by thine holy spirit to remember always the burthen of my sinne and to feare the terror of thy iudgemēts for due punishing of the same so I make vnto thée most hūble sute not to be destitute of a liuely faith true trust and confidence in thy mercy and grace that thou wilt hūble my soule before thée prepare in me a cleane heart and a will inclineable to thy testimonyes that how so euer by thy will and iustice I féele in this worlde for good thy priuate iudgements to the purging repressing and kéeping vnder my stubburne and proude fleshe at the generall iudgement day and in the world to come that when al works good and bad shal be reduced to memory and when a straight accompt and reckening shall be made and a iust rewarde giuen celestiall or infernal both to body and soul I may yet escape the fulnesse of thy paimēt due for euer to the wicked by theyr deadly and iuste deserte Heare me O my God of all mercie and take thou care ouer me this day moste graciously directe me confirme and strengthen me in thy wayes leaste in mine owne respecte I be founde but féeble and weake slipping full of inconstancie vncleane and too too filthie for there is no will no power nor holynesse that auayleth no wisedome no temperaunce humilitie loue dilygence chastitie or mine owne keping to good effect without the frée direction of thyne holy hand daily gouernment most gratious preseruation defending holy watching All which as they procéede onely from thée and are of thy méere mercie bestowed moste bountifully vpon me so graunt me grace yea the continuaunce of thy grace not to be forgetfull of thée but always to remember thée with al humilitie and thākfulnesse euch from the very depth and bottome of mine harte and soule all the dayes of my life and haue thenceforth the rewarde of eternall felicitie thorowe thy mercie and the only merites of thy sonne and my Sauioure Iesus Amen XVIII The Flighte of the faithfull Soule to Christe in the exuemitie of temptations and invvarde affections of the minde IF I in presenting my selfe before thée O swéete Iesu my Lord and only sauioure shall séeme by thy gratious permission some thing to say vnto thée with heauinesse of harte for my sinnes which are infinite most dānable by instice in thy sight and most plainly also proue by thy woorde of truthe that thou art yet bounde to be fauorable vnto me bound to cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe bounde to bestowe thy good graces thy blessings and benesites vpon me yea and bounde also in time to giue vnto me thine heauenly and celestiall Paradise I will not do it rashly before thée my Lorde and my God vpon presumption or cōtemptuously or for that I beare not a due and woorthy reuerence vnto the glory of thy diuine maiestie neither meane I therby in any thing to diminish the excellencie of thyne heauenly power but rather to magnifie and extoll thine only omnipotencie and great goodnesse and to stirre vp my selfe euen with al humilitie to cōsider in parte the deare loue that thou bearest towardes me thy most euil and vnprofitable seruaunte O my swéete Iesu beare nowe with me therfore and first of all remember I beseeche thée thy perfecte knowledge héerin that thine eterns and most mercifull father did send thée into this worlde and vale of great miserie to the ende thou shuldest saue me comfort me in my distresse strengthen me defende and deliuer me moste wretched sinner in all anguishes troubles temptations and miseries bothe of bodie and soule and that my sinnes shuld not preuaile againste me when I humbly pray and craue thy mercie Thou O mercyfull and louyng Lorde and sauior was obedient to the will of thine heauenly father like a most lowly and mild childe and for the loue sake also whiche thou hadst to thy flocke like a most deare louing pastoure diddest offer thy selfe to die euen the most cruell and shameful death vpon the crosse And also if in case I did at any time make resistaunce rebelliously and wickedly to disobey to straggle or stray abrode when thou calledste vnto me tourning the deafe eare would not heart thée he straightely charged thée and gaue expresse Commaundemente vnto thée also that thou shouldest constraine and compell me home again to the fold and to be also his beloued ghest in his heauenly kingdome at the ioyfull day of thy mariage O Christe for this onely good purpose was thou borne vnto vs for thys cause didste thou humble thy selfe among vs and for thys moste happie ende did thy father so plentifully enrich thée and euen filled thée with the aboundance of his good giftes treasures Therefore O my mercifull Lorde Iesu remember I pray thée thy tharge sée thou be mindefull of thy good and most holy office and yeeld héerein to the obedience of thy fathers will as thou arte bound and woonte to doe Thou knowest