Spe ea ae ΠΕ fe BAL ily aie ran Seana hd 9) an Fe te δα dia ta Vid ati Bae Peres αν ας ΧΩ με ΠΣ sa Se hae wre Cree erg Meth en i eee ἜΣ ΠΑΡῸ ees eet Soo Be arte Pai hese MATE tH aye whiz 2 Ce ae i em a re sy te Boag ΜΓ’ eens mane aa ΠΝ Preece ων παν en a LAA te ten a seein caten a ΡΣ tars ae race Co τὴν αὖ τ EE eee ΟΣ “ἢ St seu aes Mave: ἌΣ “a ΜΑΣ tite lata seein ayn “siete ea eta ager haa aera ats Soo cipoonae Library of The Theological Seminary PRINCETON - NEW JERSEY WHEE PRESENTED BY Samuel Agnew, Esq. 914 = 1590 March. 26, 1851 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https ://archive.org/details/worksofthomasbec03beco PRAYERS . AND OTHER PIECES THOMAS BECON. The Parker Socicty. Iustituted AD. M.DCCC.FL. ᾿ /A — ~ »Ἂς, Sma ιςς ὦ" = Ns ἃ QS Sas i SFIS Ver F Sor the Publication of the Works of the Fathers and Garlp Wiriters of the Reformed Cnglish Church. Prapers AND OTHER PIECES J THOMAS BECON, 8.T. CHAPLAIN TO ARCHBISHOP CRANMER, PREBENDARY OF CANTERBURY, &c. COMPRISING, THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. THE SICK MAN’S SALVE. A COMFORTABLE EPISTLE TO THE AFFLICTED PEOPLE OF GOD. AN HUMBLE SUPPLICATION FOR THE RESTORING OF GOD’S WORD. THE DISPLAYING OF THE POPISH MASS. THE COMMON-PLACES OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE LORD’S SUPPER AND THE POPE’S MAS s. CERTAIN ARTICLES OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION PROVED AND CONFIRMED. THE DIVERSITY BETWEEN GOD’S WORD AND MAN’S INVENTION. THE ACTS OF CHRIST AND OF ANTICHRIST. CHRIST’S CHRONICLE. THE SUMMARY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. THE DEMANDS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE, WITH ANSWERS. on EDITED FOR Che Parker Society, REV. JOHN ee, M.A., OF GONVILLE AND CAIUS COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, MINISTER OF ST JOHN’S CHAPEL, HAMPSTEAD, τι ἡ εχ} Thy) Cambridge: PRINTED AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS. M.DCCC.XLIV. a vera pet ‘i . mys } ruids ᾿ ’ } ; in ἢ} ein) he. . Β { | " 1 ᾿ Υ ἣν 7 Y > \ Ce eA O's ee ie : ro : f PECL be COR ee ii ΠΤ τ by: ᾿ iid ᾿ ᾿ i ἢ “, wire , Ι @ 5 ‘i f t } ' en on ΕἾ ἡ, ΓΝ ᾧ" i es AE oe EO ΜΠ ΜΡ ὟΣ Wah eae i; fi Ἧ me ᾿ ξ is 7 J i] . i +4 Al CONTENTS. PAGL bem ΕΠ νου οἷ God lym EraVers Goa epetn.s sescter aces -.-τπ0ὺὕὕ.0ὺ...Ὸὸ0 ὕὍΧὙ τὸ. 1 ΠΟ ΡΟΙΠΗ ΠΟΥ ΟΕ ΤΉ ΟΣ, τ - 1. scons annem ρον τειν atonsiscaedaelstassin cep ieeeta Manet cai 72 ΠΟ SICK IVI ATI RSALV Gree ΡΥ cena kcactioa ate alo mere cite πτι Ramiactsesteurneeces est 87 A Comfortable Epistle to the afflicted People of ἀοά.....«...«.«..ἀὁνννννννννννννενονενννον 192 An Humble Supplication unto God for the restoring of his Holy Word. ....... 223 hcaDisplaymesot. ὑΠῈ. ΒΟΡΙΒΙ ΛΙΒΒΒ. τς ρα 1 tee -er seems scetonght εἰο ον τς 251 Tet Common-places! of, the Holy Scripture s.c-cpecncbeseeee.seicesesecabtsstans seca seen 287 A Comparison between the Lord’s Supper and the Pope's 1 Massie. το τος τς τ 951 Certain Articles of Christian Religion proved and confirmed .................:00065. 396 The Diversity between God’s Word and Man’s Invention .......... 0 Ὁ τ νενννν εν νει eee 484 {ΘΕ ΛΟ Ὁ Chivishtand wot Antichristy.csrcsterereresntrtacsrendocterctecssmnnrkccsesoeee 498 Christian Chronicle ty acess cer 2 ων. ποτῶν scr eeviaecesebh a εν τ μὴν tes εἰν ἔξως (ὅν ~oRlassettionde δ έτος δ40 The Summary of the New Testament .........ἀννννννννννν feaced cdot οὐδ δὴ ἀκ δ ὅς 560 The Demands of Holy Scripture, with Answers...........:0.:ssccccssssececeesenesooees 595 JIGS AgkomoaSubons se NEenan ron toh Cant oa PIER acne ΡΤ ΣΡ ΕΠ ΡΥ 625 VOL. Il. VOL. III. PAGE 253 260 263 282 284 ERRATA AND ADDENDA. note 9 line 2, for percipiendo read precipiendo. note 2 line 3, for et read est. note 2 line 3, for xxiv. read xxiii. note 2 line last but one, for Pars. read Pars 1. note 1 lines 4, 5, for cap. xxl. read cap. xxii. note 2. The following is more likely the passage meant: Οὐδεὶς yap τῶν ἐνταῦθα py διαλυσαμένων Ta ἁμαρτήματα, ἀπελθὼν ἐκεῖ δυνήσεται Tas ἐπὶ τούτοις εὐθύνας διαφυγεῖν" κ. τ. λ.---ΟὨγγβοβί. Op. Par. 1718—38. In Matt. Hom. xiv. Tom. VII. p. 183. line 31, for Son read son. note 2, for 13 read 14. note 12, after line 3, insert, symbolum fidei recitetur. note 14, add: Eusebius elsewhere uses an expression very similar to that in the text: Τὴν εἰκόνα tov idiov σώματος ποιεῖσθαι παρακελευόμενος. --- De Demonst. Evang. Lib. vim. cap. i. in Catalog. Test. Gen. 1608, cols. 180,1. note 3 line 12, for Ludg. read Lugd. THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS, BY THOMAS BECON. Γβεοον, πι} > Af vis AUUAAATTI NAS A 111 11H oa Se PTT TT ΤΠ Che flower Sof godly prayers, berp neces-| Fi sarne to be bsev of the fanth- | full Chrystians in these our Vanes for the safegqarve, health and convfort of all Weqrees anv estates, newly mate by Thomas Becon. rae eae ναι Π͵Π͵Π͵ΠΠΙΙ ΙΝ ) at =< ne 1. Thes. v. rap continually. gee ke 4s iS Tm Ζ, EAN SAW TAIE Ry THT | ἀνθ ναν δε 1 “πὴ ἢ EXQUE ΠΣ ἕστο 3 B } ν᾿: ne ὴ we 4, 7 79 : LZ LL UUERSTARAALULENUSLASLSEOO TNO LACAUUP ELATED Thess, iil. Ezek. xxxiv. 2 Cor. xi. 1 Pet. v. John iii. Gen. iil. Ecclus, vii. x. Psal. 11, Eph. ii. John i. Gal. iii. Psal. xxiv. Psal. exv. Psal. XXxix. 1 Pet. i. Isal. v. 24 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. yet feed not the sheep, thou threatenest damnation by the prophet ; promising that thou thyself wilt upon the shepherds, and require thy sheep from their hands, make them cease from feeding of thy sheep. Yea, thou sayest moreover that the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for thou wilt deliver thy sheep out of their mouths, so that they shall not devour them after this. Thou promisest also to set faithful shepherds over thy flock, and quietly to place thy sheep in green, fat, and pleasant pastures; so that the beasts of the field shall devour them no more, but they shall dwell safely without any fear; neither shall they any more be famished with hunger, nor yet bear the spiteful words of the heathen: for thou their Lord God wilt take care of them. Deal with thy flock, O most faithful Shepherd, according to thy promise. Drive away from among us all ravening wolves and deceitful hypocrites, which are the ministers of Satan, changing themselves into angels of light, and appoint faithful and diligent herdmen over thy flock, which may feed them with thy lively word, lead a good life, and maintain hospitality among them for the comfort of the poor, and in all things so behave themselves according to thy blessed will and commandment, that, when thou the most high Bishop and chief Shepherd shalt appear, they may receive the uncorruptible crown of glory. Amen. A PRAYER FOR GENTLEMEN. ALpBeir whatsoever is born of flesh is flesh, and all that we receive of our natural parents is earth, dust, ashes, and corruption ; so that no child of Adam hath any cause to boast himself of his birth and blood, seeing we have all one flesh and one blood, begotten in sin, conceived in uncleanness, and born by nature the children of wrath ; yet, forasmuch as some for their wisdom, godliness, virtue, valiance, strength, eloquence, learning, and policy be avanced above the common sort of people unto dignities and temporal promotions, as men worthy to have superiority in a christian commonweal, and by this means have obtained among the people a more noble and worthy name; we most entirely beseech thee, from whom alone cometh the true nobility to so many as are born of thee and made thy sons through faith, whether they be rich or poor, noble or unnoble, to give a good spirit to our superiors, that, as they be called gen- tlemen in name, so they may shew themselves in all their doings gentle, courteous, loving, pitiful, and liberal unto their inferiors, living among them as natural fathers among their children; not polling, pilling, and oppressing them, but favouring, helping, and cherishing them; not destroyers, but fathers of the country; not enemies to the poor, but aiders, helpers, and comforters of them ; that when thou shalt call them from this vale of wretchedness, they, afore shewing gentleness to the common people, may receive gentleness again at thy merciful hand, even everlasting life, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR LANDLORDS. Tue earth is thine, O Lord, and all that is contained therein, notwithstanding thou hast given the possession thereof unto the children of men, to pass over the time of their short pilgrimage, in this vale of misery. We heartily pray thee to send thy holy Spirit into the hearts of them that possess the grounds, pastures, and dwelling-places of the earth, that they, remembering themselves to be the tenants, may not rack and stretch out the rents of their houses and lands, nor yet take unreasonable fines and incomes after the manner of covetous worldlings; but so let them out to other, that the inhabitants thereof may both be able truly to pay the rents, and also honestly to live, to nourish their family, and to relieve the poor. Give them grace also to consider that they are but strangers and pilgrims in this world, having here no dwelling-place, but seeking one to come; that they, remembering the short continuance of their life, may be content with that is sufficient, and not join house to house, nor couple land to land, to the impoverishment of other, but so behave themselves in letting out their tenements, THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 25 lands, and pastures, that after this life they may be received into everlasting dwelling- places, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR MERCHANTS. O Atmicury God, maker and disposer of all things, which hast placed thy creatures necessary for the use of men in divers lands and sundry countries, yea, and that unto this end, that all kinds of men should be knit together in unity and love, seeing we all have need one of another's help, one country of another country’s commodity, one realm of another realm’s gifts and fruits; we beseech thee to preserve and keep all such as travel either by land or by sea, for the getting of things that be necessary for the wealth of the realms or countries where they dwell, and to give them safe passage both in their going and coming, that they, having prosperous journeys, may shew themselves thankful to thee and beneficial to their neighbour, and so occupy their merchandise without fraud, guile, or deceit, that the commonweal may prosper and flourish with the abund- ance of worldly things through their godly and nghteous travails, unto the glory of thy name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR LAWYERS. We know, O Lord, that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully, given of thee as Rom. vii a singular gift unto the children of men for maintenance of godly orders, for putting te away of iniquities and wrongs, for restoring of men unto their right, for the avance- ment of virtue, and punishment of vice. We most heartily pray thee, which art the law-giver, which alone is able to save and to destroy, from whom also cometh all Jamesiv. wisdom, prudence, and knowledge, so to rule through the governance of thy holy Spirit we the hearts of all lawyers, that they, hearing men’s causes being in controversy with discretion and indifferency, and weighing them justly and truly, according to the tenor and equity of the law, may without partiality both faithfully give counsel, and also indifferently pronounce of all such causes as be brought unto them, and by no means suffer themselves to be corrupted with bribes and gifts, which blind the eyes of the xcctus. xx. wise, and subvert true judgment ; but walk so uprightly in all men’s matters, that they, Τὰν **" seeking with godly travails a quietness among men in this world, may after their de- parture from this troublesome vale of misery enjoy everlasting rest and quietness in heavenly mansion, through Jesu Christ our Lord. A PRAYER FOR LABOURERS AND MEN OF OCCUPATIONS. As the bird is born to fly, so is man born to labour. For thou, O Lord, hast com- Joby. manded by thy holy word, that man shall eat his bread in the labour of his hands, and Gen. iii. in the sweat of his face ; yea, thou hast given commandment that, if any man will not nen labour, the same should not eat: thou requirest of us also, that we withdraw ourselves iL yes, ep from every brother that walketh inordinately, and giveth not his mind unto labour; so that thy godly pleasure is that no man be idle, but every man labour according to his vocation and calling: we most humbly beseech thee to grave in the hearts of all labourers and workmen a willing disposition to’ travail for their living according to thy word, and to bless the labours, pains, and travails of all such as either till? the earth or exercise any other handy occupation, that they, justifying? to be quiet, and to meddle 1 Thess. iv with their own business, and to work with their own hands, and through thy blessing 77°" enjoying the fruits of their labours, may knowledge thee the giver of all good things, and glorify thy holy name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR RICH MEN. Avserr, O Lord, thou art the giver of all good things, and through thy blessing men Prox. x. become rich that are godly and justly rich; yet are we taught in thy divine scriptures +) [' Folio, or.] [? Folio, fill; but till in the Primer. | [° Primer, studying. ] . Matt. xiii. Mark iy. Luke viii. Matt. xix. Mark x. Luke xviii. 1 Tim. vi. Ecelus. x. Luke xvi. Hab. ti. Luke xvi. Matt. v. 1 Tim. vi. Rom. xii. 1 Tim. vi. 1 Tim. vi. Ecclus. xi. Matt. v. Ecelus. xi. Luke xvi. Rom. xili- 1 Pet. ii. Tit. 111. 1 Pet. ii. Rom. xiii. 26 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. that riches and the cares of worldly things smother up thy holy word, and that it is more easy for a gable rope to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven; again, that they which will be rich fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which whelm men into perdition and destruction (for covetousness is the root of all evils); we, therefore, perceiving by thy blessed word so many incommodities, yea, pestilences of man’s salvation, to accompany riches, most entirely beseech thee to bless such as thou hast made rich with a good, humble, loving, and free mind, that they, remembering themselves to be thy dispen- sators and stewards, may not set their minds upon the deceitful treasures of this world, which are more brittle than glass, and more vain than smoke, nor yet heap up thick clay against themselves, but liberally and cheerfully bestow part of such goods as thou hast committed. unto them upon their poor neighbours, make them friends of wicked mammon, be merciful to the needy, be rich in good works, and ready to give and dis- tribute to that necessity of the saints, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtain everlasting life through Jesu Christ thy Son and our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR POOR PEOPLE. As riches, so likewise poverty is thy gift, O Lord. And as thou hast made some rich to dispose the worldly goods, so hast thou appointed some to be poor, that they might receive thy benefits at the rich men’s hands. And as the godly rich are well- beloved of thee, so in like manner are the poor, if they bear the cross of poverty patiently and thankfully. For good and evil, life and death, poverty and riches, are of thee, O Lord. We therefore most humbly pray thee to give a good spirit to all such as it hath pleased thee to burden with the yoke of poverty, that they may with a patient and thankful heart walk in their state like unto that poor Lazare, of whom we read in the gospel of thy well-beloved Son, which choosed rather patiently and godly to die, than unjustly or by force to get any man’s goods ; and by no means envy, murmur, or grudge against such as it hath pleased thee to endue with more abundance of worldly goods ; but knowing their state, although never so humble and base, to be of thee, their Lord God, and that thou wilt not forsake them in this their need, but send them things necessary for their poor life, may continually praise thee, and hope for better things in the world to come, through thy Son Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE COMMONS. Tuovu hast commanded, O Lord, in thy holy scriptures, that all subjects should be obedient to higher powers, not only for fear, but also for conscience sake; for there is no power but of thee. The powers that be are ordained of thee: whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance, and they that resist shall get to themselves damnation. Wherefore we, knowing this thy commandment, and notwithstanding not ignorant of the' works and subtilties of the devil, which laboureth to the uttermost of his power to drive out of men’s hearts true and faithful obedience toward their superiors, and in the stead thereof to plant disobedience, rebellion, sedition, tumult, commotion, insurrection, and whatsoever may trouble a christian commonweal, and break thy holy ordinance, most humbly and from the very heart beseech thee to grave in the hearts of the common people faithful, true, and unfeigned obedience, both toward our king, and toward the other rulers that are sent of him for the punishment of evil-doers, but for the praise of them that do well. Grant them also, O most merciful Father, a willing mind to give to every man his duty; tribute to whom tribute belongeth, custom to whom custom is due, fear to whom fear belongeth, honour to whom honour pertaineth ; and above all things to pray without ceasing for all them that be in authority, that we may live a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honesty, unto the glory of thy blessed name. Amen. [1 Folio, thy.] THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 27 A PRAYER FOR THE UNMARRIED. Axseir, most merciful Father, marriage is honourable among all persons, and the bed Heb. xiii undefiled; yet, forasmuch as some through thine exceeding and above natural gift (for no man can live chaste, except thou give him the gift) live free from the sweet yoke of Wisd. viii. matrimony, some again for the tenderness of age are not apt for holy wedlock ; we heartily pray thee, that they which have received of thee the gift of continency may so train their life in godly exercises, that thou mayest go forth to continue and increase that thy gift in them, that they may the more freely and quietly serve thee, and care 1 Cor. vii. for those things that pertain unto thy glory; again, that the other, passing over the time of their young age in thy fear, in godly travails and virtuous labours, may eschew all evil, wicked, riotous, and wanton company, that, when they shall take on them the holy and honourable order of blessed wedlock, they may bring with them clean and undefiled bodies, and so live in that godly state of matrimony, avoiding all fornication, whoredom, and uncleanness, all dissension, strife, and debate, that thou mayest bless them and their marriage, prosper their godly travails, send them good success in all their doings, and make them joyful parents in seeing their childer’s children according Psal. exxviii. to thy holy promise, which livest and reignest very God, worlds without end. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THEM THAT BE MARRIED. AmonG other thy creatures, O everlasting God, when thou hadst made man according Gen. i. v. to thine own similitude, likeness, and image, thou saidst: It is not good that man be Gen. ii. alone: let us make him a helper like unto himself; and shortly after thou formedst a woman of the man’s rib, and broughtest her unto Adam, which said: ‘This now is kph. v. bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called a woman, for she is taken “™™ of man: wherefore man shall forsake father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and Matt. xix. they shall be two in one flesh. And thou, blessing them, gavest them commandment, saying: Increase and multiply, and fulfil the earth. Here learn we, O heavenly Father, that thou art the author of marriage; and that so many as marry in thy fear are coupled together of thee, blessed, and defended ; and that thou hast joined them together to this end, that they should increase the earth, and bring forth sons and daughters unto the glory of thy name. Thy holy apostle also commanded that, to avoid fornication, every man should 1 Cor. vii. have his own wife, and every woman her own husband; so that, if they cannot live _ single, they should marry; for it is better to marry than to burn. Here learn we again, O heavenly Father, that thou hast ordained matrimony to be a salve unto the infirmity and weakness of our flesh, and hast given it as a present remedy unto us against the raging lusts of old Adam, that we, taking upon us the holy order of _ matrimony, and by this means eschewing whoredom and all uncleanness, might serve Luke i. thee in holiness and pureness all the days of our life. . We therefore, considering how grievous an offence it is before thy divine Majesty _ for such as be married dissolutely to live, and contrary unto their profession to abuse themselves, most heartily pray thee favourably to behold all such as have taken upon _ them the yoke of honourable wedlock, and to give them grace to order their life accord- ) ing to thy holy word. Grant, O merciful Lord, that the married men be not bitter, that is, churlish and ol. iii. unkind, unto their wives, but love them as thy dearly-beloved Son Christ loved the gh faithful congregation, provide for them, defend them, and cherish them even as they cherish their own bodies; again, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour 1 Pet. iii. _ unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as unto them that are heirs also of the _ grace of life; that every one of them, avoiding fornication and knowing how to keep 1 Thess. iv. his vessel in holiness and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as do the heathen that know not God, may by their godly conversation shew themselves to have taken upon them the holy order of matrimony, not at the provocation of the flesh, but through the motion of thy holy Spirit. NN SaaS a Eph. v. Col. iii. 1 Pet. iii. 1 Tim. ii. 1 Pet. iii. Eph. vi. Psal. exv. Matt. xix. Mark x. Luke xviil. Gen. i. ix. Gen. 111. 1 Tim. ii. Gen. il. Psal. xiviil. Ecelus. xlviil. Isai. xiil. Jer. vi. Xxx. Ezek. xxx. Hos. xiii. Mice. iv. John xvi. Gen. iii. 28 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. Grant also, that the wives be obedient and submit themselves unto their own husbands in all honest and godly things, that they which believe not the word may without the word be won by the conversation of their wives, while they behold their pure conver- sation coupled with fear. Give them grace also to array themselves in comely apparel, with shamefacedness and discreet behaviour; not with broided hair, either gold, or pearls, or costly array, but with such as becometh women that profess the worshipping of God, through good works, that the hid man of the heart be uncorrupt, with a meek and quiet spirit, which spirit is before God a thing much set by. Again, grant, O Lord, that both the husbands and the wives may so walk in thy fear and in thy holy law, that thou mayest have a pleasure in them, bless them, prosper their enterprises, make them fruitful and joyful parents. Finaliy, the children that thou sendest them, give them grace so to bring up in thy nurture and doctrine, that they, living together many years both joyful and quietly, may with one voice and with one mind glorify thy blessed name for ever. Amen. A PRAYER FOR WOMEN WITH CHILD. Tuov, O Lord, art wonderful in all thy works, and whatsoever thy good pleasure is, that dost thou easily bring to pass, neither is any thing impossible with thee that thou wilt have done. And albeit this thine almighty power sheweth itself abun- dantly in all thy works, yet in the conceiving, forming, and bringing forth of man it shineth most evidently. At the beginning, O heavenly Father, when thou madest man and woman, thou commandedst them to increase, multiply, and replenish the earth. If through the subtile enticements of Satan they had not transgressed thy commandment by eating the forbidden fruit, the woman, whom thou hast appointed the organ, imstru- ment, and vessel to conceive, nourish, and bring forth man through thy wonderful workmanship, had without any labour, pain, or travail brought forth her fruit. But that which thy goodness made easy, sin and disobedience hath made hard, painful, dangerous, and, if thy help were not, impossible to be brought to pass; so that now all women bring forth their children in great sorrows, pains, and troubles. Notwithstanding, thou shewest thyself unto thy creatures a Father of mercy, and God of all consolation. For that which through their own imperfection and feebleness they are not able of themselves to bring to pass, thou through thine unspeakable power makest easy in them, and bringest unto a fortunate end. We therefore, being fully persuaded of thy bent and ready goodness, of thy present help, of thy sweet comfort in all miseries and necessities, knowing also by the testimonies of thy holy word how great and intolerable the pains of women are that travail of child, if through thy tender mercies they be not mitigated and eased, most humbly pray thee for Jesu Christ’s sake, thy Son and our Lord, that thy loving-kindness may make that easy and tolerable which sin hath made hard and painful. Ease, O Lord, the pains which thou most righteously hast put upon all women for the sin and disobedience of our grandmother Eve, in whom all we have sinned ; and give unto all such as have con- ceived and be with child strength to bring forth that which thou wonderfully hast wrought in them. Be present with them in their trouble, help them and deliver them. Let thy power be shewed no less in the safe bringing forth, than in the wonderful fashioning of the child, that that which thou hast begun in them may come unto good success. Make them glad and joyful mothers, that they, through thy goodness being safely delivered, and restored to their old strengths, may live and praise thy blessed name for ever. Amen. A THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD FOR THEIR DELIVERANCE. Amone other thy benefits, yea, and those innumerable, which thou daily bestow- est upon us thy needy and poor creatures, this is not the least, O most merciful Father, that thou of thy tender goodness dost vouchsafe, for the conservation of man- kind, to preserve the women that are with child, and to give them safe deliverance ᾿ THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 29 of their burden, by this means making them glad and joyful mothers. For this thy benefit and good-will toward us we so heartily thank thee as heart can think, beseeching thee to work such thankfulness in the hearts of all mothers by thy holy Spirit, that