The Governance of Virtue, Part 1 – Part 2
¶ How a man should behaue him selfe in the morning when he riseth.
When thou risest in the morning, looke that thou with all humblenesse of mynde knelest downe, and lifting vp thy harte, thy handes and thine eyes into heauen vntounto God the father almighty, pray on this maner.
¶ A prayer for the morning.
O Lord God my heauēly father I most humbly thanke thee, y• thou of thy fatherly goodnes hast vouchsafed to defend me this night from all euil: I most entyrely beseche thee, to preserue me also this day, both from suffring and doyng any euill, and to geue me grace so to walke in the lyght of thy holy woorde, that I may bring forth ye frutes of y• same vntounto the glorye of thy blessed name, and the profite of my neighbour.
Amen.
¶ After thou hast prayed on this maner, seing we be al sinners, it shall be expedient (if thou hast conuenient leasure) to confesse thy selfe to God on this maner.
¶ A confession of our sinnes vntounto God the father.
MOst greuouslye hauehave I wretched sinner offēded thee my Lord God and heauenly father, both in thought word and dede, in so much that in my selfe I ūnde such vnworthines, that if I did not behold thine exceding great mercies, set forth in thy dearely beloued sonne our Lord and sauiour Iesu Christ, I could not but dispayre and wholy geue my selfe into the hands of Satan that olde enemy of mankynd. But when thorow thy grace and holy workyng, I loke vponupon thy mercies offered frely to all faythfull penitēt sinners in thy son Christ Iesus, for whose sake thou art well pleased with man, and of thy own good will forgeuest vsus al our sinnes whē soeuer we flee vntounto thee in his name, I cease to dispayre, & beginne to conceiue an earneste faithe and an vndoubted hope of obtaynyng forgeuenesse of al my sins in Christes bloud for thy louing and fatherly promise sake. I therfore poore and wretched sinner, most humbly beseche thee for Christes sake, to forgeue me al my sinnes, where with from the day of my byrth vntounto this present tyme I hauehave most greuously offended thy fatherly goodnesse, and to geue me grace so to resiste the deuill, the world, & the flesh▪ and so to order my lyfe accordyng to thy blessed will, that thou mayest delight in me as a father in his sonne, de fend me frō all euill, and worke in me all good thinges vntounto the glory of thy holy name.
☞ After the confession, say the Lordes prayer called the Pater noster, and so commendyng thy selfe vntounto God, faule in hand with some honest and vertuous exercise, accordyng to thy callyng. But whatsoeuer thou doest, do it with purenesse of hart & singlenes of eye▪ yea, so do it, as though God wer present and looke vponupon thee, as vndoubtedly he doth.
Of Dinner.
☞ Whē the time cōmeth, that thou shouldest refresh thy wery and hongry body, approch vntounto the table with reuerence, and when thou art set, lyft vp thy hart, thy hands and thy eyes vntounto heauen, and pray vntounto God on this maner.
A prayer before dinner.
O Most gentill God and louyng father, whiche mercifully …edest al ly uing creatures, we beseche thee blesse vsus and all these thy giftes, whiche we at this present shall receyue of thy beū teous hande, for the refreshyng of our hungry bodies, and geue vsus grace to doo all thynges vntounto the glorye of thy name, thorowe Iesu Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Of the behauiour at the table in Diner tyme.
☞ Whē thou hast thus prayed vntounto god eate thy meate soberly and christenly: esche wyng all superfluitie, surfeting and drouckenship. Consider that thy meate and thy drinck, are the giftes of God, & are reuerently & thanke fully to bee receyued▪ Remember that in the tyme of thy repast, thy behauiour be honest & comely in all thinges. Let thy communica tion, as the Apostle sayth, ve well sauoured and powdred with …t: that is to say, seasoned with godly wisedome, that thou mayest know how to answere eueryevery man. Let no fil thy talke procede out of thy mouth, but that whiche is good to edifie, when neede is, that it may hauehave fauor with the hearers, remem bring that thou shalte geue accountes at the day of iudgement, for eueryevery idle worde that thou speakest. Eschewe all dissolute and vncomely laughyng, least thou be therby counted wilde, wa…ton, foolishe, & without good maners. Let thy coūtenaūce he graue, sober, modest, gentle, and …ouyng, towarde al that be at the table, and so fashion thy selfe in gesture, worde and deede, as though God and his aungels we… visibly present at the table: And when Dinner is done, geue thankes to God for his benefites on this maner.
A thankes geuyng after Dinner.
WE thanke thee O heauenly father for this our foode, which being sā ctif…ed by thy worde, thou hast vouchesafe at this present to geue vsus: wee beseche thee, that thou wilt also fede our soules wt the liuely bread of the word, which commeth out of thy mouth, that we receauyng at thy merc…full hande, meate both for our bodyes and soules▪ may lyue and growe in all godlynesse vntounto the glory of thy blessed name, tho row Iesu Christ our Lord.
Amen.
VVhat is to be done after dynner.
