thee and of good heart come towardes thée wilt thou turne thy face away from me and not cheare me with thy comfortable swéete countenance As I am constrained and by thy swéete allurementes persuaded or rather enforced beholdyng myne owne imperfection to come vnto thée that arte altogither perfecte euen so arte thou by thy large promisses bounde to accept me Thou diddest say If I shall once be exalted I will then braw all things vnto me Thine exaltation vppon the crosse O Lord hath bene as I beleeue long since perfourmed as also thy rising againe from deathe and thine aftention into heauen These things therefore thus truly of thée performed and finished I requyre thee O Iesu to draw me vnto thée as thou by thy promisse arte moste iustly bounde I knowe thou arte not angrie or at the leaste not at destance with me for seeing thou haste commaunded me that I be not at hatred with mine enemie I can not doubt but that thou thy self also kéepest truely this thy swéete commaundement and so much the rather to be perfourmed of thée as thou arte more able than I to expresse the vse of charitie Thou cāst not say that thou art not bounde to loue me alleaging that I am thine ennemie or that I haue done thée manifolde iniuries which I muste needes moste truely confesse for if by thy precept of charitie thou hast straightly bounde me to loue myne enemies to doe them good to helpe them in their néede and to pray vnto God for them I know right wel that in thus doing thou arte muche more bounde than I. Wherefore if thou wilt not loue me as thy frend loue me yet at the leaste as thyne enemie doe me good help me in my necessities and pray to thine heauēly father for me as thou art in dede moste bound to doe I doe assuredly know that thy vertue thy goodnes and thine heauenly charitie is not so small nor so stenderly planted in thée that it will suffer it selfe to be ouercome of mine extreme vnkindnes or naughtinesse no how greatly so euer it aboundeth Thy commaundement chargeth me that I in any wise suffer not my selfe to be vanquished by the malice of my enemies and wilte thou suffer thy solfe to be ouercome by my diffrétship leudnesse This verily hathe no likenesse of truth in it Thou hast taught and commaunded me that I with doing good to mine enemies do ouercome and vāquish their malice and I then require thée O my mercifull Lord and onely sauicure that thou also thy selfe obserue this diuine precept and commaundemēt of God thy father as thy godly nature bindeth thée Paie thy debte I pray thée that is vanquish my vain stoutnesse my wickednesse great malice with the vertue of gentlenesse and with thy most bounteous and plentifull goodnesse And if I haue an harte before thée hardened as the Adamant rock or Diamond breake it then or mollifie it I beseeche thee with the piercing moysture of thy moste pretious bloude O stéepe mine heart well therein souple it make it softe and temper it with the moisture of thy grace O lette thy Spirite then for euer possesse me henceforthe assiste me and be my moste gratious and good guide that I may vntill the ende obey thy moste holy wil. O woorke mine harte a newe after thine accustomed manner and according to thy good promisses of olde And if thou answeare that thou hast many times mercifully for giuē me and that thou therefore wilte looke no more vppon me or harken to my sute I answere If thou gauest Peter in commaundemente that he should pardon his enemies not seuen times onely but seuentie times seuen times that is alwayes and as often as they shall offende him It foloweth then that thou also arte so muche the more bounde héerein than I for as much as thou doste excéede me and all men in all charitie and specially bicause that I haue sinned not of any deadely malice but thorowe ignorance and frailtie and for that bothe I and others sawe not rightly the maiestie of him whome we so offended neyther coulde we make a right viewe of the goodes which we did lose nor of the euils in which we daily did incurre But thou peraduēture wilt yet say I haue giuen thée such plentie of lighte and true doctrine by sending my faithfull preachers and ministers these many yeres vnto thée that thou art now without excuse and thy faulte inexcusable Agaynst this doo I yet replie that euen to the Iewes thy peculier people thou gauost suche lights to sée and such knowledge to perceiue what thou was that they were yet inexcusable as thou thy selfe dyddest say And notwithstanding this thou beeing in triumphe vppon the Crosse diddest make their excuse and prayed for them saying that in putting thée to that cruell death they knew not what they dyd In consideration of which things seeing thou art myne onely aduocate myne onely Sauiour my God and dearely beloued of thy father my trust is in thée that thou wilt haue mercy vppon me