after follow them into heauen whereby I shall therefore bee the rather mooued to giue thee thankes for the time that thy goodnesse hath giuen mee to enioy their presence to the comfort of my life and not as it were by a certaine kinde of ingratitude towards both thee and them mourne for their ioy and felicitie In all other forrowes and griefes that should lesse trouble vs giue me grace my Lord that I be not mooued to bitternesse or anger but that with a quiet minde I may beare al and tread vnder feete the thornes of my life as being assured in the end to finde both the costs and reward To the same end also touch my heart earnestly with the feeling of thy benefits namely of those which thou hast liberally granted vs for the necessities of this life lest as an ingrateful wretch I should forget them after the maner of carnall men that are neuer content with thy benefites but doe enioy them without any acknowledgement and which is more are ready to complain if they haue not all their vanities at a wish yea which is worst of all when they haue often eaten at the table of thy Sonne doe lift vp their heele against him wherein they are worse then beasts that doe acknowledge those that feede and dresse them and doe humble themselues in their presence O most mightie GOD deliuer mee from the counsell of these wicked ones and hypocrites and let mee not sit vpon the seate of these scorners with whom godlinesse is folly and the equitie of thy law but a sporte But whether I walke or stand stil whether I do or suffer grant O Lord that I may alwaies walke as in thy presence to the glory of thy holy name and that my soule may take counsaile and be satisfied in thy righteousnesse whilst in all patience I waite for my deliuerance from all paine and the perfection of my felicity at my departure from this carnall habitation when according to thy promise I shall be receiued into thy kingdome in the company of the Angels Saints there to behold thy glory eternally So be it The seuenteenth Praier For the good vsage of mans life Thus sayeth the Lord let not the wiseman boast of his wisedome neither the strong man of his strength neither the rich man of his riches but let him that boasteth doe it because hee hath vnderstanding and knoweth me that I am the Lorde who shewe mercie iudgement and iustice vpon the earth Ieremie 9. O Lord great wonderfull in thy works thou in thy wisedome hast made and ordained them all wherevpon the heauens without speaking do declare thy glory and the earth is full of thy riches But especially vppon man hast thou powred forth thy most aboundaunt treasures in that thou hast created him to thy likenesse excellent in all good things and established him the possesser of the world Lord of all other creatures the mirror of thy wisedome the beames of thy light the pattern of thy goodnes and the most noble instrument of the sanctification of thy name therfore hast thou endued man with an immortal spirit capable of reason to the end I say that in beholding here beneath the exquisite workes of thy handes and vsing them without interruption hee might knowe loue feare and honour thee as his father and benefactor Yea cleaue vnto thee for euer vsing his lif according to the principall end thereof True it is that by originall sinne wee are all fallen from the most singular qualities necessarie for the holding of our right course to so great felicitie Yet haue we not so put them off as to rest altogether naked for all that is re-established in vs and in a farre better condition by thy grace in our Lord Iesus Christ who cloatheth vs anewe with the newe man in a quickening spirite and furnisheth vs with his light to the end that in the serious meditation of thy visible workes in the right vse of the benefites which wee taste therin we might apprehend the celestial inuisible things and acknowledge thee the authour and persection of all that is That is how the heauens appearing to our eyes and the greatnesse and the beautie and the motions therof in so many sorts so wel ordered so profitable do make vs with our inteligence to penetrate euen vnto thee the admirable creator of all things and in the excellencie of the same to meditate vpon the height and depth of thy excellency to the end to sing vnto thee Psalms of thanksgiuing and in the selfe same to finde rest and comforte for our souls Also wheras the sunne lighteth and warmeth vs the day reioyceth vs the aire quikneth vs the earth feedeth vs the water moysteth vs and the night ministers to vs rest from our labours and which is more O Father of all the world whereas thou maintainest orders and gouernments that thou pullest down the prowd and exaltest the humble that thou extendest thy punishments vppon the earth and the inhabitants thereof that thou visitest them with mercy exercising thy iudgements vpon small families as well as vpon great Monarchies according as there is nothing in nature that taketh place more or lesse in respect of thy infinite glory surely in all these things O inuisible GOD thou makest thy selfe to bee seene and giuest vs cause to sing to thy name with a most excellent inducement to passe ouer our life soberly But if wee turne vnto our selues to consider our owne nature especially the faculties of the soule and the reason thereof which directeth the body and giueth diuerse vertues to all the senses and that we represent to our selues the admirable coniunction of the immortall essence with the mortall Indeed ruminating these workes of thy hands and vnable to comprehend the causes and secrets of the same wee yeeld our selues ouercome that we may preach forth the victory of thy soueraigne wisedome and say with the Prophet Thy knowledge is too maruelous for vs and so high that we cannot approch thereto But if proceeding beyond this Booke of Nature wee come to reade in the Booke of the Lambe slaine for our ransome and to see and meditate vpon the husbandrie of thy sheepefold and the aboundance of celestiall blessings in the same O Lord what height and depth of wisedome of charitie of mercy of iustice is in the same O the greatnesse of ioy and peace to the illuminate hearts that can penetrate into all these diuine mysteries when we come to thy church to learne thy law to heare the gospel to worship and call vpon thee and to sound forth thy praise wee are as it were in the sanctuary of thy kingdome and before thy face among the Angels to contemplate and celebrate thy glory Also when wee doe communicate in the sacred signes of thy couenant we see wee touch we taste with our eyes with our hands with the pallat of our soules the water of washing regeneration and the bread of life the foode
