neuer at all otherwise enclined that then you woulde vouchsafe to take this booke in hand and turning to any title whatsoeuerâ— may serue your tourne to apply the prayer folowing vnto your present purpose But perchaunce you will say that there are alredy extantâ— diuers sundry bookes of prayers which haue bene set fourth by men of greater vnderstaÌ„ding riper iudgement then I and therfore it was a needeles and superfluous trauaile to wade any furthar in that matter Indede Madame I graunt that ther are many praier bokes published but yet I am of this opinion that if there were ten tymes as many yet there were not to many For the common prouerbe is Bâ—num quo â—â—oÌ„munius eo melius The more common a good thinge is the better it is And therefore will I hardly be perswaded that my laboure could anye way haue bene better employed then in suche causes as concerne the aduauncement of Gods glory and the propagation of vertue VVell such as it is I haue presumed to offer vnto your honoures iâ—dgement with assured hope that you will deeme of it as your noble nature hath ben alwaies enclined to iudge of them that attempt the like enterprises that you will accept it as a sure tokeÌ„ and testimonie of his loyall affection and readie dutie that would thinke himselfe happie to bee accoumpted but as the least in the number of those that woulde be allwayes at your Ladiships commaundement Thomas Achelley Morning Prayer O Almighty and moste mercifull Father who of thine vnspeakeable loue and pitie toward the disobediente and loste children of Adam when wee were caried awaye thorough sinne and ignoraunce to damnation folowing Sathan after the blind and vnbrideled lusts of the fleshe diddest reconcile vs to thee by grace and adopcion in Christ Iesus the righteous and immaculate Lambe by faith and sure confidence grounded on the merites of his death whereby we are redeemed from the eternall prison of death and damnation haue mercy vpon vs mosâ—e mercifull louing Father so quicken our dul and heauy mindes by the inspiration of thy holy spirite that we maye shake of this dead sleepe continualy watch in thee abandoning the worckes of darcknes and walking in the worckes of light whereby we may be worthy to walk in this holy vocation where vnto thou haste called vs and with thine elected sainctes to sing prayses vnto thee and at all seasons times to glorify thy holy name And among all other benefites which thou of thy free mercy doste dayly and hourely most aboundantly bestow vpon vs we yeeld thée mortall thankes for that thou haste vouchsaâ—ed to presâ—rue vs both this night and all the time and dayes of our life vnder the shadowe and protection of thy winges keeping our eyes waking in thée without any idle dreames or phantasies that might disturbe our mindes from the meditation of thy grace and haste safely brought me to the beginning of this daye from the drousy graue of my bed which manifestly resembleth in lying downe my death and in rysing vp a manifest tipe and figure of my resurrection Therfore sith thou of thy mercy haste raysed me vp from this earthly reast wherein my mortall body and corrupt nature hath ben partly recreated from the laboures trauayles which I dayly sustayne in this terestrial pilgrimage vouchâ—aâ—e also I beséech thee to direct me with thy holy spirite both this day and euer that all my doinges maye tend to thy glory and to the commoditie of my neighbouâ— And graunt most merciful Father that the residue of my whole life froÌ„ heÌ„ceforth may he gided happly vnder thy tuition whereby all maner of darkenes misbeliefe infidelitie carnall lustes and affections may be vtterly chased driuen out of my hart and that I may be iustified saued both body and soule through a right and perfect fayth in Christ Iesu and so walke in the light of thy most holy word coÌ„maundements all the dayes of this my fraile and transitory being Arme vs with thy grace most mercifull father and strengtheÌ„ vs by thine assistaunce to vanquishe the power of the sinfull flesh and Sathan that hauing victory in the end we may ioyfully triumphe in thy saluation that art the God of our strength and might Endue our blynde hartes with thy heauenly spirite that being strong in fayth although â—éeble in the flesh we may so rule the bridle of our course both now and euer from henceforth that we sleepe not in sinne as the vnbeleuers doo which haue no hope of resurrection in Christ Iesu but folowing the motion of their owne common sence are so linked and tyed to the ground that their grosse capacitie is not