humilitie and payedst the price of our raunsome by thy most bitter death and passion for the which I most hartely geue thankes to thee so of the same thy loue towardes vs in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glory with flaming fire with thousandes of saintes with angels of thy power with a mighty cry shoute of an Archangell and blast of a trumpe sodenly as a lightning which shineth from the East c. when men thinke least euen as a thiefe in the night when mē be a slepe thou wilt so come I say thus sodainly in the twincklyng of an eie all men that euer haue bene be and shall be with women and children appearyng before thy tribunall iudgemēt seat to render an accompt of all thinges which they haue thought spoken and done against thy law openly and before all Aungels saintes and Deuils and so to receiue the iust reward of thy vengeaunce if that they haue not repented obeyed the gospell and so depart from thee to the Deuill his angels and all the wicked which euer haue bene be or shall be into hell fire which is vnquencheable and of paynes intolerable easeles endeles hopeles euen from the feare of thy glorious mighty power But if they haue repented and beleued thy gospel if they be found watching with their lampes oyle in their handes if they be found ready appareled with the wedding garmēt of innocency if they haue not hardened their hartes hourded vp the treasure of thy vengeaunce in the day of wrath to be reuealed but haue vsed the tyme of grace the acceptable tyme the time of saluatiō that is the time of this lyfe in the which thou stretchest out thy hande and spreadest thine armes calling and crying vnto vs to come vnto thee which art meeke in hart and lowly for thou wilt ease all that labour and are heauy loden if they haue visited the sicke and prisoners comforted the comfortlesse fedde the hungry clothed the naked lodged the harbourles if they haue not loden their hartes with glotony and surfeting and carefulnes of this life if they haue not digged and hid their talent in the ground doing no good therwith but haue bene faithfull to occupy thy gifts to thy glory and here washed their garmentes in thy bloud by harty repentance then shal thy aungels gather them together not as the wicked which shall be collected as fagots cast into the fire but as the good wheate that is gathered into thy barne then shall they be caught vp to meete thee in the clouds then shall their corruptible body put on incorruption then shall they be indued with immortality and glory then shall they be with thee and goe whether thou goest then shal they heare Come blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning c. then shall they be set on seates of maiestie iudging the whole worlde then shall they raigne with thee for euer then shall God be all in all with them and to them thē shal they enter and enherite the heauenly Jerusalem and the glorious restfull land of Canaan where is alwayes day and neuer night where is no maner of weping teares infirmitie hunger colde sickenes enuy malice nor sinne but alwayes ioy wtout sorow mirth without measure pleasure wtout paine heauenly harmony most pleasant melody saying and singing holy holy Lorde God of hostes c. Finally the eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither hath it entred into the harte of man that they shall then enherite and most surely enioy althogh here they be tormented prisoned burned sollicited of Sathan tempted of the flesh and entangled with the worlde wherethrough they are enforced to cry Thy kingdome come Come Lord Iesu c. How amiable are thy tabernacles Lyke as the harte desireth the water brookes c. Now let thy seruaunt departe in peace I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ We mourne in our selues wayting for the deliueraunce of our bodies c. Oh gracious Lord when shall I find such mercy with thee that I may repent beleue hope and looke for these thinges with the full fruition of those heauenly ioyes which thou hast prepared for all thē that feare thee and so rest with thee for euermore ⧠A meditation concerning the lyfe euerlastyng the place where it is and the incomparable ioyes therof THat there is an enerlasting life none wil deny but such as wil deny God For if he be true iust which he must needes be or els he is not God then can there not be but an eternall life That he hath both spoken it and promised it in Math. 25. 1. Cor. 16. Hebr. 4. 11. 13. 