The Mother and the Child, Text – Title page 2
Meditations vponupon the Lords Prayer.
O My God,Our Father. I come vntounto thee, as to the cōmon Father of all the world; euen vntounto thee doe I make my ſupplication, who in the creation and preſeruation of all thy works, haſt manifeſted thy more then fatherly louelove and affection. I come to thee, as to my true and gracious Father, which haſt not onelyonly giuen me my being, life, and motion, as thou diddeſt to other creatures; but powred out thy ſpirit vponupon me, and lightened my ſoule with the heauenly rayes of thy diuinity. I come vntounto thee, my God, beeing regenerate and incorporated into thy family, by thy free grace and boundleſs bounty. I come, hauing appeaſed the anger of my Father, by the ſatisfaction of my Redeemer? I come, becauſe it hath pleaſed thee to call mee, and to ſpread out thy gracious armes, ready to receiue me. Receiue me then, not in the auſteritie of a iuſt Iudge, but in the tender compaſsion of a mercifull Father. And accept this my humble prayer, which my heart hath conceiued, my lippes diſcloſe, and my voice doth ſend vp to the fauourable eares of my heauenly Father. And ſince it is thy good pleaſure, O Lord, that I thus cal vponupon thee, Grant,Which art in Heauen. O grāt I beſeech thee gracious God, that it may reach euen vntounto thee which art in heauen. I know aſſuredly that thy throne is in the higheſt heauens; that the Sunne, the Moone, and the ſtars, are vnderunder thy feet, that the earth is but a point, to thee, and I the leaſt part of the earth, yea, leſſe then nothing. VVho then hath made mee ſo hardy as to dare to lift vp mine eyes to thy moſt glorious Maieſtie? It is euen thou my God; who haſt ſet thy ſelfe ſo high, to behold all the workes of thine hands, to ſupply all our wants, and dayly to diſtill downe thy grace into our hearts, as a moſt ſweet morning deaw. It is thou, who haſt ſaid, Aske and yee ſhall receiue: Call vponupon mee, and I will heare thee. But how can I call vponupon thee, vnleſſe I put my confidence in thee, and take faſt hold of thy promiſes by a firme and faſt faith? O then infuſe it into my ſoule, and engraft it in my heart; (for it is a gift that commeth from the ſtore-houſe of thy grace.) And as ſometimes thou didſt cauſe the mouthes of babes and ſucklings to reſound thy praiſe, ſo at this time gouerne the Infancy, and ſtrengthen the weakenes of my hart, that it may ſend out that prayer which is acceptable in thy ſight. And that it may appeare that the prayer of my lips proceedeth from the meditation of my heart: and that notwithſtanding the heauie maſſe of my ſinfull fleſh doth oppreſſe my ſpirit; yet, vnderunder that burthen, it doth breath fotth thy honour and praiſe.Hallowed be thy name The firſt requeſt which I make vntounto thee, is, that thy name may be ſanctified; or rather that thy Name may ſo ſanctifie mee, as that I may be able to bleſſe and magnifie it. But, which of thy names ſhall I bleſſe. That wherewith thou haſt deſtroyed, and confounded all the enemies of thy people; or that wherewith thou haſt bleſſed all the Nations of the earth? Wilt thou bee praiſed, as Lord of Hoſtes, the God of power; or as the Sauiour and Redeemer of the world? Shall I declare how thou haſt made all things of nothing, how thou haſt ſpangled the heauens with ſtarres, adorned the earth with fruits and flowers, watered it with rivers, and filled it with liuing creatures; yea, and aboue all, haſt created man, & formed him after thine owne Image? Or ſhall I ſpeak only of this incredible louelove, wherby thou haſt giuen-ouer vntounto death thine only Sonne, that we might bee reſtored to euerlaſting life? My ſpirits, O Lord, are too faint for ſo great an enterpriſe, and my breath would faile before I could recount the leaſt part of them. Let it therefore ſuffice, that I ſanctifie thy name in an humble and chaſt thought, and that my minde may