and the soules that thou hast comforted I can say to my selfe oh my soule why art thou so disquieted within mee knowing the goodnesse of thy God and then in the teares of true repentance on the knees of my hearte in the humilitie of my soule cry vnto thee O deare God remember not the sinnes of my youth forgiue mee all my offences cleanse mee from my iniquities take me againe vnto thy grace O Lord let me feele a little of y t louing kindnesse wherwith thou dost glad the heart of thy beloued let me think w t thy seruant Paul y t all the treasure of this world is but trash compared to the rich iewell of thy loue O sweete Christ so comfort me w t thy selfe y t in the gladnesse of thy goodnesse I may sing with thy seruant Simeon whē he had the in his arms Lord now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes haue seen thy saluation Blessed were his eyes y t so liued to beholde thee and blessed were my soule if it could so liue to embrace thee but my deare GOD since the corruption of sinne will not suffer mee in this world to beholde thee I humbly beseech thee mortifie the delight of sinne in mee that it may haue no power to drawe mee from thee that when I haue finished the daies of the imprisonment of my soule in this darkesome caue of this my wretched carkas being freed from the hell of sinne by the merit of thy mercie in the libertie of my loue I may see the ioy of my soule and in the ioy of thy gratious goodnesse I may sing to thy glorious maiestie the only endlesse Halleluiah Amen O Glorious God who from y e heauēly throne of thy holy mercie beholdest all the dwellers vpon y e earth and seest the essence of euery substance which no shadowe can hide from thy sight O God of al true wisdome and goodnesse who seest the very hearts of all creatures and knowest the thoughts of all y e world yea before the worlde was in the aboūdāce of thy mercie cast one look of thy gratious eye vpon the sorowfull soule of thy vnworthie seruant vnworthie I confesse my selfe to appeare before thy presence so hideous is the horrour of my sinne in thy sight yet when I knowe that from corruption thou canst looke for no perfection and that mercie in iustice sheweth the glorie of thy goodnesse I had rather say with thy seruant Dauid If my sinnes were as red as scarlet thou canst make me as white as snow then to cry out with Cain my sins are greater thē I can bear O my dear Lord thou hast called al vnto thee that are laden thou wilt ease them and to thee I come so laden with sinne in my soule that I can scarce looke vp to thy mercie hear mee therefore I humbly beseech thee and in the greatnesse of thy mercie ease me of this heauie burthen of my sinne O Lord I confesse to thee I was conceiued and borne in sinne and in transgressions of thy commandemēts haue I wasted the weary daies of my life yet sweete Lord when I knowe thy wisdome beholdeth the weakenesse of my corruption and thy mercie considereth the sorrowe of my repentance I am emboldened in thy worde to come vnto thee and on the knees of my heart to cry vnto thee O Lord haue mercie vpon mee beholde the worke of thine own hands lose not whome thou hast redeemed regenerate whom thou seest corrupted heale him whome sinne hath wounded and performe the grace that thou hast promised that being cured of sinne and with thy grace comforted in the loue of my hart ioy of my soule I may sing to thy glorie the eternall Halleluiah Amen THe lord he is my sheepheard that doth feede My soule full sweetely by the riuer side And will not let mee nibble on a weede Where hee doth knowe there may my hurt abide He will not let the Wolfe come neere the folde Where he hath laide His louing flocke to rest Nor will hee let them bide the bitter colde But sweetly warmes them from his sunny breast Along the pastures faire and fresh and greene He leades them forth for their best liues behoue Nor euer yet was there confusion seen Of any flocke that hee doth fairely loue Hee doth not robbe them of a locke of wooll But kindely calles them to their fairest folde Nor doth he vse the cunning how to cull The fat from leane nor yoūg ones frō the old But all alike hee loues whom he doth keepe And if that any stray out of the plaine Vpon his shoulders hee brings home that sheep And sings for ioy to haue his lambe againe The winters worme nor yet the summers flie Can once anoy the smallest lambe of his But they shall still encrease and neuer die But euer liue in euerlasting blisse He giues them water from the liuing rocke Where neuer yet did harmefull thought arriue Yea hee so dearely lou'd his little flocke That hee