The Flower of Godly Prayers, Prayer 65 – Prayer 67
A generall prayer for the auoidinge of all kynde of synne.
AH lord that most puisāt god, we in baptisme geuing ouer our selfs vntounto the, and vntounto thy holi religion, protested openly in the face of thy holy congregacion, to forsake Satan with al his pompes and worckes, to renoūce the world and all the vayne pleasures therof, to mortyfy the flesh and al the lustes of it,Roma vi. and frome hēsforth to dye vntounto sinne, to liue vntounto righteousnes,Gala. iii. and to lead a new lyfe. Thys our couenaunt & bargayne made with the, O Lord god, we keepe not, but to muche wretchedly we breke it & trāsgres thy holye commaundemente. In stead of our seruyce due vntounto the we serue Satan. Leuing the fulfyllyng of thi commaundements we obey our own wil. The world and the flesh so rage and raignin vsus, that we can scarcely breath toward any godlynes.Titus. i. By mouthe we profes the, but with our deds we denithe. We promyse to work in thy vyneyarde, but we loytour and worke not.Mathe. xx… In name we are Christians, but in dede we are satans bondmē, the worlds slaues and the fleshes most vile seruāts and drudges. Ah Lorde, to muche wretched is our state, and excepte thou shortlye helpest, we are lyke vtterly to perysh, so greatly hauehave the ragyng floudes of al kinde of synne brast in, preuayled & almost ouerwhelmed vsus, o most gētle sauior, we hauehave a wil such as it is,Rom… vi…. to do good, but we find no power no strēgth in our selfs to perform it. That good thīg, which we wolde, we do not, but ye euil do we, which we wold not, for we know yt in vsus yt is,Rome. vii. in our flesh, dwelleth no god thīg. No maruel. For we ar bi nature ye childrē of wrath,Ephesia ii. we are begottē, cōceiued & borne in sī. Our sēces,Psalm. ii. wits & deuises ar euil, euē frō our yong age vpwarde. Oure hert is vnclene,Gene. viii. wicked, froward, lewd, & vnserchable. We ar not able to thīk a good thought of our selfs,Prou. xxii. we ar vnprofitable seruantes,Iere. xvii. …i. Cor. iiii. hipocrites, flesh, & al ye nought is, yea, we ar the very bōd slaues of sin.Luke. …vii. Esay…. …x. For eueryevery one ye cōmitteth sin, is the seruaūt of syn. O most swete sau…or▪ help vsus, for ye glori of thy name.Ioh. iii vii Luke. xix. Thou cāmest doun, frō ye righthād of thi father into thys vale of misery, to saue that which was lost. Saue vsus therfore good lord which wander abroade lyke shepe destitute of a shepherd,Mathe. ix. psalm. cxix. suffer not thi blessed bodi to be brokē & thy precious blud to be shed for vsus in vain.Hebrus. ii. i. Cori. xv. Thou bi thi deth most valeātly conquerest him that had power of death.Ose. xiii. Deliuer vsus therfore frō his raging tirranye, and make vsus thy faythfull & obedyent seruantes.Iohn. ii. Suffer vsus not to louelove the world, nether the things that ar in the world, seing that al that is in the worlde (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eies, the pryde of life) is not of ye o father, but of ye world. And the world vanisheth away, and the lust thereof, but he that fulfilleth the wil of god abydeath for euer. Suffer vsus not to be ouercome wyth the boylynge concupiscēcis of the flesh, whych euer lusteth agaynst the spirite,Rom. viii. & is not obedient to the law of god nether can be, but geue vsus grace to crucifye and to kyll the fleshe wyth the appetites & lustes therof,Galath. v. that we may lyue and walk in the spirite, and become new creatures. Let not sinne reign in our mortal bodies, that we shuld ther vntounto obey in ye lusts of it. Neither suffer thou vsus to geue oure members as instruments of vnrighteousnes vntounto syn,Roma. vi. but to gyue our selues vntounto God, as thei that are a liue from death, and to giuegive our mēbers as instruments of ryghteousnes vntounto god. And as heretofore we gaue oure mēbers seruaunts to vnclennes, and to iniquyti, from iniquiti to iniquiti: so let vsus now from hensforth gyue our mēbers seruaūts vntounto righteousnes, that we may be sātyfyed. Kil in vsus the deds of the fleshe whyche are these:Gala. v. aduoutrye, fornicacion, vncleannes, wātonnes Idolatrye, wytchcrafte, hatred, varyaunce, …ele, wrathe, stryfe, sesedicion, sects, enuying, murther dronkennesse, glottōny, and such lyke, and plante in vsus the fruites of the spirit, louelove, ioy, peace, longe sufferinge, gentlenes, goodnesse faythfulnes, mekenesse, temperā cye.Ephe. iiii. As concerning the conuersacyon in times past, geue vsus grace to laye awaye from vsus that olde man, which is corrupt thorow the deceiuable lustes, and to be renued in the spirit of our mynds, and to put on that new man, whyche after the image of god is shapen in ryghteousnes & true holynes. Suffer vsus not to lye, but speake eueryevery man truth vntounto his neighbour, for asmuch as we are members one of another. Suffer vsus not so to be angry that we sinne. Let not y• sun go doune vpō oure wrathe, neyther let vsus giuegive place vntounto the backbiter. Graunte that he which afore hath stollen maye from henceforth steale no more, but rather labour with his hands some good thīg: that he mai hauehave to geue