternall father of our Lorde Iesus Christ, which of thy vn­mesurable goodnes hast opened thy self vnto vs, and with a loude voyce hast saide of thy sonne Iesus Christ our Lord, Heare him: O maker & pre­seruer of all thinges, with thy coe­ternall sonne our Lord Iesus Christ, which reigneth with thee, and was manifested in Ierusalem, & with thy holy spirite, which was powred vp­pon the Apostles: O wise God, mer­cifull Iudge, and mightie Lord which hast saide: As truely as I liue, [Page 303] I will not the death of a sinner, but ra­ther that he should conuert & amend: whiche also hast saide: Call vppon me in the day of thy trouble, & I will deliuer thee: haue mercie vpon vs for Iesus Christes sake, whome thou wouldest of thy merueylous and in­comprehensible counsell shoulde be made for vs a slaine sacrifice, media­tor, reconciler,Heb. 9.10 and peacemaker, to the end y^t thou mightest shewe thine exceeding great wrath against sinne, and thine inestimable mercie to­wardes mankinde. Sanctifie & illu­minate our heartes and soules with thy holy spirite, that wee may truly beleeue in thee, call vppon thee, bee thankefull vnto thee, and obedient to thy holy will. Defend, gouerne and cherish thy Church, as thou hast promised,Esai. 59. saying: This is my couenāt that I haue made with them, my spirit which is in thee, and my worde which [Page 304] I haue put in thy mouth, shall not de­parte out of thy mouthe, nor out of y^e mouth of thy seede for euer. Preserue those kingdomes and cōmon weales, which giue harborough to the peo­ple, and maintaine the ministerie of thy holy word and Gospell, that the kingdom of thy sonne Iesus Christ may encrease and shine throughout all the worlde.

O Iesus Christ, Sonne of the e­uerliuing God,A prayer to God the sonne crucified for vs, and raysed also from the deade, and nowe reigning at the right hand of thy fa­ther, that thou maiest giue gifts vn­to mee, which hast saide: Come vnto mee all ye that labour, Iohn. 14. and are heauie loden, and I will refresh you, haue mercie vpon vs, & praye for vs vnto thy eternall father: sanctifie and go­uerne vs with thy holy spirite: helpe and succour vs in all our necessities as thou hast promised, saying: I will [Page 305] not leaue you comfortlesse.

O holie and blessed spirite,A prayer to the holy ghost. toge­ther with the father and the son, one true and euerliuing God, full of ma­iestie and power, which with thy heauenly inspiration quickenest the mindes of those that afore were dead in sinne, makest ioyfull the heartes of the faithfull penitent, bringest in to the way of trueth, all such as haue erred and gone astraye, comfortest the soules of such as hunger & thirst after righteousnesse, and plenteous­ly inrichest those with diuerse giftes, which aske them in Iesus Christes name: purifie our heartes (wee be­seech thee) and inflame them with the fire of thy loue: replenishe them with thy heauenly benefites and spi­rituall blessinges, that they may be made meete temples for thee: leade vs into all trueth, which art the one­ly fountaine of trueth, and mortifie [Page 306] in vs whatsoeuer proceedeth not of thee.

A thankesgiuing to God the Fa­ther, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.

WE render thanks vnto thee, O almightie & eternall GOD, with thy deare sone our Lord Iesus Christ, & with thy holy spi­rit, for that of thine exceeding great goodnesse, thou hast made thy selfe knowne vnto vs by most assured and euident testimonies: & for that thou hast gathered and chosen vnto thy selfe, a perpetuall Church, & woul­dest that thy sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ shoulde suffer death, to re­store vs from death to life: for that thou hast giuen to vs thy Gospel and the holy Ghost: for that thou for­giuest vs our sinnes, deliuerest vs [Page 308] from the power of the diuell, and from eternall death, and giuest vnto vs euerlasting life: finally, for that thou hast visited vs with many great benefites, giuing vs life, foode, doc­trine, peace in such places as we haue liued in, & hast diminished the paines which we haue iustly deserued.

A thanksgiuing to the sonneWe giue thankes vnto thee, O Lorde Iesus Christ, sonne of the li­uing God, crucified for vs and risen againe, because thou hast coupled vnto thee our humane nature, and of thy inestimable loue diddest giue thy selfe to death for vs, turning vpon thee the great wrath of God thy fa­ther conceiued against vs, to recōcile vs vnto him, and to purchase vs eter­nall redemption: because thou hast brought vs to this grace, wherein wee stande and reioyce in hope of the glorie of GOD: because thou doest preserue, cherishe, and de­fende [Page 309] thy Church against the Di­uell and all thine enemies: because thou giuest & renewest often the light of thy Gospell, and mayntainest the ministerie of thy worde: be­cause thou doest forgiue vs our sinnes, and giuest vnto vs euer­lasting life: because thou art our Mediatour, and makest continuall intercession for vs: & finally because thou doest succour and preserue vs in all our necessities, daungers and af­flictions.

We giue thankes also vnto thee,A thanksgiuing to the holy Ghost. Oh holy spirit, the giuer of life, whi­che wast powred vpon the Apostles, because thou kindlest thy light in our hearts: because thou rulest, in­structest, admonishest, and helpest vs: because thou gouernest and gui­dest the labours and workes of our vocation, and sancti [...]iest vs to eter­nall life.

A prayer to God for his helpe & protection against the obsti­nate enemies of the trueth.

