Godly Meditations Upon the Lords Prayer

There be nine things that pertain to the knowledge of true prayer.

F Irste to know what prayer is. Secondly, howe many sortes of prayer there be. Thirdlye, the necessity of prayer. Fourthlye, to whom we ought to pray. By whom we must pray. Where to pray, and what to pray. The excellencye of prayer. What we must do that our prayers may be heard.

What prayer is.

PRaier is a simple, unfeigned, humble and ardent opening of the heart before God, wherein we either ask things nedeful, or give thanks for benefits received. Paul in y ^e first to timothe &. 2. Chap. calleth it by four sondry names in one sentence, to wit, prayer, supplication, intercession and thanks giving. In latyn, Deprecatio, Obsecratio, inte recssio, et gratiarum actio. Wherof the first is for the aduoiding and preventing of evil, the second is an earnest and faruent calling vpō god for anything, y ^e third is an intercession for other, the fourth is a praisinge of God for things received.

There be .ii. manner of ways how we should pray.

2. First publicly, and that is called comō prayer: and priuatlie, as when men pray alone, and that is called private prayer: and howe both these two are allowed before god y ^e scripture beareth testimony by the example of all the holy men and women before and after Christ.

Of the necessity of prayer.

3. There be .iiii. things y ^e provoke us to pray, first the commandment of god, secondly sin in us, which driveth us of necessity to god for succor, life, & mercy, thirdlie our weak nature being unable to do any good requireth prayer to strengthen it, even as a house requireth principal pillars for y ^e upholding of it, fourthlie the sutteltie of the enemy (who privily lurketh in y ^e inward parts, waitinge to overthrow us even in those things which we think to be best done) styreth us vehementlye thereunto.

To whom we ought to pray.

4. Thre things pertain to him that must be prayed unto, first that he have such ears as may hear all the world at ones, secondly that he be in all places at ones, thirdlie that he have such power that he may be able to help, and such mercy that he will deliver.

By whom we should pray

5. Christ only is the way by whom we have free access unto the father and for whom our prayers are accepted (our infirmities notwithstanding) without whom all our prayers are abhominable.

Where to pray and what to pray.

6. As touching the place where we should pray, seeing all places are one, there is none forbidden: only the common prayer must be made in what place so ever the congregatyon of Christ doth assemble.

7. What to pray, lieth in the necessity of every man: & for as much as we need both spiritual and corporal things, we may boldly ask thē both. For as to ask spiritual gifts it is profitable & commanded, so to ask corporal, it is necessary and allowed.

Of the excellency of prayer.

8. The worthiness of prayer consisteth in .ii. things: in the dingnitye of the commander who is god the fountain of all goodness, who also commandeth only good things, and in the effect y ^e followeth it, which is the obtaininge of whatsoever we desire faithfully, according to y ^e will of God.

What to do that we may be heard

9. First we must put of our own righteousness, pride, and estimation of our selves, and put on christ with his righteousness: secondlye, an earnest faith and faruent love, with the putting of all rancnor, malice & envy is required: finally true repentance knitteth up the knot, for in it are contained all the virtues aforenamed.

Our father.

T Hou good lord, which madest heaven & earth the sea and all that is therein, together with thy dearelye beloved son Jesus Chrysts, and with thy holy spirit: Thou the same god, which openedst thyself to Adam by thy promise: Thou the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: Thou which broughtest thy people of Israel forth of Egypt w ^t a mighty hand and a stretched out power: Thou which gavest thy law upon mount Sinai: Thou which spakest by thy prophets, & last of all in these latter days by thy dearlye beloved son Jesus Christ, whom y ^e wouldest should be made a second Adam, that as by y ^e first we are childrē of wrath, carnal and full of concupiscence: so by him we might be made children of grace and spiritual, by communicating with him y ^e quality, merits virtues, and grace of his flesh, through the operation of the holy spirit, as he communicated with us the substance of our flesh in the womb of y ^e virgin Marie, by the operation of the same holy spirit, being that blessed seed which was promised to Adam, Abraham, Isaac Jacob, David, which should browse the Serpents head, which should bring the blessing on all nations, which should reign over thi house forever, and mightilye overcome thine and our enemies, as in deed he did by his incarnation, nativity, circumcisiō, erile, baptism, fasting, temptation, doctrine, deeds, mracles, workings, agonies, bloody prayer, passiō, death resurrection, and ascension, and yet he still doth by his mediation and intercession for us, and at the length he will on all partes fully accōplishe by his coming to Iudgemente, which will be suddenly in y ^e twinkring of an eye, in the blast of a trompete and shout of an Archangel, when he shall be seen with thousands of Saints & innumerable thousands of Angels, all the whole world being on fire, and all people that ever were, are or shall be then standing before his tribunal or judgment seat to render an account of that they have done in this body, be it good or bad: Thou I say, this god which art holy, rightuouse, true, wise, pure, chaste, mighty, merciful, good, graciouse, a hater of sin, an avenger of vnrightuousnes &c, woldeste that I which am borne in sin and conceived in iniquity, which by nature am a child of wrath (for my heart is so vnsearcheably evil that out of it springeth corrupt concupissence, so that the inclination thereof is prone to evil always even frō my youth up: as is my understanding and mind so darkened, that I cannot perceive those things, that be of god of myself, and all the wisdom which I receive from Adam naturallye or other wise attain by labor or study before regeneration: I cannot think a good thought much less wish it or consent unto it and least of all do it) thou I say yet wouldest that I being such a one, in whom dwelleth continual enmity against thee, that I which am nothing but sin and one that doeth evil always before thee, should call thee and believe thee this god & father of our lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to be in very deed my father, that is, thou wouldest I should be moste assured, that thou of thine own good will, which thou barest to me wards before I was, yea before the world was, hast in Christ chosen me to be thy child, & through him art become my most loving father, from whō I should loke for all good things, & be most certainelye persuaded, that loke howe much thou art more then mā, so much thy love and fatherlye providence towards me passeth the love & providence of any father towards his child, in loving me, caring how to help me, providing for me, nourtering me, & helping me in all my needs. So certain y ^e wouldest have me to be of this, y ^t to doubt of it, doth most displease thee & dishonor thee, as either

y ^u were not true, or not able to do these things, or else becamest not my father in respect of thine own goodness ī christ only, but also in respect of my worthiness and deserts. And y ^t I should not waver or doubt of this that thou art my dear father & I thy child forever through Jesus Christ, it is required in the first commandment, which saith I am y ^e lord thy god, thou shalt have none other gods but me: again, thy son doth here command me to call thee by the name of father: moreover in the first article of my belief I profess the same in saying, I believe in god the father almighty: besides this their are many other things to confirm me herein, as the creation and government of the world generally, and of every creature particularly, for all is made and kept for man and so for me, to serve me for my commoditye, necessity & admonition. Again the creation of me, in that thou hast made me after thy Image, having a reasonable soul, body, shape &c. where thou mightest have made mea tode, a Serpent, a swine, deformed frātike &c. moreover thy wonderful cōseruacion, norishing and keeping of me hitherto in my infancy, childhode, youth &c. Al these I say, should cōfirm my faith of thy fatherly love. But of all things the opening of thyself by thy word & promise of grace, made after man's fall, first to Adam, then to Abraham Isaac, Jacob, and so to other, being published by the prophets frō time to time, and last of all accomplished by thy dear son Jesus Christ, in whom thy promises are yea & Amē: The opening of thyself thus, I say, in and by Christ, is the most chief & sure certificat, that thou art my father for his sake, & I thy dear child, although of myself I am most unworthy. For thou according to thy promises, hast not spared thy dear son Jesus Christ, but given him to y ^e death of y ^e cross for my sins. Thou wouldest he should be made flesh of our flesh, and blood of our blood in the womb of the virgins Marie, by the operation of the holy Spirit that we by the working of the same spirit, through the merits of his flesh & blood, might be made flesh of his flesh and blood of his blood, that is, as he hath the substance of our flesh & blood: even so we might have and forever enjoy in him and through him, the qualities, virtues and gifts of righteousness, holiness, innocence, immortality, and glory, wherewith he hath endued our nature in his own person for us all; that as now in faith & hope we have y ^e same, so in his coming we might fully enjoy them in very deed, for then shall our bodies now vile, be like to his glorious body. Herein appeareth thy love, not y ^t we loved thee but that y ^e lovest us, & hast given thy son for us: herein doest y ^u cōmende unto us thy love, y ^t when we were yet sinners, Christ thy der • son died for us, so y ^t nothing should separate us from thy love in christ Ies{us}, nether death nor hunger &c. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled unto thee by the death of thy sonne, much more we being reconciled shall be saved by his life. And y ^t I should not doubt hereof, but certainly be per swaded all this to pertain to me, where I might have been borne of Turks, loe y ^u wouldest I should be borne of Christian parents, brought into thy church by baptism, which is y ^e Sacrament of Adoptiō, and requireth faith as well of remission of my sins, as of sanctification and holiness, to be wrought of thee in me by thy grace and holy spirit. Where I might have been borne in an ignorant time and region, y ^u wouldest I I should be borne in this time and region, wherein is more knowledge revealed, then ever was here or in many places is. Where I might have been of a corrupt judgment, & entangled with many errors, loe y ^u of thy goodness, as thou hast reformed my Judgment, so doest thou keep it, and now for the same judgments sake doest vouchsalfe somewhat by the cross to try me. By all which things I should confirm my faith of this, that thou always haste been, art and wilt be forever my dear father: in respect whereof I should, be as certain of salvation & of these aheritaunce of heaven forever: 〈◊〉 : thankful, cast my whole care on thee, trust on thee, and call on thee, with comfort: and certain hope for all. things that I wants. For in y ^t thou hāst given to mē this benefit to be thy child undeserved, vndeseced on my behalf, 〈◊〉 and only in respect of thine own goodness and grace in Christ, lest at any time I should doubt of it: how should I but hope certainly that nothing profitable to me can be denied, in y ^t thi power is infinite? For as thi good will is declared in adoptinge me, so nothing can be finally wanting me, which may make for my weal (for y ^t should improve thy power to be almighty) in y ^t thi will is so boūteously already declared: whereas my be • e •• e requireth to believe in thee y ^e father almighty, in consideration whereof I should in all things behave myself as a child, rejoice in thee, praise thee, trust in thee, fear thee serve thee, love thee, call upon thee &c.

But alas how heavy hearted am I? How unthankful am I? Howe full of unbelief, & doubtinge of this thy riche mercy? Howe little do I love thee, fear thee, call upon thee. &c.

Oh be merciful unto me, forgive me good father for thine own sake, and grant me the spirit of thy children, to reuele thyself unto me, and Jesus Christ thy dear son our lord, by whō we are made thy children, that I may truly know thee, heartily love thee, faithefully hange upon thee in all my needs, with good hope call upon thee, render faithfully this honor to thee, that thou art my god & father, & I thy dear child through thy grace in Christ, and so always be endued with an assured hope of thy goodness, and a faithful obedient heart in all things to thy holy will. At thy hands and from thee as I must loke for all things, so come I unto thee and pray thee to give me these things which thy dear children have, and thou requirest of me, that I might come & ask them of thee, as now I do through Jesus Christ our lord.

As by this word (father) I am taught to glory of thee and in thee, and all that ever thou hast (for thou art wholly mine, my lord, my god, my father) so by this word (Our) I am taught to glory of all the good, that all & every of thy servants that ever were, are, or shall be, had, have, and shall have. For now I am taught to believe, y ^t thou hast called me into the communion of thy church & people, whom hereby I perceive y ^u hast commanded, to be careful for me, as for thē selves, and in all their prayers to be as mindful of me, as of themselves. Again as by this word (Father) I am taught to remember & render my duty I owe to thee wards, faith, love fear, obedience &c: so by thy word (our) I am taught my duty towards thy people to be careful for them & to take their sorrow, poverty, & affliction &c as mine own: and therefore to labor to help them in heart and hand, after my vocation & ability, utterly abhorring all pride, selfloue arrogancy, & contempt of any. By reason whereof I have great cause to lament & to rejoice. To lament because I am so far frō consideration, much more frō doig my duty to thy people in thoughts, words, or deeds. To rejoice, because I am called of thee, & placed ī the blessed society of thy saints, & made a menber & citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, and because thou hast givē in commandment to all thy church to be as care full for me, as for themselves.

