A Form of prayer to be used in private houses every Morning and Evening. almighty GOD and most merciful father, we do not present ourselves here before thy majesty, trusting in our own merits or worthiness: but in thy manifold mercies, which hast promised to grant our requests in hearing our prayers, which we shall make to thee in the name of thy beloved son jesus Chryst our Lord, who hath also commanded us to assemble ourselves together in his name, with full assurance that he will not only be amongst us: but also be our mediator and advocate towards thy majesty, that we may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed will, for our necessities. Therefore we beseech thee most merciful father, to turn thy loving countenance towards us, and impute not unto us our manifold sins and offences, whereby we justly deserve thy wrath and sharp punishment: but rather receive us to thy mercy for jesus Christ'S sake, accepting his death & passion as a just recompense for all our offences, in whom only thou art pleased, and through whom thou canst not be offended with us. And seeing that of thy great mercies we have quietly passed this night, grant (O heavenly father) that we may bestow this day wholly in thy service, so that all our thoughts, words, and deeds, may redound to the glory of thy name, and good example to all men, who seeing our good works, may glorify thee our heavenly father. And forsomuch as thou hast of thy mere favour and love, not only created us to thine own similitude and likeness, but also haste chosen us to be heirs with thy dear son jesus Chryst, of that immortal kingdom which thou hadst prepared for us before the beginning of the world: we beseech thee to increase our faith and knowledge, and to lighten our hearts with thy holy spirit, that we may in the mean time live in godly conversation and integrity of life, knowing that Idolaters, adulterers, covetous men, contentious persons, drunkards, gluttons, and such like shall not inherit the kingdom of God. And because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another, we do not only make request (O Lord) for ourselves, and them that thou hast already called to the true understanding of thy heavenly will: but for all people and nations of the world, who as they know by thy wonderful works that thou art God over all: so they may be instructed by thy holy spirit, to believe in thee their only saviour and redeemer. But forasmuch as they can not believe except they hear, nor can not hear but by preaching, and none can preach except they be sent: therefore (O Lord) raise up faithful distributours of thy mysteries, who setting apart all worldly respects, may both in their life and doctrine only seek thy glory. contrarily, confound Satan Antichrist, with all hyerlynges, whom thou hast already cast of, into a reprobate sense, that they may not by sects, schisms, herresyes, and errors, disquiet thy little flock. And because (O Lord) we be fallen into the latter days and dangerous times, wherein ignorance hath gotten the upper hand, and Satan by his ministers seek by all means to quench che light of the Gospel: we beseech thee to maintain thy cause against those ravening Wolves, and strengthen all thy servants whom they keep in prison and in bondage. Let not thy long suffering be an occasion either to increase their tyranny, or to discourage thy children, neither yet let our sins and wickedness be a hindrance to thy mercies, but with speed, O Lord, consider these great miseries. For thy people of Israel many times provoked thine anger by their sins, and thou punyshedst them by thy just judgement, yet though their sins were never so grievous, if they once returned from their iniquity, thou receivedst them to mercy: We therefore most wretched sinners bewail our manifold sins, and earnestly bewail and repent us for our former wickedness and ungodly behaviour towards thee. And whereas we cannot of ourselves purchase thy pardon: yet we humbly beseech thee for jesus Christ'S sake, to show thy mercies upon us, and receive us again to thy favour. Grant us dear father these our requests, and all other things necessary for us and the whole Church, according to thy promise in jesus christ our Lord, in whose name we beseech thee, as he hath taught us, saying: Our father which art in heaven. etc. ¶ Evening Prayer. O Lord God, father everlasting, and full of pity, we acknowledge and confess that we be not worthy to lift up our eyes to heaven, much less to present ourselves before thy heavenly majesty, with confidence that thou wilt hear our prayers and grant our requests, if we consider our own deservings. For our consciences do accuse us, and our sins witness against us, and we know that thou art an upright judge, which dost not justify the sinners & wicked men, but punishest the faults of all such as transgress thy commandments: yet most merciful father, since it hath pleased thee to command us to call upon thee in all our troubles and adversities, promising even then to help us, when we feel ourselves (as it were) swallowed up of death and desperation: we utterly renounce all worldly confidence, and flee to thy sovereign bounty, as our only stay and refuge, beseeching thee not to call to remembrance our manifold sins and wickedness whereby we continually provoke thy wrath and indignation against us, neither our negligence and unkindness, which have neither worthily esteemed, nor in our lives sufficiently expressed the sweet comfort of thy Gospel revealed unto us: but rather to accept the obedience and death of thy son jesus christ, who by offering up his body once for all in sacrifice, hath made a sufficient recompense for all our sins. Have mercy therefore upon us, O Lord, and forgive us our offences, teach us by thy holy spirit that we may rightly way them, and earnestly repent for the same, and so much the rather (O Lord) because that the reprobate and such as thou hast forsaken, can not praise thee nor call upon thy name, but the repenting heart, the sorrowful mind, the conscience oppressed hungering and thirsting for thy grace, shall ever set forth thy praise and glory. And albeit we be but worms and dust, yet thou art our creator, and we be the work of thy hands, yea, thou art our father, and we thy children, thou art our shepherd, and we thy flock, thou art the redeemer, and we thy people whom thou hast bought, thou art our God, & we thine inheritance: Correct us not therefore in thine anger, O Lord, neither according to our deserts punish