did die to saue his sheepe aliue But shall oh Lord this sinfull soule of mine So many waies with miseries opprest Become a lambe of that faire flocke of thine And feede with them when they are fairely blest Then when I heare my louing sheepeheard call My faithfull soule vnto her fairest folde I will forsake these worldly pleasures all And only ioy my Iesus to beholde FINIS THe foole hath saide within his heart Hee thinks there is no God But hee shall finde for his desart The Lord his heauie rodde For when the Lord beginnes to frowne But with an angry eye Then Sathans power shall all goe downe And all his dogges shall die And then the reprobate shall finde There is a God indeede Who at his pleasure with a winde Can shake thē like a reede And by the rootes can teare them vp And fling thē down again And make them taste the fiery cuppe Of euerlasting paine For though a while God lets them liue And in their brauery bide Yet in the end his hand will giue A plague to all their pride Till when he lets them walke the path Their wickednesse hath trod Vntill by feeling of his wrath They know there is a God And then too late they howle and cry And gnash their teeth for grief And euer liue and euer die And neuer haue reliefe When they shall see before their face The ougly shapes of sinne That on the earth in euery place They tooke their pleasurs in Where euery diuell shall haue power The damned to disease And not a minute of an hower Shall giue thē hope of ease While in the heauens the chosen folke Without althought of strife Shall sit aboue the mountaine rocke Of euerlasting life And virgins with the Angels sweete Shall sit and play and sing And mercie grace and truthe shall meete To glorifie their king And my poore soule that hath no ioy But in my liuing Lord Shall ioy to see
seeme not deafe to me who hearest all that cry vnto thee but open the gates of thy mercie and let in the soule of thy vnworthy seruant that being rauished with the ioy of thy presēcc I may sing aloude to thy glory Amen O Most mercifull God the fountaine of all goodnesse and glorie of mercie who seest y e ioyes of the soule that is touched w t the finger of thy loue and knowest the sorrowes of the heart that languisheth in the griefe of thy displeasure I humbly beseech thee haue mercy vpon the afflicted spirite of thy poore vnworthy creature who sometime is rauished with the admiration of thy goodnesse but no sooner falleth from the hande of thy mercie but is readie through the illusion of sinne to drowne in the sea of iniquitie where how deepe are the sorrowes of the repentant let thy seruant Peter be a witnesse But what is a plant that hath no earth to growe in What is a fish that hath no water to swimme in what is the heart that hath no loue to liue in and what is the soule that hath not thy spirite to ioy in Oh when thy seruant Peter was rauished in the sweetenesse of his ioy he forgat y e greatnesse of thy goodnesse when presuming of his owne power he remembred not the gift of thy grace who then saide hee would die for thy loue but shortly after denyed thee thy loue in the feeling time of thy loue death was sweete to his imagination but in y e withdrawing time of thy mercy life was sweet to his corruption in y e ioyfull time of thy loue hee was like a plant y t florished by the river side who in the groūd of thy grace did prosper w t the deaw of thy mercy but no sooner fell from the blessing of thy holy spirit but he was like a blasted stock y t loosing his sap was ready to be cut down cast into y e ster but sweete Lord thou didst tel him his folly correct him for his fault thou shewedst him his weak nesse and thou gauest him strēgth he loued thee thou knewst it yet he forgot thee and thou sawest it but how sweetly didst thou deale w t him Thou didst loue him euer didst leaue him but for a while Thou keptst sap in y e roote that made the tree to flourish and to bringe forth much fruite yea to him who had thrust himselfe out of Paradise thou gauest the keies of heauen gates Howe greate then is thy goodnesse that forgiuing offences wilt ioy the hearte with such gladnesse Sweete Christ thou sawest his sorrow with his sinne and setting the one against the other diddest cure him of both his words were heinous in denying of thee but his teares were bitter that hee shedde for thee when thy hande of mercie wiping away y t one would not let thee looke on the other Such was thy regarde of his loue as put his sinnes out of thy remembrance O sweete Iesu is thy mercie closed vp into so narrowe a compasse that only Peter hath the benefit of thy blessing No