of a Christian the most excellentest name or title in the world so I may in my life and conuersation bring forth the fruits of true Christianitie that thy holie name bee not blasphemed nor euill spoken of amongst the heathen which know not thee Make me able and willing oh my good God to doe thy will and to stoppe the mouthes of all them that lyinglie falselie and deceitfullie go about to take my good name from me Finallie bring me to euerlasting life in thy appointed time thorow the merits of thy son Iesus Christ to whom be praise for euer A praier for patience in sicknesse THy holie Apostle O Lorde dooth teach vs that thou doost chastice euerie childe whom thou receyuest and that him whom thou chastenest thou louest and further that if we be not vnder â—hastisement we are bastards and not children therefore most holie father in as much as thou hast at this present laide vpon me thy heauy rod of correction and chastisement as a iust punishment for my sins I most humblie beséech thée good father for Iesus Christs sake to giue me the excellent gift of pacience and contentation of mind Make me O Lord to humble my selfe vnder â—hy hand to rest contented with thy good will and pleasure and not to repine grudge or murmur against thy iudgements but in all things to submit my will to thy blessed will being assured that thou workest all things for the best to them that loue thée knowing most certenlie that thou workest my saluatioÌ„ by these meanes subduest the flesh to the spirite and renuest me in the inward man that I may serue thée in newnesse of life to the praise and glorie of thy blessed name thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. A praier for the assistance of Gods bolie Angels in any extremitie or neede whatsoeuer FOrasmuch oh most gracious Lorde God as thou hast created thy holie Angels not onelie for the execution of thy blessed will but also for the preseruation protection and defence of shine elect and chosen vpon earth and for that I thy poore seruant weake and féeble am at this present and at all times and in all places sundrie waies assaulted with infinite both spirituall and corporall enemies which daylâ— séeke my destruction I beseech thée good father looke down from heauen vpon me send thy holy angels those ministring spirits to take care charge of 〈◊〉 to watch ouer me to pitch their tents round about me and to saue and defende me from all the raging furie and cruell tyrannie of all my enimies Let me not fal into their hands O Lord lest they be too proude and say where is now his God But abaâ—e thou their pride asswage their malice confound their deuises and bring their counsels to naught and make them â—ares to take the mselues with all Finallie graunt O Lord that I being deliuered and set â—rée from all perils and dangers and from all the rage and fâ—rie of mine enemies may giue thée thanks and so wholie to rest vpon thy mercies Grant this oh Father of all mercie thorowe Iesus Christ our Lord and for his saké Amen A praier against sudden death O Lorde our God who in thy secret iudgements as a punishment for sinne hast appointed euerie man to die once keepe me I beséech thée from sodaine death and from euerlasting condemnation Make me alwaies readie and prepared good Lord that the day of my departure hence come not soddenlie vppon mee to my vtter destruction for euer Make me also mindâ—ull and willing to die knowing that so long as we are at home in the bodie we are strangers from thee Teach me to number my daies O Lord that I maie know how long I haue to liue Giue me also not only true repentance for all my sinnes but also sufficient time and space to repent in that I neuer depart hence in thy wrath and heauie displeasure Giue me a true faith and a constant hope looking for yâ— accomplishment of thy promises made vnto vs in thy beloued as also a zealous care and feruent desire to walke in the true obedience of thy blessed lawes and holy commandements that after the finall dissolution of this life I may dwell with thée for euer in the kingdome of heauen thorow Iesus Christ Amen A praier for one that is sicke and at the poynt of death O Lord our God who as thou hast appoynted all men to die once so hast thou ordained sicknes and diseases as ordinarie meanes to bring him to the same and as it were to summon him to the doome I a poore wretch and iniserable sinner visited by thy hande with extreame sicknesse and grieuous diseases most humblie beséech thée for Iesus Christs sake to looke downe from heauen vpon me with the eies of thy pitie and compassion Pardon and forgiue me all my sinnes which are the causes both of sickenesse and death it selfe Enter not into iudgement with mo O lord for no flesh is righteous in thy sight Punish me not O Lord my God according to my deserts neither in this life nor in the life to come for then I must néeds perish so manifolde are my sinnes and so hainous are my transgressions Giue mee grace that I may willinglie leaue this wicked world in ful certain hope of the blessed resurrection of