vntounto hī that nedeth. Let no fylthy cōmunycacyon procede out of our mouths, but that whyche is good to edifye withal, whē nede is, that it may hauehave fauoure with the hearers. Let all bytternes, fearsnes, and wrath, roryng and cursed speking be put awaye from vsus, wyth al maliciousnesse. Make vsus courteous one to another and merciful, forgeuing one another, euen as god for thy sake forgaue vsus.Ephesi. v. As for fornicaciō & al vnclēnes or couetusnes let it not be once named amōg vsus, as it be cōmeth saints nether filthi thīgs neither folish talking, nether iesting, which are not comly, but rather geuing of thākes. Put vponupon vsus tender mercy, kindnes, humblenes of mynd, mekenes longe. sufferīg, for bearing one another & forgeuing one another.Collos. iii. But aboue al these things, put vpō vsus louelove which is the bond of perfeccion & graūt that the peace of god may euer more rule in our herts, & that we be thākful for al thy benefits. Finalli whatsoeuer thīgs are true whatsoeuer thinges are honeste, whatsoeuer thinges are iust, whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer thynges pertayne to louelove, whatsoeuer thinges are of honest reporte, if ther be any vertuous thing,Pp…il. iiii. if ther be any laudable thing, grāt that we may hauehave those same in our mind, and practise thē in our conuersacion and liuing, that whatsoeuer we breth thyncke, speake, or do, all thyngs may be done, vntounto ye honour, glorie and prayse of thy name, whyche lyueste and raygneste wyth God the father, and GOD the holy gost, the true, liuinge & euerlastynge God, worldes wythoute ende. Amen.
A prayer vntounto God in prosperity.
Iacob. i.VUe are taughte in thy holye worde (O moste merciful father) that euerye good & perfecte gifte commeth from aboue, euē from the, ye father of lyght, & that wee hauehave nothynge in thys worlde pertayninge eyther vntounto the body or vntounto the soule,1. C…ri. iiii. that is prayse worthy, but we hauehave it altogether of the: forasmuch therefore as it hathe pleased the to opē thy lyberal hande and plenteously to blesse me a wretched sinner,…sal. cxlv. aboue many other the creatures wyth large and diuers benefites bothe bodely and ghostly. I most hūbly beseche the, geue me grace not to be proude of these thi gifts nor licenciouslye to abuse them, but alwayes mekely to acknoweledge the thalone geuer of them, continually to be thanckeful vntounto the for them, and so to vse thē all the dayes of my lyfe vntounto the glorye of thy holye name and the profyt of the Christen congregacyon, that when so euer I shal departe from thys vale of miserye, & come before the glorious throne of thy diuine Maiesty, I maye be founde a faythfull stewarde, and heare these swete and comfortable wordes of the, well, thou good and faythful seruaunt, thou hast bene faythful ouer fewe thyngs, I wyll make the Ruler ouer manye thynges.Math. xx… ▪ Enter thou into the ioye of thy Lorde. Graunt thys (o mooste louing father) for thi dere sonnes sake Iesus Christe oure Lorde and sauyoure. Amen.
A Prayer vntounto God in aduersitie.
THou alone (O blessed Lorde) by thi godly wisdome and heuenlye prouidence gouernest all thynges,…ap. xiiii. and sendest vntounto vsus thy creatures as semeth good to thi godli maiesti,i. Reg…. ii. somtime welth, somtime pouerti, somtime health sometime sicknes, somtyme prospe…ie, sometime aduersitie, as thou dost appoint, so doth it chās vntounto vsus. It hathe pleased the at thys present for my deserts worthely to lay the crosse of aduersity vponupon my shulders, whych, I freli confesse, I hauehave moste iustlye deserued, and yet not withstanding I am perfectly perswaded, that it is thy mooste gentle and louinge visitacion,Prouer. iii. yea and an euident token not of thyne anger and heauy displeasure,Hebru. xii. Apoca. iii.but of thy fatherly louelove and harty good wyll toward me,i. Corin. xi. whyle on this manner thou correctest me in thys worlde, that I maye not bee condemned wyth thys wycked worlde. My synnes I graunte, O heauenlye father, hauehave deserued a more greuous & bytter crosse, whych in dede hauehave ful oft deserued veri hel, but thou consyderyng my frayle and weke nature dealest not wyth me after my deseruynges, but accordynge vntounto thy greatst mercyes: Uouchsafe therefore (o moste louing sauyour) to geue me thy holy spirit, which may worke in mi hart such thankefull pacyence and pacyent thākefulnes, that euer I grudge nor murmure agaynst thy blessed wyll,Eccles…. ii. but continuallye call on thy holye name wyth hartye prayers, and euen from the very botom of the heart prayse and magnify the my heuenly father,Psalm…. i. beyng wel cō tented to suffer what so euer thy good pleasure shall be to laye vpō me, nothyng doubtynge but that thou wylt here after mercifullye looke vponupon me, and restore vntounto me the fruic…on and enioyinge of thy former benefites, that I seyng again good and prosperous dayes on the earth, may lyue and synge vntounto thy godlye Maiestye contynuall praises and most harty thanckes thorow Iesus Christ oure Lorde, to whome wyth the and the holye Ghoste be all glory and honoure for euer and euer. Amen.