al suche as haue erred and gone astray comfortest the sowles of them that hunger and thyrst after ryghteousnesse and plenteously enrychest those with diuerse gyftes which aske them in Iesus Chrystes name purifie our hartes we besech thee inflame them with the fyre of thy loue arme vs against the crafty assaultes of subtyl sathan agaynst the vayne plcsures of the wicked world agaynst the sinfull lustes of fylthy fleshe the we beynge endued with grace from aboue by thy holy inspiration may walke forwardes in newenesse of lyfe in true holynes and righteousnes all the dayes of our lyfe Fyl our hartes with newe afctes and spirituall motions renewe vs both in body and sowle that we may dye vnto olde Adam lyue vnto righteousenes through a liuely faythe whiche worketh by Charitie whiche synguler gyfte of faythe graunt vnto vs that we truely beleuing in thee O eternal God the father the sonne and the holy ghost and fully perswaded of the truthe of thy holy word may be made thy sonnes and inheritours of the euerlastynge ioyes whiche as they are great and vnspeakeable so are there fewe that do inioy thē For straite is the way narrowe is the gate that leadeth therunto fewe there be that fynde it Notwithstandinge O god thou hast a lyttell flocke to whō it is thy pleasure to geue that ioyful kingdome whose names are wrytten in the boke of lyfe Make vs therfore of that nombre for Iesus Christes sake place vs amongest those thy shepe whiche shall stande on thy ryght hande to receiue that blessed inherytance and dwell with thee for euermore An other prayer REmēbre not O lorde god our olde iniquites but let thy mercy spedely preuent vs for we be very myserable help vs god our sauiour and for the glory of thy name deliuer vs be merciful forgeue our synnes Let not the wicked people saye where is their god we be thy people the shepe of thy passture we shal geue thākes vnto thee for euer frō age to age we shal set forth thy lawde and praise to thee be honour and glory world without ende Amen 2. Peter 3. The day of the Lord will come as a theefe in the night in the which day the heauens shall peryshe with terrible noise and the Elementes shall melt with heate and the earth with the worckes that are therin shal burne vp Seinge therfore that all these things shall perish what maner persons oughte ye to be in holy conuersacion and godlines loking for and hastening vnto the day of God ¶ The Letany and suffrages O GOD the father of heauen haue mercye vppon vs myserable sinners O God the father c. O god the Son redemer of the worlde haue mercy vpon vs myserable sinners O God the sonne redemer c. O God the holy ghoste procedinge from the father and the sonne haue mercye vpon vs myserable sinners O God the holy ghost c. O holy blessed and glorious Trinitie three persons and one god haue mercye vpon vs miserable sinners O holye blessed and glorious c. Remember not Lorde oure offences nor the offences of oure forefathers neyther take thou vengeaunce of oure synnes Spare vs good Lorde spare thy people whom thou hast redemed wyth thy most precious bludde and be not angry with vs for euer Spare vs good lorde From all euyl and mischiefe from syn from the craftes assaultes of the deuil from thy wrathe and from euerlastynge dampnation Good lorde deliuer vs. From all blindnes of hart from pryde vayne glorye and hipocrisie from enuie hatred and malice and al vncharitablenes Good Lorde deliuer vs. From Fornication and al other deadly synne and from al the deceyptes of the world the fleshe and the deuyl Good Lorde deliuer vs. From lightnynge and tempeste from plague pestilence and famine from battel and murder and from sodain death Good Lorde deliuer vs. From al sedicion and priuie conspiracy from all false doctrine and heresy from hardnes of harte and contempte of thy worde and commaundement Good Lorde deliuer vs. By the mistery of thy holy incarnacion by thy holy natiuitie and circumsition by thy baptisme fasting and temptaciō Good Lorde deliuer By thyne agony and blouddy sweat by thy Crosse and Passion by thy precious death and burial by thy glorious resurrection and ascention and by the commyng of the holy ghost Good Lorde deliuer vs. In al time of our tribulation in al time of our wealth in the houre of death and in the day of iudgement Good Lorde deliuer vs. We synners do beseche thee to heare vs O Lorde God that it may please the to rule and gouerne thy holy churche vniuersally in