my dear loue I know thou art almighty all good all glo rious thy mercie is ouer all thy workes and I am one of them whom thou hast made thou camest to call sinners to repentance and with confession of mine vnrighteousnesse I cry vnto thee for mercy thine eares are open vnto all and therefore I know thou wilt heare me thine eyes beholde all things therefore I know with my sins my sorrowes are not hid from thee thou art good to all that trust in thee and therefore my hope is onely in thee but where Peter denied thee once I haue denyed thee too often where he repēted in tears I haue continued in sins he therfore obtained mercy I haue deserued punishmēt but yet at what time soeuer a sinner repēteth him of his from the bottom of his hart thou hast promised sweete Lord that thou wilt put all his wickednesse out of thy remembrance thy promise is trueth thy truthe can not faile and therefore in the faith of thy trueth w t the teares of sorrowe I fly to the comfort of thy mercy I dare not boast of my loue my soule hath beene so blotted with iniquitie but cry in the sorrowe of my sinne O lord thinke vpon mee in thy mercie and though I be not Peter yet be thou Christ. I come not to him to be let in at thy gates but cry vnto thee for the comfort of thy mercie most humbly beseeching thee to forgiue me my wickednesse and to inspire mee with thy goodnesse that if I slide yet I may not greatly fall but in the feeling of thy mercie I may lay downe my life in thy loue and in the comfort of such grace giue thee wholly y e glory let no cocke crowe at my deniall of thee but the Angels reioyce at my confession of thee yea let my soule be so rauished with the loue of thee that I may ioy in nothinge but thee and in the ioyfull ioy of my soule sing to thee the onely true due and eternall Halleluiah Amen BLessed Lord and Lord of al blessednesse father of all mercy and God of all goodnesse who out of the aboundance of thy heauenly store dost enrich the soules of thy belooued seruantes and sufferest none to perish that put their trust in thy mercie looke I humbly beseech thee vpon the miserable neede of my distressed soule which pining thoroughe the wante of thy grace cryeth vnto the glorie of thy pitty Merciful Lord be mercifull vnto me the sorrowes of my hart are enlarged oh bring thou me out of my troubles many are the sorrowes that I endure but most in the cold feeling of thy comfort for when I faine would seeke after thee the cares of this worlde the corruption of the flesh and the illusions of the diuell are readie to drawe mee from thee in thy word I haue beene vnfaithfull for thy blessings vnthankefull and if thy seruice vndutifull if thou correct me I am vnpatient if thou forbeare me I am vngratious and in thou entreate mee I am vnkinde Thus euery way wo is me I am so full of iniqnitie that goodnesse hath almost no place in me sinne hath taken such holde vpon mee that despaire hath almost possest mee but yet sweete Lord if thou but touch y e heart al the bodie wil haue health and if it please thee to comfort the soule how can the heart be agrieued O deare God at thy rebuke the windes were downe the waues were calme the ship was safe and thy disciples were ioyfull at the touch of thy finger the blinde receiued their sight and at the sounde of thy voice a legion of diuels ranne away O Lord all power is in thy will and all glorie is in thy mercie in thy glorious mercie therefore I humbly beseech thee looke vpon me deliuer me from y e troubles that in the depth of sorrow
seeke the drowning of my soule touch the eyes of my heart with the finger of thy mercie that beholding the glorie of thy goodnesse it may humble it selfe to thy seruice and driue from mee all those wicked Spirites that doe hourely torment mee with temptations O Lord thou knowest my heart hast seene my soule in aduersities thou hast euer been my comfort in my troubles oh leaue mee not to the will of mine aduersaries O deare God thou hast created mee for thy selfe and wilt thou not knowe mee in thy selfe Thou hast redeemed me by thy selfe and wilt thou put mee from thy selfe yea thou hast comforted me with thy selfe and wilt thou not take mee to thy selfe yes my sweete Lord though sinne hath woūded mee thy mercie can heale mee and thy word doth assure mee that thou wilt haue mercie vpon mee thy blood is not so dry but thou hast one droppe for my comfort Thou art the good sheepeheard that wilt loose none of thy flocke and thou art alwaies with mee for thy right hand doth vphold me great are my troubles but thou canst deliuer me out of al yea in the midst of my calamities