The booke of common prayer, and administration of the sacraments and other rites and ceremonies of the Church of England.

Certaine godly prayers to be vsed for sundry purposes.

A generall consession of sinnes, to be sayd euery Morning.

O Almightie God our heanenly Father, I con∣fesse and acknowledge, that I am a miserable and a wretched sinner, and haue manifolde wayes most grieuously transgressed thy most godly conunaundements, through wicked thoughts, vngodly lustes, sinfull wordes and deeds, commited all my whole life. In sinne am I borne and conceiued, and there is no goodnesse in me, in as much as if thou shouldest enter into thy narrow iudgement with mee, iudging mee according vnto the same, I were neuer able to susser and abide it, but must needes pertsh and be damncd for eucr: So little helpe, comfort, or succour is there either in me, or in any other creature. Onely this is my comfort (O heauenly Father) that thon diddest not spare thy onely deare beloued sonne, bnt diddest gine him vp vnto the most bitter, and most vile & slanderous death of the crosse for me, that he might so pay the ransom for my sinnes, satisfie thy indgment, still and pacifie thy wrath, reconcile me againe vnto thee, and pnrchase me thy grace & fanour, & cuerlasting life. where fore throngh the merit of his most bitter death and passion, and through his innocent bloodshedding, I beseech thee, O hea∣uenly Father, that thou wilt vouchsase to be gracious & mer∣ciful vnto me, to fergiue and pardon me all my sinnes, to ligh∣ten my heart whit thy holy Spirit, to renue, confirme, and strengthen me with a right & perfect faith, and to inflame me in loue toward thee and my neighbour, that I may hence∣foorty with a willing and glad heart, walke as it becommeth me in thy most godly commaunements, and so glorifie and prayse thee euerlastingly. And also that I may with a free conscience & quiet heart, in all maner of temptations, afflicti∣ons, or necessities, & eucn in the very pangs of death, cry bold∣ly & merily vnto thee, & say, I beleeue in God the father almighty, maker of heauen & earth, and in lesus Christ, &c. But, O Lord

God heauenly Father, to comfort my selfe in affliction and temptation with these articles of the Christian faith, it is not in my power, for faith is thy gift: and forasmuch as thou wilt be prayed vnto, and called vyon for it, I come vnto thee, to pray and beseech thee, both for that and for all other my necessities, euen as thy deare beloued Sonne our Sauiour Ie-sus Christ himselfe hath taught vs, And from the very bottome of my heart I crie, and say, Our Father which art in heauen halowed be thy Name, &c.

¶ A prayer to be sayd in the Morning.

O Merciful Lord God heauenly Father, I ren dermost high laudes, praise, and thankes vnto thee, that thou hast preserued mee both this might, and all the time and dayes of my life hitherto, vnder thy protection, and hast suffe red me to liue vnto this present houre. And I beseech thee heartily, that thon wilt vouchsafe to receiue mce this day, and the residue of my whole life from hence foorth; into thy tuition, ruling and gouerning mee with thy holy Spirite, that all maner of darkenesse, of misbeliefe, infidelitie, and of carnall lustes and affections, may bee betterly chased and driuen out of my heart, and that I may be iustified and saued both body and soule through a right and perfect faith, and so walke in the light of thy most godly trueth, to thy glory and prayse, and to the profite and furtherance of my neighbour, through Iesus Christ our Lord and Saui-our. Amen.

¶ Another prayer for the morning.

O Almightie and most gracious God, wee heartily thank thee for the sweete sleepe and comfortable rest which thou hast giuen vs this night: and for asmuch as thou hast commanded by thy holy word that no man should be idle, but all occupied in godly and vertuous exercises, euery man according to his calling: we most humbly beseech thee, that thine eyes may attende vpon vs

dayly defend vs, cherish, comfort and gouerne vs, and all our counsails, studies & labours, in such wise, that we may spend and bestow this day according to thy most holy will, without the hurting of our neighbors, and that we may deligently and warily eschew and auoid all things that should displease thee, set thee alwayes before our eyes, liue in thy feare, working that which may be found accepteble before thy diuine Maie stie, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A prayer for the Euening.