my bodie to eternall life in thy good time Make strong my soule O Lord against all temptations of the wicked enemie and strengthen my faith that I neuer wauer nor fall away from thée neither for loue of life nor feare of death Grant good father that I mate humble my selfe vnder thy hand and take pacientlie whatsoeuer it shall please thée in mercie to laie vppon mee without all grudging and murmuring whatsoeuer And if it be thy blessed wil restore me to health of body againe as thou didst thy seruant Ezechias prolonging his life xv yeares more that I may praise thee al the daies of this my transitorie and miserable life but if it séemeth better vnto thee to take me out of this wretched worlde at this present thy blessed will bee done onâ—lie this oh father giue thy holie Angels 〈◊〉 to carrie and conueigh my soule into thy euerlasting kingdome of heauen there to reigne with thée for euer thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A praier for those that be rich and wealthie MOst gracious God and louing father who giuest thy blessings and thy benefites sundrie waies to maÌ„ to some more to some lesse according to the purpose of thy will and as thou séest to be best for thy glorie and their good I praise thée and I thanke thée for that it hath pleased thée in thy great liberalitie to bestow vpon mee thy vnworthie seruant so great a portion of earthlie riches temporall blessings I beséech thee to giue meâ— grace that I may vse them to thy honour and glorie and to the comfort and helpe of others that haue néed being assured that thou hast made me a steward of
receyue of thy merciful liberality Amen A thankesgiuing after meate O Lord God which of thy great bountie and fatherly kindnesse hast at this time most plentifully fedde our weake bodies giue vs grace continuallie to bee thankefull vnto thy Maiestie for these and all other thy benefites most aboundantly at all times bestowed vpon vs thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen A note to knowe the beginning and ending of the foure Tearmes of the yeare HIllarie Tearme beginneth the three twentie of Ianuarie which if it be Sunday then the next day following and endeth the twelft of Februarie Easter Tearme beginneth seuentene dayes after Easter and endeth foure dayes after Ascension day Trinitie Terme beginneth the next day after Corpus Christi day and endeth the wednesday fortnight after Michaelmasse Tearme beginneth the ninth of October if if be not Sunday and endeth the eight and twentie of Nouember The Queenes Maiesties Iudges neither sit in Westminster hall nor heare anie matters pleaded in these dayes following Namely on the Ascension Saint Iohn Baptist All Saints the Purification of Marie nor the Sabboth dayes Note also that the Eschequer openeth eight dayes before any Terme begin except Trinitie Terme in which it openeth but foure dayes before Speciall Medita tions for all times and for all per sons _ 〈◊〉 meditate with thy self and thinke what god is namely a diuine spirite or spirituall bring and therefore will bee worshipped in spirite and 〈◊〉 Consider howe that this blessed God being diuided into a Trinitie of persons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost yet all one in substance and essence hath by his almightie power created all things both spirituall and temporall visible and inuisible whatsoeuer And as he hath created them by his omnipotent power so doth hee rule and gouerne them by his prouidence according to his good will and pleasure And therefore think that nothing commeth to passe by fortune or chance but by his heauenlie determination and appointment Consider how he hath created thée after his owne siâ—itude and likenesse and therefore oughtest thou to be holic as he is holie How he hath predestinate and chosen thee before the foundations of the world were layde to euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ how he hath and doth iustifie thee that is acount thée iust and righteous by a true and liuelie fayth in the blood of his Sonne howe he doth call thée to the knowledge of his will and to the state of grace First by the secret working of his spirite secondlie by the preaching of his word thirdlie by the sight and vse of all his creatures of infinite varietie Confider howe he made thée holy pure and righteous and howe thou by thy rebellion pride infidelitie and disobedience madest thy selfe sinsull and wicked Then consider howe hee sent his owne sonne Christ Iesus to redéeme thée by the shedding of his blood Who as he is our onelie saniour and redéemer so is he our onelie mediator and aduocate and onelie to be called vppon inuocated and neither Angel nor saint martyr nor confessor patriarch nor father nor any other creature whatsoeuer Consider with thy selfe that as he hath fulfilled all things for vs reconciled vs to his father so is he now ascended into the heauens to prepare a place for vs who at the great day of accounts shall come againe in the same shape and with the same bodie that he receyued of Marie to iudge both