of miseries are against me If my griefe were waighed it would bee heauier then the sand of the sea I am broken with one breaking vpon another Make me I pray thee to consider seriously that it is eueÌ„ thou which hast done all this that these things come not by chaunce but by thy prouidence and certaine appointment that so I may be dumme and not open my mouth to murmure or repine Open mine eyes that I may sée mine owne deseruings and what cause I haue giuen thee euen to crush me to pieces with thy heauy iudgements yea to cause the pit of thy eternall vengeance to shut her mouth vpon me What cause haue I left vnto mee to complaine when I am lesse then thy smallest mercy and my sins greater then the greatest sorrow thou hast layd vpoÌ„ me It is thy loue O Lorde from whence this proceedeth In this course thou doest offer thy self vnto me as to a sonne thou knowest my corruptioÌ„s the rebellion of my heart the crookednesse vnreformednes of my nature thou séest before some great euill that I am like to fall into if I bee left vnto mine owne course thou findest me to be forgetfull of my duety to thee cold in Prayer backward and lumpish in holy seruices well-néere lulled asléepe in the common security of the times It is thy wisedome to rouse me vp to put thy hooke of affliction into my nostrils to bring mee backe into that good way from which I am falling I knowe thou doest therfore chasten me that I may not be condemned with the world O teach me I pray thee to learne to iudge my selfe to search to try my wayes to pry into my course by-past that I may finde out those euils which beare in mée the greatest sway and may in some measure vnderstande what it is which thou aymest at in afflicting mee And enable mee withall to reforme mine errors to recouer my wandring to get a happie victorie ouer my rebellious flesh that I may be able to say hereafter It is good for mee that I was in trouble blessed be the time that the Lorde afflicted me and how sweet is the quiet fruite of righteousnesse which springeth foorth from the bitter roote of tribulation In the meane space O Lord vntill it shall please thée to put an ende to my present grieuaunces teach me not to make haste or to séeke by vile and vnwarrantable courses to wind my self out of thy hands but graunt that I may tarry thy leasure with patience not daring to prescribe vnto thee what to doe And when this storme is ouer and the sorrowe past O kéepe me from securitie make me to remember the vowes and promises of obedience which I now make vnto â—hee prepare mee to a fresh triall that my care may be to bée prouided for whatsoeuer thy pleasure shall bee to lay vpon me Heare mee in this and in all other my suites for his sake in whom thou art best pleased euen Iesus Christ the righteous Amen 13. A Prayer in respect of some losse receiued as of honour or goods c. O Eternall God the God of prouidence the orderer and the disposer of all things both in heauen and in earth Be ready I beséech thee to heare the Praier of thy distressed seruaunt Helpe my weakenes I entreat thée and quicken mee to the performance of this duety of calling vpon thy Name I am eueÌ„ ashamed of my self to sée mine owne faintnes how soone I am cast downe vpon euery occasion O rayse me vp I pray thee and make me to lift my heart towards thee according to whose good pleasure all things come to passe Is it not thou O Lord which hast laid these things vpon me art not thou he who both giuest takest at thy will art not thou the iudge which makest low which makest high shall I murmure against thee which hast such an absolute vncontroulable soueraingty ouer al shal I receiue good at thy hand and not euill O kéepe downe my repining mutinous and discontented thoughts allay the height and hautinesse of my spirit teach me how to be abased to haue want make mée to sée the vanitie of that which I was wont euen to admire and to set my heart vpon Let this abridgement be a schoole master vnto mee that I may learne by it to draw mine affections from these fading and transitorie commodities O Lord what is honour Is it not a blast or as smoke which quickely vanisheth What is wealth Is it not lighter then vanitie it selfe doth it not take her to her wings as an Eagle and flye into the heauen O knit my heart henceforth vnto thee O blessed Father fasten my affections on the things which are aboue where Christ sitteth at thy right hand make mée to lay vp treasure in heauen to seeke after that kingdome of thine which cannot be shaken frame my heart to the choyce of the better part of which I can neuer bee depriued Let mee affect the true honour which standes in the faythfull seruice