Cristian praiers godly meditatiōs vpon the Epistle of S. Paule to the Romanes briefly conteyninge the summe of euery Chapiter orderly worthy to be vsed of al the faythfull in this wretched and sinfull time translated out of Italian into English Imprinted at London by Wylliam Gryffith ¶ To my right hartie freend maister T. M. Thomas Beacon wisheth grace and peace from God in Christ Iesu OF howe great efficacie vertue strength power christen praier is both the sentences and histories of the holy scripture do aboundantly declare For where at any time haue the faithful desired of god by hartie prayer wherin he hath suffered a repulse Praier geueth victory ouer enemies deliuereth out of prison preserueth in dangers kepeth safe in fyre mitigateth the wrath of God obtaineth remission of sinnes getteth euerlasting lyfe and purchaseth for vs of God all good thinges whether we respect the bodie or the mind Euery true Christian therfore can none otherwise than highly delight in such and so great a treasure wherof spring so many both necessary and profitable comodities to the vser therof And albeit there are already many godly praiers set forth in our English toung worthy to be frequented at al times of the faithfull Christians yet whan I had perused these praiers diligently considered the profite of them I thought it vnseming to defraud my countreymen of so precious a Iewell For in them they shall not onely learne to pray truely and according to the will of God but also by the exercise of them they shall learne and commend to memory the whole summe of S. Paules Epistle to the Romaines which Epistle in my iudgement is the principall parte of all the diuine scripture forasmuch as it containeth in a goodly order yea that briefly what soeuer is taught in the whole body of the sacred Bible necessary for the instruction and edifying of a Christen man so that whosoeuer hath that Epistle vnderstandeth the same hath obtained the knowledge of the most necessary and principall partes of Christian religion Now to come by this thing I meane to get the knowledge of this so goodly and profitable Epistle these prayers made vppon the same Epistle which I haue caused to be imprinted for the profite of the readers shall greatly helpe so that they which exercise them shall get double profite by them And would God some godly learned man wold take the like labour in making and settinge forth prayers vpon other partes of the holy scripture as this authour hath done in this behalfe For although I discommend not the prayers made by good and deuoute men so that they be not contrary to the word of God yet those prayers which are made vppon the holy scriptures are most to be alowed and vsed of the godly Christiās For god can not disalow that wherof his holy spirite is the Authour These Christen prayers godly meditations I send vnto you as a pledge and memoriall of our frendship nothinge doubtinge but that according to your accustomed gentelnes you will take them in good parte Thus with right hartie thankes for your most hartie good will toward me I wish you well to do From Shene the xij day of February in the yeare of our Lord. 1550. ¶ Godly and Christian Meditations and praiers made vppon the Epistle of Sainct Paule to the Romanes ¶ Vpon the first Chapter O Iesu Christ redéemer of the world I thanke God through thee for all his benifites and specially for the great gift of our redemption by thée which wast borne of the sede of Dauid after the flesh and are knowen the Sonne of God by the diuine power which thou hast declared to the whole world healing the bodies and sanctifiing the soules of the faithful with thy spirite the which thou hast communicated abundantly to mans generation after that destroying our death with thy death thou art retourned vnto lyfe for to be euerlasting life of whosoeuer accepteth thée for their onely Sauiour O my Lord graunt me so much of thy grace that I alwaies may be in the number of those O Lord the onely hope of my soule cause me to know and to perceaue in the depnes of my harte this thy vnspeakable benefite Exercise in me thy healthful power so that I may know thée alwayes as well the Sonne of God as the sonne of man Heale the sences of my bodie to th entent that to my eyes eares smelling tast and touching all those things may be abhorred which be contrarie to thy holy lawe Sanctifie my soule and my spirite that they may be a worthy habitacle of thy spirite Make me my Lord to vnderstand effectually the vertue of thy wonderfull resurrection reuiuing me from day to day and causing me to liue as dead to the world and liuing to God to whom with thée and the holy Ghost be glory Lord God graunt vs so great loue of our saluation that alwaies we may remember thée none other in our prayers Geue vs so great desire of thy glory that our soule may reioyce and render thée thankes through Iesus Christ when the faith of the electes is séene in this darkenes of the world Geue vs such perfection that euery one of vs may serue thée with faith and our neighbour with charitie in our vocation Graunt vs such a tast of the fellowshipp of true christians that nothing may delight vs more than to comfort our selues with them by mutuall faith Grant vs such light of thy spirite that we may vnderstande