sufficiently preach forth the infinite power of thy hand which had created him such a one I wil not neither can I ascend higher then thy word teacheth me to enquire wherefore thou wouldest not so establish the blessed being of this the greatest and chiefest of thy visible workes that he might not fall I haue matter enough to occupy the strength of my soule to meditate vpon to haue in detestation yea euen before thy Maiestie to accuse the pride of our nature which thought not it selfe in honor sufficient vnlesse it were equall with thy deitie freeing it selfe from all feare and obedience vnto thee and by that rash ingratitude cast himselfe headlong from innocency into sinne from life into temporall and eternall death To thee O Lord belongeth righteousnesse and to man confusion shame and thou after thy good pleasure shewest mercy to whom thou wilt shew mercy The vaine Philosophie and foolish curiositie which is not content with the simplicitie of Christian faith retained within the limits of thy sacred Oracles shal make much enquiry about this fall of Adam to the end if she could to penetrate into thy secret counsaile about the creation and end of thy workes yea euen in that which toucheth the election and reprobation of mankind shee dareth in this bottomlesse pit to dicourse of thy infinite iustice the argument of thy incomprehensible glory measuring both the one and the other with her terrestiall conceits for to declare in her imaginations thy grace to the elect and thy iudgement against the reprobate daring to pleade their cause as also she will resolue of their estate after this life and of the qualitie of their punishments But thy children O heauenly Father instructed by thy doctrine through the light of thy spirit will in their hearts humblie reuerence thy decrees which are alwayes iust euen in the first condemnation of al mankinde and will be content to magnifie thy goodnesse for the grace that it hath pleased thee to bestow vpon them in Iesus Christ adopting them by him of thy free mercy into thy family For they haue learned in thy schoole that the inaccessible brightnesse of thy iudgements dazleth the best sighted mindes and spirits yea wasteth and consumeth them when they presume to approach to enquire the secret causes This doe I know neither will I know any more that all things doe worke for the best in thy elect because that hauing known them before all ages thou hast also predestinated them to be made conformable to the image of thy Son called and iustified them to be glorified The vessels of wrath prepared to perdition do feele none of these free mercies and celestiall riches whereof it comes that when they thinke vpon death they see nothing but feareful horrible damnable all intollerable paine without diminution or end an infernall diuelish and endlesse torment a gnashing of teeth with blasphemy and dispaire a perpetuall disquiet both in body and soule an eternity to their woe and damnation and which is worse a most merciful God whom they shall know to be in heauen and yet not to bee their God but their aduersary soueraigne Iudge to be as seuere and rigorous to them as he shall be gentle and fauorable to his children This is in summe all that the reprobate may expect or hope for in death This also maketh that when they find they are vtterly destitute of the pledge of their fredome which thy elect O Lord doe carry with them in this sinne of nature namely faith in Christ dead for their sinnes and risen againe for their righteousnesse these miserable men departe this their earthly habitation with great griefe and trembling vsually at the hower of death casting forth many woeful sobbes infallible fore-runners of their misery at hand As in truth they want no more thereof but the proofe that they are going to make of the eternall torments with the diuells in the burning lake of fire and brimstone which is neuer quenched giuen to the soule presently vpon the temporall death and to both body and soule in the day of the resurrection of all flesh I say in the second eternall death a death which continueth without dying and without consuming or destroying that which it makes to languish for euer in a furnace always burning deuouring and consuming amongest which vnspeakeable torments yea such as mans thought is not able to conceiue this paine is not the least to the damned but rather an other cruell death that they neuer haue any motion of the spirit to repent or conuert vnto thee the onely and true God I beseech thee therefore O Lord that as thou hast giuen me grace to belieue that by thy grace I am made a vessell of mercy I may liue in the life of the righteous sanctified by the spirit of Christ to depart happily in him and so to ascend vnto thee into thy new Sion and there to receiue the price of the victorious crown which this great Sauior of the elect hath purchased for the perfection of their glory So be it The one and twentieth Prayer For the Morning O Lord euen in the morning heare my voice Earlie in the morning will I direct my praier vnto thee and will looke vp O Lord I crie vnto thee and earlie shall my praier come before thee Let my helpe and beginning be in the name of god Father Sonne and holi-ghost who hath made heauen and earth Psal 5. 88. O Lord my God eternal and almightie to whom I owe all glory and obedience I doe humbly prostrate my selfe before thy face and lift vp my heart and voice to thee my Father which art in heauen to sanctifie thy name to craue thy mercy and to giue thee thankes for thy benefits I acknowledge of thy prouidence and benignitie that hauing passed this night vnder thy gard and protection I may yet see the light of the day in the workes of thy hands contemplate the greatnesse of thy power and here below enioy those temporall benefites that thou powrest plentifully or largely vppon thy creatures But because of thy vnmeasurable bountie thou makest earthlie things common to all men and that the effects of the Sonne doe stand vs no steede but for the life of the bodie I beeseech thee merciful Father more and more to raise vpon my heart thy eternall light our Lord Iesus Christ and by the vertue of thy spirit so to scatter the darkenesse of my vnderstanding and to breake the hardnesse of my heart that so farre as it may suffize for my saluation I may apprehend the glorie of thy Kingdome and the mysteries of christian faith together with the dutie of my calling that I may constantly walke in the same in a good conscience and as before thee the searcher of our harts with all my thoughtes worshipping and louing thee in spirit and trueth according to thy word louing also in thee my neighboures as my selfe to pleasure them so farre forth as I may by
