The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance, Meditation
A meditation vppon the Lordes prayer.
OVr Father which art in heauen.
We gloriously formed vntounto the Image of thy diuine Maiestie, created by thy gracious goodnes vntounto highest honour, howe be it by our owne sinfulnesse dysfigured with vilenesse deseruing damnacion, and yet by Christes death redeemed and restored vntounto grace to be citizens with saincts of the familie of God: Nowe altogether in christen vnitie, as members of one bodie, we pray, desire, and trust to obtayne of thée our heauenly father, according vntounto thy gracious goodnesse, mightie power, and faythfull promise, vntounto vsus that aske, abundance of thy grace.
That thy name may be halovved.
That thy diuine power and glorious maiestie, may bée certainely knowen and reuerently honoured. That the heartes of vsus men by thy worde and prayer may bee sanctified from al sinne and vanitie, so that wée with all that wée hauehave seruing thee in holinesse and righteousnesse, may so shine afore men vppon earthe, that they thereby may be occasion to honour thee our father which arte in heauen.
Thy kingdome come.
Thy worde bée so fruitfully preached amongst vsus thy people, that we may be thorowly instructed and taughte to bridle our sensuall appetites by naturall reason, and to submit our wits and reasons vntounto a good godlie spirit, and to trie our spirites by the true Scriptures. So that within vsus may raigne the kingdome of God which is neyther meate nor drink, whiche is neither superstitious ceremonies, voluptuous pleasures, nor vayne glorie, but righteousnesse, peace, and comforte in the holie ghoste, by the which we nowe tasting of thy heauenly ioyes may be made from henceforth wearie of all worldly vanities, continually looking and praying for the appearance and comming of thy eternall and euerlasting kingdome.
Thy vvill bee done in earth as it is in heauen.
In heauen the Angels of reuerent louelove do thy will and commaundement, with cō fortable courage and ioyfull pleasure. In hell the wicked spirits through malice and enuie, repining and grudging, doe torment and vexe them selues whatsoeuer they bée doing. And vppon earth men being subiecte vntounto sinne, do think it a labour, and payne, to be occupied in any thing that is good and godlie. Wherefore we pray that the grace of thy heauenly spirit, may so worke in our earthly bodies, that wée beyng deliuered from sinne and vanitie, may fréely delight and take pleasure to doo thy will and commandement, beyng declared by thy worde to vsus men vponupon earth, as thy glorious Angels do which be in heauen.
GiueGive vsus this day our dayly bread.
We hauing great néede, not able of our sclues to deserue any thing, beséeche thée of thy fatherly goodnesse to giuegive fréely vntounto all duplicate page duplicate page vsus in generall: So that none bée hurt nor hindered seuerally, this day when as wee crie constreyned by present néede, not craftily crauing for vaine care against to morrowe, our dayly bread, our dayly and necessary foode and reléefe both bodily and ghostly. And especially so, that the spirituall foode of Christes fleshe and his bloude, by dayly preaching of the Gospell, and administration of the Sacramentes, may replenishe our hearts and mindes, with continuall remembrance of Christes death, and his passion, dayly to bée vsed for necessary and spirituall consolation.
Forgiue vsus our rrespasses as vve forgiue them that trespasse against vsus.
GiueGive vntounto vsus that féeling our owne sinfulnesse, to néede, and desire thy merciful forgiuenesse of our faultes and trespasses, which we hauehave committed against thée, so that we fréely forgiuing all other that hauehave offended vsus in any thing whatsoeuer it be, may bée sure that mercy springing in thée, hath procéeded vntounto vsus, and being graciously offered of thée, hath bene thankfully receyued of vsus, and being charitably vsed of vsus towardes other, shall most certainly bée cōfrmed and enlarged of thée towards vsus: So that by frée merciemercy springing and proceeding from thée, all faultes may bée fréely forgiuen: euen as those which other hauehave committed agaynste vsus, so likewyse those which we hauehave done againste thée.
And lead vsus not into temptation.
Suffer not the diuell by the abuse of thy benefites, to leade vsus captiues into deceytfull and damnable temptation, drawing vsus by daintie meats vntounto gréedy gluttony▪ by money and richesse, vntounto vnsatiable couetousnesse, and by welth and prosperitie, vntounto pride and vaine glory, and by all thy godly gracious giftes, vntounto eueryevery diuelishe abhominable sinne.
But deliuer vsus from euill.
Deliuer our goodes from abuse, our bodies from corruption, our soules from dā nation: deliuer vsus by Christ Iesu, from the bondage of sinne vntounto the liberty of the Gospell, so that from all daunger of diuelishe temptation, trayning and entycing men towardes damnation, we may be deliuered to serue thee in holinesse and righteousnesse al the dais of our life, with most certaine and sure hope of euerlasting saluation through Christ Iesu, in whome our hope and thy promis is most certayne, that is to say, Amen.
Youre tyme is shorte, your daungers bee greate: you are vvell vvarned by Gods vvord vvritten. Mark. xiij. Take heede, watche, and praye.
Take heede that your hearts and myndes bee not made heauie, harde and dull, vvith meates and drinkes, vaine pleasures or worldly cares.
VVatch with diligence to doo youre owne duties in destrous looking for Christes comming.
Pray, that yee may escape all dangers and stande in grace and fauour afore the face of Christ, at his comming.
APOCAL. 22.
Behold I come soone.
Printed by Henrie Bynneman for George Byshop. 1575.
End of the text · Thomas Lever, The Right Way from Danger of Sin and Vengeance (1575)