the right waye We beseche thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to keepe and strengthen in the true worshippinge of thee in ryghteousnes and bolines of life thy seruaunt Elizabeth our most gracyous Queene and gouernour We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please the to rule her hart in thy faythe feare and loue and that she may euermore haue affiaunce in thee and euer seke thy honour and glorye We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to be her defender and keper geuing her the victory ouer all her enemies We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to illuminate all Byshoppes Pastours and ministers of the church with trew knowledge and vnderstandyng of thy woorde and that both by theyr preachynge and lyuinge they maye set it foorth and shewe it accordynglye We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to endue the lordes of the counsell and all the nobilitye with grace wisedome and vnderstandynge We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to blesse kepe the Magistrates geuyng them grace to execute iustice and to mainteine truth We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to blesse and keepe all thy people We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to geue to all nacions vnitie peace and concorde We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to geue vs an harte to loue and dreade thee and dilygentlye to lyue after thy commaundementes We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to geue al thy people increase of grace to heare mekely thy word and to receyue it with pure affection and to bryng forthe the fruites of the spiryte We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to brynge into the waye of truth all such as haue erred and are deceyued We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please thee to strengthen suche as do stande and to comforte and helpe the weake hearted and to raise vp thē that fal and finally to beate downe Sathan vnder our fete We besech thee to heare vs. c. That it maye please
CERTAYNE GODLY EXARCISES MEDITACIONS AND PRAYERS VERY necessary and profytable for all persons and for all times set forthe by certayne godly lerned men to be vsed dayly as you shal be godly disposed and shall feele nede thervnto And also the Letany dayly vsed in Churches annexed to the ende hereof Ephesians vi i. Timothe ii ¶ Praie alwaies euery where with all maner of praier and that in the spirite lifting vp pure hartes and handes with out wrath or doubtinge ¶ IMPRINTED London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the George neere to saincte Dunstons churche by VVyllyam Powell ¶ Vse often and hartye prayer to God knowing that it is no lesse necessary for your soule therby to liue and contynue in godlines then water is for the life of fishe or dew is for the growth of grasse and herbes but if you wyll haue youre praier accepted of god se that you accept his worde For accursed be they sayth Sallomon and their prayer that wyll not heare the worde of god If I behold with fauour any wyckednes saith Dauid in my hart god will not heare me for he heareth no such synners as retainethe styll the purpose to continewe it sinne as hee stoppethe not hys eares to heare the prayers of the pore penitents but often before they pray he graunteth them their hartes desire I B. ¶ Occations to meditate to stirre vp the harte to praier IN your praiers thinke vpon the remission of sinnes promysed by and for Chryste and let there be in your remembraunce some most euidente and playne sentence to inflame stirre vp the mind as this Aske and ye shal haue c. And verely verely I saye vnto you what soo euer you shall aske the father in my name he wyll geue it you c. Asking al spiritual gifts without condicion and all temporall vppon condicion As Christ did Father if it be thy wyl let this cuppe passe frō me c. God commaundeth vs to aske of him We breake his commandment in not askynge We do his cōmaundement in asking of hym He promiseth to vs our askinge He is debtour to vs tyll he fulfill our askinge We make god a liar if we mistrust to obteine our askynge He is glorified in his sonne by giuing vs our askynge He longeth to haue vs aske of him loketh for it at our handes If we therfore turne not oure eares from his lawe but call vpon him wyth a stronge Faythe he will moste gladly geue vs our askynge Because we are necligent in