To the honourable and most vertuous Mistrisse Francis Smith I Doe heere offer vp vnto your vertue which dooth yet make you more worthy then the worth of your most Honourable birth these vn-Frenched Prayers which the religious zeale of that reuerend man Beza of Geneua hath in his priuate Exercises povvred out vnto GOD. To commend their excellencie vnto you by my iudgement were to commend them to little and therefore let your owne iudgement as it can best conceiue their worth and your godly deuotion in making vse of them supplie whatsoeuer want of grace is come vnto them by my changing theyr language in the weight and life which your vtterance shal giue them To none could they be addressed by mee so fitly both in respect of your vertue prone to affect such religious exercises and for the respect seruice I owe your woorthie Husband whose fauour towardes me doth iustly challenge a most grateful acknowlegement And therfore if you will be pleased graciously to receiue these Prayers at my hands you shall adde to their number this one That God to whom they are sent will both heere on Earth in Heauen blesse you with vnspeakeable felicity At your commandement most humbly I. B. A Table of the Praiers contained in this Booke 1 A prayer vppon the Lordes prayer 2 A prayer vppon the Beliefe 3 A prayer vppon the tenne Commaundements 4 A prayer to one only God in Trinitie of persons 5 A prayer to knowe God in Iesus Christ 6 A prayer for obtaining of the gift of the Holyghost 7 A prayer to God for the light of his word 8 A prayer that wee may not depart from the holy Church 9 A prayer to obtaine the efficacie of holie Baptisme 10 A prayer for the Communion of the holie Eucharist 11 A prayer to giue thanks after the Communion 12 A praier to obtaine the gift of Faith 13 A prayer to obtaine the vertue of Hope 14 A prayer to obtaine the virtue of Charitie 15 A praier for the wel vsing of afflictions 16 A praier to obtaine the virtue of patience 17 A praier for the wel vsing of mans life 18 A praier vpon temporall death 19 A prayer vpon heauenly life 20 A prayer vppon eternall death 21 A morning prayer 22 A prayer among a Family 23 A Prayer beefore meate 24 A Prayer to giue thanks after meate 25 An euening praier among a family 26 A Prayer for him that suffreth much by sickenesse 27 A prayer in the Visitation of the sicke 28 A prayer for him that feeleth him selfe to be neere death The end of the Table To al Christians zealous in holy Prayers Luke 21. The Kingdome of God is at hand watch therfore praying at all times IF wee are indued with the true knowlege of our estate and condition as also the efficacie of holy prayers wee shoulde not neede to be aduertised often to present our selues before God to offer vnto him our vowes and to beseech his fatherly loue or dilection for guiding vs by his good spirit vnto the light of his trueth to encrease in our heartes faith loue constancie humilitie and other his heauenly giftes to forgiue vs our debts to mortifie the corruptions of our nature to clothe vs with his spirituall armour against the assaults of the diuel the world the flesh to prouide for our necessities to preserue vs from infinite dangers which compasse vs round about to be short to graunt vs his holie spirite to guide the whole course of our life to the glorie of his name and the peace and saluation of our owne soules For he who hath not a feeling of the great want of all these graces or blessings and consequently the necessitie of praiers vnto God for obtaining the same knoweth not himselfe but is senslesse and voyd of all feeling By prayer wee blesse God for his goodnesse power wisedome iustice and mercy towardes vs because of our prayers he blesseth vs in doing vs good and distributing his benefites amongest vs it is vnto vs as the soule of our soules for that prayer quickeneth our affections and lifteth vppe our heartes vnto heauen which otherwise wold be dead in sinnes and trespasses by following the vanities of this wicked world Prayer is as it were the key which openeth vnto vs the treasury of our heauenly Father as faith is the hand laying holde vpon those sure and permanent possessions of eternall life the desire whereof should cause vs continually to pray vnto and feruently to loue God Prayer maketh that in the miseries of this life wee comfort our selues by looking for the benefites of the kingdome of God Prayer refresheth vs through the remembrance of his gracious promises which confirme vs in the same and of the blessings already receiued at his hands which moue vs in our necessities to hope for the like and wait for it with al patience It augmenteth in vs a desire to be conioyned with him throgh our Lorde Iesus Christ in whome all our good doth consist It cheereth vs in those workes which the holy ghost worketh in vs by vs yeelding a sweet smell to our souls and is moreouer vnto vs as a strong Tower and most assured fortresse against all that might astonish vs in this our earthly habitation yea which is more prayer doth somtimes stand vs insteede to obtaine of Almighty God most euident testimonies of his glorie in matters supernaturall which our reason should iudge impossible as it befell vnto Moses praying for the victory of the Israelites against the Amalekites to Ioshuah when at his praier the course of the Sunne was stayed to Elias bringing fire down from heauen and to Ezechias restored to helth after sentence given of his death not that wee should simply attribute so great and profitable effects to the woorke of prayer but to the goodnesse loue power and counsell of God who worketh so and by such meanes as hee pleaseth in his creatures and of his free mercie crowneth the prayers of his elect with rewardes and with grace for grace These therefore are the fruits and benefites we are to looke for from our good god and father when reposing our selues vpon his loue in Christ and with humble and penitent hearts wee doe prostrate our selues before his face to sanctifie his name crauing his mercie and beseeching him to blesse vs teach and guide vs as his children to beleeue his word euen as he whom we cal vpon doth desire our good bicause he loueth vs may giue vnto vs that we aske because he is almighty and is willing to heare vs for his Sonnes sake because hee hath so promised But it is also most true that acording to his wisdome he knoweth the time and conuenient meanes to let vs fully enioy the efficacie of our praiers Let vs perseuer only asking those things which are to his glorie and hee will not faile to helpe vs in all our necessities Wee are moreouer to note that it is not the sound of the
