Evening prayer.
O Lord God, Father everlasting, and full of pity, we acknowledge and confess that we be not worthy to lift up our eyes to heaven, much less to present our selves before thy Majesty, with con∣fidence that thou wilt hear our prayers, and grant our requests, if we consider our own deservings; for our consciences do accuse us, and our sins do witness against us and we know that thou art an upright Judge, which dost not justify the sinners and wicked men, but punishest the faults of all such as transgress thy command∣ments: yet, most merciful Father, since it hath pleased thee to command us to call on thee in all our troubles and ad∣versities, promising even then to help us, when we feel our selves as it were swallowed up of death and desperation; we utterly renounce all worldly confi∣dence, and the to thy sovereign bounty as our onely stay and refuge: beseech∣ing thee not to call to remembrance our manifold sins and wickedness, where∣by we continually provoke thy wrath and indignation against us; neither our neg∣ligence and unkindness, which have nei∣ther worthily esteemed, nor in our lives sufficiently expressed the sweet comfort of thy gospel revealed unto us: but rather to accept the obedience and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, who by offering up his body in sacrifice once for all, hath made a sufficient recompence for all our sins. Have mercy therefore upon us, O Lord, and forgive us our offences. Teach us by thy holy Spirit that we may rightly weigh them, and earnestly re∣pent us for the same. And so much the rather, O Lord, because that the repro∣bate and such as thou hast forsaken can∣not praise thee, nor call upon thy name; but the repenting heart, the sorrowful minde, the conscience oppressed, hun∣gring and thirsting for thy grace, shall ever set forth thy praise and glory. And albeit we be but worms and dust, yet thou art our Creatour, and we be the work of thy hands; yea, thou art our Father, and we thy children; thou art our Shepherd, and we thy flock; thou art our Redeemer, and we thy people whom thou hast bought; thou art our God, and we thine inheritance. Correct us not therefore in thine anger, O Lord, neither according to our deserts punish us, but mercifully chastise us with a fatherly affection, that all the world may know, that at what time so ever a sinner doth repent him of his sins from the bottom of his heart, thou wilt put away all his wickedness out of thy remembrance, as thou hast promi∣sed by thy 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 travail in; grant, O dear Father, that we may so take our bodily rest, that our souls may continually watch for the time that our Lord Jesus Christ shall ap∣pear for our deliverance out of this mor∣tal life: and in the mean season that we not overcome by any fantasies, dreams, or other temptations, may fully set our minds upon thee, love thee, fear thee, and rest in thee: furthermore, that our sleep be not excessive or overmuch, after the insatiable desires of the flesh, but onely sufficient to content our weak nature, that we may be the better dispo∣sed to live in all godly conversation, to the glory of thy most holy name, and the profit of our brethren. So be it.