THE POESIE OF Floured Prayers. Containing sundrie Meditations and Prayers: gathered out of the sacred letters and vertuous Writers: disposed in forme of the Alphabet, of the most vertuous Lady, the Lady Elizabeths name. Set forth by Sir IOHN CONVVAY.
AT LONDON, ¶ Printed for Va. Sims, and are to be sold by Ed: White. An. 1611.
TO THE MOST Gracious Ladie the Ladie ELIZABETH, eldest daughter to our Soveraigne Lord the KING.
I MAY NOT doubt (most gracious Ladie) but certainly belieue, that as [Page]
you are religiously devoted: so you are sufficiently stoared with Meditations, Prayers, and Supplications of Saintes, best befitting your Royall Estate: So that by reprinting of these ancient Prayers, and causing them to be disposed to your Graces Name, I may seeme to offer a needlesse [Page]
Supply: Nevertheles, presuming vppon your wel-knowē, Princely, and gracious acceptance of all that which proceedeth frō well-meaning mindes, I have adventured in all humilitie to offer them vnto your most Royall Service, to bee respected, or reiected at your pleasure; for [Page]
whose most happy cō tinuance in this world, and participation of perfect ioye in the world to come, I also will not cease to pray to almighty God.
Prou. 31.
BEautie and favour, are things deceitful & vaine, but the heart of a woman that feareth the Lord, her body is a rich portion, and she is worthy to be honoured: for shee openeth her mouth with wisdome, & in her tongue is the Law of grace.
Prou. 16.
COnfesse thy workes vnto the LORD, and looke what thou deuisest, it shall prosper.
Esay. 58.
THy light shall spring out in the darknesse, and thy darkenesse shall bee as the noone day.
Pro. 28.
HE that hydeth his sinnes shall not prosper: but who so acknowledgeth them, and forsaketh them,shall haue Mercie.
A Morning Prayer.
O LORD Iesus Christ, which hast redéemed all mankind from sinne, Death, and Hell: thou which hast sayd, I am the waye, truth, and life: A way in doctrine, commandements, and examples: Truth in promises: Life in reward. I come vnto thée, early now this morning I pray thée by thine ineffamable loue, wherewith thou hast vouchsafed wholy to bestowe thy selfe for our security, that thou wilt not suffer me euer [Page]
to straye from thée, because thou art the way; nor at any time distrust thy promises, which art Truth, and performest whatsoeuer thou promisest: neither let me rest in any other thing, because thou art eternall life: without the which there is nothing that ought to bee desired, neither in Heauen nor in Earth. But let me learne as thou hast exactly taught what to belieue, and what to do, what to hope for, and in whome we ought to rest.
Thou which by the examples of thy life hast shewed vs the way to immortality: and by thy steps hast restored to [Page]
vs a plaine, easie, and profitable way, out of an vneuen and rough way. Vphold mee in thy benignity with thy sure promises, that after this life I may enter into thy heauenly heritage. Therefore whilest I am in this iourney, bee a sure hope vnto me, to bee in stéed of a staffe vnto me wherwith I am sustained. O Lord that knowest the weakenesse of my flesh, in the meane time with the comfort of thy Spirit so refresh my strength, wherby I may runne chéerefully.
And as thou being made vnto me a way, doest driue awaye all errour. So being made Truth, take awaye all [Page]
distrust.
Finally, beeing made life vnto vs, I beséech thée reuiue mee dead in sinne, to liue by thy spirit, relieuing all things, vntill in the resurrection, all mortality vtterlye abolished, I may always liue with thée, and in thée, when Christ shall be to vs all in all. For eternall life is, to knowe the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost to be one true God, whome now through Faith wée behold only in a glasse and Riddle: and then séeing more felowly the glory of the Lord, we shalbe transformed into the same Image.
Therefore I beséech thée [Page]
most mercifull Sauiour, that thou wouldest nourish Faith in thy Seruant, that I may neuer wauer in thy heauenly doctrine. Encrease obedience, that I neuer turne from thy Precepts.
Fortifie constancie, that entring into thy steppes, it bee not pulled backe, nor through the terrour or intisementes of Sathan ouerthrowne, but may perseuer in thée, which art the true-waye vnto life. Build my sure trust, that being accustomed with thy promises, I neuer waxe old in the exercise of Vertue: but forgetting those things which are past, I may continually [Page]
striue to come to perfecter. Accept my contrite heart, the woonted sacrifice of thy delight, and the oblation of these my Peticions, graunting the summe of my requests. Blot out all my offences for thine own sake; defend me this day with thy mighty hand, & increse thy grace in me, yt I may in all thinges carrye vpright sway, and equall iudgement; liuing with thy people in the light of thy worde, and feare of thy Lawes. And daylie more & more die to my selfe, and liue and bee lead by thy Spirit, fearing nothing but thée, then the which nothing is greater or mightier: louing [Page]
nothing beside thée: then whome, nothing is more to be beloued: glorying in nothing but in thée, which art the glory of all Saints: requiring nothing beside thée which art the best: desiring nothing but thée, which art the full, and perfect felicitie with the Father and the holy Ghost aboue the Starrie Firmament: to whome be prayse both now and euer, Amen.
¶ A Prayer for the Euening.
O Gracious GOD and most mercifull Father, being infinitely bound vnto [Page]
thée for thy manifold mercies extended towards mee, I humbly giue thee thankes among the rest, for thy protection of me this day: And I most humbly pray thée to forgiue mee all my sinnes and naughtines, whereby I am made vnwoorthy of thy further goodnes and mercie. O Lord receaue the intercession of thy Sonne for all mine offences. Accept this sacrifice of my soule and body, which I offer to be: disposed off at thy pleasure. Consider the vnfeined sighes which I send from my heart, for that I haue offended thée, and giue eare to my prayers which I powre [Page]
foorth before thée to obtaine thy pardon. Giue me a true and liuely faith, whereby I may laye holde vpon the merites of the death and passion of my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: Let his righteousnes make satisfaction to thy iustice for my vnrighteousnes: and his obedience, procure pardon for my disobedience; and his holy perfection, helpe and amend my vn-holy imperfections.
Protect me this night with thy mighty hand, and bring mee to the light of the next day. Renue in me a right spirite, that I may receaue strength and abilitie to do thy [Page]
righteous will, and to stand against all the assaults of Satan, that the old man which I beare about in my body may be crucified daily in me, and the desire of sinne and errour of worldly vanities may bee destroyed, and the life of my Sauior may alwaies appeare in me. Lord grant me these and all other good graces, euen for Iesus Christs sake, my onely Lord and Sauiour, in whose name I humbly begge them at thy hands, saying as he hath taught me, Our Father, &c.
¶ A Prayer for the Morning.
O Lord thou high, and mightie, whose Glorie and Maiesty may not be comprehended, whose woord is true, whose commandement is strong, thou that ridest vppon the Cherubins, and flyest with the winges of the wind: Thou God of all mercie, most woorthy to be sought, before whome the Hoastes of Heauen stand with trembling, whose Ordinance is dreadfull, whose Lookes drieth vp the depthes, whose hands ruleth [Page]
the starrie Firmaments, whose goodnesse onely giueth the fruits of the Earth, whose wrath maketh the Mountaines to melte, and consumeth the wicked, whose truth beareth witnesse, and mercie saueth the sorrowfull Sinner: Thou, thou incomprehensible Creator, that neuer tookest beginning, and wantest end: Sith of nothing thou hast wrought me (with the wonders of the world) to thy most séemly shape, and vouchsafest thy drery Death and passion, to drowne the danger of my sinnefull deserts, and hast as a carefull Captaine, cherished my bodie with comfortable [Page]
giftes vnto this present day: Continue (oh God) such goodnesse towards me vnworthy, which doe here with a contrite heart and bowed Knées, appeale to the height of thy mercie and louing kindnesse, to accept my vnequall thankes for the same: humbly beséeching thy Fatherly goodnesse, that thy holy hand may still renew in me thy former gifts, plenteouslie powred vpon me from the prime of my birth vnto this present: not remembring (good Lord) my vnworthines of the same, nor frailty of my passed yeares that speaketh against me, but altering the ministers of thy wrath into [Page]
milde mercie. Graunt I beséech thée, that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit, I may be led to correct what is amisse, and that I may now this day and euer hereafter perseuer in setting, ordering, and performing all my trauailes, councels, and studies as best may accord with thy blessed will, and cancell the handes of my heauye charge. Assist me (oh Lord) of all power, with thy prudent skill and heauenlie grace, that I may bee truelie able to aduance Iustice, and to hate wrong, and so be found faithfull in all that I take in hand. Plant I beséech thée, by thy [Page]
heauenlie grace, and feare, with obedience in mee, and kindle in me ye loue of thy holy spirit, that I may perseuer in the truth of thy word, without doubt or wauering, to the end. Graunt this, oh mightie God of Hoastes, for the Merites and Passion of thy deare Sonne, my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. Amen.
¶ A Prayer for the Euening.
O Most mercifull GOD and louing Father, with feare and reuerence I approach [Page]
to thy throne this night that stealeth on me like a thiefe. I thanke thée for preseruing me this day past, and I beséech thée suffer me not to fall into the horrours of the night. Forgiue me the innumerable offences that I haue cōmitted this day; & those also which (if thy Grace preuent me not) I am like to fall into this night. Pardon them (oh Lord) they are more in number then the sand in the Sea, and more heauie to me then if Mountaines were layd vpon my breast: But I beséech thée receaue me to mercie, and giue me grace to be more carefull of the performance of thy [Page]
holie will. Suffer no vncleane thoughts to pollute my bodie and soule: and whether I sléepe or wake, giue thine Angels charge ouer me, that at what houre soeuer thou callest me, I may like a faithfull souldier be found ready to attend thée my Lord and God, euen for Iesus Christs sake my onely Lord and Sauiour, Amen.
¶ The Confession of a Sinner.
O Most blessed Father of euerlasting blisse, and gracious giuer of all goodnes, I say most precious Patron of all Princely power, and God of all mercie, I wretched sinner, and vncleane Creature, with so much humilitie as possible in me is, and with full trust in thy goodnesse, doe prostrate my selfe before thy Sacred seate: confessing my grieuous, huge, and déepe offences, wherewith I haue offended thee, my most louing [Page]
Father, euen vntil this houre: I haue not feared to commit those execrable wicked déeds, which thy onely beloued Son my humble Lord and Sauiour, by his bitter bloud-shedding hath washed, and with so pinching panges purged. I confesse also vnto thée, most mercifull father, my great and horrible ingratitude wherewith I vnwoorthy creature, haue euer most vnthankefullie answered thée, and thy Sonne, in liew of all the loue, goodnesse, and fidelitie, which thou hast bestowed on mee: which now, so long and many years hast spared my wickednesse and sinne, and benignely [Page]
suffred all iniurie, and contempt offered thée, through my disobedience and wilfulnesse. Yea, thou hast required mee to repentance with great gentlenesse, that thereby thou mightest winne my heart to decke thy Habitation therin, with the Boughs of thy Loue. And how often (oh Lord GOD) haste thou knocked at the Doore of my Conscience, by thy inspiration: wooed mee with thy benefites: cheared mee with thy comforts, and most mightilie put to flight my dreadfull daungers: yet hast thou suffered repulse, I haue alwaies turned ny backe to thée, and [Page]
thou notwithstanding haste méekely suffred it. Oh how iustlie couldest thou haue throwen me to Hell: yet mercifullie hast spared me. Truelie it is maruaile (most sweet Sauiour) that my heart breaketh not through vehement sorrow, when I recount these things. Neither is Hell it selfe, with all his paines, of force to correct my malicious wickednesse, I am vnworthy to bee called thy creature, or one whome the Earth should sustaine, or nourishmentes yéeld their naturall food. Meruaile it is (oh Lord) that thy Creatures and Elements, do not reuenge the iniurie, and [Page]
contempt which I haue made thée through my manifold iniquities.
But now, most louing Father haue mercie (I beséech thée) on me, and to me miserable and desolate sinner. Turne the eyes of thy diuine fauour, and with the winges of thy mercie couer my infirmitie. Open vnto mee the Bowels of thy benignitie: and receiuing me into thy fauour, forgiue my slackenesse in turning to thée: Open to me thy bosome of bountie and louing kindnesse, and replenish me with the nourishment and solace of thy grace. I beséech thée, Lord God, sith [Page]
of thy mercie, and for thy Sonnes sake, thou hast hitherto spared me; confirme now that swiftly in me, whervnto from the beginning I am ordained. And woe to me vnhappie sinner, that haue left so louing and mercifull a Father, who euer tendered me. Yet haue I denyed thée in my heart, wherein thou hadst determined the Tabernacle of thy delight, and haue defiled it, and made thereof a vessell of iniquitie, and a denne of vncleane Spirits. I confesse my selfe (oh Lord) the most wicked of all that the world sustaineth: But neuertheles, I trust in thy goodnesse: [Page]
For as my sinnes be aboue number, so is there no number of thy mercies: O most louing Father, if it séeme good to thée, thou canst make me cleane: Heale my soule, I confesse I haue sinned. Remember Lord those comfortable words, which thou spakest by the Prophet, saying: Thou hast done wickedly with many, yet turne to me and I will receiue thee. Truelie most mercifull Father, I trust assuredlie in these swéet words, and with my whole heart turne mee to thée, as though thou hadst spokē these words to me alone, and wouldest call none other, for I am the vncleane [Page]
and vnfaithfull soule, the prodigall and wandring Sonne, who hath alienated my selfe from that Father of Light, from whome all goodnesse springeth, loosing and neglecting all thy large giftes, which of thy bountifull liberalitie thou hast graunted: I haue straied from thée like a wandering shéepe. I haue forsaken thée the fountaine of Liuing Water, and digged to my selfe muddie pittes: séeking outwarde comforts which hold no water, haue followed Temporall and transitorie delights, which vanish swiftlie as smoake. I haue left also the bread of Life, and [Page]
eate the dregs of Swine, following mine owne sensuall appetite and beastlie affections. I haue forsaken thée, the chéefe, most perfect, and continuall good, and haue enclined to terrestriall and transitorie things. Therefore I am become Naked, Poore, Miserable, and vncleane, and as a Calfe tied, doe festure through mine owne infirmities. But I praie thée (oh Father) remember not the contempt and Iniurie thou hast receiued of me; pardon the passed faults of my tender yeares: let not the old soares of wandring youth in setled yeares breake out to new bléeding [Page]
woundes. Accept the pittifull passion of thy deare Sonne, in satisfaction of my former heaped euils, & graunt Lord to mee sorrofull sinner, the assistance of thy holie Spirit, to continue this I haue begunne, to the health of my Soule and quietnes of mind, and my tongue and heart shal speake the Triumph of thy louing kindnesse and mercie, both now and euer. Amen.
Eccles. 4.
Deliuer him that suffreth wrong, from the hands of the oppressour, and be not faint-hearted when thou sittest in [Page]
Iudgement, decide Law with Equity, and Iustice with mercy, bee fauourable to the Fatherlesse, and bee in steade of a Husband vnto their Mother, so shalt thou bee blessed in sight of the Highest, and he shall loue thee more then doth thy Father and Mother.
Eccles. 9.12.
Day and night let the broad Gates of thy bounty be open to the Discreete and Vertuous. Set honour alwaies vppon the head of the lowlye. But to the prowde and ambicious, keepe thy selfe secret and straunge: giue not thy [Page]
bread vnto him, least hee become mightier then thy selfe, nor trust not thine Enemy, at any time: for like as Iron cankereth, so doth his wickednesse, though he humble himselfe greatly, yet locke vp thy mind and beware of him, set him not by thee, nor on thy right hand least he turne, get into thy place, take thy roome, and possesse thy Seat.
Pro. 16.
The cherefull countenance of the King, is Life: his louing fauour, is as the Euening deaw.
Holy, briefe, and comfortable Meditations, or Prayers discifering in Alphabet forme, the gracious name of the Ladie Elizabeth.
L
LOath not the Prayer of one that is in trouble: turne not away thy face from the needie: despise not the selie sewter: nor grieue the heart of the helpelesse: for if he complaine in the bitternesse of his soule, his prayer shall be heard, euen hee that made him shall heare him.
LIghten in mee (oh [Page]
God) the Image of thy selfe, though I looked backe from thy Lawes, chastice me to amendment: but suffer not the woorke of thy hands to perish.
Thou hast created my heart, and giuen me a will to order the same: so Lord I most méekelie yéeld the same again into thy hands.
I pray thée by thy holie spirite, so direct my waies, counsels, and woorkes, that they may be of chiefe regard with thée, good God the giuer of all mercie, suffer not my Soule to perish through the infirmitie of my flesh.
For thy Sonnes sake; and [Page]
thine own glorie, set both now and euer his death and passion betwéene thy iust Iudgement and the perill of my soule.
I thirst after thée, oh God, and sith thou seest my heartie desire is to serue thee, and liue in thy rule, and to die in thy Faith and fauour, allowe of mee, and with thy mightie hand assist me.
Graunt that the Celestiall kingdome of thy grace and mercie euer occupie my heart, and worthilie purchase me the sweet participation of thy glorious Throne and Maiestie.
Deliuer mee Lord through thy grace: for in all my proper [Page]
woorkes and deuises can be found no sure shield of defence for me.
Cast not away my sorrowfull soule: Remember the pittifull Passion of thy deare Sonne, and suffer it not to perish.
Guide my féete in the shining light of thy Veritie: carrie me aloft from the snares of the vngodlie: and from the traitorous trappes of the malicious saue me.
Suffer not thou (oh Prince of all power, who rulest the heauens and earth) that any canckred, or malicious stomacke rebell, or increase against me.
Pardon my cursed crimes: release my direfull debts: giue me againe thy grace: wrappe vp my woefull wounds that fester in my feeble flesh: graffe mee a new with the garnishing of thy grace: so shall thy glorie growe, and my gained gladnesse heale my groning griefes.
If I deserue the fulnesse of thy furie to fall vpon me, yet as a louing Sauiour rule ouer the roughnesse of thy rage, and let thy most meeke mercie measure my paine, as thou haste donne vnto numbers.
Grant most gracious God of all victorie, that I may euer [Page]
haue thy power, and right hand to be my resident Rocke of refuge.
Giue gracious eare to my requests, bee thou my staie in euerie storme and perill, for all mans staies are vnsteadie.
Beate downe therefore mine enemies with thine own hand and Sword, which art mine onelie aide and Protectour: giue me thy grace, and I shall neuer cease to giue thée glorie: both with my tongue and heart shal I ioyfully sing. Dominus illuminatio mea, & salus mea, quem timebo? Dominus Protector Vitae me, à quo trepidabo? The Lord is my light and my saluation, [Page]
whome then shall I feare? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whome then shall I be afraide? Amen.
A
ALL thy delight being in equitie and Iustice, incline thine heart to me cy: then shall thy light breake forth as the morning spring, and thy health florish: thy righteousnesse shall preserue thee, and the glorie of the Lord shall imbrace thee.
ASsist me (oh God) with thy grace, and enrich me [Page]
with thy Spirit: illuminate my mind with thy vnderstanding: be vnto me a sure saluation, and whome should I feare.
Trulie neither will I feare any bodilie or ghostlie enimie, thou being the strength of my life.
Though innumerable hostes doe rise against me, my Spirite shall trust in thee, and in my heart will I neuer bee affraide.
Arme mee with strength of warre (oh GOD) and teach my hands to wage battaile.
And I shall laye flat the enemies of thy truth, and ioyfullie [Page]
resist all those that rise against me.
My life shall euer declare thy sauing health, and my soule shall not cease to sing thy praise.
Thou haste deliuered mee from the chaines of Hell: and when I haue beene wrapped in the dangers of death, thou hast cleared my pathes of all stumbling blocks, and made thy rich mercie my Candle.
Lord, if I haue beene vnthankefull, a broken minde shall bee thy sacrifice: my heart shall euer dwell in the house of thanksgiuing, and my sptrit still mourne for her vnkindnesse.
Saue mee Lord I beseech thee, in the day of my distresse, for thou art the Horne of my health, the shield of my glorie, and bearest vp mine infirmitie.
Let them bee consumed in their deuises, that shall worke against mee, and faile of their force in the houre of their pretence.
Powre vpon them the Viall of thy wrath, let them sinke by themselues, and saue thy Seruauntes that trust in thy mercie.
I will honour thée for my sauiour, and praise thée for a God aboue all Gods. Amen.
D
DOubtles, God is gracious and mercifull, he forgiueth sinnes in time of trouble, and is a defender of them that seeke him with heartie prayer, and wholie put their trust in his mercie and truth.
DIrect my feete (oh Lord) in the waies of peace, and keepe my hands cleane from innocent blood.
Lord giue me grace to performe the trauailes of this Pilgrimage before thée, with a pure mind and cleare conscience, [Page]
that when thou shalt shew thy selfe towards euerie creature according to their déedes, I may be rich in thy mercie, and not dread thy presence.
To thy mercie I appeale, I flie vnto thee, I depend on thée, fearing thee, and reuerencing thee, louing thee, and trusting in thee.
If thy wrath waxe hot against mee, I cannot withstand. If thou punish me according to my deserts, I cannot beare: deale mercifullie therefore with mee, heale my sores, and pardon my sinnes.
Whilest I tread this wearie Laborinth, leaue mee not [Page]
Lord to my selfe, but graunt mee thy continuall grace for my staffe.
I am not of might in my selfe to doe any thing that is good: my righteousnesse and glorie stand in thy hand.
Therefore (oh Lord) I appeale to thy mercie, and pray thy grace, that I may in mind be made strong with thy holie Armour, which I desire may bee thy righteousnesse for my Brest-plate: firme faith for my Target: hope of mercie for my Helmette, and true knowledge of thy woord for my Banner: so that I may stand here strong and perfect against thine enemies, and [Page]
in a newe life participate thy ioyes.
I will blow thy wonderous name through thy people, and will praise thee amongst all the faithfull.
My praises shall haue being vnto the farthest part of thy congregation, and my vowes will I performe in the sight of all them that feare thee.
I will endeauour that the endes of the World shall remember themselues, and will do my best to turne them vnto thee.
Giue me therefore ioyfulnesse of heart, rest of conscience, continuall comfort in [Page]
thy word and truth, and that I may with a thankefull mind, aduance thy name for euer.
y
YEa, in the feare of God who so liueth, shall gather his Fruites in a pleasant Garden of blessinges; it giueth thee true Honour, Glory, Triumph, and ioyfull Crowne.
YEa, in the multitude of all my sorrowes that euer I haue had in my heart: Thy comforts (oh Lord) haue euer refreshed me.
Such is thy louing kindnesse [Page]
and aboue all, thy mercie: that if I should straie farther in my vnthankefulnesse, mine owne thoughtes would accuse me.
Therefore I doe come vnto thee to bee taught thy Testimonies, that I may make thy Lawes my delight.
Truelie hoping of thy grace for my assistance, I do meane to make thy cōmandements an Alley of my pleasure to walke in, and the Trueth of thy woords will I weare on, as an Armour against mine enemies.
Guide my fleshlie eies (oh Lord) least they behold vanities, and my heart in thy righteousnesse.
Plucke my féete into the pathes of thy Precepts when they would wander: print the remembrance of thy goodnesse alwaies in the table of my heart, and let my power faile to offend thée.
Heape my hands with sure hope of my saluation, satisfie my faith in the forgiuenesse of my sinns, that my fraile flesh wauer not in thy mercie.
