thou art the God which euer hath béene and shall be the GOD almightie by whom all thinges haue their being full of mercie mindfull of thy promise Who so séeketh any other than thée O Christ in whom dooth rest onlie the saluation of our soules that creature shal find nothing but miserie and sorrow Wherfore Lord make me rich in thy fauour and grace conducting me by thy power Graft in me a full trust in thy promises for my deliuerance make me one with thée in euerlasting loue that when it shall please thée to call me out of this miserable world I may liue with thée and my Sauiour Christ who died for me and all people whose name with thée O Father and the holie Ghost be praised now and for euermore Amen 21. A praier of the creation of mankind of the true Samaritane for strength against temptation O Father of heauen of power almightie which with thine onlie word diddest create and make all the whole world and all for the profit seruice of man whom thou diddest create of all other a most noble and perfect creature giuing him power vpon earth the waters and all the fowles and birds of the aire thou madest him also after thine own similitude and likenes induing him with a reasonable soule and all the powers thereof thou also diddest put him in the pleasant garden of paradise excepting nothing from him but the eating of the onlie trée of knowledge of good and euill and further for his helpe comfort and companie of a ribbe of his side thou madest for him a woman and gauest hir to him to be his wife There had they instructions giuen them and the lawe of life for an heritage Before them was laid both life and death good and euill with a fréewill giuen them to take which liked them best But their frailtie was such that they through a small intisement chose the euill and left the good they left life chose death Thus Lord through sin breaking of thy commandements man lost the fréewill that was giuen him in his creation and purchased death to all his posteritie In the waie as he went to Ierusalem and Iericho he fell in the hands of théeues who hurting and wounding him sore departed leauing him halfe dead so that he could haue helpe of none but only of the good Samaritan who as he passed by the same waie powred wine and oile into his wounds and tooke the cure of him This onlie Samaritan was thy deare Sonne Christ which tooke vpon him all the iniquities of mankind and laid them on his backe by his death purging and clensing him not onlie from the originall sin of our father Adam but also from all our sins which we commit from time to time by the vertue of his passion and the sacrament of baptisme vpon our repentance For as by Adam death came to mankind so by Iesus Christ was mankind restored to life For this great and high benefit of thy sonnes blessed passion for our redemption we thy poore creatures praise and thanke thée most humblie acknowledging his inestimable loue towards vs in that thou vouchsafedst to die for vs being then sinners thy mortall enimies Neuerthelesse most mercifull father we are of our selues not able to do any thing that good is no not so much as to thinke a good thought without thine aid and assistance We wander here miserablie in the lowe parts of the vile earth our strength will not serue vs to clime to the high of the hilles where thou dwellest in thy mount Sion a place prepared for thine elect a chosen inheritance of thy faithfull seruant Abraham and his séed Wherefore since we being burthened with the affects of worldlie pleasures and also with other cares and troubles can by no meanes ascend to thée that art on the top of so high a mountaine so manie legions of angels attending on thy Maiestie we haue no remedie but with the prophet Dauid now to lift the eies of our harts and minds towards thée to crie for helpe to come down from thée to vs thy poore and wretched seruants We wander here below as lost shéepe hauing no shepheard we are assailed on euerie side with manifold enimies the diuell rauening and hungering séeketh whom he may deuoure the world allureth vs also to hir deceitfull vanities our flesh also which we carrie about vs is our enimie readie and prone to drawe vs vnto all vices and pleasures From this can we by no meanes be defended but by thée Lord. Send vs therfore thy helpe and holie angell to assist and strengthen vs for of thée most mercifull Father floweth all bountie and goodnes Thou O Lord God madest heauen and earth for thine honour and mans commoditie establish therefore good Lord the chosen works of thy hand with thy eternall helpe from heauen send vs downe the welspring of thy grace and thy