for the which I despise all earthlie things in respect of of thée the euerlasting GOD without measure who féedeth all things Thou art the comfort of the soule and the true ioie of the heart Wherefore Lord continue thy graces towards vs and helpe our present necessities for we are far vnworthie of thy great benefits which thou bestowest vpon vs and all people who appointest the earth to bring foorth to mans vse Thou art a most nourishing father prouiding for all creatures their dailie food for none is able to do anie thing but as thou appointest them sith they are but instruments to doo thy worke though intentions be diuers Thou O God art the sender of peace and warre prosperitie and aduersitie punishing whole nations for their sinnes How can we then so foolishlie persuade our selues that we shall escape vnpunished for our offenses Séeing thou hearest and séest all things who hast in all ages plagued all such as maliciouslie and contemptuouslie depart from thy truth For who so forsaketh thée O God shall be punished and made wearie of his sinnes wherein he delighteth As for me I hate them O Lord that presumptuouslie dare attribute vnto themselues that they can guide their owne harts séeing it lieth in thy omnipotencie to giue the will and further the worke For there is none able to speake a word except thou giue it him neither is anie able to thinke a good thought without thée much lesse may anie doo the thing that good is without the assistance of thy holie spirit Wherefore regenerate me O Lord God by the same spirit and restore me to thine image giuing me grace and an assured faith to thinke doo that which is righteous in thy sight For I desire to liue but onelie to please thée as thy seruant Moses did who was brought vp with the daughter of Pharao and taken as hir sonne where he might haue liued still in much wealth if he would But when he was great through faith he refused to be called hir sonne chose rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioie the pleasure of sinne for a while and all for that he had respect to the reward to come in thy heauenlie house Which grant me to aspire vnto for thy mercie sake whatsoeuer vexation or trouble my bodie bide For what should all the world gaine me if I lose my soule Better I were in this world to féed vpon the bread of teares and to wash my cup with moorning than to liue in all prosperitie wallowing in worldlie wealth and forget thée my God as the rich glutton did For assuredlie it is thy plague when the rich man hath not a liberall hart to vse his riches to thine honour and glorie For there is no power so high or mightie but thou O God canst visit him with thy rod neither is there anie mountaine or hill so strong or mightie that it can preserue the wicked from thy wrath O most mightie when thou wilt strike for thine office is to take vengeance on the wicked and to reward them according to their wickednes and deseruing Blesse me O GOD and make me of that number which regard not the pleasures of this world with the temporall commodities thereof but make me strong against my spirituall enimie that I may be thy well beloued child and seruant for I haue no other refuge but thée O Lord in whom my conscience is at rest Thou art named mercifull gratious and long suffering Lord shew thy selfe so vnto me thy poore creature who is most weake and fraile of all other Lord I haue confessed all mine offenses and imperfections vnto thy Maiestie and now I depend wholie on thée resting still on thy most holie word beséeching thée to strengthen my poore soule which sigheth and groneth vnto thée with gréefes that cannot be expressed vntill thou haue mercie vpon me Which grant me for thy deare sonne Iesus Christ our Lord and sauiour Amen So be it 43. A praier for the good estate of the church and congregation of God ARise O LORD GOD and haue mercie vpon thy church and faithfull congregation Giue vs that be of the houshold of faith ioie and consolation Thou didest euer shew mercie vnto thy seruants for euer since the fall of angels vnto the end of the world thy mercie hath euer béene and shall be aboundantlie shewed to all mankind but chéefelie it was shewed when thy sonne was sent into this world to suffer death whereby the gate of heauen was opened which before was shut that no man might enter This time was the beginning of grace and was certeinlie appointed when the fulnes of time was come which was before sinne by the euerlasting wisdome of thy deitie whereby thou dooest all things in most perfect order This time of grace we trust shall continue for euer to those that are penitent Wherefore we praie thée without ceasing to haue mercie vpon thy church for we faithfullie build vpon a sure rocke thy sonne Iesus Christ is our foundation Wherefore most louing father turne thée vnto the praiers of vs that are poore destitute of any helpe but onelie of thy helpe through thy mercie Despise not we humblie beséech thée our humble desire Behold our petitions with thy fatherlie eie wherewith thou didst looke vpon the oblation of Abel and receiue it thankfullie wherewith also thou beheldest the the praier of the Israelties being in bitter bondage in Aegypt and deliueredst them with those same mercifull eies vouchsafe to looke vpon vs and our praiers whereby the