askinge he doth of his fatherly goodnesse by necessities and troubles dryue prouoke vs to aske of hym And because we are ignoraunt in askinge he teacheth vs by his holy spirite sent into our hartes and by the prayer that therfore is called the lordes praier how what we shulde aske of him Let vs therefore in our necessitie and troubles aske of god our father and he for his sonnes sake will geue vs our askinge whose very nature and propertie is to relieue suche as are in necessitie and in deede our necessities are as lowde cryinges in his merciful eares A meditation vpon the Lordes prayer QVr father which art in heauen We gloriousely formed vnto the Image of thy deuine maiestie created by thy gracyouse goodnesse vnto highest honour how be it by our own sinfulnes diffigured with vilenes deseruinge dampnation and yet by Christes death redemed and restored vnto grace to be Citizens with sainctes of the family of God Nowe altogether in Christian vnitie as members of one body we pray desyre and trust to obtayne of thee our heauenly father accordinge vnto thy gracious goodnes mighty power and faithefull promise vnto vs that aske aboundaunce of thy grace That thy name may be halowed That thy diuine power and glorious maiesty may be certainely knowne and reuerently honoured That the hartes of vs men by thy word and prayer maye be sanctified from all sinne and vanity so that we with al that we haue seruing thee in holinesse righteousenesse may so shine afore men vpon earth that they therby may be occasion to honoure thee our father which art in heauen Thy kyngdome come Thy worde be so fruitfully preached amongest vs thy peple that we may be throughly instructed taught to brydle our sensual apetites by natural reason and to submit our wyttes reasons vnto a good godly spirite and to trye our spirites by the true scriptures So that within vs may raigne the kingdome of God which is neither meate nor drink whiche is neither supersticious ceremonies voluptuous pleasures nor vayne glory but righteousnes peace comforte in the holy ghost by the which we now tasting of thy heauenly ioyes may be made frō henceforth wery of al worldly vanities continually loking prayinge for the apperance and comming of thy eternall and euerlasting kyngdom Thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen In heauen the angelles of reuerente loue do thy will and commaundement with comfortable courage ioyful pleasure In hel the wicked spirits through malice and enuye repininge and grudging do torment and vexe them selues what so euer they be doinge And vpon earth men being subiect vnto sinne do thinke it a labour and paine to be occupied in any thing that is good and godly Wherfore we pray that the grace of thy heauenly spirite maye so worke in our earthly bodies that we being delyuered from sinne and vanitie may frely delite and take pleasure to do thye wyll and commaundement being men vpon earth as thy glorious aungels do whiche be in heauen Geue vs this day our dayly breade We hauinge great nede not hable of our selues to deserue any thing beseche the of thy fatherly goodnes to geue frely vnto all vs in general So that none be hurt nor hindered seuerally this day when as we crye constrained by present nede not craftely crauing for vayn care against to morow our dayly bread our daily and necessarie foode reliefe both bodely and ghostly And especially so that the spiritual foode of Christes flesh and his bloud by dayely preachinge of the gospell and ministracion of the sacramentes maye replenishe our hartes mindes with continual remembrance of Christes deathe and his passion dayly to be vsed for necessary and spirituall consolation Forgeue vs oure trespasses as we forgeue them that trespas against vs. Geue vnto vs that feling and knowing oure owne synfulnesse do nede and desire thy mercifull forgeuenes of oure fautes trespasses which we haue committed against thee so that we frely forgeuing all other that haue offended vs in any thyng what so euer it be may be sure that mercy springyng in thee hathe proceded vnto vs and being graciousely offred of thee hath ben thankefully receaued of vs and beinge charitably vsed of vs towardes other shal most certainly be confirmed and enlarged of thee toward vs So that by free mercy sprynging and proceding from thee al fautes maye be freely forgeuen euen as those
