A Prayer for true mortification.

HE that will be ready in weighty matters to deny his own will, & to be obedient to the will of God, the same had neéd to accustome himself to denye his desires in matters of lesse waight, and to exercise y^e mortification of his owne will in trifles. For if that our affections by this daily custome be not (as it were) half slayn, surely, sure∣ly, when the plunge shall come, we shal finde the more to do. If we cānot watch with Christ one houre, as he sayth to Peter, we vndoubtedly can much lesse go to death with him. Wherfore, that

Page  [unnumbered] in great temptations we may be ready to say with Christ: Not my wil but thine be done, (in that this commonly com∣meth not to passe, but where the rootes of our lustes, by thy grace deare father are almost rotten and rooted out by a dayly denyall of that they desire) I hū∣bly beseéch theé for Christs sake to help me herein. First pardon me my cheri∣shing and as it were, watering of mine affections, obeying them in their deui∣ses & superfluous desirs: wherthrough in that they haue taken deép roote, and are to liuely in me, I secondly doe be∣sech theé to pull them vp by the rootes out of my hart, and so henceforth to or∣der me, that I may continually accu∣stome my self to weaken the principall roote, that they by rootes and branches may lose all their power.

Graunt me (I beseéch theé) that thy grace may daily mortify my concupis∣cence

Page  102 of pleasure in things, that is, of wealth, riches, glory, liberty, fauor of men, meats, drinks, apparel, ease, yea and life it selfe, that the horror and im∣paciēcy of more greuous things, may be weakened, and I made more paciēt in aduersitie. Wherunto I further de∣sire & pray thy goodnes (deére father) that thou wilt adde this: namely, that I may for euer, become obedient and & ready to do thy good wil in al things, hartely and willingly to serue theé and do whatsoeuer may please theé. For doubtles, although we accustome our selues in the pleasaunt things of this life, to a mortification and deniall of our selues, yet we shall find enough to do when more bitter and weighty cros∣ses come.

For if thy sonne our sauiour (euer wont to obay thy good will) prayed so hartely and often: Not my will, but thy will be

Page  [unnumbered] done, wherby he declareth himself to be very man: how can it be but we, whose nature is corrupt not only in natiuity, but in the rest of our whol life also, shall finde both our hands full in great and greéuous temptations, wholy to resine our selues vnto theé.

Graunt therfore deére Father, for thy Christes sake, I most hartely be∣seéch theé, thy grace and holy spirite, to be effectual in me, that dayly I may ac∣custome my selfe to deny my will in more easie and pleasant things of this life, that when neéde shall be, I may come vnto theé with a resined will, al∣wayes stedfastly expecting thy mercy, and in the meane season, continually o∣baying theé with readines and willing¦nes, doing whatsoeuer may most plese theé, through Christ our Lord, which li∣ueth and raigneth with theé and the holy Ghost, world without end, Amen.