of force to loke vp and to be holde the brightnes of thy diuinitie which art God from the beginning for euerlasting world without ende To whome with the sonne the holy Ghost be al honor and glory for euer euer Amen A Prayer for Euening O Almighty and moste mercifull Father maker of heauen and earth with all that is therein whose works are insercheable whose mercy is inâ—â—nite whose power is aboue the Cloudes of heauen we beséech thee of thy accustomed fatherly piety and pittie that thou wilte vouchsafe to be our watche man this night and euer to gard vs from all our enemies both bodily or ghostly that endeuour to disturb the externall rest of our body or to assalt the infernall Closet of our Conscience with any sinful suggestions or deuilish deuises of Sathan our mortall foe and deadly aduersary We acknolege and confesse moste mercifull Father that of our selues we are not worthy to lifte vp our eyes towarde heauen much lesse to presume in presenting oureselues before thy deuine maiestie with confidence that thou wilte heare our prayers or incline to our petitions if we call to remembraunce the vnworthines of our own merites and desertes for we are nothing else but a lumpe of sinne conceaued and borne in iniquity folowing the right path of our naturall imbecilitie and weakenes in Adam euer more prone and apt to folowe the filthy appetite of our own desire like vnbrideled Colts and reiecting the holsome discipline and instructions of thy most holy wil and commaundements Our own consciences accuse vs and our own sinz beare witnes against vs that we are nothing else but miserable wretches subiect to corrupcion clothed with iniquity and not of our selues able to thinck as muche as one good thought so that wée are not able to abide the extremitie of thy straighte iudgement knowing that by the worckes of the flesh we are condemned to deth yet quickned in the spirite and iustified by grace in Christ iesu Wee knowe most merciful Father that thou art a righteous Iudge such a one as visiteth the sinz of the Fathers vpon the Children to the thirde and fourth generation and doest not Iustify the synners and them that walk in the waye of iniquitie but punishest the falts of al such
as transgres thy holy lawes and commaundementes Notwithstanding most mercifull Father seing thou hast promised to here vs whensoeuer we repent vs of our sinz from the bottom of our harte and vnfainedly do call vpoÌ„ thy name for help we haue presumed to appeale to thy Throne of mercy humbly coÌ„fessing our manifold sinz and offences and crauing remission of our trespasses in the bowels of thy onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our intercessor and sauioure Haue mercy therefore vpon vs O Lord and forgiue vs our offences instruct vs with thy holy spirite to enter into examinatioÌ„ of our owne selues by a stedfast fayth in Christ Iesu with worckes correspondent to the same we may earnestly and hartely repeÌ„t from the very bottome of oure hartes and euer hereafter to thirst after thy law and statutes euen as the harte desireth the brookes of water And last of all for as muche as it hath pleased thée of thy heauenly wysedome to prepare and ordeâ—â—e the night for man to rest and refresh himself after his dayly trauayles grant we beséech thée most mercifull Father that as our bodies do take a careles sléepe so contrarily our soules maye continâ—allye watche in thée expectting dilligently that happy time when our Lord Iesus shal appear for our deliuerance out of this mortall life into another more blisâ—ull and happy life the ioyes wherof noe mans capacitie is able to conceaue much les is the tongue able worthily to expresse the happines thereof To that life we beséech the to bring vs for Iesus christ his sake A Prayer for the increase of fayth O Almighty and moste mercifull Father the euerlasting fountayne and well spring of al grace and goodnesse whose mercy is incomprehensible and power infinite thou the eternall Iehouah in whose handes are all the corners of the earth the strength of the hilles is thine also whose omnipotent power fashoned the Sea and prepared the dry land haue mercy vpon vs miserable and wretched sinners and encline thy fatherly eare vnto the voyce of our prayers Increase most heauenly father in our mindes the sparckes of true fayth and Christianitie that being alwayes garded with the defence of thy holy worde we may haue power and force to renounce and resiste the terrible inuasions of our mortall enimy Sathan who continualy rangeth about like a roaring Lion séeking