Sermons on Three Chapters of Song of Songs, Sermon 25
THE XXV SERMON. Our helpe be in the name of God &c. It is written as followeth in the third Chapter of the Canticle of Canticles, the fourth verſe.
4 When I had paſt a little from them, then I found him whom my ſoul loueth, I tooke hold of him and left him not, till I had brought him into my mothers houſe, into the chamber of her that conceiued me.
1 They who cal themſelues the watch, and watch, are not good watchmen for al that.
2 The Bridegroome cauſeth himſelfe to be the better ſought after, by not ſuffering himſelfe to be found at the firſt.
3 An aunſwere vntounto diuerſe temporiſers or time-ſeruers oppoſed vntounto the diligence of this ſpouſe: and what we ought to anſwere them who obiect the different opinions and diuerſe interpretations of the Scripture.
4 It is not enough to find that we ſeek after, but we ſeaſe and laie hold on it, & hold it fast: wherein hauehave beene diuerſe faults heretofore and yet are committed.
5 The louelove of the Bridegrome guideth the ſpouſe to ſeeke after him and to finde him.
6 True faith is the onelie hand which reacheth after the ſpouſe and ſeaſeth on him.
7 In what ſenſe it is ſaide that the ſpouſe hath a mother, vntounto whoſe houſe ſhee retireth her ſelfe with her Bridegrome.
8 An application of this doctrine to the controuerſies of our time.
9 In what ſort the Bridgroom is found of the ſpouſe out of this houſe.
10 In what ſenſe it is ſaide, that the ſpouſe brought in her Bridegroome into the houſe of her mother.
11 Howe wee muſt firſt neceſſarilie enter into the houſe, and afterwarde into the Chamber of this Mother.
12 An exhortation for the thorough practiſing of this doctrine.
IT hath bin ſhewed in the Sermon before what diligence the ſpouſe vſed in ſeeking after this Bridegrome of hers, who ſeemed for her, to bee loſt: and how ſhee found him not in the open places, nor could heare anie tidinges at al of him of the watch: whereof we hauehave largelie entreated. There remaineth notwithſtanding one difficultie more, in that wee ſaid that by this watch were meant the falſe Paſtors of the Citty of God which is the houſe of this ſpouſe, namelie, the Church: whereunto it ſeemeth that this which is here ſaid is directly contrarie, to wit, that this watch was not aſleepe in their priuate houſes (for had it been ſo, the ſpouſe had not met with them, as neither would ſhee hauehave made this demaund vntounto thoſe which had been aſleepe) but that ſhe found it where it ſhould be to gard & defend the Citty round about: which thing the falſe Paſtors are not wont to doe, whome a man ſhal find rather in their beds, or at table, or in the ſtewes or anie where elſe then in their corps degard. I aunſwere that there are in general two ſortes of theſe falſe Paſtors: for ſome of them are more ſhameful and deteſtable in their whole life, and making their vices the onelyonly trade of their life they ſhew themſelues publickely and openly for ſuch as they bee: others there be (to wit ſuch are of the richeſt and wealthieſt ſort) who are Church-robbers, haukers and hunters, dronkards, fornicatours, adulterers, hauing no other god but their belly, brieflie ſuch as Bernard deſcribeth the court of Pope Eugenius which is ſince nothing mended, but hath ſowed and encreaſed her filthy manners in al the quarters of the world: others (of which ſort are theſe maſſe-mungers, cōfeſſors, graund amners,) make open profeſſion of being baudes, ſtewards of the houſe, clearks of the kitchin, yeomen of the horſe, to hauehave a ſoupe at their maiſters broth & brewes. In the meane time the poore vicars muſt trudge about and watch, that is to ſaie, muſt barke & bay daie and night at the parchment, and make ſale of their merchandize for the quick and the dead which they hauehave taken to farme, to ſel againe (as well as they maie to bee ſauers themſelues, how euer the poore ſheepe paie for it) to him that offereth moſt and out-biddeth the reſt: paying the woorld againe with Chriſtmas-carols, and prouiding eſpecially for this, that no other wolue catch their ſheepe. And thus you ſee howe the Lords ſheepefolde is guided by them who cal themſelues the