the quicke and the dead and to rewarde euerie man according to his works Thinke that after the generall iudgement our bodies being made immortall and incorruptible shall bee vnited againe to their proper soules and for euer inherite the euerlasting kingdome of heauen where is such ioy as no heart can conceiue no tongue no not of Angels themselues expresse nor any penne is able to write These and the like meditations ended render most heartie thanks vnto god in the name of Iesus Christ for all his benefites and blessings in mercie bestowed vppon thee pray for grace to bee thankfull craue pardon for â—hy vn thankfulnesse and the morning approching exercise thy selfe as followeth Precepts and directions for the morning WHen thou arisest in the morning lift vp thy handes thy eyes thy soule and mind towards heauen giuing God heartie thanks as generally for all his graces and louing kindnesse shewed towards thée in Christ so particularly for the quiet rest and sléepe which hee hath giuen to thy bodie that night Pray for his protection and assistance in the residue of thy life which done meditate thus with thy selse Meditations in the morning SAy thus to thy selfe This day which I now enter into is my last day nay this moment my last breath I haue no fréehold of my life fee simple of my dayes no charter of my yeares no not for one minute of an houre or twinckling of an eye Death yea infinite deathes daylie waite vpon me and threaten my destruction yea my body it self earieth in finit deaths in it selfe being indéed the efficient cause of it owne miserie and calamitie Think also that as shy bodie now resesh out of thy materiall bâ—d so shal it rise out of the bed of thy graue at the great day of the Lord and appeare before the tribunall seat of God all naked as euer thou wast borne there to receiue either the incorruptible crowne of euerlasting glorie or else the iust rewarde of perpetuall confusion Thinke also that as thou risest forth of thy bed to be occupied and emploied in the labours and trauailes of this life so shouldest thou arise out of the bed of sinne to serue the liuing God in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of thy life Meditations to bee conside red of at the rising of the Sunne AS now this temporall Sunne in the heauens representing vnto vs the true Sunne of God Christ Jâ—sus is now risen and hath spread his beames vppon the whole face of the earth so shall the sonne of God indéed at the time appointed manifest himselfe to the whole worlde in vnspeakable glorie to iudge all flesh and to reward euerie worke vnder the Sunne according to the qualitie and merite of the same Thinke also what infinite glorie is treasured vp in the kingdom of heauen for the elect and chosen of God after this life For if this Sunne in the element being made but one lie for mans vse and to giue light to the world for a time bee so glorious as no mortall eie without teares can beholde the same how much more glorious shall we think the ioies of heauen to be prepared for the elect after this life Thinke also that the Sunne in the element doth not onelie giue light to the world by his radiations and glistering beames but also doth quicken reuiue fructifie and cause to growe all naturall thinges vpon the whole face of the earth so Christ Iesus the sonne of God doth not onelie inlighten man by the beames of his grace and inspiration of
his holie spirite but also doth reuiue and quicken both our bodies and our soules being dead in sin and also maketh vs fruitfull and plentifull in all good workes to the praise and glorie of his holie name Thinke also of the immensitie of this visible Sunne which beeing in appearance but a small creature yet such is the maiestie and glorie thereof that it conueyeth his beames vnto euerie corner of the earth and thereby gather thou the immensitie and vnmeasurablenes of the son of God Christ Iesus who being the verie light and life of the world sitteth as a most glorious sonne in the middest of his creatures imparting to euerie one of them certaine sparkes of his glorie which beeing taken away they all consume and come to nothing These meditations ended humble thy selfe before God and pray as followeth or otherwise as the spirit of God shall 〈◊〉 thy spirite A praier for the morning OH most glorious God and louing Father who as thou hast by thy mightie power created all things so hast thou by thy vnsearchable wisdome ordered and disposed them as may best serue for the benefit and comfort of man I render most humble and heartie thankes â—nto thée for all thy benefites and blessings both infinite and inestimable in merciâ— bestowed vpon mee and namely for the swéete sléepe quiet rest which thou hast giuen to my bodie this night And as thou hast preserued me this night from all perils and daungers so I beséech thée to kéepe my body and my soule this â—ate not onely from committing that which is euill in thy sight but also from sustaining any euil thorow the enuy of the diuel the malice of his ministers the allurements and