MOst righteous Iudge, God of all mercie and comfort, which by thy secrete iudgement and wise­dome doest suffer the wicked to tri­umph and increase for a time, for tri­al of the faith of thy welbeloued li­tle flock, and the mortifying of their lustes, but at length to the vtter con­fusion of thy enemies, and ioyfull de­liuerance of thy people: looke downe wee beseeche thee on thy dispersed sheep, out of thy holy habitation in heauen, and strengthen our weake­nes against their furious rages: a­bate their pride: asswage their ma­lice: confounde their deuises, wher­with they lift vp themselues against Christ Iesus thy sonne our Lord & sauiour, to deface his glory, and to set vp Antichrist. We be not able of our [Page 311] selues to thinke a good thought, much lesse to stande against their as­saults, except thine vndeserued grace and mightie arme defende and deli­uer vs. Performe thy promises made to Iacob, and stoppe the mouthes of the cursed Edomites. Call them to repentaunce whome thou hast ap­pointed to saluation: bring home them that runne astray, lighten the blind and teach the ignorant: forgiue all those that wilfully and obstinatly rebell not against thy holy will. Let thy fearefull threatnings pearce our stonie heartes, and make vs tremble at thy iudgementes. Make the ex­amples of them whome thou hast ouerthrowne in their owne deuises, as Cain, Cham, Nimrod, Esau, Pharao, Saul, Achitophel, Iudas, and such other to be a warning for vs, that we set not vp our selues against thy holye will. Graunt free passage to thy ho­lie [Page 312] worde: that it may worke effec­tually in vs the worke of life and blessed hope of our saluatiō, to the e­ternall praise of thy maiestie through our mediator Christe I [...]sus: to whom with thee & the holy Ghost, three persons and one God, be praise and thankesgiuing in all congrega­tions, world without end. So be it.

A prayer for the afflicted and persecuted vnder the tyrannie of Antichrist.

O Mercifull Father, who neuer doest forsake suc [...] as put their trust in thee: stretch foorth thy mightie arme to the defence of our brethren, by the rage of enemies per­secuted, and greeuously tormented in sundrie places for y^e true profession of thy holy Gospel, who in their extrem necessities crie for comforte vnto thee. Let not thy long suffering, O [Page 313] Lord, be an occasiō, either to increase the tyranny of thy enemies, or to dis­courage thy children, but with speed O Lorde, consider their great mise­ries and afflictions. Preuent the cru­ell deuise of Haman: stay the rage of Holophernes: breake off the coun­sell of Achitophell: Let not the wic­ked say, Where is nowe their God. Let thy afflicted flocke feele present aide and releefe from thee O Lord: looke downe vppon them with thy pitifull eye from thy holy habitation: send terrour and trembling among their enemies: make an ende of their out­ragious tyrannie: beate backe their boldenesse in suppressing thy truth, in destroying thy true seruantes, in defacing thy glorie, and in setting vp Antichrist. Let them not thus proud­ly aduaunce themselues against thee and thy Christ, but let them vnder­stand and feele that against thee they [Page 314] fight. Preserue and defende the Uine, which thy right hande hath planted, and let all Nations see the glory of thine anointed. Amen.

A prayer to be saide before the preaching of Gods word.

ALmightie God and most merci­full father, whose word is a lan­terne to our feete, and a light vn­to our stepes, wee most humbly be­seech thee to illuminate our minds, that we may vnderstand the myste­ries conteined in thy holy lawe, and into the selfe same thing, that we godly vnderstand, wee may bee ver­tuously transformed, so that of no parte we offende thy diuine maiestie, through Iesus Christe our Lorde.

An other.

IN this great darkenes of our souls (O Lord) thou shinest diuers ways [Page 315] vnto vs by the light of thy grace, but in nothing so effectually as in the preaching of thy worde. Great is the Haruest (as thou thy selfe hast saide) and the workmen are few. The greatest part of men are ignorant & wrapped in miserable blindnes, and fewe there be that teach thy worde truely, and as they ought. We be­seech thee therefore to sende foorth workemen into thy haruest. Sende teachers (O Lord) which are taught of thee, and instructed by the spirite of godly wisedome and vnderstan­ding, which by their preaching will seeke, not themselues, but thee, be­cause they are godly: and can so do, because they are wise & vnderstande. Giue to the preacher of thy worde here present, out of the treasures of thy wisedome, that which hee may powre vpon vs to our saluation: and vnto vs giue thy grace & holy spirit [Page 316] (O Lord) so to heare and to receiue thy worde, that the good seede whi­che falleth vppon vs be not choked with thornes, or withered away with heate, or deuoured by the foules of the aire, but may growe vp in a good grounde, and fructifie with great increase.

A prayer to be saide after the Preaching of Gods worde.

1. Pet. 5.ALmightie God & most mercifull father, wee heartily beseech thee that this seed of thy worde nowe sowen amongest vs,Num. 29. Deu. 9. Ios. 7. Matth. 13 may take suche deepe root, that neither the burning heate of affliction, or persecution cause it to wither, neither the thor­nie cares of this life do choake it, but that as seede sowne in good ground, it may bring forth thirtie, sixtie, and an hundreth folde, as thy heauenly wisedome hath appointed. And be­cause [Page 317] we haue neede continually to craue many things at thy handes, we humbly beseech thee (O heauenly father) to graunt vs thy holy spirit,Luke. 11. Rom. 8. Iames. 5. 1. Iohn. 5. Rom. 12. Wisdō. 9▪ so to direct our petitions, that they may proceed from such a feruent minde, as may be agreable to thy most blessed will.

