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
sectes and contrarieties in religion while the carnall professors of thy name in cloake of preteÌ„ded holines set forth mainteine such beggerly traditions as the appetite of theire grosse phantasie leadeth them vnto shaking of the sweete yoke of thine vndefiled law wresting the letter thereof to serue the dissolute motion of their carnall cogitations mainteining in stéede of thy pure sincere word the fleshly cerimonies of their own deuise and inuention whereby it commeth to passe that so great dissention raigneth now adayes in the world and that so many sectes schismes and heresies are daylye sette a broach in euery place to the vnspekeable perturbation of the course of thy word and vtter subuersion of diuers common wealthes whiche oughte chiefly to be mainteined by the vniform consente and iudgement touching the worde and by the perfecte band of Amity concerning temporall causes But now wheras men set aside the ryght rules and or dinaunces of thy blessed worde plantinge in steed thereof orders and tradicions of their own imaginations howe can it come to passe that christian peace and vnity of spirite should dwell among vs Therefore graunt O most mercifull Father that wee thy pore dispersed shepe which haue so long ben tossed and turmoyled with tempests of this tumultuous times may at the last by the direction of thine heauenly Spirite bee reduced into one foulde acknoweleging thee our moste louing shepehearde and mercifull Father thy sonne Iesus Christe our onely sauiour and Mediatour to thy diuine maiesty the holy ghost our comforter whyche by the mouth of thy sonne Iesus Christ thou didst promise to send vnto vs which spirite assureth our spirites that we are pertakers inheritours and fellow Citizens of that heauenly Ierusalem whiche thou promysedst to all them that vnfainedly walke in thy statutes and trust onely to be saued by the blood and passion of thine onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ our Messias the onely redâ—emer of all mankinde Remoue O moste mercifull Father from our eyes the darcke shadow and vayle of ignoraunce that abandoning al the dregges of erronious sectes heretical schismes we may be gathered all together into the vnitie of thy word and confesse that there is but one eternall God and one heauenly Father which thou arte and one Fayth one Baptisâ—e which we all professe that call vpoÌ„ thy name Graunt also most merciful father the we whose minds opinioÌ„s are noted most repugnant and contrary in fayth may he altogether covnited into one iugement opinion in religion which maye bee grounded onely vppon the foundations of thy Prophâ—tes and Apostles Iesus Christ himselfe being the head corner stone And sith ther is but one fayth which directeth vs into the waye of saluation graunt we beséech thée that by the operation of thy holy spirite we may be brought to such an agréement and vniformity in Religion that we maye glorify thée our heauenly Father with one onely spirite and generall consente of conscience whereby wee maye be reduced from the captiuitie of eternall ignoraunce and be made al the shéepe of thee our most mercifull and bountifull shéepheard To whome with c A thankes geuing for restoring of the Gospell VVE render vnto thée most mercifull Father immortall thankes for that thou hast vochsafed to send thine onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ into the world to take our shape and nature vpoÌ„ him and to submit himselfe to the bitter passion of the Crosse to redéeme vs wretched sinners which before were thrales and bonde slaues to the horrible sormente of euerlasting damnation O what condigne thankes are we able to render vnto thée that in the least respect may be able to counter payse thy fatherly kindnes and loue which thou daily sheweâ—t vnto vs most myserable and wretched sinners Thou hast sent thy Christ our Sauioure to redeeme vs from the bondage of sinne death and damnation and that not with Gold nor Siluer but with his most preciâ—use bloode once offered vpon the Crosse to paye our generall raunsome The promises which thou diddest make to our ' forefathers in figures and shadows thou hast openly performed to vs in the open sight of the whole worlde in sending that Mâ—essias to take our sins vpon him to be scourged for our offâ—nces and to beare the burthen of our iniquities â–ª Againe thou hast manifested to vs the perfect pathwaye of saluation by the mouth of thine onely begotten son Iesus Christ and that not in figures nor shadowes but in expresse wordes saying Hoc fac viues do this and thou shalt liue which to our forefathers thou declaredst couertly and in the darke shadowes of secrete misteries and that not by thy sonne Iesus Christ but but by thy prophets which were men mortall as we be and were inferioure to thy sonne both