which other hath committed against vs so likewise those whych we haue done a gainst thee And leade vs not into temptation Suffer not the deuyll by the abuse of thy benefites to leade vs captyues into deceitefull and dampnable temptation drawing vs by deinty meates vnto gredy glotony by money and richesse vnto vnsaciable couetousenes and by wealth and prosperity vnto pryde vayne glory and by al thy godly gracious giftes vnto euery dyuelishe abominable sinne But deliuer vs from euill Deliuer our goodes from abuse our bodies from corruption our soules from damnation Deliuer vs by Christ Iesu from the bondage of sinne vnto the lybertye of the Gospell so that from all daunger of diuelishe temptation trayning and enticing men toward damnation we maye be deliuered to serue thee in holinesse and ryghteousenesse all the daies of our life with most certaine and sure hope of euerlasting saluation thorow Christ Iesu in whom our hope and thy promise is moste certaine that is to say Amen Your time is short your daungers be great you are well warned by Goddes worde written Mar. xiij Take hede watche and praye Take hede that your hartes and mindes be not made heauy hard and dull with meates and drink vaine plesures or worldly cares Watch with dyllygence to doe youre owne dewties in desyrous lokynge for Chrystes comming Praye that ye may escape all daungers and stande in grace and fauoure afore the face of Christ at his comminge T. Leuer APOCAL. XXII Beholde I come sone ¶ A prayer to be sayde in the mornynge O Almighty and moste gracyous God we hartely thancke thee for the swete slepe comfortable rest whiche thou hast geuen vs this nighte and for as muche as thou haste commaunded by thy holy worde that no man shoulde be idle but all occupied in godly and vertuous exercises euery mā according to his calling we most humbly beseche thee that thine eies may attende vpon vs dayely defende vs cherishe comforte and gouerne vs and al our counsayles studies and labours in suche wise that we maye spend and bestowe this day accordynge to thy moste holy wyll without the hurtynge of our neighbours and that we may diligentlye and warely eschewe and auoyde all thinges that shoulde displease thee set thee alwaies before our eies liue in thy feare workyng that may be founde acceptable before thy diuyne maiestie through Iesus Christ our lord So be it ¶ A Confession of our synnes O Mercifull and most louing father whose Loue is infinite whose mercye endureth for euer we sinfull creatures trustinge in thine vnspeakeable goodnes loue towardes vs do appere this mornynge before thy dyuyne maiestie most humbly confessing our manifold sinnes and innumerable transgressions of thy commaundementes and fatherly wyll against thee only against thee O lord haue we synned we acknowledge oure offences we accuse our selues vnto the O mercifull lord and wyl not hyde our vnrighteousnesse we fynde in our selues nothinge but ingnoraunce of thye wyll and disobedience mistrust doubfulnes in thy goodnes and incredulitie hatred contempt of all spirituall thinges selfe loue confidence in our selues and feruent lustinge after carnall thinges of this worlde and this tree of our corrupt nature bryngeth forth continually in vs none other fruictes but rotten and vnsauery workes of the fleshe in thoughtes wordes and doinges vnto condempnation Wherfore we humbly beseche thy fatherly goodnes euen for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake whome thou hast set forth for a purchaser of mercye vnto vs through fayth in hys bloud make our hartes cleane take away our stony hartes and geue vnto vs a true a liuely fayth whych shal worcke continually by loue throughe Christ haue mercy vppon vs forgeue vs our sinnes for thy sonnes sake certifye our consciences of remission of the same by thy holy spirite by whose operation so mortifye in vs our olde man the whole body of sinne that we continually dyeng vnto sinne may walke in newnesse of life to the glory of thy holy name through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen ¶ Before thou prayest beleue that god is not onely almighty to helpe and to delyuer thee but also that he is gracious and faythefull to fulfill all his promises made vnto vs. Then forgeue if thou hast any thing against any man And remember that thou commest not to god with a double harte but lyfte vp pure handes with oute wrathe or doubtinge O Almighty eternal euerliuing god 1. 2. Corin. 1. and. 2. 