whome he may denoure And sith wee are chaunced in these perillous tymes wherein noughte but iniquitie raigneth and Antechrist aduaunceth himselfe in thy temple exalting himself aboue all that is called God infecting thy poore disposed â—â—ock with the poysoned drâ—gges of damnable heresy illuminate we beséech thée moste merciful father our blinded eyes with the true light of thy heauenly grace that being armed with the shield of thy diuine inspiration we may therby be the more emboldned to withstand the dayly and innumerable assalts of our ghostly enemie that continually laboureth by all meanes possible to wreste the worde of trueth and vnderstaÌ„ding out of our harts and to throwe vs headlong into the bottomlesse lake of euerlasting perdition and whereas withoute the inspiration of thy heauenlye grace we are not able so much as to thincke a good thought and much les able to resist the sinfull allurements of our corrupt flesh the world and the Deuill therefore we craue of thée most heauenly Father that thou wilte vouchsafe to make perfecte that good worcke which thou hast be gonne in vs not suffering those fewe sparckes of thy heauenly grace which thy spirite hath planted in our hartes to be extinguished or quenched by meanes of our weakenes and inconstancie but augmenting in our mindes the zeale of thy word we may be able to reÌ„der an accouÌ„pt at that dreadfull day of the hope and fayth which we haue in thée by the merites of thy sonne Iesus Christe our Messias and Sauiour whome thou hast vouchsafed to send into the earth héere to be incarnate of the pure virgine Mary and hauing receaued the image of our humanitie to offer him selfe as an acceptable sacrafice vpon the alter of the most bitter Crosse and by the â—ffusion of his moste precious bloud to pay the raunsome of our offences vnto thy diuine maiestie whereby he reconciled vs vnto thée our heauenly Father whereas otherwise we had beene subiect to the thraldome of euerlastinge damnation To thée with the same Iesus Christ thy sonne and the holy spirite covnited al three in Godhead and distinguished in person be all honor and glory for euer and euer Amen A Prayer for grace to perseuer in fayth O Eternal God and euerlasting Father the author and fountayne of all goodnesse the multitude of whose benedictioÌ„s and benefites farre passe and excéede the compasse of humayne reason and capacitie indue our frayle minds with the grace of thy heauenly spirite that mortifiing our owne desires and affections our onely ioy delite may be placed in the perpetuall consideration of thy heauenly promises and renouncing all care and regard of worldly businesse which commonly withdrawes our mindes from the contemplation of thine infinite mercies we may be wholie addictted to the seruice of thy diuine maiestie in spirite and true humulitie of minde reioycing together in Psalmes Hymnes and spirituall Songes comforting one another in thy promise of that day wherin thou hast promised to make vs felow â—eyres of thine heuenly inheritaunce with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in that celestiall mansion which thou haste ordeyned for thine elect since the beginning of the world And because by reason of oure naturall corruption which we haue successiuely receued since the fall of oure great Grandfather Adam we are all naturally bente and inclined to goe astray strengthen most mercifull Father our féeble spirites with inspiration of thy heuenly grace that being armed against al the assaults of the flesh the worlde the Deuill and Antichriste that Capitall enimy of thy worde we may haue oure consciensces cleare from all maner temtations and altogether vacante to the Meditation of the promises expressed in the Gospell of thy sonne Iesus Christe our sauioure Endue vs with the diuine influence of thy spirite that we maye neuer be caried away with the fleshe but by the operation of thy grace in our hartes we maye be able to mortify subdue our carnal afections and wordly desires whereby our zeale may be the more enflamed to insue the heauenly motions of thy holy spirite which directeth the mindes of them that feare thée in the perfect pathway of lighte and vnderstanding Graunte this most mercifull father for thy Sonne Christe hys sake to whom with thée the holy Ghost be al honor and glory from this time forth for euermore A prayer for vnity in Religion O Euerlasting and moste mercifull Father the fountayne of all grace and goodnes which art the God of peace loue vnitie and concorde and the iuste reuenger of disceÌ„tion debate and confusion thou séeste howe miserably thy holy congregation is rent torn and deuided into diuers