O Lord that all good and iust lawes binde those that be riche wealthy in this world to distribute parte of their substance to the relieuement of poore and néedie personnes yea and the richer they be of the good gifts of God and in the greater miseries they finde their poore néedy neighbors the more are they bound gladly to helpe and succoure them This I say lord bicause I acknowledge thée to be moste riche and of moste excellent power abounding farre aboue all others in all ioyes and treasures incomparable where I contrarywise am in greate sorrow and heauinesse of hart oppressed with all care and miserie and with extréeme pouertie and necessitie both of body and soule Wherefore O Lord I humbly make sute vnto thée chalenge thée to be my spéedie helper for that I know thée to be moste readye moste willing most able and most bound to comfort me And thoughe I haue moste gréeuously offended the eyes of thy maiestie yet bicause thou art merciful and I appealing to thy mercy thou canst not set thy selfe agaynst me or withholde thy compassion from me but arte rather bound with all good incoragement spéedily to helpe succour me And why Lord should I say this truly for this cause the greter in the excellency of thy holy state thou dost approuedly find thy selfe aboue all other so muche the more art thou subiecte and obedient to the indispensable law of charitie and to be therfore most mercifull vnto me and to be obedient thervnto is the greatest and moste porfecte soueraintie thou shouldest not be that Chryst of God onlesse thou diddest gladly participate thy deare loue to thy brethren Yea I say moreouer thou art so much the rather bound to loue me for that thou arte myne head and I the meaner parte and mēver of thy body Neither maiest thou say thou canst not helpe me for although with the flowing foūtaynes of thy grace thou hast boūtifully enriched all the Sainctes
thée and take me to thy mercy sometune one of thy great enimies very wicked very faithlesse obstinate headie and rebellious but nowe thy louing brother thy faythfull frende thyne obediente louer and a sounde member of thy body O saue me then I say comforte my soule guyde mée in thy wayes strengthen mée and let not thy spirite departe from mee that I may hencefoorthe ioyfully please thée and render alwayes vnto thy father through thée all due prayse honour and glory here in thys vale of myserie and in the euerlasting world which is to come Amen FINIS Whervnto the eternal spirite stirreth the hearts of gods electe A preparation to Prayer Certaine special cautes folowing that are to be coÌ„sidied by gods childreÌ„ wherof they examin the selues before prayer and receyning of the holy sacramintes to auoid his heauy iudgemeÌ„ts The diffrence to be considered betweene the true christians fayth the faith of the diuell and the reprobate The true christiaÌ„ at earnest defiance with the diuel and she weth vnto him for his discoâ—â—gemeÌ„t the power of his fayth The mercy grace of God â—n the hearts of his elect to cosider in this life their dangerous and miserable state for sinne CoÌ„cupiscence and the malice therof The diuell the onely author of concupiscence and sin The soules de formitie thorowe sinne True faith in the abouÌ„ding mercies of God. The miserable state of the sicke Soule without true faith in the fre mercy of god The feeling of the grace of god The humble submission confession of the faythfull Soule A calling vnto God for comfort and strength The fighte of the faythfull Soule What danger they fall into that forsake god and leane to the worlde and the pleasures thereof The seruice of God what it is The worlde a deepe dongeon wherin the children of vanitie are enclosed Armoure of rightuousenesse Christian chiualrie The sight of a christian 〈…〉 in the seruice of god must be continuall and couragious Palone of victorie Crowne of glorie Hid Manna And a White stone The scriptures of God only receyued of the faithfull Superstitions false worship pings c. Our professioÌ„ in holy Baptisme Enemies of Gods word Hartie prayer to God maketh vs constante in the word of God. The worde of God what it is and how of the godly to be considted God the only instructour of all in all ages An apt Prayer for these oure dayes Faithe only breathed into the hartes of Gods elect True faithe in Christe Faithe iustifieth The power of Faith. The miserable state of man in thys life Man posses seth in himself two powers and of sundly inclinations The serpent cause of discorde Prince of sedition The meane to knowe the good motions from the bad The inconuenience of care lesnesse or not to receiue in time the good motions of God. The power of the spirite of light and truthe The way and mene to plese God in this life Holy discipline Exercises of the crosse The inconuenieuce that commeth