and pray for me O pray for me therefore I beséeche thee make myne excuse to thyne and myne heauenly father O saue thou me and then shall I bée safe And if thou wilte yet lay to my charge O thou iuste God that I haue with earnest stoutnesse and rebellion offended thée myne answere agayne vnto thée is whych séest the secrotes of myne hearte that in so dooing I haue doone it not wilfully and of malice but rather of frayltie or through feruencie of zeale with all singlenesse of heart to seeke onely thy glory Wherein through wante of knowledge and the true lighte of thy holy Cospell I haue disobediently and stubbornly committed iniquitie but yet not in suthe wyse as doth the damned reprobate fixedly of wylfull malice or as an hater of thée who by all possible meanes séeketh thy dishonour and falleth with al gréedynesse from iniquitie to iniquitie Therefore I doubte not but suche zeale or frayletie ioyned with simplenesse is pardonable before thée through the gretnesse of thy mercy yea it is so much the more to the furtherance of thy glory o Christ rather than the only offences committed of meere simplicitie when the largenesse of thy mercyes so bountifully floweth from thee Yea and I know assuredly that throgh thy goodnesse and feruent charitie thou act inforced to vanquishe and vtterly ouerthrow my weakenesse wickeonesse malice and blindnesse euen to the pardoning of all from the firste to the laste that hathe beene amisse For if the iuste bloud of Abell called to God for vengeaunce agaynst his brother to hys condemnation and preuayled I know that thy bloud muche more effectually calleth to saluation and calling obteineth aboundaunce of Gods mercies for me Saue me therefore O my Lorde and swéete Iesu according to thy promyses and bonde of great charitie against the whiche neither thou oughtest nor canst resiste O saue me I beséeche
thée and take me to thy mercy sometune one of thy great enimies very wicked very faithlesse obstinate headie and rebellious but nowe thy louing brother thy faythfull frende thyne obediente louer and a sounde member of thy body O saue me then I say comforte my soule guyde mée in thy wayes strengthen mée and let not thy spirite departe from mee that I may hencefoorthe ioyfully please thée and render alwayes vnto thy father through thée all due prayse honour and glory here in thys vale of myserie and in the euerlasting world which is to come Amen FINIS Whervnto the eternal spirite stirreth the hearts of gods electe A preparation to Prayer Certaine special cautes folowing that are to be coÌ„sidied by gods childreÌ„ wherof they examin the selues before prayer and receyning of the holy sacramintes to auoid his heauy iudgemeÌ„ts The diffrence to be considered betweene the true christians fayth the faith of the diuell and the reprobate The true christiaÌ„ at earnest defiance with the diuel and she weth vnto him for his discoâ—â—gemeÌ„t the power of his fayth The mercy grace of God â—n the hearts of his elect to cosider in this life their dangerous and miserable state for sinne CoÌ„cupiscence and the malice therof The diuell the onely author of concupiscence and sin The soules de formitie thorowe sinne True faith in the abouÌ„ding mercies of God. The miserable state of the sicke Soule without true faith in the fre mercy of god The feeling of the grace of god The humble submission confession of the faythfull Soule A calling vnto God for comfort and strength The fighte of the faythfull Soule What danger they fall into that forsake god and leane to the worlde and the pleasures thereof The seruice of God what it is The worlde a deepe dongeon wherin the children of vanitie are enclosed Armoure of rightuousenesse Christian chiualrie The sight of a christian 〈…〉 in the seruice of god must be continuall and couragious Palone of victorie Crowne of glorie Hid Manna And a White stone The scriptures of God only receyued of the faithfull Superstitions false worship pings c. Our professioÌ„ in holy Baptisme Enemies of Gods word Hartie prayer to God maketh vs constante in the word of God. The worde of God what it is and how of the godly to be considted God the only instructour of all in all ages An apt Prayer for these oure dayes Faithe only breathed into the hartes of Gods elect True faithe in Christe Faithe iustifieth The power of Faith. The miserable state of man in thys life Man posses seth in himself two powers and of sundly inclinations The serpent cause of discorde Prince of sedition The meane to knowe the good motions from the bad The inconuenience of care lesnesse or not to receiue in time the good motions of God. The power of the spirite of light and truthe The way and mene to plese God in this life Holy discipline Exercises of the crosse The inconuenieuce that commeth by sufferance and cuill custome He is