or miracle for any when they healed or raised the deade by prayer for they knewe nothing can be better then when it is according to thy will. Oh that I might alwaies know thy wil in al things and for euer apply my selfe thereto Hereof it commeth that thy saints and deare children which loue their neighbours as them selues doe yet notwithstanding in their prayers aske vengeance of some as we may reade in the Psalmes of Dauid bicause in praying and talking with thee they see by thy holy spirite for without it is no true prayer sometimes thy iudgements vpon some which they perceiue to sin to death and therefore ought not to be prayed for bicause thy glorie can not be set foorth as it should be without their destruction Thy wil is alwayes best and the thing whereto they frame all their desires Therefore when they perceiue that it is decreed with thee such and such by their destruction to set foorth more mightily thy glorie how should they but desire and pray for the same and write it as Dauid hath done that the godly in reading and waying such prayers might receiue comfort and the vngodly be afraide else when that they perceiue not so manifestly the determined iudgement of God they in their prayers doe most heartily pray for them as Samuel did for Saule Moses for the Israelites and Abraham for the Sodomites Oh good father for thy mercies sake giue me the true loue of mankinde but yet so that I may loue man for thee and in thee and alwayes preferre thy glorie aboue all thinges through Christe our Lorde Nowe though thy children doe knowe that thy will can not but be done and nothing can be done but that thou of thine owne wil hast determined to doe although no man should desire the same yet are they earnest and frequent in prayer first to render obedience to thee which requirest prayer as a spirituall seruice to thee secondly bicause thou hast ordained prayer to be as an instrument and meane by the which thou workest thinges with thee alreadie decreed and determined Thy children do vse prayer to offer thee their seruice if it shall please thee to vse the same and as they doe eate and drinke which is a meane ordained of thee for the conseruation of their life not looking hereby to lengthen their dayes aboue their boundes which alreadie thou hast appointed but as becommeth them to vse thy meanes which thou hast ordained to serue thy prouidence so doe they as men herein not curious to knowe thy prouidence further then thou reuealest it vse prayer as a meane by the which thou art accustomed to worke many of thy childrens desire that according to thy good will thou mayest vse the same They do not thinke a mutabilitie in thee for thou art GOD and art not chaunged with thee there is no variablenesse and therefore they pray not as men which would haue thy determinations and ordinances which are in most wisedome and mercie to be altered but rather that they might submit their willes to thine and make them more able to heare thy will and pleasure They knowe thou hast promised to helpe them calling vpon thee wherefore they dout not but so thou wilt doe and therefore pray accordingly They loue thee hartily and therefore they can not but desire much to talke with thee that is to pray euen as a well manered and louing wife will not take vpon her to aske any thing of her husband at all but that she hopeth he will take in good part doe of his owne freewill although she had spoken nothing thereof When she knoweth what her husbands will is in things she gladly talketh with him thereof and according as she seeth he is disposed to do she will often desire him to do it Euen so thy children I say which hartily loue thee in that they knowe thy wisedome and will is best howe can they but often talke with thee and desire thee to doe that which they know is best which they know also thou wouldest do if none shuld aske or pray for the same Thy children vse prayer as a meane by the which they see plainly thy power thy presence thy prouidence mercie and goodnes towards them in graunting their petitions and by prayer they are confirmed of them all Yea thy children vse prayer to admonish them howe that all things are in thy handes In prayer they are as it were of thee put in minde of those thinges which they haue done against thee their good Lorde By reason whereof repentaunce enâ—ueth and they conceiue a purpose to liue more purely euer afterwardes and more heartily to applie them selues to al innocencie and goodnesse Who nowe considering so many great commodities to come by reason of prayer would maruell why thy children are much in prayer and in laboring to prouoke others therevnto For as none that is a suter to any other will vse any thing which might offend or hinder his sute so no man that vseth prayer wil flatter him selfe in any thing that should displease thee to whom by prayer he moueth sute whensoeuer he praieth so that nothing is a more prouocation to all kinde of godlinesse then prayer is As concerning outward thinges which thy childreÌ„ pray for although they know thy wil and decree is not variable thy purpose must needes come to passe yet do they receiue by their prayer no small commoditie For either they obtaine their requestes or not If they doe obtaine them then proue they by experience that thou doest the will of them that feare thee and so they are