The Flower of Godly Prayers, Prayer 43 – Prayer 45
A prayer to preserue the frutes of the earthe▪
AT the beginning thou commaundest the earth. O Lord to bringe forthe grene gras, herbs,Gene. i. and trees with their sedes and frutes▪ that they myghte be meate to thy creatures lyuynge on the earthe both to manne and beaste. After that depe and great floud, wherin all liuing creaturs perished excepte Nohe and suche as were with him in the arck▪ Gene. vii. ii. Peter. ii.not onelye herbes, sedes and fruites gauest thou vntounto man for to eat,Gen. ix. but also all other thy creatures that moue or lyue on the earthe, whether it be fysh or foul,Acte…. …. Titus. i. Rom xiiii. i. Corin. x. i. Tim. iiii. so that al thynges are pure to them that are pure, nether can ani thing be comon or vnclene, that thou hast made pure and cleane. For al thy creatures, O Lord god, are good and none of them are to be refused, if they be taken wyth thanckes geuynge.
For they are sāctified by thi word and by prayer, and were ordeined of the to be receiued with thanks geuynge of the faythfull, & of thē that knowe the truth. Seing thē that thou alone art the creatoure and maker of al thyngs, and hast prepared hearbes, seedes, fruits, fyshe, and fleshe to be meate for manne, seynge also that without thy blessīg al these thy creatures prospere not, nor yet come vntounto a fortunate ende, but growe out of kynde, wyther awaye, perysh, dye and come to nought, wee mooste humbly besech the to blesse vsus & al the frutes of the earth wyth al other thy creatures whych thou hast made for mans vse and profit.i. Cori. iii. And forasmuch as neither he that plāteth, nor he that watreth is anye thynge, but thou, O God, which geuest the encrease, graūt we pray the,psal. lxvii. that the earthe maye geue forth her fruit prosperously and plenteously, that we may enioy the same in due and conueniente tyme, vntounto oure greate ioye and comfort. Let not the labors of our handes, which we hauehave taken in thy name, and accordinge to thy worde, be found vaine and frustrate, but accordynge to thy promyse blesse our laboures, and bring thē vntounto a fortunate ende. For we, O Lorde,Psal. xcv. feede not oure selues, but we are the shepe of thi pasture, Thou feedest vsus. Thou geuest meat to the hungry.Psa. cxlvi. Thou prepareste manne hys corne, and prouydeste for the earthe. Thou watrest her forrowes,Psal. lxv. thou breakest the harde clods thereof, thou makeste it softe with the droppes of raine, and blesseste the encrese of it. Thou crowneste the yeare wyth thy bountifulnesse, and thy footesteps drop fatnesse.
Thou also makest the dwellyng of the wildernesse fatte, that they droppe wythall, and the litle hilles makest thou pleasāte on euerye side. Yea thou makest ye valleies to stand so thick with corne, that they laugh and synge.Psal. ciiii. Thou causeste the wels to springe vp among the valies, and the waters to runne amonge the hylles, that all the beastes of the fylde maye hauehave dryncke, and that the wylde Asses, may quenche their thryste. Thou waterest ye hyls frō aboue, the earth is filled with ye fruts of thy workes. Thou bringest forth gras for the cattel, & grene herbs for ye seruice of mē. Thou brīgest foode oute of the earthe, wyne to make gladde the hearte of man, oyl to make hym a chereful countenaunce, and breade to strength mannes hearte, O Lorde, howe manifolde are thy works, ryghte wyselye hast thou made them al, yea, the earth is ful of thy riches. It is thy blessynge,Pla. cxiiii… that our garners are full and plentous wyth al manner of store, that our shepe brynge forth thousandes, & hundred thousandes in our vyllages and fyeldes, that oure oxen be …ustye and fatte, that we hauehave all thynges plenteouslye for the sustentacyon of oure bodyes.Psalm…. v. For whē thou openest thy hand, thou fylleste euerye lyuynge creature wyth thy blessing, but when thou hydest thy face, thei are sorowfull mourne, and dye for honger. Forasmuch then, O moost mercyfull father, as we receiue of the alone all good thynges,Psal. l…. vouchesafe we moost hertely besech the, to shew vsus thy face, to lyghten thy continuance vppon vsus, to blesse vsus, to make the erth frutful, and to preserue the fruits of the same, that we▪ thi creatures receiuing at thy merciful hād al things necessary for this our nedy & beggerli lyfe, may liue and magnifi thy blessed name, both in this world, and in the worlde to come, thorow Iesu Christ thy sōne & our lord, Amen.
A prayer that we maye hauehave the feare of God before our eyes in all our doings.