Temper my tongue (oh Lord) that it alwaies teach thy Testimonies, locke vppe my lips, that out of my mouth doe not procéede neither blasphemie of thy name, Hazard to my soule, nor hinderance [Page]
to any creature.
Bowe downe thine eares (oh Lord) and strengthen me in these requestes. For behold, I bowe the knées of a contrite heart, and with assured mind do hope them for ye truth-sake, which I will euerlastinglie praise. To thée bee glory for euer and euer. Amen.
E
EXercise mercie, and set thy bread and Drinke vppon the table of the poore and hungry: couer the Naked with thy clothes, and these shall deliuer thee from Sin, and Death, and not suffer thy Soule to come in darkenesse.
EZechiell the Prophet saith, When the wicked turneth from his vngodlines hee hath done, he shall saue his Soule.
With thy Seruant Esay, therefore I say (oh Lord) thou art a great, and feareful God. Thou kéepest couenant, and mercie with them which loue [Page]
thée, and kéepe thy commaundements.
And with thy Apostle Barnabie, I acknowledge I haue sinned, I haue offended, I haue beene disobedient, and gone backe, yea, I haue departed from all thy pathes, and Iudgements.
Lord to thée belongeth righteousnesse and Mercie, to me shame and destruction for my Iniquitie.
Yet Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, for no flesh is righteous in thy sight: neither correct mee in thy wrath, for then I shall not abide it.
Haue mercie vpon me, (oh [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]
Father) from the depth of thy mercie take pittie vppon mee: forgiue (Lord heare my Praier) and blot out mine offence.
Let thy louing face shine ouer the worke of thy handes, that lieth waste: Lord for thy owne sake doe it.
Encline thine eare and heare mee, behold how desolate I am, stretch out thy hand and helpe mee Lord, I desire to come to thée, and my weakenesse is such, as without thy helpe, I am not able to raise my selfe vnto thée.
Therefore Lord remember thy swéet promises, tarrie not ouerlong, strengthen me with thy holie Spirit, heare my [Page]
Praiers, and wash me in thy righteousnes.
I cast not these peticions before thee, hoping in mine owne Merites, which, are are none, but trusting in thy great mercie, and swéet promises. Wherefore Lord heare me, and forgiue me, and I shall liue for euer.
L
LEt Enmity passe, which seeketh Death and Destruction, and before thou prayest, forgiue, els thou heapest vengeance on thy selfe.
LOrd make thy waies knowen vnto me, that I may [Page]
walke so perfectlie, that no kind of Sinne ouercome me.
Thou leadest straight in iudgement, and giuest sight to the blind.
Thou art neare vnto them that call vpon thée with faithfull heart: haue mercie vppon mee, heare me, and giue me a Heart to pray vnto thée.
Laye not against mee my sins past: but for thine own sake forget them.
I vnderstand not all mine errours, my sinnes haue taken hold on mee, and of my selfe I am not able to return.
Send me therefore thy holy helpe, to strengthen mine infirmitie.
Kéepe my mouth and lips: and let the thought of my heart bee acceptable in thy sight.
Permitte not the woord of Truth to depart my breast: suffer not Malice to dwell in my heart.
Deliuer me from false surmises, and accusations of men: rule mee after thine owne will and pleasure.
Remooue from me vanities and let not the foote of Pride take holde on mee, so shall I be frée from the greatest sin.
Stay and kéepe me from euerie euill waye, for in thée I trust, it is thou onely that canst helpe, Looke vnto mee [Page]
with thy mercies, and graunt me grace in thy sight. Amen.
I
IN equitie, Loue, and Truth, gather all thy riches: in the handes of the poore laye vppe thy Almes, and these shall defend thee from euill: fight for thee against thy enemies, better then the strength of mightie men, preserue thy fauour as the apple of an Eye, and rise with thee in the day of Iudgement, to paye thy reward on thy head.
IN hope of thy mercie, and forgiuenesse (most mightie [Page]
and dreadfull God) whose truth is vnspotted, I am bold to come before thée.
My trust is good, I shall be heard, for that thou hast euer béene the true head of all Iustice, and delightest in truth.
Denie thy selfe thou canst not; for thou hast promised, In what time soeuer a Sinner doth with a broken heart, repent his wickednesse: at that instant thou wilt cansell the recordes of thy remembraance: and the fowlenesse of his fault shall remaine no blemish to his soule.
Heare mee now therefore (oh Maker of Heauen and earth) I acknowledge I haue [Page]
sinned, and done vnpleasant things in thy sight.
I confesse the misdéedes, which rebell against my Soule, with Saul, saying: I haue sinned, I haue played the Foole, and haue erred excéedingly.
And with like humble, lowlie and faithfull heart, as did King Dauid: who vnfainedlie cried out his Sinne, and became thy seruant.
So (most Holie) in hope of the same hire, with contrite heart I sigh and say: I haue broken thy Lawes, and not walked in thy Commandements.
If I should now recite, [Page]
and number the Mountaines of my misdéedes, which ouerwhelme my bodie, and that are eager enemies to my pining Soule, the day were too short.
Lord I néede not, thy blisfull Seate is aboue the starry Firmament, and thou sittest on high beholding what is done amisse in the Earth belowe.
My wickednes that I most secretlie haue cōmitted to th [...] Celestiall eies: haue béen manifest.
Forgiue me good Lord, that my tongue may iustifie thy euerlasting Truth, that others beholding in me thy manifold [Page]
mercies, may likewise with me be ashamed of their euill, and séeke after thy mercie.
Woe am I, that my heart hath béen so long vnacquainted with the Welspringes of thy Truth, that my handes haue wrought vnrighteousnesse, and heaped sinne vpon sinne.
Turne awaye from the sight thereof, the fulnesse of thy furie.
Exchange the roughnesse of thy rage into méeke mildnesse, before thou correct mee, most louing Sauiour.
I am not able to abide thy heauie displeasure: if thou chastice me with thy rodde of [Page]
Iustice, I perish.
I haue not one good déed to preferre, mine offences beare number with the flowers and blossomes of the Spring: my truth is no whitte, and with vnrighteousnesse all is defiled.
Forgiue me oh Heauenly King: forget, thou that art the swéet spring of my soule.
Giue mee thy holy Spirite, that it may be with mee, and labour with me to attain thy blessed fauour: for mine ignorance cannot desire that I ought, neither can my féeble strength without thine ayde, rayse mee vnto thy presence.
Thy Spirit will helpe my debility, and make right intercession for all my necessities.
Thy Spirit will make mee praye with such humblenesse of heart, and sorrowfull sighings, as no tongue can tell.
That gift most precious, will hold mee vp, where flesh would fall, and guide my féeble féete in the light of the Lord.
The Spirit (I say) will purge me from all earthly affects, and lift me vp to heauenly things.
Therefore conioyne mee (oh God of all mercy) to thy holye Spirit, to teach mee to [Page]
tread the steady steppes of thy worthy will.
So shall I lead my Life in the true Lawe of thy louing kindnesse, and with a strong and stable mind, perseuer in Prayer vnto the end.
Graunt mee therefore for thy Truth and Sonnes sake, that I may enioye this swéet possession of thy holy Spirit, which may alwayes lead my labours after thy lyking, and kéepe my heart in thy feare.
Swéet Iesu make a couenant with mee, that I neuer may become an enemie vnto thée any more, nether be found vnwoorthy of thy rich mercy and bountifull benefites: but [Page]
that the remainder of my life imployed in thy Seruice, may iustly mooue thee to forget ye iniquity of my tender yeares. Continue thou God of all comfort with increase, by the assistance of thy grace, what I haue begun: So shall I liue to glorifie thy might and mercy for euer and euer. Amen.
Z
ZEale, anger, carefulnesse, and sorow, cause celeritie of old Age, Iustice, mercie, equity, and truth, make glad the holy Ghost and to a merrie heart is giuen long life, & sweet tast.
ZAcharie spake from thée (O Lord) saying: Like as I deuised to punish you, what time your Fathers prouoked mee vnto wrath, and spared not:
Euen so am I now minded to doe well vnto the house of Iuda and Hierusalem, therefore feare it not.
Now the thinges you shall doe (saith the Lord) are these: speake euery man the truth to his neighbour, execute Iudgement truely and peaceable within your Portes, none of you Imagine euill in his heart, and loue no false oathes.
O Lord, of my selfe I am so sinnefull and ignorant, that I cannot speake nor thinke a good thought, much lesse to do well in déed.
Assist me therefore with thy grace, that I may doe as thou hast commanded.
And let me comfort my selfe with thy swéet wordes by thy Prophet, which are, That as [Page]
the house of Iuda and Israel were accurst amongst the heathen, so thou doost promise to make them a blessing.
Am not I an Ofspringe of that séede (O Lord) to whome thou diddest promise this blessing?
Or were not these things written to put mee in mind of thée, and cause me turne from my wickednesse, and trust by thy mercy to obtaine fauour againe?
Remember then O Lord) in thy Mercy. Turne me, and I shall be turned: say to my Soule, I am come vnto thée, thy health and thy saluation.
A
A Double tongued mā is to be abhorred: and he that beareth hatred, can nether pray rightly, nor speake truly, of whom beware, for the malicious & double tongued, hath ouerthrowē high Palaices, & laid wast strong Cities: who so harkeneth to thē shall neuer find rest, nor dwell in safety; neare the Prince they are more perilous then a Fistula in the breast to the health of Man.
AVenge not thy cause [Page]
on me thou God of al Iustice: forgiue mee my contempts of thy Commaundements, and omission of prayer.
If thou giue me equall pay of my Merites, I perish.
Forget my wickednesse I beséech thée, and clothe mee with the comfort of thy compassion. Purifie my Soule and Bodie, wash away my wickednesse with the bloud breaking from the Woundes of my Sauiour Christ, and I shall no more be vnkind.
Giue mee Wisdome to knowe all thy preceptes and pleasure: graunt thy mercy euer to kéepe me, and thy grace to guide me.
It yrketh mee that euer I did forsake so sweete a Lord and Sauiour: my sorrowe wasteth me, and my sighes ouer-whelme my heart.
Haue mee in remembrance therefore, for I tremble and quake: were not thy mercie knowen, I should vtterly despaire.
Turne away the stroke of thy vengeance from me, bring my mind out of trouble, into rest.
Fetch now againe (thou most precious Prince of all power) that which thy puissant might hath shapen.
Restore (Sonne of the Father Almighty) that which [Page]
thou hast so well guided, and bought with terrible torments.
Take againe into the Sacred seate of thy blessed custodie (Lord God Holy Ghost) my Bodie and Soule, that haue wandred.
Thou hast pittifully preserued them long from the violence and vtter destruction of the wicked Serpent, and throwes of worldly chance.
Most mighty God sith thou hast aduanced thy Glory by such compassion, continue in me hearty Prayer: put about me the girdle of thy grace, and lincke my loue in the lore of thy lawes, and my heart shall [Page]
be thankefull.
Day and night will I say, blessed is the Lord. And will praise thy Name, and magnifie thy mercy for euer and euer.
B
BE ashamed of sins and vnrighteousnes: be ashamed to turne thy face away frō thy friend in his need: be ashamed to obbraide thy friend with thy gifts: be ashamed to take, & not to giue: but be not ashamed of the truth of god & his Couenant: but do thy best to fulfill it, and thou shalt liue.
BE my comforter in [Page]
al counselles and dangers (oh God) make cleare my vnderstanding and heape my Forte with new effects, and Spirituall motions.
Renew my Body and spirit, that all sinne fly from me, and grant that I liue to righteousnesse.
Powre vpon me the Spirit of thy grace: lead me with the True knowledge of thy worde.
Hold my heart alwayes in thy feare, build a true faith, and hope of thy promises and mercie, in the Bowels of my breast.
The heauenly Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, hath promised [Page]
it vnto me, for his sons sake I séeke it: and for that thou mayest ouercome when thou art Iudged, denye mee not.
Though there belong nothing to me but confusion and shame, yet (Lord) correct mee not in thy dreadfull displeasure, but with the louing fauour of thy face, looke vpon my festured wounds. Heale them (good Lord) from the bottome let them be healed.
Mingle thy mercy and precepts, and sow the séed of them so déepe in my heart, that no burning blasts of persecution make ashes thereof: neither any thorny cares of this life do [Page]
choke it: but that it may bring forth, as thou hast appointed like good ground, thirty sixe, and an hundred folde.
The fruites of my haruest Lord, shall bee the flowers of thy glory: my tongue shall alwaies speake of thy maruailous workes, and my heart shall kéepe thy Lawes.
I will not denie thée (my God) for the power of any wicked, but wil séek thy grace, hope of thy mercy, and saye: The mightie God of Israel is to be loued, feared, and obayed, world without end. Amen.
E
EVill seedes see thou sow not in the Purrowes of vnrighteousnesse, so shalt thou not reape thee seuenfoulde labour: sue not vnto man for any Lordship, neither vnto the King for the Seat of Honour.
EStablish my heart (oh Heauenly Father) in league and loue with thy lawes: print thy Precepts in the bowels of my breast, and sequester my mind from all thoughts, studies, and labours, that may draw mee from thée.
My soule consumeth in care to be with thée, and my bodily eyes tremble to behold thée: onely because thou hatest sin, and abhorrest iniquity.
Alas there is nothing in me but vnrighteousnesse, and the examples be dreadfull, which declare how grieuously thou hast punished sinne.
Thou diddest drowne the world for sin: Thou didst send fire vpon Sodome & Gomorrha: Thou didst cast foorth Adam and his off-spring out of Paradice for sin: Thou didst grieuouslye punish thy seruant Dauid notwithstanding his hartie repentance: Yea thou persecutedst Salomon in [Page]
himselfe and his Posterity, with many other to our example, and all for shamefull sin.
Lord sith these examples are true, and mine iniquity equall with theirs: what should become of my Soule, if I had not amediatour, Christ, whose bloudy Passion then appeased thy wrath when nothing else could.
By his Death I am once redéemed, (oh God) therefore let me not now be consumed, bearing thy Image: but graunt the paines of his pittifull Passion, may put out all mine offences.
With my voice I will spread thy mercies ouer all [Page]
Nations: my Life shall glorifie thy name, and all that thou giuest mee, I will acknowledge to be thine, with euerlasting praise. Amen.
T
THe greater thou art, the more humble thy selfe in all things, and thou shalt find fauour in the sight of God: for great power belongeth onelie vnto God, and he is honoured of the lowly.
TVrne awaye thy face from mine vnrighteousnesse: Lord, no Creature is cleare in thy sight.
If thou shouldest call thine Angelles to the Barre, they might not abide the Sentence of thy iust Iudgement.
I come vnto thée for succour, Lord vnder the wings of thy mercie receiue me.
Thou delightest not in any Sacrifice or burnt Offerings: but thy accustomed condition hath béene euer to accept a sorrowfull Spirit, and a broken heart.
Lord, if thy louing kindnesse be such: I heare present thée with a heauie heart, a broken bodye, a martyred mind, and a sighing Soule.
These all appeale to thée (O Lord) for thy mercie, and cry [Page]
out with the Prodigall Son, saying: I haue sinned against Heauen, and before thée: wash me therefore with thy rich mercy, not that any good in mee doth deserue it, but because thou art God of all mercie, and it declareth thy mightinesse to forgiue.
Thou diddest shew compassion vpon the woman of Canaan for her great Faith, and from the beginning thou hast not reiected the effectuall praiers of a single heart.
Lord I giue glory to thy name with the highest: thy mercy stretcheth aboue the Firmaments: the sure hope and trust I haue in thy vnspeakeable [Page]
truth and compassion, is equall with the strong Faith of the Cananite woman.
I confesse my sinnes are manifold: But Lord I know thy mercie and sauing health are infinite: Lord, sith thou art of power to forgiue aboue that I can offend: for thy names sake, release my sorrow, cut the sacke of my sins, and make mee strong in thée. So shall I liue, and all my thoughts acknowledge thy praise. Amen.
H
HAppy is the man that hath not fallen with the Woorde of his mouth, and is not pricked with the conscience of sin, that hath no heauinesse in his mind, and is not falne from his Hope.
HOw mighty thou art (oh God of Hoastes) in thy precelling powre: by Creating this world of nothing, we are taught to know.
Thou doest gouern the same and puttest downe with thy hand the prowde and traiterous Tyrants thereof.
Thou destroyest their deuises, & kéepest the raging Sea within her bounds.
These and such like declare thy power ouer all.
The plentie of thy bountifull hand giueth not onely increase of things; but also the encrease of euery kinde of thing shewe forth thy louing kindnesse.
Thou doest multiply yearly and daily these kindes: how many séeds (good Lord) doest thou encrease of one séed, Lord what manifolde springs commeth thereof.
These cannot but kéepe vs mindfull of thy excéeding Riches and Mercy.
Lord, if to thy enemies (as to the greatest number of the worlde which loue thée not) thy condition be to deale thus bountifully, what shall I déeme, resteth with thée for thy frindes?
Truly such blisfull ioyes and rest as maketh me only desire of thée to bée dissolued from this earthlye and vncleane bodye when thy pleasur is.
I am the freshe Image of thy selfe, and the worke of thine owne hands, take mée therefore vnto thée, burnish me a new, frée my soule from the poysoned prison of sinne, that it may giue equal thanks [Page]
vnto so swéete a Lorde and guide. Whilest I abide in this wretched body of Sinne, I cannot sée thée (oh Lord) yea it is a heauy habitation, and depresseth down sore my Spirit from the familiarity which it els should haue with thée my louing Father.
Lord this world and life, is a Dungeon of Darknesse, a Mountain of miserable Martirdomes, a lewde Laborinth of lothsome Lustes, a cankred course of chokinge Calamities: being voyde of all vertues to gaine eternall Life.
Make mée therfore strong to walke vpright in this wretched wildernesse, and [Page]
arme mée with the guift of thy grace, against the power of Sathan my Ghostly enemy.
Here is nothing where I am Lord, but daily assaults of Temptations, troubles, torments, carefull calamities, contention for thy word, horrible hatred, and worldly ambition: against which Lord perfect me in knowledge and strong fayth, and with thy righte hand beat downe mine enemies, that thou mayst be knowen to bée my God and Shield.
¶ The Versicle.
FOR thy deare. Sonnes sake (O Lord) heare and receaue my Prayers.
¶ The Answere.
AND in thy truth and mercie pardon mine offences, and graunt mee thy grace.
¶ The Collect.
O Lord Iesus Christ, Sonne of the pure Virgin Marie, thou art not onely the swéet spouse of my soules [Page]
health, but with God the Father a most meeke Mediator, full of mercie and truth, wash awaye my sins with the most precious blood of thy holie passion: make mee rich in thy mercie, and my faith so strong in thée, that assisted with thy grace and holie Spirit to all dutie, and workes in this life towards thée, I may enioye afterwards the glorie of thy blessed kingdome, with thy holy Saints, in euerlasting honour and tryumph. Amen
L
LOuing Father, plant thy grace so surely in me, (oh Lord) that from this day, I neuer become enemie with thée againe, but that I may onelie rest in thée. Guide me with the cleare light of thy woord through the darke deserts of this wretched world. Heere no miserie nor trouble lacketh: Héere euerie place is full of snares of mortall enemies: yea, héere one trouble [Page]
and temptation being ouerpassed, an other ensueth, and after the first enduring, a new battaile suddainlie assaileth, whereby I neuer haue peace, and want wherewith to warre. O Lord kéepe me, helpe me, saue mee; regard me (oh Lord): Lord assist me with the power of thy holie Spirit; and as thou hast commaunded I come vnto thée, praying for the guift of all these my requests; and speciallie Lord, I require the Sword of my sauiour Christ, true and firme Faith, yt established in thy Truth, holding that for my defence, I may be safelie armed against all mine [Page]
enemies, and strong to cut down the thornes which shall spring in my waye of passage vnto thée, in whom sweet Sauiour, aboue all honour, glorie, triumph, swaye, rule, power, and dignitie, make me settle all my ioyes: yea, aboue all health, riches, beautie, fame, and felicitie, to desire thée, loue thée, and magnifie thée which giuest all: and therfore of all to bee beloued and sought, art most worthy. Amen.
A
ARise (O Lord I beséech thée) and ease the paines I suffer, and the troubles of my soule: let the fountaines of thy grace ouerflow my barren bodie, and the floudes of thy mercie strengthen my féeble Spirit: let thy louing kindnesse couer mine infirmities, and thy suffered drops of deaw vpon the Crosse, drown mine iniquitie. Thy woord is Truth, and thou hast said, thy delight is not in the death of a Sinner, but wouldest [Page]
he should conuert and liue.
Teach me therfore to number my daies in the loue of thy Lawes, that I may alwaies thirst after thy kingdome, and neuer forget thée: but in this, that I haue here begun, may perseuer and increase, setting at naught all worldlie pompe, respect of persons, and mans helpe, and onelie cleaue to thy Omnipotent power, mercie, strength, and goodnes: wherein Lord make mee so rich, that I neuer may haue power to swerue from thée, nor want thy grace to resist all temptations, neither yet thy strength to tread downe mine enemies, and so my heart shall [Page]
ioyfullie liue, and giue thanks to thée my God of all truth, mercie, and victorie. Amen.
D
DEare God thou mercifull father of my redéemer Christ, which hast promised to heare the petitions, of them that aske in thy sons name, giue downe thy feare into my hart: conioyne thy holy spirit to the felowship of my soule, powre vpon me the blessed deawes of thy grace: enritch me with thy high vnderstanding, and send wisdome [Page]
in her glory from thy Sacred seate to dwell in mée that shée may giude me, vphold me, and labour with me, to the end, that in all my trauelles, enterprises, proceedinges, and studies, I may preuail to thy glory. Do this deare Father, for the triumph of thy name. Bow downe thine eares, and mercifully heare, and receiue the summe of all my requests, & graunt that all thinges which I aske according to my necessity, I may effectually obtaine to thy glory, and profit of my soule, through Iesus Christ my only Lord & Sauiour. Amen.
I
I Giue and commit into thy hands my Spirite, yea rather I may say thy Spirite: seeing thou hast giuen it mee, linke it to my body for a season, and séeing it is thy image and Figure, made after thine owne likenesse, séeinge thy deare Sonne did climbe the direfull steppes of death for redemption therof. O moste fauorable Father and méeke God of all mercy and compassion, I eftsoones commende this my Spirit into thy hand, [Page]
I am thine whatsoeuer I am, receiue thine. I beséeche thee preserue mee, and comforte mée, for no man can help mee besides thée. Onlye thou art the sureste resister of all mischiefe, thou art (oh God) the readiest helpe in all trouble, thou art my hope & strength. In thée doo I put my trust, let mee not bée confounded, let mee neuer be rebuked: thou art my strong rock and my Castle, thou art my sauiour, my portion is in thy hands. Lighten thy face vppon thy Seruant, and saue mee (O Lord) in thy mercy. Amen.
E
EVen now I sée that no brickle nor corrupt gold or Siluer hath redemed my soule (O Heauenly Father) but the pretious bloud issuing frō Christ as of a lambe vndefiled and without spot, make mée therefore (O Lorde) for his sake to put on his humility, patience, vertue, and vnspotted life, rendring suche accompt of this my pligrimage as best may agrée to his merit and thy mercy. Let mée not be found vnthankfull to so swéet [Page]
a Lord and Sauiour: what is most righteous, acceptable, and pleasant in thy sight, let mée alwayes (O God) preferre in faith and workes: and whatsoeuer is to approoue mée vnworthy of his tender and surmounting loue, that may alter his louing kindnesse, or exchang his wonted compasion towards mée, Lord let mée euer fayle in strength to do it: but assisted by thée, I may euerlastingly be found to liue in him. Amen.