they, being not unmindful of this high benefit of their safe deliverance, wrought only by the Saviour of all mankind, may shew themselves thankful unto thee for this thy goodness, and never forget that thy present help and most sweet Psai. i. comfort, which thou mercifully shewedst upon them in their great travails, labours, Prov. xviii. and pains when they fled unto thy holy name for succour, as unto a strong bulwark and holy defence. Go forth, O Lord, to make them the joyful mothers of many chil- Psai. exiii. dren. Endue them with long life, that they may see their childer’s children. And Psal. exxviii. the children that thou givest unto them, make thou as in age, so likewise in wisdom and in the abundance of thy holy Spirit to increase, that they may have favour both Luke. ii. with thee and with all good men, unto the glory of thy most blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR FATHERS AND MOTHERS. Forasmucu, O heavenly Father, as thou hast dealt with the children of men more Psal. viii. nobly than with brute beasts and with other thy creatures, by giving them not only an amiable body, but also a mind which is immortal and never shall die, and, for Gen. i. the garnishing of the same, that it may be made like unto the similitude, likeness, Wisa. ii. and image of thee, hast in thy holy law commanded fathers and mothers, whom thou hast blessed with the gift of children, to take diligent care for the virtuous bringing Deut. iv. up of their sons and daughters, that they may learn even from their very cradles to xxx. xii. ~ know thee their Lord God, to believe in thee, to fear and love thee, to call upon thy mea blessed name, to be thankful unto thee, and to walk in thy holy commandments all the days of their life; we, knowing how froward, evil-disposed, and untoward the Gen. viii. heart, wit, and disposition of man is, even from his very youth, if it be not restrained with the bit of thy most blessed law, heartily pray thee to give all fathers and mothers grace, after the example of Abraham, David, Toby, Mattathias, the parents Gen. xviii. of Susan, Philip the evangelist, and such other, to bring up their children, even from ΤΑΝΕ ΕΝ ; Ξ Ε : : 1 Maee. ii. their very infancy, in thy fear, in thy nurture, and in the knowledge of thy most nist. Sus. healthful word, that they, seeking no less the garnishing of their children’s minds with 2'tim. ii. learning and virtue, than the preserving of their bodies with food and raiment, may shew themselves profitable members of the christian public weal, and faithful servants to thee their Lord God, which alone art worthy all honour and glory. Amen. A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN. As thou, O merciful Father, hast given commandment unto all fathers and mothers, to bring up their children in thy fear, nurture, and doctrine, so likewise thy good pleasure is that children should honour and reverence their parents, diligently give Exod. xx. ear unto their virtuous instructions, and faithfully obey them. And as thou hast Matt xix. promised health, honour, glory, riches, long life, and all that good is unto them that Eph. vi honour, reverence, and humbly obey their fathers and mothers; so hast thou threat- Feclus. iii ened unto disobedient children ignominy, evil fame, contempt, shame, dishonour, Tob. iv. Ecelus. iii poverty, sickness, short life, and such other plagues. Yea, in thy holy law thou dost Prov. xix. not only pronounce them accursed that dishonour their fathers and mothers, but thou peu. stoi, also commandest that, if any child be stubborn and disobedient, and will not hear, Deut. xxi. but rather despise the commandment of his father and mother, the same should be stoned unto death without mercy; so greatly dost thou abhor disobedience and rebel- lion against all persons, but specially against parents, We therefore, heartily wishing that the plagues of thy fierce wrath (for thou, O God, art a consuming fire!) may be far from us, most humbly beseech thee to grave peut. iv. in the hearts of all children, of whatsoever age, kind, estate, or degree they be, true aca honour, hearty reverence, and unfeigned obedience toward their parents. Give them grace, O good Lord, that as they profess thy Son Christ in name, so they may truly represent his manners in their life and conversation, which willingly was obedient Lute ii. Isai. lxiv. Isai. xlix. Matt. xxviii. Matt. xxiii. 1 Tim. vi. Rey. xvil. & xix. Phil. ii. Eph. vi. Col. iv. Ecelus. vil. Ecclus. iv. Ecelus. vii. Matt. xvi. τη. il. Matt. xxv. Phil, ii. 30 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. unto his mother Mary, and unto her husband Joseph, giving example to all children of the like subjection and obedience toward their parents. Engraff in them such a love toward their fathers and mothers, that they may both reverence them with out- ward honour, and also for their power help them, succour them, provide for them, comfort and cherish them in their need, even as their parents nourished and comforted them in their infancy and tender age. But above all things give them grace truly to honour thee, which art the heavenly Father, yea, our Father and our Redeemer, which hast made us, and daily cherishest us, even as a father or mother cherish their most dear and natural children. So shall it come to pass, that they, faithfully honour- ing thee, shall also in order heartily honour and unfeignedly obey their carnal parents in thy fear, unto the glory of thy most blessed name, which is most worthy to be honoured, worlds without end. Amen. A PRAYER FOR MASTERS. AttHoucu, Ὁ Christ, thou most highest Lord, all power both in heaven and in earth be given unto thee of thy heavenly Father, and albeit thou hast given us a commandment that we should not desire to be called master, for we haye but one Master, which thou art, and all we are brethren, having one Father, which is in heaven; yet, forasmuch as thou according to thy blessed will hast appointed some supe- riors, some inferiors, some masters, some servants, some to command, some to obey, some to rule, some to serve, and by this means such as be in superiority have obtained by thy holy word the name of masters or lords, because they have servants under them, and rule under thee according to thy good pleasure and godly appointment, which art the most supreme power, and most excellent Majesty, King of kings, and Lord of lords ; to whom all things both in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth, do bow their knees, and give reverence and honour, whose praise also every nation and language doth avance and set forth, confessing that thou art the Lord Jesu Christ, unto the glory of God the Father; we most humbly pray thee, which art the greatest Master and most highest Lord, to send thy holy Spirit upon all such as are called masters here in earth, and have superiority over thee', that they, remembering themselves to be thy servants, and that they also have a Master in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons, may put away all threatenings, all cruelty, all unrighteousness, and do that unto their servants which is just and equal. Grant that they entreat not evil their servants which work truly, nor the hireling that is faithful unto them. Grant that they be not as lions in their houses, destroy- ing their household folks, and oppressing such as are under them; but rather that they cherish and love their faithful and discreet servants, even as their own soul, and by no means suffer them to be unrewarded for their pains-taking, nor yet at the last to be driven to beggary for their true service-doing ; but that they, liberally re- warding them according to their deserts, may shew themselves to be thy true ser- vants, which leavest no man unrewarded, but givest to every man according to his deeds; to them that do well and continue in well-doing, glory, honour, peace, immor- tality, and everlasting life; to them that do evil and continue in the same, indigna- tion, wrath, displeasure, trouble, sorrow, and eternal damnation. Grant therefore, O Lord, that ali temporal masters may in all their doings resemble thee, which art the heavenly and everlasting Master, and so behave themselves both toward their servants and all other according to thy blessed will, that at the last day they may be found in the number of them to whom thou shalt say: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Lord, let it so come to pass. Amen. A PRAYER FOR SERVANTS. O Curist, my Lord and Saviour, which, being the Son of the living God, yea, God himself from everlasting, didst not disdain at the will of thine heavenly Father [! Perhaps others. ] THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 31 to make thyself of no reputation, to become man, to take upon thee the shape of a servant, and to obey thy Father’s commandment to the death, yea, even the death of the cross, for our salvation, refusing no service, no travail, no labour, no pain, that might make unto the comfort of mankind; we most humbly beseech thee to give all servants grace to practise thy humility and obedience, that, as thou most willingly didst serve and obey thy heavenly Father’s good pleasure, so they in like manner may with most hearty affection serve and obey their bodily masters in all things Eph. vi. that fight not with thy blessed word; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in Col. iii. singleness of heart, fearing God; that, whatsoever they do, they may do it heartily, even as unto the Lord, and not unto men; forasmuch as they are sure that they shall receive the reward of the heavenly inheritance of thee, O Lord Christ, whom also they serve, while truly and faithfully they serve their bodily masters. Grant that Tit. ii. so many as are under the yoke may count their masters worthy of all honour, that 1 Pet. ii. the name of God and his doctrine be not evil spoken of; and obey them with all fear, not only if they be good and courteous, but also though they be froward, and please Tit. i. them in all things, not answering them again, nor picking ought from them, but shew all good faithfulness, that in all things they may do worship unto the doctrine of thee our God and Saviour; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour, praise, and glory, for ever. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THEM THAT ARE SICK. O Jesu, the Saviour of the world, and the true Physician both of the body and Matt. ix. of the soul, we are not altogether ignorant how detestable a thing sin is in thy sight, and how greatly thou abhorrest them that commit iniquity and shake off the Psal.v. yoke of thy law, giving their minds to the filthy lusts of the flesh, and the vain pleasures of the world. Some that thus ungodly behave themselves thou sufferest to go forth still in their beast-like manners, without correction or punishment, to live in pleasure and James v. wantonness upon the earth, to nourish their hearts as in a day of slaughter, to serve Phil. iii. their belly as their God, and voluptuously to spend their days without all fear of thee, that at the last they, being altogether nousled in voluptuousness and dying without repentance (for the sorrows, plagues, and punishments of the wicked begin Psal. exv. at their death), may with that rich and beast-like glutton be tormented for ever in Luke xvi. the flames of hell-fire. For convenient it is that they, which in this world live all in pleasure, do in another world receive their pains, even as thou hast promised in thy holy gospel, saying: Wo be to you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Wo Luke vi. be to you that now laugh! for ye shall wail and weep. Again, some that walk inordinately, and contrary to the rules” of thy holy law, thou, tendering their salvation, visitest them with sickness and punishest their bodies with the loving rod of thy correction, that they may no longer be proud, cruel, and fierce against the spirit, whose servant and bond-slave the body of right ought to be, but rather be obedient and serviceable, that it may from henceforth not so much as once lust against the spirit; and by this means thou mercifully callest them (which as wandering sheep have so long strayed abroad) home again unto thy sheep-fold. Luke xv. For this, O Lord, is an evident token of thine exceeding goodness and tender mercy toward us, when thou, seeing us most grievously through our wicked and sinful conversation to offend thy divine Majesty, to forsake thy law, not to walk in thy ordinances, to break thy statutes, not to keep thy commandments, dost not take away from us thy loving-kindness; but visitest our iniquities with thy gentle rod, Psal. Ixxxix. and punishest our sins with thy corrections, sweet to the spirit, but bitter to the flesh (for while we are punished we are corrected of the Lord, lest we should with 1 Cor. xi. this world be condemned), and by this means thou provokest us to leave our riotous and ungodly manners, and to seek after thee our most loving Saviour, leading a life from henceforth according to thy most blessed will and commandment. [? Folio, rulers. | Job i. Heb. xii. Prov. iii. Rev. iii. Heb. xii. Luke x. Hos. vi. Deut. xxxii. 1 Sam. ii. Tob. xiii. Wisd. xvi. Psal. exix. Matt. xxvi. Psal. xev. Rom. xiv. Prov. xviii. Phil. 1. 2 Cor. v. Psal. ciii. Matt. 1x. 32 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. Some also thou throwest into adversity, and punishest with sickness, to prove and try their faith, whether they be constant in confessing, calling upon, and praising thy holy name, like unto that patient man and faithful warrior, which said: If we have received good and prosperous things at the Lord’s hand, why should we not be content to suffer evil and troublous things? The Lord gaye them, the Lord hath taken them away; as it pleased the Lord, so is it come to pass: blessed be the name of the Lord. So many, O Lord, as ghou lovest, thou sometime visitest with thy loving rod of correction, lest that they, continually enjoying that too much felicity and wealth of worldly things, should forget thee their Lord God, and walk in the vanities of a lewd mind. For if we endure chastening, thou offerest thyself unto us as unto sons. For whom thou lovest, him thou chastenest: yea, and thou scourgest every son that thou receivest: what son is that whom the father chasteneth not ? If we be not under correction, whereof all are partakers, then are we bastards and not sons. And albeit no manner chastising for the present time seemeth to be joyous but grievous, nevertheless afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised therein. Forasmuch therefore, O most merciful Saviour, as sickness and adversity is sent from thee unto the children of men for their great profit and singular commodity, even that the body with the works thereof should be subject to the spirit, and as a witness and seal of thy loving-kindness and hearty good-will toward them; we most heartily pray thee mercifully to behold all such as are sick, and, as that pitiful Samaritan, to pour wine and oil into their wounds, and to bind them up, that is, to comfort them, giving them grace patiently to bear the cross that thou hast laid upon them, to shew themselves conformable to thy blessed will, and in the midst of their trouble and sickness to praise thy glorious name, and with strong faith to say: Come and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath begun and he will heal us; he hath stricken us, and he will surely make us whole. For it is the Lord that bringeth down to the grave and fetcheth up again. It is the Lord that punisheth with poverty, and maketh wealthy again. It is the Lord that bringeth low, and lifteth up again; yea, it is the Lord that killeth, and maketh alive again. It is for our great profit that the Lord hath thus plagued us, even that we should learn to forsake our own fleshly will, and to walk in his holy ordinances. Therefore as it is God’s good pleasure, so let it come to pass. His will be done, and not ours. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture; let him deal with us as seemeth best in his godly sight. For whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Give them grace, O sweet Jesu, thus to be persuaded of thy good-will even in the midst of the shadow of death, that they faint not under the cross, and become of a desperate mind, but valiantly abide thy good pleasure, and all the time of their trouble and sickness patiently and thankfully to call upon thy blessed name, which is a strong tower for all them that flee unto it; and ever set before their eyes thy loving-kindness, believing stedfastly that, although their cross be painful to the flesh, yet is it sweet to the spirit, and albeit the outward man be made weak through it, yet is the inward man made strong, which wisheth to be loosened from this wretched body, and to be with thee in glory. For so long as we are at home in the body, we are absent from the fruition and sight of thy divine Majesty. O Lord, it is not thy property alway to chide, alway to be angry, neither to deal with us according to our sins, nor yet to reward us after our iniquities; but as a tender father pitieth his natural son, so art thou merciful to sinners if they repent, believe, and amend. For thou camest into this world not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance : neither art thou a physician for the whole, but for the sick. Be thou therefore, O most merciful Saviour, a physician to such as are diseased either in body or soul, and, after this thy loving correction, restore unto them the benefit of health, both corporally and spiritually. Make whole so many as knowledge their miseries, repent them of their sinful manners, flee unto thee for succour, believing to enjoy all good things at thy merciful hand. And as thou hast made them heavy with laying thy cross upon them, so make thou them joyful by restoring unto them the gift of health, that they may live and glorify thy blessed name for ever. Amen. THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 33 A PRAYER FOR SOLDIERS. In the whole body of the holy scripture, O Jesu, thou Son of the living God, Gen. xv. there is nothing more commended and set forth unto us than peace, unity, quietness, eel and concord. Unto this Moses and the prophets, thou and thine apostles do diligently Leer a exhort, and contrariwise vehemently dissuade from discord, enmity, malice, war, &c. ve) For what is more seemly for man, thaw to embrace amiable peace, friendly concord, ΟΣ and quiet amity? The creation, the shape, the birth of man proveth evidently man Προ τ" to be formed and made unto peace. But Satan, that old enemy of mankind, which goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom ke may devour, sweateth, and with all main laboureth to banish peace from the children of men, and in the stead thereof violently to thrust in discord, tumults, seditions, wars, blood-shedding, manslaughter, destruction of realms and countries, by this means intending to make havoc of all together ; so that he, furiously raging in his members, provoketh many tinres thy servants, for the defence of their country and the safeguard of their people, to wage battle with their enemies. We therefore most humbly beseech thee to assist all such as justly attempt any wars against their enemies, and mightily to defend them against their adversaries, that they may receive through thy puissance a glorious victory and noble triumph. Send thy holy angel unto them, that he may pitch his tent among them, and over- Gen. xxii. Sings vi. throw their enemies. Give all soldiers grace so to behave πέος ἴτε in the wars eve with all godliness and honesty, that thou mayest have a pleasure to be present among them, to be their captain and valiant defender. Suffer them not to be Gecommeed 2Chron. xiv. for the multitude of their enemies, but with strong faith let them wholly depend on thee the most mighty conqueror, with whom it is all one to help in few or in many, and with that prince-like warrior boldly say: The Lord is my light and my health : Psa. xxvii. whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life: of whom shall I be afraid? If mine enemies pitch pavilions against me, my heart shall not fear. If men of war rise against me, I will trust in the Lord my God. And when thou hast given them ake victory over their enemies, give them also a thankful Psa. yh heart, that they may confess to have gotten the victory not by their horses, bows, Prov. xxi. or guns, nor yet by their own strength and policy, but by thine almighty power, and so be encouraged for ever after to magnify thy holy name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR MARINERS. Tuy power is wonderful both upon the land and sea, and whatsoever thy good Psal. Ixxxix. Dan. iii. pleasure is, that workest thou in them both. Sometime thou makest the earth fruitful, Zech. ix. sa CXxiv. sometime barren. The sea also sometime is calm and pleasant, sometime rough and Deut. xxviii. boisterous. So that whether they bring troublous or prosperous things unto us, all reas come from thee our Lord God, that thy power and glory may be shewed in thy creatures unto the praise of thy name. Seeing that thou art ruler both of the earth and sea, we most heartily beseech thee to preserve all such as labour either by land or by sea, but namely them which for getting and maintenance of their living are compelled to travel the seas, and to commit themselves to the dangers thereof. O Lord, though the surges of the sea Psal. xciii. be marvellous, yet art thou, which sittest on high, more marvellous. Though the Mark ive winds be boisterous, strong, and vehement, yet dost thou excel them in power. For Peal exlviii thou hast given a commandment to thy creatures, and none go beyond it. Fire, hail, as snow, ice, and vapours, stormy winds, accomplish thy word. Thou hast limited the waters their bonds, which they may not pass. Thou also with a word, when the ship, wherein thou and thy disciples were, was grievously tossed with the waves, Matt. viii and at the point of drowning through the wind and tempest that arose, causedst at Lake the desire of thy disciples the wind to cease, the sea to be quiet, and a great calm to be made, insomuch that they which were in the ship marvelled, and said: What man is this, that both winds and the sea obey him? Grant therefore, O most gentle Saviour, that, whensoever any troublous tempest ariseth in the sea, so that through [BECoN, 111. ] 3 34 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. it such as are upon the sea be in danger, they, calling on thy blessed name with strong faith for help, may find favour at thy merciful hand, be delivered out of fear, escape all dangers, and travel a fortunate journey. So shall it come to pass that they, through thine almighty power being safely delivered from all perils, shall con- tinually praise and glorify thy blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR TRAVELLERS BY LAND. John xiv. O Lorp, which art the way, the truth, and life, thou hast promised in the holy scripture, that they which put their trust in thee, look for help at thy hand, and take thee for their mighty defender and strong castle, shall be preserved harmless, Psal.xci. and walk in all their journeys safely, and without danger. For thou thyself wilt take charge of them, and shadow them under thy merciful wings, so that none evil Gen. xii. xv. shall chance unto them. Yea, as thou didst send thy holy angel with Abraham and XVili. Xix. xxiv.xxv. Toby, and with other thy faithful servants to be their guide and defender, and to XXViil. Tob. v. make their journey prosperous; so wilt thou send thy blessed angels with them that Acts xii. : : : wholly depend on thee, and with strong faith commit themselves to thy most godly Psal. xci, tuition; which shall safely keep them in all their ways, yea, and sooner hold them att. ἵν. . 5 . 5 . Mark i. up with their hands than they shall dash their foot against a stone. This thy ac- uke lv. customed gentleness toward thy servants, and these thy loving promises, encourage us greatly at this present to come unto thy Majesty, most humbly beseeching thee to send thy holy angel unto all such as travel by the way in thy fear, to take care of them, to defend them from all misfortunes, and so to guide them throughout all their journey, that they may both prosperously and joyfully finish their purposed travel, ever praising thy blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR A FAITHFUL MAN BEING IN TROUBLE OR ENDURANCE. 