Probations out of the holy Scriptures I will call vpoÌ„ the Lord which is worthy to be praysed so shall I be safe from myne enemyes King Ezechias by prayer was deliuered from the proude wicked tyraunt Senacherib both hee and all hys So likewise was Ioseph Daniell Susanna Peter c. By prayer we get the victory of our enemies in battell ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures The people of Israell gotte the victory ouer the Amalechites so long as Moyses prayed for them When the blacke Mores came out to fight agaynst Asa King of Iuda Asa prayed vnto the Lorde and the Lorde gaue him the victory so that all his enemies were destroyed in battell Read y e chapter Iudas Machabeus after he had called on the name of the Lord got a noble victory of Gorgias and his company By prayer we obtaine health of body ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures The miracles which Christ wrought vpon theÌ„ that were diseased fled vnto hym for helpe with faythfull prayer proue this true By prayer we obtaine all thinges necessary for the body ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Moyses by prayer obtained MaÌ„na from heauen for the Israelites Helias by prayer obtained raine of God to water the earth By prayer our sinnes are forgeuen vs. ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures I sayd I will confesse my sinnes vnto the Lord and thou forgauest the wickednes of my sinne For this shall euery one that is godly make his prayer to thee in a time when thou mayest be found I forgaue thee all that det wheÌ„ thou desiredst me The sinfull Publicaue praying for remission of hys sinnes went home more righteous in the sight of God then the proud Pharisey If any be diseased among you let him call for the elders of the coÌ„gregation and let them pray ouer him and annoint him with oyle in the name of y e Lorde and the prayer of fayth shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise hym vp and if he be in sinnes they shall be forgeuen hym By prayer we ouercome the deuill and all our ghostly enemies ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Thys kinde of deuils is not cast out but by prayer and fasting Watch and pray that ye fall not into temptation The spirite is willing but the fleshe is weake By prayer we obtaine God the holy Ghost ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures If ye which are euill can geue your children good giftes how much more shall your father which is in heauen geue the holy ghost to them that desire it of hym As the disciples of Christ were gathered together in one place and continued in prayer they were all filled with the holy ghost By prayer we obtaine all good thinges both for the body and soule ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures What thinges soeuer ye desire wheÌ„ ye pray beleue that ye receaue them and ye shall haue them The haruest is much but the labourers are fewe Pray ye therfore the Lorde of y e haruest that he will send labourers into hys haruest If any of you lacke wisedome let hym aske of hym that geueth it euen God which geueth to all men indifferently and casteth no man in the teeth and it shall bee geuen him But let him aske in fayth c. The Lord is euen at hand Bee careful for nothing but in all prayer and supplication let your peticions bee knowen vnto God with thank esgeuing ¶ Many other benefites receaue we of God through prayer which here to rehearse were to long Read diligently my booke called the Pathway vnto Prayer and that shall sufficiently instructe thée in all thingâ—s concerning prayer ¶ The Lordes prayer called the Pater noster with confirmations of euery Peticion out of the holy Scripture The Disciples sayd vnto Christ Lord teach vs to pray And he said vnto them when ye pray say Our Father which art in heauen hallowed be thy name c. ¶ The Preface of the Lordes Prayer OVr Father which art in heauen ☞ The confirmations Our Father Is not the Lord God the father and thine honour Hath hee not made thee ordayned thee Thou O Lorde God art our father and redemer Haue we not all one father Hath not God made vs no â—hy doth euery one of vs then despise hys owne brother Should not a sonne honour his father and a seruaunt hys master If I bee now a Father where is myne honour If I bee a Lorde where is my feare Ye haue not receaued the spirite of bondage to feare any more but ye haue receaued y â— spirite of adoption wherby we cry Abba that is to say father The same spirite certifieth our spirite that we are the sonnes of God If we bee sonnes then are we also heyres the heyres I meane of God fellow heyres annexed with Christ. Which art in Heauen HeaueÌ„ is my seate â–ª and the earth is my footestoole The Lorde hath prepared his seate in heauen Our God is in heauen hee doth whatsoeuer