few that doo enioy them For straight is the gate and narow is the way whiche leadeth vnto life and few there be that find it Notwithstanding O heauenly father thou hast a litle flocke to whom it is thy pleasure to geue y e glorious kingdom of heauē Ther is a certaine number of sheep that heare thy voice whom no man is able to pluck out of thy hand whiche shal neuer perish to whō also thou shalt geue eternall life Make me therfore O lorde of that number whom thou frō euerlasting hast predestinate to bee saued whose names also are written in the book of life Pluck me out of the cōpany of y e stinkking gotes whiche shal stād on thy left hand be damned place me among those thy sheep whiche shal stand on thy right hand and be saued Graunt me this o mer cifull Father for thy deere sonnes sake Iesu Christ our Lorde So shal I enioying this singular benefite at thy hand being placed in thy glorious kingdom sing per petuall praises to thy godly maiestie whiche liuest and reignest with thy deerely beloued sonne and the holy ghost one true and euerlasting God c. ¶ A thanks geuing vnto God for all his benefites THy benefites toward me O moste louing Father are so great infinite whether I haue respect vntomy body or vnto my soule that I finde not in my self how to recompence any part of thine vnspeakable goodnes toward me But y u whiche needest none of my goods knowing our beggery yea ournothing requirest of vs for a recompēce of thy kindnes only y e sacrifice of praise and thanks geuing o lorde and mercifull father what wurthi thanks am I pore wretched sīner able to geue the Notw tstāding trusting on thy merci fauorable kīd nes I offer vnto thee in the name of Christe the sacrifice of praise euer thanking the moste hartely for all thy benefites whiche thou hast be stowed vpon me thine vnprofitable seruaūt from the beginning of my life vnto this presēt houre moste hūbly beseeching the to continew thy louing kindnes to ward me and to geue me grace to walke wurthy of this thy fatherly goodnes that whē thou shalt call me out of this carefull life I may enioy y t thy moste singulare last benefite whiche is euerlasting glori through Iesus Christe our Lord to whom with thee and the ho li ghost be al honour praise for euer and euer Amen ¶ A praier to be said at the houre of death O Lorde Iesu whiche art the only helth of all mē liuing the euerlasting life of thē which die in thy faith I wretched sinner geue and submit my self wholy vnto thy most blessed wil. And I being sure that the thing cā not perish whiche is cōmitted vnto thy merci O lord geue me grace that willingly I may leaue this fraill wicked fleshe in hope of the resurrection whiche in better wise shal restore it to me agaī I beseeche thee moste merciful lorde Iesus christ that thou wilt by thy grace make strōg my soule agaīst all temptacions And that thou wilt couer and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy against all y e assaults of the deuill I see knowledge y e there is in my self no help of saluation But al my confidence hope trust is in thy moste mercifull goodnes I haue no merits nor good wurks whiche I may alledge before thee Of my sinns euill wurks alas I see a great hepe but thorow thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whom thou wilt not impute their sinnes but take accept me for rightuos and iust to be y e enheritour of euerlasting life Thou mercifull Lorde wast borne for my sake y u didst suffer bothe hunger thirst for my sake thou didst preache teache thou didst pray and fast for my sake thou didst al good wurks deeds for my sake Thou sufferedst moost greuous paines and torments for my sake And finally thou gauest thy moste precious body to die thy bloud to be shed on the cros for my sake Now moste mercifull sauiour let all these things profit me whiche thou freely hast geuen me that hast geuē thy self for me Let thy bloud clense and washe away the spots and foulnes of my sinnes Let thy righte ousnes hide couer my vnrighteousnes Let the merites of thy passion bloud be satisfaction for my sinnes Geue me Lorde thy grace that my faith and saluation in thy bloud wauer not in me but euer be firm constant that the hope of thy mercy and life euerlasting neuer decay in me that charitie wax not colde in me finally that the weaknes of my fleshe bee not ouercome with fear of death Graunt me mercifull sauiour that whē death hath shut vp the eies of my body yet that the eyes of my soule may stil beholde and look vpon thee that when death hath takē away the vse of my tung spech yet that my hart may cry say vnto thee In manus tuas domine commendo spiritum meū that is to say O Lorde into thy hāds I geue and commit my soule Domine Iesu accipe spiritum meum Lorde Iesu receiue my soule vnto thee Amen ¶ Certain Godly Meditations made in the forme of prayers by S. Augustine whiche if thou wilt rede