E
EVery one, that sayeth, Lord, Lord, shall not enter the Kingdom of heauen. Therfore confirme my Faith strong in thée, O heauenly Father, and in my Sauiour Iesus Christ: quiet my mind with sure hope of his promises, and thy Saluation. Destroy in mée the kingdome of Sinne, the power of Sathan, the desires of the world, & the delights of the flesh. Guide [Page]
my feete in the pathes of thy precepts: bring ye conflicting daies of mine enemies to an end. Make me, that am weak in my selfe, strong in thee, to cōquer ye force of their armes.
So shal my lippes powre out continuall prayse vnto thée, O god of my Saluation, and magnifie thy Maiesty, world without end. Amen.
L
LOoke not extremly what is done amisse in mée, for no fleshe is righteous in thy sight. I offer vp my selfe wholy [Page]
with all my vnsauory, and corrupt abuses: both in will & works vnto the flowing fountayn of thy mercy, to be chasticed, pollished, and washed, and made cleane euen at thine owne will and pleasure. Wherefore impute not the frailty of my tender yéeres vnto my charge, but that thou maist ouercom when thou art iudged. Forgiue me, receiue me, and so arme me with thy holy Spirit, that I may tread the rest of my dayes with an vpright sway, a cleare conscience, and a single hart, to thy Glory, and profite of my Soule. Amen.
I
I Liue (Oh God) in a most wretched Vale of mysery, where continually thy creatures are stained with sinne, assayled with affliction, vexed with troubles, choked with cares, infected with ambition, vexed with temptations, blinded with errours, ouercom with vanities of ye world and miserably wrapped in all vntruth, and wretchednesse, wherefore (O Lord) arise, stretch out thy hand, helpe, and comfort me. Asswage my [Page]
sorrow, assist mee with thy Holy Spirit, that mine owne substance ouercome mee not: this glittering vaine world of infinite sorowes and fewe felicities deceaue me not: that Sathan supplant me not: but giue mee inuincible power to encounter them: patience in suffering them: & in thy word, constancye in perseuering to the end, Amen.
Z
ZEale, anger, hatred, and from respect of any persons in Iudgement, LORD [Page]
make me free. Arme me with the patience of my Sauiour Christ: giue me the Breastplate of his righteousnesse, & ye helmet of his equitie. Make mee to exercise his Mercie, Truth, Méekenes, Faithfulnesse, Temperance, and Humilitie. Cast out of my heart, all that may offend thée, and disprofit my soule.
Let all worldly things be vile vnto mee: for thy sake let me reioyce in nothing without thée, nor loue nothing, but to thy glory. So shall my hart kéepe thy lawes, and my mouth for euer and euer speak thy praise Amen.
A
ACcepte mée (Lord) in the number of thy elect: behold in mée ye Image of thy selfe, and the worke of thine owne hands: remember thou hast giuen thy deare Son to the bitter Passiō of the Crosse for my redemption. Let me not be rewarded therefore according to the deepe sea of my sinnes, for then I perish. But for thy Truth, Mercie, and deare Sonnes sake, correct mee, strengthen mee, and imbrace mee: yea, linck mee so [Page]
surely to ye loue of thy lawes, that I neuer leaue thee: and in the day of my trouble, and houre of death, Lord deliuer me: so shall I liue, and glorifie thee, through all worlds, Amen.
B
BEhould my infirmities (O Lord) and consider my frailnes, best known vnto thee. So oft as I shall fall, make me lift vp my heart agayne vnto thee, seeke thee, feare thee, and loue thee, and euer to be sorry with so stedfast [Page]
a purpose of amendment, that my earnest desire may rightly stire vp thy mercy, and procure me the assistance of thy grace to conioyne mee to all Heauenly things, and to destroy al earthly affections and temptations, that dayly pluck mee backe, and rebell, not suffering my soule to liue in rest. Against which, builde thy feare in my breste: true knowledg of thy word in my heart: fortifie my faith with sure hope of thy Heauenly blisse: & enter the shining light of thy woorde so deepe in my minde, that all my studies & thoughts being onely occupied therein, my other parts [Page]
may euer want power to offend thée, and my tongue and lippes euer bee singing thy laude and glory. Amen.
E
ENritch my Soule with the continual felowshippe of thy Holy Spirit, whose diuine humanitie may so temper my grosse substance with trew condition, that alwaies I may séeme low in mine owne sight, and neither pride nor selfe loue ouertake, or at any time allure me to exercise the vnséemely pleasantnes of [Page]
nature, but euer preferring a pure and chast life, may winn the victory of all vncleanes, and glorifie thée, which art the heade and Patrone of al mercy, truth & singlenesse, whose triumphe my tongue shall neuer cease to aduance. Therfore most louing Sauiour, leaue mée not to my selfe, but stand alwaies by mée, and with thy stronge hand make my waies sound and perfit, & confound mine enemies in theire deuises. Amen.
T
THou hast sayd (most swéete redéemer Christ) that the Mountaines shall remooue, and the Hiles shall fal downe, but thy louing kindenesse, woorde, mercy, & truth shall not moue: and also, that the band of thy peace shall not faile vs. Déere Father I beséech thée for thine owne truth and mercyes sake, remember this thy promise & Couenant, graue it so déepe in the inward partes of my heart, that I may neuer forget, neyther [Page]
fall from thée, but euer acknowledge thée mine only God and Sauiour: Loue thée with all my heart, & thy people for thy sake: exercising iustice, mercy, and Truth to all thy Creatures, and neuer suffering mee to doe that may mooue thy wrath, but more and more assisted with thy grace, may encrease thy loue and liking, and finally obtain thy ioyes euerlasting. Amen.
H
HEare these my Prayers, (sweet Lord Iesu) [Page]
and for thy excéeding Loue, which brought thée from the Sacred seate of thy Fathers breste into the wombe of the blessed vergin, to banish death and Sinne, to redéeme mans nature, whereby in thy austere Passion, as thou hast restored mée and with so blessed a Shield defended mine eternall death: by the selfe same Loue call me (that haue wandred) home againe to thy Folde: renew me with thy spirite: confirme mee with strong fayth: nourish in me, such thy aboundance loue: garnish me with thy plentiful grace: lade me with infallible hope of thy mercy: finally restore [Page]
all parts in mee which are decaied, and quicken in me, what so is dead, & should liue, that my spirit set at liberty from Terestriall thinges, thou mayst euer dwel in me. And my Soule and body assisted with thy ritch guift of all these, may fully, purely, safely, and strongly settle them in thée. To whome be praise both now and euer. Amen.
¶ A Prayer.
ALmightie God, which flyest with the winges of the Ayre, rydest vpon the Cherubins, and hast Empire aboue the Starrie Firmaments. [Page]
Thou that sittest in Sacred seate most hye, beholding the wretchednes of man in this lowe Earth, attending through thine owne loue his deserts, when with any occasion thou maist offer thy mercy, Bow downe thy pittiful eies, and fauour in me the Image of thy selfe, as thou diddest vouchsafe in Zache when thou calledst him out of the Figge trée: enritch my eares with the same voice of Remission and Gladnesse, as thou diddest his: incline thine eares and heare these cries, (oh Lord redéemer) for though I am but Dust, Earth, ano Ashes, yet I am bould (strengthened [Page]
with thy truth and the merits of Christs death and passion) to lay my prayers before thée, requiring mercie and forgiuenesse of all my sinnes, and also the assistance of thy grace, to doe thy will all the dayes of my life, and to obtayne all these my peticions, through Iesus christ thy deare Sonne and my onely sauiour: to whome with thée and the holy Ghost be all honor, power, dominion, and glorie, for euer and euer. Amen.
A MEDITATION vpon the Lords Prayer.
¶ Our Father which art in Heauen.
TRuelie, thou (O Almighty Father) hast iust Cause to execute thy seuere iudgement vpon vs sinners, [Page]
which so often and gréeuously moue thy wrath and indignatiō against vs, but sithence by thy mercy thoue doost not onely pardon, but also commaundest and teachest by thy Sonne Iesus Christ, that we should hould thée for a father, we pray thee through him that thou wilt giue vs a full and sure trust in thy Fatherly clemencie, and that we may likewise féele some taste of that securitie which thy Children haue, and with ioye call thée Father, acknowledge thée, loue thee, and in all our troubles call vpon thée: defend and guide vs that wee may perpetually abide thy Children, [Page]
and let vs not goe out of thy protection. Though we bée the Children of wickednes, yet let vs not hold thée in stéed of a seuere Iudge, when thou wilt that wée shall not only call thée Father, but our Father: and that we pray not in our owne name alone, but in ye name of all thy Children. Giue vs therefore an vniforme and brotherly loue that in déede we may perceaue our selues to be Brothers & Sisters, and thée our generall Father. Let vs praye for all the rest, no otherwise then Fathers were wont to pray for their Children: neither suffer any of vs to séeke his [Page]
own, and forget his brother: but taking away what enuie, hatred, or discorde, so euer raigneth among vs, that as becometh Gods children, we may mutually loue one another, and trewly call thée not Father, but our Father. Of our carnall and earthly Fa, ther we receue this brickle body, and he is such a one as is subiect to death, neither are wée sure how longe hee shall remaine a Father. Furthermore if aduersity happen, he can not chaunge that, but thou art a heauenly Father, truely farre better and more Nobler. So much more right is it then, that we contemne [Page]
for thee, our Father, Countrey, kindred, Riches, Flesh, Blood, yea and whatsoeuer is in this world vnder the scope of Heauen.
This also graunt to vs, yt wee may bee thy heauenly Children, whome thou doost teach, that we shall regarde nothing but the soules health, and that heauenly Heritage, least in this carnall and earthly countrey, deceiued, stirred, vp, or letted by ritches, wee become heyres of sensuality, but trwely let vs say our heauenly Father, and that truely wee may be thy heauenly Children.
Halowed be thy name.
ALmighty GOD heauenly Father thy holy name is miserably prophaned many wayes in this world, scorned, taunted, and blasphemed, when it is applyed to those thinges, in which is no glory of thy Deity: yea many abuse it, imploying it to sinne, and truely that vnwoorthy life in a christiā man, deserueth to be called a Prophanation of thy holy name: graunt therefore to vs good Lord, through thy mercy, that [Page]
wee may beware of all those thinges, by which the honour and glory of thy name is diminished, and purifie vs that the Arts of Magike may be abolished, let people cease to enchaunt Diuels or other cretures, by thy name, see that all disturst and supersticion perish. Heresie and wicked doctrine also (which notwithstandinge they preferre thy name, yet they deceiue many) lette them perish & be brought to nothing: graunt that thy people be not deceiued throgh any outward shew onely of Truth, righteousnesse, or holinesse. Suffer not any man to forsweare himselfe, lye, or [Page]
deceiue others, by thy name.
Take from vs (O Lord) all false aydes, which take vpon thē a shewe of thy name: remooue from vs that Spirit of Pride and vayn glory, and the study of prayse and glory. Graunt that in all our troubles and euilles we may call vppon thy holy name, yea in the feare of our conscience and euen when death assayleth, let vs not be forgetfull of thy holy name. Sée that in all our successe both in woordes and déedes, we may praise & worship thee onely, and not séeke out of these, ours, but the glory of thy name, which alone possessest all things: take frō [Page]
vs (O Lord) that most foule vice of ingratitude: Plant in vs such good workes and life, that others may be allured to vs, not to our, but vnto thy praise and glorie. Lord let not other be offended, through the vices or euill workes which yet remayne in vs, least thy name for our sinnes should be ill spoken of, or not henceforth praised. Suffer vs not to aske any thing of thee, either momentary or eternall, which agreeth not to the glorie of thy holy name and praise: if wee do aske any such thing of thée, in that heare vs not: graunt vs so to liue as becommeth Gods Children, that we seme [Page]
not vnworthy of thy holie name.
Thy Kindgome come.
IN this miserable and wretched life all kindes of sensual apetite & wickednesse beare rule in vs, and the euill spirit, head, and fountaine fo all siin, hath gouernment. But in thy kingdome (O Lord) grace and vertue guide the sway, & Iesus Christ thy deare sonne true patrone of all grace and vertue, holdeth empire. Thou therefore deare Father, fauor vs with thy grace: Giue vnto [Page]
vs a true and constant faith in Christ, fortifie vs with a firme & sure hope in thy mercy, where with our weake and feble conscience may be raysed vp from the feling of sins: loade vs with an earnest loue, both towardes thée & all other thy good Creatures. Take from vs distrust, desperation, and hatred, remoue from vs the delightes of the flesh, and plant in their stéede an earnest study of chastity, with perfect fayth in thée, which may worthely winne the rewarde of vndefiled battaile. Make vs frée (O Lord) from discordes, ambition, warre, and discention, and let thy kingdome [Page]
come, & let vs leade a peaceable, mutuall, and quiet life.
Graunt, that neither zeale, anger, or other vyces (with the which dissembling & hatred are nourished) rayne in vs: but a milde simplycitie, brotherly loue, all kind of duties, contentment, and humilitie, suffer vs not to bée afflicted with immoderate sorrow and heauinesse, but let vs feele the pleasantnesse of thy grace and mercy: and that in fine, al our sinnes may be taken away, and wée abounding through grace and vertue, in our good workes, may bee thy kingdome. I say, our mind, our soule, with all our strength, [Page]
which thou hast powred on vs, may obay thy commaundements, and beare thy gouerment, & neither follow themseules, the world, the fleshe, nor the Deuill. Sée Lord that this thy kingdom happely begunne in vs, may so grow, & be increased, that wée bée not vnaduisedly oppressed of sin, neither causeles do cease from good woorkes, for so it may come to passe that we shall labour in vaine. Giue therefore vnto vs a firme faith, wanting no strength, which not onely may instruct vs to a better kind of life, but also in that same may happely go forward and euer amongst vs encrease [Page]
as the Prophet saith, Psalm. 13. Illuminate mine eies that I slepe not, lest whilest the Christian life is but begunne, wée negligently goe forward, and finally come againe into Sathans power.
Graunt that wee may constantly endure, and thy kingdome to come, may performe and consummate the rule begunne in vs. Take vs from this life which is full of sinne and daungers: make vs to desire that other life, and let vs beginne and continew to hate this: graunt that we doe not feare death, but rather wish and desire it: let vs cast out of our minde the loue of [Page]
this life, thot thou onely maist raigne in vs.
Thy Will be done.
IF wee should conferre our wil with thine, it is alwaies naught, but thy will is euer best, which deserueth that we should loue and desire that. Therefore haue mercy vpon vs deare Father, and let not any thing be done after our will. Grant if any thing happen contrarie to that wee would, we may patiently bear it: temper so our brickle mettall, being the worke of thy [Page]
hands, that if any either speak or hold his peace, doe or omitt any thing contrary to our will, that thereby wee bee not provoked to anger and impatience. Let vs not blaspheme, complaine, crie out, iudge, condemne, or malitiously accuse others therfore, but grant that wee may quietly giue place to those which worke contrary to our will, & prayse them, giuing thankes as to those which stirre vp thy will which is good, against ours which is ill. And further, assist vs that we may patiently beare all trouble, need, pouerty, sicknesse, slander, imprisonment and all other discommodities, [Page]
and acknowledge all these to happen vnto vs by thy will, that our will may be mortified: let vs patientlie beare iniuries, and take from vs the desire of reuengement: suffer vs not to encounter one euill with another, nor resist force with strong armes, but graunt thy will which hath throwne vs into those euils may satisfie vs, and that with thanks-giuing, we may beare aduersities. If any ill come contrary to that wee would, graunt we beseech thee, that we iudge not that calamity to proceede either of Sathan our wicked enemy, or of ill men, but of thy diuine will which [Page]
doth minister all thinges, so that it may let our wil, wherby thou mightest the better raigne and beare rule in vs. Graunt that wée may patiently and with ioyfull minde die, least any being ouercome with impatience or desperation, we séeme lesse obedient to thy will. Grant that all members of our body, eies, tongue, heart, hands and feete, follow not their owne delights, but ouercome and constrained, may doe all things after thy will. Take from vs O Lord a hardened and an vntractable heart, frée vs from frowardnesse, obstinate and stubborne minds, grant that we may obey [Page]
thy will, that we commit our selfe wholy to thy iudgement in all thinges, whether they pertaine to the body or the soule, whether they bee momentarie or eternall: take from vs these horrible vices, that we impeach not the fame of any, slaunder any, rashlie iudge, accuse, or condemn thē, that vice of the tongue (I beséech thee) amend in vs: and teach, that if others commit anie euill, we may retaine and hide it, to thée only let vs shew it, and leaue it to thy iudgement, that wee may remitte what is committed against vs: and let vs take pittie vpon them, teach vs to know [Page]
that none can hurt vs, but hée shall more disprofite himselfe before thee, that we may bée the rather stirred to mercy then to anger: in any thing let vs not reioice, if they bee throwne into calamitie, which either haue not obeyed our will, or whose life hath beene little allowable to vs, neither let vs hate their good successe.
Giue vs this day our dayly bread.
THe Bread is our Lord Iesus Christ which feedeth and refresheth the soule. Thou therefore heauenly father, graunt vs this through thy mercie, that the life, words and déedes of Christ with his Passion may be euerie where truelie preached, acknowledged, followed & kept. Graunt that both his doings and sayings may be example to vs, to the which wee may compare our life, & liue more rightly. [Page]
Confirme vs that in calamity and trouble, his Crosse and passion may strengthen and cōfort vs. Assist vs, that by his death our death may be ouercome in true faith, that wee may constantlie follow him being our Captaine to eternal life. Bring to passe that they which haue taken vpon them the ministerie of thy word, may happilie teach, and with the great profite of the hearers, worke that those which heare thy word aknowledge Christ, and diligentlie goe forward. Let it come to passe, that the strange and wicked sects, who teach not Christ be throwne out of his Church. [Page]
Let the true vnderstanding of thy word so shine in Bishops and Pastors, & likewise vpon al Magistrates, whether they haue care of the body or soule; that being illuminated with thy grace, they may rightlie teach vs, and be example vnto vs, as well in doctrine, as in pure life. Let not the weake in faith be offended through the Sinnes of the Magistrates. Purge vs (O Lord) from all heresies and wicked faith, that we may be single and daylie fed with one bread, and may abide agreeable in Christes words, teach vs by thy grace that we may well studie vpon Christes Passion, and rightly [Page]
holde that, and let his imprinted steppes sticke and bée found in vs.
Grant that the Ministers of the Church may treat, and vse the holy Sacrament worthily, and to the great profite of thy Church. And furthermore that we, and all Christians may in his kind worthily & to his soules health, receiue the Sacrament.
Giue vs peace and concord; take from vs wars, contention, ambition, priuie hatred, bloudy harts, vsurping hands and all other kind of strifes, that those thinges which wée haue to the sustentation of our body, we may enioy with [Page]
thanks giuing. Giue vnto thy seruant Iames our most gratious King and Gouernour, thy equall giftes to his estate and dignity, with vpright Iudgement in all things, and to all Magistrates true faith, and single iudgement, with loiall minds to kéepe the publique peace, that his ioyes and rule may long stand and multiplie. Take from all Subiects, Sedition and Disobedience: Teach vs by thy holy Spirit to order our housholde affaires, that we may instruct our Children and families to worship, praise, and glorifie thee. Grant O good Father, that our Children and Familie [Page]
fall not into any sinne and wickednesse, neither bee ouerthrowne in any daunger or calamitie, whether it be either of body or Soule. Comfort, & deliuer thou most louing Father the Captiue, the hungry, thirsty, naked, oppressed, miserable, the comfortlesse widow, the orphant, sicke, and the sorrowfull, and defend the fieldes and cattell from tempest, venemous worms and wild beastes.
Forgiue vs our rrespasses, as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs,
GOD will that we patiently beare all thinges, and requite not euill with euill, nor reuenge iniurie done against vs, but that we should returne a benefite for an iniurie, after the example of our Father, which suffereth his Sunne to shine as well on the euill as on the good, and powreth down his rain both vpon the thankeful, and vnthankfull. O good Father stirre vp [Page]
our conscience, both now and in the end of our life, which is grieuously feared with the sight of our sinnes, and dread of thy iudgement: make our hearts quiet and sure, that with ioy wee may expect thy iudgement when thou shalt iudge, for in thy sight shal not any man be found righteous, teach vs to learne, not to our our own good works and merites, but to thy vnmeasured mercy, and thereunto let vs wholy commit vs: likewise suffer vs not to fal into desperation for our sinnes committed, but grant that wee may perceiue and féele thy mercie to be far more ample, greater, [Page]
and stronger, then our wicked led life. Bee present with all those which are eyther in danger of death, or afflicted with desperation. Forgiue vs, and euen our sinnes, comfort vs, and bring vs againe into thy fauour. As thou hast commaunded, so render thou also good for ill vnto vs: beate downe Sathan that horrible false detractor and accuser of our life, both now and at the howre of death, & in all other anguishes of our conscience, Sathan doth accuse vs, our conscience likewise doth accuse vs. But thou (Lord) dost not iudge after their sentence, heare not the voyce
E
ENgraue thy lawes in the depth of my hart (O lord) that being instructed in thy commandementes, I may serue thée in feare, and reioyce in thée with trembling, & take hold vpon thy discipline in all things.
Least at any time thou become angry, and I perish from the right way Amen.
L
LOrd giue me helpe from my trouble, for vaine is the helpe of man: in thée I haue strength, and thou bringest vnto nothing those which trouble me, let my soule bée subiect vnto thée, for from thée procéedeth my patience, for thou art my God and Sauiour, my helper, and I wil not depart from thée. In thée is my health & my Glory, thou art the God of my helpe, and my hope is in thée, Amen.
I
I Haue broken thy fold, and wandred long as a lost shéepe, let me returne againe O Lord, because I haue not forgotten thy commaundements, the misdéedes and ignorances of my tender yéeres, remember not Lord, according to thy mercy, haue mind on me. For thy goodnesse (O Lord) kéepe my soule, and deliuer me: let me not bee ashamed because I haue trusted in thée. Turne my heauinesse into ioy, cut off my sacke of sorrows, [Page]
and gird me with gladnesse, that my Glorie may sing vnto thée, and I shall not be grieued.
Z
ZOrobabel King of Iuda, in the depth of thy displeasure tasted of thy mercy, & receiued by the mouth of Aegeus thy Prophet, swéete comfort & knowledge of thy fauour and grace; yea, after thy determination to destroy the whole kingdome of the Heathen, thy right hand did preserue him, and thy incomparable [Page]
mercy did choose him for a seale to thy selfe. Lord this happy King in thy goodnesse was but an earthly Creature, and then could hée haue no righteousnesse in him selfe to moue such thy compassion. If it procéede from the multitude of thy mercies, that surmount the iniquity of the whole world, & that thou diddest onely vouchsafe to behold in him the Image of thy selfe: Bow down thine eyes Lord, and behold the selfe same in mée: Certifie my conscience with remission of my sinnes, that my sorrowfull Soule bee at rest within mée; send downe thy holy [Page]
Spirite to remaine with mée, that I may become with that good king thy chosen seale and seruant. And so gouern me alwaies, that I may neuer deserue further, then to taste of thy rod of fauourable correction, but that all my labours and studies may euer bend to the performance of thy holy will, and discharge of my duetie. Amen.
