CHRISTIAN Prayers and Meditations in English French Italian Spanish Greeke and Latine IMPRINTED at London by Iohn Daye An. 1569. IESSE DAVID SALOMŌ ABIA 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 IORAM OSIAS IOATAM AHAS ESECHIA Manss◠E R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE Elizabeth Regina 2. PARALIPOM 6. Domine Deus Israel non est similis tui Deus in coelo in terra qui pacta custodis misericordiam cum seruis tuis qui ambulant coram te in toto corde suo ⧠Prayers to be sayd in the mornyng and first when you awake out of your sleepe pray thus MOste mercifull God and father of our Sauior Jesus Christ I moste humbly thanke thee for the sweete sleepe and comfortable rest which thou hast geuen me this night past besechyng thee that lyke as thou hast now awaked my body from sleepe so thou wouldest awake my soule from the slepe of sinne and darkenes of thys world and that which thou hast now awaked out of slepe thou wouldest after deathe wherof this sleepe is but an image restore rayse agayne to life euerlasting Oh gracious God make my body I hartely pray thee such a companion or rather a minister of godlines to my soule this day and all the tyme of this present lyfe that in the lyfe to come it may be pertaker with the same of euerlasting happines thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. * Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall shew light vnto thee Eph. 5 ¶ Occasions to meditate HEre call to mynd the great mirth and blessednes of the euerlasting resurrectiō Also remember to muse vpō that most clere light that bright mornyng and new clearenes of our bodies after the long darknes which they haue bene in All then shall be ful of vnspeakable ioyes and felicitie ⧠When you behold the day light pray O Lord God thou most glorious true lyght from whēce this light of the day sunne doth spring and shyne vnto vs O lyght which lightnest euery mā that commeth into this world O light which knowst no night nor euening but art alway a midday most cleare and fayre without whome all is most horrible darknes and by whō all things are most splendent O thou wisdome of the eternall father of mercies lighten my mynd that I may see those thynges onely which please thee and may be blynded to all other thynges Graunt me so to walke in thy wayes by the light of thy holy worde that nothing els may be lyght and pleasaunt vnto me * Lighten mine eyes O Lorde that I sleepe not in death least mine enemies say I haue preuailed against him Psal 30. ¶ Occasions to meditate MVse a while how much the light and eye of the mynde and soule is better then of the body Also how much more we ought to care for the soule that it may see wel then for the body Moreouer that beastes haue bodely eyes as well as men but men only haue eies of the mind and that such as are godly wise ⧠When you arise pray OVr first parentes cast downe themselues from a most excellent high honorable estate in to shame and misery and in to the deepe sea of all wickednesse and mischiefe but oh Christ thou puttyng forth thy hande didst rayse them vp agayne Euen so we except we be raysed vp by thee shall lye still for euer O good Christ our most gracious redemer as thou doost mercifully rayse vp now this my body euen so I beseeche thee rayse vp my mynde and harte to the true knowledge and loue of thee that my conversation may be in heauen where thou art * If you be risen with Christ thinke vpon those thinges that be aboue Colloss 3. ¶ Occasions to meditate THinke how foule the fall of Adam was by reason of sinne and so of euery one of vs from the height of gods grace Againe thinke vppon the inestimable benefite of Christ by whose helpe we daily arise agayne from our fallynges ⧠When you are made redy to begin the day withall pray O Almighty God most mercifull father thou knowest hast taught vs also somethyng to knowe that the weaknes of man and woman is great that without thy grace they can neither do nor thinke any good thing Haue mercy vpon me I hūbly beseche thee thy most weake fraile and vnworthy chylde Lighten my mynde that I may with pleasure looke vpon good thinges onely Enflame my hart with the loue therof that I may carefully couete them and at the last by thy gracious cōducting may happely attayne them thorough Jesus Christ our Lorde I distrustyng altogether myne owne weakenes commende and offer my selfe both soule and body into thy handes * Thy louyng spirite leade me forth into the lande of righteousnes Psal 143. ⧠Cogitations meete to begin the day withall THinke first that man consisteth of soule body and that the soule is from heauen heauenly firme and immortall but the body is from the earth earthly fraile and mortall Agayne thinke that though by reason of sinne wherein you are conceyued and borne the partes of the soule which do vnderstand and desire be so corrupte that without speciall grace to both partes you can neither know nor loue any good thyng in gods sight much lesse then do that is good yet this notwithstandyng thynke that you are regenerate by Christes resurrection which your baptisme requireth you to beleue and therefore to do also some good in the sight of God through Christ for whose sake our poore doynges are accepted for good the euill and infirmitie cleauing therunto not beyng imputed through faith Thinke