more kindled to loue and serue thee And in deed for this purpose thou art wont when thou wilt doe good to any to stirre vp their mindes to desire the same good of thee to the ende that both thou and thy giftes may be so much the more magnified and set by of them by howe much they haue bene earnest suters and petitioners for the same For howe can it but inflame them with loue towardes thee to perceiue and feele thee so to care for them heare them and loue them If they doe not obtaine that they pray for t yet vndoubtedly they receiue great comfort to see that the euils which presse them and wherof they complaine still doe not oppresse and ouercome them and therefore they receiue strength to beare the same the better O good father helpe me that I might heartily loue thee complaine to thee in all my needes and alwayes by prayer to poure out my heart before thee Amen Iohn Bradford A meditation vpon the Lordes prayer Our Father THou good Lorde which madest heauen and earth the sea and all that is therin together with thy dearely beloued sonne Iesus Christ and with thy holie spirite thou the same God which openest thy selfe to Adam by thy promise thou the God of Abraham Isaac Iacob â–ª that which broughtest thy people of Israel foorth of Egypt with a mightie hand
also for others specially for those whome singularly they imbrace in thee and often doe repeate and remember thy gratious benefits both to others and to them selues also wherethrough they are prouoked to render to thee heartie thankes thereby being inflamed as well-assuredly to hope well of thy good will towardes them and patiently to beare al euils as also to studie and labour to mortifie the affections of the flesh and to order all their whole life to the seruice of their brethren and to the setting foorth of thy glorie This they knowe is that prayer which thy sonne Iesus Christe our Lord commanded to be made to thee in the chamber the doore being shut In this kinde of prayer he him selfe did watch often euen all the whole night Herein was Paul frequent as all thy Saints be This kinde of prayer is the true lifting vp of the minde to thee This standeth in the affections of the heart not in words and in the mouth As thy children be endued with thy spirite so frequent they this talke with thee The more thy spirite is in them the more are they in talke with thee Oh giue me plentifully thy spirite which thou hast promised to poure out vpon all flesh that thus I may with thy Saintes talke with thee night and day for thy onely beloued sonnes sake Iesus Christ our lord Amen Moreouer thy Saintes to prouoke them to this kind of prayer do vse first their necessitie which they consider in three sortes inwardly concerning their soules outwardly concerning their bodies and finally concerning their name fame wherto they adde the necessitie of those that be committed to them the necessitie of thy Church and of the Common weale Secondly they vse thy commandements which require them vnder paine of sinne to pray to thee in all their neede Thirdly they vse the consideration of thy goodnesse which art naturally mercifull to young Rauens calling vpon thee much more then to them for whome Rauens and all things else were made for whome thou hast not spared thy deare sonne but giuen him c. Fourthly they vse thy most sweet and free premises made to heare and helpe all them that call vpon thee in Christes name Fiftly they vse examples howe that thou which art the God of all and rich vnto all them that call vpon thee in Christes name hast heard and holpen others calling vpon thee Sixtly they vse the benefits giuen them before they asked thereby not onely prouoking them to aske more but also certifying their faith that if thou wast so good to graunt them many things vnasked nowe thou wilt not denye them any thing they aske to thy glorie and their weale Last of all they vse the reading and waying of Psalmes and other good prayers bicause they knowe that thereby peculiarly besides the other Scriptures there is no small helpe as may appeare by Paule Ephes 5. Col. 3. where he willeth the congregation to vse Psalmes hymnes and spirituall songes but so that in the heart we would sing and say them Not that thy children doe not vse their tongues and wordes in praying to thee for they doe vse their tongues speach and wordes to stirre vp their inward desire and feruencie of the minde ful wel knowing that else it were a plaine mocking of thee to pray with lippes and tongues onely Oh that I might feele nowe thy spirite so to affect me that both with heart and mouth I might heartily and in faith pray vnto thee Now concerning the things that are to be prayed for thy children know that the prayer taught by thy sonne most liuely and plainely doth containe the same and therfore they often vse it first asking of thee their heauenly father through Christ that thy name might euery where be had in holinesse and praise then that thy kingdome by regeneration and the ministerie of the gospel might come so thirdly that willingly perfectly and perpetually they might studie to doe yea doe in deede thy will with thy holie and heauenly Angels and spirits These things they seeke and pray for namely thy kingdome and thy righteousnesse before and worldly benefite After which petitions bicause all things yea euen the benefits of this