strong angell to aide vs by his helpe that no assault of our spirituall enimies doo preuaile against vs but from all euils by thy word defend vs Lord both touching the bodie and also the soule that no temptation preuaile against vs. Thou hast béene our protectour euen from our mothers wombe and our trust is that thou wilt so continue all the daies of our life and speciallie at the houre of our death that we may ascend to the heauenlie Ierusalem where we shall reast in the bosome of our father Abraham the father of all faithfull beléeuers there to praise thée and thy louing Sonne and the holie Ghost world without end Amen 22. A praier and thankesgiuing vnto God for his manifold gifts with an acknowledgment of our sinne and pardon for the same O Praise the Lord our God for euer and let vs giue thanks vnto the name of his glorie which excéedeth all other thankesgiuings and praises for thou art our God alone thou hast made the heauen of all heauens with all the hoste of them the earth and all the creatures which liue by thée the sea and all that moue therein thou preseruest them all through thine omnipotent power For the which all the host of heauen praiseth thée and we thy poore children here on earth doo crie vnto thée Holie holie holie art thou which euer was and euer shall be O Lord God of sabaoth Thou hast made good all thy words and promises for thou art righteous and true and hast considered the miserie of our forefathers for they were stubborne against thée not regarding thy precepts and commandements neither were mindfull of thy wonderous works that thou diddest for them whose footesteps we are prone and readie to follow in all vngodlines in these our daies but thou O Lord art mercifull patient and of great goodnes and forsakest vs not whensoeuer we returne vnto thée Wherefore O Lord heare vs from heauen and forgiue vs all our vnthankfulnes and giue vs faithfull hearts to followe thy commandements which if we doo we shall liue in them For it is not
for euer comfort thy small flocke to the confusion of thine enimies and make vs able through thy grace to kéepe thy lawes which are pure euen as the siluer which from the earth is tried and purified seuen times in the fire Thou art néere Lord vnto all that in this life call vpon thée faithfullie and thou kéepest them from all dangers for in the midst of this world we are in manie temptations and vices and in the companie of the proud and wicked people and in manie tribulations We sée the vanities of this world readie to mooue vs we suffer persecution yet thou kéepest vs from desperation and thy grace preserueth vs that they come not néere vs. Their entisements we estéeme not bicause we hope in thy mightie power who art our defense in trouble Thy sonne Christ is the strong rocke in the which all birds that build doo rest out of ieopardie to him all sinners maie slie for succour and comfort being holden by him they may be eased This rocke the diuell cannot vndermine nor scale no water of tribulation can drowne those that build on this rocke Pharao king of Aegypt with a great host pursued the children of Israel but he could not hurt them thou Lord wast their defense and diddest destroie all their aduersaries Euen so art thou our defense our hope and our comfort Thou wilt compasse vs about with ioifull deliuerance The house of our bodies is enuironed with enimies but thy prouidence will defend vs out of all dangers Thou wilt informe vs and shewe vs the waie wherin we shall go This life is a pilgrimage and a iorneie for vs to trauell in Thou art the end of our waie O God Thou art the marke that we shoote at when we come to our iornies end in thée Lord we hope to haue rest Thou giuest knowledge and instruction by faith that if we passe well through this world we shall haue ioie euerlastinglie to the which bring vs all thou Lord that diedst for vs all Amen 16. A praier that we may be heard of God THy hand is not shortened O Lord that it cannot help neither is thine eare stopped that it will not heare but our misdoings haue separated vs from thée our God and our sinnes haue caused thy face to be hidden from vs. Our hands are defiled with vnrighteousnesse our lippes speake leasings our toongs doo set out wickednesse No man regardeth righteousnes and none iudgeth truelie euerie one hopeth in vaine things and imagineth deceit conceiueth wearines bringeth foorth euill For our offenses are manie before thée and our sinnes doo testifie against vs and we acknowledge that we haue doone amisse transgressing and dissembling against thée Lord and fallen awaie from our God vsing presumptuous imaginations