hand on the mercy of God, or on Christ. And this is the confession and faith of all the catholic church. For we have always taught, and do teach, that the study of good works ought to be exercised with all strength; we also are very earnestly diligent to show how greatly we are bound to work well, and how large gifts the study for good works has; again, how grievous pain, affliction, and all kinds of plagues do follow an ungodly and wicked dissolute life. Here seest thou that we and our cause do not lean on a vain and false trifling faith, but on a true faith, and such as worketh by charity and all good works; this renews a man, so that with high diligence he goes about and covets to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. Thou hast now my foundation whereunto I stick, and may safely so do. I grant thee, that the law hath deservedly made me bond to malediction and cursing, because I have not shown such obedience to the law as I ought; yet nevertheless I hope for salvation; for Christ my Redeemer hath delivered me from the curse of the law, when he became accursed on the cross for my sake, and gave and brought to me everlasting blessing; (Gal. iii.) so that now, through him, I have remission of all my sins. and am righteous before God. For he is become my righteousness before God. (Isa. xxviii.) And the word of God saith unto me, that no man shall be confounded that belieyeth in Christ. To this do I cleave, and still will cleave most earnestly, even unto death itself. (Rom. ix.) I will lean on faith and hope, and I will fasten myself hard to this my Rock, Jesus Christ, against whom the very gates of hell shall not prevail. Matt. xvi. Take these things for thine answer, which I know right well thou shalt never be able to confute. Get thee hence therefore from me, Satan. Where the Lord and my God Christ is and dwelleth, there shall I dwell also for evermore. May he vouchsafe to increase and keep my faith unto the glory and the praise of his blessed and glorious name. Amen. GIVE THE GLORY TO GOD ALONE. SELECTIONS FROM THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS, VERY NECESSARY TO BE USED OF THE FAITHFUL NEWLY MADE BY THOMAS BECON. A. D. 1550. PRAY CONTINUALLY.-1 Thess. v. EXTRACT FROM THE PREFACE. Addressed to the Duchess of Somerset. We now have God for our loving Father and merciful Saviour, let us take heed that we make him not of a friend an enemy. He hath now blessed us with all manner of spiritual blessing, let us take heed that his blessing be not turned into cursing. He hath now turned away our captivity, let us take heed that he throw us not again into our old thraldom. He hath enriched us now with many singular and noble benefits, let us take heed that they be not taken away from us for our unkindness, and plagues cast upon us in their stead. If we walk worthy of God's kindness, and of these his inestimable benefits, every man living in his vocation with all humbleness of mind, and meekness, and long suffering, forbearing one another, if we be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace; if we be thankful to God for his benefits, and beneficial to our poor Christian brethren and sisters; God will surely increase these his gifts in us, and enrich us with more benefits. He will defend this realm, keep us harmless from all our enemies, and send us abundance of all things necessary for this present life, and after our departure from this vale of misery, will give us eternal glory. Contrariwise, if we will not walk worthy of God's kindness, but are unthankful for his benefits, undoubtedly God will take them away from us, and pour his plagues upon us. The What is to be done that we may continue in the favour of God, have him still for our most merciful Lord, and enjoy his benefits unto the end? Verily even that which all godly men have ever used to do, both in prosperity and adversity, I mean, to pray to the Lord our God with a penitent and faithful heart. For prayer, if it be rightly used, is of great value before God, and not only makes him our good and merciful Lord, but also easily obtains of him whatsoever we ask according to his will. Holy Ghost, the knowledge of God's blessed word, necessaries for this present life, peace for realms, quietness for commonwealths, victory over enemies, having of children, health, long life, remission of sins, eternal glory, with all other good things pertaining either to the soul or to the body, faithful prayer obtains of God; as our Saviour Christ saith, Whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, if ye believe, ye shall receive it. Forasmuch, therefore, as nothing is more necessary to be used of the true Christian, for the continuance of God's favour and of his heavenly blessings toward them, and for the avoiding of all plagues and displeasures, than prayer; forasmuch also as nothing does so much adorn, garnish, and set forth the goodly and prosperous state of a commonwealth, as every man diligently, faithfully, and