that by fayth which is gods séede for they which beleue are of God and made Gods children geuen to those that be ordeyned to eternall life thinke I say that by fayth you receiue more and more the spirit of sanctification through the vse of Gods worde and sacramentes and earnest prayer to illuminate your minde vnderstanding iudgement and reason and to bow forme frame and inflame your affections with loue and power to do that that good is and therfore vse you the means aforesaid accordingly Thinke that by this spirite you are thorough faith coupled to Christ as a liuely member and so to God and as it were made one with hym and by loue which springeth out of this faith you are made one also with all that be of God and so you haue fellowship with God and all good men that euer were or shall be in all the good that God and all his saintes haue or shall haue Thinke that as by faith and loue through the spirite of God you are now entred into this communion the blessednes whereof no tounge can expresse so after thys lyfe you shall first in soule and in the last day in body also enioy for euer the same societie most perfectly which now is but begonne in you Thinke in consideration of your heauenly estate how your body is the temple of
awaked thē thou wentest agayne to pray but thou foundest no comfort at all therfore didst returne agayne for some comforte at thy dearest frendes handes But yet againe alas they are fast a sleepe Wherupon thou art enforced to go agayne to thy heauenly father for some sparckle of comfort in these thy wonderfull crosses agonies Now here thou wast so discouraged and so comfortles that euē streames of bloud came runnyng from thine eies and eares and other partes of thy body But who is able to expresse the infinitenes of thy crosses euen at thy beyng in the garden All which thou sufferedst for my sake as well to satisfy thy fathers wrath for my sinnes as also to sanctify all my sufferinges the more gladly to be susteyned of me After thy bloudy prayer thou camest and yet agayne foundest thy disciples a sleepe and before thou canst well awake them loe Judas cōmeth with a great bande of men to apprehend thee as a theefe and so doth leadyng thee away bound to that hie Bishops house Annas so from him to Cayphas Here now to augment this thy misery behold thy disciples flie from thee false witnesses be brought against thee thou art accused and condemned of blasphemy Peter euen in thy sight forsweareth thee thou art vniustly striken for answering lawfully thou art blindefield striken and buffeted all the whole nyght in the bishop Cayphas house of their cruell seruauntes In the mornyng betymes thou art condemned agayne of the priestes of blasphemy therfore they bring thee before the secular power to Pilate by whom thou art openly arrayned as other theeues and malefactors were and when he saw that thou wast accused of malice yet he did not dismisse thee but did sende thee to Herode where thou wast derided shamefully in commyng and goyng to hym and from hym all the way especially after Herode had appareled thee as a foole Afore Pilate agayne therfore thou wast brought and accused falsly no mā did take thy part or speak a good word for thee Pilate caused thee to be whipped and scourged and to be handled most pitifully to se if any pitie might apeare with the Prelates but no man at all pitied thee Barrabas was preferred before thee all the people head and taile was against thee cryed hang thee vp vniustly to death wast thou iudged thou wast crowned with thornes that pearced thy braines thou wast made a mocking stocke thou wast reuiled beaten and most miserably handled Thou wentst through Jerusalem to the place of execution euen to the mount Caluery a great crosse to hange thee on was layde vppon thy backe to beare and drawe as long as thou wast able Thy body was racked to be nayled to the tree thy hāds were bored thorow thy feete also nayles were put thorow them to fasten thee thereon thou wast hanged betwene heauen earth as one spewed out of heauē and vomited out of the earth vnworthy of any place the high priest laughed thee to scorne the elders blasphemed thee and sayd God hath no care for thee the common people laughed and cried out vpon thee thrist oppressed thee but vineger onely gall was geuen thee to drinke heauen shined not on thee the Sunne gaue thee no lyght the earth was afrayd to beare thee Sathan tempted thee and thine owne senses caused thee to cry out My God my GOD why hast thou forsaken me Oh wonderfull passions which thou suffredst In them thou teachest me in them thou comfortest me for by thē God is my father my sinnes are forgeuen By thē I should learne to feare God to loue God to hope in God to hate synne to be patient to call vppon God and neuer to leaue hym for any temptations but with thee to cry Father into thy handes I commende my spirite A meditation of Gods power beautie goodnes c. BEcause thou lord woul dest haue vs to loue thee not onely doost thou will entice allure prouoke vs but also doost commaund vs so to do promisyng thy self vnto such as loue thee and threatning vs with damnation if we doo otherwyse wherby we may see both our great corruption and noughtines and also thine excedyng great mercy towardes vs. First concerning our corruptiō and noughtines what a thing is it