helpe me and to relieue me in all my necessities considering thou arte in heauen euen according as being in al places thou art as it were in no place for thou art wholie an infinite spirite and inaccessible light whose name is I am namelie of a sole true essence eternall immutable and incomprehensible and from whom all nature whether celestiall or terrestriall doeth through grace borrowe his essence and subsistence Thus arte thou aboue in such wise that being out of euery place thou art aboue all this great vniuersall world in the seate of thine own glory from whence thou doest embrace both heauen and earth and with thy prouidence sustaine them As also in some sorte thou art aboue al things because they doe all depend and beare themselues vppon thee who likewise dost by thy subtilitie pierce into them more neerly vnto euery creature then the same is to it selfe Howbeit thou art in heauen so far forth as that the exquisite workes of thy hands do the better appeare therein And thou doest in an especiall maner inhabite the high heauen for there doeth thy Maiestie shine with open countenaunce beside thou art with thy gracious presence in the soules of the righteous which do harbour thee as a Father in their heartes Hallowed be thy name FOr O Lord sith thou art my father reason requireth that aboue all things I should desire thy honour But euerlastingly for euer and euer thy name is holy the glory therof infinit My praier then bringeth nothing to thy greatnes and excellencies but yet I may heere desire that thy name both of it self and by it selfe most holy may be sanctified and exalted in me and in all men and in all places whereby my selfe do also obtaine that holines which is conuenient for the true childe of such a father vnto whome all vncleanenesse is displeasing Thy kingdome come But who can impeach thy Kingdome O eternall God who hast created al things for thy seruice Thou raignest ouer al for the heauen is thy throne and the earth thy foote-stoole Yet I beseech thee be vnto me as a father in mercy not as a Iudge in thy iustice thou raignest in thy worde which thou hast reuealed and inspired and I beseech thee euen for thy glory sake that this thy booke of life may bee opened to all people that thereby all nations may worship thee thou raignest in thy Church and I pray that the number of thy elect may be shortly fulfilled Thy kingdome is thy grace and I beseech thee to make mee as capable thereof as thou art liberall Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen MY will O Lord is altogether peruers and depraued except it bee formed by thine wherin resteth and consisteth all my good create in me this holy will and giue mee grace to fulfil it in al my thoghts workes for what can I haue but what thou giuest mee To the end that in obedience of faith I may doe that which shall bee acceptable in thy sight euen as the Angells in heauen do obey thy voyce Giue vs this day our dailie bread FOR Christ our Lord and Doctour hath so contriued the petitions which we make vnto thee that in seeking first the glorie of thy name hee will that with al we should haue experience of the riches of thy goodnesse in all things necessary for this life Thus wilt thou O merciful Father recompence with infinite benefits euen our simple cogitations of the brightnesse of thy glory and crowne thy giftes in vs with grace for grace We do therefore dayly craue our bread and thou dost also giue it vs that is to say euen all that is necessarie for our maintaynance heere beneathe yet doest thou present vs with one bread farre more excellent and profitabl euen the bread of angels and of the blessed spirits giue mee therefore O Lord Iesus Christ God and man that of him I may liue for euer that my vnderstanding may bee enlightned with his truth and my heart kindled with the fire of his loue that I perish not And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. OVr sinnes as debts do bind vs to death which is their rewarde and to hell which is their graue they are as a strong barre to keepe vs from comming to thee O most holy God yea which is more they are as a clowde that shadoweth thine eyes from looking fauourably vpon vs. And therefore the most conuenient preparation to prayer is with an humble and truely penitent heart to feele and confesse our sinnes for so thou wilt vouchsafe to grant vs remission of the same in the name of thy sonne our Sauior in imputing vnto vs his righteousnesse Yet herein O Lord is thy free mercy very great that thou also giuest vs power to pardon those that doe offend vs and by so dooing to obtaine thy grace for what offence can any man commit against vs poore worms of the earth considering that we do so often and so grieuously offend O King of glory and in such sorte that if euery creature should arme it self to hurt vs yet would not the least iniurie that we commit against thee be sufficiently reuenged Yet dost thou vouchsafe thus to testifie thy infinite goodnesse accepting as a sweete sacrifice the oblation of our harts reconciled and fully vnited with our neighbours like as contrarywise no part of a hateful and peruerse heart can delight thee And leade vs not into temptation but deliuer vs from euill FOr as through thy mercy thou sufferest not Satan the author of all temptations to seduce thy children neither sinne to ouercome them so when thou wilt punish man in thy iustice they remaine depriued of thy protection and vnder the power of the diuell to be subiect to his tyrany and to liue in a reprobate sence hereof doe we therefore reape this singular consolation that this great aduersarie of our saluation can doe nothing against vs vnlesse thou giue him leaue and whereas sometimes thou causest vs to be tempted thou doest it as a father to chastice vs for our transgressions or to make vs more triumphant and victorious in the triall which it pleaseth thee to make of our faith and hope for thy glory and our owne good or for the edification of our neighbours For thine is the kingdome the power and the glory for euer and euer LIke as O my God and father I began my prayer by the hallowing of thy name so is it meete and iust that I should end it by the exaltation of the same as thy children who bounding their vowes with the onely care of thy honour may assure themselues to obtaine the fulfilling of the same in the sole perfection of thy glory So be it The second Prayer Vpon the Symbole or Articles of Beliefe I beleeue in God the Father Almightie c. 1. Cor. 15. Before all things I haue deliuered vnto you that which I haue receyued namely that Christ died