of my sauior Let me labor for that enduring and durable riches which consistes in the knowledge of thee and in the féeling of thy gratious sauour Suffer me not I pray thee so to limit thy power as to thinke that thou art not now able to supply mée sith the meanes which I was wont to enioy is taken from mée but make mee faythfully to consider that thy hand is not shortened but that thou hast inough in store for those that loue thee Thou art able to giue me a great deale more after thou hast exercised mée awhile to blesse my last dayes with more abundance then the first thou canst make the little meale in the barrell not to waste and the small quantitie of oyle not to diminish thou canst cause a small thing to bée better vnto mee then great riches to the mightie and a dinner of greene hearbes to bée more sauory to me then a stalled Oxe to them O therefore I beséech thee restrayne my desires make me willinglie to submit my selfe to thy wisedom Let thy prouidence promise bee my store-house and the stocke that I rely vnto let this satisfy mée that though I lose all that I haue yet inasmuch as thou hast once loued mée in Christ I shall neuer lose thy fauour And let not the beholding of my children family disharten mee or make mee to cast perils and to say Wherewith shall I feed them How shall I clothe them O Lord they are better then many sparrowes and dearer vnto thee then the lylies of the fielde thy promise of mercy is entayled to my posterity O let my faith rest vpon this foundation Prepare me I pray thee to further trials make mée ready by degrées to lose euen my life it selfe if it may be for thy glory And thus O Lord desiring to reckoÌ„ euen this crosse though my vnreformed nature doeth gainesay it among thy chiefest fauours I
haue I these things but from thee The safety of this night the quiet rest wherwith I haue béene refreshed to whom can I ascribe it but onely vnto thee That I haue liued hitherto that I haue not béene swallowed vp with some suddaine iudgement that Sathan had not had his will vpon me that I know the way and the meanes vnto a better life that I am deliuered from the power of darknesse and translated into the kingdome of thy deare Sonne that I haue daily accesse into thy glorious presence whence are all these but from the freedome of thy grace If thou hadst giuen mée my desert I should haue perished long agoe it is from thy mercy alone that I am not consumed O Lord make mee ashamed of mine vnthankefulnesse wound my hart with the consideration of my owne dulnesse whom so many kindnesses haue not wrought vnto more obedience And vouchsafe I pray thee notwithstanding the smalnesse of my deseruing yet to looke graciously vpon this my morning sacrifice of prayse which I do here tender vnto thy Maiesty let not I beséech thée the scantnes and barrennes of my seruice make thee to turne away thine eyes and to haue no regarde vnto mine offering But as thou art wont to spare thy seruants euen as a man spareth his owne sonne that serueth him and in them to accept the will for the ful performance so be pleased to looke vpon mée in Iesus Christ and for his sake to remit my former vngratefulnesse and to strengthen me by thy grace for the time to come in some good measure to reforme the same And to the end O God that I may manifest the trueth of my desire to be thankefull I beséech thee to beget in me a holy care both this day and for euer to walke worthy of that calling wherevnto I am called to study to please thee with reuerence and with feare by a blamelesse pure and vnrebukeable conuersation to shine as a light amongst men I cannot I confesse doe this of my selfe I haue in mee the same corruption of nature which the most wicked hath I entreat thée therefore to worke in mee that which is pleasant in thy sight Giue me a cleane heart and a right spirit make mee to vnderstand aright the way of thy precepts direct me in the path of thy commandements knit my soule vnto thee and make it to cleaue vnto thy testimonies stay mee and stablish me that my foot-steps may not slide Crucifie my flesh with the affections and lustes mortifie my members which are on earth suppresse and subdue that law in my members which leades mee captiue vnto the law of sinne Graunt that I may sensibly féele the power of Christes death killing corruption in mee and the power of his resurrection raising mee vppe vnto newnesse of life Make mee to resolue to renounce euen my swéetest and best-pleasing sinnes and not to take libertie to my selfe to continue in any knowne vngodlinesse Let it bée inough that I haue hitherto giuen the raynes vnto mine owne lusts graunt that heereafter I