Meditations and Disquisitions Upon the Lords Prayer, Title page – To the author
MEDITATIONS AND DISQVISITIONS upon the Lords prayer.
By Sr RICHARD BAKER, Knight.
PSAL. 119. 90. Tby Testimonies O God, are my meditation
LONDON, Printed by ANNE GRIFFIN, and are to be sold by ANNE BOVLER, at the signe of the Marigold, in Pauls Church-yard.
1636.
sweetest Influence: for by it, the feare which is due, to the greatnesse of your Majesty; is turned into a reverence of the Majesty of your vertues. With this reverence, I humbly present this Treatise, to your Royall hands: which though it informe you of nothing, you knew not before; yet it may put you in mind of something, you might else forget: and a good Remembrancer, is none of the meanest, amongst a Princes Officers: But leaving this high worke, to Apostolicall men of whom your Majesty hath many about you; and some, more eminent, as Pillars; I onelyonly with low Zacheus, climb up into this Tree of Devotion: to make me in the contemplation of your vertues, the fitter to pray: that all the blessings on mount Gerizim, in this life; and in the next, all the blessings which Christ preached on the Mount; may be multiplied upon your sacred Majesty, in your owne Person, and in your Posteritie; in our most gracious Queene MARY; in our most hopefull Prince CHARLES; and in all the rest of your Majesties most royall Issue. Thus prayeth
Your Majesties most humble and prostrate Subject,
RICHARD BAKER,
To my loving and learned friend, and sometime Compupil at Oxford, Sr. RICHARD BAKER, Knight.
SIR,
I Conceive that you have beene pleased out of our ancient friend ship (which was first, and is ever best elemented in an Academy) and not out of any valuation of my poore judgement, to communicate with me your Devine Meditations upon the Lords Prayer in some severall sheetes which have given me a true taste of the whole. Wherein I must needs observe and much admire the very Character of your Stile, which seemeth unto mee to have not a little of the African Idea of St. Augustines age; full of sweet Rapture, and of researched Conceipts; nothing borrowed; nothing vulgar; and yet all flowing from you (I know not how) with a certaine equall facility. So as I see, your worldly troubles have beene but Pressing-yrons to your Heavenly cogitations. Good sir, let not any modesty of your nature; let not any obscurity of your fortune smother such an excellent imployment of your erudition and zeale: For, it is a worke of light, and not of darknesse. And thus wishing you long health that can use it so well: I remaine
Your poore Friend to love and serve you,
HENRY WOTTON.