rored for the very disquietnes of my hart Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groning is not hid from thee My hart panteth my strēgth hath failed me and the lyght of mine eyes is gone from me My louers and my neighbours did stand looking vpon my trouble and my kinsmen stoode a farre of They also that sought after my life laid snares for me and they that wente about to doo me euill talked of wickednes and imagined deceipt all the day long As for me I was like a deafe man and heard not as one that is dombe which doth not open his mouth I became euen as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes For in thee O Lorde haue I put my trust thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God I haue required that they euen myne enemies should not triumph ouer me for whē my foote slipte they reioyced greatly against me And I truely am set in the plague and my heauines is euer in my sight For I wil consider my wickednes and bee sory for my sinne But mine enemies liue and are mighty they that hate me wrongfully are many in number They also that reward euil for good are agaynst me because I know the thyng that is good Forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou far fro me Hast thee to helpe me O lord God my saluation A prayer taken out of the XXXVIII Psalme REbuke and chastice vs O Lord as children but withdrawe thy wrath and heauy hand from our present distresses For we feele thy hande and the daungers wherin we be we perceyue them to be past the cure of mans remedy which happeneth vnto vs not vnworthely for our deseruing For sinnes and wickednesses haue euery way ouerwhelmed vs wherwith we are ouerburdened and pressed downe farre more then we be able to beare Hereof commeth our sorow and that we be in maner fainted with griefefulnes of harte We see our neighbours and frendes estranged from vs our enemies to lay snares for vs and to attempt all the wayes to our destruction Thou therefore O God for thy great mercy first reconcile vs to thy selfe in pardonyng all those thinges that we haue most wickedly committed against thee and thē make hast to helpe vs. We loke for no other refuge but thee whose wont it is to be at hand to succour them that call vppon thee to satisfie their petitions Thou art not ignoraunt how while we are thus shakē with aduersities antichristes do triumphe against vs and they daily increase in strength number that do wrongfully hate vs. Wherefore we beseche thee good father forsake vs not in so great afflictions sith thou art our onely safety make hast we pray thee to helpe thy church and to succor her now beyng in extremest perill for Iesus Christes his sake Amen Miserere mei deus PSALME LI. ¶ When Dauid was rebuked by the prophet Nathan for his great offences he dyd not onelye acknowledge the same to God with protestation of his naturall corruption and iniquitie but also lefte a memoriall thereof to his posteritie Therfore first he desired God to forgeue his sinnes and to renue in him his holy spirit with promise that he will not be vnmindfull of those great graees Finally fearyng least God would punishe the whole church for his faut he requireth that he would rather increase his graces towardes the same HAue mercy vppon me O God after thy great goodnes accordyng vnto the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Washe me throughly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sinne For I knowledge my faultes my sinne is euer before me Against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying and cleare when thou art indged Beholde I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me But lo thou requirest truth in the inwarde partes shalt make me to vnderstande wisdome secretly Thou shalt purge me with Jsope and I shall be cleane thou shalte washe me and I shall be whiter then snow Thou shalt make me heare ioy and gladnes that the bones whiche thou hast broken may reioyce Turne thy face from my sinnes and blotte out all my misdeedes Make me a cleane hart O God and renue a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me O geue me the comforte of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free spirite Then shall I teache thy wayes vnto the wycked and sinners shall he conuerted vnto thee Deliuer me from bloudgiltines O god thou that art the God of my health my tonge shall sing of thy righteousnes Thou shalt open my lippes O Lord and my mouthe shall shew thy prayse For thou desirest no sacrifice els would I geue it thee but thou delightst not in burnt offringes The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirite a broken and contrite hart O god shalt thou not despise O be fauourable