euer be faſt fixed in the meditation of thy goodnes: foraſmuch as it hath pleaſed thee at all times to bee ſo good and gracious to mee. So that I and all thoſe whom thou haſt placed in this world, as in the midſt of a rich and glorious Temple to behold, and admire thy diuine Maieſtie; may wholly apply all our faculties and vnderſtanding, to the apprehending of thy will.Thy Kingdom come. That ſo beeing all of vsus re-vnited and linked in one and the ſelfe-ſame deſire to ſerue thee, thy Kingdome may come: that wee hauing caſt off the yoake of ſin, which hath ſo long held vsus in thraldome, thy louelove alone may rule in our conſciences full of happineſs and true felicitie. For to obey thee, is to commaund our diſordinate affections: to commaund them, is to be Maiſters of our ſelues; and to bee Maiſters of our ſelues, is more then ſoueraigne principalitie. A ſweet thing it is, to ſerue thee, O my God: thy yoake is eaſie: and al the tribute thou exacteſt of vsus, is onelyonly that wee will be willing to be made happie. Confirme and ſtrengthen in vsus this will; and graciouſly aſsiſt the zeale of thy ſeruants, to the beating downe and repreſsing of their inſolence who blaſpheame thy ſacred Maieſtie: to the ende that thy Law and truth may raigne ouer all the world. O thou King of Kings, who ruleſt in our hearts, and in our humilitie & obedience doeſt eſtabliſh thine Empire; ſubdue our wils vntounto thy law: that ſo whileſt all of vsus, with one accord, ſhall aime at the ſame marke, & aſpire to the aduancement of thy glorie; our good workes may teſtifie the diſcipline of our heauenly King: to whom (as his deuoted ſubiects) wee render homage and fealtie, for thoſe manifold and great gifts and graces which wee hold of his bountie. But what obeiſance can wee render thee? How can wee attaine to that height of perfection as is due vntounto thee? who is able to ſound the depth of thy thoughts? or who is able to fulfill thy will? All wee can doe,Thy will be done. is but to pray vntounto thee that thy will may bee done. For ſeeing that thou art euen goodnes it ſelfe, and therefore wilt nothing but what is good, and that with thee to will and to doe, is all one; wee doe in this Prayer whollie commit our ſelues to thy will, who art neuer wanting to will vsus well, and to do whatſoeuer thou in thy goodnes knoweſt to be expedient for vsus. Whatſoeuer thou haſt vvilled, O Lord, hath been done: and from this thy good wil and pleaſure, as from an euer-flowing fountaine, are deriued ſo many good things, as the whole Globe of the earth is filled, and the immenſe circle of the heauens is beautified therewith. Continue then this thy goodnes vntounto vsus: and foraſmuch as thy louelove is as fire, (which augmenteth where it meeteth with combuſtible matter) and that it encreaſeth in wel-doing to vsus, euen to vsus poore miſerable wretches, in whoſe miſery and infirmitie, it may finde matter enough to worke vponupon) when I pray to thee, my God, that thy will may bee done, the intent of my prayer is, that it may pleaſe thee to roote out of mine hart all worldly wil, which ſpringing from the corruption of the fleſh, is no waies compatible with the law of the ſpirit: That thou wilt neuer giuegive me the raines to liue at mine owne pleaſure: and ſeeing that thou haſt vouchſafed to honour me with ſo high a title as to be ſtiled thy ſonne, thou wilt not emancipate or giuegive me ouer to mine affections; but keepe me vnderunder the rodde of thy lawe, vnderunder the tutelage of thy Commandements. So ſhall I,In earth as it is in heauen. togither with all thoſe that hauehave vowed alleageance, and are thy faithfull ſeruants, readily and cheerefully betake our ſelues to thy ſeruice; and during our abode in this life, ſtriue to ſet forth thy glorie here on earth: which is ſounded without ceaſing by that heauenlie quire of bleſſed Saints and Angels, in thy holie and heauenly habitation.
