[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 for a conpetente and ne∣cessarye lyuynge.

* 1.1THy sonne and oure LORD (O heauenlye father) taught vs to axe our bodyelye foode of the,* 1.2 and all other thynges that

be necessary for the preseruatyon of this oure mortall and corrupti¦ble body.* 1.3 For thou art the Lord y^t geuest meat to the hongry. Thou fedest al thi cretures in due time. Thou openest thy hande, and re∣plenysheste all lyuynge thynges with thy blessynge.* 1.4 Thy eyes are vpon them that feare the, and vp∣on suche as truste in thy mercye that thou mayest delyuer their li∣ues frō death, and nourishe them in the tyme of honger. They that fear the shal haue no scarsnes, ne¦ther shal thei wāt ani good thing that seke y^•. Neuer was it sene▪ y^t y^e rightous mā, y^t is, he y^t liueth ac∣cording to thy word,* 1.5 was forsakē nether hathe his children begged their bread on y^e erth. How wōder¦fully dydst y^u fede thy seruant He∣lias the prophet, whē y^u sent hym meat twise on a dai bi the Rauēs.* 1.6 How maruelously dydest thou en∣crease

the oyle and meale of y^e wi¦dow of Saxepta, Helias Ostesse▪ How diddest thou prouide for thy seruant Daniell when he was in prison for setting forth thy glory?* 1.7 How wonderfully fedst y^u the chil¦drē of Israel,* 1.8 by sēding thē meat doune frō heuē by the space of .xl. yeres in y^e wildernes? The fouls of the aire dost y^e feede, which ne∣ther sow nor reape, nor yet carye into the barnes.* 1.9 Thy son also (y^t we may hāge on thy fatherly pro∣uidēce,* 1.10 & not dispayre of a cōpetēt liuīg) fed many thousāds wyth a few loues of bread,* 1.11 & a litle nūber of smal fyshes.* 1.12 He also at a mari∣age tourned water into wyne,* 1.13 to shew, y^t those which liue accordīg to thy blessed word,* 1.14 euerie one in his vocaciō, shall wante no good thing,* 1.15 Thou art the very liuynge God whych geueth vs abundant¦ly al thinges to enioy them.* 1.16

Thou art our father, thou there∣fore wilt not suffer vs thi childrē to perish for hūger.* 1.17 Thou art our Lorde, thou therefore wylte not suffer vs thy seruantes to dye for want of clothes?* 1.18 Thou fedest the hethen and the brute beasts, is it then to be thought, that thou wilt leaue vs socourles, which beleue in the, cal on thy holye name, and hang on thy fatherli prouidence? We therfore being thorowli par∣swaded,* 1.19 that al good things per∣taining ether to the bodi or to the soule, come from the alone, doub∣ting also nothīg of thy boūteous liberality and liberal bountye to∣ward them, that with strong faith depende on thy fatherlye prouy∣dence, are boulde at this presente to come vnto thy deuyne Maie∣stye, mooste humblye besechynge the to worke in vs thorow thy ho∣lye spirite, a mynd contente wyth

that is sufficiente,* 1.20 seyng that no mans life stādeth in the abūdāce of the things which he possesseth, seinge also that we be strangers & pilgrymes in this world & haue here no cōtinuing cytye, but seke one to come,* 1.21 agayne, seynge we brought nothing into the world, neyther shal we cary anye thinge oute of it.* 1.22 For naked came we out of oure mothers wombe, and na∣ked shal we turne thither againe Take awai frō vs al superfluous worldelye cares, and teache vs to be cōtēt with food & raimēt.* 1.23 Suf¦fer vs not after the maner of the hethē to be careful for wordly thī∣ges, as though thou hadst no care for vs, but teache vs fyrst of all to seke thy kīgdom & the rightuous∣nes thereof, and so to loke for all wordly and temporall thynges at thy mercyful hand.* 1.24 O Lord, geue vs neyther pouertye nor richesse,

onlye grant thou vs a necessarye liuing, lest if we be to ful, we deni the, and saye: what fellowe is the Lord? And lest we being constrai¦ned thorow pouertie fal vnto stea¦ling, and forswere the name of y^e Lorde our God. Lorde, lette it so come to passe for thy dear sonnes sake Jesu Christ oure Lord, & sa∣uyoure. Amē.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Mathe. vi.
• * 1.2

  Luke. xi.
• * 1.3

  Ps. cxlvii. Psa. cx••••••.
• * 1.4

  Ps. xxxiiii.
• * 1.5

  ps. xxxvii.
• * 1.6

  iii. ••••, xvii.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. xiiii.
• * 1.8

  Deut. viii. Exodu. xvi. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. xi. S••pi. xvi.
• * 1.9

  Psa. lxxvii
• * 1.10

  Math. vi.
• * 1.11

  Mat. xiiii.
• * 1.12

  Marke. vi.
• * 1.13

  Luke. ix.
• * 1.14

  Iohn. vi.
• * 1.15

  Iohn. ii.
• * 1.16

  1. Timo. vi.
• * 1.17

  Mathe. vi. Luke. xii.
• * 1.18

  Psalm. ••v. Ps. cxlvii.
• * 1.19

  Iacob. i. i. Cori. iiii.
• * 1.20

  Luke. xii.
• * 1.21

  Hebr. xiiii. ••. Timo. vi.
• * 1.22

  Iob. i.
• * 1.23

  Mathe. vi. Luke▪ xii.
• * 1.24

  Proue. xxx.