O Most mighty Lord our father, and God e uerlasting, full of pitie and compassion, we acknowledge and confesse that we be not worthy to lift by our eies to heauen, much lesse to present our selues before thy Maiesty, with confidence that thou wilt heare our prayers & grant our requests, if we consider our owne deseruing. For our conseiences doe accuse vs, and our sinnes witnesse against vs, and wee know that thou art an vpright iudge, which doest not iustifie the sinners and wicked men, but punishest the faults of such as transgresse thy commaunde ments. Yet most mercifull Father, sith it hath pleased thee to command vs to call on thee in all our troubles & aduersities, promising euen then to helpe vs, When wee feele our selues (as it were) swallowed vp of death and desperation: wee vttterly renounce all worthy confidence, and flee to thy soue-raigne bounty, as our onely stay and refuge, besceehinng thee not to call to remembrance our manisold sinnes and wicked-nesse, where by wee continually prouoke thy wrath and in dignation against vs, neither our negligence and vnkindnesse, which haue neither worthily csreemed, nor in our liues sufficiently expressed the sweete comfort of thy Gospell reuealed vnto vs, but rather to accept the obedience and death of thy Sonne Iesus Christ, who by offering vp his body in Sacrifice once for all, hath made sufficient recompense for all our sinnes. Haue mercie therefore vpon vs, O Lorde, and forgiue vs our offences. Teach vs by thy holy Spirit, that wee may rightly weigh them, and earnestly repent for the

same: and so much the rather, O Lorde, because that the reprobate, and such as thou hast forsaken, cannot praise thee, nor call vpon thy Name: but the repenting heart, the sorowfull minde, the conscience oppressed, hungering and thirsting for thy grace, shall euer set foorth thy praise and glory. And albeit wee bee but wormes and dust, yet thou art our Creator, and we be the worke of thy hands: yea, thou art our Father, and wee thy childreen: thou art our sheepheard, and wee thy flokec: thou art our redeemer, and we thy people whom thou hast bought: thou art our God, and wee thine inheritance. Correct vs not there fore in thine anger, O Lord, neither according to our deserts punnish vs, but mercifully thastise vs with a fatherly affection, that all the world may knowe that at what time soeuera sinner doeth repent him of his sinne, from the bottome of his heart, thou wilt put away his wic∣kednesse out of thy remembrance, as thou hast promised by thine holy prophet.

Finally, forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to make the night for man to rest in, as thou hast ordained him the day to trauell: Grant, O deare Father, that we may so take out vodily rest, that our soules may continuaily watch for the time that our Lord Iesus Christ shall appeare for our deliuerance out of this mortall life, and in the meane season that wee, not ouercome by any fantasies, dreames, or other temptations, may fully set our mindes vpon thee, loue thee, feare thee, and rest in thee: Furthermore, that our sleepe be note excessiue or ouer much, after the insatiable desires of our flesh: but onely sufficient to content our weake nature, that wee may bee the better disposed to liue in all godly conuersatiou, to the glory of shine holy Name, and profite of our brethren. Amen.

A most necessary prayer.

O Lord Iesus Christ, which art true Sunne of the worlde, euermore arising, and neuer going downe, which by thy most wholesome appearing and sight, doest bring foorth, preserue, nourish and refresh all things, aswell that are in heauen, as also that are

on earth, we beseech thee mercifully and fauourably to shine into our hearts, that the night and darkenesse of sinnes, and the mists of errours on cuery side driuen away, thou brightly shining within out hearts, we may all out life space go with out any stumbling or offence, and may decently and seemely walke (as in the day time) being pure and cleane from the workes of darkenesse, & abounding in all good workes which God hath prepared for vs to walke in, which with the Father and with the holy Ghost, liuest and reignest for euer and euer. Amen.

❧ The prayer of Manasseh King of the Iewes.

O Lord Almighty, God of our fathers, Abra ham Isar••nd Iacob, and of their righte ouseed, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 made heauen and earth with all 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 which hast bound the sea by the word of thy commandement, which ha•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vp the deepe and sealed it by thy terribl••,& glorious name, whome all doe feare & tremble before thy power:for the Maiesty of thy glory cannot bee borne, & thine angry threatning toward sinners is importable, but thy mercifull promise is vnmeasurable and bnscatcable. For thou art the most high Lord, of great com passion, long suffering, and most mercifull, and repentest for mans miscrics. Thou, O Lord, according to thy great good nesse hast promised * 1.1 repentance and forgiuenesse to them that sinne against thee and for thine infinite m••rcies hast appointed repentance vnto sinners that they may bee saued. Thou therefore, O Lord, that art the God of the iust, hast not appointed repentance to the iust, as to Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, which haue not * 1.2 sinned against thee, but thou hast appointed repcntance vnto nice that am a sinner: for I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea. By transgressions, O Lorde, are multiplied: my transgressions are exceeding many: and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of the heauens for the multitude of mine vnrighte ousnes. I am bowed downe with many yron bands, that I