And seeing that our infirmitie is such,2. Cor. 3. Iohn. 19. Philip. 2 Psal. 40. 1. Pet. 1. that we are able to do nothing without thy helpe, and that thou art not ignorant with howe many and great tentations we poore wretches are on euerie side compassed and in­closed, let thy strength (O Lorde) susteine our weakenesse,1. pet. 5. Luke. 17. and assist vs with thy grace, that we may be safe­ly preserued against all the assaults of Sathan, who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking to deuoure vs. Increase our faith (O mercifull Fa­ther) that wee doe not swarue at a­nie time from thy heauenly worde. [Page 318] Augment in vs hope and loue,Psal. 95. Heb. 3.15 1. Iohn. 2 with a carefull keeping of all thy com­mandements, that no hardnes of hart, no hypocrisie, no concupiscence of the eies, nor inticements of y^e world, doe draw vs away frō thy obedience. And seeing the times are dangerous wherin we liue, let thy fatherly pro­uidence defende vs againste the vio­lence of all our enemies, and speci­ally againste the furious rage of that Romishe idoll, enemie to thy Christ.

1. Tim. 2.Furthermore for as much as by thy holy Apostle we bee taught to make our prayers and supplications for all men, we pray not onely for ourselues here present, but beseech thee also to reduce all such as be yet ignorant, from the miserable capti­uitie of blindnesse and errour,Rom. 15. 1. Cor. 1. Ephe. 4. to the pure vnderstanding of thy heauenly trueth, that we all with one consent [Page 319] and vnitie of minde, may worshippe thee our onely God and sauiour.

We beseech thee also (most deare father) for all pastors and ministers to whome thou hast committed the dispensation of thy holy worde, and charge of thy chosen people,Ioh. 21. Math. 28. 2. Iohn. 9. Mark. 6. that both in their life and doctrine they maye be found faithfull, setting onely be­fore their eyes thy glorie, and that by them all poore sheep which wan­der and go astray, may be sought out and brought to thy folde.

Againe, that it would please thee to deliuer thy Church from such idle sheepeheardes, wolues, and hire­linges, as seeke themselues and their bellies, and not thy glory, and the safegarde of thy flocke.

Moreouer because the heartes of rulers are in thy handes,Pro. 21. Rom. 17. Ioh. 16. Rom. 13. Iohn. 16. wee make our prayers vnto thee for all Princes and Magistrates, to whome thou [Page 320] haste committed the administration of iustice:Iohn. 16. especially (O Lorde) for the Queenes Maiestie, that it would please thee to indue her with thy plentifull grace and principall spi­rite, that she may with a pure faith acknowledge Iesus Christ thy onely sonne to be King of all Kinges, and gouernour of all gouernours, euen as thou hast giuen all power vnto him both in heauen and in earthe: & so work in her heart, that she con­sidering whose minister she is, may hartily seeke, and zealously promote thy true honour and glory, careful­ly traueling to bring thy people com­mitted to her charge, (& yet remai­ning almoste in all partes of this realme in miserable blindnesse and darke ignorance) to the true know­ledge of thee, ruling and guidinge them, as she is taught & commaun­ded by thy holy word.

[Page 321]Also we beseech thee, to indue all such as are in any authority vnder her, with thy grace and holy Spirite, that they may be founde vprighte & faithfull in their calling, fauourers and furtherers of thy holy Gospell, maintainers & defenders of the true Preachers and ministers therof, and such as in singlenes of heart wil seeke not themselues, but thy glory and the commodity of thy people.

And for that we be all members of the mysticall body of Christe Ie­sus,2. Cor. 2. Rom. 12. Iacob. 5. wee make our requestes vnto thee, (O heauenly father) for all such as are afflicted with any kinde of crosse or tribulatiō, as warre, plague, famine, sickenes, pouertie, imprison­ment, persecution, banishment, or any other kinde of thy roddes, whe­ther it be griefe of body, or vnquiet­nesse of minde,2. Cor. 1. Heb. 13. that it would please thee to giue them patience and con­stancie, [Page 322] till thou sende them full deli­ueraunce out of all their troubles. Finally (O Lord) we most humbly beseech thee to shew thy great mer­cie vppon-our brethren which are persecuted, cast in prison, and daily condemned to death for the testimo­nie of thy trueth,Heb. 13. Rom. 8. Psal. 41. Iohn. 1. and though they be vtterly destitute of all mans aide, yet let thy sweete comforte neuer depart from them, but so inflame their heartes with thy holy spirite, that they may boldly and cheereful­ly abide suche triall as thy godly wisedome shall appoint:1. Pete. 1. Actes. 2. Math. 10. Luk. 21. so that at length as well by their death as by their life, the kingdome of thy sonne Iesus Christ may increase and shine through all the worlde. In whose name we make our humble petiti­ons vnto thee, as he hath taught vs, saying: Our father which art, &c.

A prayer to be saide before the re­ceiuing of the communion.

O Father of mercie and God of all consolation, seeing all creatures do acknowledge and confesse thee to be their gouernour and Lorde, it becommeth vs, the workemanship of thine owne handes, at all times to reuerence and magnifie thy godly maiestie:Gene. 1. Ephe. 2. Galat. 1 Gen. 3. Actes. 4. Heb. 9. Firste, for that thou hast created vs to thine owne image and similitude, but chiefly because thou hast deliuered vs from that euerla­sting death and damnation into the which Sathan drewe mankinde by the meanes of sinne:Apoc. 5 Iohn. 3. Heb. 8. Heb. 4. 1. Pet. 1. Esa. 43.53. Matth. 3.17. Iere. 31. from the bon­dage whereof neither man nor An­gell was able to make vs free: but thou (O Lord) rich in mercie & infi­nite in goodnes, hast prouided our redemption to stande in thine onely and welbeloued sonne: whom of very loue thou diddest giue to be made [Page 324] man like vnto vs in all thinges,Heb. 8. Rom. 5. Heb. 2. Iohn. 6. Gen. 3. Rom. 5: Ephe. 3. sinne excepted, that in his bodie he might receiue the punishment of our trans­gression, by his death to make satis­faction to thy iustice, and by his re­surrection to destroye him that was authour of death, and so to bring a­gaine life to the worlde, from which the whole ofspringe of Adam was most iustly exiled.

