sundry degrées states of men in this life amongst them all hast appointed me to bee a seruant giue mee grace I beseech thee to serue in my vocation faithfullie and to obey willinglie in all things not repugnant to thy blessed will not with ete seruice as studying to please men but with all sinceritie and singlenesse of heart as séeking to glorifie thée being thorowlie perswaded that in seruing them I serue thée and of thee shall receiue my reward Giue me grace to demeanour my selfe faithfullis iustlie and truelie towards all men in all things and not to inrich my selfe by picking stealing imbezaling purloyning or conueying anie thing from anie man by any sinister practise whatsoeuer but so to behaue my self towards all men as there may be no fault found in me that thy name maybe glorified my saluation in Christ Iesus sealed vp vnto me Graunt this O Lord for thy mercies sake Amen A praier to obtaine the grace and fauour of God I Confesse and acknowledge O Lord my God that albeit a man doe around with all transitorie pleasures and vaine delights that this world can afford yet if hee want thy grace and fauour all is vain vanitie and vexation of minde he remaineth neuerthelesse the bondslaue and vassall of Sathan yea all his pleasure is but a swéet poyson and all his riches nothing but beggerie it selfe Powre downe therfore most merciful father thy heauenly grace into our hearts and extend thy gracious fauour and loue towardes vs that we may bee thorowlie perswaded by the suggestion of thy holie spirite of the singuler good will and fatherlie care which thou hast ouer vs. Make vs O Lord to loue thée aboue all things and our brethren for thy sake Banish farâ— from vs all hatred rancour and malice and ingraffe in our heartes godlie feare and reuerence to thy holie name Kéepe vs from all carnall securitie and worldlie delights and chaine vs vnto thée by the linkes of thy loue Finallie graunt that wee abandoning the world with all deceytfull pleasures and vaine detectations of â—lesh and blood maie in thy good time come to those euerlasting ioies which thou hast promised to them that loue thée thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen A praier to God for a quiet conscience THe wicked and vngodly O lord are like vnto a tempestuous raging and to ming sea which is neuer calme neuer silent nor neuer at rest but continuallie boiling and foming wheras on the contrarie side such good Lord as loue thée beléeue in thée obediently walke before thee haue all ioie all peace and all tranquillitie of conscience which is the greatest iewell and the incomparablest treasure in the world Giue me therefore holie father a ioyfull mind a quiet and merrie conscience with a full and resolute perswasion of the accomplishment and performance of all thy gracious promises made vnto me in Christ Iesus in thy good time Graunt good Lord that I may so behaue my selfe in this peruerse and crooked world that I maie haue the testimonie of a good conscience in al my actions that I being frée from the accusations of Sathan my ancient and deadlie enimie from the vaine allurements of the world from the filthie incitations of the flesh and from the heauie curse and malediction of the law may be made thy elected childe in Christ Iesus and may final lie inherite euerlasting life thorow the merits and death of thy sonne who died for my sinnes and rose againe for my iustification to whom be all glorie praise and thankesgiuing for euer A praier for a true and liuely faith FOr as much most mercifull father as whithout faith nothing can please thée séeme it neuer so holie good commendable or beaufull to the eie of the world I beséech thée to breath instill into my heart soule mind by the inspiration of thy blessed spirite this most excellent gift of faith working by charitie O Lord giue me no weake wauering cold or faint faith such as the very deuils themselues haue who beléeue tremble as thy blessed Apostle berreth record but giue vnto me a true perfect liuelie and iustifying faith such a faith O Lord as may beléeue thée to bee the onelie true God and him whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ with the holiespirit our comforter and teacher yea such a faith as maie bring forth good works in full measure to the glorie of thy most blessed name to whome be rendered all praise and thankes for euer Amen A praier for loue and charitie HOlie father we are taught by thy blessed word that loue and charitie from a pure heart a good conscience faith vnfained are the cognizances and badges whereby thy children are discerned and knowen from the prophane people of the world I beséech thée therfore holie and blessed father giue me this Christian badge of loue and charitie that I may loue thée my Lord God with all my heart soule and mind my neighbour as my selfe and all thy creatures for thy sake that at the great audite when all flesh shall appeare before thy tribunall seate I maie be knowen discerned by this thy cognizance and badge from the wicked and reprobate and being numbred amongst thy saints and holie ones maie