in diuine power and also in dignity of person For how muche the seruaunt or bondman is inferiour to the heyre so much are the Prophets inferiour to thy sonne and heyre Christ Iesus whom our mortal eyes haue séene of late dayes personally here in the earth and reasoned with him face to face euen at his owne mouth haue learned what is the will of thée our moste louing Father and moste mercifull creatoure And moreouer because it was thy good pleasure to take awaye the presence of thy sonne from mankinde as concerning the fleshe we yeld thée moste harty thankes that thou wouldest vouchsafe to seÌ„d down thine heauenly spirite into the hartes of all thy sonnes Apostles which spirite informing their spirites of thy diuine will prouoked them by writing to reuele thy promises of saluation whereof thy sonne preached vnto the posterity of all ages for euermore wherâ—y both we that now liue and the remnaunte of all future yeres may lerne to direct their steppes as with a true line or rule into the waye of thy commaundementes And sith in recompence of all these thine vnspeakeable benefits thou requirest no other sacrafice but thankes giuing with contrition of harte therefore with vncessaunt prayers wee will magnify thy holy name recordiÌ„g thine innumerable benefites with Psalmes of thankes geuing in the midest of the congregation for euer not doubting but thou of thine infinite goodnes wilt accept the thanks which we yelde to thy dyuine Maiestie as procéeding from the very bottom of our vnfained hartes To thée most mercifull Father with thy son Iesus Christ and the holy ghoste be all honour and glory for euer Amen A Prayer for abolishing of Superstition O Eâ—ernall and moste mercifull Father who by thy diuine wisedome diddest lay the foundations of heauen and earth with the Sea and al that is therin haue mercy compassion of thy pore flock dispersed through the whole erth for the constant profession and testimony of thy heauenly worde and deliuer them at laste from the tirrany of Pharao the terrible persecutoure of thy poore members And because that in all Landes many departe into voluntary exile whose conscience cannot sustayne to sée thy true
corruption and of a most frayle nature And thou how can I that am but earthe and ashes coÌ„ceaue the meaning of thy diuine mistries surely by no meanes except the motion of thy spirite direâ— myne vnconstant and wauering mynde in the right way of truth and vnderstaÌ„ding whereby I may be alwayes inflamed to meditatâ— vpon thy promises contained in thy holy Ghospell wherein thou hast promysed euerlastinge lyfe to all those that with a stedfast fayth beleue that by the meanes of Iesus Christ his passioÌ„ they haue obtayned frée remission of their sinnes To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory now and euermore Amen A prayer agaynst the aduarsaries of the truth ALmighty and most mercifull Father which art the way the truth and life deliuer me from the hands of them that imagine mischieffe and thinke vpon deceyt all the daye longe whose tongues are more sharp theÌ„ a two edged sworde and the poyson of Aspes is vnder their lippes Beholde most mercyfull Father from thy heauenly throne thy vineyard which the Boare rooteth vp and neuer suffreth the tender branches to spring aboue the ground but as fast as they bud fourth he spoiles them not sufferinge the same to attayne to their full maturitie perfect ripenes Aryse O Lord and reuenge thyne owne cause how long shall thy Ielozy sléepe for euer O remember the afflictions of thy seruantes that are oppressed with the tyranny of Pharao and ouerladen with the intollerable burthen of the Egiptian taskes Thou séest our misery and thraldome and how we are euery day in daunger to be 〈◊〉 of the enemy And for thy sake onely doe we suffer reproch al the day long A ryse therefore O Lorde like a mighty man of warr and as a stout gyant refreshed with wine Looke downe and behould howe thy stocke is scattered abroade by meanes of the outragiousnes of the wolf who continually séeketh to roote out and vtterly to extingush the name of Israell Take Armes in hand and strike in thynâ— owne cause and confounde thyne enemyes wyth the fire of thy heauy displeasure So shall thy poore dispersed â—locke bâ— reducâ—â— againe at last into one fould and 〈◊〉 continuall prayses to thee the author of our libertie and our auenger To whome with the Sonne and the holy Ghost be all honor and glory c. A thankes geuing to God for his benefites VVE render vnto thée most merciful father immortall thankes for the manifould dayly benefits which thou of thy mercie without any desert of ours hast most abouÌ„dantly poured vpon vs since the time it pleased thée to inspire into vs the breath of lyfe framinge our corrupt bodyes in forme of thine own likenes placing vs in thy pleasant Paradise there to remayne in most