and gratious vnto Sion builde thou the walles of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of rightousnes with the burnt offringes and oblations then shall they offer young bullockes vppon thine aulter A prayer taken out of the LI. Psalme WE do with one whole consent and with harty prayers craue of thy mercy O almightye God that we maye be cleansed washed and wyped from our wickednesses sinnes and offences We acknowledge and confesse how we haue heretofore done euil in thy sight but our sinnes shal neuer be able to make thee vniust or vnfaithfull We do well vnderstande that we deserue not that thou shouldest performe to vs the noble and most honorable promises that thou hast made vs but herein we haue neede to be relieued and our case to be supplied with thy truthe and constancie Thou seest how we are borne into the world corrupt and defiled euen from our birth which were also before our birth conceyued in wickednes Cleanse therfore our soules and vouchsaue to beautifie them with that cleannes that is pleasaunt in thy sight Geue vs a pure hart a spirit vpright holy and couragiously well disposed that we may not be cast away from thee as vngodly persons but may receyue true ioyes and perfect gladnes If thou shalt haue deliuered vs from sinnes whiche do accuse vs as guilty of eternall death then shall our lippes be opened to prayse thee with cherefulnes Graunt we beseche thee that we may come to thee with the sacrifice wherwith thou art principally debated that is of a broken spirite an abaced and humbled courage There both our present sorowes shal be eased and thou shalt be pleased with the prayses wherwith we shall magnify thy name Shew forth thy good will to Zion that is to thy church Thou seest in how great daunger she is tossed she is oppressed both within and without We beseche thee deliuer her not onely from outward enemies but
CHRISTIAN Prayers and Meditations in English French Italian Spanish Greeke and Latine IMPRINTED at London by Iohn Daye An. 1569. IESSE DAVID SALOMŌ ABIA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IORAM OSIAS IOATAM AHAS ESECHIA Manss◠E R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE Elizabeth Regina 2. PARALIPOM 6. Domine Deus Israel non est similis tui Deus in coelo in terra qui pacta custodis misericordiam cum seruis tuis qui ambulant coram te in toto corde suo ⧠Prayers to be sayd in the mornyng and first when you awake out of your sleepe pray thus MOste mercifull God and father of our Sauior Jesus Christ I moste humbly thanke thee for the sweete sleepe and comfortable rest which thou hast geuen me this night past besechyng thee that lyke as thou hast now awaked my body from sleepe so thou wouldest awake my soule from the slepe of sinne and darkenes of thys world and that which thou hast now awaked out of slepe thou wouldest after deathe wherof this sleepe is but an image restore rayse agayne to life euerlasting Oh gracious God make my body I hartely pray thee such a companion or rather a minister of godlines to my soule this day and all the tyme of this present lyfe that in the lyfe to come it may be pertaker with the same of euerlasting happines thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. * Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall shew light vnto thee Eph. 5 ¶ Occasions to meditate HEre call to mynd the great mirth and blessednes of the euerlasting resurrectiō Also remember to muse vpō that most clere light that bright mornyng and new clearenes of our bodies after the long darknes which they haue bene in All then shall be ful of vnspeakable ioyes and felicitie ⧠When you behold the day light pray O Lord God thou most glorious true lyght from whēce this light of the day sunne doth spring and shyne vnto vs O lyght which lightnest euery mā that commeth into this world O light which knowst no night nor euening but art alway a midday most cleare and fayre without whome all is most horrible darknes and by whō all things are most splendent O thou wisdome of the eternall father of mercies lighten my mynd that I may see those thynges onely which please thee and may be blynded to all other thynges Graunt me so to walke in thy wayes by the light of thy holy worde that nothing els may be lyght and pleasaunt vnto me * Lighten mine eyes O Lorde that I sleepe not in death least mine enemies say I haue preuailed against him Psal 30. ¶ Occasions to meditate MVse a while how much the light and eye of the mynde and soule is better then of the body Also how much more we ought to care for the soule that it may see wel then for the body Moreouer that beastes haue bodely eyes as well as men but men only haue eies of the mind