noble fame and praise of thy mercie shall be written for those that come after which shall be borne in faith by baptisme and may praise thée For those that be thy children shall haue a power aboue nature in their age shall they bring foorth most swéet and pleasant fruit Thou wilt euer declare thy selfe the preseruer of the church in destroieng thine enimies as thou diddest in thy red sea Thou O God art mercifull and wilt not forsake vs neither destroie vs nor forget the appointment of our Fathers which thou swarest vnto them And forsomuch as thou O God hast appointed that thy church in this world shal be vnder the crosse both bicause we should learne not to put our trust in anie worldlie thing and also féele thy comfort when all other helpe faileth Therfore we humblie beséech thée O Lord gather thy church which is dispersed and giue vs constancie vnder the manifold crosses which we suffer that we may with one consent all togither praise thée for euer For thou hast promised by the mouth of thy swéet sonne Iesus Christ that thy power and thine assistance shall be with hir vnto the end of the world Strengthen vs therefore with thy grace and holy spirit that we may sowe the séed of good works in this world that they may declare vs to be thy faithfull seruants and that they may be acceptable fruit in thy sight for thou dooest trie
thou destroie all the vngodlie yet haue wée a sure hope thou wilt deliuer our soules from the power of hell and receiue vs to thée by grace here in this world and after when thou shalt come to the last iudgement to take vs to thy selfe in glorie that where thou art there may we be with thée For we are not gréeued at the vngodlie nor afraid when they be made rich and the glorie of their houses increased We knowe that their honour indureth but a small season vanisheth awaie as dooth the smoke for thou regardest them not therfore thou giuest them things of small estimation Abraham gaue gifts to the sonnes of his concubines and sent them awaie but vnto Isaac he gaue his possessions and all that he had so Lord to the wicked thou giuest temporall things but for thy faithfull thou reseruest thy euerlasting heauenlie inheritance This is a sure and permanent reward the othee soone slippeth awaie their time here is but short and when they die they shall carrie nothing awaie with them neither shall their pompe followe them For thou O Lord wilt driue them awaie As wax melteth at the heat of the fire so shall the vngodlie perish at thy presence then shalt thou change their honour into shame for while they liued they were counted happie men and so long as they were in prosperitie men spake good of them but when they followe their fathers generation they shall neuer sée light any more They were the children of Canaan come of a wicked progenie they haue followed their forefathers steps their déedes were euill they loued darkenesse better than light Wherefore they shall haue euerlasting darknes with torments they shall haue fire but it shall giue them no comfortable heat These paines are ordained for them that were in honour and had riches in aboundance and did forget their estate and for lacke of knowledge were led into captiuitie Wherefore O good God let vs not be of the number of them but build vs vpon thy blessed sonne Iesus Christ the head corner stone in him whosoeuer is builded groweth vnto an holie temple in the Lord his God For of our selues we haue hard harts to beléeue except thou write thy law in our harts by thy holie spirit Now is the acceptable time Lord let vs find grace and fauour in thy sight pardon our wickednes and sinne and take vs to thine inheritance that we may reigne with thée in glorie for euer and euer Amen Amen 31. A praier that we may heare the word of God and keepe it I Am thy seruant Lord giue me vnderstanding that I may learne thy lawe and decrées incline my soule to the words of thy mouth bicause thy talke floweth like vnto dew The Israelits said vnto Moses Speake thou vnto vs and we will heare shée but let not the Lord speake least we die Howbeit I praie not so O Lord but rather with the prophet Samuel I doo humblie and earnestlie beséech thée thus Speake on Lord for thy seruant dooth hearken for thou art the giuer and inspirer of life who art able without anie to instruct me Thy Ministers speake for thée thy secreats but thou vnlockest the vnderstanding of the things pronounced they rehearse to vs thy commandements but it is thy aid and helpe that giueth strength to walke ouer the same and giuest light vnto the minds Wherefore bicause thou art the euerlasting truth speake thou Lord my God vnto me least I die and be made vnfruitfull for thou hast the words of euerlasting life Speake therefore that thing which may bring both comfort vnto my soule and amendment vnto my life and also may cause glorie and immortall honor vnto thée For man dooth perish but thy truth indureth O God for euer Blessed are they therefore whom thou instructest and giuest knowledge vnto O Lord and doost teach thy lawe that thou maist helpe them in time of trouble that they perish not Looke fauourablie vpon me O GOD and grant I praie thée that thy truth may teach me kéepe me and bring me vnto a happie end Let the same deliuer me from all wicked lusts and from inordinate loue Thou