present life doe come from thee they doe godly desire the same vnder the name of daily breade being instructed of thy wisedome that after spirituall benefites to aske corporall is not vnséemely vnto thy children which know both spiritual and corporall to come from thy mercie In the other petitions they pray for thinges to be taken from them beginning with forgiuenesse of sinnes which were impudently prayed for if that their heartes were not so broken that they could forgiue all things to al men for their part They adde their profession that is charitie whereby they professe that they haue forgiuen all offences done to them Howbeit bicause it is not inough to haue pardon of that which is past except they be preserued from newe offences they pray thee not to leade them into temptation by permitting them to the peruerse suggestions of Sathan but rather to deliuer them from his importunitie and power vnderstanding Sathan the authour of all euill Oh deare God that thou wouldest endue me with thy spirite of grace and prayer with thy children accordingly to make this prayer alwaies when so euer I doe pray As for outward euills so long as they do not as it were inforce thy people to sinne in that christian perfection doth account them amongest thy benefites thy Sonne hath not taught thy Church to pray for the taking away of them in this praier for here he hath contained but those things for the which all Christians generally and particularly may of faith pray at all times It often commeth to passe that exteriour euils bicause they be not euils in deede that is they be not against Gods grace in vs therefore they cannot of faith be prayed for to be taken away for thy children that haue faith doe alwayes preferre thy iudgement before their owne The which iudgement when they know by that which hapneth to them they submit them selues thereto wholy although the spirit make his vnspeakable gronings to helpe their infirmities by prayer not to haue them taken away but that they might haue strength and patience to beare the burden accordingly Which burden if it be too heauie in the better sense and feeling therof they in their praiers doe complaine something rather then pray to haue it taken away as our Sauiour did in the garden when he added to his complaint Not my will but thy will be done So do thy people in al their complaintes adde Not as we will but as thou wilt for they are taught by thy spirite no otherwise to pray for the taking away of corporall euils either from them selues or from others vnlesse they by the same spirite doe certainely see the same to make to thy glorie as did thine Apostles and seruants when absolutely and without condition they did aske health
with the loue therof that I may carefully couet them and at the last by thy gratious conducting may happily attaine them through Iesus Christ our Lorde I distrusting altogether mine owne weakenesse commend and offer my selfe both soul and body into thy handes Thy louing spirite lead me foorth into the land of righteousnes Psal. 143. Cogitations meete to begin the day withall Thinke first that man consisteth of soule and body and that the soule is from heauen heauenly firme and immortall but the bodie is from the earth earthly fraile and mortal Againe thinke that though by reason of sinne wherein you are conceiued and borne the partes of the soule which doe vnderstande and desire be so corrupt that without speciall grace to both partes you can neither knowe nor loue any good thing in Gods sight much lesse then doe that is good yet this notwithstanding thinke that you are regenerate by CHRISTES resurrection which your Baptisme requireth you to beleeue and therefore haue both those partes something reformed both to knowe and to loue and therefore to do also some good in the sight of God through Christe for whose sake our poore doings are accepted for good the euill and infirmitie cleauing thervnto not beeing imputed through faith Thinke that by faith which is Gods seede for they which beleeue are borne of God and made Gods children giuen to those that be ordained to eternall life thinke I say that by faith you receiue more and more the spirite of sanctification through the vse of Gods word and sacramentes and earnest prayer to illuminate your mindes vnderstanding iudgement and reason and to bowe forme frame and inflame your affections with loue and power to doe that which is good and therefore vse you the meanes aforesaid accordingly Thinke that by this spirite you are through faith coupled to Christe as a liuely member and so to God and as it were made one with him and by loue which springeth out of this faith you are made one also with all that be of God and so you haue felowship with God and all good men that euer were or shall be in all the good that God and all his Saintes haue or shall haue Thinke that as by faith and loue through the spirite of God you are nowe entred into this communion the blessednesse whereof no tongue can expresse so after this life you shal first in soule and in the last day in bodie also enioy for euer the same societie most perfectly which nowe is but begunne in you Thinke then of your negligence that doe so little care for this your happie estate Thinke vpon your ingratitude to God for making you redeeming you calling you and so louingly adopting you Think