1. Petr. 1. it plainly appeareth and els where in very many places So that to deny an euerlasting lyfe is to deny God to deny Christ and all that euer he did also to deny all pietie religion to condemne of foolishnes all good men martyrs confessors Euangelistes Prophetes Patriarckes Finally the deniall of eternal life is no thing els but a deniall of the immortalitie of the soule and so a plaine making of man no thing better then beastes If it be so let vs then eate and drinke for to morow we shall die Lord preserue vs frō this Saduceal and Epicureall impietie and graunt vs for thy mercies sake deare God that we may be assuredly perswaded that there is in deede an eternall life and blisse wyth thee for them that put their trust in thee amongst whome accompt me for thy mercies sake Agayne this eternall lyfe and the place appoynted for them that be thy seruauntes all men do graunt to be wyth thee Albeit they do not think that because thou art euery where therfore eternall life is euery where For they by thy worde do know that in as much as no man can see thee and liue this eternall lyfe and thy blessed presence is most pleasant and had in fruition after in an other world wher unto by corporall death they do depart and are translated to a place aboue them where thou dwellest in a light whervnto no man can approche Abrahams bosome they read was aboue as the place for the wicked was a lowe and beneath Helias was caught vp into heauen and thy sonne our deare sauiour prayed that where he is those also might be which thou hadst geuē him and might se his glory Now he deare father we learne by thy spirite was ascended and taken vp in his very body into heauen whether Steuen loked vp and sawe thy Christ standing on thy right hand to whom he prayed Oh Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite Graunt I beseche thee gracious god and father that I may haue a cleane hart more more to see thee and so in spirite to see and loke often vpō this place whether bring me at the length in body also I humbly pray thee Now what a thyng this
euerlasting life is no man is able to conceiue much lesse able to vtter For the peace of god which is eternall life passeth all vnderstanding The eye hath not seene the eare hath not heard neither can mans harte conceiue those thinges which thou deare God hast prepared for them that loue thee Whatsoeuer therfore can be spoken or imagined of thy kingdom of the clearenes ioy and felicitie of the same is nothyng in comparison as we may see by the Prophets which because they could not otherwise vnder corporall things haue shadowed the same So that the confidence of eternall life what a thing it is can in no wise be told Howbeit some what we may be brought into some sight of it by earthly thinges to thinke on this sort If God hath geuē here so many thinges in a strange place how many are the great good thinges that be at home If in a prison are so many mercies how many are they in the palace If the wicked haue so many benefites what is the store prepared for thy seruāts O Lord If thy children finde such comfortes in the day of teares and mournyng what shall they finde in the day of the mariage If with beastes men beyng haue the vse of so innumerable blessings oh how many are the blessinges whiche they shall enioy with thy Angels and with thee thy selfe O dere God when they shal see thee and haue the fruition of thee in whome is fulnes without lothing of all good faire thinges so that nothyng can be more desired and that for euermore This thy children do not so see as they now beleue it I say that euen in their bodies they shal see it for euer as Job sayd They heleue that they shall see thee and their owne eyes beholde thee when these our corporall eyes our bodies beyng raised shall do their duties Such a knowledge of thee they beleue to haue as shall not be onely intellectuall and by faith as now it is but euen a full sight and fruition yea a comunction and felowship with thee Now they see but in a glasse euen in a darke speaking but thē they shal see face to face For faith though it be the substaunce of thinges hoped for and a certain darke sight of thee yet it may not be compared to the rewarde of faith glorious sight which we shall see in the life to come when fayth hope shall cease Now thy children know that they be thy children though it yet appeare not what they shall be We know say they that whē our Christ God and man shall appeare then shall we be lyke vnto hym for we shall see him euen as he is Oh great prerogatiue to see Christ as he is Which is not to be considered so much for the māhoode as for the Godhead it self as Paule doth also write that when all thinges are subiect vnto the sonne then shall he be subiect vnto thee deare Father also that God may be all in all And therfore Christ our sauiour praied for vs that we might know thee the onely true God Not that our Christ thy sonne is not with thee the true coequal and substanciall god but that we might know how that after the iudgement such a mystery of hys mediatourship shall not be in heauē as is now in earth Then thou blessed trinitie God the Father God the sonne and God the holy ghost shalt be all in all thou shalt be the end of our desires thou shalt be loked vpon without ende thou shalt be loued without