This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. Searching, reading, printing, or downloading EEBO-TCP texts is reserved for the authorized users of these project partner institutions. Permission must be granted for subsequent distribution, in print or electronically, of this text, in whole or in part. Please contact project staff at eebotcp-info@umich.edu for further information or permissions.
OUr knowledge, our vnderstan∣ding, and our wil, by naturall cor∣ruption O Lord, is blind, dul and rebellious against thy ho¦lie will: insomuch that the na¦turall man vnderstandeth not heauenlie thinges, nor desireth the participation
of thy euerlasting kingdome, but is an enimie vnto the same. Therefore thy sentence remaineth true, at what time thou saiedst, Man is but flesh, and all the imaginations of mans heart are euill. For this cause we pray as thy beloued sonne hath taught vs héere, that not ours, but Thy will be doone. Thy will is iust, ho∣lie, good, and full of sauing health, euen as thou art the bottomlesse well of all good∣nesse, and righteousnesse it
selfe. And as thou art our lo∣uing and most mercifull Fa∣ther, so there is no cause whie we shoulde doubt of thy good will, which surmounteth the louing kindnesse of all earth∣lie fathers. Thy will O god is omnipotent, and euerlasting, without shadowe of change, thou wilt doo whatsoeuer sée∣meth good vnto thee, and thy will shall stande for euer and euer, and the thoughts of thy hart throughout alages. Giue vs grace louing Father, wee
beseech thée, that as we are ig∣norant of this thy secret will, so we may alwayes humblie like obedient children submit our selues vnto the same, to bee ordered thereby as shall séeme best to thy diuine wise∣dome.
But at this time, O Lord, especiallie, wee pray for the execution of thy reuealed will which thy onely begotten son our sauiour hath manifested vnto vs in his most holy gos∣pell, and which at this day is
reuealed vnto vs by the prea∣ching of the same, that wee might bee saued through Ie∣sus Christ, in whom thou hast chosen vs from euerlasting, that wee might bee heires of his kingdome. For this is thy wil (saith our sauior christ) that euerie one which belée∣ueth in the son should haue e∣ternall life. Giue vs fayth therefore (O heauenlie Fa∣ther wee beseech theee) that this thy will may bee perfec∣ted and accomplished in
vs, that wee may tend vnto that end, whereunto thou hast appointed vs That wee may beléeue in thee, feare thee, and loue thee for thy so great and fatherlie mercyes in Iesus Christ our Sauiour, powred vpon vs. Let this thy most holie, and holsome will be ful∣filled in vs, that being iusti∣fied through the merits of thy beloued sonne, and thorough faith in him, we may bee ioy∣ned with thée.
Furthermore thy will is,
O god, that they which are re∣déemed by thy sonne, and doo stedfastlie beleeue in him, should shew themselues obe∣dient, thankefull, and readie to walke in his commaunde∣ments: and that wee beeing wholie consecrated vnto him shoulde giue our selues to in∣nocencie and puritie, & should not anie more defile our bo∣dies with the filthines of sins which hee hath made the tem∣ples of the holie ghost. For this is thy will, O God, euen
our holinesse, that wee should abstaine from fornication, & that euery one of vs should kéepe our vessell in sanctifica∣tion and honour: and not to walke in the lust of concupis∣cence, as do the heathen which know not thee. And as thou O father, wouldest haue vs to loue thee aboue all things, so thou wouldest that we loue our neighbours also, not in word and toong, but in deede and veritie. Let this thy will good Father, bee fulfilled in
vs.
And we heartilie praie thée that as in prosperitie, we can bee well contented with thy wil, so also whensoeuer it shall please thée, either for the pu∣nishment of our sinnes, either for the tryall and exercise of our fayth, or for anie other cause, as shal séem best to thy fatherlie wisdom to afflict vs with diseases, with langui∣shing sicknesses, with iniu∣ries and reproches, with per∣secutions, or any other crosse
whatsoeuer, we may patient∣lie and willinglie, euen from our heart saie, Thy will bee doone. For if we bee not vn¦der chastisement, whereof all thy children are partakers in this life, then might we déeme our selues bastards, and not sonnes. And séeing thy onelie sonne our Sauiour, in whose mouth there was no guile, for vs miserable and sinfull men, vouchedsafe to stand as a méeke lambe dumbe before the fleecer, and opened not
his mouth, but bearing the chastisement of our peace, in the moste bitter agonie of death, when hee sweat water and bloud, most mildelie sub∣mitted himselfe to thy holie will: wee heartilie praie thee for the same our Christs sake that we may bee appliable to thy will in all thinges, after the example of thy deer sonne and maie without murmu∣ring or grudging vnfeinedlie say, Thy will be done.