happy and fortunate estate if through the subtill allurementes of Sathan our ghostly enimie we had not transgressed thy commaundements We thanke thée also most mercyfull Father for that wheÌ„ we were condemned by our owne transgression in our great Grandfather Adam thou of thy Fatherly loue and naturall compassion that thou haddest on mankinde didest send down thy onely begotteÌ„ Sonne Iesus Christ to take our corrupt Nature vpon hym and to humble himselfe to the shamefull death of the Crosse thereby to redeme vs wretched sinners from the bondage of hell whether for our disobedience we were iustly condemned and to pay the raunsome of our offences whereby thy wrathe that was worthyly inflamed against vs might be appeased and we lost sheepe at last recoÌ„cyled to thee our pitifull pastoure most mercifull Father We yeld thée also immortall thankes moste mercifull Father for that it hathe pleased thee to reueale thy holy Gospell vnto vs by thy Sonne Iesus Christ whereby we might obtaine remission of our sinnes and through faythe might haue a sure confideÌ„ce that by the merites of Iesus Christ hys passion we are deliuered from the intolerable cursse of the lawe and are made partakers of that heauenly kingdome prepared for vs since the foundation of the world For these thy most bountifull gyftes and all other thy benefites dayly and hourely powred vpon vs we hartely thanke thée most louing and mercifull Father Beseching thée that thou wilt geue vs grace through the operatioÌ„ of thy heauenly spirit in our myndes so to order our life and conuersation that wee walke in true holines and sincerity of hart behauing our selues so circumspectly in this wretched world that at the last day we may bée found faltles and be receaued into the number of theÌ„ to whome this ioyfull sentence shal be pronounced Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingedome whiche was prepared for you from the beginning of the worlde To which kingdome we besech thée most mercyfull Father for the merites of thine onely soÌ„ne our Sauiour Iesus Christ to bring vs speedely out of this vale of misery and sorowe where with the societie of the elect we may singe prayses to thée our moste mercyfull Father worlde without ende To whome with thy Sonne Iesus Christ our Sauiour and the holy Ghost three in vnitie and one in trinitie bee all honour glory power dominion and might from thys time fourth for euermore A prayer to God the Father O Almighty and moste mercifull God the Father eternall which haste bene from the beginninge and so shalt remayne world with out end Thou that createst all liuing creatures and last of all man breathinge the breath of lyfe into them by a naturall instinct and disposition euery thinge to folowe his owne kind sauing man only aboue al the rest whome thou hadest formed after thine own image and indude hym wyth reason more then naturall wherby hée might discerne the good from the euill and learne to eschewe suche thinges as might be hurtfull vnto him Euen he I say aboue all the rest transgressed the commaundementes of thy Maiestie inclining to his owne lustes and affections without any regarde or feâ—â—e of thée his onely Lorde maker Whereby hee was expelled out of the garden of Eden that place of pleasure where once thou hadest placed him But Oh what thankes shall we yeld vnto thée most mercifull and louynge Father that didâ—est vouchsafe of thy méere mercy and Fatherly loue toward vs to sende downe thyne onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ to be our redeemâ—r and Sauiour to deliuer vs out of the mouth of hell whither our owne deserts had worthely condemned vs we will singe a Psalme of thankes geuing and worship toward thy holy temple For what other reward are we able to geue vnto thée that maye in any respect worthely counter vaile the least sparke of thy Fatherly pyttie and kindenes surely none For of our owne selues we are not able so much as to thinke a good thought wythout the motion of thy spirit much lesse to doe any suche good déede that might be aunswerable to the innumerable multitude of thy benefites alwayes besâ—owed vpon vs Accept therefore most mercifull Father our sacrifice of
