[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 against Pride.

O Most louing and gentle sa∣uiour the only begotten son of the eternall and lyuynge god thou commaundest al them,* 1.1 that wyll come vnto the and bee thy scolers to learne of the to be meke, humble and lowly in hert,* 1.2 to be pore in spirit, not to be puf∣fed vp with arrogancy, pride, am∣bicion, and vayn glory. For thou scatterest thē that ar proud in the Imaginacion of theyr heartes.* 1.3 Thou puttest downe the mighty from theyr seats and exaltest thē of lowe degre. Thou resistest the proud,* 1.4 & geuest grace to the hum∣ble. Thou throwest down y^e hau∣ty minded, and exaltest the meke spirited. Thou so greatly abbor∣rest Pride,* 1.5 that thbou ryngest al∣so the proude to nought and ma∣kest the memoryall of theym to ceasse from out of the earth.

For pryde is the orygynall of al synne, whoso taketh hold therof, shalbe fylled wyth cursings,* 1.6 and at the last it shal ouerthrow hym. O Lord, what is to be foūd in vs being our owne, that may make vs to glory in our selfs and to be proud?* 1.7 As concerning our body what is it, but earthe, ashes, dust & donge?* 1.8 As for the beauty & fa∣uour of it. Oh how disceitful and vayn it is.* 1.9 And as for the strēgth therof, howe shortelye dothe a li∣tle feuer make the most myghty, the most weake.* 1.10 Who thā wil be proud of so vyle a carcas & sacke of donge?* 1.11 As touching our soule if it be regenerat by thy holy spi∣rit what other thing is it, thē the bonde slaue of satan and sinne. If any thing we haue, that good is (for all naughtines cōmeth of oure selues) it is thy gyft.* 1.12 If we haue receiued it, why do we glo∣ry in our felfs, as though we had

••ot receiued it? It may plese the therefore whiche arte the Myr∣rour of true, humility and geuer of al vertu, to graue in our herts the true knowledge of our selfes that we maye bothe willyngelye and vnfainedly confes, whatso∣euer goodnes we haue, to be thy gyfte and so not to glory in oure selfes, but to geue vnto the most humble and herty thanks for all thy giftes, euer walkynge before y^e with al submissiō & lowlines of mind, that thou maiest exalte vs whē the tyme commeth. Suffer vs not to be hye mynded, but to make our selfs equall to thē of y^e lower sort, & gyue vs that humi∣liti & lowlines of hert, that morti∣fieth & killeth in vs al loue of o ur selfs al pride & arrogācy, that our whole glory & reioising may only be in the our Lord and sauioure to whō be al honor for euermore. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Math. x••.
• * 1.2

  Math. ••.
• * 1.3

  Luke. ••.
• * 1.4

  i. Peter. ••
• * 1.5

  Eccle. x.
• * 1.6

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. x.
• * 1.7

  〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ iii.
• * 1.8

  〈1 paragraph〉〈1 paragraph〉
• * 1.9

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. x••xi.
• * 1.10

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. iii.
• * 1.11

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. ii. 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ v.
• * 1.12

  Os••. xiii.