2 Cor. 1. O Lorn, Father of mercies and God of all consolation, which rulest and disposest Wisd.viii.ix. all things after thine unsearchable wisdom, and workest in thy creatures according ἐν to thy blessed will, which is alway good and godly, howsoever blind and frail flesh judgeth of it, we know and unfeignedly confess thine omnipotency and almighty Psal. cxv. power. We know that thou art able to do whatsoever thy good pleasure is. We max know that thou bringest down to the grave, and fetchest up again. Thou punishest ure Xwui, With poverty, and makest wealthy again. Thou bringest low, and liftest up again. roan Yea, thou, O Lord, killest, and makest alive again. O wonderfully dost thou work Wisd.xvi- jn all thy creatures, specially in them whom thou hast appointed to be vessels of mercy, and inheritors of thine eternal glory. If they at any time grievously offend Psal. xiv. titi thy divine Majesty (as we be all sinners and ready at every moment to fall), thou Om. 111. James τῇ. dost neither long wink at their wickedness, nor yet for ever cast them from thy 1 Johni. Psal. hooxix. favour; but like a loving physician, with some emplasture or salve, although bitter Or. ΧΙ. Exod. xxxii. to the flesh, yet wholesome to the soul, thou healest them, and like a tender or | aad gentle father correctest them with some temporal punishment, that by this means they escaping everlasting punishment, may repent them of their ungodly behaviour, confess their wickedness, flee unto thy mercy, and for ever after be the more circumspect Judg. ii in. in [t|reading the paths of thy holy law. On this manner didst thou handle the Israelites, SCRE eae when they offended thy fatherly goodness. On this manner didst thou deal with king See David and prophet Jonas, for their disobedience, with many other, whom notwith- igen standing, for thy mercies’ sake, after they had knowledged their offences, and called Jonahi. iii, upon thy holy name, thou wonderfully deliveredst, and broughtest again as it were ee asi. into the haven of quietness. Fsth. [Apoc. } XIV. XV. XVI. [ This prayer, and the succeeding thanksgiving, | of Somerset his grace; gathered and set forth by are found in an edition of the ‘‘Spiritual and most | Thomas Becon, minister there ;”’ and ‘‘ A thanks- precious Pearl,”’ printed in 1550, under the follow- | giving for his grace’s deliverance.” (See Vol. I. ing titles: ‘A humble petition to the Lord practised | page x.) There is scarcely any variation from the in the common prayer of the whole family at Shene, | folio, except that instead of ‘‘ our faithful brother,” during the trouble of their lord and master the duke | the phrase ‘“‘our lord and master”’ is used. | THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 35 We therefore, thy poor and sorrowful creatures, perceiving in thy holy scriptures so large fountains of thy great mercies plenteously issuing out toward all them that be of a contrite and broken heart, are bold at this present for thy promise sake to come unto thee, most humbly beseeching thee, that, as thou deliveredst Jonas out of the whale’s belly, Daniel from prison, Peter thine apostle out of ward, David from Dan. vi. the hands of his enemies, Susanna from the power of her adversaries, with other, so Asta in like manner thou wilt deliver and set at liberty thy servant and our faithful ee brother; yea, and that on such sort that it may be to thy glory, to his health, and ian’ to the comfort of so many as unfeignedly love thy blessed word. And although we for our imperfection be not worthy to crave and enjoy so great and comfortable benefit at thy merciful hand, yet we doubt not but, for thy dearly-beloved Son Jesu Christ’s sake, thou wilt most favourably hear us, most fatherly pity us, and most bounteously grant us this our humble request. And we again, receiving this benefit of our dear brother’s deliverance of thy hand, shall not be unthankful, but continually magnify thy holy and glorious name, which dealest so favourable with thy servants, when they call upon thee in the name of Jesu Christ thy only-begotten Son, and our alone Mediator and Advocate, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all praise and 1 Tim. ii. 1 John i. honour for ever and ever. Amen. A THANKSGIVING FOR HIS DELIVERANCE. So often as we consider thy wonderful works, O blessed and heavenly Father, which thou workest of thine own good-will for so many as in their trouble and ad- versity flee for refuge unto thy holy name as unto a strong-hold and mighty fortress, we cannot but confess and acknowledge thy singular kindness and unspeakable good- will, which thou continually, through thy fatherly goodness, bearest towards thy servants; and for the same, not merited of any man, but freely of thy mercy given, we render unto thee according to our most bounden duty most hearty praises and entire thanks. In consideration whereof, the children of Israel, being in miserable captivity, la- Exod. ii. mentably lamenting before thee their too much sorrowful state by hearty prayers, after that thou hadst delivered them from that land of servitude, brast out into ex- Exod. xv. ceeding great praises, glorifying thy most holy and blessed name for their sweet and comfortable deliverance. The citizens of Bethulia ᾿ likewise being in great distress Judithiv.xvi. called upon thy glorious name ; and thou most mercifully deliveredst them; and they again with merry voices and more joyful hearts sung unto thee most hearty thanks. In like manner, when thou hadst delivered Joseph, Daniel, Peter, and many other Gen. xli. thy servants from their sorrows and calamities, O who is able to express with Be Dr. how ready and glad minds they magnified thee and thy holy name? rae We therefore, sinful wretches, excited and stirred up with the godly examples of these thy servants, knowing how greatly thou delightest in the sacrifice of praise, Psal.l. confessing also (such is our beggary!) that we have none other thing worthy to offer Heb. ui. unto thy divine Majesty, [are] at this present gathered together to celebrate thy great mercies, to magnify thy blessed name, and to render unto thee most humble thanks and immortal praise, that it hath pleased thee of thine exceeding goodness, the rather at the contemplation of our prayers, to shew thy favourable mercy in the deliverance of thy servant and our dear brother N., unto our singular joy and great comfort. For this thy benefit, most beneficial Father, we so heartily thank thee, as heart can think, most entirely beseeching thee that thou wilt give us all grace, even so many as love thy blessed word, never to be unmindful of this thy benefit, nor to commit any thing hereafter that should offend thy fatherly goodness, or provoke thy wrath against us, lest through our disobedience we after this feel more bitter tokens of Johnv. thy heavy displeasure than hitherto we have done; but in all our enterprises so to behave ourselves according to thy blessed will, that thou mayest delight in us as a father in his children, and vouchsafe to bless us with all spiritual blessing, to enrich 1 Cor. i. us with the knowledge of thy heavenly word, and to work in us a life conformable to the same, that other, seeing our godly manners and christian conversation, may be Matt. v. θ- γι Matt. v. Tsai. lil. Ezek. xxxvi. Rom. ii. 1 Cor. vii. Eph. iv. 1 Pet. ii. 2 Cor. iii. Psal. exix. Col. iii. Magistrates. Jer. xxi. Xxii. Zech. vii. 2 Chron. xix. Ecclus. iv. Deut. xvil. Ecclus. xx. Subjects. Rom. xiii. 1 Pet. ii. Spiritual ministers. Acts xx. 1 Pet. v. 36 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. encouraged to embrace thy blessed word, to magnify thy holy name, and in all points to frame their life according to the rule of thy holy commandments, through the in- spiration of thy blessed Spirit, to whom, with thee and thy dearly-beloved Son Jesu Christ, be all honour, praise, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. A GENERAL PRAYER THAT ALL MEN MAY WALK IN THEIR VOCATION AND CALLING. Forasmucn, O heavenly Father, as both thy honour and dishonour, after a certain manner, dependeth in this world either of our godly or wicked life (if we live well, thy very adversaries shall be compelled to glorify thee; but if our life be ungodly, so shalt thou be dishonoured among the wicked, and evil spoken of through our sinful living); and because we should not walk inordinately, and so provoke the ene- mies of thy truth to rail on thee, and to blaspheme thy holy name; thou hast appointed in thy blessed law certain honest aud godly states and degrees wherein thy people should live, and hast straitly commanded that so many as profess thee and thy holy word should continue in the same, every one according to his vocation and calling, and by no means lead a dissolute life after the manner of the heathen, which know not God, that by well-doing the professors of thy holy religion may not only stop the mouths of foolish and ignorant people, but also provoke them to glorify thee our Lord in the day of visitation; we, knowing our infirmity and weakness, which is so great, and unable to be remedied of our natural strengths and free-will, that we are not able to think a good thought, much less to fulfil thy commandments, which thou hast straitly commanded to be kept, and wishing the glory of thy most glorious name and the accomplishment of thy heavenly will, most humbly and from the very heart beseech thee for Jesu Christ’s sake to endue us with thy holy Spirit, which may fulfil that lacked in us, make us new creatures, trade us in the paths of thy holy law, and give us grace to walk according to our vocation, in thy fear, and in the obedience of thy godly will, that we attempt nothing that in any point may hinder thy glory, obscure thy honour, deface thy name, and cause thee to be evil spoken of among the ungodly. And that this may come to pass, grant, O most merciful Father, that every one of us, even from the highest to the lowest, may unfeignedly answer our calling, and train our life according to thy blessed will, unto the glory of thy name, that what- soever we do in word or deed, we may do all things in the name of the Lord Jesu, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Grant that all temporal rulers may use their office justly and godly, seek not only to be feared, but also to be loved, maintain the good, punish the evil, accept no person in judgment, allow no false accusation, shed no innocent blood, hear the small so well as the great, receive no bribes, set forth thy glory, avance thy holy word, promote thy faithful preachers, and in all their doings seek the profit of the commonweal, and so behave themselves, that they may be found worthy officers in thy sight. Grant that the subjects may shew all reverent submission to their rulers, obey them in all things, be faithful and true to them, yea, and that not only for fear of punishment, but also for conscience sake. Grant that the bishops, the preachers of thy word, and all other spiritual minis- ters, may take heed to themselves and to all the flock, in the which the Holy Ghost hath appointed them overseers, to feed thy holy congregation which thy dearly-be- loved Son purchased with his blood; and take the oversight of them, not as though they were compelled, but willingly; not for the desire of filthy lucre, but of a good mind ; not as lords over the parishes, but that they be an example unto the flock. Grant that they may lay aside all tyranny and haughtiness of mind, and walk with all gentle softness and tender compassion toward the sheep of Christ com- mitted to their cure and charge. Jet them be as most loving fathers to Christ’s flock; and if any of the sheep chance to run astray and to go out of the way, let them not therefore ungently entreat them, but, as it is the office of a good shepherd, by fair means call them home again unto the sheep-fold, seeking rather | | ‘THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 37 their salvation than destruction. Let them remember the history of that lost sheep, Luke xv. and consider how tenderly the head Shepherd Christ, thy Son and our Lord, fetched it home again even upon his shoulders. For the servant of the Lord may 2 Tim. ii. not fight, but be peaceable and gentle toward all men, ready to teach, suffering the evil with meekness, informing them that resist, if at any time thou, O God, mayest give them repentance to know the truth. Let them cast away ungodly 1 Tim. iv. and old wivish fables, teaching thy heavenly word purely and truly, and be unto them that believe an example in the word, in conversation, in love, in spirit, in faith, in pureness. Let them give attendance unto reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Let them study to shew themselves in thy sight workmen worthy of praise, even 2 Tim. ii. such as need not to be ashamed. As in preaching thy holy word, so likewise in John xxi. maintaining hospitality, in distributing to the necessity of the saints, in feeding the ty" hungry, in clothing the naked, in lodging the harbourless, in nourishing godly and Hom aus learned men, make them diligent herdmen, that they may be pastors and feeders both in word and deed. Grant, again, that the parishioners may reverence the bishops and other spiritual Parishioners. ministers, giving them no less honour than the child giveth the father, remembering χα. τ. that they be the angels of God, the messengers of Christ, the light of the world, the $f". salt of the earth, the dispensators of the mysteries of God, the feeders of their souls, 6°"): the comforters of the weak, the physicians of the sick, the upholders of the whole, 1,75" 3; the exhorters unto virtue, the frayers away from vice, &c., which watch continually [δα]. νιν for the health of their souls. Work in the hearts of all them that are instructed with the word such a tender love and good-will toward the ministers that teach them, that they may give unto them abundantly all good things, whereby the preachers may Gal. vi. be the more able not only to nourish their family, but also maintain hospitality, to the relief and comfort of the poor. For who goeth a warfare any time at his own 1 cor. ix. cost? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit? who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk? If the preachers sow unto their parishioners spiritual things, is it a great thing if they reap their carnal things? Thy ordinance is, O Lord, that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. HES is Moreover, grant that the husbands may love their wives as their own bodies, and nusbanas. : 3 . = : Eph. v. not be bitter, churlish, or unkind unto them; but give honour unto them, as unto Goll ti 1 Pet. iii. the weaker vessels, and as unto them that are fellow-heirs with them of the grace of life. Likewise, grant that the wives be in subjection to their own husbands, as unto Wives. the Lord, in all things, and so behave themselves as becometh women of an_ honest and godly conversation. Give them grace to array themselves in comely apparel, with shamefacedness and discreet behaviour; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearl, or costly array; but with such as it becometh women that profess godliness through good works. Let the inward man of the heart be uncorrupt, with a meek and quiet spirit, which before thee, O God, is much set by. For after this manner in the old time did the holy women, which trusted in God, tire themselves, and were obedient to their own husbands, even as Sara obeyed Abraham, and called him lord, whose Gen. xviii. daughters the married women are, so long as they do well. Grant the fathers may not rate their children, lest they be of a desperate mind ; Fathers. but bring them up in the nurture and information of our Lord God. Eph. vi Grant also, that the children obey their parents in all things, and honour them. Children, Grant that all masters may do unto their servants that which is just and equal, Masten Col. iv. putting away threatenings, and know that they have also a Master in heaven, with Eph. vi. whom there is no respect of persons. Grant, again, that the servants be obedient unto their bodily masters in all things, servants. with fear and trembling, in singleness of heart, as unto Christ, not with eye-service, Coie only in the eye-sight, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing thy will, 1 Bet ‘ii O God, even from the heart with good-will. Give them grace also to consider that they serve the Lord, and not men; and therefore they may be sure, that whatsoever good a man doth, he shall receive it again of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Ezek. xxxiv. Tit. ἢ. Matt. v. Gal. v. Rom. vii. Matt. v. Luke vi. Prov. xxv. Rom. xii. Exod. xxi. Matt. v. Deut. xxxil. Heb. x. Rom. xii. 1 Cor. xiii. Col. iii. Ezek. xi. & XXXVi. Matt. vi. & Xviil. Mark xi. Luke vi. Luke xxiii. Acts vil. Matt. v. 1 Cor. ii. 38 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. Furthermore, grant, O most merciful Father, that the elder men may be sober, honest, discreet, sound in faith, in love, and in patience. The elder women likewise, grant that they be in such raiment as becometh holiness ; not false accusers, not given to much drinking; but teachers of honest things, to make the young women sober-minded, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, housewifely, good, and obedient unto their own husbands, that the word of God be not evil spoken of. Grant also, that the young men be sober-minded and of honest conversation. To conclude, grant that every one that profess thy glorious name may so live and behave himself both in thought, word, and deed, that nothing may proceed and come from them that should offend thy divine and most excellent Majesty. Grant also, O most gentle and tender Father, that our light may so shine before men, that they, seeing our good works, may glorify thee our heavenly Father, with thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and the Holy Ghost that most sweet Comforter, to whom be all honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER FOR OUR ENEMIES. Tue poisonful corruption of our nature, which we have sucked out of our first parents Adam and Eve, worketh so strongly in us, O Lord, and so mightily striveth against the motions of thy holy Spirit, that we cannot do that we would, nor accom- plish that thou requirest of us. Thou hast commanded us to love not only our friends, but also our very enemies; to forgive them that offend us, to bless them that curse us, to do good to them that hate us, to pray for them that do us wrong and perse- cute us; yea, if our enemy hunger, to feed him, if he thirst, to give him drink: but our corrupt nature, which ever striveth against thy blessed will, seeketh all means. possible to be revenged, to requite tooth for tooth and eye for eye, to render evil for evil, when vengeance is thine and thou wilt reward; and by this means we grievously offend thee, and break the order of charity, and the bond of peace, which seeketh not to be revenged, but to forgive one another, even as Christ forgave us. It may please thee therefore, O most merciful Lord, of thy bountiful goodness to forgive our enemies, and not to lay to their charge those things that they have un- justly committed against us, and so to slay in us our old corrupt and cankered na- ture by taking away from us our stony heart, and by giving us a fleshly heart, that we, through the operation of thy holy Spirit, may be content, according to thy blessed will and commandment, and after the example of thy Son Jesu Christ our Lord, and of that blessed martyr St Stephen, freely and even from the very heart to for- give our enemies, to speak well of them, to love them, and to do for them whatso- ever lieth in our power, and by this means unfeignedly shew ourselves to be thy sons, which causest the sun to arise on the evil and on the good, and sendest the rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous, giving us example that we, if we will be thy true sons, should do likewise, and shew ourselves beneficial, not only to the good and godly, but also to the wicked and ungodly, that by this means we may allure even the very adversaries of thy truth to speak well of the professors of thy blessed name, and to glorify thee our heavenly Father, which fashionest us according to thy man- ners, through the mighty working of thy holy Spirit, to whom, with thee and thy only-begotten Son, be all glory and honour. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE ADVERSARIES OF GOD’S TRUTH, AND ALL THAT' MEN MAY COME TO THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S BLESSED WORD. Ir is truly said of thine holy apostle, O most merciful Saviour, that the natural man perceiveth not the things that pertain unto the Spirit of God, for they are but foolish- ness unto him; neither can he perceive them, because they are spiritually examined. [᾿ So folio: perhaps the words ought to be transposed, that all.] THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 39 This to be true in the most part of men, specially in the wise and prudent of matt. xi. this world (from whom the heavenly Father is wont to hide his heavenly mysteries, ceri and to shew them to the humble and lowly), daily experience teacheth us. For while the wise worldlings seek praise one of another, they cannot love the glory of God. Jonny. xii. While they cleave to their own fleshly wisdom, they cannot abide the wisdom of God, which is counted foolishness in their sight. While they go about to maintain old crooked customs, superstitious ceremonies, the trifling traditions of men, they cannot away with the light of thine heavenly truth. While they magnify themselves, shame to be taught, and by no means will confess their ignorancy and error, but persuade themselves that they are in the truth, when indeed they are under the father of John viii. lies, and that they walk in the light, when they are most of all wrapped about, yea, and overwhelmed with the misty clouds of men’s inventions; while also they abhor to hear the preachers of thy word, and judge whatsoever they speak now erroneous and false doctrine, it cometh to pass that they \hate, persecute, banish, and condemn both thy blessed word, and all the favourers thereof, thinking themselves to do thee John xvi. high service, when they slay such as unfeignedly profess thy gospel. And forasmuch as this hate conceived against thy holy word, and this cruelty against thy servants, cometh from the wise of this world, the simple and ignorant peo- ple also for lack of knowledge yieldeth themselves unto the fancies of the wily worldlings and the dreams of the bellied hypocrites, approving what they approve, condemning what they condemn, and believing what they believe. By this means is it come to pass, that the adversaries of thy blessed word are wonderful many in number; and very few are they which sincerely, purely, and even with the heart embrace and fol- low thy heavenly doctrine. No marvel. For little is thy flock, O Lord, to whom it Luke xii. hath pleased thy Father to give the kingdom of heaven ; and although many be made, yet 9 ksar. vii. few shall be saved. For many are called, but few are chosen; so that the true lovers Matt. xx. of thy word are few, but the enemies thereof are many. But, O Lord, this comforteth us well that, although the adversaries of thy truth be innumerable, and albeit the powers of this world stand up, and come together hurly-burly never so much against Psal. ii. the Lord and his Anointed, and by no means will submit themselves to the yoke of thy blessed law, but seek all means possible to break it and to cast it away from them ; yet shall they not prevail: their imaginations, their counsels and devices shall come to nought. For there is no wisdom, no forecast, no counsel can prevail against Prov. xxi. the Lord. Thou that dwellest in heaven mockest their vain enterprises, and laughest Psal. ii. both them and all their most subtile devices to scorn. For thou art that rock, against whom the gates of hell shall not prevail. Thou art Mate. xvi. that stone, upon whom whosoever falleth, he shall be crushed on pieces, but upon one whomsoever it falleth, it shall grind him all to powder. Thou art that prick, against acts ix. whom it is hard to spurn. Thou art that most victorious and triumphant Lion of the Rev. v. tribe of Judah, against whom no flesh can prevail. Thou art that Lord, which bringest peal. xxxiii, to nought the counsels of the ungodly, and reprovest the thoughts of the people; yea, thou makest of no force all the counsels, devices, and imaginations of princes, establish- Jsai. xivi. ing thine own counsel, and making the thoughts of thine own heart to abide certain and sure for ever and ever. And as thou art a Lord of most strong puissance, so is thy blessed word of most mighty force. For it is a twibill that cleaveth the hard Jer. xxiii stony rock asunder: it is a consuming fire, devouring all the adversaries thereof. Seeing then, that as the devices of wise worldlings are wicked, so are they vain and of no force, and shall surely be brought to nought at the time of thee tofore ap- pointed, (for every plant that thy heavenly Father hath not planted shall be plucked matt. xv. up by the roots ;) it may please thee, which madest Saul of a wolf a lamb, of a per- Acts ix. secutor a preacher, of a tyrant an apostle, to bring these adversaries of thy truth unto the knowledge of their error, that they may repent, believe, and amend. O Lord, they are thy creatures, and thou hast no pleasure in the death of a sinner, but Ezek. xviii. rather that he should turn and live: have mercy on them, suffer them not to perish, make them of the vessels of wrath the vessels of mercy, of the enemies of thy truth lovers and embracers of thy truth. Take away from them their hard and stony heart, gzex. xi. and give them a fleshy, soft, and gentle heart. Replenish them with thy holy Spirit, Wisd. xi. John vi. 1 Tim. il. 1 John ii. Psal. Ixvii. 1 Tim. 11. Luke i. John xiv. John xvii. 1 Cor. i. Jer. xvi. 1 Cor. 1ii. Sectaries. 