vpon your folly in fantasing so much earthly bodily pleasures Thinke vpon your deafnesse and blindnesse which heare not God not see him he calling you so diligently by his workes word and sacraments Thinke vpō your frowardnes which will not be led of God and his spirit Thinke vpon your forgetfulnes in consideration of your heauenly estate how your body is the temple of the holy Ghost your members are the members of Christ the whole world and all things therein are your owne Therefore say vnto your soule O my soul arise follow God contemne this world purpose wel and pursue it long for the Lords comming be readie and watch that he come not vpon thee vnwares And for so much as you must liue to Gods pleasure see the vocation and state of your life wherevnto God hath called you and pray to God for grace knowledge and abilitie to take the most profitable thinges in hand well to begin better to goe on and best of all to end the same to Gods glorie and to the profit of your brethren and thinke that time lost wherein you speake not or doe not or at the least thinke not some thing to Gods glorie and the commoditie of your brethren When you go foorth of the doores pray NOwe must I walke among the snares of death stretched out of sathan and of his mischieuous ministers in the world carying with me a friende to them both and a foe to my selfe euen this body of sinne and sinnefull flesh Oh graund captaine Christ lead me and guide me I beseech thee Defend me from the plagues subtilties whereof I am in danger Graunt that I may take all things that happen as I should doe and setting mine eyes vpon thee onely I may so goe on forward in thy wayes as by nothing I be hindred but rather furthered so that all my doings may tend to thy glorie Shewe me thy wayes O Lord and teach me thy pathes Psal. 25. Occasions to Meditate Consider howe vainely the most part of men are occupied how many wayes they trouble and cumber themselues thereby much alienating their mindes from the knowledge and cogitation of that which they should most esteeme and so become a lette and an offence to others As in going abroad you will see that your apparell be seemely in the sight of men so see howe seemely you appeare in the sight of God. When you are going any iourney pray THis our life is a pilgrimage From the Lord we came and to the Lord we make our iourney howbeit through dangerous and perillous wayes which our cruell enimies haue and do prepare for vs being nowe more then starke blinde by reason of sinne O Christ which art a most true loades-man and guide and also most expert faithfull and friendly put thou out thine hande open mine eyes make thy high way knowne vnto me which thou diddest first enter into out of this corruptible life and hast prepared the same for vs to immortalitie Thou art the way leade vs vnto the father by thy selfe that all we may be one with him as thou and he together be one Shewe me the way that I should walke in for I lift vp my soule vnto thee Psal. 124. Or pray thus MErcifull father thou art wont to send to thy seruaunts men of simple hearts thine Angels to be their keepers as it were guides as elder brethren to watch vpon thy weake children So diddest thou to young Tobias to Iacob to Abrahams seruant to Iosua c. O gratious God though we be much vnlike vnto them so many are our sinnes yet for thine owne goodnesse sake send thine holie Angels to pitch their tents about vs to hide vs and defend vs from Sathan his slaues to carrie vs in their handes that we come not into further daunger then thou wilt deliuer vs out of for thine owne sake His Angels are ministers for them that are heires of saluation Heb. 1. Sathan sleepeth not but seeketh alwayes to destroy vs. 1. Pet. 5. Occasions to Meditate Thinke something howe wee are straungers from our countrie from our home from our original I meane from god Againe thinke vpon our madnesse that doe linger and loyter so gladly in this our iourney and pilgrimage Also
is riche though we be sinners yet he is righteous though we be fooles yet he is wise though we be impure yet is he pure and holie for his sake therefore be mercifull vnto vs. Call to minde how thou hast promised that thou wilt powre out of thy cleane waters and wash vs from our filth and cleanse vs from our euills Forget not that thou hast promised to take from vs our stonie heartes and to giue vs soft heartes new hearts and to put into the middest of vs right spirites Remember thy couenant namely that thou wilt be our God and we shall be thy people that thou wilt put out of thy memorie for euer all our vnrighteousnesse and hast promised to write in our mindes and heartes thy lawe and testimonies Remember that thou dost straitly charge vs to haue none other Gods but thee saying that thou art the Lord our god O then declare the same to vs all we heartily nowe beseech thee Forgiue vs our sinnes forget our iniquities cleanse vs from our filthinesse wash vs from our wickednesse powre out thy holie spirite vpon vs Take from vs our hard heartes our stonie heartes our impenitent heartes our distrusting and doubtfull heartes our carnall our secure our idle heartes our impure malicious arrogant enuious wrathfull impatient couetous hypocriticall and epicurical harts and in place therof giue vs new harts soft harts faithfull hearts mercifull hearts louing