wouldest mercifully looke vpon me thy naughty seruant and haue mercy vpon me that haddest mercy on the woman of Canaan and on Mary Magdalene that sparedst the Publicane and forgauest the theefe hanging vpon the crosse To thee O most holy father I confesse my sinnes which if I woulde hide from thee O Lorde I can not Spare me O Christ whome I haue much offended in thinking speaking and dooing and in euery manner wherein I fraile man and sinfull might sin by my fault by my owne faulte through my great default Therefore O Lord I beseech thy mercy that cammest downe from heauen for my saluation that liftedst vp Dauid from his fall of sinne spare me O Lord spare mee O Christ that sparedst Peter whē he denied thée Thou art my Creator and my Redéemer my Lord and my sauiour my king and my God Thou art my hope and my trust my guide and my help my comfort my strength my defence and deliuerer my life my health and my resurrection my light and my desire my assistance and my refuge I pray and beséech thée helpe me and I shal be safe gouerne me and defend me strengthen mee and comforte me confirme and make mee glad lighten mee and vifite me raise me being dead because I am of thy making and workemanship O Lord despise me not being one of thy housholde seruants although lewd vnworthy and a sinner but whatsoeuer I am good or bad I am alwais thine To whome shal I flie except I goe to thée If thou doest cast me off who shall receiue mee If thou doest despise me who shal look vpon me Uouchsafe therefore to know mee one vnworthy flying vnto thee though I be vile and vncleane seeing if I be vncleane thou canst purge me if I be blind thou canst make me to sée if I bee sicke thou canst make mee whole if I be dead and buried thou canst raise me again For thy mercy is greater then my iniquitie thy godlines is greater then my vngodlines thou canst forgiue more then I can commit and release more then I can offend Dispise me not therefore O lord neither looke on the multitude of my iniquities but according to the multitude of thy mercies haue mercy on me be fauourable vnto mee a great sinner Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation who didst say I will not the death of a sinner but rather that hee may bee conuerted and liue Turne me O Lord and bee not angry against me I pray and beséech thée O most merciful father that for thy mercies sake thou wilt bring me to a good end and to the happinesse of true repentance by due contrition and pure confession of all my sins Amen A prayer before confession to God MOst holy and mercifull Lord Iesu Christ the only hope of my souls health receiue this the confession of my sins which I will make vnto thee and giue me I beseech thee due sorrowing of heart and grace to bewaile them with the tears of mine eies and that hereafter both day and night I may mourn for my negligences offences with an humble and pure hart Let my praier approch in thy sight O Lord if thou shalt be displeased with mee whom shall I séeke to helpe me who shal pitty mine iniquities Be mindfull of mee O lord who calledst the Cananean and the Publican to repentance and receiuedst Peter when he wept O lord my God receiue my praiers the Sauior of the world good Iesu that gauest thy selfe to the death of the crosse to saue sinners respect me miserable sinner that am calling vpon thy name neither respecte thou so much my euilnes that thou forget thy own goodnes And if I haue committed that wherby thou maiest cōdemne me thou hast not lost that whereby thou mayest saue me Spare me therfore thou that art my Sauiour and haue mercy on my sinfull soule vnloose her bonds and beale her wounds Lord Iesu I desire and beséech thée shew me thy countenance I shall be safe send forth thy light and thy trueth into my soule that I may sée in this grosse body the number quality greatnes of my offences which I ought nowe to confesse to thee with answerable sorrowing bitternes of hart Grāt thou that liuest rainest god for euer euer A prayer to be sayd after the confession of our sins to God O Lord I beséeche thee let this my confession be accepted with thee which I haue nowe made before thée by calling to minde and rehearsing of my sinnes and whatsouer there is wanting in me either of due contritiō and sorowing or of pure and dutifull confession let thy godlines and mercy supply it and according thereunto vouchsafe that I may bee receiued ful and perfectly absolued in heauen who liuest and raignest world without end Amen A prayer before the holy Communion TO come to the Table of thy most sweete banket O holy Lord Iesus Christ I doe feare and tremble that am a sinner nothing presuming of my own merits but trusting in thy mercy and goodnesse for I haue a hart and body spotted with many crimes togither with a mind and tongue not warily kept Therfore O holy Deity and dreaded Maiesty I poore wretch attached with many causes of sorrow and griefe of mind haue recourse to thée the fountaine of mercy