diuine prouidence and protection most mercyfull Father the enemie had longe agâ—ne deuoured vs yea he had so wiped and blowen vs away the scarse any remembraunce of our beinge had remayned on the earth Wherefore sith it is thy good pleasure that the name of Israell should not be vtterly extinguished geue vs grace to 〈◊〉 our steppes in the path of thy coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts that all our deedes wordes thoughtes may tend to thy glory and the commoditiâ— of the common wealth Endue we be sech thee the mynde of our soueragine Quâ—ene Elizabeth that aboue al thinges she may seke thy honor and glory the maintainance of true religion the prosperous and quiet state of her subiectes Directe the myndes of her Maiesties Counsell and the rest of the nobilitie that they may alwayes liue in thy feare with â—rue obedience to the prince deuising suche lawes and statutes as may bee most auailable to the conseruation and publike commoditie of the common welth Inspire the mindes of such as thou hast called to be the ministers of thy word w the spirite of truth and vnderstanding that they may preach the pure doctrine of thy heauenly word reuokeing sinners into the way of repentaunce and amendement of life to embrace the sweete yoke of thy lawe whereby their soules may be saued from euerlastinge â—alnâ—atiâ—n Gâ—ue grace most heauenly Father to all the 〈◊〉 of thys Realme that aboue alâ— things they may laâ—our to followe thy commaundements to liue in due obedience to their Prince and Magiestrâ—tes and to be ruled by the holsome and spirituall counsell of their pâ—stours And 〈◊〉 thy grace in generall most mercyfull Father to the whole body of the Realme that altogether both the Prince Nobilitie Clargy and 〈◊〉 may chiefly 〈◊〉 to abuaÌ„ce thy Gospell and secondly the happy and prosporous â—ate of the coÌ„mon wealth Through Christ. c. A Prayer for patienâ—e in trouble ALmighty and most mâ—rcifull Father which art the onely stay and comfort of all them that are afflicted with the scourge of aduersitie bowe down thy mercifull eare vnto the voyce of my lamentation which am nothing else but a lumpe of sinne euery houre declyninge from thy coÌ„maundements into the reprobate way of iniquitie that I must néedes confesse that myne owne merites and deseruinges haue iustly procured this worthy plage wherin like a vyle and wretched 〈◊〉 I am entangled But thou O most mercyfull and louinge Father thou art alwaies ready to shewe mercy to the repentant sinner which hast promised to put all my offeÌ„ces and misdeedes out of thy remembraunce whensoeuer I repent from the bottome of my hart haue mercy vppoÌ„ my miseries and velease me of this aduersitie which hath worthely chaunced by reason of the innumerable multitude of my sinnes And if it be thy good will and pleasure to proue the more 〈◊〉 with temtations or any other kinde of afflection that thou shalt lay on me then vouchsafe most mercifull Father to arme mée wyth the spirite of 〈…〉 which it hath pleased thy diuine Maiestie to lay vpon me that I murmure not at thy workes neyther blaspheme thy name when I am in miserie but that I maye alwaies haue in mynde that thou art a mercifull iudge and a reuenger of iniquitie to whome onely it beelongeth to throwe downe to hell 〈◊〉 to rayse vp to heauen againâ—â— where with thy sonne Iesus Christ and the holy Ghost c. A prayer against temptation O Lord Iesus Christ the onely defence and pyller of our estate the hope confidence of all them that sleepe in the vaile of this wicked worlde which by the merites of thy most pretious death passion didst ouercome death and triumphest ouer the sting therof in thy heauenly kingedome geue strength vnto vs feeble and impotent sinners against the râ—aringe Lyon whiche continually wandreth aboute séekynge whom he may deuoure endeâ—ouringe alwayes wyth subtill awaitinges strong temtations to withdrawe our myndes from the faith which we haue in thee of euerlastinge lyfe into a reprobate sence to geue ourselues vp to the 〈◊〉 lustâ— and affections of the fleshe to vncleannes Idolatriy innumerable other like abhominatioÌ„s that are chiefe aduersaries and enemyes to the spirite of truthe and vnderstanding Thou therfore that art the iâ—â—aculate Lambe the vanquisher of sinne death and hell geue vnto vs thy little shéep the strength and vertue of thy spirit that being in our owne selues weake and feble and in thée strong and valiant we may be able to