1. the eternal father of our Lorde Iesus Chryst whych haste made 2. heauen and yearthe 2. Ictes 4. the sea and al that therin is and of thy great goodnes didst open thy selfe from heauen madest proclamatiō of Iesus christ saieng 3 this is my deare sonne heare him 3. Matth. 3. thou maker of al thinges preseruer helper 4. Philip. 2. Ebre 1. with thy 4. coeternal sonne our lord Iesus Christ raignyng with thee and manifested in Ierusalem and thy holy ghost poured on the apostles O most wise good mercifull righteous iudge and also strong which hast sayde by thy prophet 5. Ezechi 18. 5. I will not the death of a sinner but that he cōuert and liue I thy pore creature and worke of thy handes do acknowledge and confesse vnto thee my manifold synnes and offences which I from my youth vp vnto this time haue greuously committed against thee in thought worde dede am now taught moued by thy word grace to be hartely sory for the same desiring thee which hast sayd 6. Psal 50. 6. call vpon me in the day of thy trouble and I wyll heare thee and delyuer thee for the precious bloudde sheading of Iesus Christ thy sonnes sake our lord whom thou wouldest to be made a slaine 7. Eb. 9. ◠10 7. sacrifice for our sinnes to haue mercy vppon mee and forgeue me all those myne offences according to thy great mercy promise whych haste sayde 8. Eze. 18. 8. at what time so euer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottom of his hart I will put al his wickednes out of my remembraunce O lorde I acknowledge and confesse that I was borne in sinne 9. Psal 51. Ephe. 2. Rom. 7. and. 9. conceiued in wickednes and am by nature a. 9. childe of wrath for that in my 9. fleshe as saincte Paule saith dwelleth no good thing and that of my selfe I am not able to think a good 10. thought that can please thee 10.2 Corin. 3. much lesse to wishe and least of al to doe that thou in thy lawe requireste of me to be done for 11. Gala. 3. Rom. 7. 11. thou hast saide cursed is he that continuethe not in all thynges that are written in the lawe to do them againe thy lawe is 11. spiritual but I am carnall solde vnder sinne therfore o lorde I call vnto thee for grace whyche haste saide 12. Math. 7. 12. aske and ye shall haue seeke
beseche thee to graunt that we may knowledge truely without hipocrisie bowe miserable a state of perdition we are in by nature and how worthely we procure vnto our selues euerlastinge dampnation◠heapinge vp from time to time thy greuous punishmētes towards vs through oure wicked and synfull life to the ende that seing there remayneth no sparke of goodnes in our nature and that ther is nothing in vs as touching our first creation and that which we receaue of our parentes mete to inioye the heritage of gods kingedome we may wholy render by oure selues with all oure hartes and with an assured cōfidēce vnto thy deroly beloued son Iesu Christ our lord our only sauiour redemer to the ende that he dwelling in vs may mortefy our olde man that is to say our sinneful affectiōs and that we may be regenerated into a more godly lyfe wherby thy holy name as it is worthy of all honoure may be aduaunced and magnified through oute the world and in al places so that thou hauing the tuicion and gouernaunce ouer vs we may learne dayely more and more to humble and submyt our selues vnto thy maiestie in such sort that thou maist be counted king and gouernour ouer al guiding thy people with the scepter of thy word and by the vertue of thy holy spirite to the confusion of all thine enemies through the mighte of thy truth righteousnes so that by this meanes all power and heighte which withstandeth thy glory may be continually throwen downe and abolyshed vnto suche time as the full and perfecte face of thy kingdome shall apeare when thou shalt shewe thy selfe in iudgement whereby also we with the reste of thye creatures may render vnto thee perfecte and due obedience euen as thy holy aungells do apply them selues onely to the perfourming of thy commaundementes so that onely thy will may be fulfilled without any cōtradiction that euery man may bend him selfe to serue and please thee renouncing their owne wylles with all the affections and desires of the fleshe Graunte vs also good lorde that wee thus walking in the loue and dreade of thy holye name maye be nouryshed and susteyned through thy goodnesse that we may receue at thy handes all things expediente necessary for vs and so vse thy giftes peaceably and quietly to this ende that when wee see that thou