Ephe. 2. Ioh. 6.17 Gene. 6. Rom. 3. Esai. 64. Psal. 5.12 Rom. 7. Math. 16. 1. Cor. 2. Luk. 11. Mark. 10.O Lorde, wee acknowledge that no creature was able to comprehend the length and breadth, the deepenes and heighte of that thy most excel­lent loue, which moued thee to shew mercie where none was deserued, to promise and giue life where death had gotten victorie, to receiue vs in­to thy grace when we could do no­thing but rebell against thy maie­stie. The blind dulnes of our cor­rupt nature will not suffer vs suffici­ently to wey these thy most ample [Page 325] benefites. Yet neuerthelesse at the commaundement of Iesus Christe our Lorde, we present our selues to this thy table (which he hath left to be vsed in remembrance of his death vntill his comming againe) to de­clare and witnesse before the world,Matth. 16 Luk. 22. 1. Cor. 11. Iohn. 8. Galat. 5. Rom. 8. 1. Pet. 1. Ephe. 5. Ephe. 2. Heb. 4. Rom. 3. Math. 25. Philip. 3. Ephe. 1. Ephe. 2. Apoc. 13. that by him alone we haue receiued libertie and life: that by him alone thou doest acknowedge vs to be thy children and heires: that by him a­lone wee haue entraunce to the throne of thy grace: that by him a­lone we are possessed in our spiritu­all Kingdome to eate and drinke at his table, and with whome we haue our conuersation presently in hea­uen, and by whome our bodies shall be raised vp againe from the dust, & shall be placed with him in that end­lesse ioye, which thou (O Father of mercie) hast prepared for thine electe before the foundation of the worlde [Page 326] was layd.Rom. 3. Ephe. 2. Titus. 3. Rom. 8. And these most inestima­ble benefites wee acknowledge and confesse to haue receiued of thy free mercie and grace, by thine onely be­loued sonne Iesus Christe. For the which therefore we thy congregati­on, moued by thy holy spirite, doe render to thee all thankes, praise and glory for euer and euer.

A thankesgiuing after the re­ceiuing of the Communion.

MOst mercifull father, we render vnto thee all praise, thanks, ho­nour and glorie, for that it hath pleased thee of thy great mercies to graunt vnto vs miserable sinners, so excellent a gift and treasure, as to receiue vs into the fellowshippe and companie of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde,1. Cor. 10 whome thou hast deliuered to death for vs,Rom. 4. Iohn. 6. and hast giuen him vnto vs, as a necessarie [Page 327] foode and nourishment vnto euerla­sting life. And now we beseech thee also (O heauenly) father to graunt vs this 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 heartes, that we may growe and in­crease daily more and more in true faith,Luk. 25. Galat. 5. 1. Tim. 4. Ephe. 5. 2. Pet. 3. Matth. 5. 1. Pet. 2. which continually is exercised in all manner of good works: and so much the rather, (O Lord) confirme vs in these perillous dayes & rages of Sathan, that we may constantly stand and continue in the confessi­on of the same, to the aduancement of thy glorie, which art God ouer all things, blessed for euer.

A lamentation of a sinner afflic­ted in conscience for his offences.

IN the middes of the desperate as­saultes of my soule, the intollera­ble [Page 328] heauinesse of my minde hath heretofore (Lorde) cryed as shril in thine eares, as though I had shri­ked and with lamentations cryed out saying, helpe: helpe mee my God, my creatour, my most prouident ke­per and euerlasting defender, for be­holde I perish.

On this occasion (Lorde) when heauinesse of minde did heretofore assault me, I remembred that thou haddest many times set before mine eyes the wonderfull greatnes of thy most tender loue towardes mee, by the great multitude of thy benefites powred vppon mee, which benefites euerie of thy workes (as they came before mine eyes) gaue mee iust oc­casion to be mindfull of.

Woulde not (thought I) if I had in a manner any grace at all, woulde not such loue bring nowe into my heart a wonderfull delectation, ioy, [Page 329] and comfort in God for the same? And againe, coulde such delight in Gods sweete mercie and tender loue towardes me (if I were not as euill as a castaway that were none of Gods children) be without lothing of my sinne, and lust and desire to do Gods holy will? And these thinges thought I (fie vppon me vnthanke­full wretch) are either not at all in mee, or else in deede so coldly and slenderly, that they beeing truely weighed and compared to righteous­nesse,Esai. 64. are more vile then a filthy cloth starched in corrupt bloud.

Oh (thought I) I am affraid, I haue deceiued my selfe: for thy ser­uauntes at all times (I trowe) feele otherwise then I now doe, y^e fruites of thy spirit, as loue, ioy, peace, & such like. But my loue (alas) towards thee, what is it? my ioy is not once almost felt of mee: for my verie soule [Page 330] within mee (as Dauid in his heaui­nesse saide) refuseth comfort,Psal. 77. and fa­reth as though it did vtterly des­paire: & what peace can I feele then, or certaintie of thy fauour and loue? Iustly may I powre out this dolo­rous lamentatiō of Sion: The Lord hath forsaken mee, Esai. 49. and my Lord hath forgotten mee.

Euen in the middest (I say) of these my former desperate assaultes, mine intollerable heauines cried to thee, O my God, and from heauen thou heardest my groaninges, and therevpon first preparedst my hearte to aske comfort of thee, & then thou diddest accept my prayer, and gauest me plentifully my asking.

Oh my soule, consider well that thou art neuer able to declare the exceeding goodnesse of God in this, that hee hearde the verie desires of thee being afflicted: who is so rea­die [Page 331] fauourably to grant the requests of the afflicted, that oftentimes hee tarrieth not vntill they do cal, but or euer they call vpon him, hee fauou­rably heareth them, as the Psalmist saith:Psal. 10. The desire of the afflicted thou hearest O Lorde: thou preparest their heartes, & thine eares heareth them.

