The private devotions of the Right Reverend Father in God Lancelot Andrewes. Late Bishop of Winchester.

Thanksgiving.

LEt all thy workes con∣fess unto thee ô Lord, and let thy Saints blesse thee. Psal. 34. 96. 103. 107.

It is a good thing to praise the Lord, and to sing unto thy Name O most high. Psa. 91. 1.

To declare thy loving

kindnes in the morning, and thy truth in the night season. v. 2.

I will exalt thee O God my King, and blesse thy Name for ever and ever, every day I will blesse thee and extoll thy Name for ever and ever. Psal. 145. 1. v. 2.

For it is thou which callest the things which were not, as if they were, and by whom all things are made in Heaven and on Earth, visible and invisible. Rom. 4. 17. Col. 1. 16.

And it is thou which sustainest all things by the word of thy power, and by thy ordinance they conti∣nue to this day. Heb. 13.

Psal. 119. 91. for all things serve thee.

Which leavest not thy selfe without a witnesse, in do∣ing good from heaven; giving us raine and fruit∣full seasons and filling our hearts with food and glad∣nesse. Acts. 14. 17.

• 1. It is thou which by thy wisdome and power didst (thy selfe)
• 2. With thine owne hands make man of the mould of the earth.
• 3. And didst breath in∣to his nostrills the breath of life. Acts. 1. 26.
• 4. And did'st honour him with thine owne I∣mage.
• ...

• 5. And did'st give the Angells charge over him, Psal. 91. 11.
• 6. And dost place him over the worke of thy hands, Psal. 8. 7.
• 7. And did'st seate him in the paradise of pleasure. Gen. 2. 15.

And when he had dispi∣sed thy Commandements, did'st not yet dispise him, but did'st open to him a gate to repentance and life, Acts. 11. 18.

Giving to him that great and pretious promise of the seed which should save us, 2 Pet. 1. 4.

It was thou which did'st instruct us.

• 1. By that which is

• knowne of God.
• 2. By the Law written in our hearts.
• 3. By the services of sa∣crifices and oblations.
• 4. By the Oracles of the Prophets.
• 5. By the melody of the Psalmer.
• 6. By the wisdome of the Proverbs.
• 7. By the experience of the sacred story.

It was thou which when the fulnesse of time came didst send downe thy son who emptying himself, and taking the forme of a Ser∣vant, of the feede of Abra∣ham, Heb. 12. 6.

Being made of a woman and subjected to the Lawe.

Gal. 4. 4. Phil. 2. 7. Heb. 21. 6.Ga. 4. 4.

By his active obedience fulfilled the Law, and by his death tooke away the curse thereof, Eph. 5. 1.

Redeeming by his death, and by his resurrection re∣viving our nature, and lea∣ving nothing undone that was needfull to doe, that wee might be made parta∣kers of the divine nature, who likewise manifested himselfe to be our Saviour in all places by the preach∣ing of the Gospell. Rom. 4. last. 2 Cor. 2. 14.

Bearing witnesse there∣unto by divers signes and miracles. Heb. 2. 4.

By the admired holines

of life in his Saints, and

By their wonderfull pa∣tience even to the effusion of their bloud. Heb, 11, 36, 37.

And by the incredible condition of the whole world to the faith. 1 John, 5, 4.

It is thou also which hast made us the Sonnes of Saints and heirs of the same vocation.

Which hast given thy Church power, to be the pillar and foundation of Truth. 1 Tim, 3, 15.

It is thou which hast granted to our Church a∣bility, to keep that which was committed to her. 1 Tim. 6. 20.

To teach us the way of peace, and to retain certain ordered stedfastnesse and decency, Rom. 3. 22. Col. 2. 5.

It is thou which hast es∣tablished the throne of thy Servant our Soveraigne, 1 Ch. 17. 13.

Which hast instructed our Princes, & hast taught our Magistrates wisedome Psal. 105. 22.

Which hast vouchsafed us pastours according to thine own heart, to feed us with knowledge and lear∣ning, Jer. 3. 15.

It is thou which hast made peace in our inclo∣sure, and hast satisfied us with the flowre of wheate,

Psalm 106. 13, 14. Which hast strengthned the Barres of our gates, and hast bles∣sed our Children among us.

Which hast turned our swords into Mattocks, and our spears into sithes, Esay 2. 4.

Which hast cloathed our enemies with confusion, and hast given us for a bles∣sing for ever and ever, and made us glad with the joy of thy Countenance, Psal. 21. 7.

It is thou which hast brought mee into this life, and hast led mee to the la∣var of regeneration and re∣newing by thy holy Spi∣rit, and hast revealed to

me the paths of life. Tit. 3. 5. Psalm 16. 11.

Which hast connived at my sins for my repentance. Wisd. 11. 12.

And hast not crushed me under the hands of mine i∣niquity. Esa 64. 7.

Which hast even waited to shew mercy on me. Esa. 30. 18.

And hast not suffered my heart to harden. Rom. 2. 9.

But hast left mee in the compunction of heart, and memory of my latter end, and conscience of my for∣mer sins. Acts 7. 37. Deut. 32. 29.Hebr. 10. 3.

Which hast not cut off my life like a weaver in the

beginning, Psa. 16. 29. nor from morning to night hast made and of us. Jo. 20. 22.

Which hast not called me away in the middest of my dayes. Psalme 102. 25. But hast holden my soule in life, and hast not suffe∣red my feete to slip. Psalme 66. 9.

Therefore for all these benefits, and for many more, through their multi∣tude and our forgetfulness omitted;

Glory be to thee ô Lord, glory and honour & praise and blessing and thankes with the tongues of An∣gels and men.

The meanest of thy work

by reason of our sin now every houre and every day, Even to our latest gaspe, To the end of the world, and to all Eternity.

Amen.