withstande and subdue all the assaults of the Deuill that our ghostly enemie may not triumph ouer vs but being coÌ„querors through thée wée maye geue thankes to thy mercy which neuer leaueth them destritute of sucâ—oure whose onely confidence and aâ—â—iance is reposed in the sure defence and sauegerde of thy mercy Thou knowest O Lord that we are but earth and ashes subiect to corrupsion mortalitie the flesh euer rebellinge against the spirite whereby we are alwaies more prone apt to runne the carles race of ignorance and iniquitie then to frame our steppes in the narowe and strayte path of vertue and vnderstanding Therfore illuminate we besech thée our blinde eyes with the light of thy heaueÌ„ly spirit that abhoring the workes of darkenes and preuaylinge against all temptations of the worlde the flesh and the Deuill we may be wholie bent to serue thy diuine Maiestie in truthe and vnderstanding sauinge alwayes an assured hope of a gloryous resurrectioÌ„ on thy right hand wher we may be pertakers of that ioyfull sentâ—nce of life whiche thou wilt pronounce to all them that shall inherite that heauenly kingdome with thée our onely redéemer and Sauiour To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost c. A prayer for the obtayning of wisdome O Almighty Lord most mercifull Father the fountayne and welspring of all heauenly gifts and graces geue me wisdom to knowe what thy will and pleasure is for I thy seruant and the sonne of thy haÌ„d mayde am a féeble person engendred and created of the frayle substaunce of the flesh enuironed round about wyth the darke shadowe â—ayle of ignoraunce that by meanes thereof the beames of my mynde are so obscurely eclipsed that I cannot once looke vp vpon the brightnes of thy diuine Maiestie nor excercyse my selfe at all in contemplation of the misteries of thy heaueÌ„ly word and promises whereby I might saue my soule from hell Inspire therfore most mercifull Father my dull and heauy mynde with the light of the true wisdome and not with worldly wit and policy onely which concerne humayne affayres but with the true vnderstaÌ„ding of thy sacred scripturs wherein thou hast made a faithfull promise of eternal saluation to all them that vnfaynedly beleue that Iesus Christ is the sonne of God and the onely redéemer of all mankinde Thou knowest O Lord that my dull capacitie is farre to grosse to attaine to the knowledge and vnderstandinge of thy iudgemeÌ„ts 〈◊〉 lawes â–ª for I am but meere
feelynge of thy goodnesse towards me that the memory of thy manyfold benefites neuer slyde out of my remembraunce but that at all tymes I may be styrred vp to prayse thy name to yeld thee thankes for the innumerable gyftes that thou of thy méere mercy and Fatherly liberalitie without any desart of mine hast fréely bestowed vpon me since the first houre of my natiuitie Let thy praise sound in my mouth late earely at midday and midnight in all places at all tymes and seasons Plant in my hart most mercyfull Father a true desire perfect zeale to thanke thee for all the benefitâ—s that I haue daylie receaued at thy haÌ„ds that I may tourne backe with the Samaritan prayse thee and not to depart as the other ix Lepiers did who feeling themselues clensed of their filthynesse yet returned not at all to geue God thankes Instruct me I besech thée in thy diuine iudgements that when I haue safely passed this nighte vnder thy protection I may spend the next day I all my lyfe folowing in holynesse and puritie of conuersation crying coÌ„tinually come Lord Iesu come for thyne electes sake come quickly Amen That at the last I maye happilie ariue at the port of that euerlastinge rest whiche by thy mercy thou hast promised to all theÌ„ that vnfaynedly loue the name of Iesu To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honor and glory for euer Amen A prayer for Fridaye morning ALmighty and most mercifull Father I besech thée for thy Sonne Iesus Christe his sake to graunt me thy heauenly grace that with immoueable zeale I may séeke after those things that may please thée circomspectly shunne all kinde of wayes that maye moue or prouake thy wrathe against me And when I haue once knoweÌ„ perfectly what thy will pleasure is geue me grace to séeke the same carefully to fulfill it perfectly and to walke in the same vigelantly to the honor and glory of thy most holy name Order my lyuinge so that I may doe those things which thou requirest of me that with vnfained deuotioÌ„ wythout all pharisicall preteÌ„ded holynesse Geue me grace that I maye know it haue will and power