[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 generall prayer for the auoidinge of all kynde of synne.

AH lord that most puisāt god, we in baptisme geuing ouer our selfs vnto the, and vnto thy holi religion, protested openly in the face of thy holy congregaci¦on, to forsake Satan with al his pompes and worckes, to renoūce the world and all the vayne plea∣sures therof, to mortyfy the flesh and al the lustes of it,* 1.1 and frome hēsforth to dye vnto sinne, to liue vnto righteousnes,* 1.2 and to lead a new lyfe. Thys our couenaunt & bargayne made with the, O Lord god, we keepe not, but to muche

wretchedly we breke it & trāsgres thy holye commaundemente. In stead of our seruyce due vnto the we serue Satan. Leuing the ful∣fyllyng of thi commaundements we obey our own wil. The world and the flesh so rage and raignin vs, that we can scarcely breath to¦ward any godlynes.* 1.3 By mouthe we profes the, but with our deds we denithe. We promyse to work in thy vyneyarde, but we loytour and worke not.* 1.4 In name we are Christians, but in dede we are sa∣tans bondmē, the worlds slaues and the fleshes most vile seruāts and drudges. Ah Lorde, to muche wretched is our state, and excepte thou shortlye helpest, we are lyke vtterly to perysh, so greatly haue the ragyng floudes of al kinde of synne brast in, preuayled & almost ouerwhelmed vs, o most gētle sa¦uior, we haue a wil such as it is,* 1.5 to

do good, but we find no power no strēgth in our selfs to perform it. That good thīg, which we wolde, we do not, but y^e euil do we, which we wold not, for we know y^t in vs y^t is,* 1.6 in our flesh, dwelleth no god thīg. No maruel. For we ar bi na∣ture y^e childrē of wrath,* 1.7 we are be∣gottē, cōceiued & borne in sī. Our sēces,* 1.8 wits & deuises ar euil, euē frō our yong age vpwarde. Oure hert is vnclene,* 1.9 wicked, froward, lewd, & vnserchable. We ar not a¦ble to thīk a good thought of our selfs,* 1.10 we ar vnprofitable seruan∣tes,* 1.11 hipocrites, flesh, & al y^e nought is, yea, we ar the very bōd slaues of sin.* 1.12 For euery one y^e cōmitteth sin, is the seruaūt of syn. O most swete sau••or▪ help vs, for y^e glori of thy name.* 1.13 Thou cāmest doun, frō y^e righthād of thi father into thys vale of misery, to saue that which was lost. Saue vs therfore good

lord which wander abroade lyke shepe destitute of a shepherd,* 1.14 suf∣fer not thi blessed bodi to be brokē & thy precious blud to be shed for vs in vain.* 1.15 Thou bi thi deth most valeātly conquerest him that had power of death.* 1.16 Deliuer vs ther∣fore frō his raging tirranye, and make vs thy faythfull & obedyent seruantes.* 1.17 Suffer vs not to loue the world, nether the things that ar in the world, seing that al that is in the worlde (as the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eies, the pryde of life) is not of y^e o father, but of y^e world. And the world vanisheth away, and the lust thereof, but he that fulfilleth the wil of god aby∣death for euer. Suffer vs not to be ouercome wyth the boylynge concupiscēcis of the flesh, whych euer lusteth agaynst the spirite,* 1.18 & is not obedient to the law of god nether can be, but geue vs grace

to crucifye and to kyll the fleshe wyth the appetites & lustes ther∣of,* 1.19 that we may lyue and walk in the spirite, and become new crea∣tures. Let not sinne reign in our mortal bodies, that we shuld ther vnto obey in y^e lusts of it. Neither suffer thou vs to geue oure mem¦bers as instruments of vnrighte¦ousnes vnto syn,* 1.20 but to gyue our selues vnto God, as thei that are a liue from death, and to giue our mēbers as instruments of rygh∣teousnes vnto god. And as here∣tofore we gaue oure mēbers ser∣uaunts to vnclennes, and to ini∣quyti, from iniquiti to iniquiti: so let vs now from hensforth gyue our mēbers seruaūts vnto righ∣teousnes, that we may be sātyfy∣ed. Kil in vs the deds of the fleshe whyche are these:* 1.21 aduoutrye, for∣nicacion, vncleannes, wātonnes Idolatrye, wytchcrafte, hatred, varyaunce, ••ele, wrathe, stryfe, se∣sedicion,