that power riches authoritie beautie goodnes liberalitie truth iustice which all thou art good lord cannot moue vs to loue thee Whatsoeuer thynges we see fayre good wyse mighty are but euen sparkles of that power beautie goodnes wisdom which thou art For to the end thou mightst declare thy riches beuty power wisdom thou hast not only made but still doost conserue all creatures to be as Dauid sayth of the heauens declarers and setters forth of thy glory and as a booke to teach vs to know thee How fayre thou art the beautie of the Sunne Moone Stars light flowers riuers fieldes hils birdes beastes men and all creatures yea the goodly shape and forme of the whole world doth declare How mighty thou art we are taught by the creation of this world euen of nought by gouerning the same by punishing the wicked mighty Giants therof by ouerthrowing their deuises by repressing the rages of the sea wtin her bounds by stormes by tempestes by fires these and such lyke declare vnto vs thine inuisible almighty and terrible power whereby thou subduest all thinges vnto thee How riche thou art thys worlde thy great and infinite treasurehouse doth well declare What plenty is there not onely of thinges but also of euery kinde of things Yea how doost thou yearely and daily multiply these kyndes How many seedes doost thou make of one seede yea what great increse doost thou bring it vnto These cannot but put vs in remembraunce of the exceedyng riches that thou hast For if to thyne enemies which loue thee not as the most part in this world be if to thē thou geuest so plentifully thy riches here what shal we thinke that with thy selfe thou hast layde vp for thy frendes How good thou art all creatures generally and perticularly do teach What creature is there in the worlde which thou hast not made for our cōmoditie I will not say how that thou mightst haue made vs creatures without sense or reason if thou haddest would But amongst al things none doth teach vs so thy great loue towardes vs as doth the death of thy most dearely beloued sonne who suffred the paynes and terrours thereof yea and hell it selfe for our sakes If this thy loue had bene but a smal loue it would neuer haue lasted so long nor Christ shold neuer haue died ⧠A prayer to Christ crucified AS thou O Lord wast crucified for me so I beseeche thee crucify me with thee that I may ryse agayne with thee to euerlasting lyfe Thy flesh was crucified for me crucifie with thee O Christ the kingdom of the flesh which hath dominion in me that I may put of the olde Adam and by newnes of lyfe may be transformed
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
a shadow a warfare a bubble of water a worde grasse a flower That we shall die it is most certaine but the time no mā can tell when The longer in this life we do remaine the more wee synne which will turne to our further paine By cogitation of death our mindes be often in a maner oppressed with darkenes because we do but remember the nyght of the body forgetting the light of the mynde and of the resurrection Hereto remember the good thinges that after thys life shall ensue in certaintie of faith without wauering and so shall the passage of death be more desired It is like a sayling ouer the sea to your home and countrey it is like a medicine or purgation to the health of soule and body it is the best Phisicion it is lyke a womās trauaile For as the chylde beyng deliuered commeth into a more large place then the wombe wherin it did lye before so the soule beyng deliuered out of the body commeth into a much more larger and fayrer place euen into heauen ⧠A meditation concerning the sober vsage of the body and pleasures in this life THe beginning of all euill in our kynde of liuyng springeth out of the deprauation and corruptnes of our iudgement because our will alwayes followeth that which reason iudgeth to be folowed Now that which euery man taketh to be frendly and agreyng to his nature the same doth he iudge necessarily to be good for hym and to be desired This is meate drinke apparel riches fauour dignitie rule knowledge and such lyke because they are thought good agreeyng either to the body or to the mind or to both for they helpe either to the conseruation or to the pleasure of man accompted of euery one amongest good thinges Howbeit such is the weaknes of our witte on the one parte and the blindnes and too much rage of our lustes on the other part that we beyng left to our selues can not but in the desire of thynges which we iudge good and agreeyng to our nature by the iudgement of our senses and reason we cannot I say but ouerpasse the boundes wherby they myght be profitable vnto vs and so we make them hurtfull to vs which of themselues are ordayned for our health What is more necessary then meate and drynke or more agreeyng to nature but yet how few be there which do not hurt themselues by thē In lyke maner it goeth with riches estimation frends learning c. Yea although we be in these most temperate yet when there wanteth the spirit our regeneratour we are so drowned in them that we vtterly neglect to lift vp our myndes to the good pleasure of God to the ende we might imitate and follow God our maker by yelding our selues ouer duly to vse his gyftes to the common and priuate vtility of our neighbours But now God onely is life