[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies for the sauegard, health, and comforte of all degrees, and estates / newlie made by Thomas Becon].

A prayer agaynst the temptacions of the deuil, the world & the fleshe.

ALbeit (O most myghtye captayne, moste valeant warryour and most try∣umphante Lorde Christe Iesu) thou by thy death hast put doune him,* 1.1 that hadde Lordshippe ouer death, that is to saithe deuil, that thou mightest deliuer thē, whych

thorow fere of death, wer al their lyfe tyme in danger of bondage, and albeit thou haste spoiled rule and power, and made a shewe of them openly, and hast triumphed ouer them in thine own parson, & by thys meanes delyuered vs from the hands of our enemyes,* 1.2 that we myghte serue the all the dayes of oure lyfe in suche holy∣nesse and ryghteousnesse, as are accept before the, yet the deuil for the olde malyce, whyche he hathe borne against mā from his firste creaciō (for thorowe enuye of the deuil deth entred into y^e worlde) gothe forthe styll to rage against vs,* 1.3 * 1.4 and walketh aboute like a ro∣rynge Lyon, seking whō he may deuour. And if he wer not restrai¦ned bi thy godli puissāce he wold surely swalowe vs vp,* 1.5 so greate is his tiranye, so myghty is hys power. He preuailed against our

fyrste parentes, yea and that in y^e state of theyr innocency and im∣mortality. He afterward attemp¦ted other & preuailed, wherof sōe notwithstandyng wer the chosē vessels of mercy.* 1.6 Here of getting a courag vnto hym self, he feared not to assail y^t w^t his suttel tēpta∣ciōs. Oh is it thē to be thought, y^t he willer vs alone so feble, so we¦ke & redy at euery momēt to be o∣uer throwē. Thou thy self callest him the prince of this world,* 1.7 and thy holy Apostle nameth hym the god of this world. Strong must he nedes be, & of no smal myght whom thy holy word so termeth, stronge in dede in comparison of vs, but weake and of no forse be∣inge compared wyth the. Thys Prince, this god of y^e world doest y^u suffer cōtinually to war agaīst thine elect and chosen people (as for the reprobate and wycked,* 1.8 he hath thē al redy in his court at cō∣mādemēt,

not to destroi thē whi∣che he moste of al wisheth, but to exercise & try their faith, to proue their cōstaci & in this their cōstict to occasion thē bi herti praiers to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vnto thi holi name,* 1.9 which is a strōg tower, & mighty fortres, for so many as repayre vnto it, y^e thei getting ayde at thy hande, maye not onli enter battel w^t this their great & immortal enemy, but also by the power of thy myghte ouer come hi•• and put him to flyght. And as thou hast geuē satā thys liberti to tempt, to exercise,* 1.10 proue and try vs, whether we be costāt in thy faythe and word, or not, so dooth he take thy profer. And al∣thoughe y^u sufferest hym thus to do for our great profit & singuler commodity, for we know that all thyngs worke for the beste vnto theym that loue God,* 1.11 euen that we of oure selfes beynge weake

shuld haue a gloryous triumphe and noble vyctory ouer hym tho∣rowe the myghty puissaunce of y^e our grande captain, yet herof ta∣keth he an occasiō, to seke our de¦struccion. And that he may bring this to passe, besides y^e innumera¦ble companye of hellishe spyrites he taketh vnto hym .ii. other our moost cruel ennemies,* 1.12 * 1.13 the world & y^e flesh. The one with his vain pleasures, the other with her car¦nal, lustes so compasse vs round about, that if thy presēt help wer not, we must nedes perish. O lo∣uyng Lorde and most gentle sa∣uyoure, thou seest our weaknes, myserye,* 1.14 and no strength. Thou knoweste againe the valeaunte, myght and power of oure aduer∣saries. Our strēgth is no more to be compared wyth theyr mighte, then the strength of lytle Dauid with the mightye power of great