be receyued into the kingdom of heauen there to rest with thée for euer through Iesus Christ our onelie Sauiour and redéemer A praier against pride and for humilitie WE are taâ—ght by thy blessed worde most holie Father that euerie good gift and euerie perfect gift commeth from thée the father of light and that we haue nothing which we haue not receyued remoue farre from me therefore good lord all pride arrogancie and hautinesse of minde and ingraffe in my heart true humilitie that I may not onlie acknowledge thée to be the authour of all good thinges yea goodnesse it selfe but also may rest thankfull vnto thée for them may so vse them as may be to the glorie of thy grèat magnificent name and the profite of my brethren Withdraw from me all loue of this world and giue mee grace that I may reioise in nothing but in thée alone knowing that all things in this life are nothing but vanitie and vexation of minde and that to loue and beleeue in thée is the onelie true life and felicitie of soule bodie To thée therefore with thy deare sonne Iesus Christ and the holie spirite be all prayse and thankesgiuing for euer Amen A praier for a good name THou hast commaunded good Lord in thy sacred word that those that professe thy name should be holie as thou art holie and should so frame their liues as the very enimies of thy truth may haue no sust cause to speake euil of them giue me grace therfore oh blessed father so to order my life after the rule of thy word as I may giue no man iust occasion to speake euill of me Graunt that whereas it hath pleased thée in mercie to bestow vpon me the name
receyue of thy merciful liberality Amen A thankesgiuing after meate O Lord God which of thy great bountie and fatherly kindnesse hast at this time most plentifully fedde our weake bodies giue vs grace continuallie to bee thankefull vnto thy Maiestie for these and all other thy benefites most aboundantly at all times bestowed vpon vs thorow Iesus Christ our Lorde Amen A note to knowe the beginning and ending of the foure Tearmes of the yeare HIllarie Tearme beginneth the three twentie of Ianuarie which if it be Sunday then the next day following and endeth the twelft of Februarie Easter Tearme beginneth seuentene dayes after Easter and endeth foure dayes after Ascension day Trinitie Terme beginneth the next day after Corpus Christi day and endeth the wednesday fortnight after Michaelmasse Tearme beginneth the ninth of October if if be not Sunday and endeth the eight and twentie of Nouember The Queenes Maiesties Iudges neither sit in Westminster hall nor heare anie matters pleaded in these dayes following Namely on the Ascension Saint Iohn Baptist All Saints the Purification of Marie nor the Sabboth dayes Note also that the Eschequer openeth eight dayes before any Terme begin except Trinitie Terme in which it openeth but foure dayes before Speciall Medita tions for all times and for all per sons _ 〈◊〉 meditate with thy self and thinke what god is namely a diuine spirite or spirituall bring and therefore will bee worshipped in spirite and 〈◊〉 Consider howe that this blessed God being diuided into a Trinitie of persons the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghost yet all one in substance and essence hath by his almightie power created all things both spirituall and temporall visible and inuisible whatsoeuer And as he hath created them by his omnipotent power so doth hee rule and gouerne them by his prouidence according to his good will and pleasure And therefore think that nothing commeth to passe by fortune or chance but by his heauenlie determination and appointment Consider how he hath created thée after his owne siâ—itude and likenesse and therefore oughtest thou to be holic as he is holie How he hath predestinate and chosen thee before the foundations of the world were layde to euerlasting saluation in Iesus Christ how he hath and doth iustifie thee that is acount thée iust and righteous by a true and liuelie fayth in the blood of his Sonne howe he doth call thée to the knowledge of his will and to the state of grace First by the secret working of his spirite secondlie by the preaching of his word thirdlie by the sight and vse of all his creatures of infinite varietie Confider howe he made thée holy pure and righteous and howe thou by thy rebellion pride infidelitie and disobedience madest thy selfe sinsull and wicked Then consider howe hee sent his owne sonne Christ Iesus to redéeme thée by the shedding of his blood Who as he is our onelie saniour and redéemer so is he our onelie mediator and aduocate and onelie to be called vppon inuocated and neither Angel nor saint martyr nor confessor patriarch nor father nor any other creature whatsoeuer Consider with thy selfe that as he hath fulfilled all things for vs reconciled vs to his father so is he now ascended into the heauens to prepare a place for vs who at the great day of accounts shall come againe in the same shape and with the same bodie that he receyued of Marie to iudge both the quicke and the dead and to rewarde euerie man according