and placed them in their beings and which gouernest all thy creatures according to thy good plesure Looke mercifully I beseech thee on mee that am the work of thine own hands And as it hath pleased thee of thy great louing kindnes to keepe saue and defend me from the manifold dangers of this night past for the which I yeeld vnto thine excellent Maiestie all due humble and heartie thankes so let it bee thy good pleasure to keepe and defend me this daye and euermore from all euils both of soule and bodie Be thou my protector my guide and my soueraigne Lord and Gouernor Graunt O Lord that as the night of darknes is now past and the cleare day-light doth appeare so I maie by thy gracious assistaunce learne to cast off all darknes of wickednes error and ignorance and haue my soule and vnderstanding more and more lightned with true faith wisedome godlie knowledge Let thy holie spirite bee my instructer and chiefe teacher which is able to lead me into all truth Make mee deere father apt to conceiue and diligent to practise whatsoeuer good and vertuous documents shall be taught me by my parents schoolmasters or wise elders Keepe stubbornnes and disobedience farre from me but make me delighted in that which is good that I maie with all patience and dutifulnes be readie to encline my heart to all wise and godlie precepts And forasmuch as both naturall dutie bindeth me to be mindfull of the weale and prosperitie of the Prince and Magistrates vnder whose protection I liue in safetie as also for my parents and frends whome thou hast giuen to be the authors of my life nourishment and maintenance and for that also Christian charitie bindeth me to be carefull of the good of all Christians in generall yea and to praie that still moe maie dailie be added to the Church I therfore for them all euen as for my selfe doo beseech thee to extend forth thine aboundant mercies to euerie one in his place that they maie liue die to thy glorie their owne saluation concluding with that holie and perfect praier which thine onelie sonne Christ Iesus hath taught vs saying Our Father c. A praier to be said of children at euening before they goe to bed O Lord God our most gracious heauenly Father I most humbly thanke thee for thine vnspeakable mercies bountie shewed me at al times hitherto and namely for keping me this daie past in thy fatherly protection defending me from all euills and bestowing on me cōforts necessarie both for my soule bodie O Lord now that the darke night is come which is a signe of horrour death and woe and that I am to lye sleepe on my bed which is an image of the graue wherein my bodie after thys life is like to rest let thy holye spirite so guard protect direct and comfort me that neither terrours of conscience assaults of Sathan suggestions to sin fleshly concupiscence idle sloathfulnes nor fearfull dreames may trouble me but that sleeping waking my soule minde and spirit may wholly be meditating on thy precepts and maye still awaite to attend to doo thy will that I may learne to die vnto sinne and liue vnto righteousnes my rising in the morning may put me in hope of the rising to euerlasting life Grant this to mee and to all thy Church for Christes sake In whose name c. Euerie creature of God is made holie vnto vs by his word and praier 1. Ti. 4.5 A Praier before meate WE humbly beséech thée O heauenlie Father to forgiue vs all our sinnes and to blesse vs and these thy good giftes which we receiue from thée through Iesus Christ VVhen thou hast eaten art full thou shalt blesse the Lord thy God A praier or a grace after meate O Lord we beséech thée to make vs thankfull for these and all other thy benefites bestowed vppon vs miserable sinners but specially for thy holy word and our redemption by Iesus Christ Amen Tvvo other praiers for morning and euening made by a zealous and learned minister of Gods word Morning praier VVatche and pray least yee enter into temptation Mat. 26.41 O Most mightie God our heauenly merciful father we most wretched sinners humbly confesse vnto thy Maiestie that all good things we haue do come from thy onely mercy that we are most vnworthy of them yet altogether vnable heartily to pray for the continuance thereof yet seeing thy deare sonne Iesus Christ hath commaunded vs in his name to pray and that with assurance to speede and to be heard we beseech thee for his sake to prepare our hearts by thy holy spirite to put out of our mindes all wordly things and vaine fansies and to stirre vs vp earnestly to consider what great neede we haue of thy continuall help both in our soules and bodies O Lorde we haue through our manifolde sinnes deserued thy wrath and eternall damnation of body and soule yet by the vertue of the great sufferings of Iesus Christ and the shedding of his precious bloud forgiue wash away al our offences we are vnworthy of thy fauour either in this life or in the life to come yet through his holinesse receiue vs vnto mercy and make vs heires of thy blessed kingdome and so increase in our hearts euery day vnfained repentance for our former wickednesse in that we haue neither worshipped thy Maiestie nor liued towards others according to thy worde Strengthen our faith O Lord in Iesus Christ for the forgiuenes of our sinnes and for thy tender mercy sake powre into our hearts the grace of thy holy spirite which may stir vp in vs a more hartie loue vnto thee and thy blessed word that by it we may learne to worship thee aright to liue faithfully and truly towards all men in our callings striuing continually against all sinne chiefly in our selues and then also in others so that whensoeuer it shall please thee to call any of vs out of this short and sinfull life we may willingly deliuer vp our soules into thy blessed kingdome and may come with ioy as louing children to thee our heauenly and mercifull father O Lord make vs thankefull for all thy corrections giuing vs grace by them to feare thee more carefully and to sorrow for our sinnes more hartily Make vs also thankefull for all thy benefits namely for the sweete sleepe and quiet rest whereby thou hast this night refreshed vs we beseech thee now in like maner O gracious God for Christes sake to receiue vs this day into thy blessed keeping preserue vs from all perils and dangers from sinne from the wicked cares of this life and the vaine desires of the flesh shining into our hearts by the grace of thy holy spirit and the true knowledge of Iesus Christ the true light of the world that we may guide all our thoughts words and deeds according to the same and walke painefully and truely in our callings to the
