The Combat Betwixt Christ and the Devil, Prayer
¶A Prayer after these Sermons.
MOst gracious God and louing Father, we thy vnworthy seruauntes present our selues here before thy glorious Maiestie, not trusting to our owne merites or worthynesse, but onelyonly to thy mercy in thy sonne Iesus Christ. For we acknowledge, from the bottome of our hartes, against our selues, that we are not onelyonly conceaued and borne in sinne, but also hauehave continued in the same, from the beginnyng of our tyme vntounto this present, transgressing thy lawes and commaundementes both in thought worde and deede, in so much that we are not worthy to appeare before thee much lesse to presume to begge or craue any good thing at thy handes, with hope to obteine the same, if thou shouldest deale with vsus according to our deseruinges, notwithstanding (most mercyfull and holy Father) for as much as thou hast commaunded vsus to call vponupon thee, when we feele our selues loden with the burthen of our sinnes, and hast promised to ease vsus. We trusting vntounto the truth of this thy promise do come vntounto thee at this present, most humbly beseeching thee (for thy sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christes sake) to pardon and forgeue vsus all our sinnes, to blot them out of thy remembraunce, and to bury them is silence that they neuer appeare before thee to accuse vsus. And beseeche thee (good Father) to worke in our harts an earnest loathing of sinne, a detestatiō of all iniquitie with a carefull desire and an vnfayned indeuour, to frame our liues and conuersations, according to thy blessed will. Lord for somuch as we hauehave learned out of thy holy word, that all those whom thou hast vouchsafed to giuegive into the handes of thy son Iesus Christ, shall be cōtinually (so long as they liue in this presēt world) be assailed, with trials, temptations, tribulations and afflictions, by reason of the malice of Sathan, their enemy, the allurementes of the world: and the enticements of their owne sinnefull nature: We acknowledge and confesse, that a greater honor can no way befall vntounto vsus, then to be molested by thy enemies for the testimonie of thy truth: yet (Lord) such is our weakenesse by nature, and so vnfit is our fleshe to begin, or continue any good thing, that we must needes quayle in the same, and vtterly renounce thee and thy truth, vnlesse thou of thy gracious goodnesse assiste vsus with thy grace, in such wise, as both the loathinesse of our flesh (to do any good thing) be taken away, and also thy fauour so support vsus, that we may be strengthened to abide in thy true feare and seruice. We beseeche thee therefore good Father (euen for his sake whose bloud thou accomptest not too deare for our redemption) that as it is thy will to impose vppon vsus this estate of bearyng the Crosse for thy sake, so thou wouldest giuegive vsus strength, contentednesse and paciēce to make vsus able to vnderunder go the same. Lord let not our weakenesse, betray thy glory, let not our shrincking, giuegive aduauntage vntounto thy foes: neither let our wantes, any way hinder thy graces from comming vntounto vsus: but for as much as thou hast thought it most meete, to hauehave thy glory shewed in weakenesse, thy power to be perfect in infirmitie, and the foolish ones of the world to confounde the wise, graunt (we beseeche thee) that wee may so sight vnderunder the banner of Iesus Christ thy sonne, and so striue to builde his kingdome, in the middest of his enemies, that by vsus thy name may be glorified, thy truth may be magnified, thy Sonne Christ Iesus may be aduaunced, and our soules and consciences euerlastingly comforted. Lord we pray thee graunt these graces, not alone to vsus that are here present. &c.
End of the text · John Udall, The Combat Betwixt Christ and the Devil (1588)