Oh Lorde my God, meruellous thinges are these, whether I consider this meruellous manner of thy hea­ring, or else the meruellous nature and propertie of thy goodnesse. Mer­uellous (no doubt) is that thy hea­ring, whereby the verie desires of the afflicted are hearde: but much more maruellous is this thy good­nesse, which tarriest not vntil the af­flicted doe desire thy helpe, but pre­parest first their hearts to desire, and then thou giuest them their desires.

Yea Lord (worthie of all praise) it cannot otherwise bee. For howe [Page 332] shouldest thou do otherwise then thy nature and propertie is? Art not thou verie goodnesse and mercie it selfe? Howe canst thou then but pi­tie and helpe miserie?

Art not thou both the creatour and also the conseruer of all thinges? in so much as the Lyons whelpes roaring after their pray, [...]sal. 104. [...]sal. 147. do seeke their foode at thy handes, and the Rauens birdes lacking meat, do call vppon thee.

If then thy fatherly prouidence and tender care (O Lord) vppon all thy creatures be so great, that the ve­rie beastes and foules haue this ex­perience of thy goodnes in their ne­cessities that their roarings and cry­ings haue the strength of earnest cal­linges and desires: howe much ra­ther doe these sighinges, groninges, and desperate heauines of men, but chiefly of thy children, crie and call [Page 333] lowde in thine eares, though they speake neuer a worde at all?

Shoulde I then nowe despaire of thy fatherly mercie, whiles present­ly I feele thee,Psal. 77. stirre vp my soule and hearte to craue helpe at thy hande? Should I thinke that thou wilt ab­sent thy selfe for euer? that thou wilt be no more intreated? that thy mer­cie is cleane gone? that thy promise is come vtterly to an ende? and that thou wilt nowe shut vp thy louing kindnesse in displeasure.

Nay Lorde, for all alterations are of thy right hande, and turne alway to the best to them that feare thee, All this is but mine owne infirmi­tie: for thou art euer one, thy promi­ses be infallible, and thy loue to­wards thine, euerlastingly during. I will therefore in this my present tentation, & greuous assaulte, powre out the heauinesse of my hearte be­fore [Page 334] thee deare father. Out of the deepe will I crie,Psal. 77. & lift vp my soule vnto thee, from whom I assuredly know my helpe is comming. I will also for my present comfort, cal to re­membrance (O Lorde my God) thy tender mercies towards me already shewed, the multitude of thy bene­fites, the greatnes of the same, the longe continuance of them, euen frō my conception vntill this instant, & finally thy continuall luste & desire to powre them vpon me.

And moreouer, sith thy goodnesse is so great (O Lord) that thou dost not onely pitie miserie, but also cal­lest the heauie hearted and afflicted vnto thee,Matth. 11 promising that thou wilt ease their miserie: for as much as by the motion of thy good spirit I loth and abhorre my sinnes, feele the gre­uousnesse of them, and thy heauie wrath towardes me for the same, and [Page 335] finally, what neede I haue of thy gratious ayde and succour: therefore (Oh Lorde) in thy Sonne Christes name, with sure confidence and trust in thine infallible promise, in this mine anguish & trouble I come vn­to thee at thy mercifull calling, and craue comfort at thy hand. For thou hast promised, that when I loath my sinnes, thou wilt vterly forget them: when I feele the greeuous burthen of them, thy mercie swalloweth them vp: when I seeke that I want, thou wilte assuredly graunt it me, For sith thou mouest my hearte to desire helpe, how shoulde I mistrust, but thou wilt for thy truth sake, giue me my asking?

Yea, where I knowe not howe, or what to desire as I ought, thy holy spirite gratiously working in mee,Rom. 8. maketh intercession mightily for me with groninges which can not bee [Page 336] expressed, and therewithall certifieth my spirit, that by adoption through thy great mercie and goodnesse I am become thy childe and heire.

Why should I not then be of good comfort and ioyfull in thee my God? For if thou be on my side, who can be against mee? Since thou diddest not spare thine owne sonne, but ga­uest him for mee, euen when I was thine enemie:Rom. 8. howe shalt thou not with him, nowe that by his death I am brought into thy fauour, giue mee all thinges with him, and for his sake? Who shall lay any thing to the charg of thine elect? It is thou Lord which iustifiest mee. It is Christe that hath dyed for mee, yea rather that is risen againe for mee, who also is set on thy right hand, & hath taken possession, yea, and perpetual­ly maketh there intercession for me, vntill that ioyfull day be come, when [Page 337] I shall haue full fruition of the moste glorious presence of thy diuine maiestie,Ephe. 1. in that kingdome whiche thou hast prepared be­fore the beginning of the world, but in time (to thy gratious goodnesse thought best) made knowen to me, by giuing thy holy spirite into my heart: whereby, when I first (Lord) beleeued thy holy worde (which is thine owne power to saue all that beleeue) I was sealed,Rom. 8. confirmed, and stablished in the certaintie of y^t thine euerlasting kingdom and inheritāce.

For the which inestimable bene­fite of thy rich grace (Oh Lorde my God) I beseech thee, euen for the loue thou bearest to Christe Iesus thy son, & thy mercie thou haddest on him when he cried on the crosse:Matt. 27. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Help, help, I say & inflame my heart with loue so plentifully towardes [Page 338] thee againe, that I may be euen swa­lowed vp in the ioyfull feeling of the same, in such sort that I may of verie thankefulnesse loue thee my GOD alone, thee I say my deare GOD, and nothing but thee, and for thy sake. O holy spirite whose work this is in mee, increase this thy worke of thine infinite mercie, and preserue mee that I neuer become vnthankefull vnto thee therefore, A­men.