may take no thought for the flesh to content it but may striue rather to curbe and to subdue it and to bring it vnder the yoke of due obedience And good Lorde encrease my fayth and better my féeling and apprehension of thy loue that I may with courage and chearefulnesse runne the race which is set before me Blesse mee also this day in the dutyes of my calling Idlenesse and godlinesse cannot agrée and it is thy will that in the sweate of my face I should eate my bread Preserue me from all fraudulent guilefull oppressing gréedy courses draw my affections from the loue of the world fixe my heart vpō the things which are aboue If things succéede according to my minde make mee thankefull to thée which hast giuen the blessing If any crosse come make mee patient and carefull to profit by euery chastizement And because the daily occasions of danger to my soule are infinite teach me to put on thy whole armor and to kéepe my heart with all diligence to furnish my selfe with holy meditations to make a couenant with mine eyes to kéepe my mouth with a bridle for the auoyding of all filthy communication to vse such words as may minister grace vnto the hearers to bée sober in diet wary in disports moderate in apparell choise in my company and euer to practise that cōtinuall feare which hath a promise of blessednesse Finally Lord so guide mee through the course of this whole day both in my priuate and more publique imployments that if I liue by thy sufferance vntill night I may haue much comfort in the taking notice of thy grace and goodnesse towards me and all this for Christ Iesus sake thy onely Sonne and my alone Sauiour Amen 4. An Euening Prayer for a priuate Person MOst mercifull God and gratious Father in Iesus Christ were it not that thou hast made a gratious promise in thy word that whatsoeuer is asked of thee in the name of thy Sonne shall bée bestowed I should not dare to presse into thy presence being guilty to my selfe of so many sinnes which I haue heaped vp in thy sight from the beginning of my dayes vntill this present I am by nature O Lorde the child of wrath a vassall of Sathan no better then a very firebrand of hell It is thy great mercy that I escaped the fury of thy wrath due vnto mée at the very instant of my birth in respect of that masse of corruptiō which I brought with mée from my my mothers wombe Neither haue I since I came to vnderstanding any whit amended or bettered my first estate but I haue added to it a numberlesse number of transgressions breaking euery of thy commandements by thought word and déede sinning in many things against knowledge against conscience and against that light which thou hast giuen me yea cleane against many vowes and promises of better obedience I haue no colour of excuse nothing haue I to plead in the defence of my many slips If I dispute with thée I must néedes lay my hand vpon my mouth and learne to abhorre my selfe in dust and ashes And Lord giue me I beséech thee a fleshy and melting heart that nothing may more affect mée or touch me more deepely then to sée my owne vilenesse and how disobedient and stubborne I haue béene towardes thee which hast euen heaped vpon mee so many fauours Make me ashamed of my barrennesse and vnfruitfulnesse in my profession who haue giuen thee iust cause to range mée among those hypocrites which make a shew of godlinesse but yet deny the power thereof Beget in me that godly sorow which causeth true repentāce neuer to be repented of that I may bee grieued in my very soule for my sins not so much because of the danger of hell that followeth as because I haue offended thee the loue of whose maiestie ought to bee a sufficient motiue to obedience And for the
very ready to forgiue be fauourable I entreat thee to mee a most vnworthy sinner Manasse being put in fetters and bound in chaines prayed vnto thee and humbled himselfe greatly before thee in his tribulation thou wast entreated of him The womā of Canaan whom thou tearmedst to be no better then a dog yet thou diddest afforde her some crummes of thy mercy and didst cause it to bee vnto her as she desired The thiefe at his execution confessed his sinne prayed to bee remembred in thy kingdome thou didst promise him an entrance into Paradise O Lord are not these things written for my learning that I through the comfort of these examples might haue hope Hath thy Word spoken it in vaine that at what time soeuer a sinner sigheth vnto thée thou wilt put all his wickednesse from before thée Shall I thinke that thou wilt call mee being laden with my sinnes to come vnto thee and then when I come wilt not accept mee Make me I pray thee to sée the depth