Goliah: oure speare, oure swerd, oure shielde wyll do nothynge in thys behalfe. Notwythstandyng Lord, we do not despayre. For al thoughe there bee not so greate strengthe in vs,* 1.15 that we may be able to resyst this greate compa∣ny y^t cōmeth against vs, yet haue we this one refuge and succour euen to lift vp our eyes,* 1.16 vnto the & to saye, our help commeth frō the lord our god whych made he¦uen and earth. If God be on our syde, who canne be againste vs?* 1.17 The battel, O lord God is thine, oure faythe therfore is, that thou wylte geue oure ennemyes into our handes.* 1.18 Thou taughtest vs to pray that we maie not be ledde into temptacion, and hast promi¦sed vs, that thou wilte not suffer vs too bee tempted aboue oure strengthe,* 1.19 but wylte in the mid∣des of the temptacyon make a∣away

for vs to escape. Thou art fayt••ful:* 1.20 fulfyl therefore thy pro∣mise. And forasmuch as thi good pleasu••e is: that we shal manful∣ly fyght with these our enemies (for what is the lyfe of manne in this world▪ but a continual war∣farre?) and no man is crowned, excepte he stryue lawefullye, we wyth our very heart dyspairinge of oure owne strengthe & corage, moost humblye beseche the to be our captayne, and valeauntelye to defende vs agaynst oure ene∣myes▪ that they may not preuaile agaynste vs. Make vs strong in the, O Lord, and in the power of thy mighte. Putte on thy holy ar¦mour vpon vs, that we may stād stedfast against y^e crafty as••autes of the deuyl.* 1.21 For wee wrastle not against the flesh and bloud, but a¦gaynst rule, agaynste power, and against worldly rulers of y^e dark¦nes

of thys world, agaynste spy∣rytual wyckednes in heauenlye things. For this cause, O mooste sweete sauiour, put vpon vs thy holy armour, that we mai be able to resist in the euil day, and stand perfect in all thynges. Gyue vs grace therfore to stand, & to gird our loynes aboute wyth veritye, hauyng on the brestplate of righ¦teousnes, and shoed with shooes prepared by the Gospell of peace. But aboue al, graūt that we may take vnto vs the shilde of faithe. wherw^t we may be able to quēch al the fyry dartes of the wycked, & to put on the helmete of saluaci¦on and the swearde of the spirite which is thy blessed word. Graūt also, that we being thus godly en armed, may thorow thy puissāce, might and strength, not onely en¦ter battel with our enemyes, but also valeauntly fyght with them

coragiously put them to flyght, & tryumphantly cary away a glori∣ous vyctory ouer them. So shall it come to passe, that we being va¦leaunt conquerours thorow thy help, shal receiue at thy hānd ac∣cordyng to thi promyse, Manna to eat that is hyd,* 1.22 & a white stone & in the stone a new name wryt∣ten which no man knoweth, sa∣uyng he y^t receiueth it. Lorde for thy mercies sake, grant vs these our peticions. So shal we praise and magnyfye thy blessed name for euer & euer. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  H••bru. ii. i. Cori. xv. Osee. xiii.
• * 1.2

  Colloss. ii. Ephesi. iii. Luke. i.
• * 1.3

  ••enesi. iii. Sapien. ii▪
• * 1.4

  i. Pete••. v.
• * 1.5

  Iob. i. Psa cxxiiii
• * 1.6

  G••nesi. iii. ii, Regū. xi. Mat. xxvi. Math. iiii Mark. i. Lu••e. iiii.
• * 1.7

  Iohn. ••ii.••iiii.••.xvi. ••••. Cor. iiii.
• * 1.8

  Iob. i.
• * 1.9

  Pro. xvi••i▪
• * 1.10

  Iob. i.
• * 1.11

  Rom. v••.
• * 1.12

  i. Ihon. ii. ••••lath. v.
• * 1.13

  Ps••. cxxiiii
• * 1.14

  i, Re xxvii. ••ccl. xlvii.
• * 1.15

  ii. P••. xiiii
• * 1.16

  Psal. cx••••.
• * 1.17

  Rom. viii. i. Reg. vii.
• * 1.18

  Math. ••.
• * 1.19

  i. Cor, ••
• * 1.20

  Psal. ••••lv. Ti•••• i▪ 〈…〉〈…〉 ••ii. ••••. Tim. ii,
• * 1.21

  Ephe••••. vi.
• * 1.22

  Ap••c••. ii,