soule hee formed thée into a right shape and nourished thée miraculously euen in thy mothers wombe He gaue vnto thy parents after thy birth a tender louing care ouer thée to cherish thée in thy helplesse infancie he hath giuen and still giueth vnto things growing from the earth vertue and power to nourish and sustaine thée He maketh thy hands and diuers parts of thée delighted with féeling thy mouth with tasting thy nose with smelling thyne eyes with séeing and thine eares with hearing Thy hart also he maketh full of ioy and gladnes and that which passeth all the residue hee giueth vnto thy soule if thou walke in his feare a taste in this life of the endlesse and vnspeakeable ioyes of heauen Consider with the aforesaid benefites how he hath reléeued thée from time to time and made thée grow stronger and stronger and wiser and wiser and still assureth thée thorough hope that he will daily more more multiply his graces in thée if thou endeuor to doo well If then thou meditate wel on Gods wonderfull wisedome and power shewed in hys benefites bestowed vppon thee thou shalt finde in thy selfe as it were a little beautifull world of Gods glorious workmanship To God therefore to whom thou art most bound nay to whom thou owest thy selfe and all that thou hast yeeld all dutie studying to liue according to his lawes so as thou maist best please him that is best manners But forasmuch as thou must learne in euerie particular action how to liue godly partly by hearkening to good instructions of parents and teachers partly by hearing reading and meditating on Gods word chiefly by the inspiration and direction of Gods holy spirit which must daily bee craued for by earnest praier all which cannot be sufficiently handled in this short Treatise I will now hasten to my purposed instruction touching thy manners and behauiour among men Vnderstand therefore O childe that by reason of original sin corrupting thy nature thou art but as an vntilled péece of ground apt to bring forth nothing that is good Daily experience sheweth thée how the Earth yéeldeth itselfe a most bountifull and kinde mother in bringing forth brambles and vnprofitable wéedes nourishing the same most liberally but corne and hearbes best for mens vse and necessitie it hardly reléeueth nourisheth after much painfull plowing or digging diligent and carefull sowing setting or planting and continuall wéeding showing it selfe vnto them an vnkinde and cruell stepmother Euen so thy corrupt nature most plentifully bringeth forth willingly nourisheth and cockereth in thée all vices and euill manners but vertuous and right commendable manners it hardly admitteth to be planted in thée and practised of thée after much carefull tilling and digging vp by the rootes of the weedes of wickednes and ill behauiour and the diligent sowing setting and planting of ciuill and good behauiour endeuoured by thy tender parents and vigilant teachers Let then thy industrious diligence concurre with the sage instructions of thy teachers and knowing thy selfe to be ignorant of manie things which they know be readie to heare and diligent to practise what good they shall propose so shall theyr documents doo thee good and thou shalt bee delighted in that which is good and seemely forsaking filthie rude and corrupt manners and fashions The chiefest cause that hindereth manie Children from the practise of good manners is for that they esteeme themselues to know sufficiently how to behaue themselues when as indeed they know not at all or at least regard not to obserue that which for their tender yeres is comely or to flye that which in them is most vnseemely in anie poynt But reiecting such head-strong carelesnesse suspend thou thine owne iudgement and submit thy selfe dutifully to the good direction of thy discreets aduised Gouernours and skilfull learned Teachers and still bee sure to eschue with all diligence whatsoeuer thou shalt be admonished to be ill beséeming thee or hearest or seeest to be noted vnseemely in other And see thou marke héedfully and imitate rightly all good manners taught thée or whatsoeuer behauiour praise-worthie that thou shalt sée in another Beware therefore of vngodly and ill mannered children how thou accompanie thy selfe with them but with the vertuous and well nurtured let thy fellowship bee for of a vertuous and industruous yong age commeth an honourable or at least a commendable olde age But now to our purpose The tung is called the interpreter of the minde and the behauiour may bee rightly tearmed the true image of a man for by the manners are liuely represented the habit of the minde and disposition of man And according to the behauiour so is the partie iudged of and by the same he getteth either credite or discredite Learne thou then in childhood so to behaue thy selfe as with the best thou maist winne praise Which manners although they cannot bee so largelye taught by preceptes in each perticular as by an industrious practise of him that will bee diligent to obserue they maye bee learned perfectly yet for the instruction