vnto thee I hasten to be cured I flie vnder thy protection And whom I am not able to bear as a iudge I hope to finde a Sauiour to thee O Lord I shew my wounds before thée I wipe away my shamefastnes I wote my sinnes bee many and great for which I am afraide but I hope of thy mercies which are infinite Looke vnto me with the eies of thy mercy Lord Iesus Christ King eternall God and man crucified for man heare mee hoping in thee haue mercy on mee that am ful of sins and wretchednes thou which neuer wilt cease to let runne the fountaine of thy compassion Remember O Lord thy creature which thou redéemest with thy owne blood It repenteth me that I haue sinned and I am in desire to amend the works of my life Therefore most mercifull father take from me all my iniquities and sinnes that I being purified in minde and body I may worthely taste of that which is most holy and grant that the same that I vnworthy intende to receiue may be the remisson of my sins the perfecte purging of my offences the expelling of filthie cogitations the renuing of good godly intentions and a most firme defence of my soule and body against the snares deceits of my enemies Amen A praier to be saide after the holy Communion I Giue thee thankes holie Lord almighty Father god eternal that hast vouchsafed to feed me a sinner thy vnworthy seruaunt for no merites of mine but of the vouchsafing of thy mercy And I beséeche thée that this holy Communion be not vnto me a guiltinesse vnto punishment but rather a wholsome intercession to forgiuenesse
Let it be to me the armour of faith and shielde of good wil. Let it be a cleansing of my vices and destruction of concupiscence and lust the increase of charity patience humility and obedience a sure defence against the assaults of al enemies both visible and inuisible a perfecte quieting of my motions both carnall and spirituall a sure staying on thée one true god and a happy consummating of my life and end And further I beséech thée that thou wilt vouchsafe to bring me a sinner to that vnspeable banket where thou with thy sonne and the holy Ghost art to all thy Saintes the true light and the ful sacâ—ety the euerlasting ioy and most perfect mirth and felicicity through our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen A deuout praier of the seuen last wordes of our Sauiour O Lord Iesus Christ who art noted to vtter specially seuen words or sentences whiles thou didst haÌ„g on the crosse wherby we vnderstande it was thy will wee should alwaies be mindful of the same most holy spéeches I beséech thée by the vertue of the same that thou haue mercie on me in whatsoeuer I haue sinned and offended against thée in the like nuÌ„ber of mortall sins or their branches Lorde euen as thou saidst Father forgiue my crucifiers so giue me grace that I may forgiue all them that work me any euil Lord as thou saidst to the Théefe To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradice by thy grace let me so liue that at the houre of my death thou maiest say To day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradice Lord as thou didst say to thy mother Woman beholde thy sonne and then vnto the Disciple Beholde thy mother euen so let thy loue and charity bring me to be conuersant with thy blessed mother Lorde as thou diddest say O my God my God why hast thou lefte mee Giue me grace to say whensoeuer I am in trouble or vexation Father haue mercy on me a sinner helpe me my King and my God who hast redéemed me with thy owne bloud Lord euen as thou saiedst I doe thirste after the death of soules so let me euer thirst after thee loue thée the welspring of liuing water the fountaine of eternall light Let me runne to loue thée with all the desire of my hart Lord as thou saidst father into thy hands I commend my spirite giue me grace to liue so perfectly that at my death I may say to thée Lord into thy handes I commend my spirite receiue mee that am comming vnto thée for now is the time thou diddest appoint Lorde as thou saidst It is finished meaning that the sorrowes and labors suffred for vs miserable sinners were now at an end let me by thy help deserue to heare the swéet spéech of thine Come my beloued for I haue now determined to accomplish thy petitions Come with mee that thou maiest sit with my Angelles and Saintes feasting in my Kingdome and reioysing world without end Amen A prayer for the daily bread ALmighty God wee thy wretched children do cry vnto thée from earth as to our father in heauen vouchsafe through thy infinit mercy to giue vs that which pertaineth to the néedfull sustentation of the bodie and grant thy grace and blessing vnto all our labours honest exercises For vnles thou buildest the house they that build it labour in vaine Helpe vs that we may cast out the net of our vocation in thy name to good lucke in taking and therwithal giue vs thy grace that euery one in buying and selling may deal with a good conscience without fraude deceit