of my sinnes that I may not beguile my Soule by lessening eyther the weight or number of mine iniquities Worke me to a true and vndissembled acknowledgement and confession of them euen before others that they which sée my end and know mine euill may haue some euidence of my repentance and may learne by me to beware of the deceitfulnesse of sinne Enable me to looke with the eye of my faith vpon my crucified Sauior casting my self wholly vpon him and desiring by him to bee hidden from thy wrath Giue mee some taste of thy loue and some inward and secret pledge of thy being reconciled to mee for his sake Strengthen mee against the feare of death that albeit I haue euery way iust cause to tremble at it it being both the desert of my offence to men the wages of my sinne against thee yet hauing some assurance in my Soule that the sting thereof is plucked out I may embrace it in my bosome and entertaine it as an end appointed for my miserie as a meanes to bring me vnto happines Thus O Lord with fulnesse of desire out of the bottome of this misery and shame which I am fallen into to fly vnto thy mercy and to be shrouded vnder the shadow of thy grace I commend my selfe my soule and my body into thy hands praying thée not to cast off him which hath no hope but onely in thée and that alone in and by Iesus Christ my only Lord and Sauiour Amen 26. A Prayer rising out of the serious meditation of the last Iudgement O Lord thou hast reuealed it in thy holy Word that the fashion and figure of this world must passe away that as by appointment wee must all dye so also wée must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ and that from thence some shal go into euerlasting paine and some into life eternall This the Atheists and Epicures and Libertines of the world doe thinke to bee but a méere fable they say in their hearts The Lord will doe neither good nor euill But yet O Lord as thou hast deliuerd this in thy Word of which one iote nor tittle shall not perish so thou hast not left it without a sufficient proofe in the very bosome of euery mā The accusing or excusing of our owne thoughts the secret checks accompanying those euils to which none is priuy the feares of wicked men who are continually as one that trauaileth of child flying oft times when none pursueth them and being chased at the very shaking of a leafe are an euident proofe of thy prouidence and a certaine assurāce written as with a point of a Diamond which can neuer be done out that verely there is fruite for the righteous and doubtles there is a God that iudgeth the earth This truth O Lord my God thou hast taught mee to belieue and I make no doubt but it shall shortly come to passe It was sayd long since that the Iudge did stand before the doore and that hee which should come would come would not tary and now the height of iniquitie is such and sinne is grown to that perfection that it cannot stand with thy Iustice much longer to forbeare Teach me I pray thee as I doe know belieue this so to make a true profitable vse of my knowledge Let it bee euer in my thoughts and in my best and most serious meditations whē I am about by the prouenesse of my corrupted nature to doe euill let the remembrance hereof be a bridle to me to restrayne me when I am like by the iniquitie of the times to suffer euill among men let the exspectation of the right which thou wilt then do to the oppressed be a comfort to mee to refresh me Especially O Lord grant mee to keep daily as it were a priuy sessions in the closet of mine owne heart arraigning my selfe before thy iudgement seat searching and trying my wayes accusing my selfe before thee frō whom nothing can be hid confessing my vnworthinesse bewailing my corruptions suing with al instant earnestnesse for thy grace fauour in thy Son O that I may learn thus to iudge my selfe that I may not be iudged of thee in that day Suffer me not to flatter my selfe or to blesse my Soule in any euill way or to goe about to finde hidings and couerts for my sinnes inasmuch as all things are naked in thy sight and that in that great terrible day thou wilt lighten the things which are hid in darkenesse and make manifest the counsell of all mens hearts Let mee not imagine this thy great session to be like the courses among men in which oft times by vniust meanes the vilest offenders do procure escapes but make me to know as the trueth is that with thée there is no hope by corruptiō or fauour or fraud or importunitie of sute to find euasions Thou art the Iudge of all the world and thou wilt doe right euery man shall receiue the things which haue beene done in his body according to that he hath done