and that such as are godly wise ⧠When you arise pray OVr first parentes cast downe themselues from a most excellent high honorable estate in to shame and misery and in to the deepe sea of all wickednesse and mischiefe but oh Christ thou puttyng forth thy hande didst rayse them vp agayne Euen so we except we be raysed vp by thee shall lye still for euer O good Christ our most gracious redemer as thou doost mercifully rayse vp now this my body euen so I beseeche thee rayse vp my mynde and harte to the true knowledge and loue of thee that my conversation may be in heauen where thou art * If you be risen with Christ thinke vpon those thinges that be aboue Colloss 3. ¶ Occasions to meditate THinke how foule the fall of Adam was by reason of sinne and so of euery one of vs from the height of gods grace Againe thinke vppon the inestimable benefite of Christ by whose helpe we daily arise agayne from our fallynges ⧠When you are made redy to begin the day withall pray O Almighty God most mercifull father thou knowest hast taught vs also somethyng to knowe that the weaknes of man and woman is great that without thy grace they can neither do nor thinke any good thing Haue mercy vpon me I hūbly beseche thee thy most weake fraile and vnworthy chylde Lighten my mynde that I may with pleasure looke vpon good thinges onely Enflame my hart with the loue therof that I may carefully couete them and at the last by thy gracious cōducting may happely attayne them thorough Jesus Christ our Lorde I distrustyng altogether myne owne weakenes commende and offer my selfe both soule and body into thy handes * Thy louyng spirite leade me forth into the lande of righteousnes Psal 143. ⧠Cogitations meete to begin the day withall THinke first that man consisteth of soule body and that the soule is from heauen heauenly firme and immortall but the body is from the earth earthly fraile and mortall Agayne thinke that though by reason of sinne wherein you are conceyued and borne the partes of the soule which do vnderstand and desire be so corrupte that without speciall grace to both partes you can neither know nor loue any good thyng in gods sight much lesse then do that is good yet this notwithstandyng thynke that you are regenerate by Christes resurrection which your baptisme requireth you to beleue and therefore to do also some good in the sight of God through Christ for whose sake our poore doynges are accepted for good the euill and infirmitie cleauing therunto not beyng imputed through faith Thinke that by fayth which is gods séede for they which beleue are of God and made Gods children geuen to those that be ordeyned to eternall life thinke I say that by fayth you receiue more and more the spirit of sanctification through the vse of Gods worde and sacramentes and earnest prayer to illuminate your minde vnderstanding iudgement and reason and to bow forme frame and inflame your affections with loue and power to do that that good is and therfore vse you the means aforesaid accordingly Thinke that by this spirite you are thorough faith coupled to Christ as a liuely member and so to God and as it were made one with hym and by loue which springeth out of this faith you are made one also with all that be of God and so you haue fellowship with God and all good men that euer were or shall be in all the good that God and all his saintes haue or shall haue Thinke that as by faith and loue through the spirite of God you are now entred into this communion the blessednes whereof no tounge can expresse so after thys lyfe you shall first in soule and in the last day in body also enioy for euer the same societie most perfectly which now is but begonne in you Thinke in consideration of your heauenly estate how your body is the temple of
humilitie and payedst the price of our raunsome by thy most bitter death and passion for the which I most hartely geue thankes to thee so of the same thy loue towardes vs in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory with flaming fire with thousandes of saintes with angels of thy power with a mighty cry shoute of an Archangell and blast of a trumpe sodenly as a lightning which shineth from the East c. when men thinke least euen as a thiefe in the night when mē be a slepe thou wilt so come I say thus sodainly in the twincklyng of an eie all men that euer haue bene be and shall be with women and children appearyng before thy tribunall iudgemēt seat to render an accompt of all thinges which they haue thought spoken and done against thy law openly and before all Aungels saintes and Deuils and so to receiue the iust reward of thy vengeaunce if that they haue not repented obeyed the gospell and so