them quietly with a feruent spirit they will stir thee muche to deuocion ¶ A prayer wherin through cōmemoration of Christes passion we desire pardon of oure sinnes and continuaunce in vertue and godlines BEholde O pitiful father thy most pitifull sōne which suffred for me being so wicked Be hold o most merciful king who suffreth and remember as thou art louing and kinde for whom he suffred Is not this O my Lorde that innocent whom allthough he were thy sonne thou didst deliuer to redeme raunsō a seruant Is not this the author and beginner of life whiche being led as a sheep to bee killed beeing made obediēt to thee euen vnto death was not afraid to take vpō him the moste cruell and sharp kinde of death Cal to remembraunce O thou distributor of all helth that this is he whom althoughe thou diddest beget him by thy power yet not withstanding thou wouldest haue to bee made partaker of mine infirmitie and weaknes Truly this same is thy Godhed whiche did take vpō him my nature whiche was hanged vppō the gibbet of tourment or cros whiche in the fleshe whiche he had taken vpon him did suffer sorowful punishment Turn the eyes of thy maiestie O Lord my God toward the wurk of thine vnspekeable pitie Look vpō thy deere sonne whose whole body is stretched forth Mark y e harmles and pure hands whiche doo drop and distill down innocent bloud And I beseeche thee bee pacified and pardon the wicked dedes whiche my hands haue cōmitted Consider his bare naked side being thrust thorow cruelly with a spear and renue and wash me with
through faith vnto his grace wherin we stāde and reioyce in hope of the glory of God we thanke thee for all thy benefytes moste humbly beseeche thee to geue vs grace faithfully to beleue in thee stedfastly to confesse thee true God and true mā earnestlye to acknowledge thee our alone redemer sauiour Satisfier Recōciler Intercessor Mediator and Aduocate that we altogether depending on thee and thy merites on thy blessed passion precious death and glorious resurrection maye study through thy grace so to order our lyfe in true holines and innocency that at the day of iudgement thou mayst present vs both body and soule vnto thy heauenly father and so for euer and euer placevs in thi glorious kingdome Amen ¶ Unto God the holy ghost O Holy and blessed spirit which being true and euerlasting God with God the father and God y e sonne procedest from them bothe full of maiestie and power which also with thy heauēly breath quycknest y e mides of thē that afore were dead through sinne makest mery the hartes of y e faithful penitent bringest into y e waye of truth al suche as haue erred and are deceyued settest at one such as wer at debate cō fortest the soules of them y thūger and thirst after righteousnes and plenteouslye enrichest them w t diuers giftes whyche pray vnto thee in the name of Iesu Christ Purifye our hartes we beseeche thee with the fyre of thy loue mortify in vs what soeuer is not thine renue garnishe our mindes with thy heauenly benefites and spirituall giftes that they may be made thy temples leade vs into all necessary trueth suffer vs not to be caried about with diuers straunge doctryne but alway to remaine in that doctryne wherof thou alone art y e author enarme our soules against the crafty assaultes of suttil Satan against the vain pleasures of the wicked world and against the leude lustes of filthy fleshe that we beeing replenished with thy holy breath may doo y toneli whiche is acceptable in thy godly sight Amen ¶ Particular prayers to be sayed of the Magistrates FOrasmuch as it is thi godli pleasure O king of kinges and Lorde of Lordes to appoint me among other a ruler of thy people geue me grace I beseeche thee so to minister the commō weale and so to execute my office y t I may please thee and hurt no man in all my doinges but iudge equally and iustli rule according to thy wyll shewe my self a father vnto thy people and so behaue my self in all myne enterprises y t I seking thy glory y e furtheraunce of thy blessed gospel the weale of y tsubiectes may when thou shalt render to euery man according to hys deeds be found blameles in thy sight through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Of the ministers of Gods word Thou hygh Priest and O euerlasting bishop Iesus Christ the alone teacher of all godly trueth and the onely Curate of oure soules whyche by thy holye worde hast appointed some of thy congregacion to be Ministers and Preachers of thy blessed lawe and Gloryous gospell y t by this meanes the holy ghost also working they may call synners vnto repentaunce preache remission of synnes in thy name perswade vnto vertue and disswade frō vice forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to cal me an vnprofitable seruaūt vnto that holy office of ministracion and to make me a preacher of thy worde I moste humbly