40 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. and with the graces thereof, that as they are thy creatures with us, so they may be saved with us. For we are taught that thou hatest none of all those things that thou hast made, and that thou dissemblest the sins of men for repentance sake and art ready to have mercy on all men that repent, believe, and amend. Again, seeing that no man can come unto thee except thy Father draweth him, we most heartily beseech thee, which alone art our only Mediator and Advocate, to pray unto thy heavenly Father, that he may have mercy upon the enemies of thy word, and turn away his wrath from them, lighten his loving countenance upon them, give them a good spirit, and make them thy true and unfeigned disciples. Grant also, O sweet Saviour, which willest all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that all such as walk in ignorance, blindness, and error, for lack of doctrine, may have faithful preachers sent unto them, which may instruct them with thy heavenly word, bring them out of darkness into light, deliver them from the bondage of man’s traditions, and place them in the sweet liberty of the Spirit. So shall it come to pass that they which now are not thy people shall be thy people, and they which now abhor and deface the glory of thy word shall be the valiant promoters and defenders of the same, and all such as heretofore have walked through ignorance in all kind of superstition and ungodliness shall from henceforth walk in the glorious light of thy gospel, praise thee and magnify thee, obey thee, and serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life, unto the glory of thy blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER FOR UNIFORM AND PERFECT AGREEMENT IN MATTERS OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION. In thy last and most sweet sermon, which thou madest a little before thy passion, O Christ, thou Son of the living God, thou gavest thy peace unto thy disciples, and wiliedst them diligently to keep and maintain the same among them unto the end. This peace is the quietness of conscience, the rest of the mind, and the perfect con- sent and whole agreement among the faithful in matters of thy holy religion. In the prayer also made unto thy heavenly Father, thou desirest that, as thou and thy Father are one, so thy disciples may be one; that is to say, knit together in one mind, in one judgment, in one meaning, concerning matters of christian faith, that they may all speak one thing, preach and write one thing, and by no means dissent one from another. This peace, this unity, this perfect consent in faith and religion, is almost banished from among us in these our days, while every man laboureth to establish the inventions and dreams of his own heart, while every man sweateth to imagine a new kind of religion, and to maintain the same, while every man seeketh to worship thee, not after the rule of thy blessed word, but after his own fleshly fancy and idle imagination. Thy holy apostle, O Lord, could not abide that there should be sects among the Corinthians, nor that one should hold of Apollo, another of Paul, the third of Cephas, but that they only should embrace thee, which alone by thy blessed passion broughtest unto them everlasting life ; forasmuch as thou and none other were crucified for them. If that thy blessed apostle had lived in this our time, O Lord, how heavily would he have taken the sects that are now among the children of men, sprung out of hell, and thrust in by Satan, yea, and that is most to be lamented, among them that profess thy holy name. Instead of Apollo, Paul, and Cephas we have Benet, Barnard, Frances, Augus- tine, Anthony, Dominike, Rufus, Honofrius, Jacob, Joseph, Gylberte, Gregory, Brygide, Clare, Helene, Sophy, pope, cardinal, &c.; besides the disordered orders of the Ca- maldulenses, the Cistertienses, the Basilienses, the Hieronymites, the Tertiaries, the servants of St Mary, the Lazarites, the Magdalenites, [Whilhel] the Whilhelmites, the Ambrosians, the Specularies, the Chalomerians, the Johannites, the Scelistines, the brothers of purgatory, the brothers of the holy cross, the brothers of the vale of Josaphat, the Carmelites, the Chartusians, the Hlierosolymite, the Indians, the THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 41 Ninivites, the’ Constantinopolitans, with an innumerable rabble of hypocrites more*, pa- pists, heretics, schismatics, anabaptists, sacramentaries, libertines, and such other dunghills of Satan; which too much wretchedly have divided, rent, and torn in pieces the quiet unity and friendly concord of thy holy religion, while they have imagined and taken upon them new sects and new orders, and by the trifling observances of them seek justi- fication, remission of sins, and everlasting life, forsaking thee which art the fountain of lively water, and digging them miry and dirty puddles, that are able to hold no water. O Lord, as this division nourisheth continual discord and enmity among the pro- fessors of thy name, so do they that unfeignedly cleave to thy blessed word sorrow- fully lament, that thy glory, thy truth, thy word, thy passion, thy blood, thy death, is through these idolatrous imaginations defaced, obscured, and almost utterly quenched; insomuch that, if thou hadst not reserved unto thee a remnant which have not bowed their knees to Baal, we all had been as Sodom, and might justly have been likened to Gomorre. O blessed Lord, let very pity move thee to have compassion upon thy poor troubled flock. Let the zeal of thy glory provoke thee to tread under thy foot all these sectaries and antichrists, that thou alone mayest be known among all na- tions to be the only true and living God. Ah! most gentle Saviour, there is but one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God, one Father, one Master, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one truth, one gospel: how unseemly then is it for us that pro- fess this unity to be divided in religion, one to be of this order, another to be of that, one to maintain this doctrine, another the contrary! Destroy therefore, O Lord, this work of Satan, even the bringing in of these damnable sects and diversities of opinions, and restore unto us that most sweet and comfortable unity of thy holy and pure religion, that, as we profess one God and one baptism, so we may maintain one truth and one religion. Thou callest thyself a jealous God, and a Lord that wilt not give thy glory to another: suffer then thy honour and glory, thy praise and worship no longer to be given unto creatures. Thou art that God of peace which hast promised to tread Satan, the sower of discord, under our feet shortly. Fulfil thy promise, O Lord, for it is time, seemg that not only the wily hypocrites, those painted sepulchres, outwardly appearing beautiful and full of holiness, but inwardly full of dead bones and of all filthi- ness, of ravening and wickedness, of bribery and excess, take part against thy holy word, maintaining false opinions against thy heavenly doctrine, but also many of the tem- poral rulers and wise worldlings agree unto them, defending with great violence both the beastly hypocrites and all their devilish traditions, crooked ceremonies, and false religions, although manifestly contrary to the truth of thy blessed law. Notwithstanding, remember thy old mercies, and for the glory of thy name be favourable unto them: give them grace to repent and to know the truth, that they may escape out of the snares of the devil, and become the children of liberty and everlasting salvation. Gather together all such as are dispersed, and make of them with us one flock. Call home again them that are run astray after strange gods, that they may glorify thee alone. Deliver thy people out of Egypt, that land of servitude and bondage, and bring them into the land that floweth with milk and honey. Let the babbling Babylonians keep thy servants no longer in captivity, but restore them home again unto that Jerusalem where thy holy name is called upon, thanked, and praised, where thy heavenly doctrine is purely taught, where thy blessed sacraments are truly and faithfully ministered, where the works of christian charity are continually exercised, that with one mouth and one heart we may praise and glorify thy blessed name. Take away from us all heresies and diversities of opinions, and work in our hearts an unfeigned concord in matters of religion, even such a concord as is in all points agreeable to thy blessed word. Grant also, most loving Saviour, that this godly concord may remain continually [᾿ Folio, that.] it does not therefore appear necessary to give an [* In a later treatise, the ‘ Reliques of Rome,” | account of them or of their founders here. ] the religious orders are more particularly described : Jer. 11. 1 Kings xix. Rom. xi. Isai. 1. Eph. iv. Matt. xxiii. Exod. xxxiv. Tsai. xlii. Psal. exv. Rom. xvi. Matt. xxiii. uke xi. 2 Tim. ii. John x. James i. Psal. exxii. Jer. xxix. Bar. v. 1 Tim. ii. Psal. exxxlii. Rom. viii. 42 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. in thy church. So shall it come to pass that, all sects and heresies, all divisions and schisms being rooted out of thy holy congregation, and a perfect agreement established among us according to thy blessed word, we shall from the very heart both know- ledge thee the worker hereof, which alone art the author of all goodness, and also sing continual praises to thee our Lord God, which, with God thy Father, and God the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest true and everlasting God, worlds without end. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE COMMON PEACE AND QUIETNESS OF ALL REALMS. How necessary, O Lord, peace and quietness is for the conservation of realms and all public weals, the holy scripture declareth in divers places. The psalmograph exhorteth all the faithful Israelites to pray for those things that make unto the quiet- ness of Jerusalem, that there may be peace, wealth, and abundance both in it and all the coasts round about. When the Jews for their sins and disobedience against thy divine Majesty were led away captive by king Nabuchodonozor from Jerusalem unto Babylon, and there compelled to live under the ungodly and uncircumcised gentiles, the prophet Jeremy wrote an epistle unto them, wherein among other things he exhorted them to pray for the public weal of Babylon, and for the magistrates thereof, saying: Seek the peace of the city, wherein ye be prisoners, and pray for it unto the Lord; for in the peace thereof shall your peace be. Thy servant Baruch also wrote a book unto thy people in their captivity, commanding them to pray for the prosperity of Nabuchodonozor king of Babylon, and for the welfare of Baltazer his son, that their days may be upon earth as the days of heaven, &c. Again, thy holy apostle warneth that above all things prayers, supplication, intercessions, and giving of thanks be had for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceable life with all godliness and honesty. Hereof learn we, O most merciful Saviour, how necessary peace, quietness, and concord is for all realms and commonwealths. For, that bearing rule, thy glory is sought, thy holy word is preached, the magistrates are obeyed, thy preachers are reverenced, good letters flourish, charity resteth in men’s hearts, good works are exer- cised, every man liveth according to his calling, virtue is avanced, vice is expelled, wealth and abundance of all things dwelleth among us, battle with all the pesti- lences thereof is banished, a figure of that heavenly Jerusalem is here found among the children of men; when contrariwise, if battle or discord occupieth kingdoms or cities, all goeth to havoc, nothing but cruel barbary' and lion-like fierceness bear- eth rule. How blessed a thing christian charity, godly peace, friendly quietness, and brotherly concord is in a commonweal, thy servant David, king and prophet, having in his own realm experience thereof, declareth in this his psalm. Behold, saith he, how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like a precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard, even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down unto the skirts of his clothing: like the dew of Hermon, which fell upon the hill of Sion. For there the Lord promised his blessing and life for ever. Seeing, O almighty and everlasting God, it is a good, pleasant, and joyful thing brethren to dwell together in unity, vouchsafe to give unto all realms, specially unto such as the inhabitants whereof profess thy holy name, this treasure and jewel, this pleasure and joy, that they may live together in unity, quietness, and concord. O Lord, so many of us as believe in thee are brethren, and haye one father, even thy heavenly Father; and by him we have thee also our brother, and by thee we be his sons and heirs, yea, and fellow-heirs with thee of eternal glory: grant therefore that we all may be of one heart and of one mind, seemg that nothing garnisheth and becometh the name of brethren better than brotherly love, true peace, friendly quiet- ness, and amiable concord. This christian unity and brotherly concord must needs be an excellent treasure in a commonweal, seeing the holy prophet compareth it to a Γ᾿ Barbary: barbarity, barbarism. ] THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 43 most precious ointment and to the most pleasant dew, the sweet smells whereof cannot be expressed. Lord, give us this precious ointment of mutual love, that whatsoever we attempt among us may have a sweet-smelling savour, both before thee and all good men. Give us also that most pleasant dew, even the dew of thy heavenly grace, which may cause us through thy holy Spirit to flourish with the abundance of all good works, and provoke every one of us quietly and peaceably to do our own 2 Thess. iii. business, and to live according to our calling, the magistrate godly to govern, the °°” * subject humbly to obey, the preacher of thy word diligently to attend upon his office. So shall it come to pass that we, as brethren quietly dwelling together in this unity and concord, shall have that thou hast promised, even thy blessing, that is, Psat. exxxiii. in this world abundance of all good things pertaining either to the body or to the soul, and after our departure from this vale of misery everlasting life. Lord, let it so come to pass. Amen, A PRAYER TO BE PRESERVED FROM THE PLAGUE AND OTHER DISEASES. Au! Lord, as thou hast set forth in thy holy scriptures plenty of blessings to tev. xxvi._ them that fear thee, and with all diligent? obedience and obedient diligence walk in Rai” thy holy statutes and ordinances, so likewise in the same hast thou set forth innumerable ὲ τί. ἴ. tookest very flesh, and becamest perfect man of the substance of that pure and unde- fukei: filed virgin Mary, through the operation of the Holy Ghost, taughtest the will of 3m. i. ix. thy heavenly Father, confirming the same with wonderful miracles, unto the great τ comfort of many which then lived, and unto the perfect establishment of our faith, which live at this present. After thou hadst travailed in this world certain years, the time tofore appointed from everlasting of thy heavenly Father drawing nigh, that thou wouldest give thyself an oblation and sweet-smelling sacrifice to God the Father for the sins of the whole world, Eph. v. even somany as repent, believe, and amend; willing that so noble and worthy benefit of our redemption should not be forgotten nor fall out of remembrance, which is the alone anchor of our salvation, and the only comfort of weak consciences, when thou Gal. vi. hadst eaten the paschal lamb with thy disciples, according to the appointment of the law, thou tookest bread into thy hand, gavest thanks to thy heavenly Father, brakest it, and deliveredst it to thy disciples, saying, Take ye, eat ye: this is my body, Matt. xxvi. which is betrayed for you. Do this in the remembrance of me. Because the sin- ΡΣ ἘΝῚ gular and inestimable benefit of our redemption, brought to pass by the one and only Hee oblation of thy blessed body, broken on the altar of the cross, should not be forgotten, thou brakest the bread in the sight of thy disciples, and gavest it unto them, com- manding them to eat it in the remembrance of the breaking of thy body, which then was betrayed by thy traitorous disciple Judas, that son of perdition, and the day fol- John xvii lowing was unfeignedly broken on the cross for our ransom, deliverance, and salvation. Here didst thou appoint the breaking of the bread among the faithful gathered together Note. 1 John i. 1 Cor. xi. o4 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. for that purpose, a worthy and blessed memorial of thy body-breaking. And because the breaking of thy body should be the better remembered, thou didst ennoble the bread with the name of thy body; when, notwithstanding, it was only the figure, sign, token, and memorial of thy holy body. In like manner, when supper was done, thou tookest the cup into thy hands, gavest thanks to thy heavenly Father, and deliveredst it to thy disciples, saying: Drink of this all ye. For this is my blood of the new testament, covenant, or bargain, which shall be shed for many into the remission of sins. This do, as often as ye drink it, in the remembrance of me. As by the breaking of thy blessed body our ransom is per- fectly paid, so by the shedding of thy precious blood are all our sins, even unto the uttermost, washed away. Therefore, as by the breaking of the bread thou wouldest the breaking of thy body and the benefits gotten by it to be remembered among the faith- ful; so, to the end that the shedding of thy blood and the merits thereof should not be forgotten, thou gavest them the cup of wine to drink, commanding them that, so oft as they or any of the faithful gathered together for that purpose to drink of the cup, they should remember thy death, and the shedding of thy precious blood, as thy holy apostles saith: As oft as ye shall eat this bread and drink of the cup, ye shall aC shew the Lord’s death till he come. And as thou didst ennoble the bread with the 1 Cor. xi. Rom, xii. Matt. v. Matt. xxii. Hos. il. Acts xv. Eph. v. Rom, iii. Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. 1 Cor. xi. Tit. iii. John vi, &> harmless against Satan, sin, death, hell, desperation, and all the infernal power. name of thy body, being but the figure of thy body, because the breaking of thy body should the better be remembered; so likewise here dost thou garnish and nobly set forth the wine, naming it thy blood, when, notwithstanding, it only representeth and preacheth unto us the shedding of thy blood, because it should be the more deeply graven and the better retained in our minds, O most merciful Redeemer and gentle Saviour, we are come together at this present to celebrate the memorial of thy blessed and glorious passion, and to eat and drink this bread and wine in the remembrance of thy blessed body-breaking and thy precious blood-shedding, most humbly and from the very heart beseeching thee to give us grace worthily to eat this bread and drink of this cup, lest, by the unworthy receiving of them, we be guilty of thy body and blood, and so eat and drink our own damna- tion. δ And that we may come the more worthily unto this thy table, grant, we most entirely pray thee, that we may so earnestly be at defiance with all sins, and so inwardly be ashamed that we at any time have so grievously offended thy divine Majesty by attempting any thing that is not agreeable to thy good pleasure, that from henceforth we may not only loathe, detest, and abhor whatsoever is displeasant unto thee, but also embrace and lay hand on that which is good and acceptable in thy sight. Forgive us all our sins, and give us grace even with our whole heart to love all men, yea, our very enemies, and not only to forgive all such as have offended us, but also to be ready at all times to do for them whatsoever good or pleasure we be able. And that we may be the more welcome unto thee, and be found meet and worthy guests to sit at this thy table, and to eat of these thy blessed gifts, that our soul may be well comforted, nourished, fed, and made merry by the worthy receiving of them, clothe us, we pray thee, with that wedding-garment, even true and lively faith, where- with our hearts are purified, wherewith are we married unto thee, and made one flesh, one blood with thee, wherewith also we are justified and counted righteous in thy sight ; and grant that through the same faith we earnestly set the eyes of our mind on these thy most sweet and loving promises, My body shall be broken for you; My blood shall be shed for you; and without any doubting for remission of all our sins at thy heavenly Father's hand, according to thy most gentle promises, yea, and that not for our good deeds and merits, which in this behalf are none; but for the worthiness of thy blessed passion, for the dignity of thy precious blood, and for that only and alone sacrifice of thy holy body. For that, O Lord, is the salve that healeth our souls. That is the medicine that comforteth our weak and troubled consciences. That is the living bread: whosoever eateth of that bread shall never hunger, but live for ever. That is the jewel of joy, that maketh our sorrowful hearts merry. That is the mighty bulwark, the strong defence, the sure fortress, that preserveth and keepeth us THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 55 To come to the table, to be present at the supper, to hear and see what is there done, yea, and to receive the holy mysteries of thy body and blood there set forth unto us, profiteth us nothing at all, if we faithfully believe not that thy body was broken and thy blood shed for our sins, and that, by the alone oblation thereof done once for εξ ἃ . : Δ x all, our sins are forgiven us, thy heavenly Father is reconciled unto us, his wrath, stirred up through sin against us, is pacified, quietness of conscience and everlasting life is given us; but rather turneth unto our damnation, because we eat of this bread and drink of this cup unworthily ; and shall with that hypocrite, which presumed to come unto the marriage not having the wedding-garment, be bound hand and foot, and cast into utter darkness, where weeping and gnashing of teeth shall be. Therefore we most humbly beseech thee to give us grace, according to thy holy apostle’s counsel, diligently to prove, try, and examine ourselves, whether such repentance, such faith, such loye, such disposition toward all godliness, be found in us or not, as thou dost require in them which will come worthily and with fruit unto thy table. And forasmuch as it is thy gift to repent heartily, to believe truly, to love un- | feignedly, and to be disposed earnestly to embrace true godliness, and to go forward in the same from virtue to virtue unto the end, grant, we most entirely pray thee, we may so repent, that the fruits of repentance may be found in us; so believe, that we may knowledge thee our alone Saviour; so love, that all our affection may be set on thee alone; and so embrace true godliness, that our whole life may be a clear mirror of all virtue and goodness. So shall we, through thy mercy, be found worthy guests of this thy table, and receive these holy mysteries unto the salvation of our souls; yea, so shall we be well assured of the remission and forgiveness of all our sins by the breaking of thy blessed body and the shedding of thy precious blood, our consciences shall be quiet, our hearts shall be filled with all true and spiritual joy, we shall triumph over Satan, sin, death, hell, and desperation, we shall be partakers of all the fruits and merits of thy blessed passion, and be made one body with thee, and fellow-heirs of everlasting glory. O Lord God, let it so come to pass, for the honour of thy name! Amen. A THANKSGIVING AFTER THE RECEIVING OF THE COMMUNION. We thank thee, O heavenly Father, for the blessed passion and glorious death of thy dearly-beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ, by whom and by whose holy wounds we faithfully believe and are assuredly persuaded that thy wrath is not only pacified toward us, but that thou also art now become our most merciful Father, and hast freely forgiven us all our sins, restored unto us thy heavenly grace, and made us sons and heirs of thine eternal glory. And because we should not doubt of thy fatherly goodness toward us, set forth in the death of thy Son, the same thy Son Christ Jesu our Lord hath left unto us not only his holy word, but also a blessed memorial of his death and passion, set forth in the holy bread and holy wine, which we at this present have received, both for a remembrance of the breaking of his blessed body and the shedding of his most precious blood, and also for the quietness of our conscience, and for the assurance of the remission of our sins through faith. We be- seech thee, O heavenly Father, that we be never unmindful of this thy exceeding great kindness, nor unthankful for thy manifold and unspeakable mercies declared unto us in the glorious death of thy well-beloved Son; but so work thou in us through thy holy Spirit, that we may be made worthy members of that body, whereof thy Son and our Saviour Christ Jesu is the head; and that we may so faithfully believe in thee, and so fervently love one another, alway living in thy fear, and in the obedience of thy holy law and blessed will, that we being fruitful in all godly and christian works, may train our life according to thy good pleasure in this transitory worli, and after this frail and short life obtain that true and immortal life, where thou, with thy dearly-beloved Son our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ, and the Holy Ghost that most sweet Comforter, livest and reignest one true God, in all honour and glory, worlds without end. Amen. Hel. vii. ix. Matt. xxil. 1 Cor. xi. Matt. τι, Phil. 11. Eph. ti. Col. i. Matt. xxvi. Mark xiv. Luke xxii. 1 Cor. xi, Eph. i. iii. Col. i. Eph. v. Phil. ii. Rom. v. Eph. ii. Isai. xlvi. Mal. ii. 1 Cor. viii. Eph. iv. 1 Tim. i. Psal. xlvi. Psal. exv. Psal. il. Isai. xlv. 2 Cor. i. Jer. ii. Psal. xlvi. Psal. exlv. Jer. xvii. Psal. exiii. Tsai. Ixv. Deut. xxviii. Isai. i. Lev. xxvi. Jer. ix. John xvi. John xvii. 56 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. A SHORT PRAYER TO BE SAID AT THE RECEIVING OF THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST'S BODY IN THE HOLY COMMUNION. O HEAVENLY and blessed Father, I render unto thee most hearty thanks for all thy benefits, which thou hast shewed unto me, most wretched sinner; but specially for that most sweet-smelling sacrifice, which thy only-begotten Son offered unto thee on the altar of the cross, by giving his most pure and undefiled body unto the death for the redemption of mankind; in remembrance whereof, according to thy well-beloved Son’s ordinance, I now receive this holy bread, most entirely beseeching thee, that I may both be partaker of the merits of thy dear Son’s body-breaking, and also lead a life worthy of so great a benefit, unto the glory of thy name. Amen. A PRAYER TO BE SAID AT THE RECEIVING OF THE MYSTERY OF CHRISTS BLOOD IN THE HOLY COMMUNION. O siessep and merciful Father, thy love toward me, sinful creature, is so exceeding great and unspeakable, that I cannot but give unto thee most humble thanks, namely for the shedding of the most precious blood of thy dear Son Jesu Christ, by the virtue whereof thy wrath, stirred up against me, wretched sinner, is pacified, my ransom is paid, the law is fulfilled, my enemies are overcome and put to flight. In remem- brance of this so noble a victory and of so great a benefit, I am come unto this thy table, O merciful Father, to drink of this cup, desiring thee, that as my outward man is comforted by the drinking of this wine, so likewise my inward man may be comforted and made strong by true faith in the precious blood of thy most dearly[beloved|] Son. O Lord and my heavenly Father, give me thy holy Spirit, which may so rule and govern my heart, that I never be unthankful nor forgetful of this thine exceeding great kindness; but so train my life according to thy blessed will, that whatsoever I do, speak, or think may be unto the glory of thy blessed name and the health of my soul, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST IDOLATRY. Tuov, O Lord, art God alone, and besides thee there is no God, neither in heaven nor in earth. As for the gods of the heathen, they are devils, and the images which the ignorant people worship as gods by kneeling, praying, and offering unto them, are no gods, but stocks and stones, idols and mawmets. They have mouths, and speak not: eyes have they, but they see not. They have ears, and hear not: noses have they, but they smell not. They have hands, and handle not: feet have they, but they cannot go, neither can they speak through their throats. O how vain then are all they that put their trust in such mad fancies as can do them no good! All health and salvation, all joy and comfort, come from thee alone, O Lord. Thou art the God of all consolation and Father of all mercies. Thou art the living fountain, from whom alone floweth whatsoever good or godly is. Thou art the refuge and succour of thy people. Thou hearest thy servants whensoever they call on thee. Who ever trusted in thee, and was not holpen? Blessed are they which put their trust in thee, and cursed are they that forsake thee, and follow the idols of their own heart. For as the faithful in thy presence shall find favour and mercy, so shall all idolaters receive before thee shame of face and confusion of conscience, yea, terrible judgment and everlasting damnation, besides those temporal punishments which thou threatenest in thy holy law. We beseech thee therefore, O thou alone true and living God, to endue us with thy holy Spirit, which may cleanse us from all blind errors, all foolish fancies, all vain superstitions, and from the whole lump of idolatry, and lead us unto thy godly truth, that we may know thee to be the alone true, everlasting, and immortal God, believe in thee, fear, and love, call on thy blessed name, seek thy honour and glory, and crave at thy merciful hand alone whatsoever THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 57 good thing we have need of concerning the body or the soul; that we, in this world glorifying thee our Lord God alone, alone, according to thy blessed word, may after this present life be glorified of thee in thy heavenly kingdom, where thou, with thy dearly-beloved Son, and the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest one true and everlasting God, for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST SWEARING. O axumicuty and everlasting God, how greatly they that abuse thy holy name by yain and unlawful oaths shall be plagued, it is evident enough in the sacred scriptures. | For thou thyself sayest, that whosoever taketh thy name in vain shall not escape Exod. xx. Ξ . ° 5 Deut. v. unpunished. And thy prophet saw flying in the air a great and large book, even Zech. v. twenty cubits in length and ten cubits in breadth, wherein were contained the curses and plagues that are prepared for them which vainly or falsely swear by thy holy name. It is written also, that whosoever useth much to swear shall be filled with Ecelus. xxiit. iniquity and the plague; that is, the vengeance of thy wrath shall not depart from his house. Seeing that so many, yea, and those terrible punishments and most grievous plagues are threatened, prepared, and set forth to all idle swearers and wicked blas- phemers of thee and of thy blessed name, we most heartily pray thee so to order our tongue, that it utter no ungodly nor filthy communication; that it abuse not thee nor thy name, nor any of thy creatures either in heaven or in earth, by unlawful and vain oaths; but that with all diligence we observe the commandment of thy only- begotten Son, which straitly chargeth us that we swear not at all; neither by matt. v. heaven, for it is God's seat; nor yet by the earth, for it is his footstool; neither by Basi Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King; neither, saith he, shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one white hair or black: but thy com- munication shall be, yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than that cometh | of evil. Give us grace therefore, O most loving God, to avoid all ungodly and wicked oaths, to reverence thy holy name, to flee unto it as a strong castle by hearty prayer in adversity, and at all times to praise and magnify it. Grant also, that our communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; that is, yea in heart and yea in mouth, nay in heart and nay in mouth; that there be found no dissimulation in us, but such simplicity and truth in our talk, and such sincerity and pureness in all our conversation and living, as becometh them that profess thy holy name, which alone is worthy all honour and glory. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST PRIDE. O most loving and gentle Saviour, the only-begotten Son of the eternal and living God, thou commandest all them that will come unto thee and be thy scholars, to Matt. xi. learn of thee to be meek, humble, and lowly in heart, to be poor in spirit, not to Matt. v. be puffed up with arrogancy, pride, ambition, and vain-glory. For thou scatterest Lukei. them that are proud in the imagination of their hearts. Thou puttest down the mighty from their seats, and exaltest them of low degree. Thou resistest the proud, 1 Pet. v. and givest grace to the humble. Thou throwest down the haughty-minded, and exaltest the meek-spirited. Thou so greatly abhorrest pride, that thou bringest also the proud to nought, and makest the memorial of them to cease from out of the earth. For pride is the original of all sin: whoso taketh hold thereof shall be filled with Eeetus. x. cursings, and at the last it shall overthrow him. O Lord, what is to be found in us being our own, that may make us to glory in ourselyes, and to be proud? As concerning our body, what is it but earth, ashes, Gen. iii. dust, and dung? As for the beauty and favour of it, Ὁ how' deceitful and vain Prov. xxxi. it is! And as for the strength thereof, how shortly doth a little fever make the [᾿ The folio reads who.]} , John iii. Eph. ii. Rom. v. Hos. xiil. James 1. 1 Cor. iv. Gen. vi. vil. Gen. xix. Exod. xx. Deut. v. Deut. xxiii. Lev. xx. Deut. xxii. Prov. v. Prov. ix. Prov. xxix. Rey. xxi. 1 Thess. iv. 1 Cor. vi. Psal. li. Eeclus. xxiii. Eph. v. Eph. iv. 1 Cor. vi. Fph. v. Gen. xxxix. Tob. iv. Job xxxi. Hist. Sus. 58 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. most mighty the most weak! Who then will be proud of so vile a carcase and sack of dung? As touching our soul, if it be not regenerate by thy holy Spirit, what other thing is it, than the bond-slave of Satan and sin? If any thing we have that good is (for all naughtiness cometh of ourselves), it is thy gift. If we have received it, why do we glory in ourselves, as though we had not received it ? It may please thee therefore, which art the mirror of true humility and giver of all virtue, to grave in our hearts the true knowledge of ourselves, that we may both willingly and unfeignedly confess whatsoever goodness we have to be thy gift, and not so to glory in ourselves, but to give unto thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy gifts, ever walking before thee with all submission and lowliness of mind, that thou mayest exalt us when the time cometh. Suffer us not to be high-minded, but to make ourselves equal to them of the lower sort; and give us that humility and lowliness of heart that mortifieth and killeth in us all love of ourselves, all pride and arrogancy, that our whole glory and rejoicing may only be in thee our Lord and Saviour, to whom be all honour for evermore. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST WHOREDOM. How greatly thou dost abhor whoredom, fornication, and all uncleanness, O Lord, the drowning of the whole world, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorre with water, fire, and brimstone from heaven, and such other like plagues mentioned in the holy scriptures, do evidently declare and shew. Thy commandment is that we should commit none adultery. And in the commonweal of the Israelites thou commandest that there should be neither whoremonger nor whore: if any such were found, that they should be stoned unto death. For although the lips of an harlot are to the foolish a dropping honey-comb, and her neck softer than oil, yet at the last is she as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a sword. Her feet go down unto death, and her steps haste them into hell: and he that accompanieth himself with an whore, shall go down unto hell, but he that goeth away from her shall be saved: yea, he that maintaineth an whore shall come unto beggary in this world, and after this life shall have his part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone. O Lord, thou hast called us not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness and pureness of life: thou hast made us one body and one spirit with thee: how unseemly then is it to take the members of Christ, and to make them the members of an harlot! We therefore most humbly beseech thee to make in us a clean heart, to renew a right spirit within us, and to turn away all voluptuousness from us. Take from us the lusts of the body: let not the desires of uncleanness take hold upon us, and give us not over into an unshamefaced and obstinate mind. Let not fornication, adultery, nor any kind of uncleanness be once named among us. Let no filthy communication proceed out of our mouths, but that which is good to edify withal when need is, that it may have favour with the hearers. And forasmuch as neither fornicators, neither whoremongers, neither weaklings, neither abusers of themselves with the mankind, shall inherit the kingdom of God; grant, we heartily pray thee, that such as be unmarried may keep themselves pure and undefiled, after the example of that godly young man Joseph, and bring with them unto honourable wedlock both their bodies and minds chaste and honest. Grant also, that the married men may beware and keep themselves from all whoredom, and use the company of no woman besides their wife. Again, grant that all married women may practise the manners of that virtuous woman Susanna, and neither for flattering nor menacing words at any time consent unto uncleanness; but so keep the bed undefiled, that it may be honourable, that God may bless them and their godly tra- vails, and make them joyful mothers of many children. Finally grant, O most mer- ciful Father, that we may so avoid all uncleanness, that we, being pure both in body and soul, may deserve to see thy glorious face in thy heavenly kingdom, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 59 A PRAYER AGAINST COVETOUSNESS. Tuy Son and our Lord, O heavenly Father, biddeth us take heed and beware Luke xii. of covetousness. For no man’s life, saith he, standeth in the abundance of things which he possesseth. Thy holy apostle also affirmeth covetousness to be the root of 1 Tim. vi. all evils, and that they which study to be rich fall into temptation and snares, and into many foolish and noisome lusts, which drown men in temptation and destruction. And in another place he calleth covetousness the worshipping of idols. Thus, in every Eph. v. place of the holy scripture, this most damnable sin of covetousness is condemned and forbidden. Notwithstanding, O Lord, through the subtile working of the devil, we see how this most vile monster hath prevailed and almost overcome the whole world, and brought into his subjection not only the wicked and unfaithful, but them also that profess thy blessed name and holy religion. or from the first to the last, from the Jer. vi. highest to the lowest, all give their mind to covetousness. All seek their own, and Phil. ii. not Jesu Christ’s. They renounce the world in word; but in deed no man embraceth it more desirously. They by mouth profess covetousness to be a sin; but in work they magnify it not only as a virtue, but also as a god. In word they confess that! to be their Lord; but in deed they serve mammon. They make no end of joining Isai. v. house to house, land to land, lordship to lordship, farm to farm, pasture to pasture. Another sort, which ought to be an example to thy flock, chaineth, coupleth, link- } Pet. v. eth and joineth likewise dignity to dignity, promotion to promotion, benefice to bene- fice, prebend to prebend, deanery to deanery, office to office, and office for a vantage, unto the great dishonour of thy holy name, the hinderance of thy blessed gospel, and the confusion of their conscience, if they had any. They be shameless dogs that have tsai. 1Wi. never enough, nor be never satisfied. They go forth daily more and more to heap Hab. ii. up thick clay against themselves. Their covetousness knoweth neither end nor mea- sure; so that, if thou dost not shortly reform this outrageous desire of having, it is like to come to pass that mammon shall be honoured for a god, and thou utterly despised; few shall possess the whole fruits of the earth, the other shall miserably starve for hunger. For there is no mercy on the earth, as thy prophet complaineth. Hos. iv. _ All seek their own, and not Jesu Christ’s. They be lovers of themselves and haters Phil. ii. | of other. O good Lord, it may please thee therefore for thy mercy’s sake, to redress these pestilences, wherewith the most part of the world at this present be infected. Open the eyes of the covetous worldlings, that they may clearly see how vile an idol they serve, how uncertain possessions they gather together, not knowing to whom Pal. xxix. they shall leave them. Take away from them the inordinate and unsatiable desire of having. Incline their hearts unto thy testimonies, and not unto covetousness, Psal. exix. Teach them that in this world they are but strangers and pilgrims, and have here 1 Pet. ii. no abiding city, but seek for one to come; and that therefore they ought to be con- λῶν tent with that is sufficient. For nothing brought they into this world, neither shall 1 tim. vi. they carry any thing out of it. Teach them not to put their trust in uncertain riches, but in thee the living God, which givest us all things abundantly to enjoy them. Teach them to do good and to be rich in good works, and ready to give and to distribute, laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may obtain eternal life. Teach them to learn and practise this thy commandment given by the prophet: Break thy bread to the hungry, and Isai. wii. lead into thy house the poor and harbourless: when thou seest a naked man, cover him, and thou shalt not despise thy flesh. Teach them to love their neighbour as fey. xix. themselves, and to seek the commodity of their christian brethren no less than their yok on!” own. Yea, teach them ever to set before their eyes this commandment of thy holy fon. xiii. apostle: Let no man seek his own profit, but the commodity of other. In fine, 7°" _ grant that the conversation of so many as profess thy name may be so far estranged Heb. xiii. from the most detestable sin of covetousness, that it be not once named among tpn, ν. [! Perhaps an error for thee. ] Luke xii. Matt. vi. Luke xxi. Ecclus. XXXVil. Hos. iv. Gen. iii. Gen. xix. Exod. xxxii. 1 Cor. x. Matt. xiv. Luke xvi. Ezek. xvi. Gen. xix. 1 Cor. vi. Prov. xxiii. Ecelus. XXxvil. Ecelus. xxxi. Rom. xiii. 1 Pet. v. John vi. Luke xvii. 1 Thess. v. Matt. xxiv. Gen. ii. Ecclus. XXXili. Gen. iil. Psal. exxviii. Gen. iv. Gen. ix. 60 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. them; again, that they make them bags which wax not old, and gather treasure in heaven that faileth not, where no thief cometh nor moth corrupteth, that they being rich in good works may obtain that blessed life, which thou hast promised to so many as be loving and merciful, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST GLUTTONY AND DRUNKENNESS. We are warned by thy dear Son, O most merciful Father, to take heed that our hearts be not overwhelmed with feasting and drunkenness. For through feasting many have died; and through drunkenness innumerable have perished. If our first parents had not obeyed their appetite, they had not transgressed thy commandment by eating the forbidden fruit, nor have gotten so great an evil both to themselves and to all their posterity. If Lot had not been overcome with wine, he had never so filthily com- mitted incest with his own daughters. If the people of Israel had not given themselves unto banqueting, they had never so wickedly fallen into idolatry, neither had so many thousands of them been slain. If king Herod had not been overcome with banqueting, he would not so soon have consented to the death of the godly preacher St John. If that rich glutton had not been so greatly given to the pampering of his belly, he would never have been so unmerciful to poor Lazarus. If the Sodomites had not used banqueting and riotous living, they had not perished with so horrible punishments. For thou, O Lord, canst not abide thy creatures to be abused. For besides ever- lasting damnation, which abide all gluttons and drunkards, thou punishest these voluptuous epicures and beastly belly-slaves with corporal plagues, with sickness and poverty, as thy servant Salomon testifieth. Where is wo? saith he, where is sorrow ? where is strife? where is brawling? where are wounds without a cause? where be red eyes? Even among those that be ever at the wine, and seek out where the best is. Again he saith: Keep no company with wine-bibbers and riotous eaters of flesh ; for such as be drunkards and riotous persons shall come to poverty. Another of thy servants also declareth that excess of meats bringeth sickness, and gluttony cometh at the last unto an unmeasurable heat. Yea, he saith that an unsatiable eater sleepeth unquietly, and hath ache and pain of the body. Seeing these foul and filthy monsters of gluttony and drunkenness bring unto us the destruction both of body and soul, we beseech thee, O heavenly Father, to give us grace that from henceforth we may be free from these beastly vices as from most present pestilences, and use thy good creatures soberly, temperately, and thankfully, and by no means make provision for the flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof; but be sober and watch that we fall not into the snares of our ghostly enemy the devil, which walketh about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour; and labour for that meat which perisheth not, but abideth into everlasting life; that we, living soberly, watching warily, praying continually, and looking diligently for the coming of thy dennis ateiaged Son, may be found ready whensoever he cometh, and enter with cc into thy glory of heaven for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST IDLENESS. ImMeEprATELY after thou hadst created man, Ὁ Maker of heaven and earth, and placed him in the garden of Eden, thou commandedst him to dress and keep it, because he should not be idle. For idleness is the occasion of much evil. In like manner after man had transgressed thy holy commandment, thou, expulsing him out of paradise for his disobedience, and sending him abroad into the face of the earth, commandedst him to eat his bread in the sweat of his face and in the labour of his hands: so that thy good pleasure is that no man should be idle. This thy commandment was diligently observed of the godly ancient fathers. Adam tilled the earth. Abel was a shepherd. Jubal exercised music. Tubal-Cain was a worker in metal, and a graver in brass and iron. Nohe planted a vineyard. Abraham, Lot, Isaac, and Jacob were shepherds and THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 6] | , is Toyse i i iver Gen, xiii. ploughmen. Joseph was a magistrate. Moyses, David, Amos, with divers other, Gen. xiii, kept sheep before they were called unto office. Thy dearly-beloved Son, before thou x! | appointedst him to be a preacher of thy blessed will unto the world, was a carpenter, 1 Sam. xvi, | Ξ .” Amos i. and so got his living. His apostles were fishermen. Blessed Paul laboured with his Matt. xiii i ar " ‘own hands, and got both his own living and others’ that were with him. Thabita is Acts xx. 1X ‘commended in the holy scripture, because she made garments, and gave them to the 1 Thess. ii, ‘poor people. So many, Ὁ Lord, as had any spark of godliness or pretence of honesty are in them, even from the beginning unto this day, ever abhorred idleness, and practised one thing or other; so that they were never idle, but earnestly travailed every one according to their vocation. For as the bird is born to fly, so is man born to labour. Job v. Yea, thy apostle hath charged us in thy name, that if any will not labour, he should 2 Thess. ii. not eat. He commandeth also that we should withdraw ourselves from every one that walketh inordinately, and will not labour for his own living. And the wise man sendeth us unto the emmet as unto a mistress and exemplar of labour, and willeth us to consider Prov. vi. her property, that we may be wise; which although she hath neither guide, teacher, nor head, yet provideth she her meat in summer, and gathereth together her food in harvest. We beseech thee therefore, O Lord, to drive away from us all idleness and ‘sluggish behaviour, and to give us grace that every one of us, even so many as profess thy blessed name, may be earnest in following their vocation, and delight in godly travails and virtuous exercises; the magistrate in righteously governing the common- wealth, the spiritual minister in truly preaching thy blessed word, the common people in diligently following their occupations, sciences, and mysteries, that none be found idle in the christian public weal. So shall it come to pass that, all being virtuously occupied according to thy holy commandment, thou shalt delight in us as a father in his children, ‘and send us the fruits of our labours, that is, abundance of all temporal things in this present world, and after our departure everlasting glory, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER AGAINST SLANDERING AND BACKBITING. _ Tue tongue, O Lord, is a member, which thou hast given almost generally to all liying creatures ; but speech hast thou reserved only for man, yea, and that unto this end, that he should set forth thy praise and glory, magnify thy blessed name, avance thy holy religion, be ever telling of thy wondrous works, and alway speaking that -which may make unto thy glory, and unto the profit of our christian brethren. The | tongue rightly used is the organ of the Holy Ghost. An innocent and righteous tongue prov. x, ‘is a noble treasure, a tree of life, an honey-comb, a refreshing of the mind, and health of POA the bones. A mouth of understanding is more worth than gold, than many precious Prov. xx. stones and costly jewels. But this gift of speech, O blessed Lord, is now-a-days greatly abused, both unto thy dishonour and the unquietness of thy people. For whereas thou by thy dearly- beloved Son gayest a general commandment, that we should bless them that curse us, it is now come to pass, that they whom we bless curse us, whom we speak well of, they backbite us; whom we exhort, monish, and teach good things, they deface, slander, and blaspheme us; whose wealth and health we seck, they contrariwise seek our destruction: O Lord, their mouth is full of cursed speaking, and their tongue painteth Psa. v. xiii forth deceit. They sit and speak against their brethren, and slander even their very eine well-willers. Their tongue imagineth wickedness, and with lies it cutteth like a sharp Psal. tii. razor. They love to speak all words that may do hurt. With their tongue they bless James iii. thee, and with the same tongue they curse us, which are made after thy similitude, image, and likeness; so that out of one mouth there proceedeth cursing and blessing. | But with such blessings, O Lord, art not thou delighted. But what marvel it is, Ὁ heavenly Father, though backbiting and slandering be used in these our days? In what age hath the slanderous and backbiting tongue ceased from her slandering and back- biting? Who of thy well-beloved servants escaped free from her poisonful and venomous darts? Was not thy hearty-beloved servant David, the king and prophet, slandered of ᾿ ! ] 2 Sam, xvi. 1 Kings xviii. Mark i. Matt. xi. John viii. John vii. John x. Acts ii. xvii. Gen. XXXIx. Hist. Sus. James iii. Psal. exx. Acts li. Rom. vi. Gal. v. Dit. Matt. xx. Eph. it. Psal. li. Gen. viil. Prov. Xx. Jer. xvii. 2 Cor. iii. Luke xvii. Tsai. ix. John iii. viii. Luke xix. Matt. ix. Psal. exix. 62 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. that wicked and blasphemous traitor Semei, and called a blood-shedder and a man of Belial? Was not the holy prophet Helias reported to be a seditious person, and a disquieter of the commonweal of Israel? Was not thy only-begotten Son called a teacher of new learning, a glutton, a wine-bibber, a friend of whores and publicans, a Samaritan, a deceiver of the people, a madman, and one possessed with a devil? Were not thy blessed apostles also called drunkards, seditious persons, vain prattlers, tidings- bringers of new devils, and teachers of strange doctrine? Were not both Joseph and Susanna reported to be dishonest persons of living? and yet, notwithstanding, none more honest, nor more godly. Who being godly bent and virtuously disposed hath at any time escaped slanderous and backbiting tongues? O Lord, that member, which thou madest to be an instrument of the Holy Ghost, is now become in many people an instrument of the devil, a fire, and a world of wickedness. For it is so set among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth a-fire all that we have of nature, and is itself set a-fire even of hell. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. We beseech thee, therefore, for thy mercies’ sake, O most merciful God, to deliver us from unrighteous lips and from deceitful tongues, and to give us grace so to walk in all our conversation and living, that our adversaries may be ashamed to slander and to speak evil of us. Grant also, that they, which hitherto have abused their tongues by backbiting, slandering, and defaming, may from henceforth speak with new tongues, praise thee and thy blessed name, talk of thy holy scriptures, meditate in them day and night, bless their christian brethren, and speak well of all men, yea, of their very enemies, that so many of us as praise thy holy name may with one mind and with one mouth glorify thee our heavenly Father, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. A GENERAL PRAYER FOR THE AVOIDING OF ALL KIND OF SIN. Au Lord, that most puissant God, we in baptism giving over ourselyes unto thee, and unto thy holy religion, protested openly in the face of thy holy congregation to forsake Satan with all his pomps and works, to renounce the world and all the vain pleasures thereof, to mortify the flesh and all the lusts of it, and from henceforth to die unto sin, to live unto righteousness, and to lead a new life. This our covenant and bargain made with thee, O Lord God, we keep not, but too much wretchedly we break it, transgress thy holy commandment. Instead of our service due unto thee, we serve Satan. Leaving the fulfilling of thy commandments, we obey our own will. The world and the flesh so rage and reign in us, that we can scarcely breathe toward any godliness. By mouth we profess thee, but with our deeds we deny thee. We promise to work in thy vineyard, but we loiter and work not. In name we are Christians, but in deed we are Satan’s bondmen, the world’s slaves, and the flesh’s most vile servants and drudges. Ah Lord! too much wretched is our state; and, except thou shortly helpest, we are like utterly to perish: so greatly have the raging floods of all kinds of sin brast in, prevailed, and almost overwhelmed us. Ὁ most gentle Saviour, we have a will, such as it is, to do good, but we find no power nor strength in ourselves to perform it. That good thing which we would, we do not; but that evil do we which we would not. For we know that in us, that is, in our flesh, dwelleth no good thing. No marvel: for we are by nature the children of wrath. We are begotten, conceived, and born in sin. Our senses, wits, and devices are evil, even from our young age upward. Our heart is unclean, wicked, froward, lewd, and unsearchable. We are not able to think a good thought of ourselves. We are unprofitable servants, hypocrites, flesh, and all that naught is. Yea, we are the very bond-slaves of sin. For every one that committeth sin is the servant of sin. O most sweet Saviour, help us, for the glory of thy name. Thou camest down from the right hand of thy Father into this vale of misery, to save that which was lost. Save us therefore, good Lord, which wander abroad like sheep destitute of a shepherd. Suffer not thy blessed body to be broken, and thy precious blood to be shed for us THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 63 in vain. Thou by thy death valiantly conqueredst him that had power of death. πον. ii. Deliver us, therefore, from his raging tyranny, and make us thy faithful and obedient Hon xilh servants. Suffer us not to love the world, neither the things that are in the world, seeing 1Jonn ii. that all that is in the world (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life) is not of thee, O Father, but of the world. And the world vanisheth away, and the lust thereof; but he that fulfilleth the will of God abideth for ever. Suffer us not to be overcome with the boiling concupiscences of the flesh, which ever lusteth against the Spirit, and is not obedient to the law of God, neither can be; but give us Rom. viii. grace to crucify and to kill the flesh with the appetites and lusts thereof, that we may Gal. v. live and walk in the Spirit, and become new creatures. Let not sin reign in our mortal Rom. vi. bodies, that we should thereunto obey in the lusts of it. Neither suffer thou us to give our members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but to give ourselves unto God, as they that are alive from death, and to give our members as instruments “of righteousness unto God. And as heretofore we gave our members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity, from iniquity to iniquity, so let us now from henceforth give our members servants unto righteousness, that we may be sanctified. Kill in us the deeds of the flesh, which are these: advoutry, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, Gal. v. idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, zeal, wrath, strife, sedition, sects, envying, murder, drunkenness, gluttony, and such-like; and plant in us the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, temperancy. As concerning the conversation in times past, give us grace to lay away from us Eph. iv. that old man, which is corrupt through the deceivable lusts, and to be renewed in the spirit of our minds, and to put on that new man, which after the image of God is | shapen in righteousness and true holiness. Suffer us not to lie, but to speak every man truth unto his neighbour; forasmuch as we are members one of another. Suffer us not so to be angry that we sin. Let not the sun go down upon our wrath, neither let us give place unto the backbiter. Grant that he which afore hath stolen may from henceforth steal no more, but rather labour with his hands some good thing, that he may have to give unto him that needeth. Let no filthy communication proceed out of our mouths, but that which is good to edify withal, when need is, that it may have favour with the hearers. Let all bitterness, fierceness, and wrath, roaring, and cursed speaking, be put away from us, with all maliciousness. Make us courteous one to another, and merciful, forgiving one another, even as God for thy sake forgave us. As for fornication, and all τ πα or covetousness, let it not be once series among us, Eph. ν. _as it becometh saints, neither filthy things, neither foolish talking, neither jesting, al are not comely; but rather giving of “thanks, Put upon us Gerdes mercy, kindness, Col. iii. | humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another. But above all these things put upon us love, which is the bond of perfection ; and grant that the peace of God may evermore rule in our hearts, and that we be thankful | for all thy benefits. Finally, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things Phil. iv. are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things pertain to love, whatsoever es are of honest report; if there be any virtuous thing, if there be any laudable things grant that we may have those same in our mind, and practise them in our conversation and living ; that whatsoever we breathe, sank speak, or do, all things may be done unto the honour, glory, and praise of thy name, which livest and reignest with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, true, living, and everlasting God, worlds with- out end. Amen. | A THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD FOR SENDING HIS SON INTO THIS WORLD TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. WuitHERsorver we turn our eyes, Ὁ most loving and heavenly Father, the bottom- less seas of thine unspeakable goodness toward mankind plenteously flow in, and lively Isai. xiv. Job iv. 2 Pet. ii. Gen. ii. Psal. viii. Mark i. 2 Tim. ii. Eph. ii. 1 Cor. i. Tsai. ix. John iii. Rom. v. Tsai. liii. Matt. viii. 1 Pet. ii. Acts iv. Rom. v. Eph. i. Col. i. Eph. ii. Col. ii. Gen. iii. Gen. xii. Gal. iil. Isai. 1xiii. Matt. i. Matt. xvii. John vi. John x. John xi. John xvi. Rom. x. Gal. iii. Heb. ii. 64 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. offer themselves unto us to behold and to wonder at. After the fall of the sinful angels, what an exceeding great kindness was this, to make man after thy simili- tude, image, and likeness, that he and his posterity might furnish and occupy those places in thy glorious kingdom, which the proud and disobedient angels lost for their proud disobedience and disobedient pride: not only to [make] man in earth, but also to provide aforehand all things necessary for him; yea, to make him lord and ruler of all things contained in the earth under thee his Lord God! O what a won- derful loving-kindness was this! Again, to preserve, keep, and defend man, to watch continually upon him whether he wake or sleep, as the diligent and careful shepherd watcheth over his flock, that no evil chance to man, and to direct his thoughts, coun- sels, and devices unto the best, never leaving him till thou hast brought him into thy heavenly kingdom: Oh, who is able with tongue to Ee or with heart to think, this thy hearty good- τὴϊ toward man ? These benefits, O most merciful Father, are exceeding great tokens of thy dear love toward mankind: but the gift of thy only-begotten Son Jesu Christ our Lord, whom thou gavest unto us to be our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Peace-maker, our Wisdom, our Sanctification, and our Righteousness, is the most excellent gift and most precious treasure! A child to be born for our sakes! The Son of the most highest God to be given us for a new-year’s gift, to be our own for ever! O love passing all love! O kindness, rather to be marvelled at, than able by mouth to be uttered! God the Father so dearly to love the world, that he would give his only-begotten Son, that every one that believeth in him may not perish, but have everlasting life! God the Father to send his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him should be saved! God the Father not to spare his own Son, but to deliver him even unto death for us all, yea, and with him even to give us all things! O most gentle kindness, excelling all love and kindness! Wonderfully, O most loving Father, doth this thing set forth thy hearty love to- ward us, that, when we were yet ungodly and wicked sinners, thou gavest thy Son to die for our sins. He was wounded for our offences, and smitten for our wicked- ness. The pain of our punishment laidest thou upon him, and with his stripes were we healed. Through him, O Lord, didst thou pardon all our sins. It was thy good pleasure to smite him with infirmity, that, when he had made his soul an offering for sin, he might see long-lasting seed. For he is thy righteous servant, which with his wisdom doth justify and deliver the multitude; for he hath borne away our sins. In his name, and in none other under heaven, doth our salvation consist. By him are we at peace with thee our Lord God. By him have we redemption through his blood, even remission of our sins. By him are we delivered from the power of dark- ness, and translated into thy heavenly kingdom. By him hast thou reconciled all things unto thyself. By him hast thou set at peace, through the blood of his cross, both things in heaven and things on earth. By him hast thou quickened us, and forgiven us all our trespasses. He hath put out the hand-writing that was against us contained in the law written. Yea, he hath taken that hand-writing out of the way, and hath fast- ened it to his cross, and hath spoiled rule and power, and hath made a shew of them openly, and hath triumphed over them in his own person. He is that Seed of the woman that treadeth down Satan’s head. He is that Seed in whom all nations of the world shall be blessed. He is that Lord which alone hath trodden down the wine-press, neither was there any at all that helped him. He is that Saviour which saveth his people from their sins. He is that thy well-beloved Son, for whose sake thou art well pleased with man. He is that Bread of Life which came down from heaven: if any eat of that bread, he shall live for ever. He is the good Shep- herd which gave his life for his sheep. He is the Resurrection and Life: whoso believeth on him, although he were dead, shall live; and every one that liveth and believeth in him shall never die. He is that mighty Prince that hath overcome the world. He is the perfect fulfilling of the law to justify all that believe. He hath delivered us from the curse of the law, when he was made accursed for us. He in his own person hath purged our sins. He through death hath put down him that had rule THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 65 over death, that is to say, the devil, and hath made us free from the danger of bond- age. He with one offering of his blessed body hath made perfect for ever them that Heb. x. are sanctified. He now in the end of the world hath appeared once for all, to put sin to flight by the offering up of himself. 116. hath loved us and washed us from Rev. i. our sins in his own blood, and made us kings and priests unto thee God his Father. Inestimable are the treasures, and infinite are the pleasures, which we receive of thee through this thy Son Jesu Christ our Lord and Saviour. And this thy well-beloved and only-begotten Son, with all his, hast thou given unto us; so that both he and all that he hath is ours, and we may through thy gift justly challenge it to be our own. For this thy fatherly love and unspeakable kindness, in giving thy Son unto Rom. viii. the death for our sake, and for all thy other benefits which we have received at thy merciful hand through him, we give thee most hearty thanks, desiring thee that we never commit any thing in thought, word, or deed, that may offend thy divine Majesty ; but, calling to remembrance that we are not redeemed with corruptible silver 1 Pet. i. and gold from our conversation, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb undefiled and without spot, we ray live worthy of this thy kindness, and shew our- selves obedient children to thee our heavenly Father; not fashioning ourselves any more after this unto our old lusts of ignorancy; but as thou which hast called us art holy, even so in like manner we may be holy in all our conversation and living, unto the glory of thy blessed name. Amen. A THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD, THAT HE HATH BROUGHT US OUT OF THE DARKNESS OF MEN’S TRADITIONS INTO THE GLORIOUS LIGHT OF HIS HOLY GOSPEL. O Lorp God and our heavenly Father, thou by thy holy prophet declarest that 1a. v. thy people were led captive, because they had no knowledge nor understanding in thy blessed word. No marvel; for, as thy dearly-beloved Son saith, He that walketh John xii. in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. Yea, vain are all they in whom Wis4. xiii. the knowledge of thee our Lord God is not. For this is everlasting life, even to John xvii. know thee to be the true God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesu Christ. When the Prov. xxix. preaching of thy word faileth, the people perish and go to havoc. For man liveth Matt. iv. not with bread alone, but with every word that cometh out of thy mouth: where no knowledge of thee and of thy blessed word is, there is no goodness for the soul; yea, there doth the soul pine away, as the body for want of corporal food, and is moved and led away with every wind of doctrine, be it true or false. Neither is it to be wondered at. For the ignorant and untaught build not their faith upon the rock, that is, upon thy Son Christ, and upon his holy gospel (against the which the Matt. xvi. very gates of hell cannot prevail, neither can the raging floods nor the boisterous Matt. vi. winds move them that so build), but upon the sands: therefore are they thrown down ae with every blast, and miserably led which way their teachers lust. This was evidently perceived in us, O blessed Father, which so many years for want of knowledge of thy blessed word were too much wretchedly led captive of Satan and of his ministers, which changed themselves into angels of light, when in 2cor. xi. deed they were the bond-slaves of antichrist, and believed and did whatsoever they commanded us to believe or to do. The man of sin, that son of perdition, so sat in 2 Thess. ii. our consciences, that we feared him more than thee our Lord God. His trifling tra- ditions, his crooked constitutions, and devilish decrees, were more earnestly regarded, believed, and obeyed, than thy blessed word, whereof we were altogether ignorant. Tlis ceremonies we thought to be thy service. His dreams we esteemed true godli- ness. We worshipped thee not after thy word, but after antichrist’s traditions: as for thy holy gospel, we knew no part of it aright. Yea, antichrist and his imps con- demned thy holy bible for heresy, and brent it as most abominable doctrine, unto the great grief of all godly persons. Many other notable works also, compiled by thy faithful servants for the avancement of thy glory, and for bringing of the simple people a [BECON, 1. | τ Jer. XXXVi. 1 Mace. i. Matt. xxvii. Matt. xxiv. Matt. xv. 1 Pet. i. Matt. xv. Isai. iii. Rom. viii. Heb. vii. 1 Tim. i. 1 John ii. 1 John i. Ep». i. Col. i. 66 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. unto the knowledge of thy truth, they cruelly burnt and destroyed, after the examples of the wicked kings Joachim and Antiochus. And as for the authors of them, some those bloody Edomites brent, some they murdered privily, some they imprisoned, stocked, chained, and put to shame; all even so many as they could get, they cruelly and most tyrant-like entreated after the example of their predecessors, the high priests of Jewry, which sought all means possible, both with tyranny and bribes, to keep down thy Son Christ and his glorious gospel, that they alone might reign. O most gentle God, when these bellied hypocrites and chaplains of Bal had brent thy holy bible, so that we, the simple people, might not read the word of our soul- health in our own mother-tongue; again, when these false anointed shavelings had killed and put to flight thy true ministers and godly preachers; then made they us to believe as they would, to walk, to do, to speak as they lusted, to honour and wor- ship thee, not after thy holy law, but after the traditions and doctrines of men, to do works not commanded of thee, but such as their idle brains fancied, without au- thority of thy word. O Lord, thou long-suffering God, with how great blindness were we overwhelmed of these antichristian monsters, when they taught us to run a pilgrimage to this and that idol, to paint this tabernacle, and to gild that mawmet, to pray to this he-saint and to that she-saint, to buy other men’s merits, and to seek salvation in them, to put our trust in water, salt, bread, palms, ashes, wax, oil, cream, bells, pardons, rotten reliques, and such other pelting pedlary ; to believe that our souls after this present life should be boiled and perboiled in antichrist’s furnace, there to lie piteously yelling, puling, and crying, till they were redeemed with diriges, masses, trentals, lady’s psal- ters, &c.; to believe that our sins could not be forgiven till we had whispered our sins into the priest’s ear, and to receive absolution at his hand; to believe that after the words of consecration, as they call them, there remain no more bread nor no more wine in the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood, but that the bread is changed into the natural flesh of thy dear Son Christ Jesu, and the wine into his most precious blood, that was shed for our sins upon the altar of the cross, when notwithstanding the papists themselves do many times keep the bread so long that it both mouldeth, stinketh, and breedeth full of worms, and afterward they burn it, according to their own law! Ah, Lord, thus were we too much wretchedly mocked and led captive of antichrist and his disciples. The darkness wherein we walked were so great that they might be felt. But thanks be unto thee, O most merciful Father, which hast called us out of the darkness of men’s traditions into the glorious light of thy gospel. We have now learned that antichrist and his members have long deceived us, and taught us their own drowsy dreams instead of thy blessed word. We now know that thou requirest not of us that we should run gadding to stocks and stones, but that we should visit such as are sick and in prison, and comfort them. We now know that thy will is not that we should paint tabernacles and gild images, but rather that we should clothe the poor and help the needy. We now know that it is vain to [pray to] this or to that saint, seeing they neither hear us nor yet can help us. We have learned of thy blessed word, that Christ thy Son is our alone Intercessor, Mediator, and Advocate. We now know that no salvation is to be looked for in any ceremonies, but only in thy great mercies set forth freely to all penitent sinners through faith in Christ’s blood. We now know that Christ’s blood is the alone purgatory of our souls, which purgeth and maketh us clean from all sin. We now know that whensoever we repent, confess our sins unto thee, and believe to have remission of all our sins through Christ’s blood, we shall surely be forgiven. Yet despise we not, but rather heartily desire, the counsel of godly and learned preachers, which with the comfortable words of the gospel may raise up, strengthen, and confirm our weak conscience against Satan, sin, death, hell, and desperation. We now know that the massmongers have without all shame lied unto us, when they taught us to believe that the mass which they mumbled was a propitiatory sacrifice, and of as great virtue, strength, and power, as the glorious passion of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and that it was necessary both for the quick and dead, Ad salutem. THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 67 We now know also, that the sacrament of Christ’s body and blood is not the very self real and natural body and blood of Christ, but an holy sign, figure, and token of his blessed body and precious blood. For this word ‘Ssacrament” is as much to say as a sign of an holy thing. Now that which is the sign of a thing cannot be the thing itself. And though thy Son called the bread his body, and the wine his blood, because the disciples should the better remember the breaking of his body and the shedding of his blood (as he likewise called himself a vine, a door, a rock, when John xv. Totwithstandinp he was neither natural vine, material door, or stony rock, but only mM: att. Vil likened unto them for certain properties which he hath with the vine, door, and rock), *”” yet is neither the bread his natural body, nor the wine his natural flood as divers of the ancient doctors do declare and prove, but only a figure of his body and blood. The bread is called Christ’s body, because it visibly preacheth and bringeth to our remembrance the breaking of Christ’s body. The wine also is called Christ’s blood, because it putteth us in remembrance of the shedding of Christ’s blood. Of such phrases and manners of speaking thy holy scriptures are full. But as in many other things, so likewise in this blessed sacrament, have the papists, for the maintenance of their idle and beastly life, most foully deceived us, making us to worship a wafer-cake and a spoonful of wine mingled with water, instead of our Saviour Jesu Christ, God and man. And this idolatrous error is yet so rusted and cankered in the hearts of many both learned and unlearned, whose minds, judgments, senses, and wits the god of this world, even the devil, hath blinded, that the light of the glorious 2 Cor. iv. gospel of Christ shonld not shine unto them, that they cast away this doctrine as heresy, and go forth still of an obstinate and froward mind to worship the bread and wine as God, and condemn all other for heretics which hold the contrary. O Lord, these bread Christians may well be resembled to the men of Babylon, which would not be persuaded by any means but that Bel and the great dragon, B. ἃ pr. whom they daily worshipped and offered unto, were living gods; and therefore sought they all means possible to destroy both Daniel and the king, because they taught the contrary, and brast those idols, giving commandment that the living God alone, which thou art, should be honoured and worshipped of all nations in the world. But we, O Lord, to whom thou hast revealed the mysteries of thy godly truth, and delivered out of the kingdom of darkness, confess ourselves to be greatly bounden unto thee for thy merciful benefit. We therefore beseech thee to give us grace so to walk in this glorious light of Eph. v. thy holy gospel, as it becometh the children of light, in all goodness, righteousness, and truth. Thou hast delivered us from stinking Sodom: suffer us no more to look back Gen. xix. toward it. Thou hast brought us home again from Babylon, that land of bondage, unto the new Jerusalem: grant that we, being delivered out of the hands of our ene- mies, may serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. We have seen Christ thy Son and our king: suffer us no more to return unto wicked king Matt. ii. Herod. We have put our hand to the plough: grant that we never look back again, Luke ix. but persevere, continue, and go forward unto the end. Let it be never said to us, as thy Son said unto the Jews, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and Matt. xxi. shall be given to a people which shall bring forth the fruits of it. Make us fruitful fig-trees. Give us grace to be rich and plenteous in all good works. As we éon- fess thee with our words, so let us express thee with our works. As we favour and love thy gospel, so let us follow and live thy gospel. For that servant, which knoweth Luke xii. his master’s will and doeth it not, shall be beaten with many stripes. If, after we 2 Pet. ii. have escaped from the filthiness of the world through the knowledge of thee and of our Saviour Jesu Christ, we are tangled again therein and overcome, then is the latter end worse with us than the beginning. For it had been better for us not to have known the way of righteousness, than after we have known it to turn from the holy commandment given unto us. So might it be said of us according to the true pro- verb: The dog is turned to his vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her prov. xxvi. wallowing in the mire. Grant therefore, we most humbly pray thee, that according to our knowledge we may lead an honest conversation among all men, that they 1 Pet. ii. 5—2 Gen. i. Wisd. ii. Gen. iii. 1 Tim. ii. 1 John i. Heb. x. Rom. iv. Mark xvi. Luke xxiv. Acts i. 1 Tim. ii. 1 John ii. Acts i. Matt. xxv. 1 Thess. iv. Tsai. Ixiv. 1 Cor. ii. Matt. xxv. Matt. ix. Luke ix. 68 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. which backbite us as evil-doers, may see our good works, and glorify thee our heavenly Father in the day of visitation. Amen. A THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS. We most heartily thank thee, O Lord God our heavenly Father, for thy manifold and inestimable benefits, which thou hast given unto us both for our body and soul, yea, and freely even of thine own goodness without our desert. We thank thee that it hath pleased thee of thy great mercy first to create and make us according to thine own image and likeness, and to place us in joyful paradise, where we should con- tinually have remained in a blessed and quiet state, if through the subtile and deceitful suggestions of Satan, our old enemy, we had not transgressed thy holy commandment. We thank thee also, O most gentle Father, for thy loving-kindness which thou shewedst unto us when we all were perished and lost through the sin of our first father Adam. For when thou mightest justly have condemned us, and cast us into perpetual damnation, thou, like a Father of singular great love, hadst pity on us, and sayvedst us by the death and passion of thy well-beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ, which gave himself a ransom for all our sins, and paid a suflicient price by his precious blood for all the wickedness that we at any time heretofore have committed, or hereafter shall commit through our frailty and weakness, so that we repent, believe, and amend. Neither was thou thus contented that he only should die for our sins, but thou also didst raise him up again for our justification, and to make us righteous in thy sight. Moreover, after that he had shewed himself unfeignedly alive to his apostles, by manifest and evident tokens, certain days after his resurrection, through the power of his Godhead, he ascended up into heaven, perfect God and perfect man, where he now sitteth on thy right hand, and maketh intercession for us, being our alone Mediator and Advocate. From thence we look for him to come again at the day of judgment, not as a cruel judge to condemn and cast us away, but as a most loving Lord and gentle Saviour, to carry us with him unto everlasting glory, there worlds without end to remain in such joys as eye have not seen, nor ear hath heard, nor yet is any heart able to think. For these thy most bounteous gifts, and for all other thy benefits which thou daily givest unto us of thy great mercy both for our body and soul, we most humbly thank thee, most gentle and merciful Father, beseeching thee that thou wilt give us grace through thy holy Spirit not to be un- thankful, but to walk worthy of this thy kindness, and so to behave ourselves all our life-time in this wretched world according to thy holy will, that at the last day we may be found in the number of them to whom thy only-begotten Son shall say: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess the kingdom which was prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Lord, let it so come to pass. A PRAYER TO BE SAID FOR ALL SUCH AS LIE AT THE POINT OF DEATH. O most loving Saviour and gentle Redeemer, which camest into this world to call sinners unto repentance, and to seek up that was lost, thou seest in what case this our brother lieth here visited with thy merciful hand, all weak, feeble, sick, and ready to yield up his soul into thy holy hands. O look upon him, most gentle Saviour, with thy merciful eye: pity him, and be favourable unto him. He is thy workmanship: despise not therefore the work of thine own hands. Thou sufferedst thy blessed body and thy precious blood to be shed for his sins, and to bring him unto the glory of thy heavenly Father: let it not therefore come to pass that thou shouldest suffer so great pains for him in vain. He was baptized in thy name, and gave himself wholly to be thy servant, forsaking the devil, the world, and the flesh: confess him therefore before thy heavenly Father and his blessed angels to be thy THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. 