chiefe pillers of the Catholique Church, and maintainers of diuine ſeruice. For which thinges I report me to that which heauen and the verie conſcience of eueryevery one which hath any at al can witnes, to iudge whether I ſlaunder them in ſpeaking thus of them or no. Others are after another ſort diſguized, all of them hauing this one thing in common, that they are nothing leſſe thē that they appear without for to be, I mean, true Paſtors, but deceiue, after diuerſe ſortes, both themſelues and others. Some make nothing elſe but a mockerie of them who make reckoning of them, beeing no other within then meere Atheiſts: others are poor ſuperſtitious ones, abuſed & abuſing others, thinking to appeaſe the fire of the wrath of god by their inuentions & deuotions, ſparing neither body nor ſoul which they torment not, of whom the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Coloſſ. 2.22.23. And this is properly of thoſe two laſt ſorts of gardiens that the ſpouſe here ſpeaketh, whom a man ſhal find to buſie from mattins to veſpers a mūbling their crucifixe, beſides their ordinarie deuotions: ſome of them of a meere hypocriſie: others of zeale without knowledge: albeit, when there is any queſtion of perſecuting the Church, we maie then truely ſaie, that there is neuer a one of theſe aſleep, but they al forget for a time their ordinarie traine altogether, to catch and entrap as many ſeely ſheepe as ſeeke to flie and eſcape their talants: as did the great councel of Ieruſalem who watched al night long, to take Ieſus Chriſt, and to frame his enditement, when Saint Peter himſelf and his companions could not keepe themſelues waking. This is not al then to watch, for the Diuel watcheth alſo, as do they alſo whom he ſetteth a worke. But wee muſt keepe watch and ward to a good end, for they are of al others the moſt daungerous, who are moſt diligent and expert men to doe euil.
2 But let vsus leaue theſe merchandizers of ſoules, and ſuch as make trafique of poore ſeely conſciences, and come wee now vntounto that which the ſpouſe here ſaith. Which is in ſumme thus much, that beeing paſt a little this watch ſhee found her beloued whom ſhee neuer left vntill ſhee had brought him home to her mothers houſe, yea to her mothers owne chamber: whereupon we are to reiterate that which we hauehave aboue already noted, namely that when the Lord maketh vsus to ſeeke him by recoiling as it were and drawing backe from vsus, hee doth it not therefore that hee would fruſtrate that deſire which he firſt formed in the hearts of ſuch as are his: but becauſe hee would by that meanes ſharpen their diligence, and cauſe vsus to eſteeme ſo much the more of him when wee hauehave found him: beeing an ordinarie thing with men to contemne that which they came light by, whereof we hauehave ſtil daily experience. For if himſelfe ſeeketh after the ſheepe which is ſtraied, Pſal. 119.176. Luk. 15.4. if he ran after Adam when Adam fled, Gen. 3.9. if hee cauſe himſelfe to bee found of them which ſeeke him not, Eſai. 65. how will he neglect the perſeuerance of them, who ſeeke after him?
3 What excuſe then ſhal our temporizers at this day hauehave, who albeit they be in their conſciences cōuicted, expect notwithſtanding ſome of them the reſolution and determination of a general councel to bee reſolued: others ſome aſſurance of peace, before they wil ſhew themſelues and returne vntounto the flock? But if the doore bee ſhut in the meane time, who wil open it? Mat. 25.10. Eſa. 22.2. If the time which ſerued to finde him be loſt, who wil aſſure vsus we ſhal find him againe? Matth. 