whether it bée good or euill And whereas O Lord it is a great griefe to thy seruants to liue among the vngodly it must néedes vexe their righteous soules to heare and sée their vnlawfull deeds let this be my comfort that though it be thy pleasure to suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath to permit the tares to growe vppe with the Wheate vntill the haruest yet then thy Angels shall come and shall gather out of thy Church all things that offend and bring the iust into the kingdome of their father Seeing also O gratious God that whosoeuer in this world wil liue godly shall suffer and ly open to the wrongs and iniuries and reproches of the wicked Grant that if at any time eyther my name be put out as euill or otherwise my estate or profession or life for thy trueths sake be called into question I may possesse my Soule with
patience looking for the blessed hope and appearing of thy glorie knowing that then the iust what disgraces so-euer are now cast vpon them shall shine as the light in thy presence Finally O Lord make make me daily to grow so wearie of this vaine wretched world and of the heauy load of mine owne corruptions and of this body of death which is vpon mee to striue to gather that assurance of an interest in that glory which shall be shewed hereafter that I may looke for this great day and in my desires may sigh for it and hasten to it and that whensoeuer it commeth I being foūd waking with my lāp of oyle in my hand may haue cause to lift vp my head not doubting but to haue a gracious admittance into my masters ioy Graunt mee this for his sake which sitteth at thy right hād to make request for mee Iesus Christ the Mediatour of thy chosen Amen 27. A Prayer fitted to the time of warre O Almightie God who art hie aboue all nations and whose glory is aboue the heauens the comfortable successe of all enterprises is from thée onely to bee looked for Thou art hee which giuest victorie vnto kings to thee it is all one to saue by many or by fewe thou canst make one to chase a thousand thou canst cause the hearts euen of the most valiant to melt their hands to bée weake their mindes to faint and their knees to fall away like water If thou fight for vs wee cannot miscary if thou fauour vs not wee must néeds bee discomfited O bée gracious vnto vs and bee on our side now that men are risen vp against vs. They take craftie counsell against thy Church and consult how to cut vs off from being a nation and by what meanes to quench the light of thy truth which shineth in our streetes Their desire is to embrue their hands in our blood and to aduance their owne ambition by our ouerthrow O turne their counsels into foolishnes let not their mischieuous imaginations prosper lest they bee too proud O our God make them like vnto a whéel as the stubble before the wind scatter the people that delight in war Go out O Lorde with our armies giue wisedom and courage to our captaines gird them with strength vnto the battel be with our Souldiers teaching their hands to war their fingers to fight Assist al the consultations prosper the policies crown those enterprises with good successe which are vndertaken for the common good comfort of the State Doubtlesse O Lord we haue deserued thine anger our sins do cry loud in thine eares for vengeance and it were but iust with thee if thou shouldest make vs a prey and spoyle vnto our enemies But O gracious God let vs fall now into thy hands for thy mercies are great let vs not fal into the hāds of men whose displeasure at vs is not for our sins but for our profession and religions sake and that they may fill their own enlarged vnsatiable desires with those blessings of wealth which thou hast giuen vs Put therefore thy hooke into their nostrils bring them backe by the same way they came Let it appear that thou art in the middes of vs that wee shall not bée mooued that thou wilt help vs and that very early Let there be none inuasion nor going out nor no crying in our stréets But set thou peace in our borders make strong the barres of our gates especially let the Gospel of thy Sonne sound yet louder amongst vs that by it many Soules may bee gathered vnto thée So we thy people the shéepe of thy pasture shall prayse thee for euer and from generation to generation we will set foorth thy glory through Iesus Christ our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen 28. Another of like nature respecting the time of Dearth and Famine CLeannesse of teeth O Lord and scarcenesse of bread haue béene aunciently threatened by thee as iudgements vpon the sonnes of men for their sinnes Many wayes also thou hast to turne a fruit-full