by sufferance and cuill custome He is happie that humbleth him selfe to discipline MaÌ„ in present danger God at hand to deliuer Pynches to the proude flesh are somtime necessarie Man for a time is but an exile from his home and a pilgrime The Iustice of God and sinne are not clerely seuered in this life amoÌ„g the children of God. Man but a worme duste and ashes Man moste vayne and naught Mans humble subiection before God attayneth the grace mercy and peace of God. Man a thing of nothing It is better for a man to obey than to leane to his owne sway The inconuenience that commeth by disobedieÌ„ce The iudgements of God ouer seditious rebelles Princes and Magistrates are the most apte InstrumeÌ„ts stirred of God to further his glory here vppon earth What it is to imitate christ How we shold for the greate loue of God lone hym agayne Humilitie God threatneth the world for sinne The Canker couetousnesse how it reigneth Conetousnes how it worketh Couetousnes the woorshipping of Idols Couetousnesse he we it hathe preuayled Children of diffidence Abac. 2. Constancie in chastitie Sole life Matrimonie a fountayne in Gods church The corruptioÌ„ of fleshe and bloud The power of flesh and blud and what they worke The pumishe ments of God for vnclennes of lyse To bee a blasphemer of Gods name is rather the propertie of an ethnik than a Christian The errour of our liues The power of Gods word The mercy of God in Christ The inconue niece that foloweth the want of Gods worde The punishe ments and plages of God for taking his name in vaine The necessitie of Gods mercie Sute for mercie The sanctifying of Gods holy name The kingdom of heauen A quiet conscience The nature of a mans conscience Wicked consciences The con modity of a quiet conscience Mans life fickle and but a vayne shadow The damnable state of mankinde in thys frayle life In what case we shal stande at the houre of death The blacke enfine of deth displayed Discipline worketh the fourme of good liuing The sweete frutes of good lyfe agaynst the comming of death Paciente abyding of death bringeth the soule to rest The maiestie and great power of God ouer al flesh God a God of vengeance Gods iudgements are to be remebred and why Gods iudgements are terable and thuÌ„ dring The heauens the Angelles theÌ„ selues and the stars falne from heauen are all subject to the iudgements of god God at the last day by his iust iudgemeÌ„t rendereth full payment vnto all wicked sinners God freely by his grace dyrecteth to good life Christ is chalenged and why Christes obedience to hys father for hys flocke The cause of christs death The bonde of the wealthy in this world Christ aboundeth in heaueÌ„ly riches chatitie power and loyes in comparable The distressed loule Christ humbly chalenged Chryst bound to helpe and why Chryste the head and cow foâ—â—er of hys members Store remayneth of Gods grace The assured fayth of the thirsten soule Fayth in Christes bloud Scabde shepe Chryst the phisitian Christ humbly chalenged Strong faythe in Chryste Rom. 15. Chrysts incarnation natiuitie so forth are al chalenged of the faithfull soule as his owne Rom. 8. Math. 20. Chryst a seruaunt Chryst a conquerour Paradise purchased by Christe Experience of Christes good nature and his mercie Math. xj xxij Iohn 6 Ioho 12. Math. 5. Roma 1. Christes payment and howe Ezech 16. Ezech. 16. Math 18. Sinne of Gods electe Iohn 15. Chryste the onely sauiour the onely adâ—ocate Sinne of the reprobate The bloud of Abel cried for vengeance Chrystes bloud calleth to saluation ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for William Norton ANNO. 1572.
great glory as thou sholdest confesse is ascended on high and sitteth with almightinesse power and maiestie on the right hand of his heauenly father with open and fresh bleeding wounds the many fest marks impressions before him for euer of the purchased most preciouse redeemed inheritance euen for thee most notoriouse and deadly sinner by the secrete testimonie of thine owne conscience These things such like of thee thus christenly considered thou mayest bee bold with thy most merciful and louing god But yet agayne I say vnto thee hold thee sure vnto thy sauiour christ swarue not frō him nor frō the vertue of his onely merites wherby thou must be onely saued Cleaue then close to the rocke of assurance leane to no loose nor sandie safetie Trust not to the rottennesse of our humane deuises labour not to languish in a maze of vncertaintie Bemoyle not thy selfe in suche myre of mortalitie and shun soone such shoures as wil wrecke thy soules fidelitie Then cry as J sayd and ceasse not to craue pardon of God thy father in his sonne name ' Doubte not of thy sute what so euer it be for it shal by good motiō be so vpright so reasonable so acceptable before him and