the three persons of thy most simple Deitie or separating the onelie and indiuisible substance thereof each person retaineth that which is proper to it selfe in the workes of thy hands especiallie in that which concerneth our saluation So the beginning of all and euery action is properly attributed vnto thee O Father of the whole world and to Iesus Christ the wisdome the counsel and the order to dispose all things and to the Holy-ghost the virtue and supporter of all thy workes According whereunto we also doe acknowledge from thy loue and from thy eternall decree that which thou hast prouided for vs in thy sonne very God made very man such a mediatour and sauiour as was necessary for vs and we do render vnto him the honour of the fulnesse of thy loue towards vs and of that perfect obedience which he hath yeelded to thy ordinance euen to the death of the crosse for vs in most bitter anguish as also from the vertue of the Holy-ghost wee doe confesse the efficacie and healthfull application of this great principal worke-manship of our redemption But thy wisdome O Lord resteth wholy in mysterie that is to say it is hidden except vnto those to whom thy spirit giueth sight For true it is that Christ calleth all men vnto him by his Gospel spreading forth to that effect his light throughout the whole world Whoso followeth him shall not walke in darkenesse for hee is the Sunne of righteousnesse and the way to go to heauen But his sheep only do heare his voice and follow him as also hee knoweth them and giueth vnto them life euerlasting euen by the meere efficacie of his spirit which quickeneth lighteneth all thy elect O God to make them in thy word to behold the onely lampe of thy kingdome the knowledge of saluation the stedfast good of the soule and the sure and only means to obtaine the same all people may reade thy sacred writings only they can gather the sence to the peace of their soules whom it pleaseth thee as a Father to illuminate from aboue For so may they see howe in the crosse of Iesus they doe obtaine their triumph in his shame their glory in his paine their peace in his teares their ioy in his sorrowe their comfort in his death their life in his resurrection the fulnes of their hope I beseech thee therefore my God to powre vpon me this thy spirit of wisdome and reuelation and grace and mercie through the force of his beames to scatter the darkenesse of my vnderstanding and with the propertie of his fire to purifie my peruerse affections with his celestiall lamp to kindle in my hart the true zeale of his glorie with his holie oyntment to enbaulme my conscience with his sacred oyle to reioyce and refresh my bowells and with his vertue to renew in me an vpright spirit to the end that my soule thus cleansed from the dead workes of the flesh may be replenished with faith working all righteousnesse whereby to ouercome all the enemies of my peace Sathan the flesh the world and my owne lusts But aboue al things O Lord make that by the efficacy of thy holy spirit I may obtaine the true and firme consolation of the faithful soule the height of his ioy of his quiet and content and the infallible direction to his perfection namely the assurance that thou my heauenly Father hast adopted mee into the number of thy children by that grace that thou hast giuen vs in Christ who was made our wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption And that being so ouershadowed with the hope of Christians which neuer at all confoundeth I may bee supported euen to the end of my dayes by thy holy spirite which then especially may help my weakenesse that I may yeeld vnto thee O my God my last groanes to thee acceptable and to me salutiferous as being in the throne of thy glorie approoued capable of the contemplation thereof in the heauenly Ierusalem through thy goodnesse and mercy in Iesus Christ our Lord To whom with thee O Father and the holy spirit one onely God bee all honor glory and dominion for euermore So be it The seuenth Prayer To craue of God the light of his word God hauing at sundrie times and in diuers manners spoken to our Fathers by the Prophets In these last dayes hee hath spoken vnto vs by his Sonne All Scripture is giuen from aboue by inspiration and is profitable to teach to conuince to correct and to instruct in righteousnesse that the man of God may be accomplished and perfectly instructed to al good workes Heb. 1. Tim. 3. LOrd GOD eternall who knowest that euerie man is but flesh and that flesh is but corruption so that although thou hast endued him with a reasonable soule which doth distinguish him from other creatures yet his light is notwithstanding conuerted into darknes when therby he seeketh to penetrate into the glorie of thy kingdome and the mysteries of thy grace who knowst that this poore blind borne destitute of thy supernaturall light doeth in lieu of his God forge to him selfe an idol and instead of truth taketh lies for thy worde his owne inuentions for goodnesse vanitie and for the path to life the way to death And albeit thou hast euen from the beginning made thy selfe as it were visible to man in the table of the Vniuersall worlde that thou hast many times reuealed thy selfe vnto him in a liuely voyce by thy eternall worde in Heden Horeb in the burning bush and elsewhere afterward by thy prophets insinuating thy selfe by thy spirit into their harts thoghts to the end by their ministrie to instruct thy people and finally that thou hast also manifested thy selfe in greater light by thy owne worde made flesh for our redemption and speaking vnto vs by his mouth Yea which is more that thou hast so farre graced vs that this thy word of life hath beene and stil remaineth among vs faithfully collected in the sacred registers of the holy scripture so to be vnto vs the image of thy glory the Lawe of thy Kingdome the ladder to Heauen the gate to paradice the trumpet of saluation to be briefe the treasury of piety vertue wisdome consolation and perfection Yet the flesh neuerthelesse ignorant rash and peruerse hath neither eyes to perceiue these spirituall riches nor eares to heare the wholsome doctrine but dooth rather disdaine it as it were some deuised discourse vnprofitable voice or howsoeuer it be suffering it self to be carried away with it owne feeble imaginations taketh in this verely the thorne for the rose the leafe for the fruite and the huske for the kernell And thus are wee all borne in this error in this calamitie in this waie to mortall ruine vntill that thou O mercifull God makest vs to be borne againe of the spirite and in will to make our thoughts capaof the light of thy word through true faith to apprehend the mysteries of thy kingdome