land into barrennesse for the wickednes of the Inhabitants Thou canst make the Heauen ouer our head as brasse the earth vnder vs as yron by bringing a drought vpon the land Or else thou canst cause the séed to rotte vnder the clods by commanding the bottels of heauen to powre out raine in too great abūdance or when the Corne is come vp thou art able to smite it with blasting mildeaw or to send among vs thy great hoste the grashopper the canker the caterpiller and the palmer worme so that although much bee sowen yet little shall bee brought into the barne Or if the Corne doe grow ripe vnto the haruest it is in thy power suddainly to send in an enemy to eat the fruit of the land and to deuoure the labour of the people And though the bread do come to be set in plenty before vs yet thy hand is not shortened thou canst take away the staffe thereof so that wee shall eat not be satisfied Thus O Lord thou hast euen store-houses of punishments so that our hearts can not endure nor our hands be strong in the day that thou shalt haue to doe with vs. And heereof we haue now already some experiēce For now thou hast in part begun to punish our abuse of thy creatures our fulnes of bread our contēpt of the spiritual food of our soules with outward scarcity The time is com by gréedy worldlings long exspected in which they may make the measure small and the prices great selling euen the very refuse of the Wheat Their treading is vpon the poore their desire is to swallow vp the néedy of the land Look mercifully O Lord vpon vs wée beséech thée lift vp thine hand forget not the poor Thou preparest for the rauen his meate when his birds cry to thee wandring for lack of food thou takest no delight in the confusion of thy creatures thou hast promised that if wée séeke to thée we shall want nothing that is good thou wilt preserue vs in the time of dearth and in the dayes of famine wee shall haue inough Accomplish wée beséech thée these thy gracious promises Saue vs from this encreasing miserie and deliuer vs from their crueltie which being without all bowels of mercy doe respect nothing but their owne commoditie And because O Lord our sinnes doe separate betwixt thee and vs and doe hinder good things from vs therefore humble our soules vnder thy mighty hand make vs to see and to consider our owne deseruings drawe from vs an hearty and sincere acknowledgement how great cause wee haue giuen thee to affamish both our bodies and soules for euer Giue vs an vnderstanding of our particular grosse sinnes which doe lay vs open to this iudgement aboue others namely our wantōnesse our pride our luxuriousnes our riot our feastings without feare our want of mercy to the poore our spurning with the héele against thee
our forgetting thee in the dayes of our plenty but chiefly our loathing of that spirituall Mannah that heauenly diet of thy sacred Word prouided in thy abundant mercy for our Soules O make vs ashamed for these and other our monstrous sins besides those personall euils wherewith we are each of vs iustly to be charged Beget in vs a care to renounce and forsake our sinnes equall to our desire for the putting away of thy iudgements Forgiue vs in Iesus Christ and vouchsafe vs as a pledge of thy loue strength and grace to walke in a greater measure of obedience then heretofore And now O Lord teach vs to rely vpon thy prouiding and to know that when all things faile yet thy mercies are the same and thy power to help is not diminished Thou canst suddenly by meanes to mā vnknowen turne the greatest penury into plenty thou canst make a little to stretch farre and canst proportion our appetites to our store O make vs to depend on thee and to study more how to profite by thy hand then to haue thy rod remooued from vs. And when thou shalt shew thy selfe to haue heard our Prayers by sending greater plenty let vs not forget our present want but graunt that we may labour to bee thankefull and endeauour after a more sober vse of thy blessings then heretofore Heare vs in this and in all other our requests for Christes sake and for thine owne promise sake Amen * ⎠* 29. Another like applyed to the time of some great contagion WHither shall wee goe O Lorde in the day of our affliction but onely vnto thee Thou alone canst saue and out of thy hands none is able to giue deliuerāce Heauy at this time is thy hand vpon vs and fearefull is the disease with which thou hast afflicted vs Wee are afrayde one friend and neighbour of another and nothing is before vs but present death Scarsely can we looke foorth but we sée some one or other amongst vs caried away to the graue the mourners going about the streets Wée