thy rod and thy staffe doe comfort mee Sweete Lord therefore beholde my confession and accept my submission forgiue mee my sinnes and comfort mee with thy graces strengthen my faith and blesse my beliefe in thee humble my soule in thy mercie and let mee not bee vndutifull in thy seruice make me thankefull in the labour of my loue vnto the mercie of thy holie Maiestie giue mee patience in thy correction repentance in thy forbearāce and true ioy but in thy loue so being wholly wrought vnto thee longing euer for thee and ioying onely in thee I may most ioyfully sing with thy seruant Dauid The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance Goe the worlde to whom̄e it will my soule ioy thou onely in the Lord knowing that hee hath giuen himselfe to the crosse for thy comfort him onely loue him onely serue and to him onely giue all glory worlde without end Amen BE mercifull vnto mee O God be merciful vnto me for man goeth about to deuoure me he is dailie fighting and troubling me so many are the occasions of euill that drawe mee from thee that I knowe not almost how to come to thee yet sweete Lord though I am fearefull of thy displeasure I despaire not of thy mercie for though thou awest thy children yet dost thou not terrifie thy seruants whom once thou hast chosen they can neuer be forsaken for thou art the comfort of the afflicted and the ioy of thy sorrowfull and therefore in the sorrowe of my soule doe I flie onelie to thee to thy mercy for my cōfort thou cleansest their eyes y t wold cānot see thee thou openest their ears y t would can not heare thee yea thou strēgthenest their faith y t cōfes their vnbelief vnto thee O lord therfore of thy goodnesse cleare my blindnes y t haue wandred awry from y e way of thy holy will heale me of my deafenesse y t haue too long harkened vnto the follies of y e world strengthen my beliefe that hath bin too weake in thy holy word so shall mine eies be euer looking towards thee mine eares shal be delighted with y e hearing of thy voice and my soule shal reioyce in the faith of thy mercie yea my hart shall loue thee and my lips shal praise thee hear me therefore sweet Lord helpe me haue mercy vpon mee bring me out of my troubles that in the rest of thy mercy I may sing to thy glory Amen MY God my God looke vpon mee take not vengeance of my sins but spare mee whom thou hast redremed with thy most pretious bloode and be not angry w t mee for euer so many are y e sorrowes that compasse mee in on euery side as without the greater feeling of thy mercy wil confound y e hope of my comfort O sweete Lord I goe mourning all the day long and all with feare of thy displeasure which I confesse I haue deserued therfore am iustly punished but sweete father haue mercie vpon mee beholde the teares of true repentance that in the bitternesse of vnfained sorrow in the humilitie of my soule cry vnto thy blessed patience for one droppe of thy pittie louing father looke vpon mee and stroake mee with the hand of thy cōfort whom thou hast stricken with the rodd of thy correction chide but be not angry let not thy wrath burne like fire that art so glorious in thy mercie turne thy face from my sinnes and blot out all mine iniquities out of thy remembrance out of the hel of my miseries take mee to the heauen of thy mercies let mee feele thy louing kindnesse in the morning that I may sing all day of thy goodnesse woe is mee that euer I swarued from thee and well onely were it with me if I could euer be with thee O God of all perfection haue patience with my corruption O Lord of all goodnesse forgiue mee my wickednesse and O king of all glorie comfort me with one crūme of thy mercie thou hast created mee in thy power redeemed mee in thy loue and in thy holy spirite sanctified mee and wilt thou now forsake mee that hast done all this good for mee No sweety Lord thou art wise and knowest what is meete for me though I knowe not what is good for my selfe but sweete Lord I humbly beseech thee helpe mine ignorance and make mee to knowe what is conuenient for mee in thy holy will y t thou chastenest whom thou louest and therefore I may take comfort in thy correction that scourges are but trials of thy loue where patience is a blessing of thy mercie while faith is neuer destitute of comfort that is laid vp for euer in thy loue thus deare Lord I humbly beseech thee to deale with thy vnworthy seruant that if I be plagued with Iob I may haue patience w t Iob if I haue Paules troubles I may haue Pauls faith and Pauls loue so in the feeling of my ioyes wil my sorrows be forgotten and in the ioy of thy loue shall