to his works Thinke that after the generall iudgement our bodies being made immortall and incorruptible shall bee vnited againe to their proper soules and for euer inherite the euerlasting kingdome of heauen where is such ioy as no heart can conceiue no tongue no not of Angels themselues expresse nor any penne is able to write These and the like meditations ended render most heartie thanks vnto god in the name of Iesus Christ for all his benefites and blessings in mercie bestowed vppon thee pray for grace to bee thankfull craue pardon for â—hy vn thankfulnesse and the morning approching exercise thy selfe as followeth Precepts and directions for the morning WHen thou arisest in the morning lift vp thy handes thy eyes thy soule and mind towards heauen giuing God heartie thanks as generally for all his graces and louing kindnesse shewed towards thée in Christ so particularly for the quiet rest and sléepe which hee hath giuen to thy bodie that night Pray for his protection and assistance in the residue of thy life which done meditate thus with thy selse Meditations in the morning SAy thus to thy selfe This day which I now enter into is my last day nay this moment my last breath I haue no fréehold of my life fee simple of my dayes no charter of my yeares no not for one minute of an houre or twinckling of an eye Death yea infinite deathes daylie waite vpon me and threaten my destruction yea my body it self earieth in finit deaths in it selfe being indéed the efficient cause of it owne miserie and calamitie Think also that as shy bodie now resesh out of thy materiall bâ—d so shal it rise out of the bed of thy graue at the great day of the Lord and appeare before the tribunall seat of God all naked as euer thou wast borne there to receiue either the incorruptible crowne of euerlasting glorie or else the iust rewarde of perpetuall confusion Thinke also that as thou risest forth of thy bed to be occupied and emploied in the labours and trauailes of this life so shouldest thou arise out of the bed of sinne to serue the liuing God in holines and righteousnes all the dayes of thy life Meditations to bee conside red of at the rising of the Sunne AS now this temporall Sunne in the heauens representing vnto vs the true Sunne of God Christ Jâ—sus is now risen and hath spread his beames vppon the whole face of the earth so shall the sonne of God indéed at the time appointed manifest himselfe to the whole worlde in vnspeakable glorie to iudge all flesh and to reward euerie worke vnder the Sunne according to the qualitie and merite of the same Thinke also what infinite glorie is treasured vp in the kingdom of heauen for the elect and chosen of God after this life For if this Sunne in the element being made but one lie for mans vse and to giue light to the world for a time bee so glorious as no mortall eie without teares can beholde the same how much more glorious shall we think the ioies of heauen to be prepared for the elect after this life Thinke also that the Sunne in the element doth not onelie giue light to the world by his radiations and glistering beames but also doth quicken reuiue fructifie and cause to growe all naturall thinges vpon the whole face of the earth so Christ Iesus the sonne of God doth not onelie inlighten man by the beames of his grace and inspiration of
maie procéed and go forward from vertue to vertue from grace to grace from holinesse to holinesse vntil I ariue in the kingdome of heauen the most quiet and happie hauen and port of all peace thorow the merits of thy bloud A fruitfull praier to God the holie Ghost OH most glorious spirite of the most high god who being true euerlasting God with God the father and God the sonne proceedest from them both who also by thy heauenly inspiration and breathing dost quicken them that before were dead in sâ— comfortest them that were comfortles inlightnest them that were ignorant bringest â—tp the way of truth all such as haue erred and are decey ued and plentifullie enrichest them with vnspeakable graces that pray vnto thée in the name mediation of Iesus Christ. Purifie my hart with the fire of thy loue â—ortifie in mee whatsoeuer is not thine garnish my mind with all heauenlie and spirituall treasures that I may bée a most beautiful temple for thy blessed maiestie to dwell in to lead me into all truth oh thou euerlasting spirite oâ— euerlasting truth and suffer me not to bee caried about with euerie blast of strange doctrine but alwaies to remaine and abide in that doctrine whereof thou onelie art the authour Inarme my soule against the poysoued suggestions craftie temptations of the denill against the vaine pleasures and deceiuable delights of this life and against the filâ—hie lusts of this my cankred flesh that I being indued and replenished with thy holie breath may doe that which is pleasant and acceptable vnto thée to whom bee all honour glorie and thankesgiuing for euer Amen A Praier for the Queenes Maiestie WE render all prayse and thanks to thée oh king of all kings and gouernour of all things for that in the multitude of