lothyng thou shalt bee praysed without wearinesse Althoughe lothsomues be wont to folow fulnes yet our fulnes in the contemplatiō of thy pleasures shall bring with it no kinde at all of lothsomnes Sacietie of ioyes shall be in the beholding of thee Pleasures are on thy right hand for euer We shal be satiffied when we arise after thyne image I meane in the resurrection Oh deare father shew thy self vnto vs and we aske no more Oh graunt vs with thy Saintes in euerlasting lyfe to prayse wyth perpetual prayses thy holy name Happy then and happy again wer we if that day wer come that we myght sing wyth thy aungels elders and innumerable thousandes a new song say thou Christ Jesu which wast slayne art worthy to receyue power and riches and wisdome and strength honour and glory and blessyng In thys blessed lyfe all kynde of maladies griefes sorrowes and euils be farre away and all ful of all kinde of mirth ioy pleasure Oh that we might see now a litle with S. John that holy Citie new Jerusalē descending frō heauen prepared of god as a bride trimmed for her husbande Oh that we might now somethyng heare the great voyce speakyng out of the throne behold the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be hys people and he shal be vnto them their god he will wipe away all teares from their eies and death shal be no more nor wepyng nor crying nor sorrow for the former thinges are gone ¶ An other meditation of the blessed state and felicitie of the life to come THis body is but a prison wherein the soule is kept and that verely not beautifull nor bright but most foule and darke disquiet fraile and filled vp with much vermine and venemous vipers I meane it cōcerning our affections standing in an ayre most vnwholesome and prospect most lothsome if a man consider the excrementes of it by the eyes nose mouth eares hands feete and all the other partes So that no Bocardo no Little ease no Dungeon no Bishops prison no gatehouse no sincke no pit may be cōpared in any point to be so euill a prison for the body as the body is for and of the soule wherethrough the children of God haue bene occasioned to cry lament their long being in it Oh saith Dauid how long shall I lye in this prison Oh wretch that I am sayth Paule who shall deliuer me out of this body of sinne which is an heauie burden vnto the soule as the wise man sayth And therefore the godly cry now let thy seruant depart in peace Oh that I were dissolued and had put of this earthly and fraile tabernacle Take me vnto thee and bring my soule out of thys prison that it may geue thankes vnto thee O Lord. For so long as we be in thys body we can not see the Lord yea it is as an heauy habitation and depresseth downe sore the spirite fro the familiaritie which it els should haue with God This world life is an exile a vale of misery a wildernes of it self being voide of all vertues and necessaryes for eternall life full of ennemies sorrowes sighings sobbings gronings miseries c In daunger to hūger cold heate thirst sores sicknes tentations trouble death and innumerable calamities being momentanye short vnstable and nothing but vaine and therfore is cōpared to a warfare a womās trauaile a
the holy ghost your mēbers of Christ the whole worlde and all thinges therein are your owne Therfore say vnto your soule O my soule arise follow God contemne this world purpose well and pursue it long for the Lordes commyng be ready and watch that he come not vpon thée vnwares And forsomuch as you must liue to Gods pleasure sée the vocation and state of your life wherunto God hath called you and pray to god for grace knowlege and habilitie to take the most profitable thinges in hand well to begin better to go on and best of all to ende the same to Gods glory and the profite of others and thinke that tyme lost wherin you speake not or do not or at tho least thinke not something to Gods glory and the commoditie of his children ⧠At the sunne going downe pray HOw vnhappy are they O Lorde on whō thy Sunne goeth downe and geueth no lyght I meane thy grace which is always cleare as the midday Darke night vnto thē is the midday which depart from thee In thee is neuer night but alwayes day light most cleare This corporall Sunne hath his courses now vp now down but thou deare Lord if we loue thee art alwayes one O that thys blocke and veile of sinne were taken away frō me that there might be alwayes cleare day in my mynde ¶ Occasion to meditate THinke that as we are not sory when the sunne goeth downe because we know it will rise agayne euen so we should not sorrow for death wherwith the soule and body do parte asunder for they shall eftsones returne and come together agayne in most glorious wise ⧠When the candels be light pray MOst thicke and darke cloudes do couer our myndes excepte thy light O Lord do driue them away Thy Sunne O most wise worker is as it