iustified by faith Abraham beleeued in God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Yee all are the children of God by the faith that is in Iesus Christ Galath 3. Rom. 4. ALmightie and eternal god it hath pleased thee in thy vnsearchable counsaile for a time to giue vnto men the Lawe to the end to guide them to IESVS Christ vnder a schoolehouse of figures and shadows euen those whom thou of thy grace hast called into the faith of this promised Sauior to obtaine in him their iustification and saluation And when in the fulnesse of time hee appeared vnto vs clothed in our nature for the accomplishing of thy great and precious promises this iustification of thy elect was fully reuealed made ours by beleefe in his Gospel But O Lord thou doost well know and euery man in himselfefeeleth the incredulitie and weaknes of man who being but earth and flesh cannot climbe vp into heauen and to the spirit of life so to confesse and apprehend these deepe mysteries of thy loue And indeed it is an ancient and common complaint of thy Prophets and Apostles who manie times haue said as much O Lord who hath belieued our preaching Also there be so many impostures in the worlde so many dreames so many inuentions yea which is more so many assaults so many snares and so ordinary miseries that shake the best To bee briefe so great is the vanitie ignorance and infirmitie of our nature that if thou O most mercifull God workest not that in vs which thou commaundest vs to doe if thou doost not teach vs that vvee may knowe if thou doost not conuert vs that wee may cleaue to thy worde if thou dost not giue vs to thy Sonne that hee may keepe vs thine if hee bring vs not cloathed in his righteousnesse to the throne of thy grace and if thy spirite leadeth vs not in the paths of thy Kingdome holding vs fast in the effects of his gifts vppon the way of thy trueth wee cannot harken to this voyce of the shepheard of our soules neither in our harts conceiue such and so liuely a Faith that all vncertainty might be banished and the same sealed with his owne efficacie much lesse can we feele the peace and ioy that true faith bringeth with it For that cause O Lord in thy loue hast thou promised to poure vpon thy children and seruants this spirite of thy strength light mercy and perfection to forme in their heartes this thy singular gift which vnto vs is a subsistance of the things that wee hope for and a demonstration of those that wee see not By this so holy and necessarie an ornament of the faithfull wee doe in all assurance crie vnto thee Abba Father and in our consciences feele that wee are at peace with thy maiesty throgh Christ beeing iustified in his blood that wee may liue religiously and holily according to his worde I doe therefore beseech thee my GOD to accomplish in my soule these great effects of thy loue newe cloathing me with the light and vertue of thy holie spirit that after the measure of the gift thereof I may be able with a true and liuely faith to penetrate into the secret of my calling and to that end vouchsafe so to augment in mee this faith that by the degrees of the perfection thereof it may appeare in all her fruites causing mee to worship inuocate and serue thee according as thou commandest that my vnderstanding may be withdrawne from the seduction of errour and my wil from carnal concupiscence also that my hart may infinitely bee comforted with the feeling of this that by christ I am reconciled to thee to holinesse of life and eternal beatitude so that dayly encreasing in this all spiritual vertue I may attaine to some portion of thy Soueraigne wisedome and perfect righteousnesse to the ende that when my soule shall forsake this fleshly habitation the same faith may be as wings to transport it into thy bosome to the celestial rest of the Angels and Saints there to possesse the fulnes of her peace and of all ioy So be it The thirteenth Prayer To demaund the vertue of hope God by his great mercy hath regenerated vs to a liuely hope by the resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To the end that being iustified by his grace we should be made heires according to the hope of eternall life which hope maketh vs not ashamed 1 Pet. 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 5. O GOD all good and wise it hath pleased thee by certaine meanes proceedings to work in thy elect regeneration necessary for their saluation whereby they do in themselues feele the old Adam to die with his lusts and the newe man to encrease in the desires of righteousnesse when the Holi-ghost euen this day plucketh out of their hearts vice and insteade thereof planteth vertue making it to bring forth fruite furthering therby daily the rooting out of sin and encrease of the gifts of thy grace I beseech thee O Lorde that as it hath pleased thee freely to iustifie me by the singular gift of faith in our Sauiour Iesus Christ granting me peace with thy Maiestie through his sacrifice so thou wouldst vouchsafe to illuminate the eyes of my soule as to make mee knowe to the sanctification of thy name what the hope of those is whome thou hast called to the incorruptible inheritance of thy glorie Graunt my God that my thoughts may be replenished and contented with this stedfast hope in thy loue which thou offerest vnto vs in the gospel with this holie desire I say supported with an assured expectation one day and for euer to obtaine the celestial riches which thou hast graunted mee to beleeue which no eie hath seen no eare hath heard nor no vnderstanding hath comprehended namely that I may be able to behold thy countenance and liue to participate without ende thy kingdome aboue to enioy there the societie of the angels to be there a fellow heire with the glorified spirits Finaly there to bee fully vnited vnto Christ by him to thee O Father the fountaine of eternal life and so to possesse the soueraigne good eternaly Let this holie meditation and the hope to enioy that full and perfect contentment so occupy my senses that it may be my thought my pleasure my labour my habitation and my most ordinary vacation Also that all the cares of the world and the affections of my flesh which might diuert mee from so christian a resolution may giue place to this spiritual vertue the anker wher of resteth in heauen that it may lodge wholy and for euer in the secret of my heart sith it is verie true that it will yeeld as certainely his solide and sole good in fulnesse of time as if already I did possesse it vniting mee vnto thee O Lord by the holy misteries of thy grace Also thou art the beginning and the ende of our hope of eternall life because thy loue is powred vpon vs by