and eternity and cannot but demaunde of vs hys handiworke that we should render our selues and all we haue to the ende wherefore we were made that is to resemble for our portion his goodnes as those which be nothing els but witnesses instrumēts of his mercy So that when we wholy do naturally striue against that kind of life wherto he hath create vs by seking alwayes our selues what other thing ought to ensue but that he should againe destroy vs take away his notable giftes wherwith he therfore indued vs that by all kinde of wel doyng we should resemble his image yea what other thyng may ensue but that he should leaue vs that eternally that we might feele and by experience proue how bitter a thing it is to leaue the lord in whom is all goodnes Oh that I might therfore find such fauor in thy sight deare father that thou wouldest worke in me by thy holy spirite a true knowledge of all good thynges and harty loue to the same through Christ Jesus our lord and only Sauiour Amen ⧠A meditation vpon the passion of our Sauiour Iesus Christ. OH Lord Jesus Christ the sonne of the almighand euerliuyng God by whome all thynges were made and be ruled and gouerned thou the liuely image of the substaunce of the Father the eternall wisedom of God the brightnes of his glory god of God light of light coequal coeternall and consubstancial with the father thou which of the loue thou hadst to mankynde when he was fallen from the felowship of God into the societie of Sathan and all euil didst vouchsafe for our redemption to become a Mediatour betwene God man taking to the Godhead our nature as concerning the substaunce of it and so becamest man also the heire of all and most merciful Messias which by the power of thy Godhead merites of thy manhode hast made purgatiō of our synnes euē by thine owne self whilest thou wast here on earth being now set on the right hand of thy father for vs euen concernyng our nature in maiesty glory and power infinite I pray and humbly besech thy mercy to graunt me at thys present to rehearse some of thy passions and suffringes for me the last night that thou wast here before thy death that thy good spirite myght therby be effectual to worke in me faith as well of the pardon of my synnes by them as mortification of myne affections comfort in my crosses and paciēce in afflictions Amen In the midst of thy last supper with thy deare Apostles these thynges could not but be before thee namely that they all would leaue thee the most earnest would forsweare thee and one of the xij should most traitrously betray thee which were no small crosses vnto thee Judas was admonished of thee to beware but when he tooke no heede but wilfully went out to finish his work contemnyng thy admonition and counsell he could not but vexe thy most louyng hart After supper there was contention amongs thy disciples who should be greatest after ter thee yet dreamyng carnally of thee and thy kyngdome and hauyng this affection of pryde and ambition busie amonges them notwithstandyng thy diligence in reprouyng and teachyng them After thy admonition to thē of the crosse that would come therby to make them more vigilant so grosse wer they that they thought they could wyth their two swordes put away all perils which was no little griefe vnto thee After thy cōmyng to Gethsemane heauines oppressed thee therfore thou wouldest thy disciples to pray Thou didst tell to Peter and his fellowes that thy hart was heauy to death Thou didst wyll them to pray being carefull for them also lest they should fall into tēptation After this thou wentest a stones cast from thē and didst pray thy selfe falling flat and groueling vppon the earth but alas thou feltest no comfort and therfore thou camest to thy disciples which of all others were most sweete deare vnto thee but lo to thy further discomfort they passe neither of thy perils nor of their owne and therfore sleepe apace After thou hadst
into thee that second Adam sinne infidelitie and the whole tiranny of Sathan beyng vanquished and ouercome Bring to passe O Lord that by thy crosse and painefull sufferyng thy yoke may be to me made light and thy burden easy that willingly and gladly following thee I may come whether thou art gone that is to thy father most blessed and immortall from whom nothing shall afterwardes be able to seperate vs. * God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of our Lorde Iesus Christ whereby the world is crucified vnto me and I vnto the world ⧠A prayer to Christ ascended and reigning in glory OH good Christ our first begotten brother and tender harted Joseph oh naturall sonne of that Father to whome we are made children of adoption through thee oh our head reigning on high in glory forget not vs thy poore members here on earth wherinto abasyng thy selfe thou camest downe and sufferedst for vs most cruell death Out of this thy throne of maiestie and glory thou put test vs in assured hope confidence that we also shall attain to that blessed place whether thou art gone before to take possession for vs. Oh our strong tower of defence and succor what can hurt vs now trusting in thee Most vnhappy are they which are ignorant of thee Most happy are they which alwayes beholde thee Blessed are they which haue knowen thee here in the dayes of their mortalitie but more blessed are