But alas howe far am I herefrō? As I am guilty of unthankfulness for this thy calling me into the blessed communion of thy dear sonne, & church, yea of thyself: so am I guilty of selfloue, unmercifulness, pride, arrogantie, forgetfulness, contempt of thy children: for else I could not but be other wise affected & otherwise labor then I do. Oh be merciful unto me good father, forgive me, & grant for christs sake, that as my tongue soūdeath this word (our) so I may in heart fele the true loye of thy blessed communion, and the true love & compassion which thy children have and fele towards their brethren, that I may rejoice in all trouble, in respect of that ioyefull communion: that I may deny myself to honor thy children vpō earth, and endeuer myself to do them good for thy sake through Ies{us} christ our lord. I come only to thee to give me that which I cannot nor must not else where have, and thou requirest it of me, y ^t therefore I should as thy child come and crave it to thy glory.

Which art in heaven.

AS by these words (Oure father) I am taught to glory and rejoice for the blessed communion which I am called to w ^t thee, dear father, with thy Christ, and with thy holy church: so also am I hear taught by these words (Which art in heaven) to rejoice in respect of the place and blessed Ioyes, whereunto at the length in thy good time I shall come. For now I may perceive, that as heavē is thy home, so is it mine also, being (as I am) thy child through Christ, although hear for a time I am bodily on earth and in misery.

Again by these words (which art in heaven) I am admonished, not only to discern thee from earthly fathers, and to know how that thou art almighty, present in all places, and of most purity, to cōfirm thereby my faith, to be provoked y ^e more to fear thee, to reverence thee &c: but also I am admonished to judge of thy fatherly love by heavenly benefits, and not by corporal simply and alonely, for often times the wicked prosper more in the world, and have more worldly benefits, then thy children. So that by this I see thou wouldest pul up my mind from earth and earthly things, to heaven and heavenly things; and that I should see further by corporal benefits, thy heavenly providence for me. For if y ^u place me thus on earth and thus bless me as thou doest & hitherto hast done from my youth up, in that thou art nothing so careful for my body as for my soul, how should I but think much of thy providence for it in thy home, where is such glory, as y ^t eye hath not seen &c. of which things, these corporal benefits of thine, given me on earth, should be as it were inductions, and the taking of them away, admonitions to be more mindful of permanent things, and less mindful of transitory things.

By reasō hereof I have great cause to lament, and to rejoice. To lament because I am so earthly minded, so little desirous of my home, so vnthākfull for thy providence, and fatherly correction here on earth. To rejoice because of my home, and the great glory thereof, because thou doest so provide for me here, because thou doest so correct and chastē me &c. but alas I am altogether a wretch, earthly & unthankful, not only for these corporal benefits, health, riches, friends, fame, wisdom &c: for thy fatherly correction, sickness, temptation &c: but also for thy heavenly benefits, for Christ Jesus, for the promise of thy spirit, for thy gospel &c. Yea even for heaven it self and thy whole glory, as the Israelites were for the land of Canaan, & therefore never enjoyed it but perished in the wilderness. I am proud in prosperity and forget thee, waxing secure & careless. &c: I am impacient in the cross, and to much consider worldly discommoditie. Oh dear father forgive me, for thy Christ's sake all mine unthankfulness, love of this world, contempt and oblivion of thy heavenly benefits, and grant me thi holy spirit, to illuminate the eyes of my mind with the light and lively knowledge of thy presence, power wisdom, & goodness in thi creatures, but specially in christ iesus thy sonne, & so by the same spirit enflame mine affections, that I may desire nothing in earth but thee, and to be present with thee, that my conuersaciō may be in heaven continually. Frō whence grant me still to loke for the lord Ies{us}, to make this my vile body like unto his own glorious and immortal body, according to his own power by which he is able to do all things. As y ^u hast givē me to be thy child: so I pray the give me these things which be y ^e properties of thy childrē given frō y ^• in thy good time.

Hallowed be thy name.

THy name is that whereby thou art known: for names serve to discern, and know one thing from another. Now though thou art known by thy creatures, yet in this our corrupt estate, thei serve but to make us excuseles. Therefore properly, most lively, and comfortably y ^u art known by thy holy word, and specially by thy promise of grace, and freely pardoning and receiuinge us into thy favor for christ Ies{us} sake. For the which goodness in Christ, y ^u art praised & magnified, according to thy name, that is, so much as mē know thee in Christ, they magnify thee, & praise thee, which here thou callest halowing or sanctifieng: not that thou art the more holy in respect of thyself, but in respect of mē: who the more they know thee, the more they cannot but sanctify thee, that is, they cannot but as • n them selves by true faith, love, fear, and spiritual service, honor thee: so also in their outward behavior and words, they cannot but live in such sort, as other seeing them, may in and by their holiness & godly conuersatiō, be occasioned, as to know thee so to sanctify thy name accordingly. And therefore thou settest forth here unto me what is the chief and principal wish and desire of thy children and people, namely, that thou in Christ mightest be truly known and honored both of them selves, and of others inwardlye and outwardly. By reasō whereof easily a man may perceive by the contrary, y ^• the greatest sorrow & grief thy people have, is ignorance of thee, false service or religion, and wicked conversation. Against the which they pray and labor diligently after their vocations, as they for the obtaining of the others, both to others and to them selves, do take no small pain in prayer, study, and godly exercise. By reason hereof I se that I am far from this desire and lamentation which is in thy children: I see mine ignorance of the true knowledge of thee and thy name, for ells it had not needed thee so by thy word to have revealed thyself: I see also mine ignorance of the excellency of the same. For else wouldst y ^• not have told me, that the sanctifinge of thy name is the chiefest thing, y ^u requirest of every mā. Again I se my great want of holiness, for else thou nedest not to teach me, to seek & pray for y ^• I want not. Moreover I se my great peruersitie, which would not seek at thy hands for sanctification, although I se my need thereof. For else y ^u wouldest not have commanded me to pray for it, if I seeing my want, would have prayed unto the therefore. Last of all I see thy wonderful goodness, which wilt undoubtedly give unto me sanctification & holiness: for y ^u wouldest not that I should ask for that thing that y ^u wilt not give me. So that I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament, because I am so far from this desire and lamentacion, which thy children have: also because of my ignorance, poverty peruersitie, unthankfulness &c. but most of all because thy holy name, word, and religiō is so blasphemed both in doctrine and in living of many, especially in this Realm. To rejoice I have great cause, for thy exceeding goodness and merry, which woldeste so disclose thyself by thy works, word, & gospel: which wouldest opē these things thus unto me and also give unto me & others sanctification in thy sight by saithe; & in the sight of men by pureness of life & godly conversation. But alas I do heartily neither the one nor y ^• other, that is lame • or rejoice: as y ^u father which serchest my heart doest righte well know, Oh be merciful unto me and forgive me, yea give me, of thin own pity, thy holy spirit, to reuele & opē to my mind effectually my miserable estate & condition, my ignorance, peruersitie, & my carelessness for thy true honor & dishonor in such sort, y ^• I may heartily lament these evils, & have them pardoned & taken frō me through iesus christ our lord. Again good father give me y ^• same thy holy spirit to reuele to me thy name, word, & gospel, y ^• I may lively know thee, unfeignedly love thee, heartily obey thee, and above all things desire and labor by all means lawful that all godliness in doctrine and conversation may be exercised both in me and in all others, for whom y ^u wouldest I should pray.

Hear think upon the state of religion, and the life of the professors of the gospel, that you may lament some, pray for some, and give thanks for some.

Let thy kingdom come.

THy kingdom is in .ii. sortes to be considered, universally and particularly. Uniuersally according to thy power, wherewith thou gouernest all things everywhere, in earth, heaven, hell devils, Angels, men, beasts, fowls, fishes, & all creatures animate & inanimate, sensible and insensible. Of this kingdom spake David when he said: thy kingdom ruleth over all. Particularly thy kingdom is to be considered according to thy grace wherewith thou raignest only in thy church and elect people, ruling and governing all & every menber of thy church to thy glory & their eternal comfort: not that out of this church I exclude thy power (for as therewyth thou defendest thy people, so thou punishest thy enemies) but because thy grace is specially considered, being (as it were) the very keeper that keepeth and guydeth thy people. The time will be when this kingdom of grace and power, now being as distinct, shall be united & made one kingdom of glory: which will be when Christ shall give up his kingdom into thine hands, that is in the resurrection, whan death the last enemy shall be subdued, and thou shalt be all in all. In the mean season this kingdom of grace is miraculously & mightily propagated, enlarged, and governed by y ^• true ministry of thy word and Sacraments, thorough the working of thy holy spirit. And this is the mean and way, whereby as thou didest first plant, so doest thou enlarge, amplify and preserve y ^• same. This kingdom of grace begun, continued, & enlarged by the true preaching of thy gospel and ministratiō of thy Sacraments, is the thing which Christ teacheth here thy children to pray for, that it might come, that is to say, that thy gospel might so mightily, purely, & plentuouslye be preached (maugre the head of all thine enemies) that the number of thine elect might be brought in, and so the kingdom of thy glory might appere. So that as I see thy chidren desire, pray, & labor, y ^• thy gospel might be truly preached, hard, and lived in themselves, & in others: so they lament the not preaching & refusing, the not living & unbelieving thy gospel: yea they lament the ling ring of the coming of thy christ, for in his coming they know thei shall be like unto him, and having this hope they purify thenselnes as he is pure.

By reason hereof I see first that I am far from this desire and lamenting, which thy children have, I see my ignorance of thy kingdom and power every where, of thy grace only in thy church, & of thy glory, when all the enemies of thy grace shall be cast down, & thy glory and power shall embrace eche other. I se my ignorance how acceptable a service to thee is the true preaching & the hearig of thy gospel: for else y ^u hadst not needed to have placed this petition next to the petition of the sanctifiing of thy name. Again I see here my vnhablenes to enter into thy kingdom, and to attain to it. For ells what need should I have to pray for that to come from thee, which other wise may be archeiued. Thirdly I se also my peruersitie, & contempt of thy kingdom & grace. For although I se my want, yet I would not desire thy kingdom to come, if y ^u didest not command me to pray so: for if I would have prayed for it, y ^u wouldst not have commanded me. Last of all I see thy goodness, which wilt bring thy kingdom, & that as generally by sending forth ministers to preach truli: so particularly by regenerating me more and more, and by giving me as grace here, so glory else where: for thou wouldest not I should pray for that, which thou wilt deny. So that I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament because of my miserable estate and condition, because of my sin, ignorance, rebellion, peruersitie, Satan's power, contempt of thy grace, thy gospel & ministry, here or ells where. To rejoice because of thy goodness and great mercy, which hast brought me into thy church, kepest me in it, and wilt do so still: also because of the Ministry of thy word and Sacraments, by which the holy ghost is and will be effectual: and finally because of y ^• great glory, whereunto y ^u hast called me, & now wilt give unto me, asking the same. But alas how unthankful I am & sorowles, lord thou knowest for my heart is not hid from thee &c. Oh be merciful unto me and forgive me, good father, and grant the Spirit of thy children, to reveal unto me my ignorance of thy kingdom, my poverty and peruersitie, that I may lament the same, and daily labor for thy help and thy holy spirit, to suppress the kingdom of sin in myself and in others. Again grant me that same thy holy spirit to reveal to me thy kingdom of power, grace, and glory, to kindle mine affections, to regenerate me more & more, to reign in me, as in a piece of thy kingdom, to give to me to desire, to pray, and to labor for thy kingdom, both to myself and to others effectually, to thy glory, & to assure my conscience of thy goodness, that thou wilt give me grace, and glory &c.

Here cal to mind the state of the ministry & ministers, the light and life of gospellers, therrours & heresies which mē be entangled withal.

Thy will be done.

AS thy power is infinite, so is thy wisdom accordingly. Whereby as we may perceive, that nothing is or can be done against thy power, or otherwise then by it: so is there not nor cannot be any thing done against, or otherwise, then by thy omnipotent & secret will, which is always, as thou art, good holy, and just, howe far so ever it seme otherwise to our foolish reason and indgemēt. And therefore here we are taught to pray that thy will may be done here without sin on man's behalf, as it is on the Angels behalf in heaven.

Again for as much as thou art incomprehensible of thyself as well concerning thy power as concerning thy wisdom, we may not according thereto search thee, but rather adore and worship thy majesty, & tremble at thy Judgments and works, and therefore pray always, that we may be content with thy will, and be borome thereto. And for as much as thou hast revealed to us so much of thy will in thy word written as is necessary for us in this life to know, yea as we can attain unto, and a little further: we ought to take all things done there against as sin and transgressyon, although thou canst use the same sin to serve thy prouydence. Of the which providence w • cannot nor may not Judge further then thou hast & shalt open it unto us. So that this petition (Thy will be done) is not simply to be understand concerning thy omnipotent will vn revealed, against the which nothing is nor can be done, but rather concerning thy will revealed in thy law & gospel, the which thou here teachest me that we should desire, not only to know it, but also to do it, and that in such perfection & willingness, as it is in heaven. The which thing I perceive hereby that thy childrē do desire daily in & for themselves and others, & do lament the contrary, in whomsoever it be, so that often their eyes gushe out with rivers of tears because men keep not thy laws.

