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A08299 A pensiue soules delight. Or, The deuout mans helpe. Consisting of motiues, meditations and prayers, for all persons and purposes, vpon what occasion so euer, either priuate or publike. By Iohn Norden Norden, John, 1548-1625? 1615 (1615) STC 18628; ESTC S120793 141,675 410

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in the Euening in priuate Families IT is a matter too common with many to passe the day in a kind of lawlesse vanitie and the night in carelesse securitie as if the day and night were only made for man to serue himselfe with the pleasures and profits he can make of either forgetting the true end for which either themselues or the day and night were made that themselues were made to glorifie their Maker in reason and religion The day to serue them for holy exercises and lawfull labours And the night for their corporall rest But contrarily themselues they prophane through many sinnes The day they abuse by idlenesse wantonnesse and vanities And the night they pollute with many forbidden euils And yet passe from day to night and from euening to the day light neuer calling to minde that holy duetie required of them thanksgiuing to God for blessings receiued their humble prayers for pardon of their sins committed and their continuall supplications for their safetie and prosperous successe in their labours and affaires Doth the profession of a Christian require no more then to eate and drink to labour or loyter to passe the time in gaming pleasure idlenes ease and sl●●pe Are not these the workes that worldlings wallow in Some are too great and glorious to labour and yet haue no leasure to pray Some are so busied in worldly affaire● as they can admit no time to serue God but the Sabbath day and then to come to the Church to see and be seene is the deuotion of many Is this to loue God aboue all things as all haue vowed to serue him before all things and to depend vpon him in all things It rather argueth that the Loue of God is not in them the Feare of God is farre from them and the Grace of God is not with them Remember yee that thus forget God that as the day is past that gaue light to the eyes and darkenesse come that shadoweth the Sunne So the day of Life passeth away and the night of Death approcheth wherein if we liue not in the light of grace while it is to day we shall neuer see the light of glorie to our comfort in the night of our bodies death Therefore before we betake vs to our rest let vs commend our selues and all that we haue in faithfull prayer to God calling together conioyning with our families if we haue any and in a holy and reuerent humiliation of bodies and mindes fall downe before him that seeth vs and who hath promised to be in the midst of two or three gathered together in holy prayer A prayer to be said in priuate Families in the Euening before they goe to rest ALmightie and most louing Lord God Father of compassion infinit in power iust in thy Judgements wonderfull in thy prouidence euer readie and neuer failing in mercie them that feare thy name we acknowledge thy great goodnes towards vs this day past and our owne vnworthines to partake of thy mercies by reason of our manifold and great sinnes which as it seemeth thou neither seest nor obseruest in that thou hast as it were passed by them so patiently this day as in stead of punishing them hast made vs rich partakers of many most acceptable blessings Yet Lord we doe not by this thy forbearance to punish vs either iusti●●e our wayes wherein we haue walked this day or thinke our selues freed from thy displeasure for our sinnes but do● vtterly condemne our selues and wholly attribute our preseruation from punishment our health out peace our plenty and the good successe of our affairs vnto thine own free mercie and whatsoeuer crosse losse hurt or detriment hath be fallen vs this day in bodies goods credit or reputation among men we lay it and impute it wholly and altogether vnto our sinnes which haue worthily deserued much more then we feele or are able to beare what we or any of vs haue done against thee this day thou knowest what thou hast done for vs wet cannot expresse with our lips nor conceiue in our harts for thy mercies are so infinite and thy prouidence so high and so farre past finding out as the more we search and seek to know the hid treasures of thy loue towards vs so much the more ignorant we are of knowing what thou are we therefore acknowledge our selues st●ners and thy selfe the Father of incomprehensible mercies which as Dauid thy seruant confesseth are more then he could expresse Great and manifest haue bin thy fauours towards vs we haue found them felt them and enioyed them this day and all our dayes in thy keeping feeding cloathing and comforting our mortall bodies In giuing vnto vs preseruing for vs many things for our vse the beasts of the field the plants of the earth haue beene seruiceable vnto vs through thy blessing Giue vs we beseech thee vnderstanding and feeling hearts to acknowledge thy mercies Teach vs to know and to take knowledge of our own wants which are many grant that they may be supplied by thee Let vs looke into our owne corruptions that they may bee reformed and weakened by thee for Nature reuenleth not vnto vs our spirituall wants nor can cleanse vs from our sinnes which are many and yet we account them few great and yet we see them not weightie and yet they seeme light vnto vs we are spiritually poore and spirituall blinde yet not poore in spirit as we ought we are rather barren of spirituall knowledge and blinde to our owne imperfections which puffeth vs vp with a vaine concei● of our owne worthines Our faith is feeble fraile and imperfect yet we thinke it strong our prayers are cold and weake our minds and affections wauering and inconstant in that diuine duty yet would we seem religiously zealous Thou findest in vs Lord these imperfections and we dote of our owne merit which is a meer forbidden presumption Open Lord the eyes of our vnderstandings that we may finde out and feele our own errors and looke into the working of thy grace wherein thou acceptest vs as poore in spirit by the imputation of Christs humblenes our faith perfect through the perfection of his obedience and our prayers auaileable through his preuailing mediation So that thy spirituall consolations in Christ are farre more abounding towards vs then we are able to comprehend Open therefore Lord the dore of thy diuine knowledge that we may become wise in thee and enter into that holy of holiest in puritie of spirit in faith sound with prayers feruent thanks vnfained Stirre vp in vs a greater measure of obedi 〈…〉 then hitherto we haue shewd vnto thee that we receiuing grace for grace may adde faith to faith wisedome to knowledge and finde how sweet a thing it is to serue thee truly to walke before thee in vprightnes of heart And as we are now come to the end of this day and consequently haue finished the trauaile thereof and now couet our rest so we may