sects, enuying, murther dronkennesse, glottōny, and such lyke, and plante in vs the fruites of the spirit, loue, ioy, peace, longe sufferinge, gentlenes, goodnesse faythfulnes, mekenesse, temperā¦cye.* 1.22 As concerning the conuersa∣cyon in times past, geue vs grace to laye awaye from vs that olde man, which is corrupt thorow the deceiuable lustes, and to be renu∣ed in the spirit of our mynds, and to put on that new man, whyche after the image of god is shapen in ryghteousnes & true holynes. Suffer vs not to lye, but speake euery man truth vnto his neigh∣bour, for asmuch as we are mem∣bers one of another. Suffer vs not so to be angry that we sinne. Let not y^• sun go doune vpō oure wrathe, neyther let vs giue place vnto the backbiter. Graunte that he which afore hath stollen maye

from henceforth steale no more, but rather labour with his hands some good thīg: that he mai haue to geue vnto hī that nedeth. Let no fylthy cōmunycacyon procede out of our mouths, but that why¦che is good to edifye withal, whē nede is, that it may haue fauoure with the hearers. Let all bytter∣nes, fearsnes, and wrath, roryng and cursed speking be put awaye from vs, wyth al maliciousnesse. Make vs courteous one to ano∣ther and merciful, forgeuing one another, euen as god for thy sake forgaue vs.* 1.23 As for fornicaciō & al vnclēnes or couetusnes let it not be once named amōg vs, as it be cōmeth saints nether filthi thīgs neither folish talking, nether ie∣sting, which are not comly, but ra¦ther geuing of thākes. Put vpon vs tender mercy, kindnes, hum∣blenes of mynd, mekenes longe.

sufferīg, for bearing one another & forgeuing one another.* 1.24 But a∣boue al these things, put vpō vs loue which is the bond of perfec∣cion & graūt that the peace of god may euer more rule in our herts, & that we be thākful for al thy be∣nefits. Finalli whatsoeuer thīgs are true whatsoeuer thinges are honeste, whatsoeuer thinges are iust, whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer thynges pertayne to loue, whatsoeuer thinges are of honest reporte, if ther be any ver∣tuous thing,* 1.25 if ther be any lauda∣ble thing, grāt that we may haue those same in our mind, and prac¦tise thē in our conuersacion and liuing, that whatsoeuer we breth thyncke, speake, or do, all thyngs may be done, vnto y^e honour, glo∣rie and prayse of thy name, why∣che lyueste and raygneste wyth God the father, and GOD the

holy gost, the true, liuinge & euer∣lastynge God, worldes wythoute ende. Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Roma vi.
• * 1.2

  Gala. iii.
• * 1.3

  Titus. i.
• * 1.4

  Mathe. xx••
• * 1.5

  Rom•••• vi••.
• * 1.6

  Rome. vii.
• * 1.7

  Ephesia ii.
• * 1.8

  Psalm. ii.
• * 1.9

  Gene. viii.
• * 1.10

  Prou. xxii.
• * 1.11

  Iere. xvii. ••i. Cor. iiii.
• * 1.12

  Luke. ••vii. Esay••. ••x.
• * 1.13

  Ioh. iii vii Luke. xix.
• * 1.14

  Mathe. ix. psalm. cxix.
• * 1.15

  Hebrus. ii. i. Cori. xv.
• * 1.16

  Ose. xiii.
• * 1.17

  Iohn. ii.
• * 1.18

  Rom. viii.
• * 1.19

  Galath. v.
• * 1.20

  Roma. vi.
• * 1.21

  Gala. v.
• * 1.22

  Ephe. iiii.
• * 1.23

  Ephesi. v.
• * 1.24

  Collos. iii.
• * 1.25

  Pp••il. iiii.