25.10. Ioh. 12.10. Eſai. 55.6. But ſaie theſe kindes of people; ſome, I am no cleark. Deſire therefore and labour to be one. For why hath God beſtowed a reaſonable ſoule & vnderſtanding vpō thee? Come thou therefore vntounto him who hath made the eies, & who giueth eies vntounto thē which hauehave none, Pſa. 140.8. know that thou art blind, & thou haſt already receiued a good beginning of light, Ioh. 9.39. Others ſaie they cānot tel what to do, there are ſo manie contrarie opinions among the Doctors and teachers themſelues. The like mought they hauehave ſaid who followed Ieſus Chriſt when the people were diuided into Phariſees, Sadduces, Eſſenians, Nazarites, Herodians, Samaritanes. What muſt we do then? That which the ſpouſe here teacheth vsus. We muſt take a good and holy courage vntounto vsus, and goe farther. For in the end we ſhal meete with Ieſus Chriſt. But wil he deſcend viſible from heauen to make himſelfe to be ſeene? No, for hee hath alreadie deſcended, and hath withdrawen himſelfe vp againe into heauen vntill the latter daie, in reſpect of his corporall preſence, yet notwithſtanding hee continueth with his by his quickening power to the end and conſummation of the world. But where is he in a word? Verily there whither he ſendeth vsus, namely in his ſcriptures, as wee declared at large the laſt Thurſdaie, which aunſwere Abraham alſo made vntounto that rich damned wretch, Luk. 16.29. And we muſt trulie confeſſe that we hauehave herein a great aduantage aboue this ſpouſe conſidering the time when ſhe ſpake thus: the light of the Scriptures or writings of the Apoſtles, being farre greater without compariſon then that of the Prophets, as is moſt amply ſet downe vntounto vsus and declared, in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, and by the ſimilitude of the body, and of the ſhadowe which the Apoſtle vſeth, Coloſſ. 2.17. But they reply again & ſay, euerie one we heare dispute, alleageth the Scriptures for himſelfe: what ſhall we then doe hereupon? Mary firſt looke diligently vntounto this, whether it be true that euerie one alleageth the Scriptures. For if I ſhould ſay that a great number of lies & forgeries may be found in the writings of our aduerſaries, alleaging moſt falſely for Scripture that which is no more found in anie booke of the Bible, then Paradiſe is in Hell, I ſhould not lie at all. Secondly we muſt note that they are no leſſe falſe-ſaiers then the reſt, who for proofe of their doctrine, alleage any other teſtimonies, ouer and beſides the aboue named ſcriptures and writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles, vntounto whom wee are no leſſe forbidden to adde, then to change and diminiſh, ſeeing they containe the whole Counſell of God touching our ſaluation Ioh. 15.15. and Act. 20.27. And to the end no man reply, that al was not written which the Apoſtles taught: let vsus anſwere this lie firſt with that which is ſaid, 2. Tim. 2.17. where Saint Paul requireth nothing, beſides the ſcripture, to make the man of God perfect & complete. Secondly let theſe goodly vnwritten doctrines and verities forſooth be compared with the ſcriptures, and the day wil condemne this darckeneſſe. Thirdly, alwaies and as often as there are diuerſe interpretations found of one and the ſame place, let vsus know that this commeth to paſſe, partly becauſe euerie one hath not one and the ſame meaſure of vnderſtanding, and partly becauſe the ſcripture is ſo plentifull in all trueth, that of one and from one only place, a man may drawe diuerſe expoſitions, which may be al of them notwithſtanding conformable vntounto the trueth of edification, & euerie of which may as occaſiō ſerueth be profitable. But whē the interpretations are ſo repugnant, that it muſt needs be that one or more of them be falſe, then if we conferre other places therewith, & ſo expound Scripture by Scripture, as Ieſus Chriſt teacheth vsus by his own example, Mat. 4.6.7. & as the ancient Councels hauehave doone (hauing by this only moſt true and moſt aſſured means conuinced al ſorts of falſe allegations of heretickes) & if withal we refer the whole vntounto the correſpondencie of the articles of our faith, which we call our Creede, the ſummary abridgement of eueryevery fundamentall point of Chriſtian doctrine & religion, there is no man can bee deceiued, no not the ſimpleſt Idiots of all, except they will needs deceiue themſelues: I mean if ſo be they bring with them a docible and teacheable mind, and a deſire to bee taught in all humility, according vntounto that which is ſaid of the writtē word of God, Pſ. 119.8. & Eſa. 55.1. And thus you ſee how folowing the exāple of the true Spouſe, that is, ſearching Ieſus Chriſt in his owne home, we ſhal find him, & neuer be deceiued.