I reioyce for euermore but my deare Lord Iob was a iust man and feared to offend thee I am a wicked wretch that haue not feared to displease thee Paul was faithful thorough thy grace and I am fearefull through my sinne and therefore their troubles turned to their ioyes while my punishments are continuall torments yet sweete Lord Iesu I can not so forget thee but I must needes come to thee and though ashamed to come before thee yet behinde thee to touch y e hemme of thy garment I haue beene vnfaithfull oh helpe my vnbeliefe and in the sweetenesse of thy mercie shewe the greatnesse of thy glorie thou sauedst Peter frō drowning in the sea oh saue me from sinking into sinne thou sauedst Daniel in the Lyons denne oh saue mee from the mouthes of my Lyonishe
enemies thou tookest Ionas out of the Whales belly oh take mee out of the whale of this hellish world thou sauest all that trust in thee oh saue mee that trust onely but in thee in thee sweete Lord the onely life of my loue whole ioy of my heart heare me therfore I beseech thee and in thy mercie helpe me among the number of thy elected let mee be one of thy belooued that in the traine of thine Aungels though y e least in thy kingdome yet in the ioy of my soule I may sing to thy glorie Amen ETernall power of eternall peace holy and almightie glorie of incomprehensible Maiesty most mercifull and only good God who hast made all thinges by thy power by thy mercie preseruest them and by thy wisdome dost gouern them sweete Lord deare life liuing loue who hast created all thinges for man and man only for thy seruice who lettest nothing be idle that may worke to thy glory and art thyselfe euer in working to the only glorie of thy goodnesse who causest the windes to blowe the clowdes to raine and y e earth to giue her increase and all for the seruice of man and him only aboue all creatures thou hast blessed with reason to iudge betwixt good and euill and hauing gouernment ouer all things on earth to be gouerned only by thy most gratious goodnesse sweete Lord that seest the very senselesse creatures all in their natures holde the due of their obedience in their seruice to thy glorie onely man to whom the mercie of thy holie Maiystie hath giuen a spirit of higher blessing wherwith to glorify thy holy goodnesse and for that thou hast done for him askest nothing but to acknowledge thy bounty and to giue thankes to thy glory yet seest how this creature of thy loue framed nearest to thine owne image in forgetfulnesse of thy grace is become vnthankfull to thy glorie giues ear to illusiōs breaks thy commaundement and runnes headlong to destruction without the greater holde of thy mercie yet in that thou hatest nothing y t thou hast made delightest not in the death of a sinner but art glorious in thy mercy sweete Iesu suffer not Sathan nor any wicked spirit so to gouerne in the worlde as to drawe thy people from thee but blesse them with thy holy spirite that they may knowe thee for and all the creatures therein power to giue their encrease yea and themselues to the seruice of man giue him power in the humilitie of his soule and thankfulnesse of heart to giue thy gratious Maiesty some fruits of thy blessing yea w t all that he hath to giue himselfe wholly to thy ser who was made only by thee and for thee Let him not liue in corruption that was framed in perfection thou art his GOD and hee is thy creature thou art his father make him thy childe thou art his Lord keepe him thy seruant thou art his euer life oh let him not die for euer no creature on earth that liueth only to it selfe but all to thy glorie and shall onely man liue onely to himselfe and so be vnthankfull to thy goodnesse sweete Lord forbid hatefull be that nature of iniquitie that draweth man out of Paradise and throweth him headlōg into hell fie on that accursed fiend that so be witcheth the soule with the delight of sin and wo be to vnhappy man that so forgetteth y e godnes of his God but yet sweete Iesu my Lord my master my father my king and my God looke I humbly beseech thee vpon thy wretched creature thy vnworthy seruant thy vngodlie childe and thy rebellious subiect in thy mercy looke vpon mee looke vpon myrepentance not my rebellions my sorrowes not my sinnes my teares not mine iniquities heale my woūds for they are corrupted and wash me cleane for I am fowly infected keeps mee from the in chaunting charmes of all wicked spirites and in the wisdome of thy holy spirite deliuer mee from the illusions of the wicked fiende make sinne hatefull vnto my soule and in the wisdome of thy grace make the whole ioy of my