A prayer for the sicke.

O Most mercifull God, which ac­cording to the multitude of thy mercies dost so put away y^e sins of those which truly repēt, that thou remembrest them no more: open thy eyes of mercie, and looke vpon this thy sicke seruant, who most earnest­ly desireth pardon and forgiuenesse. Renue in him (most louing father) [Page 339] whatsoeuer hath beene decayed by the fraude and malice of the diuell, or by his owne carnall will and frail­tie. Preserue and continue this sicke member in the vnitie of thy Church. Consider his contrition▪ accept his teares, assuage his paine as shall bee seene to thee most expedient for him. And for as much as he putteth his full trust onely in thy mercie, im­pute not vnto him his former sin­nes, but take him vnto thy fauour, through the merits of thy most dear­ly beloued sonne Iesus Christ.

A prayer to be saide at the houre of death.

O Lord, Iesus Christ, which art the onely health of all men li­uing, and the euerlasting life of them y^t die in thee: I wretched sinner do submit my selfe wholy vnto thy [Page 340] most blessed will, and being sure that the thing cannot perish which is cō ­mitted vnto thy mercie, willingly now I leaue this fraile and sinnfull fleshe, in sure hope that thou wilt in better wise restore it to mee againe at the last day in the resurrection of the iust. I beseech thee most mer­cifull Lorde Iesus Christ, that thou wilt by thy grace make stronge my soule against all tentations, and de­fende mee with the buckler of thy mercie against all the assaults of the diuell.

I see and acknowledge that there is in my selfe no helpe of saluation, but al my confidence, hope, and trust, is in thy rich mercie and goodnesse. I haue no merites or good workes which I may alledge before thee: of sinnes and euill workes (alas) I see a great heape: but yet through thy mercie I trust to be in the number of [Page 341] them to whome thou wilt not im­pute their sinnes, but wilt accept and take mee for righteous and iust, and to be an inheritour of euerlastinge life.

Thou mercifull Lord wast borne for my sake: thou diddest suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake: thou diddest teach, pray, and fast for my sake: all thy holy actions, and works thou wroughtest for my sake: thou sufferedst most greeuous paines and tormentes for my sake: finally thou gauest thy most precious bodie and bloode to be shed on the crosse for my sake. Now, most merciful Sauiour, let all these thinges profite me, that thou freely hast done for me, which hast giuen thy selfe also for mee. Let thy blood cleanse and wash away the spottes and fowlenesse of my sinnes. Let thy righteousnes hide and couer my vnrighteousnes. Let the merites [Page 342] of thy passion and bloudsheding be the satisfaction for my sinnes. Giue me Lord thy grace, that the faith of my saluation in thy bloude wauer not in mee, but maie euer bee firme and constant: that the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer de­cay in me: that loue waxe not colde in me: finally, that the weakenesse of my fleshe be not ouercome with the feare of death.

Graunt me mercifull Sauiour, y^t when death hath shut vp the eyes of my bodie, yet the eyes of my soule may still beholde and looke vppon thee: and when death hath taken a­way the vse of my tongue, yet my heart may crie and say: Lord into thy handes I commend my soule: Lord Ie­su receiue my spirite.

A prayer for a woman with childe.

[Page 343]THou art wonderfull (O Lord) in al thy workes, and what so e­uer thy good pleasure is, y^t doest thou easily bring to passe, neither is there any thing vnpossible with thee that thou wilt haue done. And albeit this thy almightie power sheweth it selfe aboundantly in al thy works, yet in conceiuing, forming, and brin­ging foorth of man, it shineth most e­uidently.

At the beginning O (Father) when thou madest man and woman, thou commandedst them to increase, multiplie, and replenish the earth. If through the subtill inticementes of Sathan they had not transgressed thy commaundement by eating the forbidden fruite, the woman whome thou hast appoynted to be the instru­ment and vessell to conceiue, nourish and bring foorth man through thy wonderful workmanship, had with­out [Page 344] any labour, paine or trauel brou­ght foorth her frutie.

But that which thy goodnes made easie, sin and disobedience hath made harde, painefull, daungerous, and without thy speciall helpe and suc­cour, impossible to bee brought to passe: so that nowe all women bring foorth their childrē in great sorowes, paines, and troubles. Notwithstan­ding, that which through their owne imperfection and feeblenes, they are not able of thēselues to passe, thou through thine vnspeakable power makest easie in them, and bringest vnto a ioyfull end.

We therefore being fully persua­ded of thy fauour and goodnesse, of thy present helpe, and of thy sweete comforte in all miseries and necessi­ties, knowing also by the testimo­nies of thy holy word how great and intollerable the paines of women [Page 345] are that trauell of childe, if through thy tender mercie they bee not miti­gated and eased: most humbly pray thee for Iesus Christes sake thy son our Lorde, to helpe and assist this thy seruaunt nowe in trauell and la­bour, that by thy almightie power shee may safely bringe foorth that which by thy goodnes she hath con­ceiued, and that thy louing kindnes may make that easie and tollerable vnto her, which sinne hath made hard and painefull.

Ease (O Lord) the paines which thou most righteously hast put vpon her and all women, for the sinne and disobedience of our graundmother Eue, in whom al we haue sinned. Be present with her in her trouble, ac­cordinge to thy mercifull promise: Giue her strength, and make perfect that which thou hast so gratiously begun. Let thy power be shewed no [Page 346] lesse in the safe bringing foorth, then in the wonderfull forming and fashi­oning of that she beareth. Make her a glad and a ioyfull mother, that she through thy goodnesse, being safely deliuered and restored to health a­gaine, may liue and praise thy blessed name for euer.

A psalme to be saide in the time of any common plague, sicknes, or other crosse and visitati­on of God.