allowable and shal touch therwith so neere the tendernesse of his mercy his truthe and fidelitie that of necessitie graunt muste bee made vnto thee he wil not denie thee the requests of thy lippes yea he will so graciously tender thee that foreseing thy cause of inwarde complaynte he wyll prepare quickely thine heart most faithfully to call vpon him Beleeue therfore faithfully trust of assurance and thou shalte surely obteine thy desire with greate mercy and fanour at his holy hande Thy sinnes shal not be imputed vnto thee thou shalte bee blessed and righteouse in the sighte of God all the dayes of thy life so happily shall thine hart be prepared so mightily shal thy prayers preuayle for thee they will forcibly pearce the celestiall and high heauens approche neare to the onely throne of grace and maiestie cry incessantly for thee will not returne from the presence of God nor once be satisfied before the full graunt of their humble sute for thy sauing health and cōmoditie To conclude in all thy godly attemptes whether in praying fasting geuing of Almes frequenting the holy Sacramentes or rendering moste hartie thankes vnto God for his infinite Mercies Graces Blessinges and Benefites bestowed vppon thee and vppon his whole Churche from the beginning vntill this present day and what soeuer in holinesse thou commendest daily vnto him let it always be done vprightly orderly with christian comelynesse and modestie with peace of conscience faithfully constantly cherefully and in charity as the only worde of God moste straitely byndeth thee Which I pray to God may clerely shine into thee by the power of his holy spirite who quicken thee this day to morow and for euer and kindle in thee towardes him the firie flames of his true loue throughe his sonne Chryst Iesus who speedely graunt thee the same signement of his holy hand and satisfie thee with inward ioy in all thy moste lowefull and diuine desires Amen FINIS A deuout meditation of the godly Christian with a briefe Confession and Prayer WHen I O heauenly father thorowe the glorie of thine only eternal gracs am euē in the middest of many muses lamentable mournings déepe sighings and inwarde monings to my self most happily stirred to the due consideration of my self and in what perillous state I euer stande here in this wretched worlde how in the breuity therof I am compassed with many miseries with greuous plagues and punishmentes with dreadful calamities perilles and dangers with diuers maladies sicknesses aand infirmities bothe of body and mind how by the mighty power also pollicie of mine ancient and most deadly enimy the olde subtile serpent this deceitful vaine world as also mine own weaknes corruption apte inclination most vile subiection to sinne I am daily assaulted and tempted to sinne and in cōmitting sinne become the seruant of sin must acordingly looke for death the iuste reward of sinne bicause diuersly therwith and damnably through disobedience the breach of thy law in thought word and déede I haue and do most gréeuously offend the will of thy Maiestie and am become thereby a very Sathanist the childe of the diuel to hasten thy furies vpon mée that he shuld vse his tirānie against me for so witnesseth by accusation my wounded conscience whereby my soule is daylie dysquieted sore clogged gretly destled maruelously amased made monstruouse before thée and hated of thée wherevnto my freedom and innocencie being lost of my owne concupiscence am accustomably blinded drawne and entised and by the malice thereof both vnderstanding heart and wil are holden captiue and in deadelie slauery to the diuel the only author and beginner of all euell concupiscence and sinne By which occastō in stead of healthsome and profitable thinges I ofte desire very noysome most pernitious and hurtfull things And my soule also which in the excellencie therof through reason and the vprightnesse of the inward man should beare the beauty of thy heauenly and most glorious ymage in perfect puritie and innocencie through the corruption therof is sowly deformed and sore blemished and made accordingly his euill fauoured most filthy image and so woorthily by thy iustice shaken off and caste from the presence of thy deitie So that héereby O Lord thou hast yet by the continuance of thy grace moued me to consider that if thy mercies did not abounde vppon me or that thy gratious fauoure should nowe or at any time in this most deadly plight vtterly forsake me and not rather cōfortably with spéedy and most swift sway turne againe towardes me and bring therwith from thine heauenly presence the distilling moystures and large flowing streames of thy celestiall dewe plentifully drawne from the swéete fountains of my sauioure to refresh comfort make whole againe clense beautifie my very leprous moste