quietly to live in his vocation and calling; I, not otherwise knowing how I may be able to do good to my country, but by praying, preaching, and writing, (for fortune goes forth frowardly to frown upon me,) have these few weeks past compiled and made a book of prayers, comprehending not only necessary and convenient prayers for all degrees of men, even from the highest to the lowest, but also for all other things necessary to be prayed for. So that if we will follow the order of charity, and do the will of God, who commands us to pray one for another; again, if we will pray to obtain virtue and to slay vice, this book shall minister to the godly, convenient and suitable prayers. And because the prayers should be the more acceptable unto God, and sound the better in his godly ears-again, that the godly exercisers of prayer may pray with the more fruit, and be the better edified, I have laboured to the uttermost of my power to use in these prayers as few words of my own as I could, and to glean out of the fruitful field of the sacred Scriptures whatsoever I found suited for every prayer that I made, that when it is prayed, not man, but the Holy Ghost, may seem to speak. After I had finished these prayers, most virtuous lady, your grace came first to my remembrance, as a worthy patron both of the godly, and of godliness, both of the learned, and of learning; to whom even of most bounden duty, I ought to offer this my labour. The gift I confess is small and slender, if it be compared with your grace's liberality, which your grace hath most bounteously showed unto me, since I came first to your service. Notwithstanding I am so fully persuaded of your grace's most gentle nature and godly disposition toward so many as are well bent and virtuously minded, that I fear nothing to offer this my book unto your grace, as a testimony of my serviceable heart, and ready good will towards your grace, It is a flower, I grant; notwithstanding, such a flower as, if it be rightly used, is of singular virtue and mighty in operation. No evil air can hurt where the savour of this flower comes. Yea, the devil, the world, and the flesh, cannot abide the air of this flower, so mighty is the spiritual operation thereof. This flower gives a smell in the streets to the souls of the faithful, as the cinnamon and balm that have so good a savour, yea, a sweet odour doth it give, as it were myrrh of the best. I therefore most humbly beseech your grace to take this my small gift in good part, which, coming as it were from your grace into the hands of many, shall, I doubt not, do many good, and be the occasion that vice shall decrease, and virtue abundantly increase among us. God, whose holy word your grace most fervently loves, and most earnestly practises in your daily conversation, vouchsafe to preserve your grace, with my lord's grace, your most loving husband, and all your godly and virtuous children, in continual health and daily increase of honour, unto the glory of his name, and the comfort of all us, your grace's most humble and faithful servants. Amen. THE FLOWER OF GODLY PRAYERS.* A Prayer for the Morning. O HEAVENLY Father, who like a diligent watchman attendest always upon thy faithful people, whether they wake or sleep, and mightily defendest them; not only from Satan, that old enemy of mankind, but also from all other their adversaries, so that through thy godly power they are preserved harmless-I most heartily thank thee that it hath pleased thy fatherly goodness so to take care of me, thine unprofitable servant, this night past; that thou hast both safely kept me from all mine enemies, and also hast given me sweet sleep unto the great comfort of my body. I most entirely beseech thee, O most merciful Father, to show the like kindness towards me this day, in preserving my body and soul, that my enemies may have no power over me, and that I, likewise, may neither think, breathe, speak, or do anything that may be displeasing to thy fatherly goodness, dangerous to myself, or hurtful to my neighbour; but that all my enterprises may be agreeable to thy most blessed will, which is always good and godly, doing that which may advance thy glory, answer to my vocation, and profit my neighbour, whom I ought to love as myself; that whensoever thou callest me from this vale of misery, I may be found the child, not of darkness, but of light, and so for ever reign with thee in glory, who art the true and everlasting light. To whom, with thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, that most sweet Comforter, be all honour and glory. Amen. * In addition to the prayers in the present work, the "Flower" includes others which are omitted, being chiefly for various sorts and conditions of men, and having especial reference, in a greater or less degree, to the particular circumstances and manner of life of those days. The prayers here retained, it is trusted, will not be less useful to the pious Christian now than when they were first written. |