were a firebrand to this worlde Thy wisdome whereby light commeth to both soule and body is a firebrand to the spirituall world After day when the night commeth thou hast geuen for the remedy of darknes a candell After sinne for the remedy of ignoraunce thou hast geuen thy doctrine which thy deare sonne hath brought vnto vs. O thou that art the author and maister of al truth and art the true lyght make vs so to see that the dimnes of our myndes may be driuen cleane away * Thy worde is a lanterne to my feete a light vnto my pathes Psal 4. * Lift thou vp the light of thy countenaunce vpon vs and send ioy and gladnes into our hartes ¶ Occasions to meditate THinke that the knowledge which God geueth vnto vs by the candel light wherby we see those thyngs in this night of our bodies which are expedient for vs should make vs to wishe much more for this spirituall light of our soules this doctrine of our saluation and when we gette it the more to esteme it and diligently to embrace it Agayne that as all would be horrour without candell light so there is nothing but meere confusion where Gods worde taketh not place ⧠When you make your selfe vnready pray THys our lyfe and weake knit body by reason of sinne by little and little shall be dissolued and so shall be restored to the earth from whence it was taken then will be an ende of this vanitie which by our folly we haue wrought to our selues O most meke father so do thou vntie loose me for thou art he that hast knit these my weak members together that I may perceiue my selfe to be loosed and dissolued so may remember both of whome I was made and also whether I must go least I be had vnprouided vnto thy tribunall seate * Put of the olde man with hys lustes and concupiscences Col. 3 Ephe. 4. ¶ Occasion to meditate THinke that as we do willingly put of our garmentes because we shall receiue them againe when the night is past so we should not vnwillingly forsake our bodies when God by death shal call vs because we shall receyue them againe in the resurrection of the iust ⧠When you enter into your bed pray THe day now ended men geue thēselues to rest in the nyght and so this lyfe finished we shall rest in death Nothing is more like this life thē euery day nothing more lyke death thē slepe nothyng more like to our graue then our bed O Lord our keper and defender graunt that I now laying me downe to rest beyng vnable to keepe my selfe may be preserued from the crafts and assaultes of the wicked enemy And graunt further that when I haue runne the race of this lyfe thou wouldest of thy mercy call me vnto thee that I may lyue and watche with thee for euermore And now gracious God geue me to take my rest in thee and bring to passe that thy goodnes may be euen in sleepe before mine eyes that slepyng I be not absent from thee but may haue my dreams to draw me vnto thee so both soule and body may be kept pure and holy for euer * I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest Psal 4. ⧠An other prayer O Lord Jesus Christ my watchman and keper take me to thy care graunt that my body slepyng my minde may watch in thee and be made mery by some sight of that celestiall and heauenly life wherin thou art the king prince together with the father and the holy ghost where the Aungels and holy spirits be most happy citizens Oh purify my soule keepe cleane my body that in both I may please thee sleping waking for euer Amen ¶ Occasion to meditate THinke that as this troublesome day is now past and night come and so rest quietnes and pleasant sléepe which maketh most excellent princes and poore wretches alike euen so after the tumultes troubles temptations and tempestes of thys life they that beleue in Christ haue prepared for them an hauen and rest most pleasant and ioyfull As you are not afraid to enter into your bedde and to dispose your selfe to sléepe so be not afraid to die but rather cherefully prepare your selfe therunto Thinke that now you are néerer your ende by one dayes iourney then you were in the morning ⧠A prayer to God the Father for the true knowledge of the mystery of our redemption in Christ. O Almighty God Father of our Lorde Jesus Christ and by him also our father the father of all mercy and God of all consolation haue mercy vpon vs and heare our prayers We most humbly beseche thee for thy deare sonne Jesus Christes sake for his merites and cruell death which he suffred to deliuer vs from eternall death and the power of darknes send into our hartes thy spirite of truth to worke in vs a true liuely and stedfast faith that the cleare light and brightnes of thy gospell the glory of Christ may shine vnto vs lighten our mindes that we may learne vnderstand the wonderfull vnspeakable riches of the mystery of our redemption
