¶ The King With rulers kinges I end all thinges As Emperors and kings we did raigne But now the earth doth vs detayne ¶ The Duke Duke Prince I do conuince ¶ The Marques Marques or state I am thy mate Lordes and rulers haue bene But what we are is to be sene ¶ The Baron Baron lord To me must accord ¶ The Vicount High low with me must go Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Lord. Galaunt or gay Then must away ¶ The Knight Stout and braue I must thee haue Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Esquire For all thy lust Thou shalt to dust ¶ The Gentleman Graue or sad Thou must be had As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Capitaine In peace and warre I make and marre ¶ The Souldier Of foe frend I make an end As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Dromme Cease thy dromme For all is done ¶ The Fife Cease thy play And come away Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Iudge Come on iudge With me to trudge ¶ The Iustice. Justice I say Come on thy way From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ Sergeant at law Leaue the lawes heare my cause ¶ The Attorney Plead as thou lust With me thou must Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Mayor Though Mayor thou be Come go with me ¶ The Shirife Sir Shirife stand and geue me thy hand From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Bailife Thou Baily also With me shalt go ¶ The Constable Constable be prest For I thee arest Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Phisician Let Phisike alone And go with me home The Astronomer Looke not so hie I am thee by Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Marchant Neither craft nor trade Can me perswade ¶ The Citizen Of toune nor citie I haue no pitie Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Riche man Siluer nor golde cannot thee holde ¶ The aged man Youth and age Must be my page As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Atrificer Leaue thine arte And take my parte The Husbandman Labour no more For I haue store As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Beggar Begging is done For I am come ¶ The Roge. Thinke I am best For I bring rest From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Shepeheard Leaue thy shepe And with me crepe ¶ The Foole. Of foolish and fonde I breake the bonde Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ Of Youth Young olde Come to my folde ¶ Of Infancy Feare not me though I grisly be Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Emperour Emperour or king I must thee bring ¶ The King With rulers kinges I ende all thinges As Emperors and kings we did raigne But now the earth doth vs detayne ¶ The Duke Duke Prince I do conuince ¶ The Marques Marques or state I am thy mate Lordes and rulers we haueÌ„ bene But what we are is to be sene ¶ The baron Baron lord To me must accord ¶ The Vicount High low with me must go Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Lord. Galaunt or gay Thou must away ¶ The Knight Stout and braue I must thee haue As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ The Esquire For all thy lust Thou shalt to dust ¶ The Gentleman Graue or sad Thou must be had Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Capitaine In peace and warre I make and marre ¶ The Souldior Of foe frend I make an end From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Dromme Cease thy dromme For all is done ¶ The Fife Cease thy play And come away As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Iudge Come on iudge With me to trudge ¶ The Iustice. Justice I say Come on thy way As the houres of the day So our lyues passe away ¶ Sergeant at law Leaue the lawes heare my cause ¶ The Attorney Plead as thou lust With me thou must Behold me here as in a glasse For as thou art so I was ¶ The Mayor Thogh Mayor thou be Come with me ¶ The Shirife Sir Shirife stand and geue me thy hand Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Bailife Thou Baily also With me shalt go ¶ The Constable Constable be prest For I thee arest From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ The Phisician Let Phisike alone And go with me home The Astronomer Looke not so hie I am thee by Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Marchant Neither craft nor trade Can me perswade ¶ The Citizen Of toune nor citie I haue no pitie Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Riche man Siluer nor golde Cannot thee holde ¶ The aged man Youth and age Must be my page Christ for thy bitter passion Graunt vs a ioyfull resurrection ¶ The Atrificer Leaue thine arte And take my parte The Husbandman Labour no more For I haue store As we were so are ye And as we are so shall ye be ¶ The Beggar Begging is done For I am come ¶ The Roge. Thinke I am best For I bring rest Tymes do passe and tyme it is To vse well tyme least tyme