Psal. 9 5.O Come let vs humble our selues and fall downe before the Lorde with reuerence and feare.

For he is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheepe of his handes.

Osee. 6.Come therefore, let vs turne a­gaine vnto our Lorde, for he hath smiten vs, and he shall heale vs.

Actes. 1.Let vs repent and turne from our [Page 347] wickednesse, and our sinnes shalbe forgiuen vs.

Let vs turne,Ionas. 3. and the Lorde will turne from his heauie wrath, and will pardon vs, and we shall not pe­rish.

For we acknowledg our faultes,Psal. 51. and our sinnes are euer before vs.

We haue sore prouoked thine an­ger (O Lord:Lamen. 3) thy wrath is waxed hote, and thy heauie displeasure is sore kindled against vs.

Thou hast in thine indignatiom striken vs with greeuous sickenesse,Esai. 64. and by and by we haue fallen as leaues beaten downe with a vehe­ment winde.

In deede we acknowledge that our punishmentes are lesse then our deseruinges:Iudeth. 8 Iob. 11. Sapi. 124 but yet of thy mercie Lorde correct vs to amendment, and plague vs not to our destruction.

For thy hand is not shortned, that [Page 348] thou canst not helpe: neither is thy goodnesse abated, that thou wilt not heare.

Esa. 65.Thou hast promised, O Lord, that afore we crie thou wilt heare vs: whilest we yet speake, thou wilte haue mercie vpon vs.

Tobias. 3 Iob. 5. Oseas. 6.For none that trust in thee shall be confounded: neither any that call vpon thee shalbe despised.

For thou art the onely Lord, who woundest and doest heale againe, who killest & reuiuest, bringest euen to hell, and bringest backe againe.

Sapie. 22Our fathers hoped in thee, they trusted in thee, and thou diddest de­liuer them.

They called vppon thee, and were helped: they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.

Psal. 6.O Lorde, rebuke vs not in thine indignation: neither chasten vs, in thy heauie displeasure.

[Page 349]O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth:Psal. 25. but according to thy mercy thinke thou vpon vs, O Lord, for thy goodnes.

Haue mercie vpon vs, O Lord, for we are weake: O Lord heale vs, for our bones are vexed.

And nowe in the vexation of our spirits and the anguish of our soules,Baruc. 3. Ionas. 2. we remember thee: and we crie vnto thee, heare, Lord, and haue mercie.

For thine owne sake,Danie. 9. and for thy holy names sake incline thine eare and heare, O mercifull Lord.

For we doe not powre out our prayers before thee, trusting in our owne righteousnes: but in thy great and manyfold mercies.

Wash vs throughly from our wic­kednes: and cleanse vs from our sins.

Turne thy face from our sins, and put out all our misdeedes.

Make vs cleane heartes, O God: [Page 350] and renne a right spirite within vs.

Psal. 70.Helpe vs O God of our saluation, for the glorie of thy name: O deliuer vs, and be mercifull vnto our sinnes for thy names sake.

So we that be thy people, & sheepe of thy pasture, shall giue thee thanks for euer, and will alwaies be shew­ing foorth thy praise from generation to generation.

Glorie be to the father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

A psalme of thankesgiuing for deliuerance from the plague, or a­ny other kind of sicknes, trou­ble or affliction.

LOrd, thou art become gratious to thy lande,Pal. 85. thou hast turned away the afflictions of thy ser­uants.

Thou hast taken away all thy dis­pleasure, and turned thy selfe from [Page 351] thy wrathfull indignation.

For if thou Lord hadst not helped vs,Psalm. 94▪ it had not failed but our soules had beene put to silence.

But when we said: our feete haue slipped, thy mercie (O Lord) helped vs vp.

In the multitude of the sorrowes that we had in our heartes, thy com­fortes haue refreshed our soules.

Our soules wayted still vpon the Lorde,Psal. 62▪ our soules hanged vpon his helpe, our hope was alwaies in him.

In the Lordes word will we re­ioyce, in Gods word did we comfort our selues.

For the Lorde saide:Psalm. 50 Call vpon me in the time of trouble, and I will heare thee, and thou shalt praise me.

So when we were poore,Psal. 40 needie, sickly, & in heauines, the Lord cared for vs: he was our helper and our de­liuerer [Page 352] according to his word.

Psal. 17.In our aduersitie and distresse he hath lift vp our heades, and saued vs from vtter destruction.

Pal. 33.He hath deliuered our soules from death: he hath fed vs in the time of dearth, he hath saued vs from the noysome pestilence.

Psal. 27.Therefore will we offer in his ho­ly temple the oblation of thankesgi­uing with great gladnes: we wil sing and speake prayses vnto the Lorde our Sauiour.

Psa. 106.We will giue thankes vnto the Lord, for he is gratious, & his mer­cie endureth for euer.

Psal. 86. Psa. 103.The Lord is ful of compassion and-mercie, long suffering, plenteous in goodnes and pitie.

Psal. 57. Psa. 108.His mercie is greater then the hea­uens, and his gratious goodnesse rea­cheth vnto the cloudes.

Psal. 103Like as a father pitieth his owne [Page 353] children: euen so is the Lord merci­full vnto them that feare him.

Therefore will we praise thee and thy mercies,Psam. 71. O God: vnto thee will we sing, O thou holy one of Israel.

Wee will sing a newe song vnto thee,Psalm. 68 O God: we wil praise the Lord with Psalmes of thankesgiuing.

O sing prayses,Psal. 47. sing prayses vnto our God: O sing prayses, sing prai­ses vnto our king.

For God is the king of the earth: sing prayses with vnderstanding.

We wil magnifie thee,Psal. 145. O God our king: we will praise thy name for e­uer and euer.