race in hope to winne the crowne of euerlasting glorie by the merites of Christe Iesus may enioy continuall health of body soule this night euer and that we maye be preserued from al temptations of Sathan who is euer redy wheÌ„ we be idle to seduce vs froÌ„ thée our Sauiour into the broade way of euerlastyng death and damnaâ—ion And wheÌ„soeuer our bodies take their naturall rest yet our myndes maye be alwayes bent and fixed vpon thée the eyes of our vnderstanding may alwaies watch in thee that art our onely Lord and moste mercyfull defender Geue vs grace whensoeuer we lye downe euery nyght to examine our conscience and enter into accompte of those déedes whiche we haue done the daye before and all the rest of our lyfe tyme And if we finde that we haue done any good déed geue vs grace to ascribe the same to thée that art the only fountayne and author of al goodnesse and to acknowledge fréely our ownâ— imperfection howe that of our selues we are not able to thinke so muche as one good thought muche lesse to do any good or godly action that shoulde seeme to procéede of our owne forwardnesse or aptnesse thereunto for we are nothing els but sinne corruption and then howe shoulde an euyll trée bring foorth good fruite Agayne if we finde that we haue sinned agaynst thée eyther in thought word or deede as we do seuentie tymes seuen tymes euery day geue vs grace most merciful father to acknowledge if before thy diuine maiestie with the teares of earnest vnfaigned repentance to craue thy mercy with forgeuenes both of that and all other crimes and offences which we haue coÌ„mitted againste thée since the tyme of our byrth Or els if we finde that we haue by any meanes endaÌ„maged our neyghbour geue vs grace to recoÌ„cile our selues and to cleare our conscience before we lye downe wherby we may sléepe both swéetly soundly in Christ Iesus without any idle cogitatioÌ„s or phantasticall dreames that may disturbe our myndes from the meditatioÌ„ of thy word and yf we dreame at all let vs dreame of thée our mercyfull Father and such godly lessons and precepts that we haue séene sléeping to folow prosecute the same actually waking Through Iesus Christe our only memediatour and sauiour Amen A prayer for Tuesday morning I Render vnto thée moste mercyfull father immortall thankes for that thou of thy mere mercye and Fatherly bountie hast graunted this night past to be prosperous and healthfull vnto me without any perturbation eyther of body or soule And because thou hast promised by the mouth of thy holye prophetes that thou wylt heare my voyce whÌ„soeuer I call vppon thée by faith with humble supplications and repentance of my sinnes I beseche thée lykewise that thou wylt so prosper all myne actions and indeuours this present day that al thinges that I do say or thinke may redeunde to thy glorie to the commoditie of my neighbour to the dammage of no man whatsoeuer neyther in thought worde nor déede but that all my doinges maye be directed by thy gouernance to eschewe sinne to doe that is righteous in thy sight at all tymes in all places and in al respectes to haue a reuerent feare of thée before mine eies to walke circumspectly and so vprightly in my vocation to put of the person of Adam and to put on the newe man to order my conuersation agreable to thy wyll to serue thée in spirite and trueth with the sacrifice of thankes geuing and contritioÌ„ of hart to lay sure holde on the anker of fayth with an vndoubted and stedfast hope of resurrection to eternall life Illumâ—naâ—e myne eyes moste mercyfull Father with the beames of thy heauenly spirite that I walke not in darknesse as the children of vnbeliefe do which haue no hope to arise from the dead Geue me grace to abandon all worldly carefulnesse to tame myne owne lustes affections to do the thing that is right and diligently to walke in the light of thy coÌ„maundementes For thou onely art the true light thou knowest no going downe thou art God from euerlasting world without end Encrease most merciful father the gift of faith that I may truely beleue in thée in thy promises made vnto me and that neither by my negligeÌ„ce nor by my infirmitie of the fleshe nor by greatnes of temptation neither by the subtill craftes assaultes of the deuil I may be driuen from faith in the blood of my sauiour Christe Iesus Strengthen moste mercifull Father my féeble nature against all assaultes of the worlde the flesh and the deuil that I may alwaies haue a sure coÌ„fidence in thy onely mercie neuer to start away froÌ„ thy grace to seeke for helpe of man but continually to cleaue to the multitude of thy mercies who art able to exalt the humble and meeke to pull downe the mighty from the throne of their pompe and glorie Geue me grace to haue thee in minde whatsoeuer I doe to honor thee to feare thee to cal vpon thy name when I am in trouble and to repose my whole truste in the greatnesse of thy power and mercy with an assured hope to be preserued from all perils both bodily and ghostly and at the laste when I haue ended my race in this transitorie pylgrimage to obtaine the crowne of euerlasting ioye and felicitie in that celestiall Ierusalem whiche thou haste prepared for all them that feare thy name since the creation of the worlde throuh Iesus Christe our sauiour Amen A prayer for Tuesday euening O Almightie most mercifull father I acknowledge and coÌ„fesse that I am not worthy to lift vp mine eyes towarde heauen muchlesse to presume to preseÌ„t miselfe before thy diuine maiestie I being but