corporall portion or that hee will giue thee patience that may inure hope that may euer hold fast the assurance of the glory to come To which purpose the prayer following or the like may much stead thee and comfort thee A Prayer to be sayd in pouerty and want of this lifes necessaries ALmightie Lord God most powerfull and most louing I humbly recommend my selfe into thy holy protection and to thy fatherly prouidence who madestine and createdst me of nothing and I came into this world poore and wretched bringing nothing with me but nakednes and original miserie more hardly bested of mine owne power then the beast that perisheth And in this manner all men came and daily come into the world from Adam to the last that shall be borne into the earth yet in thy great and vnsearchable wisedome thou disposest of men in diuers maners according vnto thine owne will Some Lord thou makest Princes of the world some abiects in the world and yet neither the greatest nor the meanest by their high or low estate can bee iudged by humane reason happy or vnhappy Teach me therefore true wisedome Lord that I may rightly conceiue and iudge of mine owne ●enury and pouerty not as a iudgement inflicted but as a fauourable and fatherly portion giuen me lest I should presume vpon and rest the more secure consequently become the more proud of a more rich and more glorious worldly estate for thou Lord best knowest whether pouerty or riches be most agreeable to my condition and therefore I humbly accept and embrace that portion which thou hast giuen me though it be to flesh and bloud har● and vnpleasant make it yet good father spiritually sweet vnto 〈◊〉 by thy grace because it is thy will that I should be poore in worldly make me so much the more rich in heauenly things So shall I bo● my portion Lord great and glorious howsoeuer I seeme outwardly base and abiect It is manifest that thou causest the Sun to shine and the raine to fall vpon the good and the wicked So giuest thou and distributest riches and pouertie to the iust and vniust but to diuers ends and they likewise receiue and vse them diuersly the first both riches and pouertie to one only end namely to thy glory and their own true comfort being rich as if they were poore being poore as if they possessed all things and this by the working of thy holy Spirit on their sanctified hearts Sanctiste my heart therefore Lord and giue mee patience and a truely contented minde in my greatest wants and vnfained thankfulnesse for the least supplie or encrease of thy bountie towards me and let not my poore estate direct me as it doth the hypocrites who in prosperitie waxe proud and in pouertie grudge and murmure and so offend thy Maiestie who workest all for the best to them that are thine my weakenesse by Nature I confesse to bee such as I am prone to fall both in fulnes and in want And were I not vpholden by thy grace I should in the one run headlong into many noysome iustes and forbidden vauities and by the other into vniust dealing to supplie m● necessities And therefore good and gracious father I humbly pray thee for Christ thy Sonues sake either to inlarge my portion in a competent measure that I be not driuen through too much penurie to repine as of mine owne nature I am apt or els giue me that true patience through a liuely faith in thy prouidence and mercie that may worke in me that hope that may neuer make me ashamed The world thou knowest Lord loueth her owne on whom she faw●es But thy base ones are hatefull vnto worldlings disdained and abhorred which is a sharpe tryall and made thine owne dearest Dauid to stagger in his troubles and welnere made he shipwra●h of his faith and constancie but when hee considered thy purpose in afflicting him when he had consulted with thy word he then found and confessed that it was good for him that thou haddest afflicted him Lord lend an eare vnto my petition and remember thy promise in Christ thy beloued that thou wilt lay no more vpon thine then they shall be able to beare Lord thou knowest my weakenesse to beare this heauy burden of pouertie and disgrace among the sonnes of men therefore let it please thee to make it more light or giue me sufficient strength and then lay what thou wilt vpon me more onely Lord be mindfull of me who knowest what I neede before I aske And therefore giue me grace to auoyde that presumption which offereth to limite thee the holy one of Israel either in the time the manner or matter of my helpe I will rest me only vpon thy prouidence and mercy make hast to helpe O Lord my God my strength and my Redeemer Amen O Lord increase my faith A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said of such as are in prison AS libertie is a great blessing of God and much pleasing vnto all creatures reasonable and vnreasonable So is imprisonment and restraint most vnsauorie to man and beast Although some men rather make choice to liue in that kind of captiuitie then to tedeeme their freedom by discharging a sound sincere conscience by paying their debts being able or yeelding vnto some honest lawful condition for refusing whereof they indure wilfully vndergoing that which with more sincerity they might auoid which kind of voluntarie imprisonment implyeth a most vnchristian disposition For how can he that knoweth he doth ill and perseuereth therein thinke that the prayers which he maketh can be acceptable to God admit his resolutiō be grounded on will not to giue way to his aduersaries iust demaund it is erronious and dangerous yea though it arise in regard of a fatherly care and affection he hath to his children and posteritie If hee shew not himselfe willing to make satisfaction according to his abilitie If then the Creditor obdurate wil not accept his honest offer his helpe is then in God to whom he must repaire in faithfull prayer that he will be pleased either to moderate the extremitie of the Creditors demand or to inable him to satisfie the debt But as mens occasions of dealing and their mutuall commerce are many and diuers so are there diuers causes of mens restraint and imprisonment and all are or ought to be lawfull and iust The lawful restraint ought to be the more grieuous because it is alwayes for breach of the law the vniust festraint needs not much presse the conscience for that he is innocent of the accusation or crime suggested for it is farre better to be falsly then truely accused But for asmuch as there are diuers occasions of this affliction it behoueth euery man thus restrained to consider with himselfe that whether it be iustly or vniustly layd vpon him it is not yet by chance for God obserueth in vs what we our selues conceiue not of our selues and punisheth sinne after a