to bee dissolued and to be with Christ howbeit if notwithstanding in the infirmitie of my flesh the fearefull Image of death trouble me in the straites of my departure If the world that doth alwayes too much bewitch vs maketh my thoughts then bowe to his will If Sathan pitcheth his assaults and snares and vpon the remembrance of my sinnes setteth hell before my face moreouer if my owne perturbations keepe me from apprehending thy eternall consolations in such most necessarie extremities vouchsafe my good God and father in these anguishes to approach vnto me to saue me from the running and swift streame of such brookes that they may not carrie meaway to perdition illuminate my thoughts with thy spirite waken my soule out of the sleep of death renew my hart by the vertue of thy spirit and put into my hands the staffe of thy assured conduct to bring mee out from the laborinth of this sorrowful passage causing me with the eyes of my faith to behold my righteousnes vpon the crosse of my Sauiour the discharge of my debts in his sacrifice my victorie in his combats my life in his death my glorie and ioy in his resurrection that so replenished with peace I may cheerfully resigne my bodie to the earth as assured that it shall rise againe and my soule to heauen with these last words of Christ Into thy hands O Father I commit my spirit So be it The nineteenth Prayer For heauenly life Hee that heareth my worde and beleeueth in him that sent me hath life euerlasting and I wil raise him again at the latter day Father concerning those whome thou hast giuen me my desire is that they may be where I am that they may be with me to beholde my glory Iohn 5. 6. 17. O Soueraign Father of al thinges by a singular priuiledge Father of the children whome it hath pleased thee to adopt in our Lord Iesus Christ to be coheires with him in the celestiall life I learne in thy word that this inheritance blessed estate is acontemplation of the glory of this great Sauiour of the elect in an vnspeakeable beatitude onely worthy to be loued and to bee sought incessantly night and day with the lamp of thy trueth Which is to see him as he is true God and true Man and perfectlie to enioie his presence with communicating of all his goodnesse to be in the ioy of his Lord as a loyall seruant and to beholde him face to face in his diuine essence one with the father and with the holy ghost one onelie God in soueraigne Maiestie which is to be vnited and conioyned with him and by him vnto thee O eternall GOD who art all light and life of the soule at her departure out of her earthly habitation afterward reuested with it flesh in that great day of the glorious comming of the same Christ when hee shall wholy render vppe vnto thee the kingdome of thy grace that thou maist be all in all To be briefe which is both in body and soule to be in him and to liue of his glory And this also is the eternall life a life accomplished in knowledge in loue in righteousnesse in rest in honour in beautie in constancie in ioy felicitie and peace a life wherin the Angels and Saintes incessantly do sound out and celebrate O Lord thy great name in perfect and rauishing melodie replenished both with a desire and a fulnesse of the celestiall bread Iesus Christ God man without this desire breeding any griefe or this fulnesse any molestation In summe a life which by the full view that wee shall haue of thy eternall deitie O almightie GOD shall make vs knowe thee as thou hast knowne vs and as thou art in Trinitie of persons Father Word Spirit and in vnitie of essence likewise to loue thee according to the excellency of thy nature with our whole heartes and thoughts and our whole strength and might and in this loue to obtaine our perfect full contentment To this heauenlie life O Lord my soule directeth her flight this is the marke that shee aymeth at the end whereto shee tendeth and the reward that she by thy grace promiseth her selfe for seeking after thy welbeloued Sonne in whome it pleaseth thee to be my God and my Father Oh! I shall indeede goe and liue in this holy and sacred place of the habitation of thy glorie and there shall contemplate that which neuer eye sawe vnder the heauen neyther eare hath heard nor heart comprehended of the solide Riches whiche thou doost keepe from all eternitie for thy children I shall see I say these diuine wonders in thy sanctuary in thy light inaccessible for all flesh knowing in the brightnesse of thy countenance thy infinite power O Father thy incomprehensible wisedome O Sonne and thy incomparable vertue O Holy-ghost one onely true God A knowledge so singular and pretious that therein resteth all the felicitie of the Angels and saints their only plentiful reward their scepter the diademe of their glory and the full and perpetuall ioy that couereth their heads as with a crowne of victory in a peace durable for euer I beseech thee therfore O Lord to giue mee grace that withdrawing my affection more and more from the darke cloysters of the earth sprinckled with teares I may lift vp my desires to the lightsome habitation of thy deitie where the treasures and incomparable ioyes of thy paradise do remaine in an eternall life So that I may finishe my course in an earnest and perpetuall meditation of this angelical and diuine being and comforting my self incessantly night and day in that the promise is made vnto mee through my sauiour Iesus Christ to the end that in my last hower come out of my misery and entered into my felicitie I may with a happy flight goe take my rest aboue in thy peace O my God which surmounteth all vnderstanding and for to sing Psalmes of thanksgiuing vnto thee without end So be it The twentieth Praier Vpon eternall death Of those that sleepe in the dust of the earth some shall awake to euerlasting life others to rebuke and shame without end Their worme shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched there shal be weeping gnashing of teethe Dan. 12. Esay 66. Mat. 15. ALmighty god for whose glorie all nations are created Thou which art the mightie and the faithfull God keeping thy couenant and free mercy with a thousand generations of those that loue thee and obey thy commandements which giuest againe the very same vnto those that hate thee and rebell against thee with euery of them euen to their face whose will is the iust and soueraigne cause of all that is done in heauen and in earth whose counsailes are vnsearchable and iudgements most profound and admirable O Father and gouernor of all things thou hast euen from the beginning of thy vnspeakable good nesse framed man and reclothed him with such an excellency as did