earth and asshes a lumpe of sinne and iniquitie subiect to death corruption if I enter into examination of mine owne desertes for the infinite multitude of mine offeÌ„ces beare witnes against me that by mine owne workes I am vnder the dreadfull curse of the lawe and in extreme danger of euerlasting death and damnation for in sinne was I begotteÌ„ and in sinne hath my mother conceaued me I confesse that there is no goodnesse in me but ani apt forwarde inclination to eschewe the good and to folowe the euill to raunge after the lustes of mine owne desires to wander astraye out of the way of righteousnesse and thâ—ough my dayly disobedience to kindle thy wrath heauie displeasure against me and contiqually to heape sinne vpon sinne to runne a madding after the phantasies of mine owne minde and neuer to harken to the voyce of thy coÌ„maundements Yet this one comfort haue I that Iesus Christ by his pretious death and bloodsheddyng hath payde the raunsome of my iniquitie made a ful agrement and perfect attonement betwene God and man being a continuall intercessor for me and a moste louing mediator betwixt his father me to appease his furie and to receaue
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
Answere Neither reward vs after our iniquities Let vs praye O God mercifull Father that dispisest not the sighing of a contrite harte nor the desire of suche as be sorowfull mercifully assiste our prayers that we make béefore thée in all our troubles and aduarsities whensoeuer they oppresse vs and graciously heare vs that those euils which the craft subtiltie of the Deuill or man worketh against vs bée brought to naught and by the prouidēce of thy goodnes they may be dispersed that we thy seruantes being hurt by no persecutiō may euermore giue thankes vnto thée in thy holy Church through Iesus Christ our lord Amen O Lord arise helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy name sake O God we haue hard with our eares and our Fathers haue declared vnto vs the noble workes that thou didst in their dayes and in the old tune before them O lord arise helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy thine honor Glory be to the father c. As it was in the be c. From our enemies defend vs O Christ. Graciously loke vpon our afflictions Pitifully behold the sorows of our hartes Mercifully forgeue the sinnes of the people Fauorably wyth mercie heare our prayers O Sonne of Dauid haue mercie vpon vs. Both now and euer vonchsafe to heare vs O Christ. Graciously heare vs o christ graciously heare vs O Lord Christ The versicle O Lord let thy mercie be shewed vpon vs. The Answere As we do put our trust in thee Let vs pray VVE humbly beseche thee O father mercifully to loke vpon our infirmities and for the glory of thy names sake turne frō vs all those euils that wée most righteously haue deserued and graunte that in all our troubles we maye put our whole truste and confidence in thy mercy euermore serue thee in holinesse and purenes of liuinge to thy honour glory through our onely mediatour aduocate Iesus Christe our lord Amen A prayer for the Queenes maiesty O Lord our heauenly Father high and mightie King of Kinges Lorde of Lordes the onely ruler of Princes which doest from thy throne beholde all the dwellers vpon the earth most hartely we besech thee with thy fauour to beholde our moste gracious soucraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth and so replenysh her with the grace of thy holie spirite that she may alwaies incline to thy wil and walke in thy way Indue her plentifully with heauenly gifts graūt her in health welth longe to liue strengthen her that she maye vanquish and ouercome all her enemies And finally after this lyfe she may attaine euerlasting ioye and felicitie Through Iesus Christ our lord Amen A prayer for Pastors and Ministers of the Church ALmightie and euerlasting God whiche onely workest great meruayles sende downe vpon our Pastours and Ministers and all congregations committed to their charge the healthfull spirite of thy grace and that they may truly please thée Poure vpon them the continuall dwe of thy blessing Graunt this O Lord for the honour of our aduocate and mediatour Iesus Christ. O God heauenly Father which by thy Sonne Iesus Christ hast promised to all them that seeke thy kingdome and the righteousnes therof all thinges necessary to their bodily sustenaunce Send vs wee besech thee in this our necessitie such moderate raine and showers that we maye receiue the frutes of the earth to our comforte and to thy honour through Iesus Christ our Lord Amē The blessing THe peace of God which passeth 〈◊〉 vnderstandinge kepe our hurtes and myndes in the knowledge loue of God of his Sonne Iesus Christ our lord And the blessing of God almight◠the father the sonne the holy Ghost be among vs remaine with vs alwaies Amē FINIS