4 But what is it to find him if a man ſeaze not on him? And what is it to ſeaze on him if a man hold him not faſt to enioie him? Verily no more to purpoſe, then if a mā ſhould find good meat, and not touch it: or put it in his mouth, and not ſwallow it: or ſwallow it, and not digeſt it. And alas howe many ſuch gueſtes are there in the woorlde? For to let paſſe thoſe who vouchſafe not to come vntounto this banquet, and thoſe alſo who not only enter not them ſelues into it but hinder alſo others from entering in and that by all manner not onlie craftines but violence alſo: letting I ſay, theſe goe who are without, let vsus ſpeake of them who enter in, who ſee & heare him who is both the banquet, and the banquet maker, I mean our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, & yet notwithſtanding do neither ſit downe, nor vouchſafe to eat, nay not ſo much as to open their mouthes to chew the morſels already cut & prouided for thē? How manie contēners & mockers are there? How many that ſwallow the meate downe but are fedde neuer a whit with it, & therefore grow nothing at al in this inward mā, ſhewing by the courſe of their whole life, that they as yet hauehave not any ſenſe or feeling of the ſpirit of him, in whō all true Chriſtians do liue, as he alſo liueth in them, Ga. 2.20. Behold the ruine of Iſrael & Iuda, which we yet ſee to continu before our eies, behold what hath cauſed the Candleſtickes of the Churches of Aſia to be remoued, according vntounto the threatning contained in the Apocalyps, and which in the end brought in the deluge of Mahomet & of his cōpanion vponupon the foure ends & quarters of the world. We ſee it with our eies, & who taketh it to hart? Who thinketh on that which the Apoſtle foretelleth of the fulneſſe of vsus the Gentils? Ro. 11.15. in ſuch ſort that it wil happē vntounto vsus as in the daies of Noe, Mat. 24.37. Let vsus look vntounto our ſelues my brethren, that we be not found aſleepe, Lu. 12.37. much-leſſe caſt out of the banquet into outwarde darkeneſſe, Matth. 21.22. & finally caſt forth of the temple of God as filth and doung.
5 But wee muſt yet better examine all the woordes of this ſo true and faithfull a ſpouſe. I found him, ſaith ſhee, whom my ſoule loueth; yea, becauſe he made himſelfe to be found, and for that the true louelove of the Bridegroome ſerued for a guide to direct this ſpouſe, whom himſelfe loued firſt.
6 I ſeazed or laid hold on him. And with what arm? Verily with that of faith, for this is the only veſſell to receiue him in, this is the onelyonly hande to take hold of him, Rom. 9.30. But this faith muſt be firme & ſtedfaſt to holde him without letting of him goe, otherwiſe this is not that true faith which is the gift of god, properly belonging vntounto the elect & irreuocable, Rom. 12.29. but an opinion which vaniſheth away, with the firſt wind that bloweth: which maketh vsus in ſome ſort to taſt the good gift of god, not to ſwallow it down & digeſt it, Heb. 6.5. Mat. 13.21.
7 And howe is this faith and by it Ieſus Chriſt continued & mantained in vsus? The ſpouſe declareth vsus in one word whē ſhe ſaith, that ſhe brought this Bridegrome into the houſe, nay into the ſecret chamber of her mother which conceiued her. Now to vnderſtād this matter the better, we muſt note that the Church is diuerſly conſidered: ſomteimes as being ioined & vnited together & making one myſtical body with her head: ſo that ſometimes it is called Ieſus chriſt himſelf altogether whole & entire, 1. Cor. 12.12. as if without her he ſhould be an head without a body, Epheſ. 1.23. and in this ſenſe ſhe hath no Mother, but one heauenly father alone. Somtimes ſhe is alſo conſidered in her generality without any reſpect of times or places, notwithſtanding diſtinguiſhed from Ieſus Chriſt, in which conſideration ſhe hath alſo no Mother, but one heauenly Father alone, together with a brother & Bridegrome: ſometimes alſo ſhe is conſidered with diſtinction & diuerſity of time, for which reſpect S. Paul ſaith, he hath begotten the Church of the Galathians, & calleth himſelf the father of the Corinthians in regard of his miniſtery, Gal. 4.19. & 1. Cor. 4.15. In which ſenſe a man may ſay that the Church of Ieruſalē (& not that of Rome) hath brought forth al the churches: the word of god (which is the incorruptible ſeed, 1. Pet. 1.23.) proceeding and comming from her, Eſa. 2.3. According vntounto this ſenſe alſo is it, that this ſpouſe which is but one & perpetual in her generality, is (according as the one engendreth the other vntounto the Lord) diſtinguiſhed into an ancient church vnderunder the law, & into a chriſtian church which ſucceeded it: & according vntounto this maner of ſpeaking, the church of our time hath for her Mother the church which we cal Primitiue. What is it then which this ſpouſe, conſidered as it were in the time of Dauid, meant to ſay and to teach vsus in this place? Namely this, that after thoſe troubles & diſorders which happened ſo many times in the time of the Iudges & of Saul, ſhee hath as it were found her bridegroome & is moſt happily retired with him vntounto her mothers houſe, that is to ſay, hath now the full knowledge and enioying of her Bridegroome, by conforming herſelfe vntounto the true auncient Church of the Patriarcks, ruled & ordered afterward by the Lawe, and which engendered her vntounto the Lord. For it is in the church of God that this Bridegroome doth raigne & that we enioy his graces and bleſſings, the greateſt part of the worlde remaining vnderunder the tyranny of him who is called the Prince of darcknes & curſednes.