Neuerthelesse thou art our God and euerlasting father our nourisher and defender which wouldest not the death of a sinner but mercifullie receiuest all those that with repentant harts come vnto thée And now we set our eies and face towards thée lifting vp our hearts vnto thy mercie seat who hast promised to vnlode vs whensoeuer we come vnto thée Heare vs therefore and forgiue vs all our offenses which we haue committed from the time of our birth vntill this present houre O blesse vs and the works also of our hands that we may liue and praise thée world without end through Iesus Christ our Lord and sauiour Amen 17. A praier against the enimies of the church THe sure ships O Lord fléete in the sea vnder their sailes and passe through the stormie tempests without drowning so doo thine elect O God almightie passe through the fearefull perils of all their enimies in this world by the meanes of thy ship the church and the true faith thereof of which ship our Sauiour Christ is the sterneman the guide and the sure anchor to be cast in all necessities who so trusteth in him shal be brought to the faire hauen of perfect beatitude Who so kéepeth him within the boords of his faithfull ship néedeth not to feare the dreadfull dragon that sturdie strong Leuiathan to whose power no power on earth may be compared for he is so mad that he feareth nothing he is king ouer all the children of pride This is that Lucifer that fell downe from heauen he is the serpent that deceiued in paradise and brought death to all mankind Neuerthelesse when thy faithfull people are penitent for their offenses resist his temptations and followe thy lawes putting their whole trust in thée and thy blessed sonne then doo they mock and deceiue him as Christ did with his humanitie which when he thought to deuoure by tempting the Iewes to put Iesus to death he was tripped in his owne turne and taken into bondage by the vertue of Christs diuinitie And whensoeuer we that be his faithfull be caught as this our enimie thinketh in his danger we turne to our head Iesus Christ for refuge and by his helpe doo vanquish him Great good Lord is thy mercie and goodnes that suffereth not thy faithfull to be tempted aboue their strength but in the midst of their temptation makest a waie for them to escape out The enimie hath no power of himselfe but as thou sufferest him he with all other creatures hang vpon thy will commandements all wait on thée that thou maist giue them meate in due season when thou giuest it them they gather it Thy works Lord are mercie and forgiuenes thou art our iustice whereby thou makest vs iust which before were most wicked sinners thou makest vs thine humble creatures to tremble for feare of thy mightie power and iustice our pride thereby is abated We account the good déedes which we haue doone to be of thy gifts and goodnesse nothing presuming of our owne fraile power for we knowe that thy holie spirit resteth vpon those that haue a lowly troubled spirit and dooe stand in awe of thy word The proud and stifnecked people dooest thou touch with scorpions and punishments then they come to the knowledge of thy Maiestie then will they saie as Nabucadonosor said after his punishment Honour and praise be vnto thée O God of heauen whose power endureth alwais and thy kingdome from one generation to another Then shall they be driuen to praise thy mightie Maiestie as thou art worthie Cruell Saule was touched of thy hand and became Paule a welbeloued apostle through the helpe of thy grace and laboured more aboundantlie than all other of thine apostles such is the power of thy gratious influence This thy noble grace send me most mercifull God whereby I shall haue a louing desire to honour thée to praise thée my God and sauiour so long as I haue anie being I will not cease to confesse my sinnes to thée and to lament mine iniquities then shall my words be plesant and acceptable to thée And as I ioie wholie in thée that art my creator and in thy sonne which is my redéemer so shalt thou also delight in me that am