By reason hereof I see that I am far from the syghes and tears of thy people. I see my ignorance of thy will if thou hadeste not opened the same by thine own mouth. I see my ignorance, how acceptable a service obedience to thy will is, and therefore doest y ^u place this petition amongst the first and continual desires of thy childrē. Again I se my poverty in godly obedience, which had need to be taught to pray for it, thereby to signify unto me my want and vnhabilitie to attain it, but by thy gift. Thirdly I se my disobedience: for else never wouldst thou have commanded me to have prayed for the doing of thy will, if I seeing my want, would have prayed so.

Last of all I se thy goodness, which wilt give to me and others to obey thy will: that is, to love thee with all our harts, to love our neighbor as our selves, to die to our selves, to live to thee, to take up our cross and to follow thee, to believe, to repent &c: for ells thou wouldest never have bidden us, to pray for a thing which we should not loke for.

So that I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament, because of my miserable state and condition, because of my sin, ignorance, poverty, and peruersitie, also because thy will is everywhere either not known, or contemned, and Satan's will, the will of the world, and of the flesh readily obeyed. To rejoice I have great cause, for that thou hast opened thyself and will unto mankind, for that also▪ thou peculiarlye hast taught me these things, and because also thou wilt grant me grace to do the same. But alas howe unthankful I am, and how hard hearted, thou Lord doest know. Oh be merciful unto me and forgive me. I pray thee graciouse god grant me thy holy spirit, to reveal to me my ignorance of thy will, my poverty and peruersitie, that I may heartily bewail it &c, and by thy help and working of the same spirit may suppress the will of the flesh. Agayne grant me thy holy spirit, to reuele to me thy will declared in thy law and gospel, that I may truly know the same, and enflame so my affections, that I may will and love the same, in such sort, that it may be my meat and drink to do thy will.

Here cal to mind the .x. cōmaūdementes of god particularly or generally, what therein he requireth, and pray for the same particularlye as you se your need, & that not only for yourself but also for other.

Praye for patience to suffer what cross soever god shall lay vpō you, & pray for thē that be under y ^• cross that they may be patient: pray for spiritual wisdom in every cross peculiarlye, or publikelye, that you may see and love gods will.

Geue us this day our daily Bread.

BY Bread the food of the body, is understand all things necessary for this corporal life, as meat, drink, health, success in vocatyon &c. By this word Gyue, we should understand, that not only spyrytuall things, but also corporal benefits are gods free gifts, and come not for our worthiness, or traueyle taken about the same, although ours traueyls be often times means, by the which god doth give corporal things.

By dailye is understand the contented minds of thy children with that which is sufficient for the present time, as having hope in thee, y ^• they shall not want, but daily shall receive at thy hands plenty and enough of all things. By this word our, is as well understand public benefits, as peace in the common weall, good Magistrates, seasonable wether, good laws &c: as particular benefits, as be children, health name, success in the works of our vocation, &c. And besides this, by it we should se the care evē for corporal things, which thy children have for others as well as for themselves.

So that here I may learn how far I am frō that I should be, and I see thy children are come unto. I se my ignorance also, how that as spiritual things do come from thee: so do temporal things: and as they come from thee, so are they conserved and kept of thee. And therefore thy children are thankful and look for them as thy mere gifts, notwythestandynge the means which they use if they have them. How be it they use them but as means, for except y ^u work therewith, all is in vain.

Again here I am taught to be content with sufficient for the present time, as thy children be which have the shortness of this life always before their eyes, and therefore they ask but for daily sustenaūce, knowing this life to be compared to a day, yea a watch, a sound, a shadow, &c. Moreover I may learn to se the compassion and brotherly care, thy children have one for another. Last of all here I may see thy goodness, which as thou wilt give me all things necessary for this life (or else y ^u wouldest not bid me ask &c) so thou commaundest all men to pray and care for me, and that bodily, much more then if they be able, they are commanded to help me both in body & soul. By reasō whereof I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament because I am not so affected, as thy children be, because of my ignorance my ingratitude, my peruersitie and contempt of thy goodness, and of the necessity of thy people, which alas be in great misery, some in exile, some in prisō, some in poverty, sickness. &c. To rejoice I have great cause, because of thy goodness, in teaching me these things, in commaundinge me to ask whatsoever I want, in giving me so many things unasked, in keeping the benefits given me, in commaundinge men to care for me, to pray for me, to help me. &c. But alas, how far I am from true lamentacion and rejoicing, lord thou knowest. Oh be merciful unto me, and help me, forgive me, and grant me thy holy spirit, to reveal to me my need, ignorance, great ingratitude, & contempt of thy mercies & thy people, and that in such sort, that I might heartily lament and bewail my misery, and through thy goodness be altered with thy people, to mourn for the miseries of thy children, as for mine own.

Again reveal to me thy goodness (dere father) evē in corporal things that I may see thy mercy, thy presence, power, wisdom, and righteousness in every creature, and corporal benefits, and that in such sort, that I may be thoroughly affected, truly to reverence, fear, love, obey thee, hange upon thee, to be thankful to thee, & in all my need to come unto the, not only when I have ordinary means by the which thou commonly workest, but also when I have none, yea when all means and helps are clean against me.

Here remember the state of your children, and family, also your parents neighbors, kinse folks, also your friends, country, and magistrates &c: as you shall have time thereto and by gods good Spirit shall be provoked.

Forgeue us our debts, as we forgive them that are debtors unto us.

BY our Debtes are understand, not only things we have done, • ut the omissiō and leaving undone of the good things we ought to do.

By our, is not only understand the particular sins of one, but also generally the sins of all and everyone of thy church.

By forgyuenes, is understand free pardon and remission of sins, by the merits and deserts of thy dere son Jesus Christ, who gave himself a ransom for us.

By our forgeuing of other men's offenses to us ward, is understand thy good will, not only that it pleaseth thee that we should live in lone and amytye, but also that thou wouldeste have us to be certain of thy pardonynge us of our sins. For as certain as we are that we pardon them that offend us, so certain should we be that thou doeste pardon us: whereof the forgeuing our trespassers is (as it were) a sacrament unto us.

So that by this petitiō I am taught to se that thy children, although by imputation they be pure from sin yet they acknowledge sin to be & remain in them, and therefore do they pray for the remissiō & forgiveness of the same.

Again I am taught hereby, to see how thy children do consider & take to heart, not only the euells they do, but also the good thy leave undone. And therefore they pray thee heartily for pardon.

Moreover I am here taught, to see that thy children are careful for other mē, and for their trespasses, and therefore pray, that they might be pardoned in saying, our sins, and not my sins.

Besides this I am taught here to see, how thy children not only forgive all that offend them, but also pray for the pardoning of the offenses of their enemies, and such as offend them. So far are they from malicousnes, pride, reuengemēt &c. Last of all I am taught to see howe merciful thou art, which wilt have me to ask pardon: whereof thou wouldest that we should ī no point doubt, but be most assured, that for Christ's sake thou herest us, and that not only for our selves, but also for many others, for y ^• doest not command us to ask for any thing thou wilt not give us.

By reason whereof I have great cause to lament, and rejoice. To lament because of my miserable estate, which am so far from these affections, that are in thy children: which am so ignorant & careless of sin, not only in leaving good undone, but also in doing evil, and that daily in thought word and deed &c. I speak not of my carelessness for other folks sins, as of my parents, children, family, magestrats &c neither of the sins of them, to whom I have given occasion to sin.

To rejoice I have great cause, because of thy mercy in opening to me these things, in cōmaundinge me to pray for pardon, in promisinge me pardon, and in cōmaundinge others to pray for me. I ought surely to be persuaded of thy mercy, though my sins be innumerable. For I se not only in this but in every petition howe that everyone of thy church prayeth for me: yea christ thy son who sitteth on thy right hand, prayeth for me &c. Oh dear father be merciful unto me, and forgive me all my sins, and of thy goodness give me thy holy spirit to opē mine eyes, that I may se sin, y ^• better to know it, y ^• more truly to hate it, & most earnestly to strive against it, & that effectually both in myself, and others.

Again, grant me the same thy holy spirit to reuele unto me the remedy of sin by christ only, & to work in me faith, to embrace the same thy Christ and mercies in him, that I may henseforth be endued with thy holy spirit more & more to begin and obey thy good will continually, & to increase in the same forever.

Here call to mind the special sins you have committed heretofore. Remember, if you have occasioned any to sin, to pray for them by name: remember that gods law should be so dere unto us y ^• the breaking thereof in others, should be an occasion to make us to lament with tears &c.

Lead us not into tentacion.

BEcause of our continual & great infirmities, because of the great diligence & subtleties of our enemies, and because y ^• art wont to punish sin w ^t sin (which of all punishmētes is y ^• greatest & most to be feared) In this petition y ^• wouldest have thy children to have y ^• same in remēberaunce, & for a remedy hereof y ^• hast appointed prayer. So that y ^• only cause why any are overcome & led into temptation, is for y ^• they forget, what they desire in y ^• petition going before this: which should be never out of their memory, to provoke thē to be more thankful to thee, & more vigilant & heedie hereafter for falling into like perils. For which to be avoided, y ^• doest most graciously set forth a remedy, in cōmaūdinge us to pray after pardon for our sins past, for thy grace to guide us, so that we be not led into tentacion, but might be delivered from evil. And because thou wouldeste have all thy childrē to hange wholye upon thee, to fear thee only, and only to love thee, thou doest not teache them to pray, suffer us not to be led, but lead us not into temptation, that (I say) they might only fear thee, & certainly know that Satan hath no power over so much as a pigge, but whatsoever thou geueste unto him, and of thy secret but most just judgment doest appoint him to use, not as he will (for then we were all lost) but as thou wilt, which canst will nothing, but that which is most just. As to give them to the guidīg of Satan, which will not be guided by thy grace, as y ^• diddst Saul &c.

Occasions to evil are in two sortes. One by prosperity & success, another by adversity & the cross &c. the euells coming of success, commonly are unthankfulness, prid, security, & forgetting our selves, forgetting of others, forgetfulness of god, of our mortality &c. The euells coming of aduersytie, commonly are impatiency, murmuring, grutchīg dispayring, contemning of god, flattering of men, stealing, lieng &c, w ^t many other euells, whereto temptations will entice a man that is left to him self: whereas to one that is guided with gods spirit, tentacions are but trials to the glory of god, comfort of the tempted, and edifieng of thy church. But as I said, if a man be left alone, tentacions entice even to the devil him self. And therefore thy children pray to be delivered from evil, understanding thereby Satan himself, the sower and supporter of all evil. And this thy children do as well for others, as for them selves. So that I may learn hereout many good things.

First to remember often our infirmity and weakness, and the dangerous estate we stand in in the respect of our flesh, of the world which is full of evil, of Satan which seeketh to sifte us and as a roaring lion to destroy us, & of our sins, which deserve all kinds of punishments and correction: that I might with thy children fear thee, watch, pray and desire the day of redemption from all euells.

Again I may learn here, that to avoid all dangers & evil, is not in y ^• power of mā, but only thy work. By reason whereof I should consider thy great goodness, which hither to hast kept me frō so many euels, both of soul & body, yea of name, goods &c: as thou hast done in my infancy, childhode, youth, middle age &c.

Thirdly I may learn here, that I should be careful for others, both that they might be delivered frō their euells, & that they might be preserved frō tentatiō, & from being overcome in the same, and therefore y ^• teachest me to pray, not deliver me frō evil simply, but deliver us from evil.

Last of all I am taught hereby, so see thy goodness towards me which wilt deliver me from evil, and frō being overcome in temptations. For thou wouldst not have me to ask for that, which I should not loke for at thy hands certainly. By reason whereof thou wouldest have me to be in a certainty of saluatiō, forever. For ells I cannot believe my prayer to be heard, if that finallye I should not be delivered from evil.

And therefore thou ioynest hereto a giving of thanks, which with thy Church I should say (For thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory forever)

By reason whereof I have great cause to lament, and to rejoice. To lament because of my corruptiō, infirmity, weakness, oblivion, and carelessness for thy people, ingratitude &c: because of Satan's power, vigilancy, & prudency, which hath overcome most grave, wise and holy men, whereof some never recovered: as Cain, Cham, Achitophel, Saul, • udas &c. To rejoice because of thy goodness, which teachest me this, & she west me the remedy, commaundest all thy Church to pray for me, 〈◊〉 wilt at length deliver me from all • uel, and give me glory. But alas I • m all together careless & miserable. Oh be merciful unto me dere father and for christs sake forgive me all my • inns: Grant me thy holy spirit to reuele to me mine infirmties, weakness, perils, dangers &c: in such sort, that as I may heartily lamente my miseries, so I may ask and obtain thy grace to guide me from all evil forever more.