hast infinit means and all creatures are at thy commandement therefore good Lord shewe some signe whereby I shall be deliuered and send thine holie angell before me to kéepe me in thy waie and to bring me to the place which thou hast prouided for me that I may liue with thée euerlastinglie world without end Amen 32. A praier wherein the word of God is praised and what things are thereby to be wrought accomplished his mercie and iustice also is heare declared GRant me good Lord to serue thée with a perfect hart and willing mind for thou Lord serchest the hart and vnderstandest all our imaginations and thoughts If we séeke thée thou wilt be found but if we forsake thée thou wilt cast vs off for euer If we depend onelie vpon thée O God we shall not néed to be troubled with these worldlie respects for thou wilt giue vs at all times that which shall be necessarie for bodie and soule if we feare thée and obeie thy holie word which thou wilt haue found true and also magnified for thine owne honour and glorie and for our commoditie Vpon thée therefore will I still call trusting that thou wilt shortlie heare and helpe me I will also call vpon the mightie name of thy sonne Iesus Christ in whose name the faithfull haue and doo dailie cast out diuels from the possessed They haue spoken and doo speake with new toongs And though they drinke anie deadlie thing it shall not hurt them By which also they are procured to leaue their wicked minds and diuelish works in the which they before lead their liues They speake thy holie word and also set foorth thy veritie leauing all lies and deceits They doo suppresse the old serpent sathan plucking out the sting of his taile wherewith he was accustomed to wound them And if at anie time they haue consented to sinne and receiued his poison this name of our sauiour shall kéepe them from all hurts bicause they made inuocation on his holie name which dooth purge them cleane after their heartie repentance For thou O Christ wilt deliuer thine though all worldlie meanrs faile And though we be committed by tyrants vnto temporall death yet through thée shall we vanquish all our enimies for the death of thy saints is deare and pretious in thy sight they néede not feare those that haue power onelie to kill the bodie but let vs feare thy mightie hand which hast power to slea both bodie soule This worldlie death is a waie to bring vs from much trouble to the hauen of euerlasting health into the land of liuers Neuerthelesse Lord of thy iustice let the vniust and cruell enimies of the faithfull stand in dread of thy stretched out arme wherewith in thine anger thou wilt strike them Of thine infinite goodnes thou sufferest long abiding their
thy poore creature and handie worke granting me the fruit of thy sonnes passion which he suffered for my redemption to whom with thée O Father and the holie Ghost be all honour and glorie all power and dominion now and for euermore Amen Amen 18. A praier of the afflicted person O Lord God thou art iust and all thy works and waies are mercie truth and thou iudgest trulie for euermore remember me and looke on me O Lord God and punish me not according to my sinnes or mine ignorance but deale with me as it séemeth best vnto thée And now O Lord worke thy will in me and command my spirit to be receiued in peace that I may be dissolued of this fowle fleshie masse thorough the which I doo nothing but offend thée my Lord God Yet neuerthelesse if it be thy blessed will to giue me longer life in this vale of miserie forgiue me all my sinnes for Christs sake for thou art a mercifull God slowe to conceiue wrath and most readie to forgiue Wherefore extend thy fauour vpon me O Lord which shall confirme the faith of others Though I deserue destruction yet let thy mercie pittie my frailtie for thou art great O Lord for euermore and thy kingdome is world without end Thou scourgest and healest thou leadest vnto hell and bringest backe againe and there is none that may escape thy hand O giue thanks vnto the Lord ye children of men for there is none holie but he none almightie but thou O Lord God Thou hast chastined vs for our misdéeds and of thine owne mercie sake thou hast saued vs wherefore thée will we feare and dread and magnifie the euerlasting king in his works As for me and my soule whilest I liue will I praise thy Maiestie as long as I haue anie being For euer since I was borne thou hast giuen me great cause to praise thée for thou hast béene the defense of my iust cause Heare now my vehement praier my secret complaint and my sighes which I make before thée this daie into whose holie hands I commit my bodie and soule for thou hast redéemed me O thou God of truth Amen 19. A praier of the iustice of God and for the assistance of Gods spirit with an inuocation vpon the Trinitie O Lord I confesse thou dooest not punish me without my deserts therfore I will neuer accuse thée of rigour as the wicked doo for I acknowledge that when thou laiest thy hand heauie vpon anie there is iust cause why thou shouldest so entreat them We are occasion of our owne perdition and can pretend no ignorance to excuse vs withall for thou O God callest vs by thy word and works to follow vertue and flie vice which if we bend our selues vnto depending onelie vpon thée thou hast promised