happie that humbleth him selfe to discipline MaÌ„ in present danger God at hand to deliuer Pynches to the proude flesh are somtime necessarie Man for a time is but an exile from his home and a pilgrime The Iustice of God and sinne are not clerely seuered in this life amoÌ„g the children of God. Man but a worme duste and ashes Man moste vayne and naught Mans humble subiection before God attayneth the grace mercy and peace of God. Man a thing of nothing It is better for a man to obey than to leane to his owne sway The inconuenience that commeth by disobedieÌ„ce The iudgements of God ouer seditious rebelles Princes and Magistrates are the most apte InstrumeÌ„ts stirred of God to further his glory here vppon earth What it is to imitate christ How we shold for the greate loue of God lone hym agayne Humilitie God threatneth the world for sinne The Canker couetousnesse how it reigneth Conetousnes how it worketh Couetousnes the woorshipping of Idols Couetousnesse he we it hathe preuayled Children of diffidence Abac. 2. Constancie in chastitie Sole life Matrimonie a fountayne in Gods church The corruptioÌ„ of fleshe and bloud The power of flesh and blud and what they worke The pumishe ments of God for vnclennes of lyse To bee a blasphemer of Gods name is rather the propertie of an ethnik than a Christian The errour of our liues The power of Gods word The mercy of God in Christ The inconue niece that foloweth the want of Gods worde The punishe ments and plages of God for taking his name in vaine The necessitie of Gods mercie Sute for mercie The sanctifying of Gods holy name The kingdom of heauen A quiet conscience The nature of a mans conscience Wicked consciences The con modity of a quiet conscience Mans life fickle and but a vayne shadow The damnable state of mankinde in thys frayle life In what case we shal stande at the houre of death The blacke enfine of deth displayed Discipline worketh the fourme of good liuing The sweete frutes of good lyfe agaynst the comming of death Paciente abyding of death bringeth the soule to rest The maiestie and great power of God ouer al flesh God a God of vengeance Gods iudgements are to be remebred and why Gods iudgements are terable and thuÌ„ dring The heauens the Angelles theÌ„ selues and the stars falne from heauen are all subject to the iudgements of god God at the last day by his iust iudgemeÌ„t rendereth full payment vnto all wicked sinners God freely by his grace dyrecteth to good life Christ is chalenged and why Christes obedience to hys father for hys flocke The cause of christs death The bonde of the wealthy in this world Christ aboundeth in heaueÌ„ly riches chatitie power and loyes in comparable The distressed loule Christ humbly chalenged Chryst bound to helpe and why Chryste the head and cow foâ—â—er of hys members Store remayneth of Gods grace The assured fayth of the thirsten soule Fayth in Christes bloud Scabde shepe Chryst the phisitian Christ humbly chalenged Strong faythe in Chryste Rom. 15. Chrysts incarnation natiuitie so forth are al chalenged of the faithfull soule as his owne Rom. 8. Math. 20. Chryst a seruaunt Chryst a conquerour Paradise purchased by Christe Experience of Christes good nature and his mercie Math. xj xxij Iohn 6 Ioho 12. Math. 5. Roma 1. Christes payment and howe Ezech 16. Ezech. 16. Math 18. Sinne of Gods electe Iohn 15. Chryste the onely sauiour the onely adâ—ocate Sinne of the reprobate The bloud of Abel cried for vengeance Chrystes bloud calleth to saluation ¶ Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for William Norton ANNO. 1572.
preuailed vpon the earth and broughte into subiection not onely the most vnfaithfull very reiectes and wicked caste awayes from thy fauour who being but earthly set their whole felicitie vppon earthly things but euen the very professors also of thy moste holy and blessed religion For in all estates and degrées from the most to the least from the highest to the lowest all are defiled therewith al bend their wittes moste gracelesly and inordinately to vnsatiable couetousnesse excéeding farre the limits of necessitie scraping gathering togither as the children of diffidence very worldlings contrary to the lawe of nature coÌ„trary to the law of charitie or christen holinesse and puritie whether by righte or by wrong by hooke by crooke by extortion by oppression by flattery by periury sorcery vsury bribery simony priuy coÌ„spiracy against town citie prince and the whole countrey greedie of vengeance yea by what meanes so euer it be oft by most wilful consent to murther whether of others or through indigence lacke of sufficiencie or by some sinister stroke of fortune desperately destroy themselues Such are our willes to wickednes o lord that being voide of thy grace we sink déepely into al abhomination are altogither