THE HAVEN OF HOPE Containing godlie Praiers and meditations for diuers purposes Gathered by R. A. Mark 13 35. Watch and pray for ye knowe not when the time is Imprinted at London for Yarath Iames. 1585 To the Worshipfull and my very good Maister M. IOHN DARCIE Esquier grace mercie and peace from God the father through our Lord Iesus Christ be multiplied CAlling vnto my remembrāce worshipfull Sir the streight accoūt that our Sauior Christ shal take of his seruants on whom he hath bestowed his talents and seing the reward that the good and profitable seruant shall haue for wel bestowing imploieng the same And also setting before mine eies the punishment prepared for the wicked and vnprofitable seruant I waieng the reward of the one and the punishment of the other thoght it to be very necessary my bounden dutie according to the talent which almightie GOD in mercie hath bestowed vpon me to write this little booke two especial causes moouing me thereunto the first principall cause is to discharge my dutie towards almightie GOD of whom I haue receiued and do receiue euery good gift whatsoeuer it be as neere as he will giue mee grace for as the Scripture saith Euerie good gift and euerie perfect gift commeth from aboue the Lord make vs thankfull for them for when we haue done whatsoeuer we can of our selues which is nothing yea when we thinke that we haue done the best seruice that can be done yet must we vnderstand and knowe that we are but vnprofitable seruants and haue not done so much as is our dutie to do This is the first and principall cause that mooued me to the writing of this little Treatise Then when I had finished this small peece of worke being vndetermined whom I might make my patrone at length it came into my mind to present the same vnto your worships view as to one of whome among men I haue receiued the greatest benefits Therfore the second cause that moued me to the writing of this little volume was somwhat to gratifie your worships goodwil which hath at all times been so great towards me But peraduenture your worship may thinke it a great presumption in me to present such a rude peece of worke to you but I craue pardon for my boldnes and I trust that your Worship will accept it according to my good meaning and I hope in the almightie Lord that although it be not furnished with Ciceronical eloquence you shall find in it such matter as shall tend both to the glorie of GOD and the health of your soule and that is my greatest desire Thus being loth to vse superfluitie of words I end desiring almightie God to prosper your Worship in all your affaires that you may so walke before him in this vale of miserie that when this our sinful course is ended you and we may all reigne togither with him in that place which he in mercie hath prepared for all his elect children to the which place bring vs the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost Amen Your Worships most humble to command Raphe ALLIN To the godlie and Christian Reader R. A. wisheth the direction of Gods holie spirit THOV hast heer good Christian Reader the first fruits of a barren field which although it be not replenished with pleasant herbs delightfull to the fleshly fancie of thy mind yet if thou put away from thee the delights of this world and put on Christ Iesus I do not doubt but by the assistance of Gods holie spirit they shall be pleasant to thy spirituall appetite And heerin I desire thee not to be rash in condemning without consideration but rather if thou see a fault by any means to be escaped I earnestly desire thee to correct it that if heerafter occasion do serue me to set foorth the like againe seeing thy good will towards me I may be emboldened the more to perseuere in the like enterprise And bicause that praier if it come from a hart and mind that is stirred vnto godlines is a thing most pretious in the sight of almightie God I thought it good therefore to write this small Manuell of praiers intituled The HAVEN of HOPE which although the volume be but small yet if thou wel peruse and marke the same I trust in the Lord Iesus Christ that thou shalt find such matter in it as if thou pray by faith shall no doubt bring consolation both to thy soule and bodie And if I do find or can any way learne that this little Treatise doth bring any comfort vnto thy soule I do meane as God shall make me able in time to augment the same Thus being very loth to trouble thee with manie words and little matter I leaue thee to the defence of almightie God vnto whom I pray that it will please him to guide thee with his holie spirit that thereby thou maist do whatsoeuer shall be pleasant in his sight to his honor and the health of thine owne soule through our onlie Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all honor praise glorie dominion and thanks giuing now and euermore So be it Thine in the Lord R. A. An introduction to praier BEFORE thou