8 Let our aduerſaries thē & gainſaiers reproch vsus no longer that we attribute nothing vntounto the church. For cōtrariwiſe we auow & proteſt that the Apoſtolick church is our mother, in the which the holy ghoſt hath in his time begottē vsus & nurſed vsus, as he yet nouriſheth vsus. The controuerſie then between them and vsus lieth not in this point, whether there be any ſaluation without the Church, and whether the Church bee our mother in whoſe chamber we muſt liue and abide as her true children: for hereof wee make no doubt. But this is the whole controuerſie, namelie, whether they be the true Church, or rather the clean contrary a falſe ſtrumpet, which hath driuen the true mother out of dores into the deſerts, and bereaued her of her children, which ſhee demaundeth of her againe, and which this true ſpouſes Bridegroome maketh her to reſtore and deliuer eueryevery day.
9 But yet there ariſeth one, naie two difficulties more vponupon this matter. For firſt if this Bridegrome be found no where but in his Church, and this Church is our mother, how can it be that this ſpouſe found him without? For how may it bee ſaide that ſhe brought him in into this houſe, if he were ther already and that ſhe found him there? The anſwere is, that it is true indeed, that this Bridegroome dwelleth, that is to ſay, declareth his vertue and healthful power in this houſe. But it followeth not thereupon that he goeth not foorth, as I may ſay, vntil hee find his children euen in the boſom of this back-ſliding whore (as in our time he hath fetched them and yet fetcheth them eueryevery day, out of theſe ſinckes of monaſteries) to bring them into his houſe. So hee went out of Ieruſalem, and ſent into the Eaſt and Weſt to cal vsus, to make vsus to draw near vntounto him, vsus, I ſaie, which were poore Gentiles and nothing leſſe then his people, to bring vsus into his admirable light, Epheſ. 12.12. And thus you ſee how this spouſe found her Bridegroome abroad, from whom ſhe was, as we hauehave moſt amply declared before, ſtraied aſide and wandered.
10 The other difficulty ariſeth vponupon this manner of ſpeach that the spouſe cauſed her Bridgroom to enter into her mothers houſe, ſeeing on the contrarie ſide, it is the Bridegrome, who ſeeketh after vsus and findeth vsus, and bringeth vsus in into his houſe. This is moſt true, and we muſt doe God this honor, to confeſſe that it is he, who according vntounto his infinite goodneſſe, as he hath deſtinated vsus vntounto ſaluation in his ſonne before the foundation of the woorlde, ſo doth he in his time preuent vsus, ſeeking after vsus al when we are ſtraied, & finding vsus when wee are fled from him, and bringing vsus into his houſe, which is alſo the dwelling place and habitation of our good and holy Mother. But this is after ſuch a manner notwithſtanding, that wee are not all this while like blockes and tronckes, which a man findeth & carrieth whither he wil, without anie feeling or motion in themſelues. God then ſeeketh after vsus, forming in vsus the deſire to ſeeke after him: he findeth vsus giuing vsus the meanes & the power to find him: we take hold of him and embrace him meeting with him, bicauſe he createth in vsus the faith which taketh hold of him: he bringeth vsus into the houſe of our mother, beſtowing on vsus the grace of deſiring to ioine our ſelues vntounto the company of the true church neuer to ſtir or depart from it. Theſe two things then agree very wel together, prouided, that we adde this, that as God produceth in vsus natural effectes by natural cauſes which he hath created in vsus: ſo, if the queſtion bee of theſe graces which are meerely ſupernaturall (ſeeing fleſhe and bloode reueale not theſe thinges vntounto vsus, Matth. 16.17. naie our naturall wiſedome is enmitte vntounto God, Rom. 8) wee muſt voutch and confeſſe that the puritie of vnderſtanding and vprightneſſe of will are the meere free giftes and graces of him who enlighteneth the eyes of our vnderſtanding, Epheſi. 1.8. and createth in vsus both to will and to doe, Philip. 2.13. So that if this propoſition and ſentence bee true, when wee ſpeake of the creation of the woorlde, that it made not it ſelfe, and that a dead bodie raiſeth not himſelfe: ſo is it as true, the queſtion being of the light of the ſoule, be it in the vnderſtanding or vprightnes of wil, that we are truely the woorkmanſhip of God by his meere and only grace, Epheſ. 2.1.5.10.