A
ARise and illuminate my mind (most benigne Sauiour) that I sléepe not at any time in death, least mine enemies say they haue preuailed against me. They which trouble me will be glad if I be cast downe: but I haue fixed my hope in thy mercy. Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant, for no liuing creature shall bee iustified in thy sight, I will euer looke vpon the Lord, for he shall bée on my right hand, that I bée not moued: [Page]
for this my heart is glad, and my tongue reioyceth, yea moreouer, my flesh shall rest in hope, Amen.
B
BE thou vnto me (O lord) in the day time a defender, and in the night season a place of refuge, that thou mayest saue me: for thou art my strength, and vnto thée I flie, Lord God deliuer me frō the hand of sinners, and from the Law-breaker, & the wicked doer: for thou Lord art my patience, thou art my hope [Page]
euen from my youth; in thee I am confirmed euen from my mothers wombe, thou art my protector: in thee shall be my song for euer and euer. Amen.
E
EVer my tongue shall bée telling of thy rich mercie and wondrous workes (O Lord) for thou hast caused me to passe through fire and water, and hast lead mee into a fresh place: thou hast giuen my Soule life, and hast not suffered my féet to fall. According [Page]
to the multitude of my sorrowes, thy comfortes haue made my soule merry.
My soule is like a Sparrow taken out of the fowlers snare: Thou hast hitherto preserued mee, that I may please thée (O Lord) in the light of the liuing, Amen.
T
THou art iust (O Lord) & all thy commandements bée true, and all thy wayes mercy, truth and iudgement. And now (Lord) bée mindful [Page]
of mee: take not reuengemēt of my sinnes: remember not mine offences, neither the offences of my Fathers, becaus we haue not obeied thy precepts. Giue mee an heart of vnderstanding, & set thy feare alwaies before mine eies, that I may bee obedient in word, deede and thought, to all that is thy will.
Lord giue vnto me the power of thy holy Spirit, to rule and gouerne my selfe in all good feare and knowledge of of thy word, and that I may bee vnto all an example in all godlinesse and vertue: to the prayse of thy holy name, Amen.
H
HEale me (Lord) and I shall be healed: saue me and I shall bee saued. My life cleaueth vnto the earth; Quicken me according to thy word, and according to thy mercie reléeue me, and I will kéepe the testimonies of thy lippes: Helpe me (Lord) so shall I be safe, and I will from henceforth studie thy righteousnesse: thy mercies are manie (O Lord) according to thy word restore my health Amen.
IOHN. I.
SI confiteamur Peccata nostra, Deus fidelis est & iustus, vt remittat nobis Peccata nostra, & emundet nos ab omni iniquitate. Si dixerimus, quoniam non peccauimus, Mendacem facimus eū, & Verbum eius non est in nobis.
IOSVE.
Fili mi, da Gloriam Deo Israel, & confitere, atque indica mihi quid feceris, ne abscondas.
Cassidorus super Psalm. 77.
OBeata Confessio, quae aeternum tollit opprobrium. Nam quicquid Rearū inuenerit Poenitentia, perpetuis Seculis reddit absolutum.
An inward speech wherwith Christ doth comfort the Soule of the sinner desiring to liue better. Gathered out of the works of sundry holy Writers.
I Loue them saith Christ, that séeke mee, and my delight is among the Children of [Page]
men. Sic dilexi mundum, vt in mortem darem animam meam, vt non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam, quicunque in me crediderit. I haue so loued the world, that I gaue my selfe vnto death, that who so euer beléeued in me, should not perish, but haue euerlasting life.
O thou Soule, O Daughter, I haue labored, hungred, thirsted, I haue béene despised, and suffered persecution for thy sake: I am wounded for thine iniquitie, I am wearied through thy wickednesse, I am dead for thine offences, and risen againe for thy iustification: the loue which I [Page]
beare to thee, hath forced mée to doe & suffer al these things, and to make choice of thée for my Child. Wherefore amend thou, and returne to me, wash thée in the bloud of my woūds and decke thée with vertues and merites of my life.
All these things I willinglie giue, nay rather as a most louing Father offering these things, I runne to embrace thee, and receiue thée with imbracing and kissing, assuring thée to loue mee: againe returne daughter, and be clean. Praebe cor tuum mihi, quia praeter hoc aliud abs te non desidero. Be sorrie that thou hast sinned because thou hast [Page]
offended me, or at the least, sorrow because thou canst not perceiue thy selfe pensiue, for oft it commeth to passe, that it better pleaseth me, and is more profitable to mā, to haue a will to be contrite and denout, then to perceiue contrition or deuotion: Because this contrarie desire of willing and vnwilling engendreth affliction of mind. Therefore bee sorie and angrie with thy self, yea iudge thy selfe worthie to be damned, because thou hast sinned, and art not sorrie as thou oughtest.
This contrition although it be not sensible, yet it is such, although thou suffer persecution, [Page]
as will bring thée to helth eternall: for I know your miserie, your weakenesse and necessitie, so that in no wise a willing mind ought to dispaire whatsoeuer oldnesse or coldnesse of conscience he feel. But thou wilt say, I haue committed innumerable offences: how shall I particularlie sorrow euerie one of them? O my daughter needest thou comfort: let onelie truth comfort thée, if thou hast many sinnes, haue also one generall Contrition, in the which thou wilt include all & euery offence, so that there be no sinne: which (although it came vnto thy minde,) thou [Page]
wouldest exempt from thy penitencie & which thou wouldest not eschew and forsake.
For this generall contrition extendeth it selfe to all and euerie offence, yea vnto those which thou hast forgotten and canst not remember, neither doe I require that you should necessarilie haue for euerie offence seuerall contritions, according to the number and manner of your sinnes: for thus I haue spoken of Marie Magdalene, I haue forgiuen her many offences, for that shee loued much. I said not because she loued oftentimes, neither could this Magdalene in so sodaine a compunction [Page]
be otherwise sorrie then for all together.
Thou likewise to bee sorrie for all, that there bee no sinne which may delight thee, whether generally or particularly it come into thy mind. Sorrow not out of measure, nor suffer such imaginations and fātasies take place, as though I were so angry that I would not be pleased, pardon nor receiue thee againe into fauour, for these are the suggestions of the wicked Serpent, wherwith he endeauoureth to train thée to desperation, whose custome is in the beginning of his illusions to plucke the remembrance of me from their [Page]
hearts, to promise my mercie to them that sinne, and confirme the security, boldnesse & obstinacie of an vngodly wil, but afterwards finding them declining, and that they will forsake him (if by other means hee cannot procure them to euill,) he setteth vpon the weak and fearefull minds with the assault of Desperation, he perswadeth to vnbelief, he telleth them that euill custome cannot be ouercome, he feareth them with the greatnes of their sinnes committed, & like a lyer telleth, that I will not forgiue sinne.
But thou my Daughter, beleeue him not whatsoeuer [Page]
thou feelest, fall not into Desperation. This Contrition sufficeth that it pittieth thee of mine anger, wishing thou haddest not transgressed: and determinest not to sinne any more. But if thou doe erre, yet rise again, yea again with heartie repentance, purpose to sinne no more: if thou fal the third time, yet rise againe, if the fourth or fift time: yea lastlie, if thou fall seuentie times seuen times, so often returne to me, and I wil receiue thee. Is it not better that I should receiue thee, then lose thee, together with all my labors and paines which for thy redemption I haue suffered? Let nothing [Page]
O Daughter cal thee away, O Daughter let nothing keepe thee from me, which art redeemed with my bloud: though thou hast giuen thy selfe to the Deuill, denied mee an hundred times, taken my name in vaine, spitt at me, slaundered my holie word, onelie be forie from thy hart that thou hast done this, and I will forgiue thee. Let no offence be so great in thine eies, that it plucke away the hope of pardon: no sinne so ponderous, that it may be able to ouercome my mercie: I make no differēce, whether from few or manie sinnes I deliuer thee: all haue neede [Page]
of my mercie, which floweth aboundantlie to euerie man faithfullie asking it. Thy wickednesse cannot exceede my mercie, the more thou hast sinned, the more willinglie I forgiue thee being penitent: for the greater the sinner is on whome I bestow my compassion, so much the greater is my glorie, I am not hard nor sparing, but liberall and bountifull to thée (my Daughter) if thou only haddest committed all the offences that be, and I forgaue them, my mercy is no whit the lesse. There is peraduenture some other thing yt feareth thée, yet when thou wert ouerpressed with sinne, [Page]
that which thou diddest then willingly cōmit now against thy wil, are compelled to bear whatsoeuer vnwillingly thou sufferest, shall not damne thée nor spoile thée of my grace, for sinne must be so voluntarie, that if it be not voluntarie, it is no sinne: bridell therefore thy will from consenting, and then suffer the Flesh and the Diuell to rage, and though by thy former life and conuersation, thou hast deserued euill, yet because thou truly repentest thereof, and doest studie to liue better, thou shalt not be guiltie of that thou sufferest, so thy will consent not. And if at anie time the Diuell suggest [Page]
thée with blasphemous or cursed thoughtes against mee and my Omnipotency, be not therefore troubled or faint hearted. For so long as thou hast not voluntarily erred or performed consent, thou doest rather suffer, then do offence: when these things bring thee rather heauinesse, and affliction, then delights, they are no way to be feared, but I suffer thée to feele them, and they to molest thée, that thou mightest be rather thereby defiled. Therefore truely the Diuell stirreth vp those thinges that whilest thou goe about to resist them, thou mightest bee hindered and letted from the [Page]
taste of my loue: and being so much astonied, fear to come to me.
For he reioyceth when thou wallowest in doubts, & troubles: but thou Daughter, feare no such thing, looke not toward them, answere them not, striue not against them, nor take any héed to them: but rather as one vntroubled, goe forward in thy exercise, passing by, and contemning such chances, as the barking of dogs and hissing of geese: for if thou wouldest renue, dispute, feare and discusse them, thou dost alwaies more printe them in thy mind, and tangle thy selfe in greater trouble.
The penitent Soule, after it hath taken some knowledge and taste of my goodnes, considering that I am so good and so mercifull: and finally that I am so slow to impute sinne, that I doe not only pardon it, but also receiue him into my fauour and friendship, as thogh he had neuer sinned: I comfort him, and bestow on him gifts.
Thus whilest the afflicted conscience doth meditate, yea euen of his fall, I say, hee getteth to himselfe a great occasion of feruentnesse, and thankfulnes towards me: a far greater occasion of hatred and displeasure towardes himselfe, [Page]
whilest he rigorously accuseth his owne follie, for despising me a God so mercifull vnto him, as whom iustlie I might both condemn and destroy, I spare, comfort, and deale boū tifully with: so that how much the more hee perceiueth my mercie to him, so much the more is he moued with greater zeale of Iustice against himselfe, and in a manner desireth to be reuenged on himselfe, for the contempt of mee: whereby it commeth to passe, that hee doth not onely desire pardon and reconciliation for his sinnes, but suffereth the dignity of my iustice: humbleth himselfe, and punisheth [Page]
himself, because he hath wickedly lift vp himselfe against me, whereof procéedeth, that how much the more he perceiueth himselfe comforted of me, so much the more hee abhorreth and detesteth his own vnworthinesse, and with sorrow disdaineth the enormitie of his sinnes, maruailing how he could be so vngrateful to me. As a droppe of water on the burning fire, so are the sinnes consumed of that Soule, which is come to this zeale, that it no lesse loueth my iustice, then mercy. Therfore amongst all kindes of repentance, there is not a better for [Page]
man, then continually to consider my great loue and fidelity towards him, and contrarily his owne infidelity, ingratitude, and frowardnesse towards me.
The Diuell is so enuious to my Seruants, that hee omitteth no time in tempting them: and euen when they are about to repent, and bewaile their sinnes, he chiefly casteth in doubts, causing thē againe and againe to confesse their faults, that thereby they might neuer attaine to any quietnes, but distrust all their confessions, when they find any circumstance or offence neglected, whereof they haue [Page]
not made mention. But beware O my Daughter, thou fall not? I am thy Confessour. It is onely I that can ease thy burthen, cure thy wounded conscience, and refresh thy hungry Spirit.
Oh how it grieueth me to sée thee alwayes conuersant in corruption, and troubled in recounting thy sinnes to him, that cannot forgiue thée! Wherefore cast thy selfe on me onely, and I will deliuer thee; for if a thousand yeares thou wouldest search thy selfe, and bee confessed of ten thousand, thou shalt not be cleansed. Quando enim exhauries Abissum: [Page]
Therefore commit thy selfe to mee onely: I will make thee safe, whensoeuer with all diligence thou shalt goe about to confesse thy fault: let mee alone with Mercy to thee, acknowledge that thou canst not cleanse thy selfe, say that thou haddest need of my mercy, confesse that thou canst not answere one word to a thousand thinges wherewith I might charge thee: but art in euery worke vnsufficient, and hast need of my Mercie. Wherefore trust not to thy Confessions, but in my Mercy, for by it thou shalt be iustified. And whilest thou art too much conuersant in the care [Page]
of thy sinnes, thou mightest turne vnto me, and enioy my gratious presence. Doest thou not note the subtlety of the enemie? To this end hee suggesteth thee with the number of thy sins, and thoughts of thy wickednesse, that thou mightest neglect things to thée more wholesome. Know thou this therfore chiefly, that my delight is that thou shouldest thinke of my goodnesse, & séeke mée in simplenesse. Thou shalt finde mée gentle, godly, full of compassion, and chiefe in mercy: trust in mée, hope in mée, séeke my fauour, séeke my friendshippe, and familiarity: and for the better obtaining [Page]
of these, direct thy exercise in holinesse.
Thou shalt vndoubtedly féele a farre more beautifull fruit, if thou diligentlie care how to loue, please, and follow me, then by brusing thy selfe with scruples of thy confessions, for déeming to search out and abolish doubts, thou doest rather engender to thée doubtfuller things: thou canst not think me too pittifull, or mercifull, so that thou doe not presume vpon my mercies, neyther canst thou giue mee ouer much credite. Wherefore accustome thy selfe to thinke well of me, and belieue that I will not condemne thée: For [Page]
truly, whosoeuer is willing to correct his life, and despayreth not, him will I saue.
I am well pleased, O Daughter, that thou art so sory thou hast offēded, and that thou wilt not sinne hereafter. Now thou art in State of saluation, why fearest thou? I am rich in infinite mercies. Thus thinke of me, for therby thou doest mee more hodour, then if thou diddest imagine me cruell, and hard, or shouldest so much feare, as though I watched onely to intrappe men, in this or that doubt or circumstance, they had omitted: But yet when any great offence cōmeth in thy minde, [Page]
confesse thy fault with al humilty, and sorrow of hart, and desire grace to amend, and after rest in peace, and cast all the Diuelish doubts vpon me I desire thée.
I am willing to enioy thy friendshippe, I require to bee loued of thee: see therefore that thou answere my good will. Vnderstand, know, and iudge thy selfe to be a sinner. Say in many things thou hast offended, that thou art most ingratefull, a Rebell, spitefull, and blasphemous against thy Commandements and will: And hereof so much humble thy felfe, that thou dare not once lift vp thine eies [Page]
before me, since thou art full of loathsomnesse, and abhominations.
There be certaine so esteeming their committed euils, that they are moued with thē either to pleasure and delight, or contrariwise to desperation, or some such like inconuenience. But thou, when thou wilt thinke thy selfe a sinner, and humble thy self, shake off the dreams of thy sinnes, and turne vnto me: conferre with me touching thy sinnes and infirmities: powre out thy complaints before mee: reason with me: accuse thy selfe to me of thy crimes committed so shall thy accusation of [Page]
sinnes be conuerted into praier.
Wherefore when thou hast turned to mée, plead thy cause in Prayer: for by this means thy conscience shall bee made cleare and quiet, thy affection also to me directed, shall be by me inflamed.
But now of Satisfaction for Sinnes: Imbrace this counsell. That whatsoeuer thy hand is able to doe, that instantly worke: yet not with that mind, or to that end, as though therewith thou couldest make satisfaction for thy sinnes: For to the accomplishing of this, thou oughtest to thinke all thy workes too vnworthie, [Page]
and far vnable. But do that thou canst euery way to please me whome thou hast offended: desire me that with the merites of my passion, and most holy life, I will punish thine offences, and satisfie my Father for them.
This humility, this sure trust in me, with which thou debasest thy selfe & thy works, and extollest me and my merites, excelling the workes of thy satisfaction, since that one droppe of my bloud is of more value to Satisfaction, then al mans deserts, which hath already made Satisfaction for the sins of the whole world. Such humility allureth mee [Page]
to thee, and causeth mee to cō municate with thee the treasure of my merites.
Wherefore let this chieflie be thy study, that thou neglect not my good pleasure, but cō tinually to thinke on me, desire me, loue me, and whatsoeuer I commaund and will, diligently performe: then if thou haddest infinit heaps of sinnes, I will forgiue them all, as fréely as if thou haddest but one, neither is it lesse easie for me to forgiue many, then few: It is a maruailous thing that I will say, but yet most true and certainely to bee beléeued: if the whole worlde were a fierie Globe, and in [Page]
the middest of it were thrown a bundell of Flaxe: this of his naturall effect should not so soone receiue the slame of fire, as I will receiue the repentant and sorrowfull sinner to mercy, for in that naturall act is required some tarriance, though very little and peraduenture not to be perceyued, but here is no tarriance at all, betwéene the penitent and him that forgiueth, betwéene the sorrowfull and him that heareth the sighes. Thou therefore daughter, reiect all inordinate feare, desirous to please me with thy holy heart: study to be holy, for I am holy, willingly offēd [Page]
not, though in neuer so little or light a thing, but shunne the occasion so much as in thee lyeth, wisely withdraw thy selfe from the society of mans superstitious communicatiōs and from vnprofitable and euill occupations: be not solitarie, bée not idle, spend the time thriftily to my honour: occupie thy selfe in reading the Holy Scriptures, where thou shalt find my Life and Passion. Plant in thy heart my trouble, Crosse, and persecution, walke before me in Holinesse, with feare, and reuerence, perswading thy selfe that I am neuer absent from the Godly, but doe [Page]
instantly hold them, diligently bridle and kéepe thy senses and tongue, if thou loue much babling, thou canst not profite, embrace sobernesse and reasonable continences, shun vanity, and the pomp of pride: sensuality and vnlawful pleasures sée thou follow not: but diligently endeauour to keep thee vndefiled: fight couragiously against vices, & faithfully pray to mee that thou mayest breake and ouercome the wicked passions and inclinations: do as much as thou art able, yet trust not to thy endeauour, but to the helpe of my Grace, for if thou trust to thy selfe, and to thine own [Page]
industry, thou shalt easily fal: thy well doing neuer ascribe to thy selfe, nor vsurpe any thing vpon my gifts, for of thy self thou canst not but offend, of thy selfe thou hast nothing but sinne, which is proper to thy selfe, desire not vainely to please any mortall man, wish rather to bee knowne of sew then many, and to be despised rather then praysed, neuer estéem thy self any thing worth nor thinke thy worthines of any value, but without saying account thy selfe vngratefull, vnworthy, and the vilest creature aliue: Humble, and imbase thy selfe beneath all men for my sake, loue all men [Page]
with a pure loue, yea those also which persecute thee, wish the prosperity of thy brother: despise none, dispayre not at the well doing of any: slaunder none, iudge no man, what thou seest & hearest of others, interprete it to the best, with all study mortifie thine owne appetite, and singularly embrace my will gladly, and willingly obey me in all thinges, and men in those which be lawfull: leaue thine own wil and deny thy selfe; commit & yéeld thée wholy to my prouidence, with firme trust in me, in all temptation, perill & necessity, for I haue care of thée, and diligently attend thee, as [Page]
if thou onely liuedst: Daughter, learne to receiue euery aduersity and affliction, no otherwise then as from my hand sent onely, and patiently bear it to the end for my sake, for trouble is the cupp of blessing, whereof I haue made al my chosen to drinke. There hath not béene any of mine, which outwardly or inwardly hath not suffered som trouble. Wherefore reiecting all weaknesse, whatsoeuer commeth to thee, take it in good part, & belieue it to be sent to thée for thy helth, for the great loue I bear thée: suffer aduersity, it is the kingly way which leadeth to heauenly heritage, [Page]
walke therefore in it, reioysing, and giue mee thanks that I haue so regarded thee, that I would giue thée somwhat that thou shouldest suffer when any doe molest thée, and worke thee iniurie or spight, thinke him sent by me to proue thee. Bée not agrieued with him, giue him not sharpe and bitter wordes, neyther think of reuengemēt, marke not the man (which is my Instrument and scourge) but attend on me, which suffer such things to be done by mā. O Daughter, in euery trouble and sorrow be patient, resigning thy selfe to me, for I purge thée by afflictions, and [Page]
make thee apt and worthy to be maried to me. But if of thy humane infirmity, or other defect thou fall to impatience, be not discouraged, neyther wauer dispayring in thy good endeauours: but forthwith arise, turn to me, and cal vpon mee, with a sure hope of pardon, I know the generall weakenesse of man, I know also thy peculiar frailety, trust to me, thy hope and full trust cannot be too assured in mee, if thy life and repentance bee good. Wherefore hastilie flye vnto me, I will take thée vppe, heale and defend thée, what doest thou feare yet? O Daughter, why doest thou [Page]
not euen now desire death, for what euill can death bring thée? Truely after thou hast bequeathed thy carkas to the ground, thou shalt no more offend me: thou shalt no more be defiled with sinne, if thou loue nothing in this world, Death can take nothing from thée: if thou loue any worldly thing, wilt thou stand to the daunger, nay rather thou louest thine owne perilles. Therefore before thou die, cease to loue worldly and transitory things, if thou fear not too much to die, yea if thou loue me alone in this life, bée glad thou shalt die, for but by death thou canst not get what [Page]
thou louest. But I know what thou fearest, truely nothing in this world thou louest, nothing thou doest possesse, that eyther thou carest to enioy, or wouldest sorrowe the losse, but trembling and feare vexeth thee becaus thou knowest not whether thou be worthy loue or hatred. Thou knowest not how thou shalt be receyued of me, eyther to rest or paine: None of these shalt thou know O Daughter, as thou wooldest know yet. Though thou feare, yet abide in hope and sure trust in mee, whether thou liue or die: of thy selfe thou canst neyther liue nor die wel, both [Page]
thou hast of me, if I giue thee to liue well, shall not I also grant thee well and happilie to die? seeing therefore thou hast all of mee, seeing thou lookest for all thinges at my hand, how is it then that thou hopest one thing, and dispayrest another? Trust then & cast all thy thoughtes & care vpon me, as liuing thou art able to resist no temptation, nor auoide any sinne, so neyther dying art thou able, if faithfully I preuent temptations, and moderate them in thy life, the same will I doe in thy death. Neuer enter battaile with thine own force and armes, but leaue it vnto [Page]
mee, and leaning vnto me, I will fight for thee, and I fighting for thée, and defending thee, what cause hast thou of feare, neither doubt thou of the condition or kinde of death.
Nullum est genus mortis, quod nocere potest iusto. No kind of death is able to annoy a iust man: for the iust with what death soeuer he be beset is in safegard, Therefore be nothing carefull whether at home, or abroad, in bed or in field thou shalt die, neyther feare whether thy death bée naturall or violent: but as the Apostle counselleth, study to liue soberly, iustly and godly, [Page]
that thou mayest well and happily die. An euill death doth not follow a good and iust life, but the death of the iust is precious in my sight, howsoeuer they end this life, whether in the water, in the fire, or in bed they Dye.