depart from thee to the Deuill his angels and all the wicked which euer haue bene be or shall be into hell fire which is vnquencheable and of paynes intolerable easeles endeles hopeles euen from the feare of thy glorious mighty power But if they haue repented and beleued thy gospel if they be found watching with their lampes oyle in their handes if they be found ready appareled with the wedding garmēt of innocency if they haue not hardened their hartes hourded vp the treasure of thy vengeaunce in the day of wrath to be reuealed but haue vsed the tyme of grace the acceptable tyme the time of saluatiō that is the time of this lyfe in the which thou stretchest out thy hande and spreadest thine armes calling and crying vnto vs to come vnto thee which art meeke in hart and lowly for thou wilt ease all that labour and are heauy loden if they haue visited the sicke and prisoners comforted the comfortlesse fedde the hungry clothed the naked lodged the harbourles if they haue not loden their hartes with glotony and surfeting and carefulnes of this life if they haue not digged and hid their talent in the ground doing no good therwith but haue bene faithfull to occupy thy gifts to thy glory and here washed their garmentes in thy bloud by harty repentance then shal thy aungels gather them together not as the wicked which shall be collected as fagots cast into the fire but as the good wheate that is gathered into thy barne then shall they be caught vp to meete thee in the clouds then shall their corruptible body put on incorruption then shall they be indued with immortality and glory then shall they be with thee and goe whether thou goest then shal they heare Come blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning c. then shall they be set on seates of maiestie iudging the whole worlde then shall they raigne with thee for euer then shall God be all in all with them and to them thē shal they enter and enherite the heauenly Jerusalem and the glorious restfull land of Canaan where is alwayes day and neuer night where is no maner of weping teares infirmitie hunger colde sickenes enuy malice nor sinne but alwayes ioy wtout sorow mirth without measure pleasure wtout paine heauenly harmony most pleasant melody saying and singing holy holy Lorde God of hostes c. Finally the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the harte of man that they shall then enherite and most surely enioy althogh here they be tormented prisoned burned sollicited of Sathan tempted of the flesh and entangled with the worlde wherethrough they are enforced to cry Thy kingdome come Come Lord Iesu c. How amiable are thy tabernacles Lyke as the harte desireth the water brookes c. Now let thy seruaunt departe in peace I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ We mourne in our selues wayting for the deliueraunce of our bodies c. Oh gracious Lord when shall I find such mercy with thee that I may repent beleue hope and looke for these thinges with the full fruition of those heauenly ioyes which thou hast prepared for all thē that feare thee and so rest with thee for euermore ⧠A meditation concerning the lyfe euerlastyng the place where it is and the incomparable ioyes therof THat there is an enerlasting life none wil deny but such as wil deny God For if he be true iust which he must needes be or els he is not God then can there not be but an eternall life That he hath both spoken it and promised it in Math. 25. 1. Cor. 16. Hebr. 4. 11. 13. 1. Petr. 1. it plainly appeareth and els where in very many places So that to deny an euerlasting lyfe is to deny God to deny Christ and all that euer he did also to deny all pietie religion to condemne of foolishnes all good men martyrs confessors Euangelistes Prophetes Patriarckes Finally the deniall of eternal life is no thing els but a deniall of the immortalitie of the soule and so a plaine making of man no thing better then beastes If it be so let vs then eate and drinke for to morow we shall die Lord preserue vs frō this Saduceal and Epicureall impietie and graunt vs for thy mercies sake deare God that we may be assuredly perswaded that there is in deede an eternall life and blisse wyth thee for them that put their trust in thee amongst whome accompt me for thy mercies sake Agayne this eternall lyfe and the place appoynted for them that be thy seruauntes all men do graunt to be wyth thee Albeit they do not think that because thou art euery where therfore eternall life is euery where For they by thy worde do know that in as much as no man can see thee and liue this eternall lyfe and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition after in an other world wher unto