Euery day will we giue thankes vnto thee, and praise thy name for e­uer and euer.

Our mouth shal speake the praises of the lord, & let all flesh giue thanks to his holy name, for euer and euer.

Blessed be the Lorde God of Is­raelPsal. 72. [Page 354] for euer: and blessed be the name of his maiestie, world without end▪ Amen.

Glorie be to the father, &c.

As it was in the beginning. &c.

Praiers to be saide before meales and after.

AL things depend vpon thy pro­uidence (O Lord) to receiue at thy hands due sustenāce in time cōuenient.Psa. 104. Thou giuest to them, and, they gather it: thou openest thy hand and they are satisfied with all good thinges.

O heauenly father which art the fountaine and full treasure of all goodnesse, we beseeche thee to shewe thy mercie vpon vs thy children, and sanctifie these giftes which we re­ceiue of thy mercifull liberalitie,1. Tim. 4. graunting vs grace to vse them so­berly and purely, according to thy [Page 355] blessed will: so that hereby we may acknowledge thee to be the authour and giuer of all good thinges:Tim. 2, and a­boue all, that we may remember continuallie to seeke the spirituall foode of thy worde,Iohn. 6. wherewith our soules may be nourished euerlasting­ly, through our sauiour Christ, who is the true bread of life, which came downe from heauen, of whom who­soeuer eateth shall liue for euer, and raigne with him in glorie worlde without end. So be it.

An other prayer before meales.

WHether ye eat or drinke (saith S. Paul) or whatsoeuer ye doe else,1. Cor. 10 let al be done to the praise and glorie of God.

Eternal and euerliuing God, fa­ther of our Lord Iesus Christ, who of thy most singular loue which thou [Page 356] barest to mankinde, hast appointed to his sustenaunce, not onelye the fruits of the earth, but also the foules of the aire, the beasts of the field, and fishes of the sea, and hast commaun­ded thy benefites to bee receiued as from thy handes with thankesgi­uing, assuring thy children by the mouth of thine Apostle, that to the cleane all thinges are cleane, as the creatures which be sanctified by thy worde and prayer: grant vnto vs, so moderately to vse these thy giftes present, that our bodies being refre­shed, our soules may bee more able to proceede in all good workes, to the praise of thy holy name, through Ie­sus Christ our Lord. So be it.

Our father which art in heauen, &c.

An other.

O Eternal God, the verie God of peace and all consolation: which [Page 357] broughtest againe from death our Lorde Iesus the great sheepheard of the sheepe, through the bloud of the euerlasting couenant: make vs fruit­full in all good works to doe thy wil, and worke in vs that which is accep­table in thy sight. Sanctifie vs throughout, and keep our whole spi­rit, soule, and body, faultles vnto the comming of thy deare Sonne our Lorde Iesu Christ. Thou art faith­full (O Father) who hast promised this, who also shalt bring it to passe: to thee therefore be giuen euerlasting praise, honour, and glorie. Amen.

A thankesgiuing after meales.

LEt al nations magnifie y^e Lorde, let all people reioyce in praysing and extolling his great mercies: For his fatherly kindnesse is plenti­fully shewed foorth vpon vs, and the [Page 358] trueth of his promise endureth for­euer.

We render thankes vnto thee, O Lord God, for the manifolde bene­fites which we continually receiue at thy bountifull hand, not onely for that it hath pleased thee to feeede vs in this present life, giuing vnto vs al thinges necessarie for the same: but specially because thou hast of thy free mercie fashioned vs a newe, into an assured hope of a farre better life, the which thou hast declared vn­to vs by thy holy Gospell.

Therfore we humblie beseech thee Oh heauenly father, that thou wilt not suffer our affections to be so in­tangled and rooted in these earthly and corruptible thinges, but that we may alwayes haue our mindes di­rected to thee on high, continually watching for the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ, what time he [Page 359] shal appeare for our full redemption. To whome with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glorie, for euer and euer. So be it.

An other thankesgiuing after meales.

GLorie, praise, and honour be vn­to thee most mercifull and om­nipotent father, who hast fedde and daily dost feede (of thy most bon­tifull goodnes) all liuing creatures: we beseeche thee, that as thou hast nourished these our mortall bodies with corporall foode, so thou woul­dest replenish our soules with the perfect knowledge of the liuely word of thy beloued sonne Iesus Christ, to whome with thee and the holy Ghost be praise, glorie and honour for euer. So be it.

¶An other.

[Page 360]MOste bountifull and gratious God, which feedest all flesh, and hast promised that asking of thee, wee shal not lack, if we first seek thy kingdome and the righteousnes thereof, we feeling presently the be­nefite of this thy gratious promise in feeding our bodies with this cor­porall foode, do render vnto thee most heartie thanks for the same, beseech­ing thee likewise to feede our soules with that heauenly foode which pe­risheth not, but abideth into euerla­sting life: so that we being nourished by thy goodnes both in bodye and soule, may be apt and readie to do all good works which thou hast prepa­red for vs to walke in, through Ie­sus Christ our Lord.

Vnto him that loued vs, and was­shed vs from our sinnes in his bloud, and made vs kinges and Priestes vnto God his father, be all glorie, power & [Page 361] dominion for euermore. Amen.

An other.

THe God of glorie who hath crea­ted, redeemed, and presently fed vs, be blessed for euermore. Amē.

The God of all power, who hath called from death the great pastour of the sheepe our Lorde Iesus, com­fort and defend the flocke which hee hath redeemed by the bloud of the e­ternall testament: increase the num­ber of true preachers: represse the rage of obstinate tyrants: lighten the heartes of the ignorant, releeue the paines of such as be afflicted, but spe­cially of those that suffer for the te­stimonie of the trueth: and finally confound Sathan by the power of our Lord Iesus Christ. So be it.