without moderation or stay of our appetites affectionately grubbing for more more til death cut vs short till our mouths be filled with grauel or til we heape vp as the Prophet saith thick clay against our selues feling the iustice of the rightuous god froÌ„ whome we are fled and haue putte oure only affiaunce in wicked and vaine filthie Mammon To the end therfore O moste louing God we may in thée be better staide oure liues in thy feare more aptly framed and oure faultie faithes more christianly reformed graunte that by thy woorde we may truly know thée obey thy wil put our only trust in thée loue thée as our god of mercie and reuerence thée as our Lorde of iustice Graunte vnto vs the influence of thine heaueÌ„ly grace that our gracelesse indurate and moste barraine hartes being thus bewitched and hardned by the diuel may he by thée moste gratiously reformed frutefully tempered déepely indued thorowly softened sowen with thy celestiall séedes well harrowed rowed and made truely profitablé that thy holy Church may thereby be spéedely purged of this very present and moste pestilent infection nowe raigning with outrage ouer all the world Wherof bicause our liues standeth not in the abundance of these vanities which we héer possesse thy sonne Christ left straighte charge vnto vs the professoures of his name in any wise to beware of Couetousnesse Roote out therefore we pray thée O God from oure hartes oure vnsatiable and gréedie desires O incline oure hartes vnto thy testimonies and not to couetousenesse but yéelding to thy will with contented mindes in oure calling we may in all our necessities cast gladly our cares vpon thy back that art truly rich almightie a readie helper very mindeful and merciful vnto vs for oure sufficient relieuement and to further therby thy glory Prepare vs to be charitable frée harted and liberall to haue in vs the bowels of compassion to be pitiful alwayes to the poore to yéeld to sufficiencie too neither riches nor pouertie to remember we nakedly entred this world that we shall cary nothing oute of this world that we muste forsake the worlde for it will forsake vs away néedes we muste we are heere but strangers our yeares are but few our calling sodain death tarieth not death spareth not death aresteth our reckening muste be made oure iudge is iust our witnesse is true oure sentence is determined oure place appointed our rewarde prepared and moste preciously purchased O heauenly father for thine holy electe obedient children by the only death and bloud shed of thy son our deare Lord sauior Iesus Christ Amen XIII Against Adultrie and Whoredome FOrasmuche O eternal God as thou only arte moste rightuous pure holy vndefiled and abhorrest from thine harte the stinking sin of lust adultry whoredom fornication such like and requirest also of vs in the .vij. precept that in our liues conuersation we be like vnto thée in all puritie holinesse and in any wise not to defile or once spot our selues with the attempts of vnlawful lustes or wantonnesse but constantly hold kéep fast the integritie of oure faithfull promisse made vnto thée our onely Lorde God bothe in the calling of our sole liues and in the holy state also of matrimonie which in the sighte of thée is very honourable of highe perfection and great excellencie and is amongste men in thy holy Churche as it were the louely fountaine or wel spring of good life not only in the beautifying of them selues thorow their own clerenesse in chastitie but floweth forthe also by example doctrine with moste swéete taste to their owne beloued offspring and familie and to the apt seasoning likewise of the single and vnmaryed sorte we most humblye beséeche thée to take from vs in our weakenesse and frailty the violent power of fleshe and bloude and to quenche in vs continually the raging lustes of oure vncleane sinful bodies which inwardly moueth violently stirreth striueth woundeth inflameth burneth altereth sore the body amaseth the minde spoileth the senses maketh menne mad or turneth the vnwise of the worlde quite beside their wittes O God that art maker of all makind thou séest all things thou beholdest al our doings thou knowest the affections of our hartes and howe by nature we are naturally enclined to suche euill and giuen to féele in our weakenesse the smarts of oure infections boyling soming fumes of the fickle and fraile fleshe and stirred daily therby to greate abhominations and filthinesse to hasten vpon our selues the heat of thy furious and fierce vengeance because we haue vowed as thou haste commaunded suche euils to be eschued and none adulterie or the syke vnclennesse to be commicted for as thou O Lordo haste called vs so haue we yéelded to thy cal and promised thée to walke before thée in puritie and holyuesse of life being made of many