cannot lift vp mine head, neither haue I any telese, For I haue prouoked thy wrath, and done euill before thee. I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandements. I haue set vp abominations, and haue multiplied offences. Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace. I haue sinned, O Lord, I haue sinned, and I acknowledge my transgressions: but I humbly beseech thee, forgiue mee: O Lord forgiue mee, and destroy mee not with my transgressions. Be not angry with me for euer by reseruing euill for mee, neither condemne mee into the lower partes of the earth. For thou art the God, euen the God of them that repent: and in me thou wilt shewe all thy goodnesse: for thou wilt saue me that am vnworthy, according to thy great mercie: theresre I will prayse thee for euer all they dayes of my life. For all the power of the heauens prayse thee, and thine is the glory for euer and euer. Amen.

❧ A prayer conteining the duetie of euery true Christian.

O Most mighty God, merciful and louing Father, I wretched sinner come vnto thee in the name of thy dearely beloued Sonne Iesus Christ my only Sauiour and redeemer: and I most humbly beseech thee for his sake to be mercifull vnto mee, and to cast all my sinnes out of thy sight and remembrance, through the merits of his bloody death and passion.

Powre vpon me (O Lord) thy holy spirit of wisedome and grace: gouerne and leade me by thy holy word, that it may be a lanterne vnto my feete, and a light vnto my steps. Shew thy mercie vpon me, and so lighten the naturall blindnes and darkenesse of my heart through thy grace, that I may dayly bee renewed by the same spirit and grace: By the which (O Lord) purge the grossenes of my hearing & vnderstanding, that I may profitably reade, heare, and vnder stand thy word and heauenly will, beleeue, and practise the same in my life

and conuersation, and euermore hold fast that blessed hope of euerlasting life.

Mortifie and kill all vite in mee, that my life may expresse my faith in thee: mercifully heare the humble suite of thy seruant, and grant me thy peace all my dayes: Graciously pardon mine infirmities, and defend mee in all dangers of body goods and name: but most chiefly my soule against all assaults, temptations, accusations, subtill baites and sleights of that old enemie of mankind Satan that roaring Lion, euer seeking whom he may deuoure.

And here (O Lord) I prostrate, with most humble mind craue of thy diuing Maiestie, to bee mercifull vnto the vniuersall Church of thy Sonne Christ: and specially according to my bounden duety beseech thee for this sake to blesse, saue, and defend the principall memeber thereof, thy seruant our most deare and Souercigne Lord King Iames, encrease in his royal heart true faith, godly ••eale, and loue of the same: And grant him victorie ouer all his enemies, a long, prosperous, and honourable life vpon earth, a blessed ende, and life euerlasting.

Moreouer, O Lorde, graunt vnto his Maiesties most honourable Counsellours, and euery other member of this thy Church of England, that thy and we in our seuerall callings, may truely and godly serue thee: Plant in our hearts true feare and honour of thy Name, obedience to our Prince, and loue to our neighbours. Increase in vs true faith and religion: Replenish our mindes with all goodnesse, and of thy great mercie keepe vs in the same till the end of our lines: Giue vnto vs a godly zeale in prayer, true humilitie in prosperitie, perfect patience in aduersitie, and continuallioy in the holy Ghost

And lastly I commend vnto thy fatherly protection, all that thou hast giuen me, as wife, children and seruants: Aide me O Lord, that I may gouerne, norish, & bring them vp in thy feare and seruice. And forsmuch as in this world I must alwayes be at warre and strife, not with one sort of enemies, but with an infinitie number, not onely with flesh and blood,

but with the deuill which is the prince of darknesse, and with wicked men executors of his most damnable will: Grant me therefore thy grace, that being armed with thy defence, I may stand in this battel with an inuincible constaucie against all corruption, which I am compassed with on euery sde vntil such time as I hauing ended the combate, which during this life I must sustaine, in the ende I may attaine to thy heauenly rest, which is prepared for mee and all thine elect, through Christ our Lord and only Sauiour. AMEN.
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Notes

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