Christs Prayer Expounded, Graces – Poem
He that eateth and drinketh,
and letteth grace paſſe,
Sitteth downe like an Oxe,
and riſeth like an Aſſe.
Grace before meat.
WE acknowledge and confeſſe this fauour of thine, eternall God and gratious Father, that it pleaſeth thy maieſtie to giuegive vntounto vsus ſo many oportunities to meete together, we beſeech thee to bleſſe vsus, and our méeting at this time, and all thy good creatures prouided for vsus, and graunt that we may vſe them ſoberlie, as in thy preſence, and receiue them thankfully as from thine hand, to the glory of thy name, the good of our bodies, and the future ſaluation of our ſoules, through Chriſt our Lord and alone bleſſed Sauiour. Amen.
Grace before meate.
ALmighty Lord God, and our mercifull Father, we beſéech thy Maieſty to bée good vntounto vsus, in the pardon and forgiueneſſe of our ſinne paſt, & by the aſſiſtance of thy good and holy Spirit to preuent all them that are to come: to watch ouer vsus as thou haſt done by thy ſpecial prouidence, to direct vsus continually by thy holy word, to bleſſe vsus in the vſe of all thy good creatures, that nowe we ſhall receiue from thy bountifull hand, giuing ſtrength to them to nouriſh vsus, and giuing hearts vntounto vsus to bée thankefull vntounto thée for the ſame. And graunt that whether wée eate or drinke, or whatſoeuer wée doe elſe, wée may doe all to the glory of thy moſt holy name, through Chriſt thy Sonne, and our onelyonly Sauiour. Amen.
Grace after meate.
VVE beſéech thy Maieſtie, eternall God and gracious Father, to make vsus truly and vnfainedly thankful vntounto thée, for all thoſe mercies that we hauehave receiued, and for all thoſe iudgements that we hauehave eſcaped, both temporall concerning this life, and eternall duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page concerning that life to come: for thy gracious prouidence this day paſt, for our comfortable, & peaceable, & chearfull méeting together in thy feare at this time, and for all thy good creatures beſtowed vponupon vsus, for the comforting & refreſhing of theſe féeble and weake bodies of ours. Now we humbly intreate thée, that as thou haſt fed them with that food which is conuenient & neceſſary for the ſame, ſo it would pleaſe thée to féed our ſoules with that food which periſheth not, but endureth to eternall & euerlaſting ſaluation; ſo as we may ſéeke ſo to paſſe through theſe thinges temporall, that finally wee looſe not things eternall. Bleſſe with vsus thine vniuerſall Church, our Kings and Quéenes Maieſty, the Prince & their Realmes: O Lord continue thy truth & peace among vsus, with the pardon and forgiueneſſe of all our ſins this day, at this time, and heretofore committed againſt thée, through Chriſt our Lord and bleſſed Sauiour. Amen.
Another after meat.
O Lord of eternall glory, who half elected vsus in the louelove of a Father, redeemed vsus by the obedience of thy Sonne, ſanctified vsus by the operation of thy ſpirit, preſerued vsus hitherto by thy gratious prouidence, inſtructed vsus many times by thy good & holy word, and now at this preſent and often heretofore, moſt graciouſly and bountifully refreſhed & comforted vsus with thy good creatures, & with the mutuall ſocietie & comfort one of another, & haſt beſtowed many other good bleſſings and benefits vponupon vsus, as health of body, peace of conſcience, and abundance of thy good creatures, which thou haſt denied to many of thy ſeruants & deare children, which deſerue the ſame as well as our ſelues: thy maieſties name bee bleſſed and praiſed of vsus and thy whole church both now and for euermore. Amen.
Sereniſsimo Regi Iacobo Franciſcj Bertj Carmen gratulatorium.
PApa quid effrendis? quid frendis Roma? ſuperbā
Quod nunc te faciat, dic mihi, nunc quid habes?
Bella quid? Arma? Minae? quid Bellarmine tonaſti?
Quid noſtros ſic tu mordicus ore premis?
Quid parſone canis? tu perſonale Britanne,
Siccine relligio fulta cruore tua?
Sanguine placari diuos, animiſque litandum
Anglorum ſtulti creditis: vnde fides?
Vana fides, & falſa fides, hac luditur arte
Neſcia plebs vera religione f…ui,
Speraſtis ſine ſpe, ſed ſpem deusipſe fefellit,
Etquam ſperaſtis, non fuit atra dies.
Non fuit atra dies quam fex haec veſtra papalis
Stuxerat, in veſtrum concidit illa caput,
Nil ficti, facti que dei, nil lignea virgo,
Et nil ſanctorum ſaxea turba valet.
Non ea noſtra voco: vis haec Romana; valete
Nil mihi vobiſcum, ludite vos alios.
Ludite vos alios, non hijs deludimur Angli,
Relligio veſtra eſt ſan guinolenta nimis.
Aſpicite ô ciues, et vos generoſa propago,
Dicite, non veros credilis eſſe lupos?
Credimus, (et mentes ſi non dementia fallat)
Hic iterum talis non metuenda dies.
Sume animum, gladium que tibi, vireſ que Iacobe,
Pugnabit pro te (qui titus) ipſe deus.
Sume animos, gladios, & noſtras accipe vires,
Quod magis eſt, noſtram ſume Iacobe fidem
Same animos, animaſ que ſimul, teſoſpite, noſtrum
Quicquid erit, noſtrum non erit: omne tuum.
Omne tuum: pia vota, preces, adiungimus iſtis
(Qua poſſis multo fortior eſſe) fidem.
His fortis ſatis eſſe potes: his vtere pennis,
Ne te decipiat Roma cruenta, caue.
FINIS.
End of the text · Robert Hill, Christs Prayer Expounded (1606)