our selues to be debteours for to distribute frely to other the graces which by thee be geuen vs. Graunt vs so much strength of spirite that we be not ashamed of the Gospell of thy onely begotten Sonne the which doctrine is accompted foolishnes to the wisedome of the flesh but in veritie it is thy sauinge power to euery faithfull person For by it is reueled and communicated thy iustice with faith comming betwene the which is planted by thy spirite in the harts of the elects encreaseth alwaies brīgeth forth most swéete fruites of charitie O father of mercies graunt vs all these graces that we may alwayes be knit in one spirite of faith and of charitie with Iesu Christ our head thy Sonne which with thée liueth and raigneth I sée my Lorde by the grace that thou giuest me that the knowledge of thée which is gathered by the meanes of naturall perseueraunce is not inough of it selfe to make vs good sith it is so that men by the contemplation of visible things created from the beginning come into the knowledge of the euerlasting power diuinitie inuisible haue not glorified thée as God neyther were thankfull to thée but vainely wandering in their owne imaginations and makinge profession of wisedome became most folish in somuch that they worshiped the creatures in stede of the creatour Wherupon thy iustice for to punish their vnthanckfulnes deth depraue them of all good iudgement in such wise that they embrace
lord with thy spirite mortifie our flesh and quicken our spirite that we may liuely perceiue the vertue of thy death and of thy resurrection If our old man be crucified with thée to thintent we might walke toward heauen in the newnes of lyfe why in vs as yet do liue the lustes of the flesh which do drawe vs vnto the earth Why do they not suffer vs to worke all that which the spirite desireth O our Sauiour heare our lamentations and helpe vs for the glory of thy holy name sake and if we be verely thine make vs in dede conformable vnto thy image And like as death after thy gloryous resurrection hath no more power ouer thée but beinge destroyed by thée thou liuest eternally wyth God semblably we all being releued by thy grace permit not my Lord that we be any longer maistered of sinne which is the death of our soule but graunt vs grace to liue alwayes to thée and to sanctifie our soules bodies to thy seruice to th end that vnto thy honour may be set vpon the earth a resemblance of that holy and blessed lyfe which we shal liue in heauen after the last resurrection ¶ Vpon the vij Chapiter MY Lord when I consider the great corruption of mans nature on me cometh a horror and incredible feare of my selfe sithens it is so that whyle thou leauest man in his darknes and in his ignorance he hath neuer true feare of thée nor true knowledge of thy lawe but may be well compared vnto foolish beastes is verely like vnto them and now thinketh that sinne which reigneth in hym is dead and it liueth But when thou giuest him such perceueraunce that he is hable to sée and to consider to what thing the lawe bindeth him then sinne shewing forth his force declareth it selfe aliue horrible and very mightie and man is knowne to be moste weake and worthy of death because that the lawe is spiritual and requireth the puritie of the harte and man is carnall and full of affections and of vncleane desires The lawe commaundeth that a man should loue thée with al his soule with all his harte and with al his powers that he put al his hope in thy mercie and that he directe al his doings to thy honour but man loueth himselfe aboue all things he dependeth vpon creatures and is most desirous of glory and for euery little trifle he is angry with his neighbour and as much as he can persecuteth him whereas the lawe cōmaundeth him that he should loue him as himselfe Finally the the law forbiddeth the desire of the flesh the more it is forbiddē so much more it wareth fierce bringing forth fruite to death encreaseth damnation Likewise sinne which dwelleth in man taking an occasion by the lawe that is holy and iust becometh more mightie and more pernicious and by the lawe in which is set forth iustice life is gendred in man death and vnrighteousnes And while the power of the lawe lasteth there continueth enmitie of man with thée and with the lawe Let therfore my lord thy mercy be blessed the which hath brought vs from most greuous bondage of the lawe vnto the moste pleasaunt libertie of the gospell and to the kingdome of grace and in the stede of the face of Moyses which feareth threatneth curseth and condemneth serueth vs the face of Christ which assureth blesseth and saueth vs geuing vnto the faithfull the holy ghost the which deliuering them from the yoke of the lawe maketh them in loue with thée and with the lawe that liuing iustly and holily vpō the earth we may liue in Paradise eternally through Iesus Christ our Lord. We besech thée my Lord when that day shal come and when this most greuous battayle shall end that the spirite may not desire against the flesh that the flesh likewise may not desire against the spirite which eftsones maketh my life very bitter because I do not that which I would but I do that which displeaseth me Albeit it is not I that any longer in this wise do worke but the sinne that dwelleth in