rored for the very disquietnes of my hart Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groning is not hid from thee My hart panteth my strēgth hath failed me and the lyght of mine eyes is gone from me My louers and my neighbours did stand looking vpon my trouble and my kinsmen stoode a farre of They also that sought after my life laid snares for me and they that wente about to doo me euill talked of wickednes and imagined deceipt all the day long As for me I was like a deafe man and heard not as one that is dombe which doth not open his mouth I became euen as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes For in thee O Lorde haue I put my trust thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God I haue required that they euen myne enemies should not triumph ouer me for whē my foote slipte they reioyced greatly against me And I truely am set in the plague and my heauines is euer in my sight For I wil consider my wickednes and bee sory for my sinne But mine enemies liue and are mighty they that hate me wrongfully are many in number They also that reward euil for good are agaynst me because I know the thyng that is good Forsake me not O Lord my God be not thou far fro me Hast thee to helpe me O lord God my saluation A prayer taken out of the XXXVIII Psalme REbuke and chastice vs O Lord as children but withdrawe thy wrath and heauy hand from our present distresses For we feele thy hande and the daungers wherin we be we perceyue them to be past the cure of mans remedy which happeneth vnto vs not vnworthely for our deseruing For sinnes and wickednesses haue euery way ouerwhelmed vs wherwith we are ouerburdened and pressed downe farre more then we be able to beare Hereof commeth our sorow and that we be in maner fainted with griefefulnes of harte We see our neighbours and frendes estranged from vs our enemies to lay snares for vs and to attempt all the wayes to our destruction Thou therefore O God for thy great mercy first reconcile vs to thy selfe in pardonyng all those thinges that we haue most wickedly committed against thee and thē make hast to helpe vs. We loke for no other refuge but thee whose wont it is to be at hand to succour them that call vppon thee to satisfie their petitions Thou art not ignoraunt how while we are thus shakē with aduersities antichristes do triumphe against vs and they daily increase in strength number that do wrongfully hate vs. Wherefore we beseche thee good father forsake vs not in so great afflictions sith thou art our onely safety make hast we pray thee to helpe thy church and to succor her now beyng in extremest perill for Iesus Christes his sake Amen Miserere mei deus PSALME LI. ¶ When Dauid was rebuked by the prophet Nathan for his great offences he dyd not onelye acknowledge the same to God with protestation of his naturall corruption and iniquitie but also lefte a memoriall thereof to his posteritie Therfore first he desired God to forgeue his sinnes and to renue in him his holy spirit with promise that he will not be vnmindfull of those great graees Finally fearyng least God would punishe the whole church for his faut he requireth that he would rather increase his graces towardes the same HAue mercy vppon me O God after thy great goodnes accordyng vnto the multitude of thy mercies do away myne offences Washe me throughly from my wickednes and cleanse me from my sinne For I knowledge my faultes my sinne is euer before me Against thee onely haue I sinned and done this euill in thy sight that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying and cleare when thou art indged Beholde I was shapen in wickednes and in sinne hath my mother conceiued me But lo thou requirest truth in the inwarde partes shalt make me to vnderstande wisdome secretly Thou shalt purge me with Jsope and I shall be cleane thou shalte washe me and I shall be whiter then snow Thou shalt make me heare ioy and gladnes that the bones whiche thou hast broken may reioyce Turne thy face from my sinnes and blotte out all my misdeedes Make me a cleane hart O God and renue a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me O geue me the comforte of thy helpe againe and stablish me with thy free spirite Then shall I teache thy wayes vnto the wycked and sinners shall he conuerted vnto thee Deliuer me from bloudgiltines O god thou that art the God of my health my tonge shall sing of thy righteousnes Thou shalt open my lippes O Lord and my mouthe shall shew thy prayse For thou desirest no sacrifice els would I geue it thee but thou delightst not in burnt offringes The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirite a broken and contrite hart O god shalt thou not despise O be fauourable and gratious vnto Sion builde thou the walles of Jerusalem Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of rightousnes with the burnt offringes and oblations then shall they offer young bullockes vppon thine aulter A prayer taken out of the LI. Psalme WE