A Sweet and comfortable Consolation for all weake minds, to confirme and strengthen them against Desperation.
WHo soeuer refusing the hope of pardon, runneth head-long into the gulfe of desperation: doth not onely distrust the omnipotencie of [Page]
God, perswading himselfe that there is som crime which hee is not able to extinguish: but also maketh him a lyer. By the mouth of his Prophet hee hath promised a frée remission of sinne so soone as the offender bewayleth: but frowardly doth the posterity of Cain say: Such is mine iniquity as I shall never obtaine remission.
What sayest thou Caitief? If God be not able to pardon because of the greatnesse of thy sinne, thou robbest him of his Omnipotency. If he will not doe that which he can do, he is a Lyar, and too light, not to performe the thing [Page]
which so oft he hath promised by the mouth of his holy Prophets. It is saide of the Psalmist: God is gratious and mercifull, long suffering, and of great goodnesse. The Lord is loving to all men, and his mercy is over all his workes. Is there any thing then more admirable, then the Creation of the heauens, with so many shining bodies? then the making of the earth with such singular varietie of liuing creatures, Trées, Plantes, Fruits, and all other things? then the fabrication of so many pure Celestiall Soules? so that who durst bee bold to affirme (had not the Prophet [Page]
manifestly spoken it,) that the mercy of God doth excell the glory of his handie workes.
Holy Scripture sometime tearmeth the mercie of God great, sometime too great, & sometime it amplifieth the force thereof by the name of multitude or number. The Kingly Prophet David in one selfe place comprehendeth both the greatnesse and multitude of Heauenly mercy, saying: Haue mercy on me O God, after thy great goodnesse, and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away mine offences.
Where great iniquity is, [Page]
there néedeth much compassion. If thou doe but weigh how haynous the offence of David was, thou wilt acknowledge the greatnesse of Gods goodnesse: If thou consider how oft he offended in that sinne, thou shalt sée the multitude of his mercies.
That GOD which is our King, our Father, our Master, our Spouse, prescribeth no determinate number of offences, but as oft as through true Repentance we returne to him, he forgetteth and forgiueth the punishment which he threatneth to vs: he entertaineth vs amongst his Familie, leadeth vs into the [Page]
Chamber of his Loue, and receyueth not vs onely, but forgetteth our offences: Hee bringeth the lost shéepe vpon his shoulders, to the staules, and biddeth the Congregation of the Chosen to his reioysing. He goeth to méete the Prodigall Sonne, returning from his long and loathsome iorney, and putteth a Robe & a King vpon him, and commaundeth the fattest Calfe to be killed for him.
What other thing doth this signifie but the Immense, or as I may say, the ouermuch mercy of God? It is no maruaile, though his mercy excéede which loueth vs so excéedingly. [Page]
Paule feareth not to write thus to the Ephesians. We are (saeth he) by Nature become the Children of wrath: But God which is rich in mercy, for his tender loue, wherewith he loved vs, when wee were lead to sinne, hath raysed and reconciled vs againe to Christ.
Saint Iohn in his Gospell more plainely expresseth the maruailous Loue of God our Father towards vs, saying: So God loved the world that he gaue his onely begotten Sonne, that who so beleeveth in him, should not perish, but haue everlasting life. Wherevnto Paul aptly agréeth, He [Page] [decorative border] that spared not his only Son, but gaue him for vs all: hath hee not given vs all things together with him? This so great loue: this so great kindnesse, doth it not worthily appeare vnmeasurable, because we haue nothing which wee haue not freely receyued of God.
Whatsoeuer wee doe, whatsoeuer we possesse, it commeth by the mercy of God: Yea it is the mercy of God that made the Angels, and created the world. If he had wrought it to himselfe, his power and policie might haue béen praised: but sith to our vse hée hath framed all these things, [Page]
shall we not acknowledge his mercy to be maruailous. For whome haue the Celestiall Ayres their course: to whom lendeth the Sun his beames by day: the Moone with the Starres, their brightnesse by Night, but for Man? For whose vse made hee these things of nothing? For whose sake, but for mans onely, doe the hanging clouds giue their shade, and bedew the pleasant fields?
Why blow the winds? why flow the Riuers, why spread the Springes, why encrease the Seas but for the vse of man? Who reapeth the cō modities of the fertile earth, [Page]
which engendreth so many liuing thinges, such wealthy store, but man? There is nothing that God hath not made Subiect to man: onely he would that man should be obedient vnto him. Manie times our merciful God sendeth aduersity, either to cleare vs of our transgressions, or to deterre vs from sinne, or to minister occasion of well-doing. Thus was Abraham tried: so was Iob prooued with many miseries: thus is euery one which liueth in Iesus Christ tryed in this world with sundry afflictions, as the Golde with the fire.
Where are those that [Page]
murmure against GOD, when eyther infirmity of health, or death, and losse of wife and Children, or decay of worldly wealth happeneth to them: no thing knowing that these are the manifest signes of a mercifull GOD. Let vs giue ear to the coūsel of Salomon, My Son (saith he) Despise not the word of God nor forsake his correction: For whom the Lord loveth, hee chasteneth and delighteth in him, as a Father in his Sonne. The Apostle Paul hath the like saying to the Hebrues. Whome the Lord loveth, he correcteth, and rebuketh every Childe that he [Page] [decorative border] receyveth.
Then (by Paules Counsel) when any storme of aduersity ariseth, let vs stand fast in the Truth, knowing, that hee offereth himselfe to vs, as to his Children, like a mercifull God. If the loue of God lend vs prosperity, let vs giue him thanks, and bee carefull that we abuse not his bounty. If misery oppresse vs, let vs neuerthelesse giue thankes to him, and commit our selus to his iudgement.
To obtaine health thou giuest thy selfe vp to the Phisition: thou yéeldest thy selfe to the Coard, Saw, and Searing of the Chirurgion: And [Page]
to enioy euerlasting health: fearest thou to trust thy Creator, thy Master, thy Father, and onely Sauiour? Thou darest not say to the Physition, thus & thus cure me? And wilt thou prescribe to God the means of thy sauing health? Let euery one of vs descend into the depth of his conscience: let vs consider how oft, and how grieuouslie we haue offended God, how his benefites are defiled with our iniquities, and so we shall sée, how much wee are indebted to his infinit mercy, which hath borne with our frailety so gently, which by so many meanes calleth vs to repentance: [Page]
which so wllingly pardoneth the penitent, and conuert.
Truely he is greatly to bee lamented which refuseth the fountaine of euerlasting life, and neuer by repentance returneth whence he departed.
The Prodigal Child straied farre, left and forsooke his Fathers House, & yet returned.
Peter was far gone when he denied his Master thrice: but yet remēbring the wordes which Iesus spake to him, he recanted, and wept bitterlie.
How gently doth the Lord in Hieremie vnder the [Page]
person of the wife (which hauing forsaken her husband, & gaue herselfe to euery man) Call his people to repentance: Returne my Children and be converted (saith hee) because I am your husband.
But oh wretched is the mā that stoppeth his eares at this voyce of the Lords. To day (saith the Psalme) If you hear my voyce, harden not your hearts. This is our day as long as we liue, in which the Lord ceaseth not to call bpon vs to repentance, offering vs prepared pardon.
God himselfe in Ezechiel doth not onelie promise remission to him that forsaketh [Page]
his euill, but voweth obliuion of all his former offences. For after he had reckoned all the errours which man fell into, he added: If the wicked man will be sorry for his sins, keep my commaundements, & do the thing that is right, he shal liue and not die; and I will not remember ought that he hath done. Haue I pleasure in the death of a Sinner, (sayth the Lord God) or rather would I not his conversion from his evill wayes, that he might liue? And againe hee sayeth, Returne and repent you of your faults, and your iniquity shall not prevaile against you. Cast away evill [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page] [decorative border] cogitations, and take you a new Spirite. And why wilt thou die, O house of Israel, I wil not the death of a sinner, returne and thou shalt liue.
O wretch, why despayrest thou, sith to this end GOD sent his Sonne into the earth, that thou mightest haue comfort? This is the loue of God, whereof David speaketh saying: We haue seene thy loving kindnesse, even in the middest of thy Congregation: Bée earely at the church occupied in prayer: abide in the Apostolicke Faith: beware of Idolatry, imbrace the louing kindnesse of God who cryeth vncessantly: I wil not [Page] [decorative border] the death of a Sinner, but rather he convert and liue.
Harke to this swéet Oracle, shake off the drowsinesse of errour: and rise with Christ, that thou mayest liue in him.
Marke how liberally hee promiseth: At what hower soever a Sinner shall repent, I will put all his wickednesse out of my remembrance.
He hath no respect to the nature of thy faults, he forceth not the greatnesse, or nū ber of thine offences: repent but as thou oughtest, and hee will blot thy wickednesse out of memory.
That our Prayer may bée [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]
more acceptable to God: the Prophet O see telleth vs how we should pray: Returne vnto the Lord and say to him: Lord take away mine iniquitie, and receiue (if I haue any) my goodnesse, and I wil giue thee the batlinges & sacrifice of my lips.
Let vs reuert that haue shamefuly erred, to him which taketh away the sinnes of the world, and let vs say: Take away from vs the evill which we haue done, and accept this good: What good? Even the sacrifice of our Lippes: Wée giue thée thanks mighty God, to whome wee owe all that we haue. Take from [Page]
vs which is ours, & accept of vs that which is thine owne. Returne (saith Ioel) to your God, because he is loving & gratious, long suffering, and of much mercy, and ready to pardon mischiefe.
Though the weight of sin astonish thee, yet let the mightinesse of Gods mercy vphold thee, which the Prophet doth many wayes exaggerate.
God (saith hee) is gentle: which hee addeth, that wee should not despaire of pardon: God (saith he) is gratious, that we should vnderstand how he not onelie helpeth vs, but that he pittieth our miseries. And thinking not this sufficient, he [Page]
adioineth Long suffring. And yet art thou doubtfull, sinner? Hearken then what followeth: And of great mercy, If thy faults be many, care not, great is the goodnesse of God.
What remayneth now, but that thou turne and goe to him that inuiteth thee? thou wilt say, the horrible threatenings of punishment feare me: Giue eare and marke: And hee is ready to pardon mischiefe: that God which is so often stirred to anger: of his own accord mooueth thee to repentance: calleth thee to forgiuenesse, forgetteth his threates, denyeth thee the [Page]
torment of Hell: in steade of punishment, giueth thee his blessing: not onely turneth to thee that repentest, but willingly goeth to méet thée, & embraceth thée.
This is it which was promised by Zacharie; Turne vnto me (saith the Lord of hosts) and I will be converted vnto you: What meaneth hee by Returne vnto mee? that is acknowledge thy weakenesse and aske mercy. And what is meant by this? And I will be converted vnto you: That this, of a reuenger I will become a helper: I will assist your endeauours, and looke what through your owne [Page]
strength you can not bring to passe, thou shalt attain to buy my fauour.
No man can fréely hate his owne sinne: vnlesse God mollifie his stony hart, and giue him a fleshly hart: vnles for a defiled Conscience, hee make a cleane heart, vnlesse for a corrupt soule, hee renue a right Spirite in him. Peruse and reade the conuersation and life of Christ, there thou shalt finde nothing, but of his euerlasting mercy towards all men.
He fréely healed the sicke: fedde the hungry: deliuered them that were in daunger: cleansed the Leapers: gaue [Page]
sight to the Blinde: restored the Lame: cast out Deuils: raysed the dead to life: and pardoned the wicked.
Search againe the vniuersall discipline of GOD, what other thing contayneth it, then the maruailous compassion of the Almighty? doth he not inculcat into our minds by parables, to the intent wée should not fal by any means? To that end serueth the Parable of the lost shéepe, which was brought againe on the Shéepeheards shoulders: the Parable of the lost, and found groate: of the whole man that wanted not a Physition: of the Seruant to whome his [Page]
debts were forgiuen, of the Publicane and the Pharisie, of the broken man whom the Samaritane cured, of the good Steward towardes his debtors, and of the crafty Steward towards his Master: of the Prodigall Child taken againe into fauour.
As touching the bare name of the Gospell, doth it not promise mercy? Yes, it giueth light to the blind, liberty to the Captiue, health to the broken, and last of all a gratefull gaine to the Lord, who thirsteth nothing, but the Saluation of sinners: Likewise the name of Iesus, that is (of a Sauiour) what else doth it [Page]
promise to the Sinner, but mercy and blissefulnesse? If he had come representing the Maiesty of a Iudge, there had beene some cause why euerie one might haue feared: but knowing him to come as a Sauiour, dost thou dispayre Saluation? for the surer hope of Saluation, the Sonne of God suffered death, and offered vp himselfe a valiant sacrifice for the sins of man.
And hanging on the Crosse, prayeth for his persecutors: and thinkest thou that hée wil deny thée forgiuenesse of thy sinnes, that dost acknowledge thy wretchednesse, and craue remission? Trust him that is [Page]
mercifull, and thou shalt find compassion. A sure hope obtaineth any thing at Christes hand: who so mistrusteth the Phisition, hindereth his own health.
The woman of Canaan cryed, and her daughter was cured: The Centurian beléeued, and his Seruant was made whole againe. The Father prayed, and his Sonne was cleansed of the foule spirite. The Apostles cryed out, Helpe Lord for we perish, and they were deliuered.
And wée sée that in diuerse he hath not respected the prayers of the mouth, but only the Faith. Hee did but perceyue [Page]
the faith of the people, and said to the sicke of the Palsie, Bee of good cheare my sonne, thy sins are forgiuen thee.
The Mother and her companions doe but wéepe, and her Sonne is raysed frō death to life: Martha and Mary did but mourne, and Lazarus was receyued: Mary the sinner bewayleth, he annointeth her, kisseth her and sayth, Thy sinnes are forgiven thee. He sufficiently asketh, that confesseth his infirmity: he asketh effectually, that lamenteth & beléeueth.
The woman troubled with superfluity of bloud, secretlie touched the vesture of Iesus: [Page]
and immediatelie she felt the force of his mercy.
We read also of many others that were healed by touching his garment: so neuer vnprouided is his goodnesse, and at all times hee giueth comfort to the weake. If thou bee afraide to call vpon Iesus: if thou canst not come vnto him, yet at the least touch the edge of his garment. Reade the Scriptures, follow the doctrine of the Apostles: for by them he often sheweth his vertue, and telleth of thy sauing health. O blind & vnthankefull, which despise the grace of God so ready to bee obtained! But O thrice wretched, [Page]
which despaire in that which is willingly and freely offered! hee is easily pacified, that is reuenged against his will.
What other meaning hath this Phrase, but that the Lord leaueth no way vnsought for, to bring vs to Saluation, and we wittingly forsake the hope of Saluation? And why wilt thou die O house of Israel? with teares he lamented Hierusalem, which heaped vengeance vnto it selfe by theyr malicious errours. O Ierusalem (sayth hee) how often would I haue gathered thee together, as the hen gathereth her Chickens, and thou wouldest [Page] [decorative border] not? Our humble Sauiour weepeth, because hee may not saue vs miserable sinners, and wee despaire in him as though he would not saue vs, who haue deserued his fearefull iudgements for our iniquities committed against him All the House reioyced where the Son which dyed was reuiued, and receyued againe that perished.
That good Father calleth the company of the Heauens to reioyce ouer the penitent Sinner: and thou wretch despayrest, enuying both thine owne safegard, and the gladnesse of God.
Shall we beleeue that hee [Page]
will not pardon malefactors, who lamenteth the death of a Sinner, and reioyceth at the conuersion of the Penitent? He calleth all men to the mariage Feast: hee would haue his house filled with strāgers: maketh the Blinde and the lame to come in: And why stayest thou Caitife? Why forsakest thou not thy Swinish soile? Why striuest thou against the mercy of God? there can be no greater folly, then for vaine and variable things to forsake Eternity.
There is no greater wisedome then for a little sufferanee, to gaine immortality. Great is their ignorance [Page]
therefore, which perseuere in their naughtines: But greater is the wisedome of those that liue in newnesse of life. O what cost we bestow, what paines wee take in finding corruptible mettals, and how little wee care for the treasure of Gods mercy, which is laid open, and fréely offered to vs.
The Lord is rich in mercy.
The treasure of worldlie wealth may be wasted by profuse expence: but the bounty of Gods goodnesse hath no bottome. God hath assured his Faith to man, and (as Paule writeth) he cannot denie [Page]
himselfe. He offereth to be challenged and reproued, if hee hath not performed his promises. For thus he speaketh in Esay to a wicked generation: Lift vp your selues and bee cleane; take away the thought of evill cease frō mischiefe, learne to do good: seeke iudgement, helpe the oppressed, iudge the innocēt: defend the widdow, & come and reproue mee (saith the Lord.)
Hearest thou now wretched man? what else requires our gratious God of thée, but amendement of life? And that the enormity of thy haynous crimes may not exanimate [Page]
thee, attend to the ready remission. If thy sinnes (sayth he) were as red as scarlet, I will make them as whit as Snow, and if you wil harken to me, you shall eate the Fruits of the earth. O cursed Progenie of Eue, why doest thou yeelde to the deceitefull promises of the Deuill, that allureth thée to destruction? and art deafe at the Son of God, which would associate thee with euerlasting ioy? Repent (sayth he) for the kingdome of God is at hand.
The Sonne of God promiseth, the Father commandeth thee, the holy Ghost inuiteth thée, and yet thou art [Page]
scrupulous to receiue that which is offered.
The voyce of the Apostles, is the voice of God, and they cry, Repent and be baptised in the Name of Iesus Christ for the remission of your sinnes, and receiue the gift of the Holy Ghost. Forsake your foule, filthy, and abhominable traditions, and seeke the kingdome of Heauen. There runne vnto Christ, Souldiers, Publicans, Harlots, Idolaters, man-slears, sorcerers, bawds, Incestuous persons, none are exempted, all haue frée course to the mercy of God; their former life is not imputed to [Page]
them, if they repent and amend their liues. Like as the ground often moistned with heauenly dew, & yet yéeldeth his Tiller nothing but thorns & brambles, is worthy to bee had in contempt, and to be giuen to the fire: So God many times, for the contempt of his goodnesse, giueth Sinners vp to their reprobate sense. wherfore it is best to leaue off procrastination of amendment of life: and when the Lord calleth vs to cast of the Old man with his déed, and concupiscenses: least God, which hath been denied to be hard, as the least refuse to heare our complaints. Horrible is the voyce [Page]
wherwith he threasneth those which wil not heare him, that so graciously calleth. Because (saith he) I haue called, and you haue refused: I haue stretched out my hand, and there was no man that would looke: because you haue despised my counsell, and set at naught my admonitions, I will laugh at your destruction, when that shall come to passe which you feared, when abortiue misery shall come vpon you, & the storms of destruction shall prevent you: when sorrow and anger shall possesse and oppresse you; then wil you cal vpō me, & I wil not hear: they wil rise betime in the morning, but [Page] [decorative border] they shall not find me, becaus they haue hated my discipline and haue beene voide of the feare of God, haue not hearkned vnto my counsel, & haue defiled my correction.
In this life there is hope of mercy. Wherefore while thou liuest, call for the grace of God, and amend thy life. The carefull God of our saluation hath suffered mightie and maruailous men to erre, that wee by their example might haue comfort, and not dispaire in hope of pardon. In Holy Scripture who is more commended then King David, who was both a King & a Prophet, a chosen man after [Page]
the hearts delight of God? out of whose stocke came the Sauiour Christ. But into how. many and grieuous crimes fell so mighty a man: Yet hearing Nathan pronounce the grieuous threatenings of God, cried out, Lord I haue sinned. And Nathan sayde, But the Lord hath taken away thy sinnes, thou shalt not die. God suffered Peter to offend grieuouslie, and yet when hee had lamented, he obtayned mercy. Whē he gaue him charge ouer the sheepe (for which he shed his precious bloud) was it likely that hee ment to remember the denying of him thrice? no, [Page]
no, he had so fréely forgotten it, that there remayned no iote imprinted in the memory of our louing God. Wee haue many examples of Sinners, and not a few of the penitent: the example of none ought to moue vs to sinne: let vs not too much trie God: if any mā bee incumbred with iniquity, hee hath examples of repentance: let him not despaire.
They doe euil which wil not repent with them whom they haue transgressed withall. After David had willingly confessed his fault, and acknowledged the iust iudgement of God: behold what great hope he conceyued of the mercy of [Page]
God: Sprinckle me O Lord (saith he) with I sope, and I shall be cleane: Wash mee, and I shall bee whiter then snowe. By the sprinckling of the bloud of the immaculate Lambe, he promiseth to himselfe clearenesse too, thogh he acknowledge his conception to be sinfull, yet by this washing, hee hopeth after the whitenesse of iunocency, which passeth the whitenesse of the Snow. And he trusteth not only in the innocency, but looketh to sée his doubtful penitency turned into heauenlie ioy. Thou shalt make me hear joy and gladnes (saith David) that the bōes which thou hast [Page] [decorative border] broken may reioyce. Giue mee the comfort of thy helpe, and stablish me with thy free spirite.
O singular faith of a sinner, what man hath at any time cried, Iesu haue mercy on me: but forthwith he hath obtayned grace. Take pitty Lord, (sayeth the woman of Canaan) and her daughter was was healed. The blind poore man cryed out, O Sonne of David haue mercy on me, and he receyved sight. Let vs heartily, zealously, constantly call on him, and in the midest of our miseries say, Iesu thou Sonne of David haue compassion vpon vs. And of poore [Page]
impotent beggers hee will make vs fellow heyres with him of the kingdome of Heauen. He hath opened the sanctuary of his holinesse, and thou runnest into the dungeon of dispayre: hee hath stretched out his hand to thee, & thou turnst away thy face: he openeth the gates of Heauen, and thou hastest to destruction: behold the bosome of his goodnes, and thou créepest into the lake of vnhappinesse. The Theefe that hung on the Crosse heard him saying, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise: and thou offerest thy selfe to the Deuill.
The mercy of God came vnto vs, whē he sent his Son into the earth: Let vs therefore goe to it: Let vs incline to him, as he did to vs: The way is first to leaue our life. For first the Physitians vse to purge the body, that they may minister wholesomer Medicines.
Forsake O thou Sinner, thy wicked imaginations, which fight against God: leau to lust, be not couetous, refrain riot, flie arrogancy, that God may powr his blessings vpon thee.
He that persisteth in his wickednesse and calleth for grace, is like to an enemie, [Page]
which being ready armed, asketh peace of his Master: hee that asketh receyueth: he that séeketh findeth: and hee that knocketh hath it opened vnto him: if thou wilt desire mercy, craue it truely: if thou séeke it, séek it indeed, if thou knock at the gate of forgiuenesse, knocke earnestly. If thou require an example of one that faithfully craued the fauour of God, Marke the Prodigall Child, who leauing his Swine, returned to his Father, and said: Father I haue sinned against Heaven, and against thee, make me as one of thy hired servants.