members one body and one spirite with thée and therefore from the harte to abhorre all vnclennesse and not to be defiled made the members of an harlot for we know that no fornicator filthie adulteror whoremonger abuser of himselfe with mankinde no vncleane person nor weakeling shal inherite thine heauenly kingdome O father of all merey and grace let not the desues then of suche corruption and vurlenlinesse faston their roote of death vppon vs neither to be giuen ouer to an vnshamefast and obstinate minde flying from thy holy will in our profession contemning the act â—â—…table countels of the godly or also neglecte the terrible exaÌ„ples of thy iustice a written for our learning and to print with faith in memone that for suche abhomination and wickednesse thou haste plaged the ear the The olde worlde was drouned the Sodomites the
great glory as thou sholdest confesse is ascended on high and sitteth with almightinesse power and maiestie on the right hand of his heauenly father with open and fresh bleeding wounds the many fest marks impressions before him for euer of the purchased most preciouse redeemed inheritance euen for thee most notoriouse and deadly sinner by the secrete testimonie of thine owne conscience These things such like of thee thus christenly considered thou mayest bee bold with thy most merciful and louing god But yet agayne I say vnto thee hold thee sure vnto thy sauiour christ swarue not frō him nor frō the vertue of his onely merites wherby thou must be onely saued Cleaue then close to the rocke of assurance leane to no loose nor sandie safetie Trust not to the rottennesse of our humane deuises labour not to languish in a maze of vncertaintie Bemoyle not thy selfe in suche myre of mortalitie and shun soone such shoures as wil wrecke thy soules fidelitie Then cry as J sayd and ceasse not to craue pardon of God thy father in his sonne name ' Doubte not of thy sute what so euer it be for it shal by good motiō be so vpright so reasonable so acceptable before him and allowable and shal touch therwith so neere the tendernesse of his mercy his truthe and fidelitie that of necessitie graunt muste bee made vnto thee he wil not denie thee the requests of thy lippes yea he will so graciously tender thee that foreseing thy cause of inwarde complaynte he wyll prepare quickely thine heart most faithfully to call vpon him Beleeue therfore faithfully trust of assurance and thou shalte surely obteine thy desire with greate mercy and fanour at his holy hande Thy sinnes shal not be imputed vnto thee thou shalte bee blessed and righteouse in the sighte of God all the dayes of thy life so happily shall thine hart be prepared so mightily shal thy prayers preuayle for thee they will forcibly pearce the celestiall and high heauens approche neare to the onely throne of grace and maiestie cry incessantly for thee will not returne from the presence of God nor once be satisfied before the full graunt of their humble sute for thy sauing health and cōmoditie To conclude in all thy godly attemptes whether in praying fasting geuing of Almes frequenting the holy Sacramentes or rendering moste hartie thankes vnto God for his infinite Mercies Graces Blessinges and Benefites bestowed vppon thee and vppon his whole Churche from the beginning vntill this present day and what soeuer in holinesse thou commendest daily vnto him let it always be done vprightly orderly with christian comelynesse and modestie with peace of conscience faithfully constantly cherefully and in charity as the only worde of God moste straitely byndeth thee Which I pray to God may clerely shine into thee by the power of his holy spirite who quicken thee this day to morow and for euer and kindle in thee towardes him the firie flames of his true loue throughe his sonne Chryst Iesus who speedely graunt thee the same signement of his holy hand and satisfie thee with inward ioy in all thy moste lowefull and diuine desires Amen FINIS A deuout meditation of the godly Christian with a briefe Confession and Prayer WHen I O heauenly father thorowe the glorie of thine only eternal gracs am euē in the middest of many muses lamentable mournings déepe sighings and inwarde monings to my self most happily stirred to the due consideration of my self and in what perillous state I euer stande here in this wretched worlde how in the breuity therof I am compassed with many miseries with greuous plagues and punishmentes with dreadful calamities perilles and dangers with diuers maladies sicknesses aand infirmities bothe of body and mind how by the mighty power also pollicie of mine ancient and most deadly enimy the olde subtile serpent this deceitful vaine world as also mine own weaknes corruption apte inclination most vile subiection to sinne I am daily assaulted and tempted to sinne and