do with one whole consent and with harty prayers craue of thy mercy O almightye God that we maye be cleansed washed and wyped from our wickednesses sinnes and offences We acknowledge and confesse how we haue heretofore done euil in thy sight but our sinnes shal neuer be able to make thee vniust or vnfaithfull We do well vnderstande that we deserue not that thou shouldest performe to vs the noble and most honorable promises that thou hast made vs but herein we haue neede to be relieued and our case to be supplied with thy truthe and constancie Thou seest how we are borne into the world corrupt and defiled euen from our birth which were also before our birth conceyued in wickednes Cleanse therfore our soules and vouchsaue to beautifie them with that cleannes that is pleasaunt in thy sight Geue vs a pure hart a spirit vpright holy and couragiously well disposed that we may not be cast away from thee as vngodly persons but may receyue true ioyes and perfect gladnes If thou shalt haue deliuered vs from sinnes whiche do accuse vs as guilty of eternall death then shall our lippes be opened to prayse thee with cherefulnes Graunt we beseche thee that we may come to thee with the sacrifice wherwith thou art principally debated that is of a broken spirite an abaced and humbled courage There both our present sorowes shal be eased and thou shalt be pleased with the prayses wherwith we shall magnify thy name Shew forth thy good will to Zion that is to thy church Thou seest in how great daunger she is tossed she is oppressed both within and without We beseche thee deliuer her not onely from outward enemies but
plainly see our saluation past recouerie Shew vs the way wherein we may safely go and teach vs the manner how to performe thy wyll and with thy holy spirit that procedeth from thee gouerne all our doings thoughts through Iesus Christ our lord Amen * §§* ⧠Here beginneth the Letany and Suffrages O God the father of heauen haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners O God the father of hea c. O God the sonne redemer of the world haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners O God the sonne redemer of c. O God the holy Ghost proceding from the father and the sonne haue mercy vpō vs miserable sinners O God the holy Ghost proceding c. O holy blessed and glorious Trinity thre persons and one God haue mercy vpon vs miserable sinners O holy blessed and glorious c. Remember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our forefathers neyther take thou vengeance of our sins Spare vs good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redemed with thy most precious bloud and be not angry with vs for euer Spare vs good Lord. From all euill and mischiefe from sinne from the craftes and assaultes of the deuill frō thy wrath and from euerlasting damnation Good Lord deliuer vs. From all blindnes of hart frō pride vayne glory and hipocrisy from enuy hatred and malice all vncharitablenes Good Lord deliuer vs. From fornicatiō and all other deadly sinne and from all the deceites of the world the flesh and the Deuill Good Lord deliuer vs. From lightninges and tempestes from plague pestilence and famine from battaile and murder from sodaine death Good Lord deliuer vs. From all sedition and priuie conspiracie from all false doctrine and heresy frō all hardnes of hart and contempt of thy word commaundement Good Lord deliuer vs. By the mistery of thy holy incarnation by thy holy Natiuitie and circumcision by thy Baptisme fasting and temptation Good Lord deliuer vs. By thyne agony and bloudy sweat by thy crosse and passion by thy precious death and buriall by thy glorious resurrection and ascension and by the comming of the holy Ghost Good Lord deliuer vs. In al time of our tribulation in all tyme of our wealth in the houre of death and in the day of iudgement Good Lord deliuer vs. Me sinners do beseche thee to heare vs O Lorde God and that it may please thee to rule and gouerne thy holy Church vniuersally in the right way We beseech thee to heare vs good Lord. That it may please thee to keepe and strengthen in the true worshipping of thee in righteousnes and holynes of life thy seruant Elizabeth our most gracious Queene and gouernour We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to rule her hart in thy faith feare and loue that she may euermore haue affiaunce in thee and euer seeke thy honor and glory We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to be her defender and keeper geuing her the victory ouer all her enemyes We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to illuminate all Bishoppes Pastoures and ministers of the Church wyth true knowledge vnderstanding of thy word and that both by their preachyng and lyuyng they may set it forth and shew it accordingly We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to indue the Lordes