Kéepe vs from ill seruantes from an vnfaithful family to deale with Giue vs that liue in pouerty patience that we murmure not agaynst thy diuine will nor of malice transgres thy commandements grant to them that be rich that they be not proud therof but rather that they may inrich themselues with good workes and so lay vp a good foundation for the world to come O Lord God two things I do aske of thée kéepe me from Idolatry in preferring any thing before the loue of thée bee it wife children friends house riches or any priuat opinion and giue me neither beggary nor riches but rather the which is néedefull for my sustentation least being ouer full I be moued to deny thee and say who is the lord or otherwise bée compelled by néed to rage and to forsweare the name of my God From these things preserue me I beséech thee through Iesus Christ thy beloued sonne Amen Against the diuels temptation O Mighty and good God the heauenly Father wée find by thy holy worde that the diuel the old serpent our aduersary lieth in waite by a thousand or infinite indeuors to kéepe our soules from saluation and to bring vs into the filthines of sin confusion and desperation He inticeth vs with riches hee woulde catch vs with pouerty voluptuousnesse the coueting of worldly honour and desire of power and authority or els by other worldly carefulnesse He laieth snares for vs by wordes by déedes by night by day which way soeuer we turne vs he assaulteth vs with his temptations whether we watch or sleepe he is at our backes and openeth his iawes to deuour vs. O lord who shal escape him Behold he wacheth without ceasing and neuer is at rest but we of the sluggishnesse of our flesh watch not carefully to resist him by thy helpe OpeÌ„ therfore our eies that we may know how puissant and subtil an enemy we haue for our wrestling is not onely against flesh and bloud but against Sathan the Prince of this world Haue mercy on vs O GOD and make vs strong comfortable in the vertue of thy power put on vs that armour that we may resist his assaultes girde our loines with the truth· put on vs the breast-plate of righteousnes and shooes of Euangelicall peace But aboue all things strengthen our harts with the target of faith wher with we may breake off the fierie dartes of the wicked féende put on vs the helmet of saluation and giue vs the sword of the spirite which is thy holy worde in true sence and vnderstanding so shall we manfully resist and ouercome our said aduersary If thou be our helper wee shall not feare him though the whole earth be in broile and the mountaines cast into the Sea thou art our force and refuge which liuest and raignest world without end For Benefactors O Most mercifull God sith it is so that all ingratitude displeaseth thée giue me grace I beseech thée to be mindful and thankeful for al thy benefites and that I be not found vnthaÌ„kful toward them that haue done me any good least I fal into thy iugemeÌ„t for it O most swéet god giue to them that good both of body and soule which they stand in néed of And giue me grace to be beneficial vnto others as I haue fouÌ„d others to me after my power Let me not for the ingratitude of others faile or
all euill and lifting vp my eies and addressing my praiers vnto thee Drawe my féete out of the snare and hide me vnder the couert of thy winges A prayer out of the Psalme called Saint Barnards verses Lighten mine eies least at any time I sléepe in death that mine enimy neuer say I haue preuailed against him Be mindful of thy mercies O Lorde and of thy commiserations which haue beene since the world began Remember not the follies and offences committed in my youth Be mindfull of me according to mercy and for thy goodnesse O Lord. Into thy handes I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of trueth I haue saide and spoken it openly O Lord make my end knowen vnto me And what the number of my daies is that I may knowe what is wanting vnto me Giue me a good signe that such as hate me may see thy fauour and thereat may bée confounded forasmuch as thou O Lorde hast holpen and comforted me O Lord let it be so séeing I am thy seruant and the sonne of thy handmaid Thou hast ridde me of my thraldome I will offer vnto thee the sacrifice of praise and shall call vpon the name of the Lord. They perished who fled from me and there is none to seeke after my soule I cried to the Lord saying thou art my hope my portion in the land of the liuing Glory be to the Father c. Another praier by such as be present at the perill of child-birth MOst mightie Creator mercifull God wee thy séely wretched creatures descended of Eue her ofspring most suppliantly beséech thée of thy infinite goodnes mercifully to looke on the wretched state miserie which of thy dreadful iustice in mixing alwayes sorrowes with ioyes thou hast inflicted vpon womankind for our said first parent her disobedience and namely the state sorrowful beeing of this our sister thy seruant here