to be our schoolemaister and protectour Thy prouidence O GOD dooth not onelie watch ouer thy church in generall but also ouer euerie member thereof for thy word O Lord is easie to find if we haue a desire therevnto if we be not blinded by the prince of this world Thou most mightie hast power both of land and sea stretch foorth thy mercifull hand to helpe them vp that sinke to kéepe them vp that stand for thou art aboue all and ouer all kingdomes of the earth Thou hast made the heauen and earth Lord bow downe thine eare and heare Lord open thine eies and behold Our true refuge and succour in all temptations and dangers is to flie vnto thée by most earnest praier Thou wilt not here O Lord God for manie words sake or often repetition but thou doost consider our faith and feruent mind for thou doost looke vpon the heart of man and not vpon the outward appearance It is great gréefe O Lord vnto thy children when they sée not the fruits of their praiers which causeth them to thinke that thou hearest not yet doost thou but defer them to cause them to praie more earnestlie and often For when there séemeth to mans iudgement to be no recouerie but all things are brought to despaire then thou O GOD doost shew thy mightie power there is nothing doone without thy prouidence and decrée Wherefore I will call vpon thée with a stedfast faith being assured of thy mercies bicause I haue found thy helpe at néed in my most danger for thou neuer forsakest them that put their trust in thée bicause of nature thou art verie mercifull Therefore the faithfull reuerence thée and are bold to approch néere thy mightie Maiestie most humblie beséeching thée for Iesus Christ his sake that thou wilt cast all our sinnes behind thy backe and giue vs thy grace and holie spirit to lead the rest of our liues in thy feare dooing alwaies that is righteous in thy sight For whosoeuer walketh in his vocation and hath the light of God for his guide néedeth to feare no danger thy rodde and thy staffe shall alwaies hold him vp Guide me O Lord and giue me the most pretious gift of faith which is the head spring of all good works Baptise me inwardlie with the holie Ghost burne and consume all vice in me inflame my hart with the loue of thée and cast thy fauour vpon me O Lord and holie father So doo likewise O Christ my Lord and Sauiour who wast contented to put off all thy glorie that thou wast in before the beginning of the world to take our nature vpon thée and to suffer most bitter passion vpon the crosse for our redemption Wash me with thy pretious bloud and make me a chosen vessell to thy selfe giue me a thankefull hart to praise thy name with continuall thankesgiuing for thy great mercies Come holie spirit inspire my hart with the true knowledge of the father and the sonne procéeding from them both one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie world without end Amen 20. A praier for faith and grace LOrd giue me faith and grace that I may be wounded in hart to séeke vnto thée for mercie for thou O God hast taught vs in thy holie word to looke for aide and helpe of thee in all perils and that thou art the onlie giuer of victorie in all temptations of our enimies bodilie gostlie For when thou giuest sentence against the wicked they must néeds confesse thée to be iust and themselues sinners For thou O GOD which louest purenes of hart maiest iustlie destroie man who is by nature a sinner much more wilt thou laie thine hand vpon them whom thou hast instructed in thy heauenlie wisdome Thy fauour O God is the fountaine of all prosperitie for thou O Lord doost still behold vs. Thée will we reuerence in what place soeuer we be Helpe me therefore O Lord God in my good purposes and holie worshipping or seruing of thée and grant vnto me to make a perfect enterance and beginning in thée for I haue bin an vnprofitable seruant hitherto O Lord giue me a mind neuer to shew my selfe vnthankful for all thy benefits for
when we swarue at anie time out of the right waie by which we iudge that he dooth loue vs for whosoeuer he be that he loueth him he dooth chasten Christs strong shéepheards staffe dooth staie vs when we are weake as a sicke man is by his staffe In Christ thy sonne is the fulnes of grace from whom distilleth all goodnesse that we haue through his holie spirit is our cup filled full of pure liquor it causeth vs for ioie of heauenlie contemplation to forget all the troubles and miseries of the world the dregs of worldlie pleasures and carnall affections For as thy mercie hath gone before vs plentifullie giuing vs aboundance of thy great graces so we trust and doubt not but it will followe vs all the daies of our liues and kéepe vs that we fall not from faith Thou Lord must helpe our house or else we labour in vaine thou must be our beginning and end and then we be sure to dwell in the house of the Lord for euer For we know surelie that if our earthlie mansion wherein we now dwell were dissolued we haue a building ordeined of God an habitation not made with hands but eternallie in heauen where is perpetuall ioie and beatitude world without end Amen 37. A breefe confession that we receiue all goodnes from God ARise vp O Lord God and let thine enimies be scattered before thée and let them that hate thée be brought to confusion