beseeche thee to geue me thy holy spirite whiche may lead me in to all trueth instruct me with the knowledge of thy holimisteries and through his heauenly inspiracion so prepare my harte and order my tūg that I may neyther thinke breath nor speak any thyng but that may turne vnto thy glory and the edifying of thy flock Graunt also that what soeuer I preache in word I may fulfil the same in work vnto the example of that thy flock which thou haste purchased w t thi precious bloud y t when thou the cheef shepeheard shalt appeare I beyng found faithfull in my office mai through thi goodnes re ceiue y e incorruptible crown of glory Amen ¶ Of Subiectes or Commens AS it is thy godly appoītment O Lorde God y tsum should bear rule in this worlde to see thy glorye set forth and the commō peace kepte so it is thy pleasure againe that some should be subiectes and inferiours to other in theyr vocation although before thee there is no respecte of persons And forasmuch as it is thy good wil to appoint me in the nūber of subiectes I beseeche thee to geue me a faithfull an obediēt hart vnto the hye powers y t there may be foūd in me no disobedience no vn faithfulnes no reasō no falshod no dissimulacion no iusurrectiō no cōmociō no cōspiracy nor ani kind of rebelliō in word or in dede agaīst the ciuil magistrates but all faithfulnes obediēce quietnes subiectiō humility and whatsoeuer els becommeth a subiecte that I liuīg here in all lowlinesse of mynde may at the last day through thy fauoure be lifted vp vnto euerlasting glory where thou with the father and y e holy ghost liueste raignest very God for euer Amen ¶ Of Fathers and Mothers THe frute of the wombe the multitude of childrē is thy gifte and blessing O Lorde geuen to this ende y t they may liue to thy glory the cōmodity of their neighbour For asmuche therfore as thou of thy goodnes hast geuen me children I beseeche thee geue me also grace to traine them vp euen from theyr Cradels in thy nourtoure doctrine in thy holy lawes blessed ordinaūces that from theyr very yonge age they may know thee beleue in thee feare loue thee and diligently walke in thy commaundements vnto the praise of thy glorious name Amen ¶ Of Children THou haste geuen a commaundemēt in thy law O heauēly father that children should honour theyr fathers and mothers I moste humbly beseeche thee therfore to breath thy holy spirit into my brest that I maye reuerence and honoure my father mother not oneli w t outward gestures of mi body but also with the vnfayned affecciō of the hart loue them obey them pray for them help them and doo for thē both in worde and dede whatsoeuer lyeth in my power that thou seeing myne vnfayned harty good wil toward my Parentes mayst become my louing heauenly father number me among those thy children whō thou hast appointed from euerlasting heires of thy glorious kyngdom through thy welbeloued sonne Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ Of Masters THy commaundement is by thine holy Apostle O most merciful Lord Christ y e masters should entreat their seruauntes gently puttyng away threatninges doing that vnto thē whiche is iust and equal forasmuch as we also haue a maister in heauē with whom there is no respect of persones Graūt I most hartely pray thee I may so order my seruauntes that I attēpt none vnrighteousnes against them but
of mine hart haue I acknowledged thal mightifulnes of thy maiesty maiesty of thine almightifulnes But now like as with hart I beleue whiche is counted righteousnes vnto me so with mouth doo I confes before thee whiche is to my saluation after what sort and maner thou didst vouchsafe in the end of the world to succour and aid mankinde Thou in deed only O God the father art not red at any time or in any place to be sēt But of thy sonne the Apostle writeth When that y e time was fulfilled God sent his sonne In that he saith he sent he doth sufficiently declare that he being sent came into this world when as he being borne a very perfect man of blessed Mary a pure Uirgin did apeer and shew him self in y e flesh But what is that whiche he that is the cheef of the Euangelists dooth say He was in the world and the world was made my him Thither truely was he sent by his humanitie where he allway is and alway hath bene by his diuinitie The whiche sending or embassage I beleeue withall my hart and confes with my mouth to be the consent and wurk of al the whole Trinitie Oh holy good father how didst thou loue vs How great fauour didst thou bear toward vs moste mercifull creator whiche haste not spared thine owne sonne but for vs wretched sinners hast deliuered him He was obedient vnto thee vntill death yea death vpon a cros taking y e obligation or hād writing of our sinnes whiche was his fleshe fastening it vnto the cros he crucified sin and kild death He a lone is amongst the dead free from death hauing