by corporall death they do depart and are translated to a place aboue them where thou dwellest in a light whervnto no man can approche Abrahams bosome they read was aboue as the place for the wicked was a lowe and beneath Helias was caught vp into heauen and thy sonne our deare sauiour prayed that where he is those also might be which thou hadst geuē him and might se his glory Now he deare father we learne by thy spirite was ascended and taken vp in his very body into heauen whether Steuen loked vp and sawe thy Christ standing on thy right hand to whom he prayed Oh Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite Graunt I beseche thee gracious god and father that I may haue a cleane hart more more to see thee and so in spirite to see and loke often vpō this place whether bring me at the length in body also I humbly pray thee Now what a thyng this
shadow a smoke a vapour a worde a storme a tempest in the which Gods people feele great molestations greefes troubles now of Sathan him selfe now of the world now of their owne flesh and that so wonderfully diuersly daungerously contrarily that they are enforced to cry Oh Lorde when shall we come and appeare before thee when shall this misery end when shall we be deliuered out of this vale of miserye out of thys wildernes out of thys continuall affliction and most perilousseas But where thou art Lorde and deare father of mercy there is not only no prison no dolours no sorow no sighinges no teares no sicknes no hūger no heate no colde no paine no temtations no displeasure no malice no pride no vncleannes no cōtention no tormentes no horrour no sin no filth no stinch no dearth no death no weeping no teares no misery nor mischiefe there is I say not onely no such thing or any e-euill noysome or displeasaunt thing but all libertie all light all pleasauntnes all ioy reioysing mirth pleasure pastime health wealth riches glory power treasure honour triumph comfort solace loue vnitie peace concord wisdome vertue melody meekenes felicitie beatitude and all that euer can bee wished or desired in most securitie eternitie and perpetuitie that may be thought not onely of man but of Angels and Archangels yea aboue all thoughtes The eye hath not seene the like the eare hath not heard it nor no hart is able to conceaue in any poynt any part of the blisfull beatitude which is with thee most deare God and Father most deare Lorde and Sauiour most gratious good God and comforter Where thou art O blessed God the Archaungels Aungels Thrones powers dominations Cherubins Ceraphins Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors and righteous spirites cease not to sing night and day Holy Holy Holy Lorde God of hostes honor maiestie glory power empire and dominion be vnto thee oh God the creator oh Lord Jesu the redemer oh holy spirite the comforter In recordation of thys Oh how thy childrē reioyce how contemne they the pleasures of thys worlde how litle esteme they any corporall greefe or shame how desire they to bee with thee How amiable are thy tabernacles Oh Lorde God of hostes say they my soule hath a desire to enter into the courtes of the Lorde my hart and my soule reioyceth in the lyuyng God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they that may alwayes be praysing thee For one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where I had rather be a doore keper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines for the Lord God is a light defence And againe lyke as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee Oh God my soule is a thyrst for God yea euen for the liuing God When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is They thy childrē I meane O Lord desire the day of that their redemption stil they cry let thy kingdō come they cry Come Lord Jesu they lift vp their heades lookyng for thy appearing Oh Lorde which will make their vile body lyke to thine owne glorious immortall body for when thou shalt appeare they shall be like vnto thee Thy Aungels will gather them together they shall meete thee in the cloudes and bee alwayes with thee They shall heare thys ioyfull voyce Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning Then shall they be like to thy Aungells Then shall they be like vnto the Sunne in thy kyngdome Then shall they haue crownes of glory and be endued with white garmentes of innocēcie and righteousnes and Palmes of victory in their handes Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible inheritance which they shall enioy for euermore Amen ¶ A Meditation of the presence of God THere is nothyng that maketh more to true godlines of life then the perswasion of thy presēce deare father and