obedient chast pure holy righteous true simple lowly and patient hearts to feare thee to loue thee to trust in thee for euer Write thy lawe in our harts graue it in our mindes we heartily beseech thee Giue vs the spirite of prayer make vs diligent and happie in the workes of our vocation take into thy custodie and gouernaunce for euer our soules and bodies our liues and all that euer we haue Tempt vs neuer further theÌ„ thou wilt make vs able to beare and what so euer thou knowest we haue neede of in soule or bodie deare God and gratious father vouchsafe to giue vs the same in thy good time and alwayes as thy children guide vs so that our life may please thee and our death praise thee through Iesu Christ our Lorde for whose sake we heartily pray thee to graunt these thinges thus asked and al other thinges necessarie for soule and body not onely to vs but to al others also for whom thou wouldest that we should pray specially for thy children that be in thraldome in exile in prison miserie heauinesse pouertie sicknesse c. Be mercifull to the whole realme of England and graunt vs all true repentance and turne from vs the euils that we so wickedly haue deserued Pardon our enimies persecutors and slaunderers and if it be thy pleasure turne their hearts Be mercifull vnto our parents brethren and sisters friendes kinsefolkes and familiars neighbours and such as by any meanes thou hast coupled and lincked to vs by loue or otherwise and vnto vs poore sinners here gathered together in thy holie name graunt thy blessing and holie spirite to sanctifie vs and dwel in vs as thy deare children to keepe vs this day and for euer from all euill to thy eternall glorie and our euerlasting comfort the profite of thy Church which mercifully maintaine cherish and comfort strengthening them that stand so that they neuer fall lifting vp them that be fallen and keepe vs from falling from thy truth through the merites of thy dearely beloued sonne Iesu Christ our onely Sauiour which liueth and reigneth with thee and the holâ—e Ghost to whome be all praise and honour both nowe and for euer Amen I. B. A prayer for the true knowledge of the mysterie of our redemption in Christ. O Almightie God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ and by him also our father the father of all mercy God of all consolation haue mercie vpon vs and heare our prayers We most humbly beseech thee for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake for his merites and cruell death which he suffered to deliuer vs from eternall death and the power of darknesse send into our heartes thy spirit of truth to worke in vs a true liuely stedfast faith that the cleare light and brightnesse of thy Gospell the glorie of Christ may shine vnto vs and lighten our mindes that we may learne and vnderstand the wonderfull and vnspeakable riches of the misterie of our redemption in Christ and by Christ. O Father of glorie giue vnto vs the spirite of wisedome and bring vs into the true knowledge of this thy beloued Sonne Iesus Christe and the knowledge of thy selfe Open and lighten the eyes of our mindes and vnderstanding that we may knowe what the hope is wherevnto thou hast called vs and howe rich the glorie of thine inheritance is vpon thy Saints and the exceeding greatnesse of thy power towardes vs that by true faith by vnderstanding knowledge of thine eternall wisedome which is Iesus Christe we may be in deede as we are called true Christians and vnfeigned professors of thy holy name to worship thee in spirite and trueth and to set forth the glory of thy grace giuen vnto vs in Christe Iesu our lord Amen O deare Father write in our heartes loue of thy lawe hate to all sinne thankfulnes of heart and continuall heate of thy holie spirite for thy sonne Iesus Christes sake To whome with thee and thy holie spirite be all honour maiestie glorie thankes rule empire and dominion for euermore Amen A forme of thankesgiuing for our redemption and prayer for the strength increase of faith Lord increase our faith Luk 17. ETernall prayse and thankes be giuen vnto thee deare God and father of our Lord Iesus Christ which hast blessed vs with all spirituall blessing in heauenly things by Christ in that thou hast chosen vs in him before the foundation of the world was laide that we should be without blame before thee through him by whome we haue redemption through his bloud euen the forgiuenesse of our sinnes in whome after we heard the word of truth the gospell of our saluation wherein we beleeued we are sealed with the holie spirite of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance which spirite hath and doth beare witnesse vnto our spirits that we are thy children and therefore cryeth in our heartes Abba Father And thus most gratious father when thou hast once giuen the earnest pennie of our saluation into our heartes thou doest not repent of thy gift and calling neither wilt thou at any time breake thy couenant of grace and mercie in Christ thy Sonnes merites confirmed in vs by that seale and loue token For what though we be weake in our beliefe shall our vnbeliefe make thy promise of no effect No thou wilt alway be found true but all men are liars And yet Lord thou doest most gratiously beholde and accept be it neuer so little a sparke of faith We say therefore and cry vnto thee with one