life oh let mee loue thee aboue my selfe aud hate my selfe but in thy loue let mee not see the labour of all thinges and thy labour in all thinges and my selfe idlely doe nothing that may glorifie thy goodnesse the earth giues mee of her fruite and shall I giue thee no fruite thou hast in heauen a place for mee and shall I not seeke the way to thee O my deare GOD haue mercie vvpon mee better had I neuer beene borne then to liue to be borne away frō thee What is the whole world to mee if I loose mine owne soule in what case is my soule if I want the blessing of thy grace haue mercy therefore vpon mee I beseech thee and preserue my soule for I am thy seruant make mee to labour in the vertuous vineyard of thy holy will◠and by the inspiration of thy holy spirit bring forth of my heart the humble fruites of thy holy loue that in profiting my neighbour in the blessing of thy grace I may glorifie thy holy Maiesty and in the ioy of my soule in the peace of thy mercie I may sing to thy glory Amen O Glorious God of all power and pittie to whose onely mercie belongeth the title of eternal Maiesty who by the wisdome of thine owne will hast framed all things to thy seruice and workest in them all to the glorie of thine only worthinesse O deare GOD that art the true substance of comfort to the humble soules of thy beloued and seest the sorrowes of thy humble seruautes when thou withdrawest thy hande of thy mercie in the glorious goodnesse of thy grace I beseech thee thinke on the number of thy afflicted creatures amonge whome most needefull though most vnworthie thy mercie let this poore wretched wounded and afflicted soule of mine begge one beame of thy blessed pittie to reuiue this dolefull and halfe deade heart of my almost despairing spirite oh strengthen my faith in thy holie worde washe mee cleane from my sinnes and make mee to feele the ioye of thy mercie let thy worde bee a Lanthorne to my feete and a lighte vnto my pathes and teach mee the way that I shall walke in for I betake my selfe wholly vnto thee let mee say with thy seruant Dauid O thar my waies were made so direct that I might not offend my God O deare Lord great was his happinesse in thy grace that had such a feeling of thy blessing to haue such a loathing to the worlde for thy loue blessed and ten times blessed were my soule had it such a feeling of thy grace but I may rather cry woe is mee that euer I was borne to liue so long in the sinke of so much sinne that looking on the filth of my soule I am ashamed to looke vp toward thy mercy yet when againe I remember the Leapers that thou hast cleansed the sins that thou hast pardoned
THE SOVLES HEAVENLY EXERCISE Set downe in diuerse godly Meditations both prose and verse by Nicholas Breton Gent. ¶ Imprinted at London for VVillam Leake 1601. TO THE Right honorable William Rider Lord Maior of the citie of London RIght Honorable I haue read that newely after the Coronation of Alexander the greate diuers of his subiectes as well of the Nobilitie as meaner condition did present his greatnesse with such giftes as their abilities could purchase to manifest the na ture of their loue or seruice among all which a poore Mason not so rich as cunning in his Arte and yet as willing as any in some token of his seruice to make some manifestation of his humble loue brought into the Court a bagge full of stones but what they were or how they were wrought was not knowen to anie neither would hee let any man see them till hee was brought vnto the Emperour where vpon a table hee laid before him his owne Image but in so deade a colour as if hee were to be laid in his graue with these words written vpon his breaste Talis eris Diuers of his Court at the beholding thereof began to frowne at the poore Mason that hee durst at such a time of pleasing triumphes present his Maiestie with a picture of such melancholy but the Emperour taking by the inspiration of Gods holy spirit a gratious apprehension of the poore mans loue not only did thankfully accept the present which he caused to be set vp in his owne chamber euer after as a cōtinual glasse for him euening morning at all houres to looke vpon but after a bountifull reward entertaining him for his owne Mason vsed these wordes of him vnto al those that did attend in his presence Here are many of yee that I am beholding to for many tokens of your loue and seruice but chiefely vnto this man for some of yee haue beene sent by your fathers some by your friends some from your own spirits with such thinges as ye haue presented but this man neither from father friend nor from himselfe but