beginnest to pray good christian Reader there are three things of thee principally to be noted which are these that followe 1 The first is to bewaile thy sins and to be hartily sorie for them promising never to commit the like againe For at what time soeuer a sinner doth repent him of his sinne from the bottom of his hart I will put all his wickednes out of my remembrance saith the Lord. 2 The second is this that thou must be persuaded in thy faith and conscience that the Lord doth heare regard whatsoeuer thou dost pray for or else thy praiers are made altogither in vaine For whatsoeuer proceedeth not of faith is sinne 3 And the third and last is this that thou must go with an vpright a cleere cōscience before the Lord thy God not bearing malice or enuie to any thy brethren or sisters in the Lord for as Saint Iohn saith How canst thou loue the Lord thy God whom thou hast not seen when thou hatest thy brother whom thou seest daily Thus good Reader if thou dost diligently mark and consider these three points and followe them there is no doubt but that the Lord thy GOD will heare what soeuer thou praiest and also grant thee thy request For how canst thou pray to the Lord to direct thee with his holie spirit when thou dost not bewaile and lament for thy offences which bee past And how dost thou thinke to obtaine thy request at the Lords hand when thou dost not pray by faith and with a cleere conscience And how canst thou pray with a cleere conscience when thou bearest malice and enuie to thy brethren or sisters which are all members of one misticall bodie with thee Iesus Christ being the head Thus breefly haue I
for Iesus Christs sake to strengthen me in this great and terrible battell of conscience which I feel between my flesh my spirit concerning lecherie continencie For my spirit saith I will delight my selfe with the studie of that which may bring saluation vnto me that is the reading of thy holy word with the me ditation hearing of the same altogither to giue my selfe to put far from me all worldlie pleasures and earthlie delights that therby I may through the merits of my sweet Sauiour Iesus Christ make an attonement with God the father for the innumerable multitude of my transgressions which had almost drawen me headlong to hell but whilest I am in these cogitations behold the flesh with his detestable desires doth come vnto me and by all wicked means possible doth seeke to bring me through his carnall concupiscence into the lake of perdition For as the spirit doth desire spirituall and heauenlie things euen so the flesh as it is carnall doth desire carnal and earthly things for ech thing desireth such as it selfe is Well seeing that I haue within my conscience such a great and terrible battell betweene the flesh and the spirit and that the flesh for any strength or power that is in me is like to haue the vpper hand and if the flesh haue the vpper hand what shall my reward be at the latter day when I shall come before the tribunall seate of the almightie and euerliuing God Truly my reward shall be this I shall be cast into vtter darknes there shal be weeping wailing gnashing of teeth Well now since it hath pleased almightie God of his great mercie to giue me knowledge what sinne is and that the desire and lust of the flesh is altogither wickednes and abhominable in the sight of the Lord and that the reward of sin is hell euerlasting condemnation And now since he of meere mercie hath giuen me knowledge thereof if I do not seeke to redresse it then I shall be accounted as one that knoweth the will of his father and will not do it truly such a sonne must bee beaten with manie stripes Seeing now that through the carnall concupiscence of the flesh hell fire is come vpon me what means may I vse to haue the same taken from mee againe To haue this great worke done for me I must put on sobrietie imbrace humilitie mingled with desire of a godlie life and then must I come and appeale before the high throne of mercie and aske forgiuenes of my sins in the pretious death and bloodshedding of my Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus who hath of his great mercie and goodnes promised forgiuenes of sinnes to all those that with a true and liuely faith com vnto him humbly crauing forgiuenes of their sins For by his death we are made aliue and by his strokes we are healed Heere oh most mercifull father do I behold as it were in a glasse the great and fatherly care which thou hast for all thy children which with hartie vnseined repentance come vnto thee for mercie for thou deniest none that cal vpon thee for mercie in the blood of Christ Iesus our fauiour I beseech thee oh Lord to strengthen me with thy holy spirit that thereby I may withstand all the furious assaults of sathan and the flesh For the flesh being stirred vp by the subtile suggestions of sathan do giue manie fierce assaults vnto my spirit insomuch that while it is in