But ſuch is the frailetie of our mortall bodies, daily fading and falling away, that without dayly repairing and ſuſtenance, they make vsus vnapt to ſerue thee;GiueGive vsus this day our daily bread. wee therefore make our daily recourſe vntounto thee, for ſuch things as are neceſſarie to the maintenance of our life; beſeeching thee to giuegive vsus our daily bread. But giuegive vsus withall, O God, grace ſo to vſe it and all other good gifts; that in nouriſhing our bodies, wee ſtarue not our ſoules, and make them vnable to attaine to the knowledge of thy truth. That togither with thy bountie, receiuing alſo thy benediction, we ſettle not our affections vponupon worldly, and tranſitorie things; ſo paſſing through things temporall that wee finally loſe not the eternall. Let not the taſte of this earthly bread make vsus to forget that heauenly Manna, that bread of life, which nouriſheth and cheriſheth our feeble ſoules, filleth our mouthes with heauenlie plenty, and maketh vsus the liuing Temples of our God, by receiuing him into our bodies through a ſtedfaſt and liuely faith. Grant vntounto vsus, my God, that by receiuing this bread, our hearts & conſciences may bee fullie aſſured that wee are incorporate with our Redeemer, and become fellow-members of our head Chriſt Ieſus: and that as hee taking vponupon him our fleſh did vndergoe our death; ſo wee clad and inueſted with his, may bee made partakers of his immortalitie. And ſince it hath pleaſed thee to make vsus the veſſels and receptacles of thy diuinitie, purifie and cleanſe our hearts, and renew and rectifie all our affections, that there may bee nothing to cauſe thee retire, and leaue vsus deſtitute of thy grace and our ſaluation.Forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, But wee cannot bee cleanſed, vnleſſe thou forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, and wipe away our iniquities. For wee hauehave beene ſlaues vntounto ſinne and death: and whatſoeuer wee can call ours, belongeth vntounto them. Neither hauehave wee ſo much as one mite toward the paying of our ranſome or acquiting our debt. Of thee therefore muſt wee expect forgiuenes, who haſt once redeemed vsus by thy precious bloud, and made vsus free from Satan our arch enemie: but wee daily fall againe into the hands of our enemies by committing millions of ſins which bring into ſlauerie, and make vsus lyable to grieuous puniſhment. Yet let not this O my God, cauſe thee to ſhutte vp that treaſure from vsus, whence wee may take the price of our libertie. Let not, O Lord, our obſtinacie in back-ſliding, take away thy conſtancy in pardoning: but let thy mercifull hand be euer ready to reforme vsus. For ſinne euer ſince the fall of our firſt father Adam, is as it were incorporated into our ſinfull fleſh, and dayly increaſeth and groweth with vsus: ſo that the older we grow, the fowler and filthier wee appeare, vnleſſe it pleaſe thee to apply dayly vntounto our maladies the merits of thy Paſsion: that as we by our in-bred corruption do wound and exulcerate our cōſcience, ſo thou wilt gratiouſly refreſh it, by curing our wounds, and ſuppling them with thine oile of mercy. Otherwiſe, vvell might we feare, O Lord, leaſt caſting downe thine eyes dayly vppon vsus, it would as it were grieue thy holy ſpirit ſo oft to returne vntounto vsus, by reaſon of our manifold ſins and offences. O then pardon our offences, that is to ſay, our whol life: and ſo pardon vsus O heauenly Father,As we forgiue them that treſpaſſe againſt vsus. as we forgiue them that hauehave offended vsus. Make vsus euermore to ſet before our eyes that louelove wherewith thou haſt lou'd vsus, in vndertaking the paiment of our debts, and the puniſhment of our ſins. That we may duely conſider, how vnreaſonable it were for vsus to expect that grace of thee which wee can not afford our neighbour; ſince there is no compariſon betwixt the offences they commit againſt vsus, and thoſe wherwith we offend thy diuine Maieſty. Root out of our hearts all malice, fiercenes, and bitternes: giuegive vsus a calme and peaceable ſpirit, which may foſter and maintaine in vsus vnity and brotherly louelove, teaching vsus to ſupport with gentleneſs one anothers infirmities. For wee can not but acknowledge, O Lord, how eaſily we ſlippe, yea ſtumble, and tumble, in the ſlippery paths of this refractorie life. Too too ſlender is our owne force and abilitie to hold vsus on foot, and vphold vsus againſt thoſe whirle-windes which are euer ready to driue vsus headlong into Iniquitie. And therefore moſt earneſtly doe we beſeech thee,Lead vsus not into temptation. not to forſake vsus in our temptations; but to remoue farre from vsus all occaſions of offending thee; and to arme vsus againſt all obiects, with thy Spirit: without which we ſhall be euer vanquiſht; & by whō wee bee ſure to vanquiſh. For the price and crown of victory is reſerued for thoſe and thoſe alone who follow thee their Captaine. Graunt vsus then this grace, that whenſoeuer any inordinate deſire of worldly wealth ſhall aſſaile vsus; wee may oppoſe as a rampier, againſt it the deſire of heauenly gifts and graces, generouſly ſcorning and contemning the pelfe and tranſitorie traſh of this world, as iuſtly ſuſpecting their deceitfulnes & fragility. That we may call to minde that they are but as a cloud, which for a while fleeteth from one country to another, and ſuddenly vaniſheth away and appeareth no more; & that many times that gold and ſiluer which wee heape vp with much ſweate and trauell, doth ſerue but to the procuring of our owne damnation. And if it ſhall pleaſe thee to beſtowe vponupon vsus riches in greater aboundance; grant vntounto vsus likewiſe the grace to vſe them well, and lovingly and charitably to communicate them to ſuch as hauehave want. For the whole earth is thine, and wee are but the tillers and tenants thereof: our goods belong vntounto thee, and wee are but thy depoſitaries and vaſſals. So that if we refuſe to impart them to ſuch as demaund them in thy name, thou maieſt not onelyonly put vsus out of poſſeſsion, but make vsus pay the vſurie of our ingratitude & vnfaithfulnes.