sinneful and sicke soule and of thy méere mercie to reduce hir to hir pristinate former state my case should be most miserable my bands shuld be indissoluble I shoulde become a cursed reiect remain a fire brand of hell for euer But as thy loue O Lord is vnspeakeable and thy fatherly mercie toward me infinite which willest not the deathe of a sinner but rather he should fourne from his wickednesse and liue and offrest him time and space to repēt and amende so haste thou now in mercie remembred me looked back againe vpon me cheared and comforted me encreased true faithe in me thy spirit hath renued me stirred me to call moste humbly vnto thée set me frée from the ennemie pitied my soules deformitie prepared the most healthful remedie for the bloud of thy sonne Iesus hathe clensed me whereby thou haste so quickened me that my soule reioyseth within me with most earnest
rest of the .v. Cities and their whole countrey with firie flames sulpher and Brimstone from heauen were destroyed with suche other like the terror of thy vengeance by sharpe plages punishments vpon others cléerly mentioned in thy holy scriptures plainly approued in other histories and daily both knowne and felt amongst vs O most gratious louing father create therfore in vs we beséeche thée hunble contrite clean harts renue within our bowels right spirites and turne all voluptuousnesse away from vs that neither in thought word nor déede we willingly offend the sight of thy maiestie And graunt that whether we liue vnmattried or in the holy state of Matrimonie we may leade our liues in puritie true holinesse and chastitie And when at any time we féele in our selues to be assalted with temtation or stirred by euil luste to cōmit obhomination we may then haue strengthe of thy grace to sette before oure eyes thy iustice the rewarde of sinne the terror of deathe the day and end of this life the gnawing worme of our conscience thy terrible doome the chalenge of the Deuill the euerlasting tormentes and the horrible paines of hell And that we liuing in oure christian calling and holy profession in all puritie hothe of bodie and soule all the dayes of our liues we may receiue in the ende the rewarde of euerlasting felicitie sée thée face to face in thine eternall and most glorious kingdome thorow thy sonne Iesus Christe Amen XIIII A Prayer against svvearing and blasphemie WHen we O holy eternall God haue in remembraunce as we be charged thy precise wil and cōmaundementes giuen generally vnto vs all and binding vs all from euil namely amōg the rest not to take the name of thée our god in vain nor in any wise to abuse it as doth the wicked Ethuieke that knoweth not thy name irreligiously vainly and falsoly but at all times to consider well of it highly to extoll it and haue it in dureuerence as behooneth the faithful louers and professors of the same least we be 〈◊〉 of thee accurssed and guiltie and sustaine as thou hast threatned thy moste iuste and sharpe reuenge we are héere greatly occasioned to consider our present and moste daungerous state howe vnperfecte wretched and dampnable it is in thy sighte throughe oure deadly fal from thy will in this holy precept and are nowe driuen cyther to séeke remedie at thine onely mercifull hande or to perishe in hel eternally we beséethe thée moste humbly O thou God of all grace that as thou beholdest in vs the erroure of oure liues and oure corrupted inclination to all sinne and vanitie contrary to the prescripte rule of thy holy lawe and to séeke thereby as muche as ut vs lyeth the disglory of thy name to worke our owne shame and vtter confusiou so to graunt nowe vnto vs that oure soules in their vnclenlinesse horriblenesse blasphemous state may be truly purged of al infectiōs deadly darknesse wilfull malice ignorāce and the sights of them refreshed quickened made liuely and perfecte by the bright light and true faith in thy holy woorde that they may cléerely and comfortably see know and beholde the true glory of thy maiestie thereby also inwardly féele the swéete promisses of thine heauēly grace the frée pardone also of all our sinnes and the receiuing of vs into thy grace fauor not for any thing at all in our selues but for thy sonne Christe Iesus sake throughe which only mercy and great goodnesse graunted vnto vs in him thou arte and of righte euer oughtest to be only estomed of vs only praised magnified and highly reuerenced as thy name in heauen in earth moste condignely of all requireth which is from vs euen so muche in euery respect as we in déede truely know thée in thy sonne Christe by whome only and throughe grace in him we are stirred most woorthily to extol thy most glorious and holy name but not so lightly by custome to prophane it and vnreuerently abuse it whether by cruell blasphemie contempte of