Again grant me the same thy holy spirit, to reuele to me thy love & kindness towards me (and that in eternity) in such sort, that I may be throughlye persuaded of the same, become thankful unto thee, & daily expecte and loke for the reuelacion of thy kingdom, power, and glory, as one that forever shall have the fruction of the same, through thine own goodness and mercy in Christ, prepared for me before the beginning and foundation of the world was laid.

Here cal to mind our security, Satan's vigilancy, our negligence, his diligence, our infirmity, his ability, our ignorance, his craft and subtilitie, &c.

Item call to mind how that he hath overthrown for a time many of the dear Saints of god, to whom we are to be compared in nothing: a • Adam, Eve, Lot, Judas, Thamer, Moses, Aaron, Mirtan, Sampson, Gideon, Clie, David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, Peter, Thomas, and innumerable moe.

Item call to mind the goodness of god, and of our Shepeherd Christ, which hath kept us hitherto, keepeth us still, & teacheth us here to know that he will keep us forever. For he would not have us to ask for deliverance from evil, if that he would not we should certainly loke for the same. If thou doubt of final perseueraunce, y ^• dishonorest god. Be certain therefore, rest in hope, be still in his word. Se also how he hath commanded his whole church and every member thereof, to pray for thee as well as for them selves, in these and all other things.

Now and then go about to reckon how many and diverse kinds of euells there be, that thereby, as you may know you are delivered from none, but by gods great goodness: so you may see that the number of euells that you have, are nothing to be compared to the multitude of evils wherewith (if your christ were not) the devil would all to beraye and daub you.

But what are all the miseries and euels that can be, to be compared to the least joy, prepared for us in heaven? Oh think of those joys, and pray that when the tide of death cometh, we may hale forth of the haven of this flesh & this world ioyefully. In praieng this petitiō call to mind the euells you have been in, the euells you are in, and the euells you may fall in, if god should not preserve you, that you might be stirred up the more to thankfullnes to prayer, to trust in god, to modesty &c.

For thine is the kingdom, thine is the power, thine is the glory forever.

AS in the beginning of this prayer by these words (our father which art in heaven) thy children are excited & stirred up to a full confidence of obtaining the petitions following & all things necessary: So in y ^• latter end y ^u hast added for the same purpose, these words (For thine is the kingdom thin is &c) Wherein I am taught these many things: First that in prayer I should have such consideration of thy kingdom, power, glory and eternity, that my mind should be stricken w ^t an admiration of the same. Secondly that I should so consider them, especially in prayer, that I should not doubt, but that thou workest, rulest & gouernest all things everywhere in all persons and creatures, moste wysely, iustelye, and mercifully. Thirdely that in prayer all my petitions should tend to the setting forth of thy power, of thy kingdom, and of thy glory. Last of all that in prayer I should in no wise doubt of being heard but be assured, that thou which hast commanded me to pray, and hast promised to here me, doest moste graciousely for thy mercies sake and truths sake hear my petitions, according to thy good will through Jesus Christ thy dear son our lord and only savior.

By reason whereof I have great cause to lament and rejoice. To lament, because I consider not these things in prayer, in such sort, as should move me to admiracion and gratitude: because I consider not thy power, and wisdom generally in all things: because I am so careless, for thy kingdom: and because I am so full of dubitacion and doubtinge of thy goodness. To rejoice I have great cause, because thou reuelest these things unto me on this sort: because of thy power, kingdom and glory, which maketh to the hearing of my prayers, and helping of me: because thou wilt use me as thine instrument to set forth thy kingdom, power, & glory: and because it pleaseth thee to here my prayers and assuredly wilt save me forever.

But alas how far am I frō these lamentacions and reioycinges? by reason whereof I deserve damnaciō. Oh be merciful unto me▪ forgive me, and of thy 〈◊〉 grant me thy holy spirit 〈◊〉 reveal to me my blindness, oblivion, and contempt of thy kingdom, power and glory, w ^t the greatness of my doubtings: that I may heartily as lament them, so have them pardoned, and taken frō me through the merits of Jesus Christ thy son.

Again give me thy holy spirit, to reueile to me in such sort thy kingdom, power, glory, and eternity, that I may always have the same before mine eyes, be moved with thadmiration thereof, labor effectually to set forth y ^• same, and finallye as to have the sruic • on thereof after this life: so increase • an assured, certain and lively expectacion of the same, that I may always & in all things rejoice in thee thorough Christ, and give lauds thanks & praises perpetually unto thy moste holy name, oh blessed father, son and holy ghost, three persons & one god, to whom be all honor & glory world without ende.

Here think, that if the kingdom power, glory and eternity be gods which is our father, what our dignity is, which be his children: if the power be our fathers, of whō should we be affraies? if the devil be subject to the lords power & kingdom (as he is) howe can the subject have power over us, which be sons and heirs, in that he hath not power over porketts w ^t out the providence and permission of god? Therefore full well should we pray, lead us not into temptation, rather then let us not be led into temptation. For power is the lords, and the devil hath none, but that he hath of gods gift. No he were not of capacity, to receive power, if god did not make him of capacity, although the execution of it, is rather of gods permission.

I believe in god the father. &c.

T Hy people (oh lord god the father of our savior Jesus Christ) do here in saying this article (I believe in god the father almighty &c) by faith know that thou together with Jesus Christ and the holy ghost, diddest create all things that be in heaven and in earth (for by heaven and earth are understand all things therein). And as they know this, so they by the same faith do see thee the same god the father the son and the holy ghost, to govern all things after thy great wisdom, power, righteousness, and mercy, using every creature they see as means to put thē in remembrance of fearing, reueren cing, trusting, & loving the: for in every creature they behold thy presence, power, wisdom and mercy,

Again by this word (Father) they declare their belief, how that they are not only thy creatures, and all that ever they have to be thy graciouse gifts and blessings, but also how that they are thy childrē, dearly beloved & cared for of thee through Jesus christ. Where through (notwithstanding their unworthiness) as they conceive a sure hope of thy goodness and fatherly love towards them in soul and body forever: so are they thankful for their creation, & for that thou hast made thē thy excellet creatures, lords of all. They are thankful for the creation of all creatures, & use the same w ^t thankfulness, as visible tokens of thy invisible love: they are thankful for thy conseruing and keeping them, & for the governing them and all this world, lamenting that they are no more thankful, that they believe no deper, that reason hath so great a swing with them in these matters.

But I moste gracious good lord and father, though I say, I believe in thee my father almighty maker of heaven and earth, yet thou knoweste that I am full of much doubtinge, not only of this whether thou art my good, almighty, and moste loving dear father in christ (because I fele in myself such a conscience of unworthiness, & so great want of those things which thou requirest of thy children, and so transfer the cause of my being thy child in part to myself where it is due only and wholly always to thy mercy and grace in Christ) but also thou knowest my doubting of my creation and governance, and of the creation and governance of all this world (as I declare by my unthankfulness for my creation, for mine adoption, for my gubernation, for thy providence for me) or ells dear father I could not but heartily with thy childrē rejoice and praise thy holy name, and that continually, being hence forth careful for nothing but howe to please thee & profit thy people, & that they might praise thy name in all things for ouermore, desiringe the sanctification of thy name, the coming of thy kingdom, the doing of thy will upon earth as it is in heaven.

Thou mightest have made me a dog, but of thy goodness hast made me a creature after thine Image: y ^• mightest have made me a Turcke, a Jew, a Sarracen, but thou hast made me a christiā, a member of thy Church, thou after my birth mightest have left me, and in all need have made no providence for me, as we sometimes see hath happened unto others, but yet thou never diddest so with me, and yet I am of all others most unthankful.

Thy creatures I thankfully use not, thy invisible love by thy manifold visible tokens I consider not, as now, I should by this apparel of my body, by this corporal health by this light, by this my hearing, seeing, feelinge, memory, understanding, time, place, company, creatures, and benefits, as well in keeping innumerable evils from me both in soul and body, which ells could not but come to me: as also in gyuinge to me presently so many things as w ^t out thy especial grace & working I never could have had, or presently could keep them. In thy creatures I see not thy power, for I fear the not, I see not thy presence for I reverence thee not, I see not thy wisdom, for I adore the not, I see not thy mercy, for I love the not I praise the not but in lips & tongue and therefore in that all thy creatures do teache me, cry out upon me to be thankful to the, to love, fear, serve thee and trust in the and that continually, in that I do not so, they cannot but cry out upon me and against me in thy sight, & in the day of Judgment will weapon themselves against me.

Oh that I did now consider this. Oh that my blind eyes & my deaf ears were opened: oh that my miserable and foolish heart were made wise and converted. This only thou canst do which haste all men's hearts in thy hands to bow▪ them as pleaseth the: bow my heart good Lord into thy testymonyes, open my eyes make me to here for thi mercies sake, that I may believe and so love the, be thankful to thee, amende in all things and serve the, though not as thy dear servants do, yet at the least as other brute creatures do, that is to obey the and to be profitable to others.

Now for as much as my sins let this and all good things from me, I beseech the pardon me all my sins according to thy gracious promise for our lord Jesus Christ sake. Amē.

I believe in Jesus Christ his only son &c.

THy servants (O Christ Jesus) and people do know by faith, that as thou art almighty and god with the father by whom all things were made, and are ruled (for thou art god eternal coequal and consubstanciall with the father and the holy ghost) so thou art man and haste taken our nature upon thee by the operation of the holy ghost in the womb of the virgin mary, and art become the blessed seed which hast bruised y ^• serpēts head, the blessed seed in whō all nations are blessed, the prophet whom Moses dyde prophecpe of, the samplare he saw in the mount, the truth and body of all the types, figures, and shadows of the old law, the Messias Christ and savior of thy people, the aduocat and redeemer, the pacifier of gods wrath for sins, the opener of heanen, and giver of everlasting life.

This they know thou broughtest to pass in thy human nature, by thy incarnation and natiuitye, by thy being here on earth, by thy lyning, teaching, fasting, praieng, especially by thy suffering under Pontius Pilate, by thy death, burial, resurrection, ascension unto the heavens, and raygning on the righte hand of the father, from whence thou shalt come to judge both the quick & the dead: and as they know this, so by faith they apply it also to themselves, that for their sake thou waste made man, didest pray, fast, wast tempted didest die, rosest again, & diddest ascend into heaven, and there art set their advocate, bishop, and high priest, always appearinge in gods sight for them, from whence they look for thee, knowige that 〈◊〉 wilt not enter into judgment with them to damn them, which wouldest damn thyself for them.

By this faith they felt these affections in them selves, namely the batred of sin, the fear of god, the love of god, trust in thee, and love to thy church. The hatred of sin thei felt because it is so foul a thing as would not be washed away with any other thing then with thy precious blood shedinge: the fear of god, because his anger is so great against sin that no less price could pacify his wrath then thy most painful death: the love of god, because he hath so loved them that he would not spare thee his dear son for them, ever whā they were his enemies: trust in thee, because thou haddest no respect to thyself but most willingly didest give thyself wholly to be our savior and servant: love to thy people and church, because generally & particularly in every menber of the same, they see howe dear they are to thee, and therefore they cannot but be so to them. Oh howe do they imitate and follow thy foot steppes? how do they rejoice when they are in any thing by afflection made like to thee? Oh howe do they lament their sins, ingratitude, unbelief, love thee, and wholly yield themselves unto thee? where as I (o graciouse god & dear savior Jesus Christ) though I say I believe in thee which was conceived by the holy ghost, yet alas I do but bable this, for nothing is ells in me but unbelief. Of thy power & love, of thine anger & mercy I have but an opinion, as my insensiblenes and unthankfulness doth declare.

If a man should show me friendship but in a trifle, or suffer any thing at all for me, I could not but be thanfull: and thou besides my creation, hast redeemed me and brought me into the number of gods childrē (then which thing nothing is greater) and loe I am unthankful.

Thou hast suffered much for me: frō heaven thou camest into earth to fetch me into heaven, but I regard it not.

Thou barest my sins on thy back suffering a most bitter death, but I am so far from thankfulness, that I still more and more loath the.

Thou wouldest enter into a cōmuniō w ^t me, taking my nature unto thee concerning the substance thereof, that I might enter into a cōmnuiō with thee concerning the qualities where▪ in thyself thou hast endued it, but I consider it not.

Thou diddest die to deliver me from death, but I still more and more geu • thee cause to die: so ingrate full am I.

