A Comfortable Epistle to Gods Faithful People in England, Chapter 7
¶ The. vii. Chapter.
MOre…er / forasmuch as we are cō passed Prayer.abou…e with dayly troubles / and stande in continuall daunger / bothe of the deuell and of hys tymmes the papist…s▪ not beynge able of oure selfes too withstande their tyr…y / and to … our selfes out of their handes / it shall be … ▪ that we withoute ce…synge flee vntounto God with mo…e harty prayers / pourynge out with teares before the throne of hys diuine … ▪ our … ▪ so…owes / miseries … and troubles / moste humblye … hys … goodnes too hauehave … on vsus / to kepe vsus from all euell / t… … vsus from oure enemies / both bodely and ghost…ly / to preserue vsus from idolatrye / … / supersticion / hypocrisye and from all false religion / and too kep… vsus in hys feare / faythe: louelove / and perfecte obedience of hys moste holye lawe and blessed ordinaunces / to geue vsus hys heauēly sprete for too renew oure hartes / and to sende his holy Aungels to py…che their tentes aboute vsus / and to defende vsus from all euel and wic kednes / as it is written / The Aungell of the Psal. 34.Lorde py…cheth hys tente aboute them that feare hym / and deliuereth theym. Thys kynde of prayer is a swete smellynge sacryfice vntounto God / & moste hyly pleaseth hym. Therefore was it the dayly exercise off all godly people in all ages / yea / their whole delyghte and pleasure. With whatsoeuer trouble they were accombered / faythefull prayer was their onelyonly refuge / solace / comforte and socoure.
Beynge greued with anye kynde of adue…sitie / they hasted not vntounto sai…es with Ora pro nobis, as the dissemblynge Hyp… crytes Papistes.and wycked …apystes do in theyr pompous and Idolatrous Processions / but vntounto GOD / from whome alone commeth Iaco. 1. Rom. 10.eueryevery good and perfecte gyfte / which also is ryche ynoughe for all them that call on hym / and they de…yred too hauehave their prayers accepted not for the intercessions and merites of anye sainctes / nor yet for their owne dignitie and worthynes▪ Io…. 15. 16but for Iesus Christes sake / for hys merites / worthines and excellency / & they were moste graciously hearde / as Dauid saythe: Whan I was in trouble / I cryed vntounto the Psal. 120. Psal. 22.Lorde / & he mercifully hearde me. Agayne / Our fathers hoped in the (o God) they tru sted in the and thou diddest deliuer them. They called vponupon the / & were holpen / they put their trust in the / and were not confoū ded. Was not Iacob deliuered from the tyranny Gene. 33.of his brother Esau by prayer? Were not the chyldren of …srael made noble conquerours of the Amelechites / whan Moyses Exod. 17 4. Re. 19.prayde for them? What a wonderfull victory had kyng Ezech…as ouer that proud prince … / after that he had praide vntounto the Lorde his God / although neither he nor any of hys fought one stroke? Was not Peter deliuered out of pryson / thorowe Acto. 12.the prayers of the faythfull congregacion? Had not the Gospel of our sauiour Christ Act. 2. 4.good successe at the beginning / thorowe the feruente prayers of the holye Apostles? I shoulde wante both tyme / paper & yncke / if I should go forth to reherce vntounto you all the h…ories of suche / as hauehave receaued singulare benefites at the h…de of God thorow prayer. Praye therfore continually / and be thankefull to God for all thynges in the …. Thes, ….namē of Christe / and ye shall shortly se the wonderfull workes of God / in banishynge agayne Idolatrie / papistrie / and all fals religion & in … vntounto vsus the glorious Gospel of Iesus Christ hys dearly beloued sonne / and oure alone sauioure vntounto oure great ioye and singular comfort / and vntounto the vtter confusion and destruccion of Anti christ and of hys kyngdome.