pleaseth hym Unto thee lift I vp myne eyes which dwellest in the heauens Call no man father vpon earth for one is your father which is in heauen ¶ The first Peticion HAllowed bee thy name ☞ The confirmations I will make the name of my holines to be knowen amoÌ„g my people of Israell and I wil not let my holy name to be euill spoken of any more but y â— very heathen also shall know that I am the Lord the holy one of Israell The time shall come that who soeuer calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saued From the rising vppe of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is great among the Gentries yea and that in all places The Lord gaue and the Lorde hath taken away Now blessed bee the name of the Lord. Sing vnto the Lorde and prayse hys name Bee telling of hys saluation from day to day Declare hys honour among the Heathen and hys wonders among all people I will declare thy name vnto my brethren In the middest of the congregation will I prayse thee The name of the Lord is a strong Tower the righteous flyeth vnto it and shall be saued By Christ do we offer the sacrifice of prayer alwayes vnto God that is to say y e fruite of those lips which confesse hys name ¶ The second Peticion THy Kingdome come ☞ The confirmations Seeke fyrst the kingdome of God and the righteousnes therof and all thynges shall be ministred vnto you The kingdome of heauen suffereth violence the violent plucke it vnto them Who soeuer receaueth not the kingdome of God as a childe hee shall not enter into it Except a man be borne of water and of the spirite he can not enter into the kingdome of God
brought the price of the thinges that were solde and layde it down at the Apostles feete And distribution was made vnto euery man according as he had neede ¶ The tenth Article I Beleue in the forgeuenes of sinnes ☜ The confirmations I am he yea I am he which put away thine iniquities and that for mine owne sake and will remember them no more The Lorde shall put downe our wickednesses cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea Loke how wide the east is from the west so farre hath hee set our sinnes from vs. Yea like as a father pitieth hys owne children euen so is the Lord mercifull vnto all them that feare him For hee knoweth perfectly wherof we be made he remeÌ„breth that we are but dust Christ hath taken vpon hym our infirmities and borne our diseases The sonne of man came to seeke and saue that was lost All that beleue in Christ shall not perishe but haue euerlasting life Thys is a true saying and worthy to bee noted that Christ Iesus came into y â— world to saue sinners The bloud of Iesus Christ maketh vs cleane froÌ„ all sinne If we say we haue no sinne we deceaue our selues the truth is not in vs. But if we confesse our sinnes God is faithfull and righteous to forgeue vs our sinnes and to make vs cleane from all iniquitie ¶ The xj Article I Beleue the resurrection of the body ☜ The confirmations I beleue that my redemer liueth and that I shall rise out of y â— earth in the latter day and that I shall be clothed again with this skinne and see God my Sauiour in my fleshe Yea I my selfe shall behold hym not with other eyes but with these same eies Thys hope is stedfastly set in my hart Thy dead men shall liue euen with my body shall they rise again Awake and sing ye that dwell in the duste For thy dewe is euen as the dew of herbes the earth shall cast out them that be vnder her O ye dry bones he are the worde of the Lord. Thus sayth the Lorde God vnto these bones beholde I will put breath vnto you that ye may liue I will geue you sinewes and make fleshe grow vpoÌ„ you and couer you ouer with skinne and so geue you breath that ye may liue and know that I am the Lord. Behold I will open your graues O my people and take you out of your Sepulchres The houre shall come in y â— which all that are in y â— graues shall heare the voyce of the sonne of God and shall come forth they y t haue done good vnto the resurrection of lyfe and they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of damnation If Christ be preached how that he rose froÌ„ the dead how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead If there be no rising agayne of the dead then is Christ not risen againe If Christ bee not risen agayne then is our preaching in vaine and your fayth also is in vaine Read the whole Chapter We know that he which raysed vp the Lord Iesus shall raise vs vp also by the meanes of Iesus If we beleue that Iesus dyed and rose againe euen them also which sleepe by Iesus will God bring againe with him Read y â— latter end of the chapter ¶ The xij Article I Beleue euerlasting life ☜ The confirmations Many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life some to perpetuall shame reprofe The wise