must needes confesse that though this he grieuous yet it is the smallest part of our desert It is iust with thee to smite vs with botches and scabs that cannot bee healed and to make the pestilence euen to cleaue vnto our loines and to swéep vs away from off the earth euen as a man swéepeth away doung till all bee gone For how haue we multiplied our iniquities before thee and to what a shamelesse and intolerable measure are our sinnes encreased Many warnings haue béene giuen by thy Ministers thou hast risen early and late and sent vnto vs by them yet wee haue made our hearts as an Adamant stone and haue put farre from vs the euill day perswading our selues that their sermons were but wind and that they did but commend vnto vs their own fancies Thus haue we encouraged our selues in euill and haue set thy iudgements at nought euery one turning to his owne course as the horse rusheth to the battell adding drunkennesse to thirst and falling away from thee more and more But O Lorde giue vs now at the last remorsefull and repentant hearts make vs as it were to smite vpon our thigh as a signe that wee see our wandrings and that we are ashamed of our sinnes Embolden vs in the name of Christ to come into thy presence and in all earnestnesse of spirit to cry vnto thee Take away our iniquities and receiue vs graciously Teach vs as well to feare sinne the cause of this wasting sickenesse as we doe the sicknesse it selfe which is the fruite of sinne Comfort vs according to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs and let the swéet feeling of the gracious testimony of thy Spirit speaking peace vnto our soules preuaile against all other sadnes or cause of griefe or sorrow whatsoeuer Say O Lord vnto thy destroying Angel It is sufficient holde thy hand Or if it be thy pleasure to stretch thine hand yet further and to take vs away also O prepare vs to thine owne purpose endue vs with a holy patience to endure the vtmost triall and graunt that whatsoeuer befall our earthly tabernacles yet our soules may bee alwayes acceptable vnto thee and al for Christ Iesus sake who hath loued vs giuen himselfe to be a sacrifice of a swéet smelling sauor vnto thee Amen 30. A Meditation or Prayer necessary for a poore man TRueth it is O Lorde that to my mutinous repining nature want is of all things most distastful and pouertie is a burden euen intolerable Sometimes I am ready to call thy iustice in question who measurest out so large ouerflowing a portion vnto some and yet art so strait and sparing towards mee Sometimes do almost condemne Religion to be méerely vanity the louers whereof lye open to so great extremitie Otherwhiles my owne heart chargeth me with hypocrisie telling me that no man euer perished being an innocent and that if I did so feare thee as I should thou couldest not thus forsake mee And much adoe haue I to master my owne affections and to restraine my selfe from putting foorth my hand to wickednesse and from taking some strāge course for my own supply Thus O Lorde I am straitened thus I am euen haunted with whole troupes of vnquiet thoughtes all which by the continuance and enlargement of my owne scarcitie and by the vncompassionatenesse which I finde among the men of this yron age are rather multiplyed and encreased in mee then any way slaked or diminished But eternally blessed bee thy great Name which hast opened the gates of thy mercy giuen hope of hearing and of help to the basest and poorest amongst men Thou acceptest not the persons no not of Princes thou regardest not the rich sooner then the poore Behold therefore O louing Father in Iesus Christ to thee doe I cry to thy Mercy-seat doe I stretch out my féeble hands I haue learned O Lorde that miserie commeth not foorth of the dust neither doeth affliction spring out of the earth the pillars of the world are thine thou openest or shuttest thy hand at thine owne pleasure Thy wisedom also is infinite and thy iudgements are vnsearcheable who shall pleade with thee to aske thee a reason of thy wayes Let it bee inough for mee that it is thy pleasure thus to debase mee Am I not in thy hand as the clay in the potters If thou doe giue me a larger portion it is thy bounty if thou doe abridge me what haue I to complain or what challenge can I make to that which thou keepest from mée Teach mee I beséech thee not to look so much vpon this what others haue as to consider well how little I for my part doe deserue to haue If I doe but breath vpon the face of the earth if I had no house but the open ayre no garments but ragges no food but the bread and the water of affliction or the crummes that fal from some rich mans