Christian praiers and holie medtations as wel for priuate as publique exercise: gathered out of the most godly learned in our time, by Henrie Bull. Wherevnto are added the praiers, commonly called Lidleys praiers.

A meditation of the comming of Christ to iudgement, and of the reward both of the faith∣full and vnfaithfull.

OH Lord Iesus Christ the son of the euerliuing God, by whom all thinges were made, are ruled

and gouerned: as of thy loue for our redemption thou didst not disdaine to be our mediatour, & to take vpon thee our nature in the wombe of a virgin purely and without sinne, by the operation of thy holie spirite, that both thou mightest in thine owne person wonderfully beautifie and ex∣alt our nature, and worke the same in vs also, first abolishing the guilti∣nes of sinne by remission, then sinne it selfe by death, and last of all, death by raising vp again these our bodies, that they may be like to thine owne glorious and immortall body, accor∣ding to the power wherewith thou art able to subiect all thinges vnto thee: as (I say) of thy loue for our re∣demption thou becamest man, and that most poore and afflicted vpon earth, by the space of three and thirtie yeares at the least, in most humilitie, and paiedst the price of our ransome

by thy most bitter death and passion: (for the which I most heartily giue thankes to thee) so of the same thy loue towardes vs, in thy good time thou wilt come againe in the clouds of heauen, with power and great glo∣rie, with flaming fire, with thousāds of Saintes, w^t Angels of thy power, with a mightie cry, shout of an Ar∣changel, and blast of a trumpe, sou∣denly as a lightening which shineth from the East, &c. when men thinke least, euen as a theefe in the night, when men be asleepe, thou wilt so come, I say, thus soudenly in the twinckling of an eye, all men that e∣uer haue bene, be, or shall be, with women and children, appearing be∣fore thy tribunall seate, to render an account of all thinges, which they haue thought, spoken, and done a∣gainst thy lawe, openly and before all Angels, Saintes, and diuels, and so

shall their corruptible bodie put on incorruption: then shall they be en∣dued with immortalitie, and glorie: then shall they be with thee, and goe whither thou goest: then shall they heare: Come blessed of my father, pos∣sesse the kingdome prepared for you from y^e beginning &c. then shall they be set on seats of maiestie, iudging y^e whole world: then shall they reigne with thee for euer: then shall God be al in al with them and to them: then shall they enter and inherite heauen∣ly Ierusalem, and the glorious rest∣full lande of Canaan, where it is al∣ways day and neuer night, where is no manner of weeping, teares, infir∣mitie, hunger, colde, sickenesse, enuie, malice, nor sinne: but alwayes ioy without sorow, mirth without mea∣sure, pleasure without paine, hea∣uenly harmonie, most pleasant melo∣die, saying and singing: Holie, holie,

holie, Lord God of hoastes, &c.

Finally the eye hath not seene, the eare hath not heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man, that they shall then inherite and moste surely enioy, although here they be tormented, prisoned, solicited of Sa∣tan, tempted of the flesh, and intang∣led with the world, wherethrough they are inforced to cry: Thy king∣dome come: Come Lord Iesu, &c.

Howe amiable are thy tabernacles? Like as the Hart desireth the water brookes, &c. Nowe let thy seruant de∣part in peace. I desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ. We mourne in our selues, wayting for the deliue∣raunce of our bodyes, &c. Oh grati∣ous Lorde, when shall I finde such mercie with thee, that I may repent, beleeue, hope & looke for these things, with the full fruition of those hea∣uenly ioyes which thou hast prepa∣red

for all them that feare thee, and so rest with thee for euermore.

I.B.

Notes

• Matth. 24
• Matth. 2••
• Apoc. 22▪
• Psal. 42.
• Rom. 8.