do misse ¶ The Shepeheard Leaue thy shepe And with me â—â—epe ¶ The Foole. Of foolish and fonde I breake the bonde From earth to earth so must it be From lyfe to death as thou doost see ¶ Of Youth Young olde Come to my folde ¶ Of Infancy Feare not me though I grisly be Tyme to lyue and tyme to dye God graunt vs life eternally ¶ The Empresse Empresse thogh thou be Thou must away with me ¶ The Queene Queene also thou doost see As I am so shalt thou be We that were of highest degree Lye dead here now as ye do see ¶ The Princes Princes of hie estate coÌ„teÌ„t you I am your mate ¶ The Duchesse Duches princes Death daily conuinces We that sate in the highest seate Are layd here now for wormes meate ¶ The Countesse Countesse or what thou art I strike thee with my dart ¶ The Vicountesse Vicountes I do not spare For of them I haue no care Beauty honour and riches auayle no whit For death when he commeth spoyleth it ¶ The Baronnesse Baronnesse braue and hie Prepare thy selfe to dye ¶ The Lady Ladies gay faire To you I do repaire No state no might neither yong nor olde To resist death dare be bolde ¶ The Iudges wife Madame or iustice wife I am come to ende thy life The Lawyers wife Beware thy husbands gain Reward thee not with paine Death by his might doth conuince Expresse Queene Duches and Prince The Gentlewomaâ— Gentles braue fine Daunce after my line Aldermans wife Thou art clothed in skarlet And yet art but my varlet Behold vs here that sometyme were gay How now we lye here all lapped in clay Merchantes wife Braue neuer so nice Daunce after my deuice ¶ Citizens wife Tricke trim put of your hood I am come to do you good Riches nor treasure auayle nothing For death to earth all doth bring Riche mans wiâ—â— Though thou haue silâ—â—â— and golde Yet art thou within my holde ¶ Yong woman Fine prety in the wast Come with me in hast From earth we came and to earth we shall For sinne by death hath made vs thrall ¶ The Mayde Fresh galant gay All must with me away ¶ The Damosell Fine proper neate And all is but wormes meate O death how bitter is thy sting That poore and riche to earth doth bring ¶ Farmers wife Cease thy labour and paine For I am thy riches and gaine HusbandmaÌ„s wife Toyle no more I say For heÌ„ce I must away The wise the simple and euery degree Are by force compelled to obey vnto thee Countreywoman Away with butter chese For thy life thou must now leese The Nurse Geue sucke no more For I am at the dore Learne by vs that here do lye For to liue well and learne to die Shepeheardes wife Be thou young or olde Thou must enter into my folde ¶ Aged woman Be the day neuer so long At last commeth Euensong As death to the iust bringeth aduantage So he to the wicked doth great dammage The Creeple Be thou poore or disesed Thou must with me be pleased The poore woman Be thou neuer so poore Thou must enter at my dore As death in this world hath the victory So by death we hope to enter Gods glory Come ye blessed of my father inherite the kingdome prepared for you Math. 25. Depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fire which is prepared for c. Math. 21.
euerlasting life is no man is able to conceiue much lesse able to vtter For the peace of god which is eternall life passeth all vnderstanding The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can mans harte conceiue those thinges which thou deare God hast prepared for them that loue thee Whatsoeuer therfore can be spoken or imagined of thy kingdom of the clearenes ioy and felicitie of the same is nothyng in comparison as we may see by the Prophets which because they could not otherwise vnder corporall things haue shadowed the same So that the confidence of eternall life what a thing it is can in no wise be told Howbeit some what we may be brought into some sight of it by earthly thinges to thinke on this sort If God hath geuē here so many thinges in a strange place how many are the great good thinges that be at home If in a prison are so many mercies how many are they in the palace If the wicked haue so many benefites what is the store prepared for thy seruāts O Lord If thy children finde such comfortes in the day of teares and mournyng what shall they finde in the day of the mariage If with beastes men beyng haue the vse of so innumerable blessings oh how many are the blessinges whiche they shall enioy with thy Angels and with thee thy selfe O dere God when they shal see thee and haue the fruition of thee in whome is fulnes without lothing of all good faire thinges so that nothyng can be more desired and that for euermore This thy children do not so see as they now beleue it I say that euen in their bodies they shal see it for euer as Job sayd They heleue that they shall see thee and their owne eyes beholde thee when these our corporall eyes our bodies beyng raised shall do their duties Such a knowledge of thee they beleue to haue as shall