that nothyng is hyd from thee but all to thee is open and naked euē the very thoughtes which one day thou wilt reueale and open either to our praise or punishment in thys life as thou diddest Dauids faultes which he dyd secretly 2. Reg. 12. or in the lyfe to come Math. 25. for nothyng is so hid that shall not be reuealed Therfore doth the Prophet say Woe to thē that keepe secrete their thoughtes to hide theyr counsell from the Lorde and do their workes in darknes saying who seeth vs Graunt to me therefore deare God mercy for all my sinnes especially my hid and close sinnes Enter not into iudgement with me I humbly besech thee Geue me to beleue truely in thy Christ that I neuer come into iudgement for thē that with Dauid I might so reueale them and confesse them vnto thee that thou wouldest couer thē And graunt further that hence forth I alwayes thinke myself cōtinually cōuer saunt before thee so that if I do well I passe not of the publishing of it as hypocrites doe If I do or thinke any euill I may forthwith know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Graunt me that I may alwayes haue in minde that day wherin hyd workes of darknes shall be illumined and also that sentence of thy sonne that nothing is so secret which shall not bee reuealed So in trouble and wrong I shall finde comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace frō euil which do thou worke I humbly besech thee for Christes sake Amen ⧠A Meditation of death and the commodities it bringeth WHat other thing do we dayly in thys present life then heape sinne vppon sinne and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse so that thys day is worse alwayes then yesterday by encreasing as dayes so sinnes and therefore thy indignation good Lorde agaynst vs but when we shall be let goe out of the prison of thys body and so taken into thy blessed company then shall we be in most safety of immortalitie and saluation thē shall come vnto vs no sicknes no nede no paine no kind of euill to soule or body but what soeuer good we cā wish that shall we haue and what soeuer we loth shall be farre from vs. O deare father that we had fayth to beholde these thinges accordingly Oh that our hartes were perswaded therof and our affections enflamed with the desire of them Then should we liue in longing for that which now we most loth O helpe vs and graūt that we being ignorant of thinges to come and of the tyme of our death which to thee is certain may so liue and finishe our iourney here that we may be ready and then depart when our departing may make most to thy glory our comfort through Christ What is thys lyfe but a smoke a vapour
beyng hurt by no persecutions may euermore geue thankes vnto thee in thy holy Church thorough Jesu Christ our Lord. O Lord arise helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy names sake O God we haue heard wyth our eares our Fathers haue declared vnto vs the noble workes that thou didest in theyr dayes and in the olde time before them O Lord arise helpe vs and deliuer vs for thy honour Glory be to the father and to the sonne and to the holy Ghost as it was in the beginning is now c. Amen From our enemies defend vs O Christ Gratiously looke vpon our afllictions Pitifully behold the sorrowes of our hartes Mercifully forgeue the sinnes of thy people Fauorably with mercy heare our prayers O Sonne of Dauid haue mercy vpon vs. Both now and euer vouchsafe to heare vs O Christ Gratiously heare vs O Christ gratiously heare vs O Lord Christ. O Lord let thy mercy be sheshed vpon vs. As we do put our trust in thee Let vs pray WE humbly besech thee O father mercifully to looke vpon our infirmities and for the glory of thy names sake turne from vs all those euils that we most righteously haue deserued and graunt that in al our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and euermore serue thee in holines and purenes of liuing to thy honor and glory through our onely mediatour and aduocate Jesus Christ our lord Amen A prayer for the Queenes Maiestie O Lord our heauenly father high and mighty king of kings Lord of Lords the only ruler of Princes which doest frō thy throne behold all the dwellers vpon the earth most hartely we besech thee with thy fauour to beholde our most gracious soueraigne Lady Queene Elizabeth so replenish her with the grace of thy holy spirite that she may alway incline to thy will walke in thy way Indue her plentifully with heauenly giftes Graunt her in health and wealth long to liue Strēgthen her that she may vanquishe and ouercome all her enemies and finally after thys life she may attaine euerlasting ioy felicitie through Christ our Lord Amen In the tyme of any