my bodie it is in a darke prison desiring when it shall please thy maiestie to be dissolued from this bodie of sin and as the prophet Dauid saith Like as the hart desireth the water brookes euen so my soule longeth after thee oh Lord. And also in another place he saith My soule longeth for thy saluation and I haue a good hope bicause of thy word My soule longeth for thy word saieng Oh when wilt thou comfort me My soule cleaneth vnto the dust oh quicken thou mee according to thy word Oh Lord I beseech thee to inlighten my hart with thy holie spirit that I may flie from and abhor the filthie and abhominable lusts of the flesh as a thing which is most detestable in thy sight considering that it is most odious before thee And also Lord I beseech thee for thy deere sonne our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christs sake in this conflict in all other such like to giue victorie vnto the spirit that therby thy name may bee glorified and that it may liue as a conqueror ouer the wicked desires of the flesh and that the flesh with his concupiscences may bee in such subiection vnto the spirit that it dare not once to rebell against it And that I may liue so that whatsoeuer I do may bee pleasing in thy sight and that I through the strēgth of thy holie spirit may haue victorie ouer sinne death and hell and liue according to the precise rule of thy holie word so that whatsoeuer I do it may bee pleasant in thy sight through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with thee and the holie Ghost be all honor praise and glorie both now and euer Amen A conflict between gluttonie and abstinence AS yet oh my sweet Lord and God I suffer a continuall conflict in my conscience between the spirit and the flesh for my spirit manie times speaketh within me and saith I will abstaine from excesse of meats and drinks that therby I may bridle and keep vnder the corrupt and filthie desires of the flesh that in so doing I may be the more apt and readie to the knowledge and vnderstanding of thy holie will No sooner oh Lord am I in this contemplation but presently the flesh with his diuelish concupiscence offereth it selfe to persuade me to the contrarie For where the spirit doth desire spirituall and heauenlie things and to do such things as may be pleasing vnto thy diuine maiestie my flesh cleane contrarie vnto this doth desire all kind of vncleannes and to satisfie his owne carnall lusts and appetites by eating and drinking excessiuely and so were not thy great mercie it were like to bring my soule to vtter ruine and perdition But Lord as thou knowest that sathan the ancient enimie of all mankind is the intiser stirrer vp of all these wicked imaginations of my sinful flesh and that he is a slie and subtile aduersarie I beseech thee good Lord giue me grace manfully to withstand him knowing this that whosoeuer doth valiantly fight vnder thy spirituall banner and cōtinueth a faithfull soldier vnto the end shall not lose his reward but shall be made inheritour in ioy euerlasting with thy celestiall companie of angels and saints then who would not suffer all the torments vnder heauen to haue after all their troubles such a inifull resting place But such oh Lord is the wicked and corrupt nature of our sinfull flesh that it setteth more by the vaine pleasures of this transitorie world which is heere to day and
was the grace of thy holie spirit heer was the gift of continuance vnto the end who although he had lost all worldlie pleasures yet would he neuer start from the obedience of thy holie will yea although sathan that ancient enimie of all mankind sought all the meanes that he could deuise to plague the carcase of poore Iob yet did he remaine constant vnto the end for all the trouble and persecutions that he abode If it be thy will good father I pray thee to imprint this gratious gift of cōtinuance in my hart that whatsoeuer crosse or tribulation I suffer I may patiently abide the same for as our Sauiour Christ saith He that taketh not his crosse and followeth me is not woorthie of me And againe He that will saue his life shall lose it and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it Oh vnhappie man that will seeke to saue his life in this world and lose it in the life to come and thrise happie is he that loseth his life in this world for our Sauiour Christ his sake for he surely shall find it in the world to come in ioies euerlasting which neither eie hath seene nor eare hath heard neither hath it entered into the hart of man vnto the which ioies Lord for thy mercie sake bring vs and for thy deere sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ his sake to whome with thee and the holie Ghost be all honor glorie for euermore Amen A praier for an old man ALmightie GOD which-art the helper of all those that call to thee for succour I beseech thee to come neer vnto me and heare the voice of my crieng which haue liued