O Almighty and euerlastynge God,Mala i. thi holi worde teacheth vsus, that thou arte not onlie a father, but also a Lorde, not onlye a forgeuer, but also a reuenger, not onlye a sauioure, but also a Iudge. And as thou beeinge a father, a forgiuer a sauiour dost pardon & shew mercye, so thou beinge a Lord a reuenger, a Iudge punysheste and condempneste. Neyther dothe thy holye scripture onelye set fourth vntounto vsus a gospelle, whyche comforteth vsus, quyckenethe vsus, sheweth vsus mery tidings, forgiueth our sinnes quyeteth our conscience, and brī geth vntounto vsus euerlastynge lyfe, but also a lawe, whych reproueth accuseth, condemneth vsus,ii. Cor. iii. woundeth and sleath oure conscyence, yea and throweth vsus down headlonge into the deepe dongeon of helle. And as the Gospell lyfteth vsus vp, and maketh vsus merie with the hope of remissiō and forgiuenes of our sīnes: so doth the law plucke vsus down and almost driue vsus vntounto desperacyon, for feare of the plages and euerlastynge punishementes, whyche thou haste prepared for them that despise thi holy ordynances, so that we may not onelye louelove the as a father, a forgeuer a sauioure, but also fere the as a Lord, a reuēger a iudge. Forasmuche therefore (O moost gentel sauyoure and moost righteous iudge) as nothynge doeth so myghtelye put awaye, synne, and maketh vsus to walke in ye wai of thy cōmaundements,…ccle. i. as reuerentelye to feare the to stande in awe of thy iudgement and heuye displeasure, we most entirly pray the to geue vsus that feare, whyche thou requireste of vsus in thy holye scriptures,…. xxxiiii.…ii.cxxviii and whereunto thou haste promysed so manye large & boūteous benefites that we may not only louelove the as a sauiour, honor the as a father, but also reuerence the as a Lord, fear the as a iudge. O Lord all thynges are open vntounto thy eyes, neyther is any thynge hid from the which seeste the verie secretes & most inward thoughtes of oure heartes, geue vsus therfore grace that in all oure enterprises,Hebru. iiii. Ieri. xvii. we euer set thy feare before our eies, & so stand in awe of the and of thy righteous iudgements, that we attempt nothing wherby we shuld prouoke thi heauie displeasure against vsus, but so walke in thy feare and in thy holie ordinances, that we may at all tymes louelove the as a sauioure, honour the as a father, reuerence y• as a Lorde, feare the as a iudge. So shal it come to passe: that we reuerentelye fearynge the as the chylde dothe his father, shall not onlye auoide all suche euilles as might make the oure heauy Lord and ferce iudge, but also embrace those vertues, whyche shall both euidentelie declare oure faithfull louelove, true honour, vnfained reuerence, and humble feare towarde the, and also make the our louing father and moost mercyfull sauioure thorowe Iesu Christe oure Lord. Amen.
A prayer for ffayth.
VUe are taughte by thy holye Apostle (O mooste louyngeRom. xiiii. sauioure) that what soeuer is not of faith, is synne, and that, it is impossible to please the with oute fayth,…. xi. and therfore they that come vntounto the, must beleue, that thou art God, yea and such a God as is both able and also wil abundauntelye rewarde all them, that with true faieth seke the.Ieremy. v. For thy eyes O Lorde, looke vponupon faythe and thou doest appere and shewthi selfvnto them,Sapien. i. that hauehave faith in the,Ose. iii. yea thorowe fayeth thou beinge the kinge of glory art maryed to the souls of the faithful, and makest them partakers of thy deuine nature thorow the wonderful working of thy blessed spirite, Thorow faith so many as beleue ar iustified,Roma. iii.iiii. and .v. Gal. ii.iii.iiii. and .v. Ephe. ii. Marke, xi. made the sonnes and heirs of God, & hauehave euerlasting lyfe. By faith we obtein of god al good thīgs, euen whatsoeuer we axe ī thy name. Seīg y• faith is so precyous a iewel in the sight, yt wt out it nothing is acceptable vntounto thy deuyne maiestye, and we of oure owne nature can not hauehave thys moost synguler treasure excepte thou geuest it vntounto vsus frō aboue, and doest breath it into our herts by thy holie spirite (for we of oure selfs are blynd, ignorant, folysh,i. Corin. …. & by no meanes can perceiue the thinges yt perteine to the spirit of God) we moost hertely besech the to take awai frō vsus al infideliti & vnfaythfulnes, whiche we receyued of old Adam, & to plant in vsus true faith and vndoubted belefe yt we may be thorowli perswaded that thou arte the sonne of the lyuynge God,Math. xvi. Ephe. v.verye God and verie manne, our alone swete smelling sacryfyce, our alone Medyatour,i. Timo. ii. aduocate and intercessoure, oure alone wysdome, ryghteousnesse,i. Iohn. ii. Hebru. vii. i. Corin. i. sanctificacyon and redempcyon, by whome alone and for whose sake only thy heauenly father is well pleased wyth vsus, our sinnes are remytted, grace and euerlastyng lyfe are frely geuen vntounto vsus. O Lord God, suffer vsus not to lene to our own wisdō, nor to beleue, as blynd flesh fansyeth, nor to seke saluaciō wher supersticiō dreameth, but lette our fayth onlye be groūded on thy worde, and geue vsus grace trulye to beleue in the, with all our hert to putte our trust in thee, to looke for all good thynges of thee,Prouer. iii. to call vponupon thy blessed name in aduersity, and wt ioyfull voyces and more merye hertes to praise and magnify it in prosperity. Suffer vsus not to dout neyther of God thy heauenlye father, nor of the god his sonne, nor of God the holye ghoste, but earnes…elye to beleue, that you being three dys…yncte persons in the de…ye, are not withstanding one verye God, besides whome there is no God neither in heauen nor in earth.i. Cor. viii. Graunt also that we may assuredli beleue whatsoeuer is cō tained in the holi scriptures, and by no meanes suffer our selfs to be plucked from the verity thereof, but maynely and stedfastly abyde in the same …uē vntounto death, rage worlde, rore deuyl. And this fayth (O sweete Iesu) encrese yu dayly in vsus more and more,Luke. xvii. that at ye last thorow thy goodnes we may be made perfect & strōg mē in thi holi religion, and shew our selfs both before the & the world truly faithful, by bringinge forth plenty of good worckes vntounto the glory and honoure of thy name, whiche with God the father and God the holye ghoste lyueste and reignest true God worlds wythout ende. Amen.