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.

A Prayer for a young Man, or Maide, prepared to Marriage.

To auoide fornication, let euery man haue his wife, and let euery woman haue her owne husband,

1 Cor. 7. 2.

The price of a vertuous woman is farre aboue the value of pearles: she will doe her husband good, and not euill, all the dayes of her life,

Pro. 31. 10. 12.

O Omnipotent, and euer-liuing God, without whom, mens en∣benours are friuolous, & cannot prosper in this world, I thy poore crea∣ture, and the worke of thine hands, whom thou hast vouchsafed neuerthe∣lesse to receiue into the fellowship of thy Saints, by the holy Sacrament of Baptisme, doe here present my selfe before thy diuine Maiesty, humbly be∣séeching

thée in the name of Jesus Christ, thy beloued Sonne, to stretch forth thy holy hand, and helpe mée, to the end that if it be thy will I shall marry, thou ma••st lead and direct mée to a vertuous yoke-fellow, with whom I may liue, so long as we shall conti∣nue together, in thy loue and feare. O God, it was thou that gauest Eue to Adam, and didst addresse the seruant of Abraham to Rebecca, that she might be wife to the Patriarke Isaac.

Thou didst send thine Angell with young Tobias, to deliuer Sara, the daughter of Raguel, out of the poore, desolate, and approbrious condition wherein she then liued, and to match her in marriage with the said Tobias. This is not a case of chance or For∣tune, neither guided by mens wise∣dome, for heaping vp goods together. It often hapneth, that after one hath carefully considered all circumstances, and causes thereto belonging, search∣ing into the vttermost as may be deui∣sed, that party fals short of his hopes expected, and in stead of an helper, hapneth on an hinderer. I heartily therefore pray thée (O God) to pro∣uide me such a one, as thou knowest fit∣test

for me, and so to order the delibera∣tions, counsels, and enterprises of my Parents & friends, that the whole issue and euent may first redound to the ad∣uancement of thy glory, and next to the endlesse contentment, good, and saluati∣on of vs all in Christ Jesus, our Lord and onely Sauiour.

Amen.