thine heauenly woorde true religion doctrine or otherwise in our sinneful conuersation or euill maner of liuing Take vs therefore we pray thée to thy mercie O Lord and that soone for great is our sinne and iniquitie in this accustomed sinne of blasphemie O set thy feare spéedely before our eyes and shut not vp from vs the knowledge of thy truthe our director to rightuousnesse but kindle inwardly into oure soules the lighte thereof leaste in the deadly darkenesse pride and great peruersitie of our wicked harts we do daily degenerate turne from our profession fall willingly from thée become ingratefull vaine proude and high minded contumelious spitefull shamelesse open enimies and very blasphemous againste thée as the only possessors of the deuill and falling like reprobates from iniquitie to iniquitie Who for theyr horrible abuses sake and prophanation of thy name how they shall be woorthily plaged thine hande of iustice not being shortned is plainely euident in thy most sacred and heauenly woord of truthe For thou thy selfe haste saide that what so euer he be that is a blasphemer vseth thy name vainly and vnprofitably shall not escape thy scurges and punishments And in an other place it is also wrytten that who so euer vseth muche to sweare shall be filled with curssings and iniquity and the plage which is the iuste bengeance of thy wrath shall neuer depart frō his house but shal in time consume it and all the inhabitantes thereof Again we read out of thy Prophet Zacharie that thou shewedst vnto him flying in the air a maruellous large and a great booke euen .xx. cubites in length .x. in bredth wherin was contained the horrible plages that are prepared for all thē which contemptuously malitiously vainly falsly or rashely sweare by thy blessed and holy name O Lorde of infinite mercies and long suffering God that art to be blessed for euer whose mercyes reacheth vnto the heauens if thou in these our dayes of great abhomination curssed blaspheming taking thy holy name in vaine so carelessy vsually and by custome for euery smal trifle bisides other deadly and dampnable sinnes daily committed amōgst vs shouldest in the iudgement of thine owne cause flersly rise vp againste vs or as thy Prophet Dauid sayth extréemely marke what is done amisse O Lord how shuld we abide it How should we moste sinnefull wretches in these dayes abide the terror of thy vengeance that by thy iustice hangeth ouer vs or should in a moment consume vs all like stubble But thou rewardest vs not according to our sinnes thy mercie endureth for euer and therefore to auoide the terror of thy iustice due vnto vs most disobediēt sinners we appeale to the déep fountains of thy mercy humbling our selues before thy mercies seat with penitent harts for the remission of our sins that thou wilt not impute thē now vnto vs
Of whiche truth the Apostle thus wryteth vnto thee that without al contradiction she must nedes be vnto thee either the sanoure of life vnto life or the sauoure of death vnto death Such iudgemēt will truth haue ouer thee and stand in full effect there will be no meane but to be either with thee or else flatly againste thee as it shall truely finde thee at thy fal frō this life there wil be no daliāce it will for euer saue thee or eternally damne thee how so euer thereof thou makest thine account or leanst of will to the contrary with thy very blinde wicked and peruerse hart Feare therfore harken to the truth in time haue sure confidence in truthe thine helper is at hand be and the truth are one he is grateful he is faithful dout thou not double not nor wilfully withstand not the offred graces of thy mylde master thy iust Lord and moste louing God and be not before him and in the presence of his holy Angels vnprepared or a dallier a man indifferent a slacke Simme a drousie one a lyngrer a double deaier a wanton or a carelesse one among the reiectes and wretches of this worlde that in their coldenesse darkenesse hopelesse houeryng vayne deuising wilfulnesse tolitie forgeifulnesse contempte of God and Godlynesse tempteth so hygh so magnificent terrible great God of maiestie most deadlily to danger them elues who diuersly in a moment and in the twinkling of an eye is able by his iustice to destroy thee to cracke sodainely in sunder the thred of thy life to twine strōgly the cordes of thy perdurable eternal death Therfore as he ought in his mightinesse of euery wighte to be feared so he shold not of any one either presumptuously or vainely be tempted But for thy part obey him in his will and suffer him with all pacience to try thee through aduersitie cōmitting thy selfe wholely vnto his only wil mercy for surely he will beholding in thee the power of saithe not suffer thee to be tempted aboue thy strengthe or yeelde thee so farre to fall