power to put his soule for vs to take it again for vs. Therfore was he bothe a vanquisher and a sacrifice and therfore was he an ouercommer because he was a sacrifice for vs. He was bothe y e preest sacrifice vnto thee and therfore was he apreest because he was a sacrifice Not without a cause haue I great hope in him Forasmuche as thou wilt make whole all my diseases for his sake that sitteth on thy right hād and dothe continually make intercession for vs. For my diseases O Lorde are great and many oh they are many in number great For the Prince of this world as I very well knowe confes hath mani things in me But I beseche thee deliuer me through our redeemer whiche sitteth on thy righthand in whō y e said Prince of this world could finde none euill that was his of his owne committing By him doo thou iustify me whome his self did not sin nether was there any deceit or gile found in hys mouth By him whiche is oure head in whom there is not one spot of euill deliuer me whiche am one of his members though I be but a little membre and feble and weake Deliuer me I be sech thee from my sinnes offences faults ignoraunces Fulfill me with thy holy vertues make me to shine in good maners make me I besech the for thy holy names sake to cōtinue in holi wurks vntill thend accor ding to thy will and pleasure ¶ Of the trust whiche a soule ought to haue in our Lorde Iesu and in his Passion I Might dispaire verely because of my manifolde sinnes negli gences without nūber if it were not that thy wurd O God was made fleshe and dwelt amongst vs. But I can not now dispaire because that seeing when we were enemies we were reconciled by the death of thy sonne how muche more are we now reconciled saued by him For all the hope and the certitude sure nes of all my trust is in his precius blud whiche was shed for vs for our saluation In him doo I take hartening and trusting in him I haue a desire to come vnto the not hauing mine owne righteousnes but that whiche I haue through thy sōne our lorde Iesu Christe For the whiche O moste mercifull God and moste gentle louer of mankinde we geue thee thāks which through Iesus Christe thy sōne our lord when we were not didst mighte ly make vs and when we were lost through our sinnes moste merucilously didst deliuer recouer vs again To thy goodnes I say doo I geue thanks manifold praises doo I shew for the to the withall my hart minde whiche through the vnspeakable loue wherwith thou hast vouchesafed of thy meruelous goodnes to loue vs wretches vnwurthy to be loued didst sēd that same thine only begotten sōne from thy bosome vnto our cōmon weal to saue vs sinners whiche were at that time y e children of perdition and damnaciō I rendre vnto thee thāks for his holy incarnation and natiuitie and for his blessed mother vpon whom he did vouchesafe to take fleshe for vs and for our saluation to thintent that like as he is very God of God so he might be very man of man I geue thee thanks for his passion and cros for his death and resurrection for his ascention into heauen his seat of his maiestie on thy right hand For he the fortie day after his resurrection ascending aboue all the heauens his disciples seeing it and sitting on thy right hand did pour out his holy spirite abundantly according to his promis vppon them whom he had chosen to be his children I geue thee thāks for that moste sacred sheding foorth of his precious bloud wherwith we ar re deemed also for the moste holy and quickning sacrifice of his body and bloud whiche daily in thy churche we feed of drink of wherwith we are washed sanctified and are made partakers of the only high diuinitie I geue thee thanks for thy merueilous vnspekeable charitie loue wherwith thou didst loue vs vnwurthi persones and didst saue vs by thine only and be loued sōne for so thou didst loue y e world that thou gauest thine only begotten sonne to thintent that none which beleued in him should perish but haue euerlasting life This thing truly is euerlasting life to knowe thee also Iesus Christe whom thou sent to be very God by an vpright faith and wurkes wurthy for faith ¶ Of thexceding loue of the euer lasting father toward mankind OH vnmesurable pitie and fatherly loue oh inestimable charitie that thou shouldest deliuer thy sonne to suffre death to thintent thou mightest redeem and raunsom a seruaunt God was made mā to the intent that man being lost might-be plucked out of the powre of deuels How gētle and kinde a louer of man was thy sōne our God who thought it not enough to humble him self to be made man of the very virgin Mary but also took vpon him the paines of the cros in sheding his bloud for vs and for our saluation He came a pitifull God he came for his pitie goodnesses sake he came to serche and to saue that which was lost He sought the straied sheep he sought and found and he being a good Lorde and truly a