Declare O Lord thy might and power for thou art a consuming fire and a gelous God visiting the sinnes of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation For thy gouernement is so iust constant and without change or repentance that thy verie enimies shall be compelled to confesse the same O God almightie thou doost punish thine elect by measure giuest them grace to beare it but to the reprobate it is thy iust vengeance to driue them headlong to all madnesse For thy omnipotencie hath all power in it selfe to execute thy terrible iudgment against obstinate sinners as thou art rich in mercy to comfort them which obeie thy word and loue thée The faithfull in all their aduersities doo knowe that all shall go well with them for GOD will be mercifull and iust and though they want for a time yet thou wilt send them comfort in due season For thy Maiestie is so great that it filleth both heauen and earth and there is no power so high that can let thée when thou wilt deliuer thine The wicked rise vp suddenlie to honour and perish as quicklie but the inheritance of the children of God continueth for euer For thou O GOD wilt take vengance vpon the wicked and measure them according to their dealings Thus thou O God canst plucke backe the bridle of tyrants and deliuer thine owne out of the lions mouth for though the wicked swell neuer so much yet we feare them not They cannot vtterlie destroie vs for thou Lord hast promised to abide with thy faithfull people to the end of the world Thy grace will not leaue vs nor anie that loue thée and serue thée with a faithfull heart Thy fauour O God resteth on thine for thy sonne Iesus Christs sake that from him we might receiue thy blessings For we deserue nothing of our selues but thy wrath and indignation Wherefore grant vs good Lord first to séeke thy glorie and aboue all things reigne thou ouer vs al and let vs render to thée perfect obedience as thine angels doo whom thou hast commanded to take charge of thy children For the which if the wicked despise them thou of thy mercie wilt reuenge their cause for thou wilt preserue the faithful branches of thy vineyard but the rotten stocks wilt thou destroie according to their hypocrisie For there is none like vnto thée in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath Thou dooest blesse the labour of the poore and consumest the goods of them which are negligent bicause they boast and thinke they haue enough The wicked wallow in their riches yet are they but slaues to the godlie that are true professors of the gift of God The cup which thou gauest to the wicked to drinke is much bitter than that thou doost bestow on thine own them thou measurest by mercie the other by iustice And though thou suffer thy children to liue vnder the crosse least they should imbrace wickednesse yet thou wilt not suffer it to rest vpon them that it should driue them from their hope for all thy promises are true Wherefore we are sure of thy helpfull deliuerance séeing the earth and all creatures remaine in that estate wherein thou hast created them much more thy truth indureth constant and vnchangeable Blessed be thou O God of truth and blessed be the glorie of thy holie name world without end Amen Amen 38. A praier wherein is shewed that there is none omnipotent but God alone O Lord GOD almightie it is not in mans power or counsell to hinder that thou hast determined shall come to passe for as the insensible heauen is not subiect to anie alteration and change so shall the truth of thy promises be vnchangeable sith our infirmities cannot in any wise comprehend thée in thy maiestie There is none like thée neither is there anie God besides thée thou killest and giuest life thou woundest and makest whole Wherefore blessed are they that confesse thée and obeie thy word to them thou giuest life and felicitie The ioies that are stedfast and perdurable are giuen of thy goodnesse to those that are méeke and humble in spirit Thou dooest grant to the faithfull of thy goodnesse both grace and glorie so that no good thing shall be withholden from them that liue in thy feare for thou castest awaie none that will séeke thée in righteousnes And though thou suffer the world to hate thine elect it is bicause thy children should forsake the filthines of this world and cleaue vnto thée Wherefore grant vs O Lord that we may alwaies haue the eies of our faith fixed vpon thée for whatsoeuer thou O GOD hast promised shall surelie be performed For as it was thy frée mercie O God that did choose vs so is it thy frée mercie that must saue vs. Thou doost call vs by thy rod to consider the shortnes of our life for our sinnes haue abridged our daies which be not onlie short but miserable bicause we are so sinfull that we doo nothing but prouoke thée to wrath so weake we are so fraile and vnable of our selues to doo that good is inclining alwaies to things forbidden There is nothing so secreatlie doone on earth but thou O God doost sée it who dooest fulfill both heauen and earth Grant vs O Lord alwaies thy feare which shall be a bridle to staie vs from all wickednesse For as thou hast created all people euen so dooest thou gouerne the hearts of all ioining the saluation of thine with thine owne honour so that they cannot perish vnlesse thy glorie should