Marke the Publicane, [Page]
which for the guiltinesse of his conscience, dare not lift vp his eyes to heauen, dare not come to his redéemer, but standing a farre off, hee knocketh his breast, and saith: Lord bee mercifull vnto me a Sinner. S. Hierome affirmeth the offence of Iudas to be greater in despayring the mercie of God, thē in betraying Christ, as Cain stirred God to anger, more through desperation of pardon, then by the slaughter of his brother Abel. Manie which haue persecuted Christ being conuerted, & beléeuing in him haue obtained pardon, & are made examples to man, that he ought not to distrust [Page]
the remissiō of his wickednes, seeing the death of our Sauior is forgiuen to the penitent: Wilt thou heare saith Augustine the mercy of God, leaue thy abhomination & hee will forgiue thée? Wilt thou see the truth of God, do good, & thou shalt be crowned with Iustice? God is not so mercifull to vse vniustice, nor so iust to be vnmerciful: but som man wil say, mē encrease their offēces by too much hope: but how much doe they enlarge their guiltines by distrust of remission? If there were no forgiuenes, then thou would [...]t rage & say, I am wretched, I am condēned: why is not my [Page]
law: why shall I not fill my selfe with sacietie? if after this there bee nought but torment: this would be thy saing, O worse then dispayre it selfe. Hee doth better therefore that correcteth thée with promise of forgetfulnesse, and sayth, I will not the death of a finner, but that he convert and liue. God by his promise would not haue sinners to presume: but his will is, they should not in any wise distrust: and therefore he hath made them ignorant of the day of their death: if thou repent, present pardon is prouided: no day is prefixed.
Wherefore to conclude, if [Page]
thou hast liued well till this day, and still abidest in this life, liue well, amend thy life, and beholde forgiuenesse, and bee sure that what hee hath pardoned, shall not bee imputed to thee againe, which for his merry he grant that taketh away the Sinnes of the world, Amen.
CONSOLATIO.
NVLLA maeroris magnitudo, nulla angustiarum acerbitas, nulla defectuum multitudo, nulla scelerum enormitas, te ad desperationem, nimiamve pusillanimitatem adducat; Quantumcunque peccaveris semper Dej misericordia in infinitum excedit [Page]
tuas iniquitates: Quantumcunque infirmus sis, semper illius benignitas a diuvare parata est tuam fragilitatem. Vult, & potest Deus sanare, ac liberare te, si ad eum verè conuerteris, atque humilis factus, ipsum piè inuocas, & speras in eo. O quam homini salutaris & Deo grata est spes, atque confidentia illa, quam Dei amor, sanctaque humilitas parit, & quae hominē non ad negligentiā vel incuriā sese emendandi, neque ad facilitatem peccandi pertrahit, sed magis ad conatum proficiendi extimulat.
THE AVTHORS Prayer.
IN the deapth of thy mercy (O Lord) bow down thine eyes, & behold, encline thine eares and heare, stretch out thine Arme and helpe, for I am thine vnworthy creature, and haples man, that thorow thy rodde of wrath haue experience of most wretched misery. Mine enemies pursue mée with gaping iawes, [Page]
and whetted teeth, saying within themselus, let vs now deuoure him for the time that we looked for is come, wee doe find and sée it. They haue fortified round about me, and haue inclosed me with tormēt and trauell. My flesh and skin are made old, my bones are bruised, they haue hedged me, that I cannot gett out, & haue said heauy links vpō me.
Helpe Lord thy seruant whome thou neuer faylest, I cry and call pittiously, yet am I not heard: my innocency is trodden downe, and my life suddued with like surmises. My mourning they dayly heare, but comfort I find [Page]
farre off. They haue stopped vp my wayes with quartred stones, and made my pathes crooked. They lay wayte for me as wilde Beares and deuouring Dragons with open mouth: deliuer me from their gréedy gripes, and frée my féet from the paths of such venemous Serpents.
O Lord thou séest they haue stopped vp my well-springes of truth, how they haue broken mée in péeces: preferred their guils, & altogether laid me waste: I am made their mark to shoot at: their strongest Bowes haue beene against me out of their malitious quiuer, they haue shot their sharp [Page]
shafts of eger envie, yea, euen into my raines. They laugh me to scorne in their dissembling hearts, and yet bear me faire countenance.
No regard is had of my Truth, and vtter confusion is come vpon me, thy gifts Lord proper to my selfe are holden from me, and I perish in wāt, hauing of mine owne. The leauen of my bread is made with cruell cares, and my drinke mingled with salt teares: they haue ouerwhelmed mée with heaped stones, and haue buried my innocency in shamefull graue, I am sequestred from all fréedxme, and thou Lord knowest I am [Page]
not guilty.
Correct me not in thy iustice, for in my misdéedes towards thée Lord, but in the mildenesse of thy mercy: for I acknowledge I haue don things vnlawfull against thy throne, and am no more worthy to be called thy Child. Yet Lord from the bottome of a broken heart I aske thy pardon, and my Spirite trusteth in thy mercy, & requireth that mine enemies may no longer triumph ouermee. Lord looke downe and remedy my misery and thraldome. Remember how long I haue been fedde with sorrow & care, how my body wasteth, and my Soule [Page]
melteth away. I fear Lord thou hast forsaken me, and set vp the horn of mine enemies, that thou giuest thē this long Glory ouer me.
O mercifull Father, do not so I beseech thée. If my scorge be determined (with thee) for any my contemptes of thy will: yet deliuer me from the hands of the malitious. I acknowledge my faultes towardes the Celestiall Seate, and say: my righteousnesse al is stained, I appeale to thy mercy, for thy truth and sons sake. But Lord if my breast euer harboured any vniust pretence, or act against thy seruaant Iames my gratioua [Page]
King and Gouernour, as a ioyfull pray bestow mee amongst mine eager enemies. To this day from my birth, thou knowest Lord, I haue honoured him with loyal loue & serued him with true heart, and innocent hands.
Now Lord if such discharge of duty hath euer wonne victory ouer any his woorthie thoughtes, I beséech thée not in my deserts to thee, but for my truth to him: multiply in secret breast such thoughts to sure encrease of firme beliefe, as through thée inspired with my large truth, which might neuer boast her selfe: I may bée saued from the snares of [Page]
the malitious, and my innocency knowne to him.
Wake Lord I beséech thée, and renue on mee thy mercies, and help, as euer thou hast done of olde. My Soule saith within me, thou Lord art her onely portion: and therefore she will hope in thée. And my body hast thou alwayes deliuered in greatest perill whensoeuer I haue put my trust in thée. Arise most mighty helper and aide thy Seruant, who onely séeketh succour of thée. Sure I am in mine enemies pitts, thou wilt not that mine Innocency perish: neyther destroy mée vtterly in mine vnrighteousnesse towardes [Page]
thee: for that my contrite heart appealeth to thy mercy: and thy condition is not to seeke the death of a sinner, neyther to be found vntrue in thy promises, wherein my spirite onely trusteth.
Amiddest my forrowfull plaints and scorching sighes, Lord powre out the comfortable dew of thy compassion: for in no other helpe will I trust but in thine, though the whole Earth would assure me: mine enemies swarme as Bées to the Hieue, and spread as flowers of the spring: my friends walke in single number, and hundreds that erst professed saith, deny their sentence: [Page]
such as would me good, want the meane thereto: and those that best may, with Fort nes threats are beaten down, and made lame. Wherfore Lord wash the vnderstanding of my gratious Gouernor with the flowing springes of thy Truth. Cause him with spéedy hand to comfort the comfortlesse: Guide his minde stil in thy loue and feare, with such perfect wisedom, true iustice, and pittifull compassion, shewing whose member hee is that hath thus worthily preserued thy people.
Yea further Lord, guide so his course on earth, that thou maist afferwardes of [Page]
right equal him in ioyes with the blessed Cherubines about the hie heauens.
Continue in him thy grace, which giuest euery good gift: that as he is thy chosen vessel, no vsurping heart, nor bloody hand may euer haue power against him. But replenished with thy holy Spirite, may execute thy will, and walke in thy pathes, neuer wanting the strength of thy right hand to beat downe his enemies. But found worthy of thy rich goodnesse, wee may long enioy so matchlesse a head and Gouernour: grant this Lord I beséech thée, with exchange of my hard state into [Page]
better, euen at thine owne will: and my Spirite shall neuer cease to giue prayse and thankes to holy Name, Amen.
To the Reader.
MY willing minde sundry wayes a [...]oied in the purpose of my penn, is forced here to offer thee courteous Reader, in supply of void paper, these few selected Sentences out of [Page]
Holy Scripture, and other divine & ancient writers which for their worthinesse, thy behoofe and lesse labour, if thou accept better placed thē barren paper, and grant their once reding I haue my desire. after I deeme, that if knowledge of Vertue may allure thee, or view of vice abash thee, thou wilt often read and vnread them, to embrace the good, and eschew the evill, which the heavenly Father graunt vs all his grace to fulfill.
Sentences out of the Holy Scripture.
THe feare of God is worshippe & triumph, gladnesse, and a ioyful crown: yea, who so feareth the Lord, shall be happy, and when hee hath need of comfort, he shall be blessed.
The Séede of them which feare the Lord shal be brought to honour: but the generation of the proud, deceitful and malitious, shal perish with the shame of their wickednesse.
Labour to gett thée a good Name: for that shall continue by thee surer then a thousand greater treasurs of gold: A good life hath a number of dayes, but a good name endureth for euer. The vntruth of a lying tongue murdereth the Soule, vpon the head of the backbiter, & blasphemer, with terrour shall the Lord send the thunder of his wrath, and consume them hastily.
He that loueth Riches shall not be iustified: & who so followeth corruption, shal perish in the same.
Gold and Siluer is the trée of falling to euery one, that gréedily séeketh the same: blessed is the Rich, which is found without blemish.
Trauaile and carefulnesse for riches taketh away the sléepe, and maketh the flesh to consume: they helpe not in the day of iudgement: Righteousnesse shall crowne thee: Through thy euil gottē goods, shalt thou perish.
The ioy and chearefulnes of the hart, is the pure life of man: And his cleare conscience [Page]
a fure fortresse against death.
The tree of the field is known by his fruit: So are the rotten thoughtes of the dissembling person by his open déeds of malice.
Forgiue thy Neighbor the hurt that hée hath done thée: so shall thy sinnes bee forgiuen thee when thou prayest.
Remember the end, and let enmity passe which séeketh death and destruction: abide in the commaundement of thy God, that thou mayest reape his blessing.
They that reioyce at the fal of the righteous, shalbe taken [Page]
in the snare, anguish of heart shall consume thē before they die.
Wrest not thou the Law: nor know any person, neither take any reward: for giftes blind the wise, and peruert the wordes of the righteous: that which is iust follow, that thou mayst liue.
Hee that leadeth a godlie life, and speaketh the truth: hée that abhorreth gaine won by violence and deceit: hee that kéepeth his hand, that hee touch no reward: which stoppeth his eares that he hear no counsell against the innocent bloud: which holdeth down his eyes that hee sée no euill: [Page]
he it is that shall dwell in hie, whose sauegard shall be on a Bulwarke of rockes, and his ioyes incomprehensible, Esa. 33.
The Congregation of dissē bling Hipocrites shall be desolate and vnfruitfull, and the fire shal cōsume the houses of such as are greedy to receiue gifts, the dissembling person conceiueth crauell, and beareth vanity, and their bodie bringeth forth deceite. Iob. 15.
There bee many that for their sundry friendshipps, and benefites which are diuerslie giuen vnto them, bee euer the more proud and hie minded, [Page]
and vndertake not onely to harm the benefactors, but are vnthankefull for theyr receyued goodnesse, goe about to escape the iudgement of God, whose eyes vieweth all vertue: séekes to punish all wickednes, be not in the number of such. Hester. 16.
My right hand shall not spare the sinners, & my sword shall not cease ouer them that shed the innocent bloud vpon earth, Esdras. 15.
Despise not a man that turneth himselfe away from sin, and cast him not in the téeth withall: but remember we bee all fraile and offenders. Eccle. 8.
Thrée things there be that my Spirite fauoureth: the vnity of Brethren, the loue of Neighbours, and a man and wise that agrée well together.
Thrée things there be which my soule hateth: a rich man couetous, a poore man proud, and an old man that is vnchast. Eccle. 25.
Oppresse not thou the law, nor know any person, neither take any reward, for giftes blinde the wise, and peruert the wordes of the righteous: that which is iust shalt thou follow, that thou maiest liue. Levit. 19.
Sée that thou know no faces [Page]
in iudgement, nor doe any vnrighteousnesse in iudgement in meat yard, in weight or in measure, true Ballances, true waights, a true Epha, and a true line shall you haue to all men, Ibidem.
Thou shalt not fauour the poore, nor honour the mighty: but in righteousnesse shalt thou iudge thy neighbour. Ibidem.
Thou shalt not auenge thy selfe, nor bee mindfull of a wrong, but shalt loue thy Neighbour, euen as thy selfe. Iames. 21.
As the Sun riseth, is heat, and the Grasse withereth, & [Page]
his flower falleth away, and the beauty of the fashion of it perisheth: euen so shall the malitious, rich, vnrighteous, and dissembling person, perish in the wickednesse of his wayes.
Iudge nothing before the time, which wil lightē thinges that are hidden in darknesse, and open the counsels of the hearts, so shall euery man haue prayse of GOD. Cor. 4
Sée thou robb not the poore, because he is weake, and oppresse not the simple in iudgement, for the Lord himself wil defend their cause, and do violence to them that haue vsed [Page]
violence. Pro 22.
God resisteth the proud, & giueth grace vnto the lowly, Iames 4.
Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord: neyther dispayre when he giueth thee aduersity: for whome the Lord loueth, him hee chasteneth: yea he scourgeth with affliction euery Sonne that he receyueth. Heb. 12.
Let euery man be swift to heare, slow to speake, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not that which is righteous before God: wherfore lay apart all malice, and with all meeknesse of heart, exercise truth and quietnesse. [Page]
Iames. 1.
Lay aside all malitiousnesse, and all guile: faynednesse, and enuie: all backbiting: and as new born babes desire ye that milke, not of the Body, but of the soule: which is without deceit, that ye may grow thereby vnto Saluatiō. 2. Ep. Peter.
The eyes of the Lord doe gouerne the Righteous, & his eares open vnto their Prayers. Ibid. Cap. 3.
The desire of the Lowly is acceptable, and the Lord will encrease it: but the hope of the Proude, is the Indignation: and in the freshnesse of their Labours hee will roote [Page]
them out.
He that casteth out his words rashly, worketh care to his life, but who so through silence seasoneth his thoughts with wisedome, is the Author of long rest.
Euery labour giueth foorth his fruit, onely lippe labour destroyeth time, and bringeth forth penury.
The dayes of aduersity are a blessing of God, and a clear conscience is a continuall Feast: A malitious man kindleth strife. A Foole vttereth his wrath in hast: but a discréet person couereth wrong.
The Lord abhorreth the Prayer of the malitious: but [Page]
who so humbleth his Prayer in faith and Charity, shall find his desire.
The desires of the Couetous man, bring vppon him confusion, but who so gathereth his riches with loue and fauour, shall prosper.
Through Mercy and Truth sinnes are pardoned, and through Righteousnesse and Faith are thy Prayers heard, and euill eschewed.
Righteous lippes are pleasant vnto Kings, and dissembling tongues ouerthrow hie Pallaces.
Better it is to be of humble mind with the lowly, then to deuide the spoiles with the [Page]
proude.
Presumptuousnesse goeth before destruction: and after a proude stomacke followeth a foule fall. Mercy & faithfulnesse preserueth the King, and with louing kindnesse his seat is holden vp.
Who so followeth Righteousnesse and Mercy, shall finde both life, righteousnesse, and honour.
Like as the golden pillars are vpon the Sockets of siluer: so are the beautiful parts of the Body vpon a woman that hath a constant mind.
The heart of the foolish is like a Cart whéele, and his thoughtes runne about like [Page]
the Axiltree.
The wiseman tempereth his rage with Patience, and seasoneth his wordes with wisedome.
Who so is mercifull and giueth Almes, that is the right thanks offering: but he that stoppeth his eares at the cry of the poore, shall be cast downe: crie himself, and not be heard.
All that is of the eath, shall turne to the earth againe: all brides and vnrighteousnesse shall perish: but Faithfulnes and Truth shall endure for euer.
Rewards and gifts blinde the eyes of the wise, and make [Page]
him runne that he cannot tell men their faults.
Let not thy mouth bee accustomed with swearing, for in it there be many faults.
The heauinesse of the hart is all the punishment, and the wickednesse of a woman goeth aboue all.
Like as to clime vp a sandy way, is to the féet of the aged, euen so is a wife full of words to a still quiet man.
That woman that hath béene vnfaithfull to the Law of the highest, and hath brokē Couenant with her husband, her children shall take no root: and as for her branches, they shall beare no fruit: A shamefull [Page]
report shall shee leaue behind her: and her dishonour shall not be put out.
Like as the Sun when it ariseth, is an ornament in the high Heauen of the Lord: so is a vertuous wife the beauty of all her house.
Perpetuall are the foundations that bee layde vpon a whole stony Rocke: so are the commaundementes of God vppon the heart of a holy woman.
Whatsoeuer happen vnto thee, receiue it: suffer in heauinesse, and be patient in thy trouble. For like as golde and siluer are tried in the fire, euen so are acceptable men in [Page]
the fornace of aduersity.
God is gratious and mercifull: hee forgiueth sinnes in the time of trouble, and is a defender to all men that séeke him in the truth: Woe be to him that hath a double heart, wicked lippes, and euill occupied hands, and to the sinner, that goeth two maner of wayes.
The blessing of the Father buildeth vp the houses of the Children: but the mothers curse rooteth out the Foundations.
Who so honoureth his father, his sinne shall be forgiuen him, and when hee maketh his prayer, it shall bée [Page]
heard.
He that forsaketh his Father shall come to shame: and hee that defileth his mother, is accursed of God.
The more greater thou art, the more humble thy selfe in all things, and thou shalt find fauour in the sight of God: for great power belongeth onely vnto God, and he is honoured of the lowly.
Séeke not out things aboue thy capacity, nor search the grounds for such thinges as are too mighty for thée: many things shewed vnto thée, that bée aboue the capacitie of men.
Be not ashamed of thy [Page]
friend in his aduersity, and kéepe not backe thy counsell when it may do good: neither hide thy wisedome in her beauty.
For righteousnes and truth, striue vnto death: and God shall fight for thée against thine enemies.
Make no tarrying to turne vnto the Lord, and put not off from day to day: for sodainly shall his wrath come, & in the time of vengeance hee shall destroy thée.
Trust not in wicked riches for they shall not helpe thée in the day of punishment, and wrath: equity, mercy, iustice, and Trueth shall deliuer [Page]
thée.
In the beautifull dayes of thy prosperity forget not the foggy mists of aduersity: and when it goeth not well with thée, haue a good hope it shall be better.
Happy is hee that hath no heauinesse in his mind: and is not fallen from his hope.
Let not to pray alwayes, & stand in feare reformed vnto death: for the rewarde of God endureth for euer; and vnto them that will repent, he hath giuen the way of righteousnesse.
Note all these hither, to be out of Ecclesiast.
A dissembling person will vnfold thy Secrets: But he that loueth thée in truth, wil faithfully stand with thee in perill.
Through the lying lipps of the malitious, the innocent is destroyed: But in the beauty of his truth, time shall deliuer him.
The innocent dealing of the iust, shall lead them: But the wickednesse of such as dissemble, shall bee their owne destruction.
The Lord abhorreth them that be of fained heart: But he hath pleasure to encrease the séede of the humble and faithfull.
Euery man shall enioy good according to the sayinges of his mouth, and after the works of his hands: Do they some righteousnesse, & speake the Truth.
The Innocent person shal be deliuered out of trouble: & the double dealer shall come in his stead.
Mercy and faithfulnesse let neuer go from thée, bind them about thy necke, and write them in the Tables of thy heart. Pro. 3.
Be not wise in thine owne conceite, but feare the Lord and depart from euill: So shal thy vertue shine, and thy healthes grow Ibidem.
These sixe things doth the Lord hate: A proud looke: a lying tongue: hands to shedde innocent bloud: an heart that goeth about with wicked imaginations: féet that be swift in running to doe mischiefe: a false witnesse that bringeth vp lies: and such a one, as soweth discord amongst brothers. Pro 6.
Dissembling lippes keepe hatred secretly: euill will stirreth vpstrise, but loue couereth the multitude of sins. Prou. 10.
The patient abiding of the Innocent shall be turned to gladnesse: and the dayes of his trouble are the sure signes [Page]
of his Sauation. Ibidem.
The perill that the vngodlie are afraid of, shall come vpon their heades: but the faithfull, and the righteous shall inherite their desires.
He that by violence sheddeth any mans bloud, shall be a Runnegate to his graue, and his posterity shall bee confounded with shame.
A man that dealeth faithfully, shal bee filled with blessings: and hee that maketh too much hast to be Rich, shal not be vnguilty.
Like as Hell and destruction are neuer full: euen so the eyes of the couetous men can neuer be satisfied.
The Seat of the King, that with Iustice and equitie faithfully iudgeth the poore, shall encrease and stand for euer.
Many men like the Bread that is gotten with deceit: but at the last their mouthes shall bee filled with grauell. These thrée, Proverb. all.
No force is left vnprepared against the day of Battaile: But the Lord giueth the victory.
He that soweth the séeds of malice, shall reape sorrow: and in the haruest of his crueltie, shall he perish.
The end of Equity, Iustice, Patience, and Truth, is [Page]
riches, honour, prosperity and health.
Who so giueth Rewardes shall obtaine victory, and triumph: but he taketh away the soule of such as receyue them.
Reioyce not thou at the fall of thine enemies, and let not thy hart bee glad when hee stumbleth, least the Lord when he seeth it, be angry, & turne his wrath from him to thee.
He that turneth away his eare from the needy, or from his Neighbour in necessity, his Prayer shall bee abhominable.
Sow no euill seedes in the [Page]
furrowes of vnrighteousnes, for the lucre of any other mās Lordshippe, labour not vnto the King for the Seate of Honour: so shalt thou goe vntouched of any misfortune. Ecclesiast. 7.
Who so vniustly challengeth rule to himselfe, shal bee hated of the people. Ecclesiast. 20.
Carry thy wronges with patient hart, and thinke of no reuenge: the Lord knoweth how to deliuer the godly out of anguish, and to reserue the malitious vnto the day of iudgement. Peter. 4.
If our hearts condenm vs not, then haue wee trust to [Page]
God-ward, and whatsoeuer we aske, we receiue of him. Iob. 3.
For this purpose appeared the Sonne of GOD, to loose the paines of Hel, and the Workes of the Deuill. Ibidem.
Warres with great discretion ought to bee taken in hand, for through strength of good Counsell, thinges prosper that men deuise. Pro. 24.
When thou goest to battaile against thine enemies, and also, seest Horses and Charrets, and people more then thou, bee not afraide of them, for the Lord thy God is [Page]
with thee. Deu. 20.
If you goe to warre against your enemies that vexe you, you shall blow with the Trumpettes, and you shall be remembred before the Lord your God, to be saued from your enemies. Num. 10.
The Victory of the Battaile standeth not in the multitude of the hoast, but the Strength and Triumph commeth from Heauen. Macha. 3.
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, and that hath not lifted vp his mind to vanity, nor sworn to deceiue his Neighbour: he shall receiue [Page]
the blessing from the Lorde, and victorie of his enemies, and righteousnesse from the God of his Saluation, &c. Psalm. 24.
Here followeth the Letanie, to be vsed vpon Sundayes, Wednesdayes, and Fridayes, and at other times when it shall be thought convenient.
O God the father of Heauen haue mercy vpon vs miserable Sinners.
O God the Father of, &c.
O God the Sonne redeemer of the World, haue mercy vpon vs miserable Sinners.
O God the Sonne, &c.
O God the holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, haue mercy vpon vs miserable Sinners.