69 servant. Tis sins, we confess, are great (for who is able to say, My heart is clean, and I am free from sin?) but thy mercies, O Lord, are much greater. And thou camest not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. To them that are diseased and overladen with the burden of sin dost thou promise ease. Thou art that God which willest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live. Thou art the Saviour which wishest all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of thy truth. Withdraw not therefore thy mercy from him because of his sins, but rather lay upon him thy saving health, that thou mayest shew thyself toward him to be a Saviour. What greater praise can there be to a physician than to heal the sick? Neither can there be a greater glory to thee, being a Saviour, than to save sinners: save him therefore, O Lord, for thy name’s sake. Again: let the law be no corsive’ to his conscience, but rather give him grace even in this extreme agony and conflict of death to be fully persuaded, that thou by thy death hast taken away all his sins, fulfilled the law for him, and by this means delivered him from the curse of the law, and paid his ransom; that he thus being fully persuaded may have a quiet heart, a free conscience, and a glad will to forsake this wretched world, and to go unto his Lord God. Moreover, thou hast conquered him that had rule of death, even Satan: suffer him not therefore to exercise his tyranny upon this our sick brother, nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrors of sin and pains of hell. Let not Satan nor his infernal army tempt him further than he is able to bear; but evermore give him grace even unto his last breath valiantly to fight against the devil with a strong faith in thy precious blood, that he may fight a good fight, and finish his course with joy, unto the glory of thy name, and the health of his soul. O Lord, so work in him by thy holy Spirit, that he with all his heart may contemn and despise all worldly things, and set his mind wholly upon heavenly things, hoping for them with a strong and undoubted faith. Again, let it not grieve him, O sweet Saviour, to be loosened from this vile and wretched carcase, which is now so full of sorrow, trouble, anguish, sickness, and pain ; but rather let him have a bent and ready will, through thy goodness, to put it off, yea, and that with this faith, that he at the last day shall receive it again in a much better state than it is now or ever was from the day of his birth; even a body un- corruptible, immortal, and like to thy glorious body. Let his whole heart and mind be set only upon thee. Let the remembrance of the joys of heaven be so fervent in his breast, that he may both patiently and thankfully take his death, and ever wish to be with thee in glory. And when the time cometh that he shall give over to nature, and depart from this miserable world, vouchsafe, we most humbly beseech thee, O Lord Jesu, to take his soul into thy hands, and to place it among the glorious company of thy holy angels and blessed saints, and to keep it unto that most joyful day of the general resurrection, that, both his body and soul through thine almighty power being knit again together at that day, he may for ever and ever enjoy thy glorious kingdom, and sing perpetual praises to thy blessed name. Amen. THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD FOR THE DEPARTURE OF THE FAITHFUL OUT OF THIS WORLD. O now can we, most loving Father, render unto thee sufficient thanks for thine inestimable goodness toward thy faithful servants, whom thou calling out of this wretched world, vouchestsafe to place in thy heavenly kingdom, among the glorious company of thy holy angels and blessed saints. O full precious is the death of the faithful in thy sight! Blessed are the dead that die in thee, O Lord! For they are at rest from their painful travails and labours. The souls of the righteous are in thy hand, O God; and the pain of death shall not touch them. In the sight of the unwise [' Corsive, i.e. corrosive. Folio, corsire. | Prov. xx. Matt. ix. Matt. xi. 1 Tim, ii. Rom. x. Gal, ll. Heb. ii. os. ΧΗ. 1 Cor. xv. Phil. iii. 1 Cor. xv. Dan. Xii. Psal. exvi. Wisd. iii. Rev. xiv. 70 THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS. they appear to die, but they are in peace. They shine as the sparks that run through the reed bush. They glister as the shining of heaven. They are as the stars world without end. They are as angels of God. They are clad with white garments, and have golden crowns upon their heads. They do service day and night before the glorious throne of thy divine Majesty. They neither hunger nor thirst any more, neither doth the sun or any heat fall upon them; for the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne governeth them, and leadeth them unto the living fountains of waters. They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. They have such joys as eye hath not seen, nor ear hath heard, neither is there any heart able to think them. Infinite and unspeakable are the treasures, O Lord, which thou hast laid up for them that depart in thy faith. For these thy fatherly benefits toward the souls of the faithful, and for that it hath pleased thee to call our christian brethren and sistern from this vale of misery unto thy heavenly kingdom, we give unto thee most hearty thanks, humbly beseeching thee that thou wilt take like care for us, and so govern us with thy holy Spirit, both in sickness and in health, that we may live a good and godly life in this present world, and, whensoever it shall be thy good pleasure to call us hence, we may, with strong faith in thee and in thy Son Christ Jesu our Lord, commend both our bodies and souls into thy merciful hands, and through thy goodness be placed in thy glorious kingdom, among thy faithful chosen people, and so for ever and ever praise and magnify thee our heavenly Father ; to whom with thy dearly-beloved Son Jesu Christ our Lord and Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, that most sweet Comforter, be all glory and honour, worlds without end. Amen. Give the glory to God alone. A TABLE CONTAINED IN THIS BOOK. A prayer for the morning Auprayer fOr the ΠΡ scoccceccesccesieceseensees A confession of our sins unto God the Father . A confession of our sins unto our Lord Jesus JSPR, ccoansoaécooncotbonc ooroonosudeoEabonecencns A confession of our sins unto the Holy Ghost. A prayer to be said before dinner ..............+ A thanksgiving unto God after dinner ......... A prayer to be said before supper ...........0+0+ A thanksgiving unto God after supper ......... PAUDIAV EDM OMMtNe KIN We case snscsccecceenececcossa se A prayer for the king’s council ............0.+0++ PALA VEL [ΟΣ 11 PES .cceccsecasscrsscsccesscceses ste A general prayer for all magistrates ............ A prayer for bishops and ministers of God’s word PAU PIAMEL ἸῸΝ SENtlEMeM) Veseeccecrentiesovacinss scone Auprayertor landlords /..2s...02-c-s0-soersases ὁ οτος A prayer for merchants ........esccsecsesereeeees PAMDIAVEHLOL/AWV EIS sfescosestsnceceecenconccocsesees A prayer for labourers and men of occupations A prayer for rich MeN ...........s.csccoeceeseeceseee A prayer for poor people....... s.ssssecsereeeeeeee A prayer for the COMMONS ...........seceeeeeeeeee A prayer for them that are unmarried............ A prayer for them that be married ..............- A prayer for women with child ...............4.. A thanksgiving unto God for their deliverance A prayer for fathers and mothers..............2++ A prayer for children ............sssessesseseseeeee AW DUB ETHLOL MOBS LEIS] \eseeccoseiensesetancssesseees= PAUPIAY EN JOL/SCLVAMES| c.Jveccsscoccececconcwoocsosce A prayer for them that are sick ...............+4 ENED LAV CUM OM SOLUIETS: sa nsassiisseasssarsaaces sce sree PABDIAYV CHMOL MIATITICLS tecs:s0ss.ccocoscesrerccccrses A prayer for travellers by land ............... A prayer for a faithful man being in trouble or ΠΟ OUT AN COM edasessecaseccstsccoancsanessns-ses A thanksgiving to God for his deliverance...... A general prayer that all men may walk in their vocation and calling............+..00s00« PANPIAY EL ΤΟΣ OLE ENEMIES) .....00.ccccecarsersosceors A prayer for the adversaries of God’s truth, and that all men may come to the true know- ledge of God’s blessed Word .........2..+0+0e- A prayer for one uniform and perfect agreement in matters of christian religion ............+0 PAGE A prayer for the common peace and quietness ὍΣ ἈΠῚ ΘΑ ΓΒ. coscageerinsooncasbdosnneconenooboos 42 A prayer to be preserved from the plague and othendiseases Waa te- cre eacnennesansssnssstoce. 43 A prayer to preserve the fruits of the earth ... 44 A prayer that we may have the fear of God be- fore our eyes in all our doings ............... 45 A prayer for faith......... ἘΠ π΄- - ἌΡΥΆΜΕΥ ἸῸΣ Charity wseneateaseeeeeeseceneerceesscs 40 Av prayer foray godly liter τ π0-- τ τι τ: 47 A prayer against the temptations of the devil, the worldand ‘the flesh) 2.0:c.0.-ac-cetesieseen. 48 A prayer for remission of sins ................+.++- 9 A prayer for a competent and necessary living. 51 A prayer to be said before the sermon ......... 52 A thanksgiving unto God after the sermon .. 53 A prayer to be said before the receiving of the HOlyACOMMMN ION ce se wees sect seer aaa — A thanksgiving after the receiving of the com- ΤΠ cone opeonsiantecongasenbocdunbecnactedeenoctc 55 A short prayer to be said at the receiving of the mystery of Christ’s body in the holy CA)TAVD HUET) ST So cooecdece doceos accoencbuabacdooenAe 56 A prayer to be said at the receiving of the mystery of Christ’s blood in the holy COMA DAMON cos scien ge sleet etme ee aaecaceaee _ A prayer against idolatry ................02..0ee0-- -- A prayer against swearing ............... ss... 57 AU pray eMsealnst Pree. qeccsaccca ὶ στρ LAID Mn 2 Ζ, τῇ i ID d ὯΝ ft uA i I ZA i SSS ΠΙΝΜΝ Sa RS > = a MT LT MA Uf τν Ww LLL SOL, " aos --. hh LALLA LLL DODO00T πα θὰ 00000000:' ἢ δ ff : TTT ἢ ἘΞ, . ΠΠΠΠΠΠΤΙΠΙΠΠΠΠ Ξε τ TTT CTCL TOTO TN Ey TINT PPT TINIE TERATITIN Sy osc TERY OTS Ξ soe τ τ πῇ EO S δ eos | a THE POMANDER OF PRAYER, THOMAS BECON. TO THE MOST HONOURABLE AND VIRTUOUS LADY ANNE OF CLEVE’, HER GRACE, SISTER TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CLEVE, &c., THOMAS BECON WISHETH THE FAVOUR OF GOD, LONG LIFE, AND CONTINUAL HEALTH. Amona many other godly and noble virtues, which God by his holy Spirit hath graffed in your grace’s breast, most honourable lady, the fervent affection and continual! desire of praying unto the Lord our God hath neither the last nor the least place ir you. And as God hath wrought in you by the Holy Ghost this godly mind to cal upon his holy name with diligent prayer, so likewise doth your grace stir up and con- firm that spiritual motion with the exercise of daily prayer, lest that godly affectior should be quenched, which the Holy Ghost hath kindled in your heart. For your grace doth right well consider, that God delighteth in nothing more thai in the invocation of his blessed name, and in the sacrifice of thanksgiving for hi: benefits. Where the name of God is diligently called upon, and most humble anc hearty thanks given unto him for his fatherly and friendly gifts, there is his blessing grace, and favour plenteous; there is the Holy Ghost present, there is a merry conscience there all things prosper, there wanteth no good thing. Continue therefore, mos honourable lady, as ye have godly begun, both you and all your faithful family, t call for the glorious name of the Lord our God with fervent prayer, and forget no to be thankful unto him for his benefits, wherewith above many other he hath richly; endued your grace. So shall he be your loving Lord and gracious God, your favourabl Father and strong shield. So shall he make your grace to prosper in all your doings and bless you both with long life and much honour. And that your grace may have at hand convenient prayers to pray unto the Lor our God, I thought it good, considering your grace’s manifold virtues, to give unto yor this my Pomander of Prayer, wherein are briefly contained such godly prayers as ar most meet in this our age to be used of all degrees and estates, most humbly beseech ing your grace to take in good part this my rude and bold enterprise, according ἐν your accustomed gentleness. God, whose glory you heartily love, whose word you joyfully embrace, whose name you earnestly call upon, mought vouchsafe to preserve your grace in continual health and increase of honour! Amen. Your graces most humble and faithful orator, Thomas Becon. [ Of Anne, daughter of John duke of Cleve, the | voured to release himself from the connexion. I fourth wife of king Henry VIII., little is recorded by historians, excepting the particulars of her mar- riage to that monarch, and a notice of her divorce six months afterwards. Into the details of these events it is not necessary here to enter. It may, however, be said that, the preliminaries having been agreed on in 1539, the princess landed at Deal, Dec. 27, in that year. The king had an interview with her at Rochester, Jan. 3 following, and in three days’ time the marriage took place. It does not appear that she was ever crowned ; and Henry, having conceived a dislike of her person, speedily endea- July, 1540, the convocation having pronounce against the legality of this marriage, an act t invalidate it was passed by parliament; and Ann¢ having laid down the title of queen, consented to liy still in England, in the enjoyment of certain estate settled upon her on condition that she should not g beyond the sea. She survived her retirement sever teen years, and died in her house at Chelsea, Jul 17, 1557. She was of a courteous and gentle tempe: much esteemed by her friends. Her accomplish ments extended little beyond the exercise of th needle, with reading and writing. | THE POMANDER’ OF PRAYER. A PRAYER FOR THE MORNING. I reNDER unto thee, O heavenly Father, most hearty thanks, by thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that this night past thou hast vouchedsafe of thy fatherly goodness to preserve me from all evil, and to give my body rest and sleep: I now most entirely beseech thee that, as thou hast raised up this my body from sleep, so likewise thou wilt deliver my mind from the sleep of sin, and from the darkness of this world; that I, walking in the light of thy blessed word, may only do that is pleasant in thy sight, profitable to my neighbour, and healthful to my soul. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE EVENING. I most humbly thank thee, O merciful Father, for preserving me this day from all misfortunes, and for thy other benefits wherewith thou hast plenteously blessed me. I beseech thee, forgive me all my sins wherewith I have offended thy fatherly goodness from the very beginning of my life unto this present hour, and take me this night into thy tuition, that mine enemies may have no power over me, but that, my body enjoying a sweet sleep, my mind may continually watch unto thee, and through faith behold thy blessed Majesty, with a perfect hope, after this frail and transitory life, to possess that immortal and heayenly life, where thou gloriously livest and reignest with thy only-begotten Son and the Holy Ghost, one true and everlasting God, worlds without end. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. O my Lord and only Saviour Jesu Christ, which camest into this world to take away the heavy burdens of them that were loaden, to seek that was lost, to call sinners unto repentance, to give everlasting life to the faithful, and to be a Mediator between God the Father and us; I, poor and wretched sinner, from the very heart lament and inwardly bewail my sinful and wretched life, desiring thee, for thy promise sake, accord- ing to thy merciful wont, to be my Mediator and Advocate unto God the Father, that he may forgive me all mine old sins, and so wholly possess my heart by his blessed Spirit, that he may defend me against all perils to come, which the devil, the world, or the flesh, imagineth against me, and so change me into a new man, that, mine old sins being wiped away in thy precious blood, I may walk from virtue to virtue, unto the glory and praise of his blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE FATHER. Tuy dearly-beloved Son, O most loving Father, taught us in his holy gospel that Matt. xi. Matt. xviii. Luke xix. Matt. 1x. John iii. 1 Tim. 11. 1 John τι. to know thee to be the alone true God is everlasting life. Grant therefore, we beseech John xvii. thee, that we may truly know thee, even as we are taught by thy holy word, believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that thou alone art the true living and immortal God, our heavenly Father, our maker, our preserver, and our defender ; that we, thus believing and confessing, may through thy Son Christ become heirs of ever- {? Pomander; a ball made up of several sorts of perfumes. | Matt. v. Matt. xvi. Psal. il. Psal. ex. John i. Heb. i. Col. i. Eph. ii. Heb. x. 1 John ii. Rom. v. 1 John v. John xv. Xvi. Matt. v. 1 Cor. xii. John xiv. Heb. xiii. Wisd. vi. Rom, xiii. Wisd, vi. Rom. xiii. 76 THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. lasting life. And as we thus believe and confess of thee, so give us grace to shew forth this our faith by godly conversation and virtuous living, that men, seeing our good works, may glorify thee our heavenly Father, to whom be praise for ever. Amen. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE SON. O Lorp Jesu Christ, the Son of the living God, yea, very God himself, begotten of God the Father from everlasting, and continuing true and immortal God worlds without end, by thee all things were made both in heaven and in earth; by thee also they be conserved and kept in a goodly order: thou art the brightness of thy Father's glory, thou art the very image of his substance; in thee are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in thee dwelleth all fulness; by thee are we reconciled to God the Father; by thee are we set at peace with him, through the blood of thy cross; by thee have we free access unto the glorious throne of God’s majesty; and by thee are we brought in through faith unto this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We thank thee for all thy benefits, and most humbly beseech thee to give us grace faithfully to believe in thee, stedfastly to confess thee true God and true man, earnestly to acknowledge thee our alone Redeemer, Saviour, Satisfier, Reconciler, Intercessor, Mediator, and Advocate ; that we, altogether depending on thee and thy merits, on thy blessed passion, precious death, and glorious resurrection, may study, through thy grace, so to order our life in true holiness and innocency, that at the day of judgment thou mayest present us both body and soul unto thy heavenly Father, and so for ever and ever place us in thy glorious kingdom. Amen. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE HOLY GHOST. O nory and blessed Spirit, which, being true and everlasting God with God the Father and God the Son, proceedest from them both, full of majesty and power; which also with thy heavenly breath quickenest the minds of them that afore were dead through sin, makest merry the hearts of the faithful penitent, bringest into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived, settest at one such as were at debate, comfortest the souls of them that hunger and thirst after righteousness, and plenteously enrichest them with divers gifts which pray unto thee in the name of Jesu Christ; purify our hearts, we beseech thee, with the fire of thy love, mortify in us whatsoever is not thine, renew and garnish our minds with thy heavenly benefits and spiritual gifts, that they may be made thy temples ; lead us into all necessary truth, suffer us not to be carried about with divers and strange doctrine, but alway to remain in that doctrine whereof thou alone art the author; enarm our souls against the crafty assaults of subtile Satan, against the vain pleasures of the wicked world, and against the lewd lusts of filthy flesh, that we, being replenished with thy holy breath, may do that only which is acceptable in thy godly sight. Amen. PARTICULAR PRAYERS TO BE SAID. OF THE MAGISTRATES. Forasmucn as it is thy godly pleasure, O King of kings, and Lord of lords, to appoint me among other a ruler of thy people, give me grace, I beseech thee, so to minister the commonweal, and so to execute my office, that I may please thee, and hurt no man in all my doings; but judge equally and justly, rule according to thy will, shew myself a father unto thy people, and so behave myself in all mine enterprises, that I, seeking thy glory, the furtherance of thy blessed gospel, and the weal of the subjects, may, when thon shalt render to every man according to his deeds, be found blameless in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. ts OF THE MINISTERS OF GOD'S WORD O tuov high Priest and everlasting Bishop Jesus Christ, the alone teacher of all 1 pet. ν. godly truth, and the only curate of our souls, which by thy holy word hast appointed Hise: some of thy congregation to be ministers and preachers of thy blessed law and glorious gospel, that by this means, the Holy Ghost also working, they may call sinners unto repentance, preach remission of sins in thy name, persuade unto virtue, and dissuade Luke xxiv. from vice; forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to call me, an unprofitable servant, unto that holy office of ministration, and to make me a preacher of thy word, I most humbly beseech thee to give me thy holy Spirit, which may lead me into all truth, sonn xiv. xv. instruct me with the το ΓΕ of thy holy mysteries, and through his heavenly inspi- ““** ration so prepare my heart nl order my tongue, that I may “tne: think, breathe, nor speak any thing but that may turn unto thy glory and the edifying of thy flock. Grant also, that whatsoever I preach in word I may fulfil the same in work, unto the 1 Pet. ν. example of that thy flock, which thou hast purchased with thy precious blood ; that, when thou the chief Shepherd shalt appear, I, being found faithful in my office, may through thy goodness receive the incorruptible crown of glory. Amen. OF SUBJECTS OR COMMONS. As it is thy godly appointment, Ὁ Lord God, that some should bear rule in this Wisa. vi. world to see thy glory set forth, and the common peace kept, so it is thy pleasure again ttm. vi that some should be subjects itl inferiors to other in their vocation, although before Του ii. thee there is no respect of persons. And forasmuch as it is thy good will to appoint Roma. me in the number of subjects, I beseech thee to give me a faithful and an obedient heart unto the high powers, that there may be found in me no disobedience, no unfaithfulness, no treason, no falsehood, no dissimulation, no insurrection, no commotion, no conspiracy, nor any kind of rebellion in word or in deed against the civil magistrates, Mate. xxiii. . - : . . Luke xviii. but all faithfulness, obedience, quietness, subjection, ipa and whatsoever else Mark x. _ becometh a subject ; that I, living here in all lowliness of mind, may at the last day through thy favour be lifted up unto everlasting glory, where thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest very God for ever. Amen. OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS. Tue fruit of the womb and the multitude of children is thy gift and blessing, O Gen. xxx, Lord, given to this end, that they may live to thy glory and the commodity of here ἐν neighbour. Forasmuch therefore as thou of thy goodness hast given me children, I beseech thee, give me also grace to train them up even from their cradles in thy nurture Eph. vi. and doctrine, in thy holy laws and blessed ordinances, that from their very young age they may know thee, believe in thee, fear and love thee, and diligently walk in thy commandments, unto the praise of thy glorious name. Amen. OF CHILDREN. Tou hast given a commandment in thy law, O heavenly Father, that children gxoa. xx. should honour their fathers and mothers: I most humbly beseech thee therefore to vee vie breathe thy holy Spirit into my breast, that I may reverence and honour my father *? ἢ and mother, not only with outward gestures of my body, but also with the unfeigned affection of the heart; love them, obey them, pray for them, help them, and do for them, both in word and deed, whatsoever lieth in my power; that thou, seeing mine unfeigned hearty good-will toward my parents, mayest become my loving heavenly Father, and number me among those thy children whom thou hast appointed from ever- Matt. xxv. lasting heirs of thy glorious kingdom, through thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ our ae Lord. Amen. Eph. vi. Col. iv- Acts x. Rom. ii. Col. iii. Eph. vi. 1 Pet. i. Matt. xxiii. Eph. vi. Col. iii. Tit. ii. 1 Pet. ii. Tit. it. James i. John xv. Eph. iv. 1 Corexvs Psal. exix, 1 Cor. vi. Heb. xiii. 1 Cor. vi. 1 Thess, iv. 78 THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. OF MASTERS. Tuy commandment is by thine holy apostle, O most merciful Lord Christ, that masters should entreat their servants gently, putting away threatenings, and doing that unto them which is just and equal; forasmuch as we also have a Master in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons. Grant, I most heartily pray thee, I may so order my servants, that I attempt none unrighteousness against them, but so use my rule and authority over them, that I may alway remember that thou art the common Lord of all, and we all thy servants; again, that I may not forget that we be all brothers, having one Father which is in heaven, and look for one glorious kingdom, where thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest true and ever- lasting God for ever. Amen. OF SERVANTS. O Lorp, we are commanded by thy blessed apostles that we should honour and obey our bodily masters with fear and trembling, not only if they be good and courteous, but also though they be froward; and serve them not unto the eye as men-pleasers, but with singleness of heart ; not churlishly answering them again, nor picking, stealing, or conveying away any part of their goods unjustly, but shewing all good faithfulness unto our masters, as though we served God and not men. Grant me grace, I most humbly beseech thee, so to serve my master and my superiors, that there may be found no fault in me, but that I, behaving myself uprightly, justly, faithfully, and truly in my yocation, may do worship to the doctrine of thee my God and Saviour in all things. Amen. OF MAIDS. THERE is nothing that becometh a maid better than silence, shamefacedness, and chastity of both body and mind. For, these things being once lost, she is no more a maid, but a strumpet in the sight of God, howsoever she disguiseth herself, and dis- sembleth with the world. I therefore most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift, and without whom we are able to do nothing, that thou wilt so order my tongue and dispose my talk, that I speak nothing but that become my state, age, and person, neither that I delight to hear any talk that might in any point move me to lewdness, seeing that evil words corrupt good manners. Give me also such shamefacedness as may pluck me away from the delectation either of thinking, speaking, hearing, seeing, or doing evil; that my whole delight may be in virtue, in godliness, in eschewing idleness, in giving myself continually to some godly exercise, but above all things in thinking and speaking of thee, in reading thy blessed word and heavenly law, which is a lantern to my feet, and a light to my paths. Moreover, suffer neither my mind to be defiled with evil thoughts, nor my body to be corrupted with any kind of uncleanness ; but give me grace so to order myself in eschew- ing idleness and wanton wicked company, that, my mind being free from evil affects, and my body clear from all uncleanness, I may be found a meet temple for the Holy Ghost to inhabit, and, if it be thy good pleasure hereafter to call me unto the honour- able state of matrimony, that I may bring also unto my husband a pure and undefiled body, and so live with him in thy fear unto the praise and glory of thy blessed name. Amen. OF SINGLE MEN. Lorp, thou hast commanded by thine holy apostle that we should abstain from fornication, and that every one of us should know how to keep his vessel, that is to say his body, in holiness and honour, and not in the lust of concupiscence, as do the THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. 