Thou diddest arise to iustifye me, but I with the Jews would still kept thee down, because I would not leave my wickedness.

Thou ascendedst to heaven to take possession for me there, to be always in the sight of thy father for me, to send me down gifts, to pray for me: but I daielye am pullinge the • down again, as much as in me • ieth, I am altogether earthly, I hide myself out of thy sight by forgettīg thee, I reject and abuse thy gifts, I neglect prayer.

Thou art now in a redynesse to come to judge hath quick and dead, but I tremble not at this gear, nor beseech thee before thou come, to be merciful unto me & not to enter into judgment with me, yea I think nothing at all of thy coming: mali • ō cogitant iudicium, the wicked consider not the ende, they think not on thy judgment.

Thou wouldst bring me to thy father y ^• I might find grace, but I put this of, & therefore am worthy to fele thee a judge, w ^t refuse to fele thee a savior.

Now y ^• cause of all these things is unbelief, the which though it be natural by reason of the corruption of our nature, pet I have augmented the same maliciously in not laborīg there against, and continuing in all sins and wickedness: by reason whereof I deserve most iustelye thy anger thereupon, even rejection frō thy face forever.

Longe hast thou mourned even w ^t displeasure & anger the incredulity of my heart, calling me there from, and offering me thy grace, which I have neglected and rejected, and therefore am never worthy to have it anymore offered unto me, much more then I am unworthy to have grace given me to receive thy mercy.

Alas what shall I do? shall I dispraier or as long as I can, keep me unmindful of my misery? o savior Christ Jesus wilt not thou be merciful unto me? thou diddest die for me when I deserved it not, and now is thy mercy shortened? wilt not thou give me thy grace, and take frō my heart this horrible unbelief? Shall I never love the? shall I never hath sin? shall I never, as w ^t my mouth I say: I believe in Jesus Christ, so in heart say the same? shall Satan possesst me forever? o christe Jesus which hast led captivity captive, what? wilt not thou help me? though I desire it not as I should, yet give me to desire whan thou wilt.

Thou diddest appear to destroy the work of the devil: thou seest his work, in me: good christ destroy his work but not thy work: save me for thy great mercies sake. Geue me to believe in thee, in thy death, resurrection, & ascension: pardon me my sins, and mortify now in me my corrupt affections, reyse me up and justify me, regenerate me daily more and more, give me faith of immortality, resurrectiō of this body, give me faith to ascend into heaven, and to be certain that thou hast already taken possessiō for me there: Geue me to loke for thy coming, and to be ready in thy coming to find mercy to everlasting life &c.

I believe in the holy ghost. &c.

O Holy spirit the third person in trinity, which diddest descend upon Christ our savior in his baptism in the likeness of a dove, thy children know that with the father and the son thou madest and rulest all creatures visible and inuisyble, they know thee in their redemption to be no less willing & loving then the father and the son: for y ^• diddest always declare Christ to be the son of god & gavest testimony in wardly in the harts of thy elect, to believe and embrace the same, & outwardely by miracles and wonders they know thee to be the comforter and governor, whom Christ did promise in his corporal absēce should teach, rule, keep, comfort and govern his church and people.

Again, as in the former parte of their belief they consider the works of creatyon and redemption, so in this parte they consider the place where the same is moste effectual & taketh place, even thy holy church which is catholic, that is, extēding it self to all times, to all places, to all kinds of people.

For in this church only they know that as all things were made, so the work of redemption was taken in hand, that y ^• blessed trinitye, mightest in this church be praised, magnified, served, & worshipped forever.

This church is nothing ells but a communion and society of saints: that is, not only a societye of all such as be, have been, or shall be thy people, but also a societye or partaking of Christ Jesus which is the head of the same: yea by him of thee (oh blessed father) which art y ^• head of Christ, and of thee (oh holy ghost) which now shadowest and sittest upon the same to hatch and cherish it as the hen her chekins, by the extending of thy wings, not only to defend them frō their enemies, but also to cover their sins and to remit them in this life, beginning also here the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life, the which thou wilt in the ende of the world consūmate, so that they shall not need to be covered for sin: for then shall they be pure and have gtoriouse bodies, immortal and spiritual, the which shall have the fruition of eternal ieye, life everlasting, and glory, such as the eye hath not seen, the ear hath heard, nor the heart of man can conceive. For then christ Jesus shall give up his kingdom to god the father, that god may be all in all concerning the governance of it by the ministration of his word and other means whereby now he governeth it, that it may be his fathers kingdom, we beig become like unto him: that is, as to the manhod of Christ the godhead is united and is all in all without any other means, even so god shall be in us, assuminge then not only in the person of christ the human nature, but also all the human nature of his church which be members of Christ, the wicked & reprobate being separate then from this communion & cast into eternal perditiō with Satan, & antichrist, there to be in torments and horror forever.

By reason of this their faith, they are thankful to the (o holy spirit) which hast taught them this & given them to believe it.

By reason of this faith they singularly pray love, & help thy church here militāt, & labor to be holy 〈◊〉 .

By reason of this faith they confess them selves sinners, they desire and believe pardon of their sins, they are risen and rise daily concerning the inwards man, and do feel the life eternal begone in them, more & more laboringe, praying, wishings and desyringe for the same whollye and perfectly.

Whereas (oh lord god and most graciouse holy spirit) thou knowest that it is otherwise w ^t me. I do but bable w ^t my lips in saying, I believe in the holy ghost, for I am unthankful for calling me into thy church, I do not live holely, I confess not, I lament not my sins, I pray not for remission of them, I stand in doubt thereof: as I fele not myself risen from a sinful life as I should be, or as I fele not life begone in me, as it is in thy dear children, so do I doubt hereof, whether I have pardon of my sins, whether I am regenerate, whether I fele truly everlasting life (the which thing doth most displease thee) and yet w ^t my tongue I say I believe in the holy ghost. Oh I beseech thee (good holy spirit) for thy love sake which moved the to agree and be willing to patifye and open thy goodness, not only in the work of creation (for thou dyddest lie upon the waters and as the benne her chickins dyddest, as it were, hatche the work of creatiō) but also in the work of redemption, and therefore diddest descend and abide not only upon Christ in his baptism, but also on the apostles & church in fyerye tongues visibly the fyfte day after Christ's resurrection: as now thou doest inuisybly, generally, and particularly sit upon thy Church and children, being the consolator the comforter, the teacher and leader, the guider and governor of us all.

For this thy loves sake (I say) I beseech thee to be merciful unto me, and forgive me my doubting, unbelief, ingratitude and horrible monstrous uncleanness and sin; and utterly take them from me. Bring me unto thy church which thou guidest, that is guide me, make me holy and by faith couple me to christ, by charity to thy people: that is give me the communion of saints w ^t thy saints, over shadow my sins, reyse me up to righteousness, begin in me everlasting life, and now more and more to expert and loke for all these great mercies, and at length to possess eternal felicity w ^t thee, o blessed trenitie the father the son and the holy ghost, three persons and one almighty, eternal, most just, wise and good god: to whom be all glory power and dominion now and forever.

I am the lord thy god which brought thee out of the land of Egypt. &c.

O Good lord and dear father, here y ^• wouldest I should know that thou, which broughtest thy people of Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand and a stretched out power, which gavest thy law upon mount Sinai in great thundering, lighting, fire, which spakest by the prophets, and diddest send thy dearelye beloved son Jesus Christ coequal and consubstantial with thee in power, majesty, & glory, to take upon him our nature by the operatiō of the holy ghost in the womb of y ^• virgin Marie, of whose substance he was made and borne man, but pure without sin, that we by birth children of wrath, by him might be made thy children, children of grace, communicatinge with him righteousness, bolines, & immortality by the working of the spirit, as he communicated with us flesh and blood (but not infected w ^t sin, as is ours) by the working of the same holy spirit: which spirit after his bitter death, resurrectiō, and ascension into the heavens, he sent plentifully and by a visible sign unto his Apostles and Disciples: by whom he published, the gospel thorough out the whole world, and so continually hath done from age to age, doth, and will do unto the end of the world by the mynysterie of preaching: Thou wouldest I say that we should know and believe, that thou this Almightye lord and god, which on this sort hast revealed and opened thyself, art the one alone, very true and eternal almighty god which madest and rulest heavē and earth, and all things visyble and inuisyble, together with this thy dearly beloved son Jesus Christ, and with the holy spirit, consubstantial and coeternal with thee dear father: Not only this, but also thou wouldest that I should know and believe, that by the same thy dearly beloved son, thou hast brought me from the tyranny and captivity of Satan, & this sinful world (whereof the captivity of Egypt under pharao, was a figure) and in his blonde shed upon the cross, y ^• hast made a covenant with me, which thou wilt never forget, that thou art and wilt be my lord and my god, that is, thou wilt forgive me my sins and be wholly mine with all thy power, wisdom, righteousness, treweth, glory & mercy. Wherefore although I might cōfirm my faith by the innumerable mercies hither to poured upon me moste abundantly, as thy children of Israel might have done and did confirm their faith, by the manifold benefits poured upon them in the desert: yet specially the seal of thy covenant, I mean thy holy Sacrament of baptism, wherein thy holy name was not in vain called vpō me (O dear father, sweet son and savior Jesus Christ, and most graciouse good holy ghost) should most assuredly confirm, and even on all sides seal up my faith of this thy covenant that y ^• art my lord and my god: even as Abraham and thy people of Israel did by the Sacrament of Circumcision, which as the Apostle calleth the seal or signacle of righteousness: so doest thou call it being but the sign of thy covenant in deed, yet thy very covenant, because as thy word is moste true and cannot lie, as thy couenaūt is a covenant of peare infallible and everlasting: even so the Sacrament and seal of the same is a most true testimonial and witness thereof.

In consideracion therefore of this, that thou the almighty god, of thine own goodness hast vouched safe not only to make me a creature after shine own Image & likeness, which mightest have made me a beast: to give unto me a reasonable soul, endued with memory, judgment &c: which mightest have made me an •• foot without wit or discretiō &c: to endue me with a body be wetifyed with right shape, limbs, health &c, which mightest have made me a ceeple, lame blind &c: graciously to enrich me concerning fortune, friends, living, name &c: which mightest have made me a slave, destitute of all friends, and helps for this life: but also hast vouchedsafe, that I being a a miser, borne in sin, conceived in iniquity, to whom nothing is dew (more then to a Turcke, Jew, or Saracen) but eternal damnation, should be called into the number of thy people, enroledde in thy boke, & now in thy covenant, so that thou w ^t all that ever thou hast art mine: for which causes sake hitherto thou hast kept me cherished, defended, spared, & fatherly chastised me and now graciously doest keep me and care for me, giving me to live, be, & move in thee, expecting also & waiting how thou mightest show mercy upon me: In consideration (I say) of this, most iustely and reasonably thou requirest that as thou art my lord god: so I should be thy servant and one of thy people: As thou haste given thyself wholly unto me, to be mine with all thy power wisdom &c (For he that giveth himself giveth all he hath) so should I be wholly thine, and give over myself unto thee to be guided w ^t thy wisdom, defended with thy power, helped̄, relieved, and comforted by thy mercy.

First therefore to begin with all, thou commaūdest that I should have none other gods in thy sight: that is to say, as I should have thee for my lord & god to loke for all good things moste assuredly at thy hands, and therefore I should put all my trust in thee, be thankful unto thee, love thee, fear thee, obey thee, and call upon thy holy name in all my needs: so should I give this faith, love, fear obedience, thankfulness and invocation or prayer, to none other, no not in my heart, but only to thee or for thee where thou commaundest. All this to do (oh lord god) and that w ^t most ioieful heart, I have great cause. For what a thing is it that thou Jehovah wouldest uouchesalfe to make me, as thou haste do •• ? to give thy sonne for me, and to become my • ode Oh what am I that thou wouldest I should put my trust in thee? Thys y ^• doest that I might never be confounded, but might be most happy. What am I that y ^• wouldest I should fear thee? Where the only cause, why y ^• requirest this of me, is not only because thou haste power to cast both body & soul into hell fire, & because they that fear thee not, shall perish: but also that y ^• mightest give me thy wisdom, that it might go well with me in the evil day, that thou mightest reveal thy sonne to me, and thy mercy might be upon me from generation to generation. Oh what am I, that thou wouldest have me to obey thee, not only that I never perish with the disobedient, but that thou mightest give me thy holy spirit, and rewards innumerable? Oh what am I that y ^• wouldest I should love thee? y ^• which thing thou doest to this ende that I might fully and wholly enjoy and possess thee, according to the nature of love, and therefore doest thou require my whole heart, that I might dwell in thee and thou in me. What am I, that thou wouldest I should call upon thee? verily because thou wilt give me whatsoever I shall ask of thee in the name of thy dear child Jesus Christ: and even so wouldest y ^• have me thankful, that y ^• mightest pour out upon me yet more plentifully, all good things. So that great cause have I to put my trust in thee, to love, fear, and obey thee, to call upon thee, to be thankful unto thee, not only in respect of the hurt which else will ensew, but also in respect of the commodity that herby cometh unto me: but most of all yea alonely for thy own sake, for thy goodness, wisdom, becutie, strength & power, truth and great mercies.