not be onely intellectuall and by faith as now it is but euen a full sight and fruition yea a comunction and felowship with thee Now they see but in a glasse euen in a darke speaking but thē they shal see face to face For faith though it be the substaunce of thinges hoped for and a certain darke sight of thee yet it may not be compared to the rewarde of faith glorious sight which we shall see in the life to come when fayth hope shall cease Now thy children know that they be thy children though it yet appeare not what they shall be We know say they that whē our Christ God and man shall appeare then shall we be lyke vnto hym for we shall see him euen as he is Oh great prerogatiue to see Christ as he is Which is not to be considered so much for the māhoode as for the Godhead it self as Paule doth also write that when all thinges are subiect vnto the sonne then shall he be subiect vnto thee deare Father also that God may be all in all And therfore Christ our sauiour praied for vs that we might know thee the onely true God Not that our Christ thy sonne is not with thee the true coequal and substanciall god but that we might know how that after the iudgement such a mystery of hys mediatourship shall not be in heauē as is now in earth Then thou blessed trinitie God the Father God the sonne and God the holy ghost shalt be all in all thou shalt be the end of our desires thou shalt be loked vpon without ende thou shalt be loued without lothyng thou shalt bee praysed without wearinesse Althoughe lothsomues be wont to folow fulnes yet our fulnes in the contemplatiō of thy pleasures shall bring with it no kinde at all of lothsomnes Sacietie of ioyes shall be in the beholding of thee Pleasures are on thy right hand for euer We shal be satiffied when we arise after thyne image I meane in the resurrection Oh deare father shew thy self vnto vs and we aske no more Oh graunt vs with thy Saintes in euerlasting lyfe to prayse wyth perpetual prayses thy holy name Happy then and happy again wer we if that day wer come that we myght sing wyth thy aungels elders and innumerable thousandes a new song say thou Christ Jesu which wast slayne art worthy to receyue power and riches and wisdome and strength honour and glory and blessyng In thys blessed lyfe all kynde of maladies griefes sorrowes and euils be farre away and all ful of all kinde of mirth ioy pleasure Oh that we might see now a litle with S. John that holy Citie new Jerusalē descending frō heauen prepared of god as a bride trimmed for her husbande Oh that we might now somethyng heare the great voyce speakyng out of the throne behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be hys people and he shal be vnto them their god he will wipe away all teares from their eies and death shal be no more nor wepyng nor crying nor sorrow for the former thinges are gone ¶ An other meditation of the blessed state and felicitie of the life to come THis body is but a prison wherein the soule is kept and that verely not beautifull nor bright but most foule and darke disquiet fraile and filled vp with much vermine and venemous vipers I meane it cōcerning our affections standing in an ayre most vnwholesome and prospect most lothsome if a man consider the excrementes of it by the eyes nose mouth eares hands feete and all the other partes So that no Bocardo no Little ease no Dungeon no Bishops prison no gatehouse no sincke no pit may be cōpared in any point to be so euill a prison for the body as the body is for and of the soule wherethrough the children of God haue bene occasioned to cry lament their long being in it Oh saith Dauid how long shall I lye in this prison Oh wretch that I am sayth Paule who shall deliuer me out of this body of sinne which is an heauie burden vnto the soule as the wise man sayth And therefore the godly cry now let thy seruant depart in peace Oh that I were dissolued and had put of this earthly and fraile tabernacle Take me vnto thee and bring my soule out of thys prison that it may geue thankes vnto thee O Lord. For so long as we be in thys body we can not see the Lord yea it is as an heauy habitation and depresseth downe sore the spirite fro the familiaritie which it els should haue with God This world life is an exile a vale of misery a wildernes of it self being voide of all vertues and necessaryes for eternall life full of ennemies sorrowes sighings sobbings gronings miseries c In daunger to hūger cold heate thirst sores sicknes tentations trouble death and innumerable calamities being momentanye short vnstable and nothing but vaine and therfore is cōpared to a warfare a womās trauaile a