O God the holy Ghost. &c.
O holy blessed and glorious Trinity, thrée persons & one God haue mercy vpon vs miserable Sinners.
O holy blessed, &c.
Remember not Lord our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neyther take thou vengeance of our Sinnes: spare vs good Lord, spare thy people whome thou hast redéemed [Page]
with thy most precious blood, and be not angrie with vs for euer.
Spare vs good Lord.
From all euill and mischiefe, from sinne, from the crafts & assaults of the deuill, from thy wrath, and from euerlasting damnation.
Good Lord deliuer vs.
From all blindesse of heart, from pride, vaine glory, and hipocrisie, from enuie, hatred, and malice, and from all vncharitablenesse.
Good Lord deliver vs.
From Fornication and all other deadly sinne, and from al the deceits of the world, the flesh and the deuill.
Good Lord deliver vs.
From lightning and tempest, from plague, pestilence and famine, from battel and murther, and from sodain death.
Good Lord deliver vs.
From all sedition and priuie conspiracy, from all false doctrine and heresie: from hardnesse of heart, and contempt of thy worde and commaundement.
Good Lord deliver vs.
By the mysterie of thy holie Incarnation, by thy holy Natiuitie and circumcision, by thy Baptisme, Fasting, and Temptation.
Good Lord deliver vs.
By thine Agonie and bloodie [Page]
sweat, by thy Crosse and passion, by thy pretious death & buriall, by thy glorious resurrection, and ascension, and by the comming of the Holie Ghost.
Good Lord deliver vs.
In al time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, in the houre of death, and in the day of iudgement.
Good Lord deliver vs.
We sinners doe beséech thée to heare vs O Lord God, and that it may please thée to rule and gouerne thy holy Church vniuersally in the right way.
We beseech thee to heare vs good Lord.
That it may please thée to kéepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of thée, in righteousnesse and holines of Life, thy seruant Iames our most gratious King and Gouernour.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to rule his heart in thy faith, feare, and loue, & that he may euermore haue affiance in thée, and euer séeke thy honour and glory.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to bee his defender and kéeper, giuing him the victory ouer all his enemies.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to blesse and preserue our gracious Quéene Anne, Prince Henrie, and the rest of the King and Quéenes royall Issue.
We beeseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to illuminat al Bishops, Pastors and Ministers of the Church with true vnderstanding and knowledge of thy word, and that both by their preaching and liuing, they may set it forth and shew it accordingly.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thee to indue the Lords of the Counsel, and all the Nobility with [Page]
grace wisedome and vnderstanding.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to blesse and keepe the Magistrates, giuing them grace to execute iustice, and to maintaine truth.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to blesse and keepe all thy people.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thee to giue to all Nations, vnitie, peace, and concord.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thee to giue vs an heart to loue and dread thee, and diligently to [Page]
liue after thy Commaundements.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to giue to all thy people increase of grace, to heare méekely thy word, & to receiue it with pure affection, and to bring foorth the fruits of thy spirite.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to bring into the way of truth, all such as haue erred and are deceyued.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to strengthen such as doe stand, and to comfort and helpe the weake hearted, and to rayse vp them that fall: and finally, [Page]
to beat down Sathan vnder our féet.
We befeech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to succour helpe, and comfort all that be in danger, necessity, and tribulation.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may pleafe thée to preserue all that trauell by land or by water, all women labouring with Child, al sicke persons and yong Children, and to shew thy pitty vpon all prisoners and captiues.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to defend and prouide for the fatherlesse children and widowes, and all that bee desolate [Page]
and oppressed.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thee to haue mercy vpon all men.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to forgiue our enemies, persecutors and slanderers, and to turne their hearts.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thee to giue and preserue to our vse the kindly fruits of the earth, so as in due time wae may enioy them.
We beseech thee, &c.
That it may please thée to giue vs true repentance, to forgiue vs all our sinnes, negligences and ignorances, and [Page]
to endue vs with the Grace of thy holy Spirit, to amend our liues according to thy Holie Word.
We beseech thee to heare vs good Lord.
Sonne of God wée beseech thee to heare vs.
Sonne of God wee beseech thee to heare vs.
O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world.
Grant vs thy peace.
O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world.
Haue mercy vpon vs.
O Christ heare vs.
O Christ heare vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Christ haue mercy vpon vs.
Christ haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Lord haue mercy vpon vs.
Our father which art in heauen, &c.
And lead vs not into temptation. But deliuer vs from euill, Amen.
The Versicle.
O Lord deale not with vs after our sinnes.
Answere.
Neyther reward vs after our iniquities.
Let vs pray.
O God mercifull Father, that despisest not the [Page]
sighing of a contrit hart, nor ye desire of such as be sorrowful, mercifully assist our prayers, that wee make before thée in all our troubles and aduersities whensoeuer they oppresse vs, and gratiously heare vs, that those euills which the craft and subtlety of the Deuill, or man worketh against vs be brought to nought, and by the prouidence of thy goodnes they may bee dispersed, that we thy seruantes being hurt by no persecutions, may euermore giue thankes vnto thée in thy holy Church, through Iesus Christ our Lord.
O Lord arise, helpe vs, and [Page] [decorative border] deliver vs for thy Names sake.
O God we haue heard with our eares, and our Fathers haue declarud vnto vs the noble workes that thou diddest in their dayes, and in the olde time before them.
O Lord arise, helpe vs, and deliver vs for thine honour.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, &c.
From our enemies defend vs O Christ.
Gratiously looke vpon our afflictions.
Pittifully behold the sorrows of our hearts.
Mercifully forgiue the sins of thy people.
Fauourably with mercy hear our Prayers.
O Sonne of David haue mercy vpon vs.
Both now & euer vouchsafe to heare vs O Christ.
Gratiously heare vs O Christ, gratiously heare vs O Lord Christ.
The Versicle.
O Lord let thy mercy bee shewed vpon vs.
Answere.
As we doe put our trust in thée.
Let vs Pray.
VVE humbly beséeth thee O father mercifully to looke vpon our infirmities, and for the glory of thy names sake, turne from vs al those euils that we most righteously haue deserued, & graunt that in all our troubles wee may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and euermore serue thee in holinesse and purenes of liuing, to thy honour and glory, through our onely mediatour and aduocate Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
¶ A Prayer for the Kinges Maiestie.
O Lord our heauenly Father, high and mightie King of Kings, Lord of Lords the onely Ruler of Princes, which doest from thy throne behold all the dwellers vpon earth, most heartily wee beseech thee with thy fauour to behoid our most gratious Soueraigne Lord King Iames, and so replenish him with the grace of thy holy Spirite, that hee may olway encline to thy will, and walke in thy way: [Page]
indue him plentifully with heauenly gifts, grant him in health & wealth long to liue, strengthen him that hee may vanquish and ouercome all his enemies, and finally after this life, he may attaine euerlasting ioy & felicity, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Prayer for the Queene, and Prince, and other the King and Queenes Children.
ALmighty God, which hast promised to be a father of all thine Elect, and of [Page]
their séede, we humbly beséech thée to blesse our gratious Quéene Anne, Prince Henrie, and all the King and Quéenes Royall Progenie, endue them with thy holy Spirite, enrich them with thy heauenly Grace, prosper them with all happines, and bring them to thine euerlasting kingdome through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
ALmighty & euerlasting God, which onely workest great maruailes, send downe vpon our Bishoppes and Curates, and all Congregations cōmitted to their [Page]
charge, the healthfull Spirite of thy Grace, and that they may truely please thée, powre vpon them the continual dew of thy blessing: graunt this O Lord, for the honour of our Aduocate and Mediator, Iesus Christ, Amen.
A Prayer of Chrysostome.
ALmighty God which hast giuen vs Grace at this time with one accorde to make our common Supplications vnto thée, and doest promise, that when two or thrée bée gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt [Page]
graunt their requests: fulfill now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy seruants as may be most expedient for them, graunting vs in this worlde knowledge of thy truth, and in the worlde to come, life euerlasting, Amen.
THe Grace of our Lorde Iesus Christ, and the Loue of GOD, and the Fellowshippe of the Holy Ghost, be with vs al euermore, Amen.
For Raine if the time require.
O God Heauenly Father, which by thy Son Iesus Christ, hast promised to all them that séeke thy Kingdome, and the righteousnesse thereof, all thinges necessarie to their bodily sustenance: sēd vs we beseech thée in this our necessity, such moderate raine and showres, that wee may receiue the fruites of the earth to our comfort, and to thy honour, through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen.
For faire weather.
O Lord god which for ye sin of man didst once drown all the world except eight persons, and afterward of thy great mercy diddest promise neuer to destroy it so againe: we humbly beseech thee, that although wee for our iniquities, haue worthily deserued this plague of raine and waters, yet vpon our true repentance, thou wilt send vs such seasonable wether, wherby wee may receiue the fruits of the earth in due season, and learn both by thy punishment [Page]
to amend our liues, and for thy clemencie to giue thee prayse and glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amē.
In the time of Dearth and Famine.
O God heauenly Father, whose gift it is that the raine doth fall, the earth is fruitfull, beasts increase, and fishes doe multiplie: behold wee beseech thée, the afflictions of thy people, and grant that this scarsitie and dearth (which wée doe now most iustly suffer for our iniquitie) may through thy goodnesse [Page]
bee mereifully turned into cheapenesse and plenty, for the loue of Iesus Christ our Lord, to whome with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour, &c. Amen.
In the time of warre.
O Almighty God, King of all Kinges, and Gouernour of all things, whose power no Creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth iustly to punish Sinners, and to bee mercifull to them that truely repent: saue and deliuer vs (wée humbly beséech thée) from the hands of our enemies, abate theyr [Page]
pride, asswage their malice, and confound their deuises, that wée being armed with thy defence, may bee preserued euermore from all perils, to glorifie thee which art the onelie giuer of all victorie, through the merites of thy onely Sonne Iesus Christ our Lorde, Amen.
In the time of any common plague or sickenesse.
O Almighty God, which in thy wrath, in the time of King David, diddest slay with the plague of pestilence threescore and tenne thousand, and yet remembring thy mercy diddest saue the rest: haue pitty vppon vs miserable Sinners, that now are visited with greate sickenesse and mortality, that like as thou diddest then cō maund thine Angell to cease from punishing: so it may now please thee to withdraw [Page]
from vs this plague and grieuous sicknesse, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
O God whose nature & property is euer to haue mercy, and to forgiue, receiue our humble Petitions, and though we be tyed and bound with the chaine of our sinnes, yet let the pittifulnesse of thy great mercy loose vs, through Iesus Christs sake, our Mediatour and Aduocate, Amen.
A Thankesgiuing for Raine.
O God our heauenly Father, who by thy gratious prouidence, dost cause the former and the later raine to descend vpon the earth, that it may bring forth fruite for the vse of man: We giue thee humble thankes that it hath pleased thée in our greatest necessitie to send vs at the last a ioyfull raine vpon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was drie, to the great comfort of vs thy vnworthy seruantes, and to the [Page]
glory of thy holy Name, through thy mercies in Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thankesgiuing for faire weather.
O Lord God who hast iustly humbled vs by the late Plague of immoderate raine and waters, and in thy mercy hast deliuered and comforted our Soules by this seasonable & blessed chaunge of weather: we prayse and glorifie thy holy name for this thy mercy, & will alwayes declare thy louing kindnesse from generation to generation, through [Page]
Iesus Christ our Lord, Amē.
A Thankesgiving for Plentie.
O Mercifull Father, which of thy gratious goodnesse, hast heard the deuote prayers of thy church, and turned our dearth & scarsity into cheapenesse and plenty: Wée giue thée humble thankes for this thy especiall bounty, beseeching thée to continue this thy louing kindnes vnto vs, that our land may yéelde vs her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thankesgiving for peace and victorie.
O Almighty God, which art a strong Tower of defence vnto thy Seruants, against the face of their enemies: We yéeld thée prayse and thankesgiuing for our deliuerance from those great and apparāt dangers, wherewith we were compassed: we acknowledge it thy goodnes, that we were not deliuered ouer as a prey vnto them, beséeching thée stil to continue such thy mercies towards vs, that al the world may know, that thou art our Sauiour & mighty deliuerer, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thanksgiuing for deliverance from the Plague.
O Lord God which hast wounded vs for our sins, & consumed vs for our transgressions, by thy late heauie, and dreadfull Visitation, and now in the middest of iudgement, remembring mercie, hast redeemed our soules frō the iawes of death: wee offer vnto thy Fatherly goodnesse, our selues, our soules & bodies, which thou hast deliuered, to be a liuing sacrifice vnto thée, alwayes praysing, [Page]
and magnifying thy mercies in the middest of the Congregation through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Or thus.
WE humbly acknowledge before thée, (O most mercifull Father) that all the punishmentes which are threatened in thy Law, might iustly haue fallen vpon vs by reason of our manifold transgressions and hardnes of heart: yet séeing it hath pleased thée of thy tender mercy, vpoo our weake and vnworthy
Grace after meaet.
GOds Name bee blessed for his benefits now and euer bestowed on vs. God send the King long life, the Realme good peace, the Gospell continuance: increase our faith, and comfort all those, that be comfortlesse, and giue vnto vs & our friends health, and prosperity, peace & truth, in Christ Iesus our Lord, Amen.
Grace before meat.
BLessed Lord, that fillest with thy blessing euerie liuing thing, sanctifie thy gifts which we shall receiue to the nourishment of our mortall Bodies. Remoue away thy iudgementes farre from vs: prepare our heartes to serue thee in all righteousnesse and holinesse: Prosper vs in our lawfull affaires, and grant vs life euerlasting Amen.
Grace after meat.
BLessed bee the name of God for his blessings now and euer bestowed on vs. God preserue the Church vniuersall, our gratious King Iames, the Quéenes Maiesty, and the young Prince of Wales, with all the royall issue. God send vs health, and holinesse in Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Sententiae Diuinae, é Sacris Scripturis, Patribus (que) collectae.
Deus.
Deus est splendor nunquam [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]
deficiens, vita indefessa non moriens, fons semper scàturiens, seminale vitae feminarium, sapientiae principale principium, initiale bonitatis initium.
Deus est in seipso, sicut Alpha, & Omega: in mundo, sicut Rector & Auctor: in Angelis, sicut Sapor & Decor: in Ecclesia, sicut paterfamilias in Domo: in Anima, sicut sponsus in Thalamo: in Iustis, sicut adiutor & protector: in reprobis, sicut pauor & horror.
Deus tibi totum est: si esuris, [Page]
panis tibi est: si sitis, aqua tibi est: si in tenebris es, lumē tibi est: si nudus es in mortalitate, tibi vestis est.
Christus.
EGo sum lux mundi, qui sequitur me, non ambulabit in tenebris, sed habebit lumen vitae.
Omnia habemus in Christo, & omnia in nobis Christus. Si à vulnere curari desideras, medicus est: si febribus aestuas, fons est: si graueris iniquitate, Iustitia est: si indiges anxilio, [Page]
virtus est: si tenebras fugis, lux est: si Coelū desideras, vita est: Si cibum quaeris, alimentum est.
Ego sum via, veritas, & vita: tanquam diceret, qua vis ire, ego sum via: quo vis ire, ego sum veritas: vbi vis permanere, ego vita.
Ambulare vis, ego sum via: falli non vis, ego sum veritas: mori non vis, ego sum vita.
Homo.
HOmo natus de Muliere, brevi vivens tempore, repletur [Page]
multis miserijs: qui quasi flos egreditur, & conteritur, & fugit velut vmbra, & nunquam in codem statu permanet.
Video hominem prius quatuor virtutibus amictū: quid huic decrat, quem misericordia custodiebat, veritas docebat, iustitia regebat, pax fouebat.
Aristoteles interogatus, quidnam esset homo? respondit, imbecillitatis exemplum, tē poris spolium. Fortunae Lusus, inconstantiae Imago reliquum verô, pituita & bilis.
Septem sunt de essentia hominis, [Page]
quae si homo consideraret, jn aeternum non peccaret. Scilicet materia vilis, operatio turpis, exitus flebilis, status instabilis, mors tristabilis, dissolutio miserabilis, damnatio detestabilis, & consideratio gloriae ineffabilis.
Peccatum.
SI dixerimus peccatum non habemus, ipsi nos seducimus, & veritas in nobis nō est.
Primū peccatum, est cogitasse quae mala sunt. Secundum, cogitationibus acquieuisse peruersis.
[Page]Tertium, quod mente decreueris opere compleuisse. Quartum, post peccatum non facere poenitentiam, & in suo complacere sibi delicto.
Tribus modis omne peccatum contrahitur. Primus gradus delictorum est, non reddere bona pro nobis. Secundus, reddere mala pro malis. Tertius est, tribuere mala pro bonis: contra haec sunt tria laudabilia. Primum, impendere bona pro bonis. Secundum, malū pro malo non reddere. Tertium, perfectissimum virtutis genus est, bonum pro malo tribuere.
Poenitentia.
NOn veni vocare Iustos, sed peccatores ad poenitentiam.
Dico vobis, quod ita gaudium erit in Coelo super vno peccatore poenitentiam agente, quàm super nonaginta nouem iustis qui non indigent poenitentia.
Poenitentia languores sanat, leprosos curat, & mortuos suscitat, sanitate mauget, gratiam conseruat, claudis gressum, aridis copiam, coecis restituit [Page]
visum, vitia fugat, virtutes exomat, mentem munit ac roborat.
Conversio.
IN quacunque hora ingemuerit peccator, salvus erit.
Si aurum tibi offeram, non mihi dicis, cras veniam, sed am exigis: nemo differt, nemo excusat: redemptio animae promittitus & nemo festinat.
In inferno erit poenitentia, sed sera, ergo infructuosa: Vis vt sit fructuosa, non sit sera: [Page]
Hodie te corrige, qui vivus es: nam qui iudex tuus futurus est, ipse hodie tuus aduocatus est.
Oratio.
VIgilate & orate, ne intretis in tentationem.
Si quid petieritis patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.
Ille Deo veram orationem exhibet, qui semetipsum cognoscit, quia pulvis sit humiliter videt: qui nihil sibi virtutis tribuit, qui bona quae agit, esse de misericordia conditoris agnoscit.
Oratio Cordis est, non Labiorum, ne quc verba deprecantis Deus attendit, sed orantis cor aspicit: Melius est cum silentio orare Corde sine sono vocis, quàm solis verbis, sine intuitu mentis.
Oratio est Consolatio flentium: Cura dolentium: sanitas aegrotorum Haec Animae remedium: haec Miseriarū omnium cognoscitur esse suffragium: nam qui tali munere priuatur, ab omni benificio Consolationis excluditur.
Ieiunium.
BOna est Oratio cum Ieiunio, & Eleemosyna, magis quàm thesauros Auri re condere: quoniam Eleemosyna a morte liberat: & ipsa est quae purgat peccata, & facit inuenire vitam aeternam.
Vis tibi vt ostendam quale te oportet jeiunare leiuntum? jeiuna ab omni peccato: nullū Cibum sumas Malitiae: nullas Epulas Voluptatis: nullo Vino luxuriae concalescas: Ieiuna à prauitatibus: abstine à malis [Page]
Actibus: contine à malis Sermonibus, imò à cogitationibus pessimis: noli contingere panes furtiuos peruersae Doctrinae: non concupisces fallaces Philosophiae Cibos, qui te Authoritate seducant. Tale leiunium Deo placet.
Ieiunium purgat Mentem, subleuat sensum, Carnem spiritui subjicit: Cor facit contritum, & humiliatum: Concupiscentiae nebulas dispergit: Libidinum ardores extinguit: Castitatis verò Lumē accendit.
Eleemosyna.
QVi obturat aurem suam ad clamorem pauperis, & ipse clamabit, & non exaudietur.
Manus pauperis est Gazophylatiū Christi, & quicquid pauper accepit, Christus acceptat. Da ergo pauperi Terram, vt accipias Regnum: da Micam, vt accipias totum: da Pauperi, vt detur tibi. Omnia quicquid pauperi dederis, tu habebis: quod pauperi non de deris, habebit alter.
Eleemosyna amica Dei consistit, & semper ei propinqua est pro quibuscū (que) voluerit, facilé manus gratiae impetrat: vincula peccatorum dissoluit: fugat tenebras: extinguit ignem, Huic cum multa fiducia portae Coeli aperiuntur.
Eleemosyna mundat Peccata, & ipsa interpellat pro nobis ad Dominum: quia quicquid pauperibus de derimus, ipsū integrè posside bimus.
Charitas.
SVper omnia autē haec Charitatē habere, quod est vinculum [Page]
perfectionis.
Sola Charitas est quae vincit omnia, & sine qua nihil valent omnia, quae vbicun (que) fuerit trahit ad se omnia. Scientia si sola sit, inflat: quia verò Charitas aedificat, sciētia non permittit inflari.
Nihil perfectius Deo, virtute Dilectionis. Nihil desiderabilius Diabolo, extinctione Charitatis.
Dilectio est pacis vnda, Ros gratiae, Charitatis Imber, semen Concordiae, affectus Gentium, amoris Fructus, & ad summum, Dilectio Deus est.
[Page]Vbi Charitas non est, nō potest esse Iustitia, Dilectio enim proximi malum non operatur.
Iustitia.
BEnedictio Domini super Caput Iusti: Os autem impiorum operit iniquitas. Memoria Iusti cum laudibus erit, & nomen impioroum subvertetur.
Facere Iustitiam, & iudicium magis est apud Deum, quā immolare Hostias.
Iustitia omnium virtutū princeps, tuta & fida comes humanae vitae, ea enim imporia, [Page]
regna, populi, Ciuitates regū tur: quae si è medio tollatur, nec constate posset hominum societas.
Iustitia non nouit patrem, non nouit matrem, Veritatem nouit, personam non accipit. Deum imitatur.
Bonus circuitus est, si justitia quaerit: prudentia jnuenit: Fortitudo vendicat: Temperantia possidet: vt justitia sic in affectu, prudentia in intellectu, fortitudo in effectu, temperantia in vsu.
Vir justus est qui non injuria [Page]
afficit, sed qui injuria afficere potens, non vult.
In justitia administranda, secundum merita causae, non sā guinis Gradum, Affinitatem, Nobilitatemque agendum.
Lex.
VAe qui condunt Leges iniquas: & scribentes injustitiam: scripserunt, vt opprimerent Pauperes in judicio.
Lex est vinculum Perfectionis.
Lex vinculum Ciuitatis est: [Page]
Libertatis fundamentum: Fōs aequitatis: Mens, Animus, Consiliū, vt corpora nostra sine mēte: Sic Civitas sine Lege, suis, partibus ac Nervis, Sanguine, & Membris vti non potest.
Legis virtus est imperare, vetare, permittere, punire, persuadere aliquid, non omnia vi, ac minis cogere.
Iura publica certissima sunt humanae vitae solatia, Infirmiorum auxilia, & potentiū siaena: vndè & Securitas venit, & Conscientia proficit.
Iudex.
NOn declinabis in Iuditium pauperis: insontem, & justum non occides, nec accipies munera, quae excoecant etiam Prudentes, & subvertūt verba Iustorum.
Non facies quod jniquum est, neque jniustè judicabis: non cōsideres personam pauperis, nec honores, vultum Potentis, Iustè judica Proximo tuo.
Iudicare dignè de subditis nequeunt, qui in subditorum [Page]
causis non Merita, sed odium vel gratiam sequuntur.