But alas (dear father) what shall I say? As in times paste horribly I have broken this thy law, in trusting in thy creatures, calling upon them, loving, fearing, and obeying many things besides thee, and rather then thee: evē so at this present I am a most miserable wreth, blinded I am through unbelief, & mine own wickedness, so y ^• I se not firmly this thy power, wisdom goodness &c: but waver and doubt of it. I love little or nothing, I fear less, I obey least of all, thankfulness and prayer are utterly quenched in me: by reason whereof I am worthy of eternal damnatiō. If after thy justice thou shalt deal with me simply, I am (oh lord) damned and lost forever, for I am very wicked. But yet in as much as thou bast givē thy sonne Jesus Christ to be a slain propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, so that he which be leueth in him shall not perish but be saved (for so thou hast promised) thy truth now requireth to save me. No wbeit here thou mayest say unto me that I do not believe, and therefore notwithstanding thy truth & promise, in that I believe it not, thou mayest most justly after thy Justice, dampne me. Oh lord god, to this I cannot otherwise answer (my unbelief is so great) but because thy mercy is above all thy works, and thy goodness and love is that which all creatures most highly commend and magnify, as the thing whereof thou art called god: because y ^• art righte good and lone it self: because of this thy mercy (gracious god) if thou wilt loke thereon and couple thy truth therewith, then (good lord) I shall be saved, and praise thy name forever more.

Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven &c.

AS the first commandment teacheth me, as well that thou art my god, as what god thou art, and therefore of equity I should have noon other gods but thee: that is, I should alonely hange on thee, trust in thee, love thee, serve thee, call upon thee, obey thee, be thankful to thee: so because y ^• didst reueyle thyself visibly that thou mightest visibly be worshipped, this commandment is concerning thy worship, that in no point I should follow in worshipping thee, the devise or intent of any man, saint, Angel, or spirit: but should take all such as Idolatry & Image service, be it never so glorio{us}. And why: for soth because y ^• wouldest I should worship thee as thou hast appointed by thy word. For if service be acceptable, it must needs be according to the will of him, to whom it is done, and not of him which doeth it. But in as much as of man none knoweth the will and pleasure, but his spirit, except he reveal by word or sign the same: much more of thee o lord, none doeth know thy will, but thy spirit and they to whom thou doest reveal the same. And therefore abominable evē in thy sight are all those things, which with men are in most force and estimatiō because they are not after thy word. So that the meaning of this precept is, that as in the first I should have none other gods but thee: so I should have no worship of thee, but such as thou appoitest. Herby therefore I se great cause of thankfulness for this commandment, in that thou wouldest have mine outward service, and that after thy appointment, lest I should busy my brain howe best to serve thee. Good lord thou nedest not my service, perfect thou wast before I was, therefore it is for mine own commodity that thou commaūdest me, yea even for mine own wealth. Thou mightest have let̄ me have stand all day idle, but such is thi love, that thou wouldest I should go into thy vineyard, that w ^t thy servants I might receive the hier of blessedness. And how great a benefit is it, to deliver me of so great a burden wherewith I should have been combred, if I should have served thee in any point after my wit and reasō. But halas, I not considering what a promotion thy service is, nor what an easy service it is, and simple (for one may well know what to do, & when he pleaseth thee, namely whē he serveth thee as thou hast appointed) as I am and always have been unthankfull: so I am and always have been a grievous transgressor of this thy law. For as in times past, when I did not know this commandment, I was an Image worshipper of stocks, stones &c: yea bread and wine: so now I am a worshipper of myn affections, offering to thē y ^e service due unto thee, though not thereby to worship thee, as I thought when I kneled to stocks and stones, bread & wine &c: yet with no less transgression of thy law: for the which I have deserved, and do deserve everlasting damnatiō. Of thy goodness and great mercy (dear father) I beseech thee forgive me for Christ's sake, whom thou didst give to be the fulfylling of the law to all them that should believe. Oh father I believe, help mine unbelief. As thou haste of thy goodness hitherto spared me, trāsgressing this thy holy precept: so of thy goddnes forgive me, as well mine Idolatry done in times paste, as that which of late time I have committed & do comitte. And as y ^u by this commandment hast delivered me from the one, y ^t is, bowīg myself to stocks & stones: so (dere father) deliver me frō all other bowīg myself after mine own will to mine own affections: that I may have non other god ī heart but thee, nor do service to any other but only to thee, & for thee, after thy word as thou cōmaundest. Oh open mine eyes to see thy will in this thy gracious precept. Geue me a will to love it heartily, & an heart to obey it faithfully, for thy dear sons sake ies{us} Christ our lord. Amen.

Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy god in vain.

By this commandment I perceive (oh lord) that as in the first thou wouldest in the exterior service of thee, I should utterly abandōmine own will and reason, and all the reasons or good entētes of mā, and wholly give myself to serve thee after thy will and word: so here doest thou begin to tell me, howe thou wilt have my tongue to be exercised in thy service, and therefore thou byddest me not to take thy name in vain: as by temeraryouse or vain swearing, by cursynge praying without sense, as those boe that pray in a tongue they know not, praying without faith or attent cōsideracion of the thing desired, without hearty desire and certain expectacion of obtaining that which is to thy glory and my salvation: also by gesting, or foolish abusing, or negligent reading or hearing of thy holy word, by the which thou, as by thy name, art known: and in like manner by deniynge thy truth and word, or conceiling it when occasion is offered to promote thy glory and confirm thy truth. By reason whereof I may well see, that y ^• wouldest have me to use my tongue in humble confessing thee and thy word and truth after my vocation: in praying heartily and calling upon thy name: in reading and hearing thy word, and speaking thereof withal reverence, diligence, and attencion: in thanks giving and praising thee for thy great mercy: in instructinge my brother and admonishinge him, when he erreth, after my calling and vocation, withal humbleness, gentleness and love.

Thus wouldest thou have me to exercise my tongue, and not to think that the exercising of it in this sort, is a vain and & unprofitable thing, but a thing that pleaseth thee, and profiteth myself and other.

And for as much as thou knowest that our tongue is a slippery member, and we very negligent over it, and of the great commodity that might thereby come to us and other by using it in thy service accordingly: thou hast added a fearful, & most true cōmunicaciō, that though men will find no fault or punish us therefore, yet wilt not thou hold him gilt les, that taketh thy name in vain: As by many examples we are taught, as in thy holy word, so by dayelye experience, if we would consider the same.

And therefore I have great cause to give praise and thanks to thy most holy name, for many great benefits which by this commandment I receive and ought with thankfulness to consider. First that it would please thee, not only to give me a tongue, where thou mightest have made me speachles: but also that y ^• wouldest have it santified to thy service. Again that thou wouldest not only reuele thy name unto us, but also wouldest give me leave to cal up on it, praise and publish it: yea thou hast commanded me so to do, and not only commanded, but hast promised, that thou wilt here my prayer and that my praising of thee and cōfessinge thy word and truth, shall not be in vain.

Thirdly that thou wouldest all men should use their tongue so, that thereby I might be the better instructed, admonished, and occasyoned to use myself well and in the obedience of this thy holy precept. But what go I about to reckon by tale the causes of thanks for this commandment, seeing that they be innumerable if a man should but loke even upon thy very word, by the which as by thy name thou art moste truly known: the which word thou commaundest unto us in this commandment &c: as thou doest preaching, private admonishynge, thanks giving, and prayer: then the which, nothing is more profitable to us in this vale of misery. But gracyouse good lord, I acknowledge myself not only to be a most unthankful wretch for this thy holy precept, and the great mercies which here through I perceive thou haste moste gracyouselye powerd upon me, and doest yet still offer unto me: but also that I am a miserable transgressor of this thy most holy, good, and blessed cammaundemente, as always I have ben in times past. Horribly have I abused thy name in swearing, cursing and iestyng wickedly: I have called upon other names then thine, as the names of peter, Paul, Mary &c: yea of some, whose saluatiō is to be doubted of: I have foolishly prayed in such a toūge as I knew not what I prayed & said, w ^t many other trāsgresiions of this precept, wherein yet I am cōuersant: as in seldom praying, and when I pray I am not attent nor very desirous of the thing I ask with my tongue. After prayer I do not earnestly loke for the good things asked and prayed for, & therefore when I obtain my request, I am most unthankfull: thy word I rede little and most negligently, forgetting for with what I rede: I admonish not others when I here them abuse thy holy word: I am affraied, for fear of loss of friends, name or life, to confess thy truth, gospel and name, which was called upon me in baptism, and not in vain, if I did not thus make it in vain. But alas I cā in no wise comprehend the multitude of my transgressions concerning this thy law. But this is a sin above other sins, that under thy name, word, and gospel I play the hypocrite, having more care for min own name, then for thine. For if my name were evil spoken of, it would grieve me, and I would defend it: but alas I hear thine daily evil spokē of, & se it profaned by false doctrine, and evil living, but it greueth me not. After my vocation I •• ke not nor do not go about to redress these things in myself & in others. And why? because (good lord) I love myself better then thee, and not thee with my whole heart. Thye first commandment hath no place with me as it should have, it possesseth not my heart, mind, and will as thou requirest, most to mine own commodity. By reason where of I am worthy of eternal damnation. Oh what shall I do (graciouse god) which not only have ben so grievous and filthy a swerer curs • er &c: so great a callour upon dead creatures, & so heynouse a transgressor of this law: but also at this present do so horriblye and hipocriticallye offend thee in taking thy name in vain, & that so many ways, in praying and not praying, in reading and not reading, in speaking and not speaking, & not cōfessig simply & frō my heart thy doctrine, truth & name, but regardinge mine own name far above it. Shall I file frō thee? then undoubtedly I am more gilty, and more shall disobey this thy holy precept, adding sin to sin, where as y ^• wouldest I should call upon thy holy name (dear lord) which hast given thy dear son Jesus Christ to be a mediator for us, that thorough him we might find not only grace for the pardon of our sins paste: but also for the obtaining of thy holy spirit, as well the better to under stand, as also the better and more frankly to obey this thy holy precept forever. For his sake (therefore dere god) pardon my sins paste & present, whereof this law doth accuse me, and grant (moste graciouse father) that I may be endued with thy holy spirit to know and love thy holy name, word and truth in Jesus Christ, that I may be zelouse, wise, and constant, and that my tongue may be sanctified henceforth & guyded with thy holy spirit and grace to publish, confess and teache, after my vocation to others as occasion is offered, thy truth and gospel, to call upon thy name in all my need, to give thanks unto thee, praise thee, magnify thee, and to sanctify thy holy name as a vessel of thy mercy forever and ever.

Remember that thou keep holy the Saboth day &c.

AFter thou hast told me howe in the external service of thee (graciouse lord) thou wilt have my tongue used, so doest thou now teach me, how thou wilt have min ears & all my whole body occupied, namely in sanctificacion and holiness: that is, in those things which thou pecularly hast appointed to be means immeditately to help to that ende: As in hearing thy word preached, & using the ceremonies of thee appointed evē as y ^• hast commanded. For the which things to be exercised of thy people thou at the first dyddest appoint a certain day, namely the seventh day, which therefore thou calledst thy Sabbath, that thereby they with their childrē and family, resting frō all exerior labor, which hindereth the meditaciō of the mind, might not only be more able to go on through with their travel and labor (for without some rest nothing can endure, in respect whereof thou wouldest the very beasts which in labor were exercised, should have the priuelege of this Saboth) but also and much rather, that thy people might with their family and children, be instructed and taught: first by the miuistery of thy word in preaching and catecchising: secondly by the using of thy sacraments appointed after thy commandment and institution, they might be assured of thy promises: thirdly by praying they might be augmented in all godliness: and last of all by their metting together & exercisinge all these thy works of sanctification, they might increase in love and charity: one towards another, as members of one body and fellows of one inheretaunce, and thus by meeting together, praying and using thy sacraments, they might be instructed in thy law and of that Saboth, whereinto thou thyself dyddest enter after thou hadst made the world, ceasing from thy works, not of conservation but of creatiō, into the which as after this life and the works of this time, they should enter: so now they begin spiritually to enter in restinge from their own works which the old man moveth thom unto: not that (good lord) thou wouldest these works appointed for the Saboth day, should not be exersised at any other time but only on the seventh day: but because y ^u dydst as well ordain thē for a policy to endure till the coming of Christ, as also according to the reuelacion or thee in that time, didst open thyself, beginning then in figures and shadows, whose verifȳs in thy time were to be opened: therefore it pleased thee to appoint then the seventh day, which seventh day, although by reason of the policy being by thee be streied, and by reason of Christ the verity and body of all shadows, if be abrogate from us: yet standeth this commandment in force as well for the works of santificacion, that is for preaching thy word, coming to hear it, for praying, vsynge thy sacraments, and coming together to that ende: as also for those days which by commō order, and on good ground are ordained and received: howbeit with this liberty, that necessity of our faith and sanctificaciō and charity may dispēse therewith, occasion of willful and wittinge offense being aduoided &c.