me for that I know there dwelleth not in me that is in my flesh any goodnes Then it is so that I haue a good will but I can not do that good which I desire Wherfore I do not that good which I would but that euill which I wold not And if I do that euill which I would not it is but the sinne that remaineth in me This I say because thy holy lawe deliteth me as touching the inward man that is as concerning the spirite the which is prone and bent to serue thée and to liue after the order of thy lawe But I se an other lawe in my flesh that is an other inclination that striueth continually against the inclination of my spirite maketh me prisoner and seruaunt of the tyranous lawe of sinne the which is directly contrary to thy holy lawe Wherby it cometh to passe that like as my spirite is wholy geuen vnto iustice to holines and desireth the death of the body for to liue with Christ farre from the greuaunces of the flesh euen so my flesh is delited with iniquitie it feareth nor loueth thée my Lord neither geueth credite to thy promises it loueth the entisements of the appetites the pomps of the world neither wisheth euer to come to an end of this mortall life Vnhappy person that I am who shall deliuer me from this defiled and sinfull flesh from this mortal clod of concupiscence the which neuer giueth me rest but alwaies vexeth me and continually fighteth against my spirite I yeld thée thankes my Lord through Iesus Christ which with the sacrifice of his flesh hath purged all the sinnes of my sinful flesh in so much that they be not imputed to me by thée to damnation In the meane season I liue after thy spirite and through liuely faith I am partaker of the most pure flesh of Christ which at length shall make my corruptible flesh conformable to his glorious flesh and shall deliuer me from the body of this death makinge that which is carnall spirituall after such sorte that all the lustes and rebellings of the flesh shall bée brought to nought that all the parts of my body and of my soule and of my spirite might be pure holy and cleane and most redie to accomplish eternally thy holy will Therfore I that in times past was wont to serue with the mind of my flesh to the lawe of sinne now with a mind renewed by thy spirite I serue thy lawe my Lord but with the remnantes of my flesh that is of the olde man I serue neuerthelesse the lawe of sinne and do know my selfe so farre from the perfecte iustice of thy holy lawe that altogether I should despayre of my saluation if I did not acknowledge Iesus Christ for my redemer and for my iustice To him with thée be glory euerlastingly ¶ Vpon the .viij. Chapiter MY Lord my
euill for good sewer for swéete They haue defiled their bodies soules with all abhominable vices and vncleanes O Lord god of my saluation kepe me and al thy faithfull seruaunts from so great abomination and from such great blindnes Grant vs O father of lightes in stede of the darke light of our vnderstanding the cleare light of faith that we may acknowledge thée truly and knowing thée euery one of vs to loue thée feare thée and glorifie thée putting al the hope of our saluation in thy mercy through Iesus Christ our Lord. ¶ Vpon the ij Chapiter O How great gods iustice and mercy is we are very redy to iudge condemne other not perceauinge that then we cōdemne our owne selues for because that now with will and now in dede we do those thinges that becōdemned by vs in our neighbour and plainely we know that after thy most iust iudgement whosoeuer sinneth is worthy of death and certeinly we weare already all condemned to death euerlasting if thy mercy pacience were not the which forbeareth vs and calleth vs to repentance Graunt vs perseuerance O Lord to vnderstand so great a benifite and mollifie our hartes with thy grace to the end that our hardnes and vnrepētance do not encrease towards vs so much the greater wrath in the day of anger when thy iust iudgement shal be reueled in the which thou wilt tender to euery persō according to his doings that is eternal death to those which continuing in euill works resisting the truth do prouoke against them thy furor O lord suffer not that we whom thy holy name is called vpon be nombred among those but for thy glory geue vs thy spirite the which may teach vs to do thy will and lead vs in the way of thy most holy precepes to glory honour peace euerlasting through Iesus Christ When Iesus Christ shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead no body shal be hable to excuse his vnrighteousnes with the pretēce of ignoraunce because that they which haue not had the light of the lawe written haue not lacked the knowledge of good and euill by the lawe of nature as clearly the conscience of euery on sheweth the which aloweth that is good and reproueth that is euill But I know my Lord that the knowledge of the lawe without thy grace can nothing profite a man because he is not iust by the law But who can obserue the same our nature is so corrupt and peruerse that it séeth the better and taketh the worse wherby it cōeth to passe that many do know thy will and make profession to rule the blind to lighten those that be in darkenes to instructe the ignorant and to vnderstand thy doctrine and the veritie of thy lawe and yet neuerthelesse teaching