A poore mans rest founded vpon motiues, meditations, and prayers. Expressing to the inward man, true consolation. In all kindes and times of afflication. By Io. Norden.

The third Prayer: wherein he flyeth, and wholly relyeth vpon God, and trusteth not in the helpe, nor feareth the hurt of men.

O Lord, I cannot excuse mine euils, they are infinite in mine own eyes,

and many as grosse which I haue for∣gotten, & sleightly past ouer, as if they were no sinnes before thee: and there∣fore I appeale vnto thy mercy for all: for by mine own deseruing or satisfacti∣on, I can cleare my selfe of none at all.

Who can rehearse or call to memo∣ry, all that he hath done amisse before thee, who keepest account of the least sins? And therfore what auaileth it me to iustifie my selfe, if I knew nothing by my selfe? It is thou that seest and iudgest: it is thou that hast found mat∣ter enough to condemne me, and cause enough to punish me: & therfore I haue no means to be freed from thine anger, and consequently from my miseries, but thy mercy onely, in thy beloued Christ Jesus.

Correct me not therefore, deare Fa∣ther, as I deserue, but in him haue compassion vpon me: and as for my re∣formation, thou beatest mee with thy rod, so for my preseruation, hold me vp by thy staffe, that I be not confounded vtterly, or perish altogether.

Thou seemest as if thou hadst vtter∣ly forsaken mee: Oh, why art thou so farre from me in the wofull time of my troubles? Why stoppe••t thou thine

eares at my cry? Why dost thou turne away thy face, when I offer the sacri∣fice of praier vnto thee, and seemest not to regard mee, though I put my trust wholly in thee?

O come, Lord, come now at the last, performe thy promises of aid and com∣fort, when most neede is: for vaine are the helps of flesh, weake is mans arme, and his heart is not right in equity and iudgement: therfore I trusting in thee onely, let me not be disappointed of my hope: let me not goe mourning, by rea∣son of my miseries, and neuer finde re∣liefe at thy hands.

Our Fathers trusted in thee, they called vpon thee in their troubles and dangers, and were deliuered and freed from that which oppressed them: they prayed vnto thee, and were heard: they fought thee, and thou shewedst thy selfe a helping Father vnto them, euen when they were ready to be swallowed vp of mercilesse waters.

Great was thy fauour towards all our beleeuing fathers: but alas, Lord, what am I? I am a Worme and no Man, yet I beleeue, Lord, helpe mine vnbeliefe: I am couered with shame, be thou my glory, that I may glorifie

thée among the people that now con∣temne me, because thou séemest to hide thy face from me.

I am gazed on, and derided, scorned, and despised, because of my miseries: my neighbours that should assist mée, disdaine me: my familiars that should comfort me, doe not onely forsake mée, but say of mée, that all my hope is in vaine: my kinsfolkes who should aide me in my necessities, adde griefe vnto my miseries, and tauntingly say, I am deseruedly fallen, and cannot rise a∣gaine.

Oh behold this, thou that sittest on high, consider this, and instead of these miseries (increased by such as should friendly visit mée) stand thou by mée, and afford me the cup of thy saluation, that I tasting of it, may answere these men, and say, as I am assured that my Redéemer liueth, euen thou my God, mercifull and all-sufficient, who art one and the same for euer.

I was cast vpon thée as soone as I was borne, and thou receiuedst mee: But the faults of my youth, and the sinnes of my riper yeeres, haue caused a diuorce betwéene thy loue and my lewd life. I am sorry, deare Father,

J am sorry for my fault, take me again into the bosome of thy fauour: and from hence forth be present with me againe, and let me only ioy in obeying thée, and let my soule take comfort of thée, and my whole man be relieued by thée; for besides thée I haue no helper.

Oh helpe thou mée, and restore mée to comfort againe: banish all mine af∣flictions as a mist, and refresh my soule with the timely dew of thy reliete, powre downe the swéete drops of thy quickning Spirit, and let a comforta∣ble calme follow the fearefull stormes of this dangerous tempest.

And I will yéelde thée the praise, who art worthy of all praise, I will magnifie thy name that workest won∣derfull things, and bringest to passe that which the worldly ones cannot comprehend; I will declare thy name for euer among the children of men. The righteous shall heare it, and be glad, and the wicked shall quaile to sée me restored, whom they so long haue scorned, and deemed a cast-away, be∣cause of my miseries.

For thine owne names sake therfore, O Lord my God, heare my prayers, consider my meditations, helpe mée in

time conuenient, before I shall vtterly, lest the righteous be discouraged by my decay, and the vngodly take heart to perseuere the more in their obstinate and malicious wayes, whilest they imagine there is not a God, that re∣specteth the miseries of his distressed Children.

O Lord increase our Faith.