So that hereby I perceive thy will and pleasure to be, that I should at all times, as much as charity and necessity will permytte, give over myself, and cause all other over whō I have charge, so to do (especially on the sondaies and other holy days being received and to that ende appointed) to the resorting to the temple and places appointed to prayer, to here with meknes thy holy word and use thy sacraments and ceremonies as thou hast commanded, and to exercise all things which might be to the confirmation & propogacion of thy holy religiō, or make to the increase of love and charity: as giving to the pore, reconciling such as be in variance, visiting theficke, & evē (as it were) beginning that • abboth whereof Isaiah speaketh.

By reason whereof I have great cause to thank thee (most gracious father) that thou wouldst appoint me to be in this time, wherein thou hast more plentifully revealed thyself then thou dyddest, not only before Christ's coming, but also since Christ's assensiō. Never since England was England dyddest thou so manifestly reueile thy truth, as y ^u hast done in these days. Great cause I have to thank thee that y ^u wouldst institute the ministry of thy word and sacraments as means whereby thy holy spirit is effectual to work in our hearts sanctification. Great cause have I to thank thee, that thou wouldest keep the books of the prophets & Apostells until this time. Great cause have I to praise thee, that thou wouldst give me such knowledge in them as y ^u hast done of thy great mercy. Great cause have I to thanke thee for the good & true ministers and preachers of thy word which thou hast sent amongst us, and genē me grace to here them. Great cause have I to thank thee that in this religion thou hast given so longe quietness, and harboroughe to thy church. Great cause have I to thank thee, for that thou woldeste make me such a man in whom thy holy spirit might work. Great cause I have to thank thee which woldeste call me into thine eteruall Saboth and rest full of all joy, such as the eye hath not seen, the pare hath not hard. Great cause have I to thank thee that so many days are appointed for this ende, that we should meet together to here thy word and receive thy sacraments. Great cause have I to thank thee for the institution of thy sacraments, which thou hast ordained as thy visible and palpable lords, to the obsignation and confirmation of the faith of all such as use the same after thy commandments. But, infinite are the causes for the which I ought to gene thee thanks for this commandment.

But alas I am not only unthankful, but also a most miserable transgressor of it. I will not now speak of my transgressions past concerning this commandment: presentlye they are so many that I cannot. For y ^u knowest howe I do not only at convenient times on y ^e work days keep myself away from common prayers in the congregaciō & assemble of thy people and frō hearing of thy word: but also on the Sabbath days to ride or go about this or that wordly: business I am very pressed, to sit down at this tauerne, and to go to that man's table I am ready at the first vydding: but alas to resort to the table of thy son & receive with thankfulness the sacrament of his body and blood for confirmation of my faith, that 〈◊〉 to learn spiritually to taste Christ's body broken and his blood shed for the remission of my sins: so do this, oh how vnwillig am I? To go to mass and sacrynges with such like Idolatry, I have been a great time more ready then now I am to hear thy word, & use thy sacraments as I should do, thy ministers I pray not for: thy church I am not careful for, no not now (good lord) when wicked doctrine most prevaileth. Idolatry, superstition, and abominacion aboundeth, the sacrament and sacrifice of thy dear son Ies{us} Christ is blasphemiusly corrupted: whē for preaching there is nothing but massing, for catechizing, sensinge, for reading of the scriptures belleringing, for singing of Psalms and godly songs to our edificacion, all is don in laten, with such Notes, Tunes, ditties, & descantes, that utterly the mind is pulled from the consideracion of the thing (if men did understand it) unto the melody. Al which my wickedness hath brought in, my profaning of this commandment, and my not praying. Thy ministers are in prison, dispersed in other contries spoiled, burnt, murdered, many fall for fear of goods, life, name &c, from the truth they have received unto moste manifest Idolatry: false preachers abound amongst thy people: thy people dearly bought even with thy blood, are not fed w ^t the bread of thy word but with swyllings: antichrist wholly preuailethe, and yet for all this, alas I am to careless, nothing lamenting my sins which be the cause of all this. O dear father forgive me for christs sake and be merciful unto me, and as of thy mercy thou dyddest give me time to repent, so give me repentance. Grant me thy holy spirit to open to me this thy law, so that I may know thy will in it, love it, and always obey it: thy good spirit sanctifye me and work in me a true taste of eternal life and pleasure in the meditation of it: give me (gracious good father) one little mouthfull of the bread that y ^u feddest Helye w ^t all, give me that with him I may come into mount horeb. Help thy church, cherish it and give it harbo routh here and else where for christs sake: purge thy ministry from corruptiō and false ministers: send out preachers to feed thy people, destroy antichrist & all his kingdom, give to such as be faullē from thy truth repentance, keep others from falling, and by their falling do y ^u the more confirm us, confirm the ministers & pore people in prisō & exile, strengthen them in thy truth, deliver them if it be thy good will, give them that with conscience they may so answer their adversaries, that thy servants may rejoice and the adversaries be confounded, avengē thou thy own cause (Oh thou god of hosts) and help all thy people, & me especially because I have moste need.

Honor thy father and mother that thou mayst live longe &c.

AFter that thou haste told me (good lord) thy will concerning the service which thou requirest inwardly and outwardly to be given unto the: now doest thou begin to tell me what thy will is that I should do & leave undone for thy sake unto man. And first y ^u settest before min eyes, them whō y ^u for ordres sake and the more commodity of man in this life, hast set in degree and authority above me, cōprehending them under the name of father & mother, that I might know y ^t as of thee thei are commanded to bear towards me a faithful love and a motherly care in the very names of father and mother, wherewith y ^u honorest them: so am I commanded of thee to do that which is most equal & just (as the very brute beasts do teach us) that with childly affection and duty, I should behave myself towards thē, that is I should honor thē, which cōprephēdeath in it, love, thankfulness, reverence and obedience, & that not so much because they be my parents, and in their offices are careful for me (for it may be they will neglect the doing of their duties towards me) but because thou commaundest me so to do, howe so ever they do. So that by this commandment I perceive that thou wouldest I should consider them whō thou hast placed in authority and superior degree: as parents, maiestrats, masters or such like, and accordingly behave myself toward them, honor them, that is to say love them, be thankful unto them, reverence them and obey them for thy sake so long as they pass not their bounds, that is so longe as they require not otherwise then y ^u hast given them commission or permission to do.

And for as much as thou seest their care and office is great, and our corruption to obey is very much, as well to encorage them in their vocation to be diligent, as to enflame me to humble obedience unto them, therthroughe to make them more willing to sustain cares for me: y ^u addeste a promise, that is longe life which so far as it is ablessing frō thee y ^u wilt endue us w ^t all. Whereby we may gather that a ciuel life doth much please thee and receiveth here rewards, especially if we lead it for conscieunce to thy law. And on the contrary part, a disobedient life to them that be in authority, will bring the sooner thy wrath and vengeance in this life. All which worketh much to the commendation of the state of politic & ciuell maiestrats. By reason hereof (dear father) I se myself much bound̄ to praise thee, and hartelye to obey this thy commandment. For in it & by it y ^u declarest thy great love toward us, which even in this present life our pylgermage and passage to our home, wouldst have us to enjoy the benefit of peace, and moste semelye quietness and order, and by this order so couple us that none should contemn or despise another, but even high & low to be and accompt thē selves as parents & children. Particularly for my parte I cannot but say that I have most cause to thank thee for my parētes, scholemasters, and others under whose tuitiō thou hast put me. No pen is able to write y ^e particular benifites, w ^c I have her by received in my infancy, childhod youth, middle age, and always hither to. Oh how good a lord hast y ^u declared thyself to me, which in them and by thē hast norrished, fed, instructed, corrected, defended and most graciously kept me. I could reckon innumerable behind me & but few before me, so much made of & cared for as I have been hitherto. No smalle token of thy love to me ward is it, that thou wouldest engrave in their hearts and command them under pain of damnation to be careful over me, to do me good and provide for me, as they have done or rather thou by thē publicly. Also for the common wealth & such as thou hast placed in aucthorie over me in both thy regeniētes, if I considered them that have been, and them that be, I could not but praise thee good lord. For no less praise worthy art thou for this chastening us and admonishing us now presently by them that be in authority, of our ingratitude and unthankfulness, then by such as have been, for all kinds of good things. But infinite are the causes of thankfulness which this commandment considered, should stir up in me. But alas (most merciful father) as I acknowledge myself most unthankful unto thee for all thy benifites poured vpō me in this life by my parents, nources, tutoures, masters, magistrates, bishops, pastors, and good frindes, even frō my cradell unto this hour: so unto them have I always been & am, in not loving them, as my coldenes in praiynge for them and to my power in helping them, declareth: and also my not reverencing them, my cōtemning them, & temerariousnes in my mistrusting or to narrowly & to straightly looking at them & their dewties, showeth: and not obeynge them, as by my cōtumacy appeareth, not only when any thing to me unpleasant or unprofitable, but also profitable & convenient is required. And yet I speak not of y ^e evil & muttering reports, of y ^e offenses ī trāsgressing y ^e politilie laws for apparel & meats & other no smalle offenses which I have committed & givē. Oh this is a sin dear father that I always have ben a private more then a common weal mā, always I seek for myn owen cōmeditie, cōtemning that which maketh to the conmmoditie of others. As for my disobedience and wicked behavior towards my own parents and all others whom thou hast set over me (dear father) no toūge can express it, and therefore I am worthy of dāynation. But (gracious good lord and dear father) I beseech thee for thy Christ's sake, to have mercy upon me, & pardon me, as of thy goodness it pleased the to pardon the patriarchs. Thou hast given this commandment as thy holy law to open to us howe corrupt we are, and howe much we swerve frō the pattern wherafter we were first made & once agreed thereto before Adams fall, that we might loath our selves and even thereby be driven to seek and set by thy sweet mercies in Jesus Christ, whom therefore thou diddest send to fullfyll the law in his flesh that we might borowe of him the same, by true faith: which of thy goodness work in us by thy holy spirit, and open this law unto us that we may more & more increase in the knowledge, love & obedience of it to thy glory and our salvation, Amen. Deare father be merciful to our magestrats, especially y ^e quenes highness, whose heart with the residue of her counselors, tourne into thy testimonies, give them thy wisdom and a zeal to the truth according to knowledge, that they may use the power they have received of thee to the cherishing of thy church, that w ^c us here thy word may have free passage and thy true worship may be maintained, and not onclye here but also everywhere amongst those whom thou wouldest we should pray for. Be merciful to my poor parents (gracious lord) with my brethren, systers, wife, childrē, family, servants, kinsfolks, neighbors, as thou knowest they have all need. Geue unto the hearts of all parents, magestrates and such as be in aurtherite here or ells where that they may according to that y ^u hast put them in trust w ^t all, be faithful, deligent, careful, and happy. Grant unto children, servants and subjects, that everyone may render love, obedience, thankfulness and reverence to all such as thou hast put in aucthorite over them: bless the church and send it peace and har borough here or else where: bless the common weal and send us peace: bless the diocesses and shieres and send them good bisshops and iustices: bless every household and family, that thy peace may be in the same continually. Finally write this law & all thy laws in our hearts we be sech thee y ^t we may keep them Amē.

Thou shalt do no murder &c.

AS in the commandment goeinge next before, thou settests before me the personages of all such as thou for the commodytie, order, and peace of mā in this life hast placed in authority, accordingly of us for thy sake to be esteemed: so dost thou in this commandment set before us to loke on, the personages of all men generally, high and low, over whom thou givest us a charge that we shall not kill or murder thē. In which word thou comprehendest all kind of hatred or malice, in word thought or deed, as thy dearly beloved son expoundinge this commandment doth teache. Yea because thou wouldest all men should be dear unto us, being all of one substance, of one similitude, coming of the same parents Adam and Eve, made of one God, redeemed of one Christ, in whom we should be coupled as members of one body, and live to the aide, succor and comfort one of another, because of this (I say) easlie we may see that not only y ^u forbiddest here to beware of all kinds of displeasures, but also thou commaūdest us to bear and exercise all kind of love and favor in heart word and deed, and that for thy commaūdementes sake, for else towards our enemies our hearts would arise, and be great, in that they contemnynge their duties towards us seme to deserve the like at our hands.