of the Counsell and all the nobility with grace wisdome and vnderstanding We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to blesse and keepe the Maiestrates geuing them grace to execute iustice and to mayntayne truth We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to blesse and keepe all thy people We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to geue to al nations vnity peace and concord We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to geue all thy people encrease of grace to heare meekely thy worde and to receiue it with pure affection and to bring forth the fruites of the spirit We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as haue erred and are deceaued We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to strenghthen such as do stand and to comfort and helpe the weake harted and to rayse vp them that fall and finally to beate downe Sathan vnder our feete We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to succour helpe and comfort all that be in daunger necessitie and tribulation We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to preserue all that trauell by land or by water all women labouring with childe al sicke persons and yong children and to shew thy pitie vpon all prisoners and captiues We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to defend and prouide for the fatherles children and widowes and all that be desolate and oppressed We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to haue mercy vpon all men We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to forgeue our enemyes persecutors and slaunderers and to turne their hartes We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to geue and preserue to our vse the kindly fruites of the earth so as in due tyme we may enioy them We beseech thee to heare vs. c. That it may please thee to geue vs true repentance to forgeue vs al our sinnes negligēces and ignorances and to endue vs with the grace of thy holy spirite to amend our liues according to thy holy worde We beseech thee to heare vs. c. ¶ Sonne of God we beseche thee to heare vs. Sonne of God we beseech thee to heare vs. O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world Graunt vs thy peace O lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world Haue mercy vpon vs. O Christ heare vs. O Christ heare vs. Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Christ haue mercy vpon vs. Christ haue mercy vpon vs. Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Lord haue mercy vpon vs. ¶ Our father which art c. And lead vs not into tēptatiō But deliuer vs from euill Amen ¶ The virsicle O Lord deale not with vs after our sinnes Aunswere Neither reward vs after our iniquities Let vs pray O God mercifull father that dispisest not the sighing of a contrite hart nor the desire of such as be sorowfull mercfully assist our prayers that we make before thee in al our troubles aduersities whensoeuer they oppresse vs and gratiously heare vs that those euils which the craft and subtiltie of the Deuil or mā worketh agaynst vs may be brought to nought by the prouidence of thy goodnes they may be dispersed that we thy seruauntes
shadow a smoke a vapour a worde a storme a tempest in the which Gods people feele great molestations greefes troubles now of Sathan him selfe now of the world now of their owne flesh and that so wonderfully diuersly daungerously contrarily that they are enforced to cry Oh Lorde when shall we come and appeare before thee when shall this misery end when shall we be deliuered out of this vale of miserye out of thys wildernes out of thys continuall affliction and most perilousseas But where thou art Lorde and deare father of mercy there is not only no prison no dolours no sorow no sighinges no teares no sicknes no hūger no heate no colde no paine no temtations no displeasure no malice no pride no vncleannes no cōtention no tormentes no horrour no sin no filth no stinch no dearth no death no weeping no teares no misery nor mischiefe there is I say not onely no such thing or any e-euill noysome or displeasaunt thing but all libertie all light all pleasauntnes all ioy reioysing mirth pleasure pastime health wealth riches glory power treasure honour triumph comfort solace loue vnitie peace concord wisdome vertue melody meekenes felicitie beatitude and all that euer can bee wished or desired in most securitie eternitie and perpetuitie that may be thought not onely of man but of Angels and Archangels yea aboue all thoughtes The eye hath not seene the like the eare hath not heard it nor no hart is able to conceaue in any poynt any part of the blisfull beatitude which is with thee most deare God and Father most deare Lorde and Sauiour most gratious good God and comforter Where thou art O blessed God the Archaungels Aungels Thrones powers dominations Cherubins