of those that haue willing mindes to learne and small meanes to attaine I haue thought good to set downe these few rules to be followed In méeting with anie person that is thy better as thou art to estéeme all thine Elders thy betters sée thou giue him the way and putting off thy hat vse a reuerent show in countenance or maner of gréeting to him And if he bee some Man of authoritie a Minister of Gods word any of thy Parents thine Vncle or Aunt or thy Schoolemaster looke that thou boow also thy right knée somwhat in thy saluting of them Let it be farre from thée to reason thus What should I shew duetie or reuerence to one that I knowe not or to him that neuer did nor is like to doo me anie good For God by Salomon commaundeth thée to rise vp and make obeysaunce before thine Elders Age is honorable and commaunded of God to bee honoured nay it is a signe of Gods great lasting fauour and of euerlasting life in heauen To despise it is then to despise Gods fauorable mercie and louing kindnes toward thy selfe and others God by S. Paule commandeth also that double honour bee giuen to the Ministers of his Word And as for those in authoritie as Princes and all Magistrates c. S. Paule saith plainly that to despise thē is to despise Gods ordinance he speaking of heathen vnchristian Princes and Magistrates How much dutie then owe wee to those Princes Magistrates that indeuour to shewe themselues the faithfull lieuetenants of God on earth commanding and ruling according to Gods owne will and séeking our good both of soule and bodie The nerest dutie that thou in thy childhood owest priuately next vnto God is to thy parents which are the instrumentall causes of thy beeing without them thou hadst neuer been begotten nor borne without their tender loue and carefull prouiding for thée thou hadst neuer béen reléeued nor fostered in
glory of thy blessed name the good example of all others and the great assurance of our owne saluation through thy deare sonne Iesus Christ our onely Sauiour in whose name we pray for these and all other graces as he hath taught vs saying Our Father c. Euening praier The Lord is nigh vnto all them which call vpon him euen vnto all such as call vpon him faithfully Psal 145.18 WE most humbly beseech thee O gratious God and heauenly father euen for thy deare sonne Iesus Christes sake to pardon forgiue vs all our sinnes in thought worde and deed committed against thy holy lawes and commandements to turne away from vs gratiously all those plagues which we most iustly haue deserued for them both in this life in the life to come working in our hearts euery day by thy holy spirite more true and vnfained sorow for them with greater care euer hereafter to know thy blessed will reuealed in thy worde and to order all our opinions and doings according to the same and so much the rather O Lord because of thy manifold blessings wherby thou dost daily moue vs herevnto for the which O heauenly father make vs more heartily thankefull specially for our creation at the first after thy owne holinesse and righteousnesse for our redemption by Iesus Christ when we were vtterly lost for that knowledge of our Sauiour which by the preaching of thy blessed Gospell through thy holy spirite thou hast wrought in our hearts for true repentance for faith hope loue for watchfulnesse in our doings and all other gifts of thy grace perteining to our saluation all which graces O Lord are very weake in vs because of the great wickednes of our harts striuing against thy holy spirite so as in thy wrath thou mightest iustly forsake vs vtterly yet O Lorde let it be thy gratious pleasure to increase them in our harts euery day euen so long as we liue in this world as of thy goodnes thou hast begun that therby the assurance of our saluation may be more certainely sealed vp vnto our owne consciences that so we may also learne to be more truely thankfull vnto thy maiestie for the benefits of this life namly that thou hast hitherto euer since we were borne giuen vs those things that were needfull for our bodies as health foode apparrell and such like that thou hast kept vs from many dangers comforted vs in all our troubles and strengthned vs in all our weaknes and giuen vs grace this day to labour faithfully and truely in our callings hauing brought vs safely past all the dangers thereof vnto this present houre O Lord forgiue vs the sinnes of this day and of our whole life and specially our great vnthankfulnes for these thy manifold blessings and in Iesus Christ thy deare sonne continue them towards vs euer hereafter both in soules and bodies specially this night receiue vs into thy blessed keeping preserue vs from all dangers from sin from all vngodly dreames and fansies granting vnto vs comfortable rest so as we may be the better strēgthened to serue thee faithfully in our calling and giuing vs grace alwaies both sleeping and waking to be ready when thou shalt call vs out of this miserable world Last of all because thou hast commanded vs to pray for others also we beseech thee good Lord be mercifull to all natiōs specially to those churches where thy gospell is truly preached continue thy mercy towards this realme preserue our Queene blesse her counsaile and all in authority with necessary graces increase the number of faithfull preachers strengthen the godly lighten the ignorant conuert the wicked be mercifull to all schooles and places of learning to all our friends and kinsefolkes and others afflicted in body or in soule graunting to euery one of them as to our selues those necessary graces which thou knowest to be needfull for euery one of vs in our seuerall estates and callings to the glory of thy name and the better assurance of our saluation through Christ Iesus in whose name we aske of thy maiestie as he hath taught vs. Our Father which c. FINIS