haste care of vs wee maye the more affectuousely knowledge thee to be our father lokinge for all good giftes at thy hand and withdrawynge and pullinge back al our vaine confidence from creatures may set it wholly vpon thee and so rest onely in thy most bountiful mercy And for so moch as whiles we continue here in this transitory life we are so miserable so frayle and so much inclyned vnto synne that we fall continually and swarue from the right way of thy commaundementes we beseche the pardon vs our innumerable offences whereby we are in daunger of thy iudgemente condempnation and forgeue vs so freely that deathe and synne may hereafter haue no title against vs neither lay vnto our charge that wicked rote of sinne whiche dothe euermore remaine in vs but graunt that we may forget and forgeue the wronges whiche other do vnto vs in stede of seking vengeaunce may procure the wealthe of our ennemies And for as muche as of our selues wee are so weake that we ar not able to stād vpright one minute of an houre and again so belaid assaulted euermore with such a multitude of so daūgerous ennemies that the deuyl the world synne our own cōcupicēces do neuer leaue of to fyghte against vs Let it be thy good pleasure to strengthen vs with thy holy spirit to arme vs with thy grace that therby we may be able strongly to with stand al tēptations to endure constātly in this spiritual battaile against syn vntil such time as we shal obteine the ful victory so at length may triūphātly reioyse in thy kingdome with our captain gouernour Iesus christ our lord Amē Who can tel whether the lord wil turne againe and haue compassion vpon vs and leaue a blessinge behynde him Ioel. 2. ¶ A prayer mete for this present tyme that god woulde turne away his plagues hanging ouer vs for our sinnes OH lorde God strong and mighty great and fearfull whiche dwellest in the heauens and workest great wonders we thy myserable chyldren here vpō earth do most humbly beseche thee to be mercifull vnto vs to pardon our offences forgers vs all our sinnes O Lord enter not into iudgement with thy seruauntes for if thou do there shall no fleshe be saued in thy sight O Lord we confesse and acknowledge that it is our syns that hath caused thee to be moued vnto wrathe to shewe suche tokens of thy displeasure towardes vs in these our dayes fyrfte with fire from heauen whiche did betoken thy hotte burning indignation and wrathfull displeasure for synne whiche aboundeth at this day then with such horrible and monstruous shapes against nature as was neuer sene in our daies nor in no time before vs in this miserable countrey of oures whiche all do betoken to vs none other thinge but thye plagues to come vppon vs for our degenerate and monstrous lyfe and conuersation and our wonderfull and terryble destruction and desolation vnlesse we spedely repent and turne to thee because we haue ben so longe taught oute of thy most holy and sacred worde and yet no fruites of repentaunce or christyan life will appere Woe and alas to these our daies that neyther preachinge by worde most comfortable nor preaching by fyre most terrible nor preaching by monsters moste ougly horrible wil flyrre vp our stony hartes and awake vs from our sinnes We feare oh Lorde that the turkes with all the rest of the vnbeleuing will condempne vs in the last day whiche if they had ben so longe instructed by the comfortable preaching of thy word and sweete promises of thy gospell or seene the wonders whiche we haue seene no doubt their righteousenes woulde haue shined at this day to our greate shame and confusion Thou hast no lesse warned vs oh Lord of thy feareful displeasure heauie plagues at hande for our great wickednes then thou dyddest the Israelites of that horryble destructyon which came vpon them whō thou first in mercy diddest call to repentaunce by the preachinge of thy worde but when no warnynge wolde serue thou diddest send them monstrus and feareful signes and tokens to declare that thy visitation was not farre of But they like vnto vs at this daye dyd alwaies interprete these thinges after the imagination of their owne vaine hartes promysynge to them selues peace when destruction was ouer their heades Whiche thinges when we do call to minde for as muche as they are writtē for our learnynge exaumple and warnynge it maketh vs to tremble quake for feare of thy iust iudgementes For if thou hast thus dealt with thine owne dears chosen