intisements of the worlde or the corruptions of the 〈◊〉 And for that thou 〈◊〉 commaunded euerie man to labor and 〈◊〉 in his vocation and calling for the maintenance of his estate I pray thée 〈◊〉 father so to blesse all my labours and the workes of my handes which I shall take in hand in thy blessed and holiâ— name this day so as they may tend to thy honour and glorie the reliefe of my necessities and the common benefite of all men In all which my labours giue mee grace I beséech thée most mercifull Father to deale faithfullie trulie vprightly with all men and not to increase my wealtth by 〈◊〉 wicked or vnlawful means Grant that I maie spende this daie in such holie exercises as thou hast commanded in thy blessed word 〈◊〉 those things which are euill and following those thinges which be good And for that we are as it were besieged and on euerie side beset and most stronglie assailed with many and puissant enemies as the deuill his members which are infinite on the one side the world the flesh on the other I beséech thée good father to preserue mee thy seruaunt from all their rage and furie from al their force violence And to this end let thy holie Angels pitch their tents round about me conduct me by their ministery preserue me by thy mightie power so shall I prayse thée for euer in the congregation of thy Saints thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen Precepts at thy going foorth of thy Chamber WHen thou goest forth of thy chamber salute thy bedfellow if thou hast any giuing him the time of the day in méeting others do the like for ciuilitie requireth it And when thou commest into the presence of thy parents not onely salute them but also fall downe vpon thy knees before them and desire them to praie to God to blesse thée When thou hast so done wash thy face and thy hands and kéepe thy bodie cleane and neat in the doing wherof meditate thus with thy selfe Meditations in the washing of ones face and hands AS the filthinesse and pollution of my bodie is washed and made cleane by the element of water so is my bodie and soule purified and washed from the spottes and blemishes of sinne by the precious bloud of Iesus Christ. Thinke also this washing putteth me in remembrance of my baptisme of my spirituall birth and regeneration whereby I am not onelie borne anew by the operation of the holie Ghost but also am sealed vp to eternall saluation thorowe the redemption that is in Christ. These Meditations ended pray as followeth A praier to be said at the wa shing of ones face and hands MOst gratious God ind louing father who hast giuen thy onelie begotten son Jesus Christ to suffer death vpon the Crosse for my redemption graunt I most intirelie beséech 〈◊〉 for his sake that as this my bodie is nowe washed and made cleane by the element of materiall water so my bodie and soule may both be purified and purged from all vncleannesse and filthinesse of sinne thorow the efficacie of thy sonne his most precious bloud These things thus ordered go forth to thy labours in the feare of God doing all things to his glorie and the good of thy brethren Meditations before and at dinner WHen dinner time approcheth meditate thus with thy selfe as this earthly tabernacle of my bodie hath néed to be relieued and sustained with common aire and materiall foode so my sonle hath much more néede to be refreshed and fedde with the incorruptible food of the word of God and then as thou dost hunger after the one so thirst thou much more after the other This done draw néere to the table with reuerence and with heartie affection pray as followeth A praier before meate MErcifull father who in thy great wisedome and incomprehensible power hast not only created the foules of the aire the beasts of the earth and the fishes of the sea of infinite varietie for the benefite and vse of man but also by thy blessing doest dailie multiplie and increase them for the sustentation of mans bodies sanctifie I beseech thee these thy creatures by the power of thy worde giue them strength to nourish my bodie and me grace to vse them to thy glorie and my owne comfort And as in mercie thou doest feede my bodie with these earthlie creatures which are transitorie so vouchsafe to feede my soule with the spirituall foode of thy blessed word which is euerlasting and neuer shall decay thorow Jesus Christ my onelie Lord and sauiour and for hs sake Amen Directions how a Christian should behaue himselfe at the table WHen thou comest to the table shew all obeysance and curtesy be hauing thy selfe modestlie humblie and soberlie as in the presence of God Eate so much as nature requireth not how much insaciable appetite desireth Be spare as well of hande as tongue Let thy countenance be amiable and pleasant toward all men Let all thy communication bee seasoned with salt as the Apostle speaketh that it may giue grace to the hearers remembring that wee must giue accounts at the day of iudgement for euerie idle word Use not to laugh much to iest or scoffe to floute or mocke to deride backbite 〈◊〉 detract anie