beare the name of a christian for that through mine own sin I haue defaced the beautie of the principall part of man which is my soule made to thy godlie image Neuerthelesse since thou art the reformer of all our harts and the inspiror of all grace and goodnesse I most humblie beséech thée to correct by thy power that which through my frailtie is amisse Redres by thy pitie that which I haue mard through my follie make me able to yéeld vnto thée that which thou requirest of me acknowledging mine owne vnworthines and to render vnto thée noble praises and louing thanks for thy manifold gifts of grace wherby thou hast of thy méere liberalitie indued both my soule and bodie Make me worthie to laud thée which I cannot doo vnlesse thou giue me grace to wipe awaie all mine iniquities For thy praises be not séemelie in the mouth of a sinner Yea Lord I praie thée inflame my hart with the loue of thée so that from the bottome thereof I may speake them and not to loue anie thing in this world but thée for thée Thou art the true God and sauiour and there is none but thou O Lord. Out of thy mouth commeth the word of righteousnes which no man may turne Wherefore all other gods set I asside to thée onelie will I sing praises and confesse thée onelie to be the liuing GOD which I will acknowledge before the whole congregation of the faithfull Thou knowest the inward intent of the heart for in the hearts of the beléeuing is thy seate and resting place The soules of the iust are the temples wherein thou dooest inhabit To this temple good Lord will I turne my selfe by pondering the state of mine owne soule for strength whereof I call most humblie vnto thée most mercifull God that I may be able to vanquish the illusions of the subtill serpent Performe in me that which thou hast promised for all thy waies are mercie and truth Thy mercie reacheth vnto the heauens and thy faithfulnesse vnto the clouds thy righteousnes stands like the strong mountaine When thy goodnes is considered all the rulers of the earth must néeds confes that great is thy might and thy glorie Neuerthelesse although thou dwellest aboue the heauens yet hast thou a louing respect vnto the lowlie and méeke of spirit and dooest behold them as one looketh on his friend if they trust in thée Thou drawest néere vnto them that séeke thée to heare their praiers yea thou art their shéeld and protection in all their necessities as for the proud workers of iniquitie thou séest them a far off thou beholdest them with a fearse looke to their confusion to destroie and roote out their memoriall out of the euerlasting beatitude Who so therfore will haue thy maiestie come néere vnto him must plucke downe his mind and become lowe in heart For the méeke humble people be those that shall enioie the heuenlie countrie And though they walke in the middest of trouble yet shalt thou refresh and quicken them This world is a place ordeined for trouble and not for rest Here we are appointed to trauell in this place is no want of tribulation but thou euer gratiouslie comfortest the faithfull thou sufferest them not to be ouercome in any tribulation for through thée they vanquish all their enimies Wherefore Lord powre out thy mercies I beséech thée vpon thy flocke deliuer vs from all our enimies spirituall and temporall let thy right hand saue vs and lead vs through thy grace into eternall felicitie As for riches ease honor or any kind of temporall pleasure which be thy gifts also but of thy left hand we nothing estéeme Manie times thou bestowest these benefits vpon thine enimies the other thou reseruest for thine elect to receiue after manie tribulations And the same Lord I humblie beséech thée to kéepe in store for me thy poore seruant Regard not the wickednes which I dailie commit but looke vpon the merits of thy son Iesus Christ my God and my sauiour for it is he that hath paied my debt and thou Lord hast sealed the acquitance grant me to honour thée therefore as I ought to doo now and for euer Amen Amen 49. A praier wherein is shewed that God is alwaies our protection if we trust in his sonne Iesus Christ O Lord thou art my God I will praise thée and magnifie thy name and thy word aboue all things Thou bringest maruelous things to passe according to thy will and pleasure Thou art the poore mans helpe a strength for the néedfull in the time of trouble defending them against all weathers and their shadowe in the time of heate Likewise to the presumptuous thou art like a strong whirle wind that casteth downe the boasting of the vngodlie bicause they know not thée to be the euerlasting strength but the righteous Lord haue a respect vnto the waie of thy iudgements and thy name and remembrance reioiseth their hearts As for my soule it thirsteth after thée both daie and night and my mind hasteth fréelie vnto thée bicause thou art so mercifull vnto all them that séeke thée in singlenesse of heart for thou wilt be found of them that thirst after thée Thou art the well of pleasant waters whorewith whosoeuer is filled they shall neuer be a thirst for thou O lambe of GOD that dwellest in the middest of the throne wilt lead thine vnto the founteine of liuing waters and giue