By reasō hereof I have great cause to thank thee dere father. For here by I see how that thou doest much love my soul which art so careful over my body, so that he which hurteth it displeaseth thee and he that doth it good pleaseth thee, if so be he do it for thy sake. By this commandment now I se that it is thou that hast kept me frō doing many euels, which else I should have outrageously done, & hast stirred me up to do good to my brethrē if at any time I have done any: even as thou hast also kept and dost keep presently others from doing me hurt, & hast and dost stir up those that do me good to do so vn to me. Oh how great is y ^e multitude of thy benefits (good lord) wherewith thou hast overwhelmed me, and the which through this commandment I perceive myself to have received, presently do receive, & so longe as I live am like to receive, for thou commaundest all men everywhere to do me good, love me, defend me, & cherish me: such is thy love to me in this present life & that for my body. oh how great is thy love then to me in everlasting life, & y ^t for my soul? If in a straūg cōtrey so great is thy protection, how great is it at home? But alas (dere lord) how vnthākful have I ben & am yet still for these thy fatherli benefits, oh min ingratitud: yea lord horribly have I transgressed & still do transgress this thy gracious precept in pride, envy, disdain malice, hardness of heart, unmercifulness & contēnīg thy childrē, saints & servants: Self love all together reigneth in me and desire of praise, rule & fame: I am so far frō love & mercy in heart (good lord) that no man cā here it in my tongue, nor see it in my works, but rather clean contrary, and y ^t generally and to thē, to whom I am most bound particularly. By reason whereof I have deserved ever lastinge damnnation and to be cast away from thy presence forever. Oh moste gracious father forgive me for Christ's sake I beseech the. For to this ende diddest thou give this commandment, that I seeing my corruptiō and deprauate nature by sin might come to thy mercy deserved by christ, and through faith in him, might find not only pardon of that which is paste: but also thy grace and holy spirit to begin in me the obedience to this and all other thi holy precepts forever more, so be it. For this thy Christ's sake (dear father) I beseech thee therefore to take from me and all other for whom thou wouldest that we should pray, all enupe, pride, arrogancye dysdaine, hatred and all suspitiousnes: and grant unto us bowels of mercy, humility, patience, mekenes, longe sufferinge, gentillnes, peace, charity and all kind of brotherly love comfort the feeble, releue the poor, help the fatherless, heal the sick, bless the afflicted, show thy great mercy vpō all poor prisoners & deliver thē in thy good time, remember thy pitye toward strangers, captives, widows, and such as be oppressed.

Thou shalt not commytte adulterye.

HEre (good lord) thou ghost about to command unto me as love in the other, so pureness and chastity in this, and therefore thou sayest I should not commite adultrye: in the which word thy son our savior Jesus Christ, doth comprehend all uncleanness, yea the very concupiscence and abusing of the heart in lusting after any man's wife or otherwise vnchastly. By the which, in that thou wouldest have us to love in our selves and others purite & cleans, that we might be holy as thou our god art holy, and our bodies being temples of thy holy spirit might be kept pure and accordinglye: easily we may see that as thou forbiddest all unclean deeds, words, lokes, and thoughts: so doest thou command us to love and exercise all purity, chastity, cleanness, sobryety temperancye &c.

By reason whereof I have great cause to be thankful unto thee, which not only for the help & commodity of man, but also for remedy of man's infirmity, hast made womā kind and ordained the state of matrimony, which in thy sight is so holy and pure that thou accomptest the bed and act of generaciō between man and wife in this state of matrimonye to be an undefiled thing, and such care thou hast over the personages married and their condition, that unto damnation they sin, which not only go about to defile that bed, but within there harts do wish or desire it, yea which do not indeuer thenselves w ^t thought, word and deed to help that purite & cleans between married folks be kept. But the great causes thou givest us to thank thee for this state and ordinance, and for thy defendynge us by this commandment, are innumerable.

Full well I see that it is thou which by this commandment not only refraynest me, but also kepest my wife from impurytye which ells we might both commyte.

Great is thy lous (Oh good lord) and more then I am able to consider, which declarest thyself to be thus careful over me concerning the benefyttes which come unto me both for the mind, body, and goods, by sobryetye and tem perauncie, which here thou requirest. Only this I cannot but see, that I have great cause to thank thee which art so careful over me, as by this commandment I well see.

But alas (good lord) what shall I say, which am and have been so far from thankfulness that I am to be accounted amongst the most unthankful: yea y ^u knowest it good lord. Fylthely have I broken this law, & caused other so to do, of whose repentance I am uncertain: as also my tongue alas hath often̄ ben to shamfully exercised, mynetes & my thoughts to wickedly abused.

All this gear I have increased by mine intemperauncye in catynge, drinkinge, cherishingemy body &c. I have also hurt my bodily health, minished that which I and others should live on, and horribly hindered all good prayers, and meditations: wherein though I have time & place, yet alas I nothing exercise myself as I should do.

By reason whereof, I have deserved everlasting damnatiō. Oh good lord and gracious father, do thou for thy names sake and in Christ's blood, pardon me and forgive me I beseech thee, & as thou hast most mercifully hitherto spared me: so of thy mercy put away my trespasses, & the transgressions of those whom I have caused to sin: let that love which moved thee to pardon Judas with Tamar, David, Berthsabe, and the great sinner, of whom we read in S. Luke, move thee to pardon and forgive me also. Thou gavest this commandment to this ende that I might know my sin and sinful nature and so thereby be driven to thy Christ crucified, for whose sake I ask mercy, & also that thy good spirit may be given unto me to purify me and work so in me and with me, that I may trewelye know, hartly love, & faithfully obey this thy holy precept inwardly and outwardly now and forever Amen. Gracious good lord, grant to me & my wife that we may dwell together according to knowledge, and may keep our vessels in holiness: grant (Oh lord) that we may be pure and vndestled: and grant the same to all that be married, and to them which be unmarried grant, that they may live a pure, chaste, and undefiled life, and if they have not the gift of singleness of life, grant them such makes with whom they may live holyly to thy praise. Deare father give me the gift of Sobriety and Temperauncy, and grant the same to all them whom thou wouldest I should pray for. As in times paste I have used my tongue and other members evil, so now good lord grant that I may use them well, chastely and godly. This I prays thee grant through Jesus Christ, and finally (Oh lord) both in soul and body sanctify me, and as in thy temple dwell in me now and forever more Amen.

Thou shalt not steal.

NOwe that thou hast taught me the service required of thee for me to observe towards the personages of all men and women of every conditiō: thou beginnest to tell me what thou wouldest I should do concerning their goods: and as in the next commandment before this thou dyddest cōmaūde unto me sobriety & pureness, so doest thou in this Justice and righteousness, forbydding me to steal. Under the which word y ^u comprehendest all kinds of desceite. The which thing y ^u doest because y ^u wouldest that I should give myself wholly to the study and exercise of Justice, as in the precepts next going before, y ^u wouldest I should give over myself wholly to the keeping of sobriety & pureness. So that I see thy good pleasure herein is not that I sheuld alonely abstain from all theft: but also from all fraud and craft in word or deed, yea y ^t I should earnestly follow and exercise all equity, truth and Justice.

By reason whereof I see myself much bound to praise thee which art so carful over mi goods & substance, that if any man should go about to steal from me, or to defraud me in any thig, yea whosoever goeth not about to keep & care for that I have as he would do for his own, the same displeaseth the.

Oh lord if thou hast such care for my goods, cattle, and such pelf, how great is thy care for my soul? If this one commandment were not, I perceive as I for my own parte should have done and do much worse then I have done: so much worse had been done to me and mine then hath ben. It is y ^u good lord (I perceive) that hast both givē me all y ^t I have, and also still conseruest and keepest the same, and not my own polycye, wisdom and industrye, for in vain were all this, except y ^u diddest vouchsafe to use & take it as a mean to work by. There is nothing therefore that I have but whensoever I loke upon it, by this commandment I learn thy goodness, strength and power, for as thou givest it of thy mercy, so it speaketh to me that presently y ^u still doest keep it for me: so that exceeding great cause have I to thank thee for this precept dere god and most gracious lord.

But alas I am so far from thankfulness (as always I have been for all thy care for me and for all that ever thou haste given unto me) that as I have used subtelty and craft, yea sometimes theft and briberye: so now (good lord) I still when occasiō is offered, do exercise the same. I live also voluptuously of y ^t y ^u hast given & lent me, & nothing consider what equity requireth, and what or how great the necessity of the poor is, whom I do thus defraud by excess and prodigality. That which I borowe, I with unwillingness do repaye, I use it more negligentlye then I would do myn own. Lacke of excommunicatiō, of Justice, y ^e great vsery, robbery, oppression and such like wickedness as is exercised amongst us I lament not, labor not after my vocation for the redress of the same, I pray not to thee thereabout, but neglect altogether.

Yea even those things wherewith I am put in trust, or am hirid to do, those (I say) I do with great negligence, so that great is my sin here in and worthy I am of damnation. But merciful god I beseech thee for Christ's sake, to have mercy upon me, and to pardon me my unthankfulness, theftes, frauds, deceytes, avarice, neglegences & great carelessness for y ^e lack of Justice & for y ^e mōstruouse oppression, vseries, excess, riot, the which be horribly exercised in y ^e commō weal. For thy mercies sake in Christ Jesus (o lord) whom y ^u haste given to fullfyll the law for them that do believe, give me true faith and thy holy spirit, to work in me the knowledge, love and perpetual obedience of this thy holy precept and all other thy commandments forever.

Deare lord give unto me and to all whom y ^u wouldest I should pray for, the hatred of all craft, and love of all Justice, grant to the oppressed thy comfort, to wrongers repentance, to thieves and deceivers, y ^t they may make restitutiō, to iustices of peace, land lords & the rich of the world, y ^t thei may have thee before their eyes, love their poor tenants & brethren, to laborers & artificers y ^t they may be diligent in their work & labor • that wherw ^t they are put in trust.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

NOw doest y ^u (most gratio{us} lord) instruct me in this commandment how I should use my ton • towards my neighbor & behave myself concerning his name, forbidding me to bear false witness: in y ^e which y ^u forbiddest me all kinds of slandering, lying, hipocricy & untruth. And why? because as members of one body, thou woldeste we should speak • truth one to another, and be careful everyone to cover others infirmity, and w ^t our toūge defend the names of others, evē as we would that other should defend ours. So that in this commandment, as y ^u forbiddest me all kind of evil, parelous, calumnious, and untrue speaking: so doest thou command to me all kind of godly, honest and true report and talk.

By reason whereof I have great cause to praise thee, in that I se thee to be so careful over my name, that all men are by thee commanded to defend y ^e same. O pretio{us} god, great is thy care over my soul I now perceive. If this commandment were not, I se, as I should have done & do much worse with my toūge to others then is hapened, so should I have felt of others towards me.

Besydes this no small commodity is it to me that thou wouldeste all men should use treweth in all thire words to me.

Oh howe great a good thing is this unto me? If we consider y ^e hurt y ^e cometh by untruth & by words, where through many are deceived: easily may wese a wonderful benefit and care of thee for us in this commandment.

But (gracious lord) like as I acknowledge my vnthankfullnes to be monstrouse and great & always hath been hitherto: Even so yet continue I in wonderful hypocrisy in all my conversation, often lying, and speaking as vainly so offensively, fleshly subtelly, calūniously, & geuig my ears to here such things as be slaūderously spokē, not repugninge or admonishing other: as the slanderer to do as he would be done by, to tell his tale where he should tell it: neither admonishing the partys slandered of y ^t which is reported of him, thereby to take better heed, but rather I augment it. By reason whereof I have deserved eternal damnation.

But thou (good lord) be merciful unto me I beseech thee for Christ's sake, whom y ^u hast ordained to be the ende of the law to all them that do believe, as well for pardon of that which is past, as for not imputinge the imperfection that remaineth. In his name therefore (good lord) I beseech thee to pardon me, and give me thy holy spirit to open to me this law and all other thy precepts, so to understand them, that I may heartily love them & faithfully give myself to the obedience of them forever. Grant me thy good spirit to sanctify my tongue that it may be kept fromlying, slandering & all such vices, & that it may be continually used in thy service, and speaking that which may be to edify, to thy glory and praise through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.