11 There remaineth yet one point more to be handled touching this place, namely, concerning that which is here ſaide, both of the houſe, as alſo of the chamber of this mother, a thing which ought to bee well and throughly weighed of them who deſpiſe the holy publicke aſſemblie eſtabliſhed from al time by the Lorde in his Church, and without the which, as I maie ſo ſaie, the Church (which is as much to ſay as an aſſembly called together out of the woorld) is no Church: as a flocke hath no apparant forme of a flock, if the ſheep remaine ſcattered one from another. I ſpeak here of the contemners of congregations and aſſemblies, as we hauehave among vsus Sundaie and Thurſday Chriſtians, naie ſome from Communion to Communion: & others which make no reckoning at al of them, wicked wretches and vtterly inexcuſeable before God and before men. There are others and too too manie, ſome of them making no conſcience to betake themſelues into the midſt of Idolaters, following herein Lots fault: others who neuer come forth, & being reprehē ded & accuſed for not giuing teſtimonie of their Chriſtianity, inſteed of confeſſing their weaknes and infirmity, or their diſtruſt and couetouſnes, beare themſelues in hand they doe wel enough in reading at home in their houſe & praying a part by thēſelues. But the Apoſtle exhorteth them in another lāguage, forſake not, ſaith he, our aſſembly as the manner of ſome is, Heb. 10.25. And indeed if this pretence might take place, muſt we not condemne the Prophets, Apoſtles, & other martyrs of the lord for madmē & ſenſeles? But behold how wily ſatan is to diuide this body in peeces, which can neuer bee ioined ynough togither & vnited. And indeed the end of ſuch goodly priuate chriſtians maketh vsus at the laſt to know their faire domeſtical exerciſe they practiſe at home: which wee neede not to maruell at, ſeeing that euen thoſe who are moſt diligent to frequēt the aſſemblies & congregations, where they are reproued, admoniſhed, comforted, taught, ſtirred vp & heated eueryevery day, leaue not for al that to be cold, lazy, & negligent in their duety. Let vsus therefore note heere, my bretheren, in Gods name, that the ſpouſe proteſteth ſhe came with her Bridegroome not onelyonly into the houſe, but which is more, into the Chamber of her Mother. What ſhal we ſaie then of thoſe who wil not ſet foote into this houſe, and think to keep themſelues without with Ieſus Chriſt? But yet it is not enough to bee in the houſe, but we muſt enter into the priuy Chāber & wardrob of this ſpouſe. For ſuch a one may be in the houſe which is not in it, and who entred not in, but to come foorth ſtraite waies againe. But to enter into the chamber of this mother, is to bee in the place of her reſt, and where ſhe cauſeth her ſelfe to bee ſeene and heard, nouriſhing there her children with the bread of life.
12 Now ſith our good God amiddeſt ſo manie tempeſtes, which hauehave ouerwhelmed and deſtroied the woorld, & which hauehave within theſe few yeares borne and beaten downe ſo many goodly Churches, the mother and her children beeing ſo cruelly driuen forth, hath vouchſafed vsus ſo great and ſingular a benefite, to preſerue vntounto vsus this little cabbin, aſſaulted with ſo many wild & cruel beaſts, ſhal we alwaies contemn ſo great a grace and bleſſing and ſo long a patience of his? God forbid my bretheren: but let vsus beſeech him hee woulde rather heate ſuch as are a cold, thruſt forward thoſe who recoile, haſten the ſlow, fortifie the weake, and in generall giuegive vsus the grace that his woorde may dwell plentifully among vsus, according vntounto the exhortation of the Apoſtle, Coloſſ. 3.26. and that wee maie be faire and fruitfull trees in his courtes, to depart from this houſe heere belowe, vntounto that euerlaſting pallace where wee ſhall raigne eternallie with him: wherein hauing hitherunto ſo notablie fayled, let vsus craue his grace and merciemercy as followeth.
Almighty God, &c.