79 heathen which know not God: I beseech thee, give me grace to behave myself according to this thy holy commandment, that in this time of my single life I defile not my body with whoredom, or with any other uncleanness, but so order myself with all honesty and pureness of life, that I may glorify thee, my Lord God, both in body 1 Cor. vi. and spirit. Amen. OF HUSBANDS. Forasmucu, O heavenly Father, as thou hast called me from the single life unto the holy state of honourable wedlock, which is thy good and blessed ordinance for all Gen. ii. them to live in that have not the gift of continency, and hast given me a woman to Matt. xix. wife, that I, living with her in thy fear, may avoid all uncleanness; I most heartily pray thee, give me grace to live with her according to thy godly pleasure. Kill in me Eph. v. all filthy and fleshly lusts. Suffer me not to delight i in any strange flesh, but to con- or ae tent myself only with her love, to love her as Christ loved the congregation, to cherish kph. v. her as I would cherish mine own body, to provide for her according to my ability, to instruct her with the knowledge of thy blessed word, quietly and peaceably to live with 1 Cor. xiv. her, and to agree together in such perfect concord and unity, as is found among many members in one body, seeing now that we also are no more two, but one flesh; that Gen. ii. other, seemg our godly and quiet conversation, may hereby be provoked to forsake their Eph. v. filthy ἘΝ and so embrace the holy state of honourable wedlock, unto the glory and Heb. xii. | ' | praise of thy holy name. Amen. ] | OF WIVES. — O Lorp, forasmuch as thou of thy fatherly goodness hast vouchedsafe to keep me from my tender age unto this present, and hast now called me from my single life unto the holy state of honourable wedlock, that I living therein might, according to thine ordinance, bring forth children unto thy glory; give me grace, I most entirely beseech thee, to walk worthy of my vocation, to knowledge my husband to be my head, to £ph. v. be subject unto him, to learn thy blessed word of him, to reverence him, to obey him, Te ey please him, to be ruled by him, peaceably and eels to live with him, to wear such apparel as is meet for my degree, and by no means to delight in costly jewels and 1 Pet. iii. proud gallant vestures, but alway to use such clothing as Become a sober christian woman, circumspectly and warily to look unto my household, that nothing perish through my negligence, and always have a diligent eye, that no dishonesty, no wicked- ness, no ungodliness be committed in my house, but that in it all things be ordained according to thy holy will, which art worthy all honour, glory, and praise, for ever and ever. Amen. | | ᾿ OF HOUSEHOLDERS. To have children and servants is thy blessing, O Lord, but not to order them ac- cording to thy word deserveth thy dreadful curse. Grant therefore that, as thou hast liilessed me with an household, so I may diligently watch that nothing be committed of the same that might offend thy fatherly goodness, and be an occasion of turning thy blessing into cursing; but that so many as thou hast committed to my charge may eschew all vice, embrace all virtue, live in thy fear, call upon thy holy name, learn thy blessed commandments, hear thy holy word, and, avoiding idleness, diligently exercise themselves, every one in his office, according to their vocation and calling, unto the glory 1 cor. vii. of thy most honourable name. Amen. OF ALL CHRISTIANS. A.peit, O heavenly Father, all we that unfeignedly profess thy holy religion, and faithfully call on thy blessed name, are thy sons and heirs of everlasting glory ; yet, as all the members of a body have not one office, so likewise we being many, and making Rom. xil, or. ΧΙΪ, 1 Pet. ii. Eph. ii. John iii. Jer. xvii. Gen. vi. Gen. viii. 2 Cor. iii. John xy. Lukei. Matt. ix. Luke xv. Luke xviii. Rom. x. Eph. ii. 1 John i. Luke xvii. ᾿ 80 THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. one body (whereof thy dearly-beloved Son is the head), have not all one gift, neither are we all called to one office, but as it hath pleased thee to distribute, so receive we. We therefore most humbly pray thee to send the spirit of love and concord among us, that, without any disorder or debate, every one of us may be content with our calling, quietly live in the same, study to do good unto all men by the true and diligent exercise thereof, without too much seeking of our own private gain, and so order our life in all points according to thy godly will, that by well doing we may stop the mouths of such foolish and ignorant people as report us to be evil-doers, and cause them, through our good works, to glorify thee our Lord God in the day of visitation. Amen. GENERAL PRAYERS TO BE SAID. FOR THE GRACE AND FAVOUR OF GOD. Wuosorver liveth without thy grace and favour, O most gracious and favourable Lord, although for a time he walloweth in all kind of fleshly pleasures, and abound with too much worldly riches, yet is he nothing else but the wretched bond-slave of Satan, and the vile dunghill of sin. All his pleasure is extreme poison, all his wealth is nothing but plain beggary. For what felicity can there be where thy grace and favour wanteth? but where thy grace and favour is present (though the devil roar, the world rage, the flesh swell), there is true blessedness, unfeigned pleasure, and continual wealth. Pour down therefore thy heavenly grace and fatherly favour upon us, that we, being assured of thy favourable goodness towards us, may rejoice and glory in thee, and have merry hearts whensoever we be most assailed with any kind of adversity, be it poverty or sickness, loss of friends, or persecution for thy name’s sake; to whom be glory for ever. Amen. FOR THE GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST. So frail is our nature, so vile is our flesh, so lewd is our heart, so corrupt are our affects, so wicked are all our thoughts even from our childhood upward, that of our- selves we can neither think, breathe, speak, or do any thing that is praiseworthy in thy sight, O heavenly Father; yea, except thou dost assist us with thy merciful goodness, all things are so far out of frame in us, that we see nothing present in ourselves but thy heavy displeasure and eternal damnation. Vouchsafe therefore, O sweet Father, to send thy holy Spirit unto us, which may make us new creatures, put away from us all fleshly lusts, fill our hearts with new affects and spiritual motions, and so altogether renew us both in body and soul, through his godly inspiration, that we may die unto old Adam, and live unto thee in newness of life, serving thee our Lord God in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life. Amen. FOR THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF OURSELVES. Ir is written in thy holy gospel, most loving Saviour, that thou camest into this world not to call the righteous, that is, such as justify themselves, but sinners unto. repentance. Suffer me not therefore, O Lord, to be in the number of those justiciaries which, boasting their own righteousness, their own works and merits, despise that righteousness that cometh by faith, which alone is allowable before thee. Give me grace to know and to knowledge myself as I am, even the son of wrath by nature, a wretched sinner, and an unprofitable servant, and wholly to depend on thy merciful goodness with strong and unshaken faith, that in this world thou mayest continually call me unto true repentance, seeing I continually sin, and in the world to come bring me unto everlasting glory. Amen. THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. 81 FOR A PURE AND CLEAN HEART. Tue heart of man naturally is lewd and unsearchable through the multitude of sins, Jer. xvii. which as in a stinking dunghill lieth buried in it, insomuch that no man is able to say, My heart is clean, and I am clean from sin. Remove from me therefore, O hea- Prov. xx. venly Father, my lewd, stony, stubborn, stinking, and unfaithful heart. Create in me Psal. li. a clean heart, free from all noisome and ungodly thoughts. Breathe into my heart by thy holy Spirit godly and spiritual motions, that out of the good treasure of the heart Matt. xii. I may bring forth good things, unto the praise and glory of thy name. Amen. FOR A QUIET CONSCIENCE. Tue wicked is like a raging sea which is never in quiet, neither is there any peace Isai. lvii. to the ungodly ; but such as love thy law, O Lord, they have plenty of peace, they Psal. exix. have quiet minds and contented consciences, which is the greatest treasure under the sun, given of thee to so many as seek it at thy hand with true faith and continual prayer. Give me, O Lord, that joyful jewel, even a quiet mind and a free merry conscience, that I, being free from the damnable accusations of Satan, from the crafty persuasions of the world, from the subtile enticements of the flesh, from the heavy curse of the law, and fully persuaded of thy merciful goodness toward me through faith in thy Son Christ Jesu, may quietly serve thee both bodily and ghostly in holiness and Lukei. righteousness all the days of my life. Amen. FOR FAITH. Forasmucu as nothing pleaseth thee that is done without faith, appear it before Heb. xi. the blind world never so beautiful and commendable, but is counted in thy sight sinful Rom. xiv. and damnable, yea, the self sin and damnation; this is most humbly to desire thee, O Father, for Christ’s sake, to breathe into my heart by thy holy Spirit this most precious and singular gift of faith, which worketh by charity, whereby also we are Gal. v. justified, and received into thy favour; that I, truly believing in thee, and fully per- eT ee suaded of the truth of thy holy word, may be made thy son, and inheritor of everlasting Jonni. glory, through Jesu Christ our Lord. Amen. FOR CHARITY. Tuy cognizance and badge, whereby thy disciples are known, O Lord and Saviour John xiii. Jesu Christ, is charity or love, which cometh out of a pure heart, and of a good 1Tim.i. conscience, and of faith unfeigned. I pray thee, therefore, give me this christian love and perfect charity, that I may love thee my Lord God ie all my heart, with all Deut. vi. my mind, with all my soul, and with all my strengths, doing alway of very love iene that only which is pleasant in thy sight; again, that i may love my neighbour and eevee christian brother as myself, wishing as well to him as to myself, and ante at all times to do for him whatsoever lieth in my power; that, when we all shall stand be- fore thy dreadful judging-place, I, being known by thy badge, may be numbered among thy disciples, and so mens thy mercy receive the reward of eternal glory. Amen. FOR PATIENCE. Wuen thou livedst in this world, O Lord Christ, thou shewedst thyself a mere mirror of perfect patience ; suffering quietly not the spiteful words, but also the cruel 1 Pet. iii deeds of thy most cruel enemies; forgiving them and praying for them, which most Ti tyrant-like handled thee. Give me grace, O thou most meek and joving Lamb of God, to follow this thy patience; quietly to bear the slanderous words of mine adver- [BEcon, m1. ] 6 Matt. v._ Rom. xii. Deut. xxxii. Psal. exlvi. 1 Cor. iv. James i. Matt. xxv. Jer. ix. 1 Cor. i. Luke vi. Matt. v. 2 Cor. i. Matt. xxiii. Matt. v. Matt. xxv. Prov. iv. Deut. iv. 2 Tim. iii. 2 Pet. i. 1 Cor. ii. John xv. 82 THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. saries; patiently to suffer the cruel deeds of mine enemies; to forgive them, to pray for them, yea, to do good for them, and by no means to go about once to avenge myself, but rather give place unto wrath, seeing that vengeance is thine, and thou wilt reward ; seeing also that thou helpest them to their right that suffer wrong; that I, thus patiently suffering all evils, may afterward reign with thee in glory. Amen. FOR HUMILITY. Waar have we, O heavenly Father, that we have not received? Every good gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, and cometh down from thee, which art the Father of lights. Seeing then all that we have is thine, whether it pertain to the body or to the soul, how can we be proud and boast ourselves of that which is none of our own; seeing also that, as to give, so to take away again thou art able, and wilt, when- soever thy gifts be abused, and thou not knowledged to be the giver of them? Take therefore away from me all pride and haughtiness of mind, and graff in me true humility, that I may knowledge thee the giver of all good things, be thankful unto thee for them, and use them unto thy glory and the profit of my neighbour. Grant also, that all my glory and rejoicing may be in no earthly creatures, but in thee alone, which dost mercy, equity, and righteousness upon earth. To thee alone be all glory. Amen. FOR MERCIFULNESS. Tuy dearly-beloved Son in his holy gospel exhorted us to be merciful, even as thou, our heavenly Father, art merciful; and promiseth that, if we be merciful to other, we shall obtain mercy of thee, which art the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation. Grant therefore that, forasmuch as thou art our Father, and we thy children, we may resemble thee in all our life and conversation ; and that, as thou art beneficial and liberal, not only to the good, but also to the evil, so we likewise may shew ourselves merciful, gentle, and liberal, to so many as have need of our help, that at the dreadful day of doom we may be found in the number of those merciful, whom thou shalt appoint by thy only-begotten Son to go into everlasting life; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and praise. Amen. FOR TRUE GODLINESS. In thy law, O thou Maker of heaven: and earth, thou hast appointed us a way to walk in, and hast commanded that we should turn neither on the right hand nor on the left, but do according to thy good-will and pleasure, without adding of our own good intents and fleshly imaginations. As thou hast commanded, so give me grace, good Lord, to do. Let me neither follow mine own will, nor the fancies of other men; neither let me be beguiled with the visor of old customs, long usages, fathers, de- crees, ancient laws, nor any other thing that fighteth with thy holy ordinances and blessed commandment, but faithfully believe and stedfastly confess that to be the true godliness, which is learned in thy holy bible, and according unto that to order my life, unto the praise of thy holy name. Amen. FOR THE TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S WORD. O Lorp, as thou alone art the Author of the holy scriptures, so likewise can no man, although never so wise, politic, and learned, understand them, except he be taught by thy holy Spirit, which alone is the school-master to lead the faithful into all truth. Vouchsafe therefore, 1 most humbly beseech thee, to breathe into my heart thy blessed Spirit, which may renew the senses of my mind, open my wits, reveal unto me the true understanding of thy holy mysteries, and plant in me such a certain and infallible knowledge of thy truth, that no subtile persuasion of man’s wisdom may THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. 83 pluck me from thy truth, but that, as I have learned the true understanding of thy blessed will, so I may remain in the same continually, come life, come death, unto the glory of thy blessed name. Amen. FOF A LIFE AGREEABLE TO OUR KNOWLEDGE. As I have prayed unto thee, O heavenly Father, to be taught the true under- standing of thy blessed word by thy holy Spirit, so I most entirely beseech thee to give me grace to lead a life agreeable to my knowledge. Suffer me not to be of the number of them, which profess that they know God with their mouth, but deny him with their deeds. Let me not be like unto that son which said unto his father Matt. xxi. that he would labour in his vineyard, and yet laboured nothing at all, but went abroad loitering idly. Make me rather like unto that good and fruitful land, which mate. xiii. yieldeth again her seed with great increase, that men, seeing my good works, may Taken glorify thee my heavenly Father. Amen. FOR THE HEALTH OF THE BODY. I reer in myself, O merciful Saviour, how grievous a prison this my body is unto my soul, which continually wisheth to be loosened out of this vile carcase, and Phil. i. to come unto thee; seeing it hath here no rest, but is at every hour vexed with the filthy lusts of the flesh, with the wicked assaults of the devil and the world, and is never at quiet, but alway in danger to be overcome of her enemies, were it not pre- served of thy goodness by the ministry and service-doing of thy holy angels. Not- withstanding, O most loving Lord, forasmuch as it is thy good pleasure that my body and soul shall still remain here together as yet in this vale of misery, I be- seech thee to preserve my soul from all vice, and my body from all sickness, that I, enjoying through thy benefit the health both of body and soul, may be the more able to serve thee and my neighbour in such works as are acceptable in thy sight, Amen. FOR A GOOD NAME. Noruina becometh the professor of thy name better, O heavenly Father, than so to behave himself according to his profession, that he may be well reported of them that be of the household of faith: yea, such sincerity and pureness of life ought to be in them which profess thy holy name, that the very adversaries of thy truth should be ashamed once to mutter against them. Give me grace therefore, I most entirely desire thee, so to frame my life according to the rule of thy blessed word, that I may give no man occasion to speak evil of me, but rather so live in my vocation, that I may be an example to other, to live godly and virtuously, unto the honour and praise of thy glorious name. Amen. FOR A COMPETENT LIVING. Aurnouen I doubt not of thy fatherly provision for this my poor and needy life, yet, forasmuch as thou hast both commanded and taught me, by thy dear Son, mate. vi. to pray unto thee for things necessary for this my life, I am bold at this present to come unto thy divine Majesty, most humbly beseeching thee that, as thou hast given me life, so thou wilt give me meat and drink to sustain the same; again, as thou hast given me a body, so thou wilt give me clothes to cover it, that I, having suf- ficient for my living, may the more freely and with the quicter mind apply myself unto thy service and honour. Amen. FOR A PATIENT AND THANKFUL HEART IN SICKNESS. Wuom thou lovest, O Lord, him dost thou chasten, yea, every son that thou prov. ii. Ὁ ᾽ ᾽ 9 We Brow a) eb. XI. receivest thou scourgest; and in so doing thou offerest thyself unto him as a father rev. ii. 6—2 84 THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. unto his son: for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Grant there- ἢ fore, I most heartily pray thee, that whensoever thou layest thy cross on me, and Psal. exix. 1 Pet. v. Gal. v. Eph. vi. Luke i. Psal. xxxiv. Hos. xiii. 1 Cor. xv. Heb. ii. 1 Cor. xv. 1 Cor. ii. Matt. vii. Luke xiii. Luke xii. John x. Eph. i. Matt. xxv. Luke x. Matt. xxv. visitest me with thy loving scourge of sickness, I may by no means strive against thy fatherly pleasure, but patiently and thankfully abide thy chastisement, ever being persuaded, that it is for the health both of my body and soul, and that by this means thou workest my salvation, subduest the flesh unto the Spirit, and makest me a new creature, that I may hereafter serve thee the more freely, and continue in thy fear unto my life’s end. Amen. FOR STRENGTH AGAINST THE DEVIL, THE WORLD, AND THE FLESH. O Lorp God, the devil goeth about. like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit. The world persuadeth' unto vanities, that we may forget thee our Lord God, and so for ever be damned. Thus are we miserably on every side besieged of cruel and unrestful enemies, and like at every moment to perish, if we be not defended with thy godly power against their tyranny. I therefore, poor and wretched sinner, despairing of mine own strengths, which in- deed are none, most heartily pray thee to endue me with strength from above, that I may be able, through thy help, with strong faith to resist Satan, with fervent prayer to mortify the raging lusts of the flesh, with continual meditation of thy holy law to avoid the foolish vanities and transitory pleasures of this wicked world; that I, through thy grace being set at liberty from the power of mine enemies, may live and serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life. Amen. FOR THE HELP OF GOD'S HOLY ANGELS. AN infinite number of wicked angels are there, O Lord Christ, which without ceasing seek my destruction. Against this exceeding great multitude of evil spirits send thou me thy blessed and heavenly angels, which may pitch their tents round about me, and so deliver me from their tyranny. Thou, O Lord, hast devoured hell, and overcome the prince of darkness with all his ministers, yea, and that not for thyself, but for them that believe in thee. Suffer me not therefore to be over- come of Satan and of his servants, but rather let me triumph over them; that I, through strong faith and the help of the blessed angel, having the victory of the hellish army, may with a joyful heart say, Death, where is thy sting? hell, where is thy victory? and so for ever and ever magnify thy holy name. Amen. FOR THE GLORY OF HEAVEN. Tue joys, O Lord, which thou hast prepared for them that love thee, no eye hath seen, no ear bath heard, neither is any heart able to think. But as the joys are great and unspeakable, so are there few that do enjoy them. For strait is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life; and few there be that find it. Not- withstanding, O heavenly Father, thou hast a little flock, to whom it is thy pleasure to give the glorious kingdom of heaven. There is a certain number of sheep that hear thy voice, whom no man is able to pluck out of thy hand, which shall neyer perish, to whom also thou shalt give eternal life. Make me therefore, O Lord, of that number whom thou from everlasting hast predestinate to be saved, whose names also are written in the book of life. Pluck me out of the company of the stinking goats, which shall stand on thy left hand and be damned, and place me among those thy sheep, which shall stand on his right hand and be saved. Grant me this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son’s sake Jesu Christ our Lord. So shall I, enjoying this singular [! Folio, persuaded. } THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. 85 benefit at thy hand, and being placed in thy glorious kingdom, sing perpetual praises to thy godly Majesty, which livest and reignest with thy dearly-beloved Son and the Holy Ghost, one true and everlasting God, &c. A THANKSGIVING UNTO GOD FOR ALL HIS BENEFITS. Tuy benefits toward me, O most loving Father, are so great and infinite, whether I have respect unto my body or unto my soul, that I find not in myself how to recompense any part of thine unspeakable goodness toward me. But thou, which needest none of my goods, knowing our beggary, yea, our nothing, requirest of us for a recompence of thy kindness only the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. O Lord and merciful Father, what worthy thanks am I, poor and wretched sinner, able to give thee? Notwithstanding, trusting on thy mercy and favourable kindness, I offer unto thee, in the name of Christ, the sacrifice of praise, ever thanking thee most heartily for all thy benefits, which thou hast bestowed upon me, thine unprofitable servant, from the beginning of my life unto this present hour; most humbly beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness toward me, and to give me grace,so to walk worthy of this thy fatherly goodness, that, when thou shalt call me out of this care- ful life, I may enjoy that thy most singular and last benefit, which is everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and praise for ever and ever. Amen. Give the glory to God alone. Psal. xvi. Rom. vi THE CONTENTS Or THE PRAYERS OF THIS BOOK OF THE POMANDER. PAGE PAGE A prayer for the morning.................---+-000+5 75 | A prayer unto God the Father..................... 75 A prayer for the evening -- τ. -- Ὁ τ|πττ| τ ΠΑ Ῥσαγεν ἀπο Godithe ρα essere eens 76 A prayer for the forgiveness of sins............... — | A prayer unto God the Holy Ghost ............ -- PRIVATE PRAYERS TO BE SAID. Ofsmaristrates) ss...