in cōmitting sinne become the seruant of sin must acordingly looke for death the iuste reward of sinne bicause diuersly therwith and damnably through disobedience the breach of thy law in thought word and déede I haue and do most gréeuously offend the will of thy Maiestie and am become thereby a very Sathanist the childe of the diuel to hasten thy furies vpon mée that he shuld vse his tirānie against me for so witnesseth by accusation my wounded conscience whereby my soule is daylie dysquieted sore clogged gretly destled maruelously amased made monstruouse before thée and hated of thée wherevnto my freedom and innocencie being lost of my owne concupiscence am accustomably blinded drawne and entised and by the malice thereof both vnderstanding heart and wil are holden captiue and in deadelie slauery to the diuel the only author and beginner of all euell concupiscence and sinne By which occastō in stead of healthsome and profitable thinges I ofte desire very noysome most pernitious and hurtfull things And my soule also which in the excellencie therof through reason and the vprightnesse of the inward man should beare the beauty of thy heauenly and most glorious ymage in perfect puritie and innocencie through the corruption therof is sowly deformed and sore blemished and made accordingly his euill fauoured most filthy image and so woorthily by thy iustice shaken off and caste from the presence of thy deitie So that héereby O Lord thou hast yet by the continuance of thy grace moued me to consider that if thy mercies did not abounde vppon me or that thy gratious fauoure should nowe or at any time in this most deadly plight vtterly forsake me and not rather cōfortably with spéedy and most swift sway turne againe towardes me and bring therwith from thine heauenly presence the distilling moystures and large flowing streames of thy celestiall dewe plentifully drawne from the swéete fountains of my sauioure to refresh comfort make whole againe clense beautifie my very leprous moste sinneful and sicke soule and of thy méere mercie to reduce hir to hir pristinate former state my case should be most miserable my bands shuld be indissoluble I shoulde become a cursed reiect remain a fire brand of hell for euer But as thy loue O Lord is vnspeakeable and thy fatherly mercie toward me infinite which willest not the deathe of a sinner but rather he should fourne from his wickednesse and liue and offrest him time and space to repēt and amende so haste thou now in mercie remembred me looked back againe vpon me cheared and comforted me encreased true faithe in me thy spirit hath renued me stirred me to call moste humbly vnto thée set me frée from the ennemie pitied my soules deformitie prepared the most healthful remedie for the bloud of thy sonne Iesus hathe clensed me whereby thou haste so quickened me that my soule reioyseth within me with most earnest
teares it repenteth me that euer I sinued against thée I fall flat to the earthe before thée confessing my sinnes vnfainedly my weakenesse and infirmitie for I haue most greuously offended thée my conscience therein accuseth me crie yet with true saithe vnto thée Mercie good Lord mercie with thankes giuing and extolling thée for thine infused grace vppon me And I pray thée moste humblie O my God of all mercie to continue thy fatherly affection the encreasing of thy grace and strength of thy spirit vpon me to helpe to directe and comfort me vnto the ende and in the ende in all my temptations troubles weakenesse and infirmities bothe of bodie and minde Least sathan as I said preuaile and confound me the tickling pleasures of this world deceiue me and the olde man my wretched flesh which is not yet subiect to the spirite do master me againste all which I must arme my self stande to the battaile continually fighte bolde out at the swoordes pointe offer the pricke driue backe chase ouerthrowe wound and confounde whilest breath shall holde in this wretched body yea I say wretched in déede being compassed with so many calamities and infinite miseries for the which cause O Lord I craue alwayes thy mightie power in my weakenesse I make my mone haste thée nowe to helpe me O strengthen me graunte me thy presence stande by me encourage me to fight manfully that by thee I may amaze the enemies put them fast to flight gette the victorie triumphe before thée and extoll thée in thy great might mercie nowe and for euer through Iesus Christ our Lord who liueth and raigneth with thée and the holy Ghost in all honoure and glory worlde without ende Amen II. To dvvell in the seruice of God to haue the world and the pleasures thereof in cōtempt and to striue daily against them with the armor of rightuousnesse FOr as muche O almightie God as we are all warned by thine holye Apostle Iohn not to bée louers of thys