shadow a smoke a vapour a worde a storme a tempest in the which Gods people feele great molestations greefes troubles now of Sathan him selfe now of the world now of their owne flesh and that so wonderfully diuersly daungerously contrarily that they are enforced to cry Oh Lorde when shall we come and appeare before thee when shall this misery end when shall we be deliuered out of this vale of miserye out of thys wildernes out of thys continuall affliction and most perilousseas But where thou art Lorde and deare father of mercy there is not only no prison no dolours no sorow no sighinges no teares no sicknes no hūger no heate no colde no paine no temtations no displeasure no malice no pride no vncleannes no cōtention no tormentes no horrour no sin no filth no stinch no dearth no death no weeping no teares no misery nor mischiefe there is I say not onely no such thing or any e-euill noysome or displeasaunt thing but all libertie all light all pleasauntnes all ioy reioysing mirth pleasure pastime health wealth riches glory power treasure honour triumph comfort solace loue vnitie peace concord wisdome vertue melody meekenes felicitie beatitude and all that euer can bee wished or desired in most securitie eternitie and perpetuitie that may be thought not onely of man but of Angels and Archangels yea aboue all thoughtes The eye hath not seene the like the eare hath not heard it nor no hart is able to conceaue in any poynt any part of the blisfull beatitude which is with thee most deare God and Father most deare Lorde and Sauiour most gratious good God and comforter Where thou art O blessed God the Archaungels Aungels Thrones powers dominations Cherubins Ceraphins Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors and righteous spirites cease not to sing night and day Holy Holy Holy Lorde God of hostes honor maiestie glory power empire and dominion be vnto thee oh God the creator oh Lord Jesu the redemer oh holy spirite the comforter In recordation of thys Oh how thy childrē reioyce how contemne they the pleasures of thys worlde how litle esteme they any corporall greefe or shame how desire they to bee with thee How amiable are thy tabernacles Oh Lorde God of hostes say they my soule hath a desire to enter into the courtes of the Lorde my hart and my soule reioyceth in the lyuyng God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they that may alwayes be praysing thee For one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where I had rather be a doore keper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines for the Lord God is a light defence And againe lyke as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee Oh God my soule is a thyrst for God yea euen for the liuing God When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is They thy childrē I meane O Lord desire the day of that their redemption stil they cry let thy kingdō come they cry Come Lord Jesu they lift vp their heades lookyng for thy appearing Oh Lorde which will make their vile body lyke to thine owne glorious immortall body for when thou shalt appeare they shall be like vnto thee Thy Aungels will gather them together they shall meete thee in the cloudes and bee alwayes with thee They shall heare thys ioyfull voyce Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning Then shall they be like to thy Aungells Then shall they be like vnto the Sunne in thy kyngdome Then shall they haue crownes of glory and be endued with white garmentes of innocēcie and righteousnes and Palmes of victory in their handes Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible inheritance which they shall enioy for euermore Amen ¶ A Meditation of the presence of God THere is nothyng that maketh more to true godlines of life then the perswasion of thy presēce deare father and that nothyng is hyd from thee but all to thee is open and naked euē the very thoughtes which one day thou wilt reueale and open either to our praise or punishment in thys life as thou diddest Dauids faultes which he dyd secretly 2. Reg. 12. or in the lyfe to come Math. 25. for nothyng is so hid that shall not be reuealed Therfore doth the Prophet say Woe to thē that keepe secrete their thoughtes to hide theyr counsell from the Lorde and do their workes in darknes saying who seeth vs Graunt to me therefore deare God mercy for all my sinnes especially my hid and close sinnes Enter not into iudgement with me I humbly besech thee Geue me to beleue truely in thy Christ that I neuer come into iudgement for thē that with Dauid I might so reueale them and confesse them vnto thee that thou wouldest couer thē And graunt further that hence forth I alwayes thinke myself cōtinually cōuer saunt before thee so that if I do well I passe not of the publishing of it as hypocrites doe If I do or thinke any euill I may forthwith know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Graunt me that I may alwayes haue in minde that day wherin hyd workes of darknes shall be illumined and also that sentence of thy sonne that nothing is so secret which shall not bee reuealed So in trouble and wrong I shall finde comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace frō euil which do thou worke I humbly besech thee for Christes sake Amen ⧠A Meditation of death and the commodities it bringeth WHat other thing do we dayly in thys present life then heape sinne vppon sinne and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse so that thys day is worse alwayes then yesterday by encreasing as dayes so sinnes and therefore thy indignation good Lorde agaynst vs but when we shall be let goe out of the prison of thys body and so taken into thy blessed company then shall we be in most safety of immortalitie and saluation thē shall come vnto vs no sicknes no nede no paine no kind of euill to soule or body but what soeuer good we cā wish that shall we haue and what soeuer we loth shall be farre from vs. O deare father that we had fayth to beholde these thinges accordingly Oh that our hartes were perswaded therof and our affections enflamed with the desire of them Then should we liue in longing for that which now we most loth O helpe vs and graūt that we being ignorant of thinges to come and of the tyme of our death which to thee is certain may so liue and finishe our iourney here that we may be ready and then depart when our departing may make most to thy glory our comfort through Christ What is thys lyfe but a smoke a vapour
to reuerence magnifie thy godly maiestie First for that thou hast created vs to thine owne Image and similitude but chiefly because thou hast deliuered vs frō that euerlasting death and damnation into the which Sathan drew mankind by the meanes of sinne from the bondage wherof neyther man nor Angell was able to make vs free but thou O Lorde riche in mercy and infinite in goodnes hast prouided our redemption to stand in thine onely and welbeloued sonne whom of very loue thou didst geue to be made man like vnto vs in all thinges sinne excepted that in hys body he might receaue the punishment of our transgression by hys death to make satisfaction to thy iustice and by hys resurrection to destroy him that was author of death and so to bring againe life to the worlde from which the whole ofspring of Adam was most iustly exiled O Lord we acknowledge that no creature was able to comprehend the length and breadth the deepenes and height of that thy most excellent loue which moued thee to shewe mercy where none was deserued to promise and geue lyfe where death had gotten victory to receaue vs into thy grace when we could doe nothing but rebell against thy maiestie O Lord the blind dulnes of our corrupt nature will not suffer vs sufficiently to weigh these thy most ample benefites yet neuertheles at the commaundement of Jesus Christ our Lorde we present our selues to thys hys table which he hath left to be vsed in remembraunce of hys death vntill hys comming agayne to declare and witnes before the world that by hym alone we haue receaued libertie and life that by hym alone thou doest acknowledge vs to bee thy children and heyres that by hym alone we haue entrance to the throne of thy grace that by him alone we are possessed in our spirituall kingdome to eate and drinke at his table with whom we haue our conuersation presently in heauen and by whom our bodyes shall be raised vp agayne from the duste and shall bee placed with hym in that endles ioy which thou O father of mercy hast prepared for thine elect before the foundation of the world was layde And these most inestimable benefites we acknowledge and confesse to haue receaued of thy free mercy and grace by thine onely beloued sonne Jesus Christ For the which therfore we thy congregation moued by thy holy spirite render to thee all thankes praise and glory for euer and euer ¶ A thankesgeuing after the receauiug of the holy Communion TOst mercifull father we render vnto thee all prayse thankes honour glory for that it hath pleased thee of thy great mercies to graunt vs miserable sinners so excellent a gift and treasure as to receaue vs into the fellowship company of thy deare sonne Jesus Christ our Lord whom thou hast deliuered to death for vs hast geuen hym vnto vs as a necessary foode and nourishment vnto euerlasting lyfe And now we besech thee also O heauenly father to graunt vs thys request that thou neuer suffer vs to become so vnkind as to forget so worthy benefites but rather imprint and fasten them sure in our hartes that we may grow encrease dayly more and more in true fayth which continually is exercised in all maner of good workes and so much the rather O Lord confirme vs in these perillous dayes and rages of Sathan that we may constantly stand and continue in the confession of the same to the aduauncemēt of thy glory which art God ouer al things blessed for euer So be it ¶ A Prayer for wisedome to gouerne the Realme ALmightie God King of all Kinges Lorde of heauē earth by whose ordinaunce Princes haue gouernance of mortal mē wheras the wisest King Salomon plainly