others they teach not them selues they forbid theft and adulthy and be theues adulterers they speake against Idoles and be Idolaters they glorie of the lawe be transgressors of the lawe and slaunder thy holy name and cause it to be euill spoken of amongst the wicked Therfore to the end that we runne not into so great wickednes and that the knowledge of the law be not to vs an occasion of greatter damnation write the same O Lord in our hartes by faith and graunt vs such grace that nothing may appéere to vs either so good or so profitable or so delectable as the obseruation of thy commaundements that hauing our hartes circumcised wée may be thy true people that our light may shyne after such a sort in the sight of men that seing our good works euery one of them may gloryfie thee O heauenly father through Iesus Christ our Lord ¶ Vpon the iij. Chapiter MY Lord like as the naughtines of the Iewes was not sufficient to make voyd thy faith of the noble promises made by thée vnto that people because that thou art true and al men liares semblably our iniquitie can neuer be hable to disanull the faith of thy promises which thy onely Sonne hath made to his faithful congregatiō saying to the same I am with you euen to the consumation of the world Therfor although I sée the same altogether vexed deformed and as a little shippe in the middest of the sea beaten of furious windes notwithstanding I am sure that she can not perish because that Iesus Christ according to his promise ruleth and gouerneth her and bringeth her at the length to the porte of eternall saluation And how much greater our vnrighteousnes is so much more commendable is his iustice the which forsaketh vs not for our deserts but defendeth vs for his promise sake Ought we therfore to continue in sinne to thintent that our vnrighteousnes may cōmend the iustice of Christ nay aboue all other thinges we should abhorre sinne as that which of his owne nature dishonoreth Christ and yet he by his goodnes wisedome of so euill sede gathereth the fruite of his glory Deliuer therfore lord Iesus thy Church from all slaunders and from all iniquities so that like as now by our sinnes thou settest forth the faith of thy promises so in time to come by our saluation we may glorifie thy holy name My Lord when thou gavest thy holy lawe to the people of Israell they promised earnestly to obserue the same but afterward comming to the performance they wanted so much of their promise that one of the Prophetes speaking of them saith that there is not one iust or wise neither that seketh after god By the which thing it is requisite that all mouthes bée shutte and all the world confesse to be giltie and to be thy debtour because that none shal be pronounced iust by the workes of the lawe in thy iudgement sith it is so that the lawe doth not iustifie but doth vs to vnderstand sinne the which knowne leadeth a man to desperation if thy grace comforteth hym not Therfore we thanke thée O my Lord with al our harte for thy iustice the which to put away our vnrighteousnes thou hast manifested to the world besides the lawe I meane the iustice which thou doest communicate by the faith of Iesus Christ to all them that beleue of all nations for that without exception euery one hath sinned and is destitute of thy glory and whosoeuer is iustified receaueth wythout any deseruing the iustice of thy grace through the redemptiō wrought by Christ Iesu whom frō euerlasting thou hast determined to bée by the meditation of faith the propitiation of the world through his bloud meaning to set forth thy iustice by the remission of sinnes past the which thou hast suffred for to shew thy iustice in the time of grace to thintent that euery one might knowe that thou art iust and the iustifier of euery one that beleueth in Iesus Christ the which with thée liueth raigneth world without end My Lord when thy saints do say that we be iustified frely by the meanes of faith many beleue that by the preaching of
soule melteth for swetenes when I read these moste swéete wordes pronounced by thy spirite that they be frée from all condemnation which be in Christ Iesu which do not liue after the flesh but after the spirite because that the law of the spirite of the life which is in Christ Iesu hath deliuered me frō the lawe of sinne of death so that now I am become by thy grace a member of Christ Iesu the which making a sacrifice of his flesh vppon the trée of the crosse hath destroyed sinne and death to iustifie to geue vs eternall life that we should not liue after the flesh but after the spirite because that if we shall liue after the flesh we shall dye for that the affection of the flesh is contrary vnto thy holy lawe and to the spirite of Christ which is the fountaine of life Mortifie therfore my Lord the affections appetites of our flesh that the spirite of Christ may liue in vs the which now shall sanctifie our soules with his presence and thou hereafter shalt make glorious and immortal our bodies in the last resurrection My Lord if the people of Israel haue gloryed so much of the lawe by the which they receaued the spirite of bondage that engendreth feare how much more ought we Christians to reioyce of thy gospell by the which we receaue thy sonne whose spirite bringeth forth loue