Meditation Upon the Lords Prayer, Text
☞A medytacyon vponupon the Lordes praier.
OVre father whyche arte in heauen. We (gloriouſly formed vntounto the Image of thy deuyne Maieſtye, created by the gracyous goodnes vntounto higheſt honor, howbeit, by our owne ſinfulnes diſfigured wyth vilenes deſeruinge dampnacion, and yet by Chriſtes death reſtored vntounto grace, to be citezēs wyth ſaynctes of the family of God) nowe all together in Chriſten vnite, as members of one bodye, wyth thys one voyce, for the manifolde miſeries of eueryevery member, and worthy merites of Chriſt our heade, praye, deſire, and truſte, to obtaine of the our heauenly father, accordyng vntounto thy gracious goodnes, mighty power, and faythfull promes, vntounto vsus that aſke aboundaunce of thy grace.
That thy name maie bee halowed. That thy dyuine power and glorious Maieſty, may be certainly knowē & reuerently honored. That ye hartes of vsus men, by thy word and praier, maie be ſanctified frō worldly vanyties & fleſhly luſtes, ſo that wee wyth all that we hauehave, ſeruynge the in holines & righteouſnes, maye ſhine ſo afore menne vponupon the earthe, that they thereby maye be occaſyoned, to honour, and glorify the, our father in heuē
Thy kingdome come Thy word be ſo frutefully Preched vntounto vsus thy people, that we may be throughly inſtructed and taught, to bridle oure ſenſuall appetyte by naturall reaſon, and ſubmit our wyttie reaſon vntounto a Godlye ſpirite, and try our ſpirits by the true Scryptures, ſo that within vsus may reygne the Kyngdome of God, whiche is neither meate nor dryncke, but righteouſnes, peace, and comfort in the holy Ghoſte, by the which we nowe taſtyng of thy heauenly ioyes, may be made from henceforth wery of all worldly vanytyes, continually wiſhyng and lokyng for the ſpedy apperance and commynge of thy eternal and euerlaſtynge kyngdome.
¶Thy wil be done in earth as it is in heauen. In heauen the Angelles of reuerent louelove, dooe thy wyll and commaundemēt, wyth comfortable courage, and ioyful pleſure: in hell the wicked ſpirits through malyce and enuie, repinyng and grudging, do torment and vexe thēſelfes, what ſoeuer they be doing: and vpō earth we men beynge ſubiecte vntounto ſyn do thynke it a labor & paine, to be occupied in any thing that is good and godly. Wherefore we praye that the grace of thy heauenly Spirit may ſo worcke in our earthlye bodies, that our mindes maie be delyuered from ſynne and vanity, frely to delite and take pleſure in Godlines and vertue, ſo that we with a cōfortable courage, maye fynd delite and pleaſure to dooe thy commaundement and wil, beynge men vponupon earth, as the gloryous company of Angelles do which be in heauen.
¶Geue vsus this day our daily bread. We beynge in great nede, and not able of our ſelfes to deſerue any thing beſeche thy Fatherlye goodnes of thy bounteous liberalite, to geue frely vntounto vsus al in generally, ſo that none be hurte or hyndered ſeuerally, this daye when as we crie, conſtrained by preſēt nede, not craftely crauyng for vayn care againſt to morowe, our dayly bread, oure daily and neceſſary foode and relyue, both bodily and goſtly and eſpecyally the Spiritual fode of Chriſtes fleſh and his bloude, by dayly Prechyng of the Goſpell, and miniſtracion of the Sacramentes, to replenyſhe, refreſhe, and renue oure hartes & mindes, with the comfortable remēbraunce of Chriſtes death and his paſſion daily to be vſed for neceſſary and ſpiritual conſolacion.
Forgeue vsus our treſpaſſes, as wee forgeue theym that treſpaſſe agaynſte vsus. Geue vntounto vsus that felyng and knowyng our owne ſynfulnes, doo nede and deſire thy mercyfull forgeuenes of oure treſpaces and fautes, whych we hauehave committed againſt thy deuine Maieſty, ſo that we frely forgeuinge other that hauehave offended vsus in anye thyng whatſoeuer it be, maye be ſure that mercy ſpryngynge in the, hath proceded vntounto vsus beyng graciouſly offred of the hath bene thankfully receiued of vsus, and being charitably vſed of vsus towardes other ſhal moſt certaynlye be confirmed and enlarged of the towardes vsus, and ſo finally, by gracious mercye ſpringinge and procedyng from the, all fautes and treſpaſſes ſhalbe freely forgeuen, euen as thoſe which other hauehave committed agaynſte vsus, ſo likewiſe thoſe that we hauehave done agaynſte the.
And leade vsus not into temptacion. And ſuffer not the deuil, by thabule of thy benefytes, to leade vsus captiue into deceytefull and dampnable temptaciō, drawing vsus by deinteth meates vntounto gredye glottony, by money and riches vntounto vnſaciable couetouſnes. and by welth and proſperytye vntounto pryde and vayneglorye, and by all thy godlye gracyous giftes, vntounto euerye dyuelyſhe abhomynable ſynne.
¶But delyuer vsus from all euyll. Deliuer our gooddes frō abuſe, oure bodyes frō corrupcion, our Soules from dampnacion, yea, deliuer vsus by Chriſte, frō the bondage of ſynne, vntounto the libertye of the Goſpel, ſo that without daunger of dyuelyſhe temptacion driuyng vntounto euerlaſtyng dā nacion we maye ſerue thee in holines and righteouſneſſe al the dayes of oure lyues, wyth moſt certain and comfortable hope, of euerlaſtynge life and ſaluacion, through Chriſt Ieſu in whom our hope and thy promes is moſte certain, that is to ſay. Amē. SOBEIT.
FINIS
Imprinted at London by Ihon Daye, dwelling ouer Alderſgate beneth Sainte Martins.
¶Theſe bookes are to bee ſolde at hys ſhop in Schepeſyde, by the Litle Counduit at the ſygne of the Reſurreccion.
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum ſolum. Per ſepēnium.
End of the text · Thomas Lever, Meditation Upon the Lords Prayer (1551)