confesseth him self vnable to gouerne his kingdome without thy helpe assistance how much lesse shall I thy handmaide being by kinde a weake womā haue sufficient abilitie to rule these thy kingdomes of England and Ireland an innumerable warlike nation or how shall I possibly be able to beare the infinite weight of so great a burden vnlesse thou O most mercifull father as thou hast of thine own liberalitie without my deseruing and agaynst the expectation of many geuen me a kingdome and made me to reigne doe also in my reigning endue and helpe me with thy heauenly grace without which none euen the wisest among the childrē of men can once thinke a right thought Thou therefore O endlesse foūtaine of all wisedome send downe from thy holy heauen and frō the soueraigne throne of thy maiestie thy wisedome to be euer with me and alway to assist me to watch and labour with me in gouerning the common weale and that it may so teach and instruct me thy hādmaide that I may discerne betwene good euill and betwene right wronge that I may euer haue willingnes boldnes power to geue deserued punishment to the giltie louingly to defend the innocent liberally to cherish the painefull and profitable members of the common weale finally without regard of persons wtout accompt of worldly respectes take in hand execute and performe that which I shall know to please thee alone that when thou the rightfull iudge that shalt require many great thynges at their handes to whom many and great thinges are committed shalt call vs all to a straite reckening I be not condemned as giltie of euill gouernaunce but if I thy handmaide by naturall frailtie weaknes and want of cōsideration shall in any thing haue swarued from the right way it may please thee of thy great mercy most soueraigne king and most louing father for Jesus Christ thy sonnes sake to pardon me and graunt that after this earthly kingdome expired I may with thee enioy the heauenly and euerlasting kingdome through the same Jesus Christ thy sonne our Lorde and Mediator to whom with thee and with the holy ghost the only king of all worldes immortall inuisible onely wise God be all honour and glory for euer ⸫ Domine ne in furore PSALME VI. ¶ When Dauid by his sinnes had prouoked Gods wrath and now felte not onely his hand against him but also conceyued the horrors of death euerlasting he desireth forgeuenes bewailing that if God tooke him away in his indignation he should lacke occasion to prayse him as he was wont to do whiles he was among mē Then sodenly feeling Gods mercy he sharply rebuketh his enemies which reioyced in his affliction O Lorde rebuke me not in thine indignatiō neither chasten me in thy displeasure My soule is also sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me Turne thee O Lord and deliuer my soule Oh saue me for thy mercies sake For in death no man remēbreth thee and who will geue thee thankes in the pit I am wery of my groning euery night wash I my bedde and water my couch with teares My beautie is gone for very trouble and worne away because of all mine
gates of death and yet reducing backe againe I besech thee that as thou hast with thy sharpe visitation and greuous sicknes already corrected me thy disobedient seruaunt so thou wilt also after thys thy fatherly correction mercifully relieue and restore me if it may so stand with thy gratious goodnes euen as thy beloued sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ vppon earnest sute and prayer as in hys holy Gospell is mentioned relieued and restored vnto health the rulers sonne being in extreme sicknes and at the very poynt of death which my most humble sute I likewise entirely make vnto thee most mercifull father in the name of the same thy dearlybeloued sonne our Sauiour Jesus Christ who liueth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghost world without end Amen ¶ In time of sicknes O Most mightie most mercifull Sauior Jesu Christ the onely sonne of the liuing God who being here vpon the earth amongest mortall men by the healing of all diseases and pardoning of the sinnes of such as put theyr trust in thee diddest declare vnto the world that thou art that onely heauenly and perfect Physition as well of our soules as of our bodyes and when such as trusted in theyr owne righteousnes did lay it to thy charge as a fault that thou diddest keepe company with sinners thou diddest expressely testifie that not such as were in health but such as were sicke had nede of the Physitian Beholde O heauenly Physitian here in me a matter most worthy of thy diuine cure most meete to shew both thy power and mercy vppon Behold a person sore oppressed both with the sickenes of my soule and body Beholde me thy handmaiden vpon whom from my tender yeares vnto thys day thou hast heaped so great so many and almost infinite benefites of thy gratious goodnes whom being borne of a king and Queene