to doo thereafter least if I knowe my maister his will and due it not I be beaten with many stripes Aboue all thinges geue me grace to seeke thy honour and glory wyth all thinges else which he moste conuenient for my saluatioÌ„ in Christe iesu Make my waâ—es I beseche thee moste mercyfull Father sure and straight before that if welth abound I fall not vnto pride and presumption or if I fall into aduersitie I be not driuen into desperation as to loase the fayth whiche I haue in my Lord and Sauiour or to blaspheme thy most holy mame with words of reproch as they doo whose hart Sathan hath possessed and rooted the séedes of vertue vnderstandinge out of their harts Onely geue me a necessary liuinge sufficient to maintayne my selfe honestly wyth mediocritie and without superfluitie or idle excesse Geue mée not to much lest I wax proude so forget thée that art the author of my welth and mine onely vpholder neyther to littell lest I bée forced to attempt vnhonest and extraordinary shiftes without any care or respect eyther thy heauenly lawes and commaundemeÌ„ts or the decrées of my prince and countrie Geue me grace euer to reioyce in thée and that I may neuer be sorowfull for any thinge but that may drawe me from thy lawe or wherin I haue sinned against thy diuine Maiestie Bée thou myne onely comforte aboue all other to recreate me wheÌ„ I am in perplexitie to protect me both at my down liinge and vprysinge let mee not be mery with the ioye that is without thee neyther let me delite in any thinge but in thee and the crosse of Christ Iesu make me to lift vp myne harte continually to thee when I am eyther in prosperitie or fallen into aduersatie Make me humble without ipocrisie mery without lightnesse sad without mistrust sober without dulnesse true without dou blenesse fearinge thee without desperation trusting in thée wythout presumption teling my neybour his falts without dissimulation geuing other a good example of perfect and godly lyuinge that they which behold it may be the more enflamed to trend the like trace and to glorifiy god in all his gyftes And finallie graunt most mercyfull Father that séeinge I haue taken sufficient reste this night past and that the day is come wherein thou hast appoynted me to doe all suche godly and necessarie businesse as may be to thy glory the profit of my neyghbour and health of my soule I maye so passe the same in thy feare that I be in daunger of no trouble or perturbatioÌ„â—ther of body or minde but euermore constante in fayth by the bloud of Christ Iesus my Sauiour and redeemer To whome with thée the holy ghost be all honor and glory for euer and euer Amen A prayer for Friday euening I Render vnto thée moste mercifull Father all possible thankes and prayses for that thou of thy méere mercy and Fatherly pitie hast garded me all this day and the rest of my life time vnder the winges of thy heauenly protection desyringe thée with the teares of my lamentation to put all my wickednes out of thy minde which I haue committed agaynst thy diuine Maiestie sith the tyme of my conception Thou haste promysed by the mouth of thy holye Prophet that at what time soeuer a sinner doth repente him of his sinnes from the bottome of his harte thou wilt put all his wickednesse out of thy remembraunce forgeue me therefore moste mercyfull Father and with the eyes of thy mercy looke down vpon me as thou diddest loke vpon Peter thyne Apostle when hée lamented his sinne was sory for his offences let me be regenerate in spirit and learne froÌ„ henceforth to walke in thy lawes all the dayes of my lyfe Make me to lifte mine hart often tymes vnto thée and when I fall make me to thinke vpon thee and be sory for mine iniquity with stedfast purpose of amendmeÌ„t grace of thée to performe the same Graunte me vnderstandinge to knowe thy will to folowe suche conuersation as may please thee to repose my whole trust and confidence in the multitude of thy mercies whereby I may walke without blame in my calling doing right to euery man and iniury to no man but after the example of thy Son Iesus Christ to suffer wronge patiently without desire of reuenge to pray for mine enimies to loue them that persecute my lyfe Graunte grace in all kynde of humilitie to folowe the steppes of thy sonne Iesus Christ that pure and immaculate Lambe And when my body hath taken his naturall rest geue me a desire to shake of all slouthfulnesse and drousinesse that my lims may be stronge to sustayne my laboures that pertayne to my present vocation and that all mine accions maye bee done in