onely from God of heauen was sent vnto mee not with a toy to delight mee nor a Iewell to enrich mee but with a continual warning not to sinke in the delight of vanitie nor to trust in the drosse of this worldly treasure but in the greatest of my greatnesse to humble my selfe to him that is greater than I who hauing made me greate can bringe mee to nothing at all and whatsoeuer I am or may be doth she we mee what in the end I shall be Thus farre of this historie I haue set downe for my purpose Your Lordship newly stept vp vnto the state of Honour I know shall be followed with many friends and gratified with many presents which I know you will not receiue vnthankfully but among all I beseech you not to refuse at the hands of an humble heart the passionate meditations of a patient spirite which in the Euening and Morning and at all houres if your Lordshippe wil vouchsafe at your leasure to looke vpon yee shall see that whosoeuer hath come to you and whatsoeuer is brought you GOD that set mee to worke hath sent mee vnto you to present you with such a glasse as will shewe the great comfort of his grace By which I humbly beseech his eternall Maiestie to guide your thoughtes wordes and deedes to his infinite glorie the contentment of her Maiestie the increase of your owne Honour and the comfort of all that loue you among whome the least worthie to bee named I humbly rest Your Honours in all humblenesse N. B. THE SOVLES EXERCISE A prayer for the Lord Maior In the Morning OH blessed gratious most merciful glo rious good GOD whose only eye of mercie beholdeth all the dwellers vpon y e earth out of the bounty of thine only blessing dost elect thy creatures to thy seruice my deare GOD that tookest Moses out of the water to leade thy people through y e wildernesse Dauid from y e sheepefolde to sway the scepter ouer thy people Israell and Ioseph from the prison to be gouernor ouer many people now out of meane estate hast aduanced me among many thy most vnworthy seruant vnder y e scepter of my gratious Soueraigne to sway the sword of iustice ouer this thy blessed city let not sweet Lord this great blessing of thy goodnesse be lost in my vnthankfulnesse but so inspire my hart and soule w t y e grace of thy holy spirit y t by the rules of thy direction I may discharge the care of my duty by thy mercy my soueraigns boūty cōmitted vnto mee y t thy name may be glorified her Maiesty pleased thy people preserued Blessed God blesse I beseech thee all thy people of this cyty land but especially thy gratious and chosen seruant and our most gratious and Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth inspire her with the speciall grace of thy holy spirit that in the wisdome of thy will she may direct the course of her happie daies and by the mercy of her Iustice she may so carry the Scepter of her gouernement that thy glory may be encreased her Maiesty admired and vnder thee her people be blessed Blesse oh GOD all her honorable Counsell that they may vnfainedly discharge the care of their dueties in the true honour of their places Blesse the preachers of thy holy worde with the true knowledge and deliuery of thy holy word and giue them that inwarde care of thy holy will that by the faithfulnesse of their loues vnto thee they may be lights of good life vnto thy people Blesse all the Magistrates not only of this place but wheresoeuer w t a good and dutifull care of their charge committed vnto them and giue me in the grace of thy holy spirit that true feeling of thy goodnesse that in the sway of Iustice I may not swarue from thy lawe but with continuall care of thy will I may so discharge the duety of my seruice that in all my courses I may seeke to glorifie thy holy name the contentment of my gratious Soueraigne and the benefit of this thine and her citie Oh gratious GOD holde thy hande of mercie ouer it destroy it not with Sodome and Gomorrah for the sinnes that raigne in it but like Niniue reforme it and in thy mercie preserue it make many good gouernours ouer it and thy people obedient vnto authoritie oh gratious God encrease the happie daies of our gratious Soueraigne Queene Elizabeth not as thou didst Hezekiahs with fifteene yeares but many fifteens continue her faithfull and honourable Counsellours this and all her cities and townes discreete and carefull Magistrates and euery where true louing obedient subiects preserue not only this city but the whole Realme w t y t gratious plentie and blessed peace wherein it now liueth and giue me grace to my vttermost power to labour for the preseruation of this place Oh Lord let not this