euyll world nor the vain pleasures therof bicause bothe the one and the other come vtterly to naughte and that also to be a louer of the world is to be an hater of thée to slip from thy will and from the presence of thy maiestie as one that regardeth thée not knowes thée not neither séeke to know thée but startle aside from thée forsaketh the right way and entreth of will the perrillous way full of hidde thistles thornes briers brambles venemous wormes and serpentes linking also thē selues into the amitie league and seruice of the moste sleightie hatefull and deadly enemie the proude Prince of this worlde who for a time by Gods permission is brokē lose and rageth in his course roareth and fighteth cōtinually against the Soule of man who entangleth only his owne to their vtter ouerthrowe with the vaine pleasures thereof euen with the delightes in effect but of one houre and with the encreasing of sorowes for manye yéeres I beséeche thée O thou king of all holinesse whose seruice is most highe most happie most sure most healthfull wealthful heauenly perpetuall perfecte selicitie and freedome which seest the weakenesse inconstancie greate miserie and necessitie of me thine humble seruaunt the outrage also power of my cruel aduersaries graunt me sufficiencie of thy grace strengthe of thine holy spirite that by vertue thereof I may be directed in the way wherin I should walke my pathes made straite and my foote stedfast alwayes to withstande the euil attemptes of the moste wicked and the outwarde glittering gloryes of this sinful and vain world and not yéelde my minde to the pleasures comforts of the same as a childe of vanitie enclosed therin for the time as in a deepe dungeon of daunger and of deadly darkenesse founded vppon a sandie and rotten soile very olde ruinous sore shaken and readie at euery momente to fall throughe age vppon me but to be otherwise staide by thine holy and mightye arme pacientlie in the meane season to abide thy will to lay my foundation sure to be sober and watchfull ouer all daungers to stretch forth mine handes to the battaile to strengthen mine armes like a bow of stéele that vnder thy protection power I may manfully resist all hurtful euilles and the assaults of the wicked and stand stably to my profession in thy holy seruice wherunto thorow thy grace I am called to the ende that by thine only helpe I should do the workes of rightuousnesse O thou rightuous Lorde and God of my strengthe which haste made me which hast conserued me and arte moste louing and carefull ouer me I putting mine only hope and confidence not in the holy Angels celestiall spirites blessed Sainctes in heauen or good men héere in earth but only in thée suffer me not to be tempted aboue my strengthe or to be ouerwhelmed of mine owne cōcupiscēce but in the midst of temptation make thou a way for me to escape with ioy Thou O God art only omnipotent moste gratious ful of al goodnesse faithfulnesse and truthe fulfil therfore thy promisses towardes me most merciful Lord thou God of truthe Put vppon me thine whole armor of rightuousenesse O thou God of mighte and true holinesse that by thy power I may be strong against all aduersaries for I wrestle not as thou knowest against flesh and blud in this life but against rule against power and againste worldly rulers of the darknesse of this worlde and againste spirituall wickednesse in heauenly things by whome without thine heauenly power I stande euer in hazarde to eternall destruction bothe of body and soule For which cause I say O my swéete God arme me strongly strengthen me in my weakenesse and make me stoute that in this christen chiualrie I may stand perfecte in all things before thée and not slippe by cowardise or inconstancie from thy faithful seruice but fight vnder thy banner vntil the last breath couragiously putting mine euemyes to flight and cary away with triūph a glorious victorie ouer them So shall it come to passe that thorowly running this so shorfe a race in my holy calling as a puissant warrior in thy most high and excellent seruice with lawfull striuing and with violent plucking towards me thine heauenly kingdome I shall in the ende perfectly sée it and possesse it and shall receiue in mine hands a Palme of victorie vppon mine head a Crowne of glory prepared the hidde Manna also and a white stone wherein is written a newe name which no man knoweth sauing only the receiuer of it who shal serue thée thou great God of heauen in the moste sacred state of true holinesse perfecte frée dome excellencie dignitie and equalitie with thine holy Angels and al blessed Saincts in euerlasting felicitie Graunt this mine humble petition O Lorde for thy greate mercies sake So shall I here and in eternall blessednesse extoll and magnifie thy glorious name Amen III. For the humble