long on earth and that very wickedly euen from my youth vnto this my crooked age I haue still continued in blindnes and ignorance yea and that wilfully neither seeking to attaine vnto sight nor knowledge whereby I might see into thy holie word and therby perceiue mine owne wickednes and sin and to get knowledge therby to vnderstand thy holie commandements that I might through faith in thee seek to obserue the same But now O Lord I come vnto thee which neuer despisest the sighing of a contrite hart nor the desire of such as be sorrowful which neuer stoppest thine eare at the crie of a penitent sinner nor withdrawest thy hande from helping of such as be in need which callest sinners to repentance when it pleaseth thee euen at all times and ages some at the first hower some at the third some at the ninth and some at the eleuenth of the which late number oh Lord thorough thine inestimable goodnes and mercie I am one who haue spent the greatest part of the time of my life in sloth wantonnes and in all maner of vncleanes and wickednes euen til now that I am readie to put one foot into the graue that is euen till the eleuenth hower or the verie latest time of my life And had it not beene for the multitude of thy mercies I might haue proceeded forward in all kind of wickednes and sin euen as I begun but thou oh mercifull father which wilt not the death of a sinner but rather that hee should repent and turne from his wickednes and that his sin might be done away Euen to thee oh Lord God belongeth mercy and forgiuenes And thou it is oh Lord that wilt bring mercie and forgiuenes of sins to as many as faithfully in thy deere son Iesus Christ do call to thee for mercie in time before it be too late yea while it is said to day To day if yee will heare my voice harden not your harts as in the prouocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernes And heerin I beseech thee good father to forgiue me all the sins of my youth which are as the sands of the sea in number good Lord cast them into the bottome of the sea where they neuer may be seen with eies nor stand in iudgment against me And also good Lord I beseech thee to clense me from all my secret sins and cast them from the light of thy countenance Lord I beseech thee direct me with thy holie spirit that I may remaine thy faithfull seruant vnto the end thorough Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A praier for a maiden VNto thee oh Lord GOD belongeth mercy and forgiuenes of sinnes and the gift of a godlie and vertuous life therefore oh Lord I do at this time present my selfe before thy diuine maiestie beseeching thee not to looke vpon me neither harken vnto me according to mine owne merits or worthines but in the merits of thy deer sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ requiring thee for his sake to be mercifull vnto me and forgiue me all my sins that are past and giue me grace that hence forward I may no more so greeuously offend thy maiestie as I haue done both in thought word and deed but that I may henceforth lead a godlie and christian life folowing the example of Marie Magdalen out of whom our Sauiour Christ cast seuen diuels who in the beginning was a great and a greeuous sinner but in the end confessing hir wickednes and sin obtained free remission at thy hands and became a new woman leading hir life in holines and righteousnes and as the euangelist Luke witnesseth when our Sauiour Christ entred into the house of one of the Pharisies to dine with him behold a woman in the citie which was a sinner when she knew that Iesus sate at the table in the pharisies house she brought a boxe of ointment and she stood at his feet behind him weping began to wash his feet with tears did wipe them with the haires of hir head and kissed his feete and annointed them with the ointment shewing the great humilitie and reuerence which she bare vnto our Sauiour Good father I besech thee giue me such a contrite hart as had this Marie Magdalene that I may so bewaile my sins while I remaine heere on earth that when I depart from this vale of miserie I may remaine with thee in ioies euerlasting to the which place bring vs the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost Amen A praier to be said of all true and faithfull subiects desiring almightie God to blesse and keepe the Queenes most excellent Maiestie GOD which art the author and giuer of all goodnes sparest not to bestowe plentifully on al those that faithfully aske it of thee I beseech thee therfore good father giue me thy grace that I may keepe my selfe vnder the obedience of thy seruant my souereigne Queene that I may loue hir and obey hir lawes as thou oh Lord hast commanded euery subiect and the Apostle Paule writing to the Romans saith Let euerie soule be subiect vnto the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God For he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receiue vnto