them euerlasting rest bicause that in this world they made themselues white in thy blood bearing thy crosses with willing minds and confessed thée before men on earth For this cause wilt thou acknowledge them before God thy father in heauen where they shall praise thée and him world without end O God most holie I acknowledge that I am none of those that haue deserued halfe such mercie at thy hands but I hope through the mercies and merits of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ my Lord and sauiour to be made as perfect before thée O heauenlie father as if I had neuer sinned For thus I stedfastlie beléeue if I come vnto him he will not refuse me and if I praie heartilie desiring his helpe he will heare me and cloath me with his righteousnes and take from me all the sinnes that euer I haue committed from my birth vntill this present houre as he hath promised in his holie word Come Lord Iesus for thou art true and iust in all thy waies and wash me with thy most pretious blood Sanctifie me with thy bitter passion pretious death and glorious resurrection Restore me to those ioies that thine elect doo find in thée powre thy holie spirit into my heart that he may draw my mind continuallie vnto thée for thou art the waie the truth and the life Blessed are they that trust in thée and with a stedfast faith make thée their onelie staie and refuge they shall be sure of all happinesse in this world and when it shall please thée to call them hence they shall enioie with thée the crowne of glorie who hast all power giuen thée both in heauen and earth for the father iudgeth no man but hath committed all vnto thée who art the verie wisedome of God Wherfore Lord Iesu make me blessed with thée like as thou art blessed for I commit my selfe both bodie and soule into thy mercifull hands who hast redéemed me O thou God of truth Thou O Lord art worthie to receiue all glorie and honour and might for thou hast created all things and for thy willes sake they were and are created O most noble creator of light shine into my hart that it may cléerlie sée the excellencie of thy maiestie and quicken my soule and spirit that they may continuallie be stirred to honour and glorifie thée as thou art worthie which by thy grace I shall not cease to do with hart soule mind and strength among thy faithfull congregation which of thy mercie Lord preserue and kéepe that we may praise thée one God in persons thrée and euerlasting in vnitie world without end Amen FINIS 1584 H D OS HOMINI SVBLIME DEDIT Imprinted at London by Henrie Denham dwelling in Pater noster Rowe at the signe of the Starre Cum priuilegio
when we swarue at anie time out of the right waie by which we iudge that he dooth loue vs for whosoeuer he be that he loueth him he dooth chasten Christs strong shéepheards staffe dooth staie vs when we are weake as a sicke man is by his staffe In Christ thy sonne is the fulnes of grace from whom distilleth all goodnesse that we haue through his holie spirit is our cup filled full of pure liquor it causeth vs for ioie of heauenlie contemplation to forget all the troubles and miseries of the world the dregs of worldlie pleasures and carnall affections For as thy mercie hath gone before vs plentifullie giuing vs aboundance of thy great graces so we trust and doubt not but it will followe vs all the daies of our liues and kéepe vs that we fall not from faith Thou Lord must helpe our house or else we labour in vaine thou must be our beginning and end and then we be sure to dwell in the house of the Lord for euer For we know surelie that if our earthlie mansion wherein we now dwell were dissolued we haue a building ordeined of God an habitation not made with hands but eternallie in heauen where is perpetuall ioie and beatitude world without end Amen 37. A breefe confession that we receiue all goodnes from God ARise vp O Lord God and let thine enimies be scattered before thée and let them that hate thée be brought to confusion Declare O Lord thy might and power for thou art a consuming fire and a gelous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation For thy gouernement is so iust constant and without change or repentance that thy verie enimies shall be compelled to confesse the same O God almightie thou doost punish thine elect by measure giuest them grace to beare it but to the reprobate it is thy iust vengeance to driue them headlong to all madnesse For thy omnipotencie hath all power in it selfe to execute thy terrible iudgment against obstinate sinners as thou art rich in mercy to comfort them which obeie thy word and loue thée The faithfull