Satans Sophistry Answered, Prayer – Dedication
Maister Perkins his Prayer before his Sermons.
OAlmightie Lord God, most merci… and louing Father in Iesus Christ, … are here assembled before thy glorious Mijestie, to be partakers of thy heauenly wor… which of thine infinite goodnesse and mer… thou hast ordained to be the ordinary me… to worke our saluation: we beseech th… therefore most mercifull Father, to blesse… uery one of vsus in the hearing and the sp… king of thy holy word. Good Lord op… our blind eyes, that we may be able to vnderstand it: and whereas our hearts are … of hardnesse, full of sinne, full of manifo… rebellions: good Lord soften our hard ha… graunt that thy holy word may be the tw… edged sword of the spirit to cut downe sin… and corruption in vsus, and make vsus new … tures in Iesus Christ. And whereas we … troubled with many impediments in h… ring of thy word, as wandring imagination in our hearts, suggestions of Satan, and the dulnesse of our owne flesh: good Lord remoue these impediments, and giuegive vsus eue… …ne grace to heare thy word in feare and …uerence, as in thy presence; and to receiue the same not as from man, but as from Iesus Christ: and when we hauehave heard thy word, graunt that it may be not the sauor of death to our deeper condemnation, but the sauor of life to our eternall comfort and saluation. For this cause write the same in eueryevery one of our hearts, and tranforme vsus into the obedience of the same in our life and conuersation. And because Satan is a deadly enemie to the ministerie of thy word, good Lord confound Satan, dissolue in eueryevery one of vsus the cursed workes of the Diuel, worke thine owne good works, shew thy selfe more merciful in blessing of thy word, then Satan is or can be malicious in hindring of the same. Heare vsus, we beseech thee, in these requests, and graunt these graces to eueryevery one of vsus, not for our owne merits (for vntounto vsus belongeth nothing but eternall shame and confusion for our sinnes) but for the merites of thy deare sonne Iesus Christ, in whom thou art well pleased: to whom with thee and the holy Ghost, be giuen of eueryevery one of vsus all praise, honor and glory, both now and for euermore. Amen.
The voice of a person
1. Carnall, of
Euill: I do it, and will do.
Good: I do it not, nor will do.
2. Regenerate, of
Euill: I do it, but would not do it.
Good: I do not that I would.
3. Glorified of
Euill: I do it not, neither … I do it.
Good: I do it, and will do it.
To the right Honorable and vertuous Ladies, the Countesse of Cumberland, and the Countesse of Warwicke, grace and peace.
RIght Honorable, in the former … is the combat of Christ: in this latter is set downe the combat of a Christian. He that fought with our head, will fight with the members▪ and he that assaulted Christ, will assaile all Christians. But Christ did beare troubles, and was borne out of them: we must hauehave troubles, and shall be borne out of them. If our afflictions were plagues, as to the Egyptians: curses, as to Cham: destruction, as to Sodome: desolation, as to Israel: then had we cause to flie from them, as Moses did from that miraculous serpent. But since they are but the trials of faith, corrections of a father, visitations from the Bishop of our soules: since they are as Phlebotomie to a Pleurisie, and a purgation to a Plethora, they are to be endured with all patience. How Christ did endure them, you may reade in that Treatise: how a Christian must, you may see in this. The former Treatise I presented to your honorable brother: this latter to you most honorable sisters. I desired to annex this to the former discourse, because it is sutable to that present argument: and I know not to whom I may better present it, then to you who hauehave experience of this Christian warfare. If it please you but to reade these holy meditations, and to entertaine this poore mite into your rich treasury by the reading I doubt not but you shal hauehave much comfort; and by your entertaining, the church shal hauehave much good. Now that good God who hath giuen your mind to know him, giuegive you also an heart to lo… him: and as you are Honorable in the eyes of this world, so he make you most honorable in the eyes of his Maiestie. And thus crauing pardon, I commit you to the grace of that God, who will honor them that louelove him, and comfort them that seeke comfort from him.
Your Honors in the Lord, Robert Hill.