languishing and oppressed with the paines of womans trauaile and wretchednesse O good Lorde thy omnipotent wisedome foreséeing that some would sinne much did bridle them with infirmitie of bodie to the end that it may bee founde more profitable for them to be low brought with suffering gréeuous pains then to remaine in helth to their more hasard of sinne and damnation But séeing in all sicknes there bée thrée things that be greuous and specially to vs thy creatures of more weaknes and infirmitie by nature that is to say the feare of death the griefe of the bodie and the losse or leuing of these worldlie pleasures therefore thy mercifull goodnes hath so disposed our state condition in this life that no woman or man can be in great paine and long continue therein so as by thy iust and mercifull prouidence either he shall be able to beare our paines or els that the same shal be but short therfore it may please thée of thy great mercies that as the aire is clensed made cléer after vehement storms so after this sharpe and long showre of teares and wofull panges there may followe a calme of ease of affliction to this our sister and faire wether both of thy gratious fauour and of our mindes quietnesse that are pensiue and carefull for her For by the testimony of thy holy word thou delightest not in destruction with thy own mouth by the holy Ghost thou hast saide that thou wilt conuert the sorowing of thy seruants into reioycing Bee then our good Lord and our comforter in the day of our tribulation Suffer not wee beséech thée this our sister to bée tempted or oppressed with paines and calamity aboue her strength and patience to beare it but mercifully and spéedily helpe and deliuer her both from paines and perill So shal we euermore pronounce and say Blessed is God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all consolation who comforteth vs in all our trouble Amen The Lords prayer briefly expounded Our Father By benefite of Creation through thy omnipotencie By priuiledge of condition through thy prouidence By pietie of adoption thorough thy charitie By reparation of blisse through thy onely begotten Which art in heauen By omnipotent power gouerning By grace lightening By mercie directing By glorie appearing Halowed be thy name Of vs by honest conuersation In vs by a cleane conscience Foorth out of vs by a good name and fame Aboue vs by Angelicall presentation Thy kingdome come That is Heauen by reuelation Holy Church by assumption The faithfull soule by iustification The holy scripture by instruction Thy will be done In simplicitie of heart by humilitie In charitie of bodie by abstinence In holinesse of prayer by frequentation In veritie of woorke by discretion Giue vs this day our daily bread Of humane necessitie Of spirituall doctrine Of the blessed sacrament Of eternall felicitie And forgiue vs our trespasses as we c. Not retaining mallice in heart Not vpbraiding in word Not doing euill for euill Not refusing to do good And let vs not be lead into temptation Sodaine which dismaieth Importune which wearieth Deceitfull which beguileth Uiolent which oppresseth But deliuer vs from euill Of worldly aduersitie which disquieteth Of mans crueltie which vexeth Of the Deuils subtletie which preuaileth Of euerlasting calamitie which tormenteth Amen that is all thus bee done By attention of heart By sinceritie of word By diligent practise By continuall desire Read and vnderstand Remember practise As thinges are prooued to be liuing by moouing by sense of sight or feeling and by liuely working so is it knowne whether the soule of any man liueth in Christ by these three tokens IF the soule be moued with the spirite of Christ that is to the holie desire of heauenly things and to the contemning of the delectable things of the world 〈◊〉 the soule haue a féeling of those thinges which pertaine vnto Christ and as it were a suffering with Christ that suffered If the soule worketh vertuous works in following of Christ. They that be lead by the spirit of God bée the sons of God Fides sine operibus mortua est These bee sixe signes of a Christian. INnocencie and cleannesse Penitence and the true performing thereof Lowlinesse and humilitie of spirite Obedience and the feare of God Pitie and brotherly loue Feruent charitie The 12. abuses of the world which are thought to bee the sinnes which deserue with the iustice of God that Antichrist the most wicked of all men should preuaile and trouble the whole world to the perill of innumerable soules OLde men and graue persons without the wisedome of true and mature patience Yong men of lesse knowledge and authoritie without reuerence and obedience Rich men without almes and mercifull works The poore giuen to proud apparell and without humilitie The Pastors or Teachers without good déedes where Christ himself wroght first and then taught hee saith Qui fecerit sic docuerit ille saluabitur The people hearing the word of God preached and yet waxe