in all their aduersities doo knowe that all shall go well with them for GOD will be mercifull and iust and though they want for a time yet thou wilt send them comfort in due season For thy Maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and there is no power so high that can let thée when thou wilt deliuer thine The wicked rise vp suddenlie to honour and perish as quicklie but the inheritance of the children of God continueth for euer For thou O GOD wilt take vengance vpon the wicked and measure them according to their dealings Thus thou O God canst plucke backe the bridle of tyrants and deliuer thine owne out of the lions mouth for though the wicked swell neuer so much yet we feare them not They cannot vtterlie destroie vs for thou Lord hast promised to abide with thy faithfull people to the end of the world Thy grace will not leaue vs nor anie that loue thée and serue thée with a faithfull heart Thy fauour O God resteth on thine for thy sonne Iesus Christs sake that from him we might receiue thy blessings For we deserue nothing of our selues but thy wrath and indignation Wherefore grant vs good Lord first to séeke thy glorie and aboue all things reigne thou ouer vs al and let vs render to thée perfect obedience as thine angels doo whom thou hast commanded to take charge of thy children For the which if the wicked despise them thou of thy mercie wilt reuenge their cause for thou wilt preserue the faithful branches of thy vineyard but the rotten stocks wilt thou destroie according to their hypocrisie For there is none like vnto thée in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath Thou dooest blesse the labour of the poore and consumest the goods of them which are negligent bicause they boast and thinke they haue enough The wicked wallow in their riches yet are they but slaues to the godlie that are true professors of the gift of God The cup which thou gauest to the wicked to drinke is much bitter than that thou doost bestow on thine own them thou measurest by mercie the other by iustice And though thou suffer thy children to liue vnder the crosse least they should imbrace wickednesse yet thou wilt not suffer it to rest vpon them that it should driue them from their hope for all thy promises are true Wherefore we are sure of thy helpfull deliuerance séeing the earth and all creatures remaine in that estate wherein thou hast created them much more thy truth indureth constant and vnchangeable Blessed be thou O God of truth and blessed be the glorie of thy holie name world without end Amen Amen 38. A praier wherein is shewed that there is none omnipotent but God alone O Lord GOD almightie it is not in mans power or counsell to hinder that thou hast determined shall come to passe for as the insensible heauen is not subiect to anie alteration and change so shall the truth of thy promises be vnchangeable sith our infirmities cannot in any wise comprehend thée in thy maiestie There is none like thée neither is there anie God besides thée thou killest and giuest life thou woundest and makest whole Wherefore blessed are they that confesse thée and obeie thy word to them thou giuest life and felicitie The ioies that are stedfast and perdurable are giuen of thy goodnesse to those that are méeke and humble in spirit Thou dooest grant to the faithfull of thy goodnesse both grace and glorie so that no good thing shall be withholden from them that liue in thy feare for thou castest awaie none that will séeke thée in righteousnes And though thou suffer the world to hate thine elect it is bicause thy children should forsake the filthines of this world and cleaue vnto thée Wherefore grant vs O Lord that we may alwaies haue the eies of our faith fixed vpon thée for whatsoeuer thou O GOD hast promised shall surelie be performed For as it was thy frée mercie O God that did choose vs so is it thy frée mercie that must saue vs. Thou doost call vs by thy rod to consider the shortnes of our life for our sinnes haue abridged our daies which be not onlie short but miserable bicause we are so sinfull that we doo nothing but prouoke thée to wrath so weake we are so fraile and vnable of our selues to doo that good is inclining alwaies to things forbidden There is nothing so secreatlie doone on earth but thou O God doost sée it who dooest fulfill both heauen and earth Grant vs O Lord alwaies thy feare which shall be a bridle to staie vs from all wickednesse For as thou hast created all people euen so dooest thou gouerne the hearts of all ioining the saluation of thine with thine owne honour so that they cannot perish vnlesse thy glorie should