thy mercies thou hast vouchedsafe to place ouer vs thy little flock so godly vertuous a guide so gracious wise a princes as the worlde neuer had her péere And we humblie pray thée holie father with thy fauourable countenance to beholde the same thy seruant our souereigne Ladie and gouernesse And so sanctifie her heart with the grace of thy holie spirte that shee maie bend all her studie and indenour to that setting forth of thy glorie that maintenance of thy holie religion the aduauncement of true vertue and godlines the supplanting of vice and commoditie of this her maiesties common wheaâ—e vnder thee kindle in her a feruent zeale of thy glory and a vehement desire to establish whatsoeuer is defectiue or waÌ„teth in this thy Church vineyard in England for the true sincere discipline gouernment of thy church coÌ„mon welth Saue and defend her from al forreigne power authoritie from all traitterous conspiracies plots and practises either of papists Atheists or any other sectaries whatsoener Giue her godlie wise religious counsailers such as may respect onlie thy glorie that her maiestie ruling acording to thy wil they counselling according to the inspiration of thy holy spirit and we her subiects faithfully obeying may altogether in the end receiue the incorruptible crowne of eternall glorie in the heauenlie Hierusalem thorow Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A praier to be said of all such as be maiestrates and rulers in the common wealth FOrasmuch as it hath pleased théeoh eternall God ruler of all kinges and kingdoms to constitute and appoint me though altogither vnworthie to be a ruler and gouernour of thy people vnder my soueraigne I be séech thee giue me grace so to exâ—cute my office and minister iustice in the common wealth that I maie please thée in all things iniurie no man oppresse no man damnifie no man neither in bodie nor in goods but by thy gracious working may iudge iustly neither fauoring the rich nor mightie for desire of gifts nor yet dispising the poore for want of rewardes that I seeking thy glorie the aduauncement of thy holie word and Gospell and the common benefite of all men may be found acceptable vnto thee in thy beloued and may heare that swéete haruest sung well good seruant thou hast béene faithfull in small thinges of this life which are but vanities and trifles to the things in the life to come enter into the ioy of the Lord. Oh Lord let it be so for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A praier for the increase of faith O Almightie God and louing Father in Iesus Christ by whose holie worde wee are taught that without faith it is vnpossible to please thée vouchsafe therefore most merciâ—ull Lord God to plant in my heart and mind a true perfect and a iustifying faith that I may certenlie knowe thee the onelie true God and him whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ with the holie spirite our comforter sanctifier regenerator instructer and teacher Increase this fayth in me O Lord daylie more and more that it may growe vp to full perfection accompanied with good workes without the which no man shall sée thy glorie Banish faâ—re from me sweet father all infidelitie incredulitie all mistrust and distrust all dobting and wauering in stead whereof plant in my heart a constant hope with a carefull kéeping of all thy commaundements that I doing that which is good and acceptable before thee may be glorified of thée in the end in the kingdome of heauen thorow Iesus Christ our Lord. A praier against the deuill the world and the flesh MOst mercifull father I a poore wretched and miserable sinner humblie beséech thée to send me froÌ„ thy holy heuens both power and strength to resist and withstand al the assaults firie darts and subtle temptations of the deuill who like a roring Lion goeth about séeking to deuoure me Giue me also thy holy spirit with grace and strength to resist all the raging lusts and filthy concupiscenses of the flesh with all the vanities of this wicked world that being by thy onelie helpe acquitted and fréed srom the force and violence of these all other my mortall enimies may serue thée in holinesse and righteousnesse all the daies of my lifâ— thorow Christ our Lord. A praier for Gods direction in all things which we take in hand OH Lorde my God I doe acknowledge and fréelie confesse my owne great blindnesse and ignorance and the wilfull obstinacie of my corrupt nature which séeketh rather to fulfill the â—tasies deuises of my owne braine then the motions of thy holie spirite and rather to vse humaine help then to craue thy diuine ayde Wherfore holie father vouch safe I beséech thée to establish in my heart godlie feare with most sincere obedience to thy holie ordinaÌ„ces statutes and lawes And for that without thy blessing nothing can prosper or come to good effect blesse al the works of my hands all my labours actions and affaires which I shall take in hand in thy holy name according to thy will for the necessaire maintenance of my poore estate Grant me good issue and good successe in them for the