☞ After thou hast geuen thankes vntounto God for thy repast▪ returne vntounto thy labour, & vertuously exercise thy self, accordyng to thy voca tion and callyng. Employ earnest diligence about thy businesse, and alway in thy minde desire God to blesse, to prosper, and to bryng to passe all thy counsels, deuises, trauailes, labours and enterprises. Do not thy worke negligently and deceitfully, but so laboure as thoughe God were present and beheld thee, as vnfaynedly he doth. Cursed be he sayth Hiere mye, that doth the Lordes worke deceitfully. Saint Paule also exhorteth, that what soeuer we doo we should do it hartly, as though we did in vntounto the Lorde, and not vntounto men: for as much sayth he▪ as ye know that of the Lord ye shall receyue the rewarde of inheritaunce, for ye serue the Lord Christ. Yea verely so many as labour or trauayle in any vertuous enterprise, they serue God, and of God shal they receiue their rewarde. Therfore in thy calling labour earnestly and diligently, what soeuer thou be, sekyng not onelyonly thyne owne lucre & …uaunt age: but much more the glory of God, and the profite of thy neighbour, as the Apostlesayth: do all thyngs vntounto the glory of God. Agayne, let eueryevery man looke not for his owne profite, but for the profite of other. Charitie seketh not her owne.
Of Supper.
☞ When the tyme is come▪ that thou shalte leaue of thy worke, and prepare thy selfe vntounto supper, euē with the same reuerence that thou camest vntounto the table at dinner, come agayne nowe: but before thou doest taste any meate, pray on this maner.
A prayer before Supper.
THe eyes of all thynges looke vntounto thee, O Lorde, and thou geuest thē meate in due tyme, thou openest thy hand, and fillest eueryevery liuyng creature with the blessing: vouchesafe, O heauē ly father for Christes sake, mercifully to loke vponupon vsus, louingly to blesse vsus, & liberally to geue vsus grace so to taste of these thy creatures, that our bodyes beyng satisfied with the moderate vse of them, we may bee the more able to serue thee our Lord God, and to profit our neighbour, thorow Iesu Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Of the behauiour at the table in Supper tyme.
☞ After thou hast thus prayed vntounto GOD▪ eate thy meate with a chearefull and thankefull mynde vsing the same modesty and honest behauiour, that thou diddest vse at dinner. And whē thou hast supped, geue thankes vntounto god for his benefites on this wise.
A thankesgeuing after Supper.
FOr these thy benefites, wherewith thou hast refreshed our hungry bodyes, we thanke thee (most merciful fa ther) desiring thee that thou wilt also feede our soules with y• lyuely faith in the bloud of thy sonne Iesu Christ our Lord, that we beleuyng stedfastly, and working diligently thy holy wil, may obtayne thy glorious kyngdome, thorowe the same Iesu Christ our Lorde.
Amen.
VVhat to be done after Supper.
☞ When thou hast on this wise geue thākes vntounto God, thou mayest do what thou wilt, so it be godly and honest▪ vntill thou goest to bed▪ If thou canst rede, rede thou thy selfe or els here some other rede parte of the holy scriptures, that may be to the comfort of thy self, and of so many as be with thee, or passe the tyme by frendly and honest talke with some of thy lo…yng and trusty familiares, or els debate with thy selfe, how thou mayest most conueniently bryng that to passe, that thou hast to doo the next day folowyng.
Of goyng to bed.
☞ And whē the time cōmeth, that thou must go to bed thou beyng in thy chamber, to cal remēbraūce how thou hast spent the day past. If thou perceiuest, that yu hast offēded God in any thyng at all, confesse thy fault vntounto him with a repentaunt and sorowfull heart▪ and desire hym of hys great mercye for Christes sake to forgeue thee, and promise that vntounto the vttermost of thy power, hys grace woorkyng with thee, thou wilt amende that wherin thou hast offended, and walke more diligently in the rules of thy profession. Cry with the Publicane. O God be mercifull to me a sinner. Cry with that lost sonne: Father I hauehave synned against heauen and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne. Pray with Dauid: for thy names sake. O Lorde, for geue me my sinne for it is excedyng much. Thus with a faythfull hart beleuyng that thy sinnes are for geuen thee, content thy selfe and quiet thy conscience. If thou perceyuest, that thou hast that day committed no notable crime▪ then geue to God right harty thankes, whiche by his holy spirite hath wrought the same in thee: and desire him to encrease his giftes in thee, that hys glory may be shewed in all thy actes & dedes. This done, prepare thy selfe to bedward, and when thou art ready to lye down, lift vp thou hart, thy eyes, and thy handes vntounto heauen, & pray to God on this maner.
A prayer to be sayd when we go to bed.
I Thāke thee (O heauenly father) by thy dearelye beloued Sonne Iesu Christ our Lord and Sauiour, that of thy free mercy thou hast preserued me this day from all hurtes, and daūgers.
Uouchesafe also I most humbly besech thee to kepe me this night, and to saue me ftom all myne enemyes both bodely and ghostlye. Gyue to my body quietnesse and fleepe, but let my mind continually watche vntounto thee, thinke on thee, and on thy holy law, that whē the cherefull light of y• day shal spryng and appeare. I being whole both in bo dy and mynde, may ioyfull ryse again: be thanckefull vntounto thee, and diligent ly walke in my vocation vntounto the glo ry of thy blessed name, and the commo ditie of my neighbour, thorowe Iesus Christ thy sonne. Amen.
☞ When thou hast thus prayed, lye down in thy bed and say on this maner.
The Prayer.
O Lorde God and my heauenly Father, I commende my bodye and soule into thy handes, that in Christe whiche is our life and resurrectiō, thou mayest defende me from euerlastyng death, and giuegive me that blessed and ioy full lyfe of immortalitie, and that he which is the true light, may poure out the brightenesse of hys grace into my hart, & preserne me both bodye & soule vntounto that day of the glorious resurrection where the faythfull with ioyfull harts shall see thee face to face, and for euer reygne with thee in glory.
Amen