us, but mercifully chastise us with a fatherly affection, that all the world may know, that at what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart, thou wilt put away from him his wickedness out of thy remembrance, as thou hast promised by thy holy prophet. Finally, forasmuch as it hath pleased thee for to make the night for man to rest in, as thou hast ordained him the day to travel: Grant (O dear father) that we may so take our bodily rest, that our souls may continually watch for the time that our Lord jesus Chryst shall appear for our deliverance out of this mortal life, and in the mean season, that we (being not overcome by any fantasies, dreams, or other temptations) may fully set our minds upon thee, love thee, fear thee, and rest in thee. Furthermore, that our sleep be not excessive or overmuch, after the unsatiable desires of our flesh, but only sufficient to content our weak nature, that we may be better disposed to live in godly conversation, to the glory of thy holy name, and profit of our brethren. Sobeit. ¶ A Godly prayer to be said at all times. Honour & praise be given to thee O Lord God almighty, most dear father of heaven, for all thy mercies and loving kindness showed unto us, in that it hath pleased thy gracious goodness freely and of thy own accord, to elect and choose us to salvation before the beginning of the world, and even like continual thanks be given to thee for creating us after thine own Image, for redeeming us with the precious blood of thy dear son when we were utterly lost, for sanctifying us with thy holy spirit, in the relieving and succouring us in all our needs & necessities, for saving us from all dangers of body and soul, for comforting us so fatherly in all our tribulations and persecutions, for sparing so long, and giving us so large a time of repentance. These benefits (O most merciful father) like as we knowledge to have received them of thy only goodness: even so we beseech thee for thy son jesus Christ's sake, that thou wilt grant us always thy holy spirit, whereby we may continually grow in thankfulness towards thee, to be led in all truth, and comforted in all our adversities. O Lord strengthen our faith, kindle it more in ferventness and love towards thee and our neighbours, for thy sake suffer us not (most dear father) to receive thy word any more in vain: but grant us always the assistance of thy grace and holy spirit, that in heart, word, and deed, we may sanctify and do worship to thy name, help to amplify and increase thy kingdom, and whatsoever thou sendest, we may be heartily well content with thy good pleasure and will. Let us not lack the thing (O Father) without the which we can not serve thee: but bless thou so all the works of our hands that we may have sufficient, and not to be chargeable, but rather helpful unto others. Be merciful O Lord to our offences, and seeing our debt is great, which thou hast forgiven us in jesus Chryst, make us to love thee & our neighbours so much the more. Be thou our Father, our Captain and defender in all temptations, hold thou us by thy merciful hand, that we may be delivered from all inconveniences, and end our lives in the sanctyfying and honour of thy holy name, through jesus christ our only saviour, Amen. Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arm, O Lord, be still our defence, thy mercy and loving kindness, in jesus Chryst thy dear son our salvation, thy true and holy word our instruction, thy grace and holy spirit our comfort and consolation, unto the end, and in the end. So be it. Another prayer to be said at all times. O almighty, most merciful father in heaven, we beseech thee for thy sons sake our only saviour and redeemer jesus Chryst, grant unto us and all mankind thy holy spirit, to lead, govern, & keep us in thy ways and commandments, for we be wretched sinners, full of sin, deserving no goodness, and unprofitable servants, that can neither think, say, or do any thing that is good without thy help, for all goodness cometh of thee. Notwithstanding Lord we be thy creatures, wherefore we beseech thee to help succour, and comfort us in this veil of misery, and increase our faith, so that in all our enterprises we neither do nor require any thing but that may be to thy honour and glory, and to the profit and commodity of our neighbours, and that thy will may be always our will, and that our will may be always thy will, and that we in all our troubles & adversities may always require thy will to be done. And we beseech thee give us grace meekly to bear thy Cross with thee whensoever it shall please thee to say it upon us. Also we beseech thee to take from us and to mortify in us all manner of covetousness, lasciviousness, vainglory, evil thoughts, Idleness, lying, swearing, stealing, and all manner untruth, and grant unto us virtue, good thoughts, and in all our demeanour truth, and a meek spirit, according to thy promise, at thy will and pleasure. Moreover, we beseech thee to give us grace to amend this noughty and sinful living that we have hitherto walked in, and never to return to the same again: but from henceforth to proceed, increase, and continued in virtue, so that we may always hereafter serve thee in fear and love, and also that we may departed out of this most miserable and wretched world, in the faith of Chryst, at thy will and pleasure, to whom for thy most glorious creation, and unto thy son our only saviour and redeemer jesus Chryst, for his most precious redemption, and to the holy ghost, for his most comfortable consolation, be honour, thanks, glory, and praise for ever and ever. Amen. A thanks giving to God in the Morning, for our sleep. almighty and most gentle God, we thank thee for the sweet sleep and comfortable rest that thou hast given us this night past, and forasmuch as thou hast commanded by thy holy word, that no man should be idle, but all occupied in virtuous exercises, every man according to his calling: we most humbly beseech thee, that thine eyes may attend upon us, daily defend us in perils, secure us, cherish, comfort, and govern all our counsels, studies, & labours, in such wise, that we may so spend this day according to thy most blessed will, without the hurting of our neighbours, and that we may diligently and warily eschew and avoid all things that should displease thee, set thee always before our eyes, live in thy fear, & ever work that, that may be found acceptable before thy divine majesty, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.