such as haue taught 〈◊〉 her shall glister 〈◊〉 the shining of heauen and those that haue instructed the multitude vnto godlines shal be as y â— starres world without end ¶ Read the. 2. Chapter of the 4. booke of Eâ—â—ras The righteous shall goe into euerlasting life My sheepe heare my voyce I know theÌ„ and they follow me and I geue them euerlasting life This is euerlasting life euen to know thee y t alone true God and whoÌ„ thou hast sent Iesus Christ. O Father these that thou hast geueÌ„ me I will that where I am there also they bee with me that they may see my glory which thou hast geuen me The eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard neither haue the thinges entred into the hart of man which God hath prepared for them thâ—t loue hym We know that if our earthly maÌ„sion of this dwelling were destroyed we haue a building of God an habitation not made with hands but euerlasting in heauen Amen ¶ All these Articles aforesayd I with my whole hart beleue with my mouth vnfaynedly confesse to be true and agreable to Gods holy word ¶ The Prayer of the Apostles Lord increase our fayth ¶ Of Prayer ¶ What Prayer is PRayer is a lifting vp of a pure minde vnto God wherein we aske somewhat of God that is agreable to hys holy will ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures We know not what we shoulde desire pray for as we ought nevertheles the spirite it self maketh intercession mightely for vs with vnspeakeable gronings Howbeit he that searcheth the hart knoweth what the minde of the spirite is for hee maketh intercession for the sainctes according to y e pleasure of God The tyme commeth and is now already that the true worshippers shall worship in spirite and truth For y â— father will haue such to worship him God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth We are the circumcision euen we that serue God in spirite I will that all men pray in all places lifting vp pure haÌ„des without wrath and strife This people honoureth me with their lips but their hartes is farre from me verily they worship me in vaine Aske and it shall be geuen you Seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you For whosoeuer asketh receaueth and he that seketh findeth and to hym y â— knocketh it shall be opened Thys is the trust that we haue in God that if we aske any thyng according to hys will hee heareth vs. And if we know that he heareth vs whatsoeuer we aske we know that we haue the peticious that we desire of hym What benefites we receaue of God by prayer By prayer we are deliuered out of trouble ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures When I was in trouble I called vpon the Lorde and hee graciously heard me Call on me in the day of trouble and I will deliuer thee and thou shalt honour me He shall call vpoÌ„ me and I will heare hym yea I am with him in trouble I will deliuer hym and bring hym to honour When any man in hys trouble did turne vnto the Lorde God of Israell and sought hym hee was found of hym By prayer we are preserued from our enemyes ☞
that ye also haue a maister in heauen Neither is there any respect of persons with God ¶ The dutie of Seruauntes to their Maisters THe dutie of seruauntes to their maisters is willingly with a free courage to serue theÌ„ for conscience sake not with y â— eye but with the hart to obey theÌ„ to honour theÌ„ gently to answere theÌ„ not to picke or steale away their goods but to be faythfull vnto theÌ„ in all thinges ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Ye seruantes obey theÌ„ y t are your bodily maisters with feare trembling eueÌ„ with y â— singlenes of your hart as vnto Christ not doing seruice vnto the eie as they y t go about to please men but as the seruantes of Christ doing the will of God froÌ„ the hart with good wil seruing the Lord not meÌ„ Knowing this that what soeuer good deede any man doth y â— same shall he receaue againe of God whether he be bond or free Let as many seruauntes as are vnder the yoke count their masters worthy of all honour that y â— name of God and his doctrine be not euill spoken of Exhort seruantes to be obedient vnto their owne maisters and to please them in all thinges not aunswering againe neither to be pickers but that they shewe all good faithfulnes that they may do worship to the doctrine of God our Sauiour in all thinges ¶ The dutie of Widowes THe dutie of true auncient widowes besides the looking to their own houshold prouisioÌ„ making for their liuing is to put their trust in God to geue theÌ„ selues to the exercise of y â— spirite to frequent the teÌ„ple to be present at y â— sermons to visite the sicke to relieue y â— nedy to be rich in good workes to coÌ„tinue in â—upplications praiers both day and night But as touching the youÌ„ger widowes least they should