common plague or sicknes O Almighty God which in thy wrath in the tyme of king Dauid diddest slea with the plague of pestilence three score and ten thousand and yet remembring thy mercy diddest saue the rest haue pitie vpon vs miserable sinners that now are visited with great sicknes and mortalitie that like as thou diddest then commaunde thyne Aungell to cease from punishing So it may please thee to withdraw frō vs this plague and greuous sicknes through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A prayer of Chrisostome ALmighty God which hast geuen vs grace at this tyme with one accorde to make our common supplications vnto thee and doost promise that when two or three be gathered together in thy name thou wilt graunt theyr requestes fulfil now O Lord the desires and petitions of thy seruauntes as may be most expedient for them graunting vs in this worlde knowledge of thy truth and in the world to come life euerlasting Amen ¶ In time of sicknes MOst mercifull redemer thou art alwais merciful who art alwaies the Sauiour whether thou doest send health or sicknes wealth or aduersitie ioy or sorow For it is of great mercy whē by outward afflictions as it were by bitter but yet wholsome medicines thou doest heale the inward diseases of the soule and by temporarie troubles which do last but for a short time doest prepare vs to eternall ioyes which endure for euer And thy self O gratious Sauiour passing into thy glory through the greatest afflictions of thys worlde hast trodē out vnto vs by thy steps that way to true and perfect felicitie in the which no humble and true seruant ought eyther to disdaine or to shrincke to followe after hys Lord and Master so going before hym But for so much as without thee we can doe nothyng that good is I besech thee to endue me with thy heauenly grace that I may take vp willingly obediently thys crosse which thou hast appoynted vnto me and folow after thee and that I may drinke of as it were this medicinable cup though bitter vnto the flesh which thou the heauenly phisitian doest thus offer vnto me patiently without grndging or murmuring agaynst thee and that I may with thy faithfull seruant Job and with vnfayned lips and hart say the Lord hath geuen the Lord hath taken away as it hath pleased the Lorde so is it come to passe blessed be the name of the Lord. For if I haue receiued gladly youth health riches honour and ioy at thy handes O lord why should I refuse patiently to take age sicknes aduersitie and sorrowe at thy handes also These thinges be in dede very greuous vnto fraile nature and fleshe but thou my Lorde though most perfectly innocent infinitely hast suffered more greuous thinges for me and I haue deserued infinitely more greuous thinges who haue so oft deserued hell But yet thou knowest the frailtie of our humane condition and nature Wherefore I besech thee as thou pourest sharpe wine into our woūdes to bite away the corruption of our sinnes so after the example of the mercifull Samaritane set forth in thy holy Gospell to resemble thy selfe adde vnto the sharpe wyne of thy correction the suppling oyle of thy mercifull comfort wherby I may be able to suffer things which otherwise are intolerable vnto me And if it bee thy pleasure to encrease sorow vpon me encrease also thy grace and gift of patience in me and turne these worldly and bodily afflictions to the profite of my soule by mine acknowledging of thy iustice in punishing me worthely and thy mercy in correcting me graciously euen like as a father hath pitie vpon hys children whē he beateth them and by my submitting of my owne will vnto thy holy will patiently taking of this thy prouing and trying of me whether I loue thee or no may offer that sacrifice of obedience which is acceptable vnto thee And when thy fatherly pietie shall be contented with thy meeke chastising of me then I besech thee send calme after thys tempest quietnes after thys trouble and ioy after thys sorrow that I may render thākes vnto thee for double causes both that thou hast first corrected and amended me an vnprofitable seruaunt and afterward hast taken away the bitternes of affliction with the softnes of thy comfort in the one hauing regard of necessitie in the other not forgetting my infirmitie and in both as in all thinges alwaies remembring thy mercy vnto the which I doe commend and betake my self both body and soule now and for euer Vnto thee with the father and the holy ghost one God of most excellent maiestie be all prayse honour and thankesgeuing for euer and euer Amē ¶ An other in sicknes ALmightie God and most mercifull father who doest correct all those whō thou doest receaue bringing euen vnto the very