Quatuor modis humanum peruertitur Iudicium, Timore Cupiditate, Odio, Amore▪ Timore, dum metu Potestatis alicuius veritatē loqui crubescimus: Cupiditate, cum premio Muneris alicuius corrumpimus: Odio, cum contra quē libet aduersarium molimur: Amore, dum Amico, vel propinquis placere contendimus.
Iudices mali non attendunt merita causarum, sed Pecuniarum merita: non Iura, sed Munera: non justitiam, sed pecuniam: [Page]
non quod ratio dictat, sed quod voluntas affectat: non quod Lex sentit, sed quod mens cupit: non inclinant adjustitiam animum, sed justitiam declinantab animos non vt quod licet hoc libeat, sed vt liceat quod libet.
Grauius lacerantur pauperes à prauis judicibus, quàm à cruentissimis hostibus.
Si judicas, cognosce: si regnas, jube. Qui iustificat impium, & condemnat iustum, vter (que) abhominabilis apud Deum.
Acceptio Personarum.
NVlla erit distantia personarum, ita parvum audies, vt magnum.
Quicunque consanguinitate, aut amicitia, vel è converso, hostili odio, vel jnimicitijs in judicando ducitur, peruertit judicium Dei Christi, qui est justitia.
Alienum te à personis omniū redde iudicio: ac propter Iniustitiam in iudicio Pauperem ne defendas, nec propter [Page]
gratiam Diviti indecentér assistas: aut fi non potes facere, cognitionē respue causarum.
Iudices iniqui errant à veritate sententiae dum intendunt qualitatem personae, & exulcerant saepè iustos, dum improbè defundunt iniquos.
Dives cito muneribus corrumpit iudicium, pauper dum non habet quid offerat, non solum audiri contemnitus, sed etiam contra veritatem opprimitur.
Pauperum causam cum mora negligitis, Divitum causam cum instantia promovetis, in illis rigorem ostenditis, in [Page]
istis ex mansuetudine dispēsatis: illos cum difficultate respecitis, istos cum facinore tractatis, illos negligenter auditis, istos auscultatis subtiliter.
Adulatio.
LIngua duplex multos cō movit, eosque exalia in aliam gentem transtulit, Civitates muratas Principum destruxit, & Domos magnatum effodit Lingua duplex strenuas profligavit Mulieres, suisque laboribus defraudauit. Qui attentè audit eam tranquilitatem non inueniet, nec [Page]
quietam vitam.
Adulatores sunt Hostes & scintillae Diaboli.
Est qui nequiterse humiliat, interiora eius plena sunt dolo.
Adulatores à voluntate vultum, ab animo verbum, à mente linguam, ab intellectu loquelam amplo dissensionis interuallo dissimulant, plerumque enim exterius plausibiliter applaudendo collaudant, quos interius contradictoria derisione defraudāt, foris vultu applaudant virginaeo, intus scorpionis pungunt aculeo, [Page]
foris adulationis mellicos cō pluvnt imbres, intus detractionis evomunt tempestates.
Ambitio.
COntentus esto Gloria, & sede in Domo tua.
Principatum à Domino ne petas, nec à Rege sedem Magnificam.
Non afficiamur inanis gloriae cupidi, invicem provocantes, invicem invidentes.
Quoties hominibus praeesse desidero: Toties Deo meo [Page]
praeire contendo.
Diabolus ruit, quia elegit potius praeesse quam subesse.
Ambitiosus semper est pauidus, semperattentus, ne dicar, quod desiderat, humilitatem simulat, honestatem mencitur, affabilitatem exhibet, benignitatem ostendit, subsequitur & obsequitur: cunctos hoc norai, vniversis inclinatur, frequentot curias, visitat optunates, assurgit & amplexatur, applaudit & adulatar, vnde novit illud Poëticum. Et si nullus erit pulver, tamen excute nullum.
Ambitiosus statim vt est ad honorem promotus, in superbiam extollitur, iactantia effraenatur, non curat prodesse, sed praeesse gloriatur, praesumit se meliorem, quia cernit se superiorem, priores dedignatur Amicos, notos ignoros, externos comitatur, contemnit antiquos, vultum avertir, Cervicem erigit, faustum ostendit, grandia loquitur, sublimia mediatur, subesse non patitur, praeesse molitur, subditis onerosus, omnibus infestus, praeceps, molestas, artogans, grauis, & importunus.
Superbia.
INitium Superbiae hominis apostatare à Deo.
Superbia de Angelo Diabolum fecit, & homini mortē intulit, & concessa beatitudine vacuavit, omnium malorum mater, scaelerum fons, vena nequitiae.
Quatuor sunt, quae editionis curnam trahunt, amor dominandi, amor propriae laudis, contemptus, & inobedientia: rota verò sunt, iactantia mentis & arogantia, verbositasque [Page]
levitas, Auriga in hoc Curru est spiritus superbiae. Amatores Mundi sunt, qui seruntur in hoc Curra, infraenes sunt equi, volubiles Rotae, auriga perversus, & qui portatur, infirmus.
Omnis ferè vitiosus diliget sibisimilem, solus superbus odit elatum: vnde inter Superbos sempet sunt iurgia.
Quum videris in sublime quempiam elatum, splendidis gloriantem opibus, ac genete supersilioue supra fortem suam fastuosum, illius celerem divinitùs exspecta brevi vindictam.
[Page]Ne sis superbus Sapientia: neque fortitudine: neque divitijs, vnus Deus est sapiens, potens, & Beatus.
Avaritia.
CAvete & videte ab omni Avaritia, quia non in abundantia cujusquā vita eius ex ijs qui possidet.
Rapit semper Avarus & nunquam satiatur: non Deum timet: nec Hominem reveretur: nec Patri parcit: nec Matrem cognoscit nec Fratri obtemperat: nec amico Fidem [Page]
servat: viduam opprimit: pupillū invadit: liberos in servitium revocat: Testimonium falsum profert, res Mortui occupantur, quare & qui faciunt non moriuntur? Quae est illa animarum insania? amittere Vitam: appellare Mortem: acquirere Aurum: & perdere Coelum.
Avaritia rotis vehitur quatuor vitiorum: quae sunt, pusillanimitas, inhumanitas, contemptus dei, mortis obliuio. Porro iumenta trahentia, tenacitas, repacitas, & hic vnus auriga ambobus praesidet: Ardor habendi, hic auriga ad vrgendum [Page]
trahentia flagellis vtitur acerrimis, libidinae acquirendi, & metu amittendi: haec sola Avaritia, quia conducere plures non patitur, vno contenta est servitore.
Duo sunt quae illicité solent acquirere. Scilicet, Superbia & cupiditas: & duo quae malé fruvntur acquisitis, Gula, & Luxuria. Duo sunt qui malè possidere volunt: Scilicet prodigus, & Avarus, vnus vt congreget, alter vt dissipet, & duo quae possessi defendunt: Scilicet, intemperantia, & prudentia. Mundi superbia à Diabolo clausit Coelum. Gula primo [Page]
parenti abstulit Paradisum, Avaritia Diviti aperuit Infernum, Intemperantia verò adhuc corrumpit Mundum.
Cum caetera vitia senescente homine senescant: sola Avaritia in venescit.
Nihil aliud esta varus, quam bursa principum, cellarium latronum, rixa parentum, sibilus hominum.
Cupiditas.
FOns Perditionis est Cupiditas, quam quidam appetentes [Page]
errauerunt à Fide, & inseruerunt se doloribus multis.
Omnium malorum radix est Cupiditas, transgressionis Mater, Magistra nocendi, primipilatis Iniquitatis, Auriga malitiae, Sicaria virtutum, Seditionis origo, Fovea scandalorum.
Tria maximè solent homines affectare. Opes, voluptates, Honores: de Opibus, praua: de voluptatibus, turpia: de honoribus, va ua procedunt. Nā opes generant Cupiditatem & Avaritiam: Voluptates pariunt Gulam & Luxuriam: Honores nutrivnt superbiam, & [Page]
Iactantiam.
Radix ne quitiae est Cupiditas, haec sacrilegia commitat & furta, Rapinas exercet & praedas, Bella gerit & Homicidia, Simoniacè vendit, & emnit, injquè petit & recipit, injusté negotiatur & foeneratur, inst [...]t dolis (que) imminet fraudibus, d ssolvit peccatum, & violat Juramentum, corrumpit Testimoniū, & pervertit judiciū.
Ira.
SIcut fremitus Leonis, ita & regis Ira: & sicut Ros super [Page]
herbam, ita & Hilaritas eius.
Non est Caput nequius super caput Colubri, jta non est Ira, Ira jaimici perniciocior.
Per Iram justitia relinquitur, quia dū perturbata mens, judicium fine ratione exasperat, omne quod furor suggerit, rectum putat: per Iram, gratia vitae socialis amittitur, quia qui se ex humana ratione non temperat: necesse est, vt bestialiter viuat, per Iram mā suetudo amittitur: per Iram concordia rumpitur: per Iram Lux veritatis amittitur, quia menti Iracundia confusionis [Page]
tenebras incutit: Huic Deus radium suae cognitionis abscondit.
Si is qui corrigere nititur, Ira superatur: opprimitantequam corrigat, nam dum plus quam debet, accenditur sub justae vltionis obtentu ad immanitatem crudelitatis effraenatae.
Vbi est fervida vindicta, non est temperata Iustitia.
Quoties Ira animum juvadit, mentem edoma, vince tejpsum, differ tempus furoris: quum tranquilla mens fuerit, fac quod placet.
Quisquis Irae preccps jndulget, in malum finem eruit.
Invidia.
VBi zelus & Invidia, jbi jnconstantia & omne opus pravum.
Invidia cuncta bona devorat ardore pestifero: Invidia animae Tinea sensum comedit, Pectus vrit, mentem affligit. Cor hominis, quasi quaedam pestis depascit.
Venenum quod serpentes in alienam perniciē effundunt, [Page]
sine sua continent, non ita vtium jnvidiae continentur: nam invidus torquet & macerat, bona odit & extenuat, Injurias verò dilarat & auget.
Tolle invidiam, & tuum est quod habeo: tollam invidiam, & meum est quod habes.
Nulla tam modesta foelicitas, quae maligintatis dentes vitare possit.
Ne invideas bona socijs, ne maculam cantrahas: sine Invidia coelestes etiam inter se sunt: non invident Luna multò prestantioribus solis Radijs: [Page]
non Tellus Coelestibus altitudinibus, cùm subter ipsa sit: non flumina, Pelagis sed semper concordiam habent.
Malitia.
SI perseueraueritis in Malitia, & vos, & Rex vester pariter peribitis.
Habet Malitia Curnim suum Roris quatuor consistentem: saevitia, Impatientia, Audacia, Impudentia: valdè enim velox est Currus iste ad effundendum sanguinem, qui nec innocentia sistitur, nec Patientia retardatur, nec Timore [Page]
fraenatur, nec Pudore inhibetur: Trahitur autem duobus pernicibus Equis & ad omnē peniciem paratissimis, terrena potentia, & Seculi Pompa. Porrò president his duobus Equis Aurigae duo, Timor, & Livor: Timor quidem pompam: Livor, potentiam agit.
Mens praua semper in laboribus est, quia aut molitur mala, quae inferat: vel me tuit, ne sibi ab alijs inferantur, & quicquid contra proximos cogitat hoc contra se cogitari à proximis formidat.
Malitia ipsa maximam partem veneni sui bibit, at venenum [Page]
quod serpentes in alienā perniciem perferunt, sine sua continent: non est huic simile hoc, habentibus pessimum est.
Malefacere qui vult, nusquā non invenit causam: malevolus sempersua natura nititur.
Calumnia.
ACcedam ad vos in judicio, & ero Testis velox Maledicis, & Perjuris, & qui calumniantur mercedem Mercenarij.
Calumnia res est grauissima: [Page]
in qua duo sunt qui iniuriam faciunt, vnus qui afficitur: Calumniator enim Iniuriam facit, non presentem accusans, & similiter, qui Accusanti fidem habet antequam verè rem cognoscit: Qui autem abest, iniuriam patitur tū ab illo Calumniatore, tum ab eo, qui ipsum, aures Calumnianti prebens pro malo reputat.
Ea est Calumniatoris natura, in crimen vocare omnia: probare verò nihil.
Loquacitas.
QVi enim valt vitam diligere, & videre dies bo nos, coerceat linguam suam á malis, & labia sua, ne loquatur dolum.
Non duplices sermonem auditus de reuelatione sermonis absconditi, & invenies gratiam apud omnes homines.
Lenis quidem Sermo, quia leniter volat: sed grauiter vulnerat: leniter transit, sed graviter vrit, leniter penitrat amicum, [Page]
sed non leniter exit: leniter prosertur, sed non leniter reuocatur, facilè volat, adeò Charitatem facilè violat.
Lingua sub magna moderaminis liberatione seruanda est, non insolubiliter obliganda, ne aut laxata in vitium defluat, aut restricta etiam ab vtilitate torpescat.
Lingua labitur vt Anguila, penetrat vt sagitta: tollit Amicos: multiplicat Inimicos: movet Rixas: seminat Discordias: vno ictu multos percutit, & interficit: blanda est, & subdola, & parata ad exhaurienda bona, & miscenda mala. [Page]
Qui custodit Linguam suam, custodit Animam, quoniam Mors, & Vita in potestate Linguae est.
Taciturnitas.
SIt omnis homo velox ad audiendum: tardus ad loquendum, & tardus ad iram.
Silendi patientia, oportunitas loquendi, & contemptus Divitiarum, sunt maxima fundamenta virtutum.
Sicut Vrbs patens, & abs (que) murorum ambitu, ira vir, qui non potest in loquendo cohibere [Page]
Spiritum suum.
Div considera quid loquendum sit, & adhuc tace provide, ne quid dixisse poeniteat, sapiēs vt loquatur multa prius considerat, quid, aut cui loco vel tempore dicat.
Humilitas.
DEposuit potentes de Sede, & exaltavit Humiles. Quanto maiores, eò te geras submissius, & gratiam apud dominum reperies: multi quidem altitudine fortunae, gloriae que excellunt, sed mansuetis revelantur Arcana, [Page]
Quoniam pontentia domini magna est & ab humilibus gloriam consequitur.
Dominus superbis resistit: Humilibus dat gratiam, Et omnis qui se exaltat, humiliabitur: & qui se humiliat, exaltabitur.
Scio neminem absque sui cognitione saluari, de qua nimirum mater salutis, Humilitas oritur, & timor Domini, qui & ipse sicut injtium Sapientiae, ita & salutis est.
Non magnum est esse humilem in abjectione magna, prorsus & rara virtus, Humilitas [Page]
honorata.
Humilitas in paupere grata est, in divite gloriosa: Humilitas inter jnimicos, blanda: Superbia inter amicos, ingrata: blanda est & officios semper humilitas, in amicitijs grata, in contumelijs otiosa non extollitur prosperis, non mutatur adversis, non extorquet servitium, non requirit voces Adulantium.
Fode in te fundamentum Humilitas, & pervenies ad fastigium Charitatis: vis capere celsitudinem Dei? cape prius humilitatem Christi: sola est [Page]
virtus humanitatis, reparatio laesae charitatis.
Amor Proximi.
QVi diligit fratrem suum, in lumine manet, & scā delum in eo non est, qui autem odit fratrem suum, in tenebris est, & in tenebris ambulat, & nescit quo eat, quia tenebrae obcoecaverunt oculis eius.
Duo sunt precepta Charitatis, dei: videlicet, & Amor Proximi: per amorem Dei, gignitur amor Proximi, & per amorem Proximi, Dei amor [Page]
nutritur: Nam qui amare deum negligit, perfectè diligere proximum nescit. Et tunc plenius in Dei dilectione proficimus, si in dilectionis gremio, Proximi charitatem colligamus.
Thesaurus indeficiens, est amor Divinus: quem, qui habet, dives est: quo, quicunque caret, pauper est.
Vbi Charitas non est, nō potest esse Iustitia, dilectio enim proximi, malū non operatur.
Amicitia.
QVi negligit damnū proper Amicum, justus est. [Page]
Omni tempore diliget qvi Amicus est, & frater in Augustijs comprobatur.
Pietatis custos, Amicitia est, & equalitatis magistra: vt superior inferiori, & equalem se exhibiat, & inferior superiori.
Solatium huius vitae est, vt habeas cui peotus tuum aperias, cui Arcana communices, cui secreta tui pectoris committas, vt colloces tibi fidelē virum, qui in prosperis gratuletur tibi, in tristibus compatiatur, in persecutionibus adhor tetut: facilis vox & cōmunis, [Page]
tuus sum totus, sed pautior est affectus.
Qui denudat arcana Amici, fidem perdit, & non invniet Amicum ad animum suum.
Fidem posside cum Amico in paupertate illius, vt in bonis illius laetaris. In tempore tribulationis illius permane illi fidelis, vt in Haeriditate illius cohaeres sis.
Qui tollit ab Amico misericordiam, timorem Domini derelinquit.
Amicus fidelis medicamentum Vitae, & immortalitatis & [Page]
qui metuvnt Dominum, invenient illum.
Fides siue Fidelitas.
QVi crediderit in me, etiam si mortu vs fuerit viuet, & omnis qui viuit, & credit in me, non morietur in aeternum.
Si potes credere, omnia possibilia credenti.
Fides radix omnium virtutum, & quod super hoc fundamentum aedificaveris, hoc solum ad operis tui, fructus & virtutis proficit mercedem.
Nullae maiores Divitiae, nulli Thesauri, nulli honores, nulla huius mundi major est substantia, quàm est Fides Catholica, quae peccatores homines salvat, Coecos illuminat, Infirmos curat, Cathecuminos baptizat, Fideles justificat, penitentes repanat, Iustos augmentat, Martires coronat, Virgines & Viduas, Coniugales casto pudore conseruat, Clericos ordinat, sacerdotes consecrat, in haereditate aeterna cum Sanctis Angelis collocat.
Liquet in bello fidē, & iustitiā observari oportere, fundamentū enim Iustitiae est Fides.
Hoc est humanae salutis initium, sine hoc nemo ad filiorū Dei numerum potest pertingere vel pervenire, sine hoc ōnis labor hominis vacuus est.
Conscientia.
GLoria nostra haec est, testinoniū Conscienciae nostrae, quod in simplicitate cordis, & sinceritate Dei, & non in sapientia Carnali, sed in gratia dei conversatisumus in hoc mundo.
Conscientia bona titulus est [Page]
Religionis, Templum Salomonis, Ager Benedictionis, Hortus Delitiarum, Aureum Declinatorium, Gaudium Angelorum, Arca Foederis, Thesaurus Regis, Aula Dei, Habitaculum Spiritus Sancti, Libet signatus, & clausus, & in Die Iudicij apperiendus.
Bona Conscientia quotidiè virescit, laboribus non affligitur, denique afficit gaudio viventem consolatur morientē, aeternumque durat.
Misericordia.
EStote Misericordes: sicut & pater vester Misericos est.
Misericodia & veritas custodivnt Regem, & roboratur clementia Thronus eius.
Misericordia est salutis praesiduum, Fidei ornamentum, Propitiatio peccatorum: haec est quae justos probat, Sanctos roborat, dei cultores ostentat.
Misericordiae virtus tanta est vt sine illa, coetera, & si sint, prodesse non possunt.
Quamvis enim aliquis Fidelis sit & castus, & sobrius, & alijs majoribus ornatus insignibus, si Misericors tamen non est, Misericordiam non meretur.
Beati illi qui subveniunt miseris quoniam eis rependitur, vt per misericordiam Domini de miseria liberentur. Nam id ipsum videtur justum, vt qui à potentiore adiuvari vult, adjuvet inferiorem, in quo est ipse potentior.
Benigni Principis est, ad clementiae commodum transilire terminos Acquitatum: quā do sola est Misericordia cui omnes virtutes honorabiliter cedere non recusant.
Veritas.
VEritas magna est, & fortior prae omnibus. Omnis [Page]
terra Veritatē invocat: Veritas domini manet in aeternū.
Non cōtradicas verbo veritatis vllo modo, & de Mendatio incruditionis tuae cōfundere.
Veritas sola liberat, sola salvat, sola lavat.
Cum sint tres gradus, seu status Veritatis, ad Primū ascendimus per laborē Humilitatis: ad secundū, per affectum compassionis: In primo veritas reperierur seuera: in secundo, Pia: in Tertio, Pura. Ad primū ratio ducit qua nos discutimus: ad secundū affectus producit, quo alijs miseremur: [Page]
ad tertium puritas rapit, qua ad jnvisibilia sublevamur.
Talis est conditio Falsitatis, vel Erroris, vt etiam nullo sibi adsistente consenescat, ac defluat. Talis autem è diverso Veritatis status vt etiam multis impugnatibus suscitetur, & crescat.
Magna est Veritas, quae contra omnium Ingenia, Caliditatem, solertiam, & contra fictas hominum Infidias facilè se per sejpsum defendit.
Castitas.
TEipsum Castum custodi. O quàm pulchra est Casta Generatio cum Claritate. Immortalis est enim gloria illius: quoniam & apud Deum nota est, & apud homines.
Qui Matrimonio jungit Virginem suam, benè facit: & qui non jungit, melius facit.
Castitas est ornamentum Nobilium, Exaltatio Humilium, Nobilitas Ignobilium, Pulchritudo vilium, Solamen [Page]
Merentium, Augmentum omnis pulcritudinis, Decus Religionis, Minoratio Criminū, Multiplicatio Meritorum, Creatoris omnium Dei Amica.
Sola est Castitas, quae in huius, Mortalitatis, & loco, & tē pore, flarum quēdam Immorralis gratiae represētat, in qua, nec nubent, nec nubentur.
Castitas, sine Charitate, Lā pas est sine Oleo: Subtrahe Oleū, Lampas non lucet: tolle Charitatē, Castitas non placet.
Quid Castitate decorius? quae mundū de immūdo conceptum Semine: de Hoste domesticum, [Page]
hominem, denique Angelum facit?
Virginitas.
Flos est Virginitas: Flos Martirium: Flos Actio bona: In horto Virginitas: in Campo Martyriam: bonum opus in Thalamo.
Maior est victoria Virginū, quàm Angelorū. Angeli enim sine Carne vivunt: Virgines verò in Carne triumphant.
Virginitas est Soror Angelorum, Regina virtutum, Possessio omnium bonorum.
Virtus.
OVi benefacit, ex Deo est: qui malefacit non videt Deum.
In hac vita Virtus non est, nisi diligere quod diligendū est: id diligere, prudentia est: nullis jnde averti molestijs Fortitudo: nullis illecibris tē perantia est, nulla Superbia, Iustitia est.
Virtus extollit hominem, & super Astra Mortales collocat.
Virtus, Regna, Vnbes, Provincias temperat, fert Leges, colit Amicitias. Non minor est si ex altiore fastigio in privatum, ex Regio in humilem subducitur, ex publico, ex spatioso rure, in angustas Domos vel Angulos coit.
Virtute ipsa non tam multi prediti esse, quam videri volunt. Hos delectat assentatio.
Imperante, florente (que) nequitia, [Page]
virtus non solum Praemijs caret, verum etiam Sceleratorum pedibus subiecta calcatur, & in loco Facinorum suppliciā luit.
Post Cineres virtus vivere sola facit: virtus nullius Fortunae Incommodis obnoxia.
AVGVSTINVS.
COnfessio est salus animarum, dissipatrix vitiorū, restaurattix Virtutum, expugnatrix Daemonum. Quid plura? Obstruitos Inferni, & Paradisi portas a perit.