waxe wanton against Christ follow Sathan breakyng their fyrst fayth promise that they made to God at their baptisme which is to abstaine from all vncleannes both of body minde and to lead a pure and honest life so cast theÌ„ selues into dauÌ„ger of euerlasting damnation it is conuenient that they mary again bryng forth childreÌ„ guide their house vertuously and so liue in the holy estate of matrimonie that no man may haue occasion to speake euill of them ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures She that is a true widow and frendles putteth her trust in God and continueth in supplications and prayers day and night Iudith y t vertuous widow in the hier partes of her house made her self a priuie chaÌ„ber where she dwelt being closed in with her maides She ware a smocke of heare and fasted all y â— dayes of her life except the Sabbaothes new Moones and the solemne dayes y t the people of Israell kept She was a womaÌ„ of a very good report with euery one for she feared y â— Lorde greatly and there was no body that spake an euill worde of her The godly auncient widow Anna departed not from the temple but serued God with fastings and prayers night and day ¶ Of the younger widowes THe younger widowes refuse For wheÌ„ they haue begun to waxe waÌ„ton against Christ they wil mary hauing damnation because they haue cast away their fyrst fayth And also they learne to go froÌ„ house to house idle yea not idle only but also tatlers and busie bodies speaking things which are not comely I will therfore y t the younger women mary to beare children to guide the house geue none occasion to the aduersary to speake euill ¶ The dutie of olde men THe dutie of olde meÌ„ is to auoide all lightnes both in word dede couÌ„tenance to talke of wisedome graue matters to be sober sage discrete to lead a pure vndefiled life y t they may be an ensample of true godlines to y â— youÌ„ger folke ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures God hateth an olde body that doteth and is vnchaste Age is an honourable thyng neuertheles it standeth not onely in the length of time nor in the multitude of yeares but a mans wisedome is the gray heare and an vndefiled life is the olde age Exhort the elder men to be sober sage discrete sound in the fayth in loue in pacience ¶ The dutie of olde women THe dutie of olde womeÌ„ is as in age so in maners to be sober sage auncient to weare no light apparell but such rayment as become their age profession to be no tatlers but to order their tounges discretely to be no tauerne huÌ„ters nor geuen to drunckennes but to lead a sober life to prouoke no youÌ„g women vnto leâ—udnes and dishonestie but rather to shew theÌ„ selues liuely glasses naturall myrrours of all godlines and honestie ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Exhort y â— elder women that they be in such raymeÌ„t as becoÌ„meth holines not being false accusers not geuen to much wine but that they teach honest thinges to make the younge women sober minded to loue their husbandes to loue theyr children to be discrete chaste huswifely good obedient to their husbandes that the worde of God bee not euill spoken of ¶ The dutie of younge folke THe dutie of younge folke is not to be proud but humble lowly and gentle gladly to heare the discrete talke of their elders and to be ordered by them not to be rash but sober minded in all their doinges ☞ Probations out of the holy Scriptures Ye youÌ„ger folke submit your selues vnto y â— elders submit your selues euery maÌ„ one to an other knit your selues together in lowlines of minde For God resisteth y e proude and geueth grace to the humble Thou young man keepe coÌ„pany with the multitude of such elders as haue vnderstanding consent vnto their wisedome with thine hart that thou mayest heare all godly sermons and that the worthy sentences escape thee not If y u be among meÌ„ of higher authoritie desire not to coÌ„pare thy self vnto theÌ„ and when an elder speaketh make not thou many wordes Exhort the younge meÌ„ that they be sober minded ¶ The dutie of all degrees and estates generally both toward God and their neighbour THe dutie of all degrees estates generally both toward God their neighbor is to beleue in God to feare God to kepe his coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes to loue god aboue al thinges our neighbor as our self to do none otherwise vnto other then we wish to be done vnto our selues ☞ Probations out of the holy He beleâ—â—â— God beleue also in me sayth Christ Fears God and keepe his commaundementes for that be loÌ„geth vnto all meâ—â— Thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with â—ll thy hart with all thy soule and 〈◊〉 all thy mind Thys is the first 〈…〉 est commanndement And the second is like vnto it Thou shâ—â—