thee towards this great God who being pittifull doeth see and heare thee in thy sufferings who vnder his hand holdeth both the disease the cure the paine and the rest life and death to make the one as profitable and heathfull vnto thee as the other Then will I say with a contrite heart yet full of confidence I haue sinned against thee O my God I haue grieuously offended thee I deserue to be throughly chastized and the diuells that I doe endure are farre lesse then my offences which onely death and hell are able to counterprise But thy grace and compassion greater then my sinnes are eternall vpon all those whom thou hast washed fructified and iustified in thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ of which number I doe belieue I am and that in him and for his sake thou wilt make me blessed forgiue mee my debts in his name and ease me of my anguish wherein I remaine without strength I beseech thee from the botome of my thoughts in the bitternes of my hart and with the words of Dauid O eternall God heare my prayer petition let nothing hinder my crie for comming vnto thee hide not thy face from me bend downe thine eare vnto me in the day of my trouble make haste and deliuer me in the day that I call vpon thee for my dayes are vanished like smoake and my bones are dried like chaf my heart hath bin smitten and withered like the grasse that I haue forgotten to eate my bread O Lord all my desire is before thee comfort the soule of thy seruant shall any man tell of thy mercies in the sepulchre or thy faithfulnesse in the graue Thus then O mercifull God bearing my self in thy chastisements I will in all patience waite for the seasonable succour of thy hand as being well assured that while it is in comming thou wilt not suffer thy spirit of consolation to forsake mee in the middest of my tribulation that my present heauinesse shall be vnto mee the watch of some ioy at hand and that at all aduentures the last of my sorrowefull dayes shall be the first of my rest in eternall life And therefore I will againe say with the Apostle Behold I am here deale with me at thy pleasure and with thy seruant Iob Albeit God should slay me yet will I trust in him and reprooue my wayes in his presence with Saint Agustine O Lord smite here cutte here burne here so that thou doost pardon mee for euer Amen Our Father which art in heauen c. The seauen and twentieth Prayer At the visitation of the sicke Is there any among you sicke let him call the elders of the Church and let them pray for him and annoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord and the prayer of faith shall saue the diseased and the Lord shall raise him vp and if hee haue committed any sinnes they shall bee forgiuen him Iames 5. O LORD our GOD who art all righteousnes goodnesse we knowe that among thy corrections wherewith thou wakenest vs to our duties it pleaseth thee many times to tame our flesh with sundry diseases for thou dost by the pains that we suffer aduertize vs of the cause of our euills which is sinne and of the punishment due to the same namely death whereof the infirmities of the body are the ordinary meanes And also thou doest withall put vs in minde of the great day of thy Iudgement which after death doeth ensue to life euerlasting full of glory and beatitude to the elect and of reproach and torments to the rebrobate But of these things the flesh so long as it feeleth it selfe at ease hath least care to heare Sith therefore it hath pleased thee O iust and mercifull Father with thy rod to visite this poore sicke person here present afflicting him for his offences as himselfe doth with vs confesse we beseech thee that in pardoning him for the loue of thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ thou wilt make this chastizement to profit him to his correction so that he may with quiet obedience beare thy visitation submitting himselfe volunrarie with all his heart to thy holy will who strikest him not as a seuere iudge but as a most merciful Father whereby he may learne to repose his whole trust assurance in thy loue as in him that art the author of his lif canst preserue him whither it be to abide below here in thy church or that thou wilt gather him into thy kingdome of heauen Thus Lord on th' one side awakning in his soule by his sickenes on th' other the feeling of humane miseries make him with the eies of his faith to behold the eternall blessings thou reseruest for him in thy Paradice to liue happy for euer so that he may with patience easly digest the bitternesse of that potion that thou hast powred foorth vnto him bending his principall desire to enioy thy presence in heauen But thou knowest O mercifull Father that the spirit of thy children is willing but their flesh is alwayes frayle and full of great mistrust especially in the bitternesse of afflictions Assist therefore this sicke person with the plentie and strength of the giftes of thy spirite that he may ouercome all the enemies of his peace and be thou his shield against the assaults terrors of death especially if his conscience do trouble and accuse him for his inward and hidden sins which are open in thy sight Then let the holy Ghost the perpetuall comforter of all faithfull soules vouchsafe to represent vnto him for his defence the passion and sacrifice of our Lorde Iesus who hath himselfe borne vpon the crosse al our iniquities that so he might absolue and discharge vs before thy iudicial throne according to the infinite merite of his righteousnesse and open the gate of thy Kingdome to all that shall beleeue and be baptized in his name Thus this poore patient being comforted in feeling through a liuely stedfast faith the fruite and vertue of that earnest penie of saluation that Christ hath left vs in his Church namely remission of sinnes for his sake also that this hope which is neuer confounded doth keepe his spirit quiet that he may call vpon thee O Lord and sanctifie thy name euen to his last gaspe neuer fearing the temptations of Sathan of death or of hel as beeing assured that Christ hath ouercome them ledde them in triumph breaking their bonds so that he may in all Christian confidence cry out with thy Apostle O death where is thy sting O hel where is thy victory In this manner O mercifull God let this sicke person be by our prayers commended vnto thee and vouchsafe if it be thy pleasure to restore him to health with encrease of thy graces that he may yet amongest vs serue to thy glory If not but that thou hast otherwise appointed to bring him into thy rest thy will bee done and accepted both by him and vs in