Furthermore, we begge of thee, that the falſe luſtre of the honors of this world may not deceiue our dazeled ſight, nor drawe vsus on to deſire more then is expedient for vsus. Let it alwaies be imprinted in our hearts and thoughts, that there is no true honour in this wotld, but to ſerue thee aright; and that in thy ſeruice, the ſeat of honor is lowlineſſe, and the greatnes thereof conſiſteth in humilitie.
Furthermore, that this ſame deceitfull lure, which wee ſo much admire (after which we runne our ſelues out of breath, and all but to our ruine) is but like an Ignis fatuus, about the riuers, that ſhineth not but in the darke, and draweth them into miſchiefe that vnwarily follow it. Our worldly pompe and ſecular dignities appear not but in the obſcuritie of this world. If once we cloſe our eyes againſt the heauenly light, they ſeeme to vsus as bright as fire, & their luſtre appeareth as burniſht gold: but when we come to follow them, wee fall into ſwift torrents and daungerous whirl-pooles, where we are plunged, floting in vncertaintie betwixt the willes of Princes, and the vnſtedfaſt opinions of the wauering vulgar, vntill we meete with ſome rocke of offence: and there wee are cruſht.
GiueGive me therefore, O my God, conſtancie, to withdraw mine affections, and withhold my ſight from ſuch vanities; make mee only ambitious of thy glorie; let my ſpirit bee ſo addreſſed to immortalitie, that ſhee make no repoſe in the choaking ſmoke of this world. Let mee neuer enuy them that enioy all theſe fickle goods, and fading honours: but let all my aemulation bee to come as neere as poſsible to that onelyonly example and perfect patterne of good life which moſt liuely appeareth in that abſolute tabliture of thy moſt innocent life. That ſo all the violent paſsions of anger, rancour, and diſdaine, may be baniſhed out of my ſoule, my heart enflamed with deſire to doe good to all, hurt to none, and both bodie and ſoule may be alwaies watchfull, and dayly emploied about good and laudable workes, neuer languiſhing in ſlothfull ſtupiditie. That this baſe and infamous gourmondizing (which abuſeth thy good gifts, being drowned in wine, and buried in daintie diſhes) may euer be farre from me. Extinguiſh alſo, O heauenly Father, all vnchaſte prouocations of the fleſh, which allure vsus to violate the chaſtitie of our bodies, and the puritie of the ſoule. And remoue far from vsus all thoſe obiects which may ſtir vp any ſlippery and vnchaſte affections.
To conclude,But deliuer vsus from euil. deliuer vsus from all euill, euen from the hands of wicked Angels, not ſuffering them to hauehave any power ouer vsus. And when we of our ſelues ſhall bee running headlong into miſchiefe; preuent vsus with ſpeede, draw vsus back, and ſtretch out thy fatherly hand ouer vsus, euer readier to ſhew thy mercy then to execute thy iuſtice. Saue vsus, euen maugre our owne ſelues; and let not our backſliding and obſtinacie alienate thee from vsus, or cauſe thee to forget, to bee both our mercifull GOD, and alſo our louing Father.
FINIS.
BRIEFE AND profitable Meditations on the 7. penitentiall Pſalmes.
London printed by H. L. for T. M. & Ionas Man: and are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Talbot in Pater-noſter Rowe. 1611.