thou hast not onely endued with giftes of grace meete for a kingdome but also hast deliuered me from many great daungers out of the handes of my enemies from the snares of death which they had set for my life hast exalted me vnto the dignitie of a Queene and placed me in the high estate of honour amongest mortall persons and that not through any my deseruyng but onely of thy free goodnes and mere liberalitie But now O Lord either lest too much worldly prosperitie should cary my minde astray and cause me to forget my selfe and my boūden dutie towardes thee or els for that I being by thee made a Queene ouer thy people haue neuer as I ought to doe from my hart acknowledged and confessed my self to be the subiecte and handmaiden of thy Maiestie neither behaued my selfe towardes thee accordingly as became thy bond maiden neither being thankfull towardes thee as my most gratious Sauiour nor obedient vnto thee as my most dreadfull Lord or els for other causes vnto thy diuine wisedome best knowen now I say eyther wholesomly to admonish or most iustly to punishe thy disobedient seruant and so gratiously to correcte and amend me thou hast stricken me with a greuous sicknes of my body and very daūgerous vnto my life and also troubled abashed my minde with terrours and anguishes of my soule and withall thou hast by my daunger sore flighted and amased thy people of England whose safetie quietnes next after thee seemeth to stay vppon me aboue all other worldly creatures and vpon my life and continuance amongest them Wherfore as well I as thy people cōmitted ▪ vnto me bowing the knees of our hartes before thy maiestie do hūbly besech thee most gratious Sauiour in thy iudgement to remember thy mercy and according to thy accustomed goodnes to deliuer me thy handmaiden from thys present perill of daungerous sicknes And first O heauenly Physitian I besech thee heale my soule pardoning my vnkindnes towardes thee forgeuing my forgetfulnes of thee and of my selfe vtterly blotting out and putting cleane away all other my sinnes committed agaynst thy Maiestie Heale my minde reforming and instructing me with thy heauenly grace that I may take thys sicknes which thou hast most iustly punished me withall contentedly and paciently as a bitter but wholesome medicine of all the diseases of my minde offered vnto me by thee as it were by the handes of the best Physician And withall heale my body also making it sound and pure frō all infirmities remnantes of sicknes that I may be throughly cured by the hauing of a whole minde in a whole body and that I hauing obteyned perfect health of both by thy only benefite not onely my self but also all thy people of England with me may both be taught by the perill past hereafter to geue due reuerence and obedience vnto thy maiestie and for the deliuerie from so great a daunger and benefite of perfect health may magnifie thy goodnes and mercy with perpetuall prayses and continuall thankesgeuing who with thy heauenly father and the holy Ghost are one immortall and most glorious God to whom belongeth all Empyre power and maiestie worlde without end Amen ¶ A Prayer to be sayd after sicknes or any other kinde of crosse or affliction ALmightie most mercifull father I thy poore creature worke of thyne handes acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my manifolde sinnes and offences which I frō my youth vp vnto thys day haue cōmitted agaynst thee in thought word and deede am taught and moued by thy worde and grace to be hartely sory for the same beseching thee for Jesus Christ thy deare sonnes sake to haue mercy vpon me and to forgeue me all these myne offences according to thy great mercy and promise which hast sayd At what time so euer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne frō the bottome of hys hart I will put all hys wickednes out of my remembraunce Ezech. xviij O Lord I confesse that I was borne in sinne and conceaued in wickednes and am by nature a childe of wrath for in my fleshe dwelleth no good thyng and of my selfe I am not able to thinke a good thought much lesse to do that thou in thy lawe requirest of me which hast sayd Cursed is he that continueth not in all thinges that are written in the lawe to doe them Again thy law is spirituall but I am carnall sold vnder sinne Therfore O Lorde I come vnto thee for grace which hast sayd Aske ye shall haue seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you to preuent and draw my will vnto all goodnes for none can come vnto thee except he bee drawen and except we bee borne from aboue we can not see the kingdome of God Therfore O Lorde renue in me a right spirite that I may receaue strength and ablenes to do thy righteous will Assist me with thy grace that I may be strengthened with power in the inward man and be armed with thy holy armour which is the brestplate of righteousnes the shield of fayth the hope of