they which see thee in the heauens and shall see thee raigning with thy father in ioyes incomparable Oh Lord the onely ioy and comfort of our soules shew vs thy louing countenance embrace vs with the armes of thy mercy receiue vs O good Joseph thy younger brethern with the kisse of comfort poure into our hartes thy holy spirit plucke vs vp from the earth earthly things open our eies and lift them vp vnto thee open thy mouth and call vs vnto thee open our eares that we may heare thee so that whatsoeuer we do speake or thinke it may be directed vnto thee alone our redemer mediatour and aduocate ¶ If ye be risen agayne with Christ seke the thinges which are aboue where Christ sitteth at the right haud of God set your affection on thinges that are aboue and not on things which are on the earth ⧠A prayer for the auoyding of Gods deserued wrath and vengeaunce for our sinne WHen we looke backe behold our sinfull lyfe past what a dungeon of errors vice and wickednes openeth it selfe vnto vs so that there is no man but he must needes be ashamed of himself when he calleth to mind what he hath bene and tremble when he considereth the wickednes and sinfull course of hys life to come For who shal vndertake that the rest of our lyfe shall be any better then that is past How can we then sufficiently magnifie prayse thy great mercy which hast differred thy punishment so long Beholding therfore this our daungerous and miserable state we come vnto thee O thou great and mighty iudge in trembling feare humbly beseching thee not to heape vppon vs thy deserued vengeance but let thy tender kindenes and loue thou bearest to Jesus Christ thy deare sonne our gracious Lord and redemer couer our iniquities for whose sake though we deserue all extremity thou doost pardon vs. ¶ If thou Lord shalt straitly marke our iniquities O Lord who shall be able to abide it ¶ A prayer to God for his helpe and protection against the obstinate enemies of the truth MOst righteous iudge God of all mercy and comfort which by thy secret iudgement and wisdom doost suffer the wicked to triumph and increase for a tyme for trial of the faith of thy welbeloued little flocke and the mortifying of their lustes but at length to the vtter confuliō of the enemies and ioyfull deliuerance of thy people looke down we besech thee on thy dispersed sheepe out of thy holy habitation in heauen and strengthen our weakenes against their furious rages abate their pryde asswage their malice confound their deuises wherwith they lift vp thēselues agaynst Christ Jesus thy sonne our Lord and Sauiour to deface his glory and set vp Antichrist We be not able of our selues to thynke a good thought much lesse to stand against their assaultes except thy vndeserued grace and mighty arme defend and deliuer vs. Performe thy promises made to Jacob and stop the mouthes of the cursed Edomites Call them to repentance whom thou hast appoin-to saluation bring home them that runne astray lighten the blynde and teache the ignoraunt forgeue all those that wilfully and obstinately rebel not against thy holy will let thy feareful threatnings pierce our stony hartes and make vs tremble at thy iudgemēts Make the examples of them whom thou hast ouerthrowne in their own deuises as Cain Cham Nemrod Esau Pharao Saule Achitophell Judas such other to be a warning for vs that we set not vp our selues agaynst thy holy will Graunt free passage to thy holy worde that it may worke effectually in vs the worke of lyfe and blessed hope of our saluation to the eternal praise of thy maiestie through our mediatour Christ Jesus to whome with thee and the holy ghost three persons and one God be prayse thanksgeuyng in all congregations world without end So be it ¶ A Prayer for the afflicted and persecuted vnder the tyranny of Antichrist O Mercifull father who neuer dost forsake such as put their trust in thee stretch forth thy mighty arme to the defence of our brethren by the rage of enemies persecuted and greuously tormented in sundry places for the true profes1ion of thy holy Gospell who in theyr extreme necessitie cry for comfort vnto thee Let not thy long suffering O Lorde be an occasion eyther to encrease the tyranny of thy enemies or to discourage thy children but with speede O Lorde consider their great miseries and afflictions Preuent the cruell deuise of Aman stay the rage of Holophernes breake of the counsell of Achitophell Let not the wicked say Where is now their God Let thy afflicted flocke feele present ayde and reliefe from thee O Lord looke downe vpon them with thy pitifull eye from thy holy habitation send terrour and trembling among their enemies make an end of their outragious tyrāny beate backe their boldnes in suppressing thy truth in destroying thy true seruantes in defacing thy glory in setting vp Antichrist Let them not thus proudly aduaunce them selues agaynst thee and thy Christ but let them vnderstand and feele that agaynst thee they fight Preserue and defend the vine which thy right hād hath planted and let all nations see the glory of thine annointed Amen ¶ A Prayer to be sayd before the receauing of the Communion O Father of mercy and God of all consolation seing all creatures do knowledge and cōfesse thee to be their gouernour Lord it becōmeth vs the workmanship of thine owne handes at all times