but with his owne right hand will raise thee quickly vp againe And I exhorte thee also to take heede that thou possesse not in his sight at any time an vnstayed ofte wauering and winde shaken hart through Sathans blustrings stormie and tempestuous blastes stirred vppe daily and hourely againste thee and that by Goddes permission for good least by thine impaciencie diffidente trembling and sore shakes of thine vnchristen inconstancie thou be sodainly turned to thy shiftes put to thy faultie flight and so be dispossessed of thy verie healthful safe and most sure holde or else spoiled with reproche of thy christen armor or be occasioned by desperate pursute to starte from the face of the ennimie to stacker fearfully at his offered blowes and in hazarde to take hurt by some dangerous and sodain fal◠greatly to dishonor thee before Christe thy captaine and with him infinite armies of heauēly soldiors whose tents to encourage thee are pitched round about thee I say therefore vnto thee O Christian stand thou cherefully to thy charge in all things and defende manfully thine owne dismaie thee not J say for the Lorde God him selfe will be thy defender and keeper and wil stand by thee to strengthen thee and to deliuer thee from all daungers And if legions of diuels should copasse thee trench thee in round about plant their power and bēd forcibly their shot agaynst thee well may they threatningly thunder far frō thee rore rattle and rumble in the aire ouer thee tumble terribly about thee parche something thy tender skin and wonderfully in such sort amase thee yet shall they not preuayle agaynst thee hurte any member of thee or once remoue thy fast fixed soote but shalt stād sure fer euer euen as the highe mightie steadie and strong mounte Sion for Gods arme stayeth thee who by his power hathe ouercome the diuell euen the great diuell Sathanas him selfe he holdeth him at will by his infernall chaynes his whole cursed armie also hell gates and al the powers of hell O praise therfore thine almightie God exalt his glorious name for euermore watche and pray continually pray with vnderstāding pray at al times and in al places as his holy spirite shall moue thee for the vpholding of thee and for the auoyding of the engins sleights and tēptations of the enimies that God himselfe may be pleased thy soule strēgthned the diuels chased vāquished or put to flight And when thou prayest deceiue not vaynly thy selfe be not blinded with the proud Pharisie in thine owne conceite boasting of thy righteousnesse in the presence of God neither glorying in any thing for he throughly beholdeth thee and seeth that truely in thee euen thy secrete and hidde sinnes a masse of all abhomination as thou oughtest chiefly therein to be thine owne iudge But humble thy self before him with the penitent and poore wretched Publicane confessing thy sinnes and wickednesse and feare not then to attayne grace through suche true faith hūblenesse Moreouer forget not that as God is a moste highe heauenly and diuine substance and a spirite of al goodnesse and truth so wil he also of thee be spiritually worshipped praysed and prayed vnto euē in the truth by the word of truth and frō the depth and bocome of thine hart This also I put thee in remēbrāce of a thing greatly requisite that in the tyme of thy prayers which thou daily consecratest to god be they more or lesse long or short thou be not withdrawen with the snarling suggestions secret twitches inward motions or wylie sleightes of the enimie Sathan thorough the abuse of thy senses and outwarde bodily members as thine eyes thine eares and suche like that whilest thy tongue onely oft babbleth and vaynely wastest muche breath thine hearte whiche God chiefely respecteth and dothe very gladly desire bee fardest off and bee moste vaynely turned another way gretly to displease him to vexe sore thine owne conscience and to make vtterly frustrate al thine attempts or importune sutes of greate necessitie This I say also vnto thee If thou desire to be the child of God and voyde of al doubts so in dede to be fauour frō thy hart Christ thy forerunner and sauiour by whose onely grace thou arte adopted the childe of god Make not towards him thy fidelitie crased mingled or patched let it goe soundly and al whole togither both frō thy body thy soule Let him alwayes enioy frō thee the whole perfect mā the man regenerate new borne and made by his spirit the child of light ful of agilitie and liuelinesse whose soule mounting with felicitie still vp to the heauens is there resident with Chryst the sauiour and alwayes conuersant in heauenly things And let him also bee euermore vnto thee thine onely whole ful perfect and sufficient redemer ear nest petitioner and ready pacifier of the diuine fury against thee for al causes who with