Ceraphins Patriarkes Prophets Apostles Martyrs Virgins Confessors and righteous spirites cease not to sing night and day Holy Holy Holy Lorde God of hostes honor maiestie glory power empire and dominion be vnto thee oh God the creator oh Lord Jesu the redemer oh holy spirite the comforter In recordation of thys Oh how thy childrē reioyce how contemne they the pleasures of thys worlde how litle esteme they any corporall greefe or shame how desire they to bee with thee How amiable are thy tabernacles Oh Lorde God of hostes say they my soule hath a desire to enter into the courtes of the Lorde my hart and my soule reioyceth in the lyuyng God Blessed are they that dwell in thy house they that may alwayes be praysing thee For one day in thy courtes is better then a thousand els where I had rather be a doore keper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tentes of vngodlines for the Lord God is a light defence And againe lyke as the Hart desireth the water brookes so longeth my soule after thee Oh God my soule is a thyrst for God yea euen for the liuing God When shall I come to appeare before the presence of God My soule thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is They thy childrē I meane O Lord desire the day of that their redemption stil they cry let thy kingdō come they cry Come Lord Jesu they lift vp their heades lookyng for thy appearing Oh Lorde which will make their vile body lyke to thine owne glorious immortall body for when thou shalt appeare they shall be like vnto thee Thy Aungels will gather them together they shall meete thee in the cloudes and bee alwayes with thee They shall heare thys ioyfull voyce Come ye blessed of my father possesse the kingdome prepared for you from the beginning Then shall they be like to thy Aungells Then shall they be like vnto the Sunne in thy kyngdome Then shall they haue crownes of glory and be endued with white garmentes of innocēcie and righteousnes and Palmes of victory in their handes Oh happy is he that may but see that immortall and incorruptible inheritance which they shall enioy for euermore Amen ¶ A Meditation of the presence of God THere is nothyng that maketh more to true godlines of life then the perswasion of thy presēce deare father and that nothyng is hyd from thee but all to thee is open and naked euē the very thoughtes which one day thou wilt reueale and open either to our praise or punishment in thys life as thou diddest Dauids faultes which he dyd secretly 2. Reg. 12. or in the lyfe to come Math. 25. for nothyng is so hid that shall not be reuealed Therfore doth the Prophet say Woe to thē that keepe secrete their thoughtes to hide theyr counsell from the Lorde and do their workes in darknes saying who seeth vs Graunt to me therefore deare God mercy for all my sinnes especially my hid and close sinnes Enter not into iudgement with me I humbly besech thee Geue me to beleue truely in thy Christ that I neuer come into iudgement for thē that with Dauid I might so reueale them and confesse them vnto thee that thou wouldest couer thē And graunt further that hence forth I alwayes thinke myself cōtinually cōuer saunt before thee so that if I do well I passe not of the publishing of it as hypocrites doe If I do or thinke any euill I may forthwith know that the same shall not alwayes be hid from men Graunt me that I may alwayes haue in minde that day wherin hyd workes of darknes shall be illumined and also that sentence of thy sonne that nothing is so secret which shall not bee reuealed So in trouble and wrong I shall finde comfort and otherwise be kept through thy grace frō euil which do thou worke I humbly besech thee for Christes sake Amen ⧠A Meditation of death and the commodities it bringeth WHat other thing do we dayly in thys present life then heape sinne vppon sinne and hourde vp trespasse vpon trespasse so that thys day is worse alwayes then yesterday by encreasing as dayes so sinnes and therefore thy indignation good Lorde agaynst vs but when we shall be let goe out of the prison of thys body and so taken into thy blessed company then shall we be in most safety of immortalitie and saluation thē shall come vnto vs no sicknes no nede no paine no kind of euill to soule or body but what soeuer good we cā wish that shall we haue and what soeuer we loth shall be farre from vs. O deare father that we had fayth to beholde these thinges accordingly Oh that our hartes were perswaded therof and our affections enflamed with the desire of them Then should we liue in longing for that which now we most loth O helpe vs and graūt that we being ignorant of thinges to come and of the tyme of our death which to thee is certain may so liue and finishe our iourney here that we may be ready and then depart when our departing may make most to thy glory our comfort through Christ What is thys lyfe but a smoke a vapour