and geueth vs boldnes to cal thée father O my Lord graunt me to taste so much of thy spirite that my soule may onely glory of this incomprehensible treasure Cause my lord that thy spirite alwaies may render testimony vnto my spirite that I am thy sonne and consequently thy heyre and coheritour with Christ which through reproch and bitter death entred into the kingdome of glory and of life Therefore my Lord strengthen my harte so that following thy steps I may boldly set thy crosse before the honours and pleasures of the world and this temporall life loking with pacience for the redemption of my body and knowing for a suertie that the tribulations which be susteined in this world for Christes sake be not worthy the glory which shal be reueled vpon vs in the world to come And for because the inuocation of thy holy name is our onely refuge in our afflictions and I of my selfe know not how to pray as it is mete let thy holy spirite O Lord helpe my infirmitie direct my praiers in my tribulatiōs comfort me certifyinge me that like as to Iesu Christ all thinges wrought together for the best when he semed to the world forsaken of thée semblably euery thing helpeth the saluation of those which loue thée and be called by thée after the determination of thy good pleasure because thou hast appoynted from euerlastinge that thy children should become conformable to the image of thy sonne in the crosse and in glorie to th end that he might be the first begotten among many bretherne If therfore my Lord thou hast shewed me this fauour to call mée vnto this brotherhod why should not I glory with my selfe in the crosse of Christ specially knowing that thou iustifiest them whom thou callest doest gloryfie those that be iustified by thée And if thou be with vs who shal be against vs If thy charitie was so great that to deliuer vs from death thou hast geuen to death thy sonne how can it be that thou wilt not graūt vs with him al things Who then shal be so bold to accuse at thy iudgement seat thy electes If thou by thy mercy assoylest them and acceptest them for good iust yea if Christ be dead to deliuer them from damnation and be risen againe and ascended into heauen to make intercession for them who shal be hable to condemne them And if thou hast geuen vs so great and worthy gages of thy loue who may make vs beleue that thou louest vs not Whether tribulation misery persecution hunger barenes daungers or swerd yea I do beleue that all these thinges shall cause vs to be more certaine of thy good will towards vs because that through thy grace we shal ouercome and in ouercoming let vs vnderstand be assuredly perswaded that we shall haue the vpper hand in all our temtations I besech thée my lord to confirme vs with thy spirite in this holy persuasion so that euery one of vs may say with thy Apostle I am sure that neither death neyther life neither Angelles neither princes neither powers neither thinges present neither things to come neither highnes neither lownes neither any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue that God beareth vs in Christ Iesu our Lord. ¶ Vpon the .ix. Chapiter MY Lord when thy sainctes do say that the predestination of the electes doeth not depend of mans workes but of thy mercie because that onely they be saued which by thée be chosen through grace the wisedome of man can not abide this veritie saying that this being true thou shoulddest be vniust cruell and parciall As though that if a potmaker can make of one lumpe of clay some vesselles to honour and some other to dishonour it might not bée lawfull for thée to fashion of one selfe substaunce some men to perdition which bée the vesselles of wrath in the which doth appeare thy iust iudgement and some other to saluation which be the vesselles of grace in whom is set forth thy glory But the wise of the world say as pleaseth them I for my selfe my Lord do render thée infinite thankes that it hath pleased thée that eternall life should depend of thy mercy and not of mans will because that my corruption is so great that I am sure I should go into perdition if my saluation did depend vpon me And I knowe for a suertie that euery one to whom it shal be graunted by thy grace to enter into the knowledge of his vanity wil be of the same opinion because he is wretched which trusteth in his owne power and blessed is he that putteth affiaunce in thy mercy throuh Iesus Christ our Lord. ¶ Vpon the x. Chapiter MY Lord I know by experience that thy onely begotten sonne Iesu Christ is th end of thy holy law because he promiseth lyfe to all the fulfillers and curseth the transgressoures therof But how much more a man vnderstandeth the lawe and is enclined to obserue the same so much more hée knoweth himselfe for a sinner and doth despayre of his owne strength And for what end doth the lawe bring a man to desperatiō To this end that he might be constrayned to runne vnto Iesus Christ the onely Sauiour whereunto the iustice of faith exhorteth him speaking to him in this wise O sinfull man despeire thou not for thy vnrighteousnes for if thou wilte beleue with thy harte and confesse with thy mouth that Iesus Christ very God and very man dyed for thy sinnes and is risen againe ascended into heauē for thy iustice thou shalt be iust