A PRAYER NECESSARY TO BE SAID AT ALL TIMES. O bountiful Jesu, O sweet Saviour, O Christ the Son o. God, have pity upon me, mercifully hear me, and despise not my prayers. Thou hast created me of nothing; thou hast redeemed me from the bondage of sin, death, and hell, neither with gold nor silver, but with thy most precious body once offered upon the cross, and thine own blood shed once for all, for my ransom; therefore cast me not away, whom thou by thy great wisdom hast made; despise me not whom thou hast redeemed with such a precious treasure: nor let my wickedness destroy that which thy goodness hath builded. Now whilst I live, O Jesu, have mercy on me, for if I die out of thy favour, it will be too late afterward to call for thy mercy; whilst I have time to repent, look upon me with thy merciful eyes, as thou didst vouchsafe to look upon Peter thine apostle; that I may bewail my sinful life, and obtain thy favour, and die therein. I acknowledge that if thou shouldest deal with me according to strict justice, I have deserved everlasting death. Therefore I appeal to thy high throne of mercy, trusting to obtain God's favour, not for my merits, but for thy merits, O Jesu, who hast given thyself an acceptable sacrifice to thy Father; to appease his wrath, and to bring all sinners truly repenting, and amending their evil life, into his favour again. Accept me, O Lord, among the number of them that shall be saved; forgive my sins; give me grace to lead a godly and innocent life; grant me thy heavenly wisdom, inspire my heart with faith, hope, and charity; give me grace to be humble in prosperity, patient in adversity, obedient unto my rulers, faithful unto them that trust me, dealing truly with all men; to live chastely, to abhor adultery, fornication, and all uncleanness; to do good after my power unto all men; to hurt no man; that thy name may be glorified in ine, during this present life, and that I afterward may obtain everlasting life, through thy mercy and the merits of thy passion. Amen. A PRAYER IN PROSPERITY. Most merciful Father, which hast of thy gracious mercy, without my deserving, endued me abundantly with many gracious gifts, both spiritually and bodily; and hast hitherto preserved me from innumerable perils and dangers, both of soul and body; and hast, at this present, bestowed upon me bodily health, wealth, and abundance of worldly substance, I most heartily thank thee; beseeching thee most humbly so to illuminate my mind, that may in all things be thankful unto thee for thy great benefits; and also, during my life, may freely bestow thy gracious gifts, to the glorifying of thy holy name, the advancement of thy honour, and profit of my neighbour. Grant this, most merciful Father, for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake, our only Saviour and Mediator. Amen. A PRAYER IN ADVERSITY. Almighty God, who for mine ingratitude and sinful life hast worthily punished me with much affliction and adversity, I most humbly beseech thee to give me grace utterly to detest and abhor my former wretched and sinful life; and to study daily for the amendment of the same; and that I may fully be persuaded that this affliction hath not chanced to me by casualty or misfortune, but by thy foreknowledge, counsel, permission, and determinate pleasure; and that thou beatest me with this thy rod of fatherly correction, not to the intent to cast me clean out of thy favour; but because thou wouldest thereby nurture me and reclaim me, to unfeigned repentance for my former life; to be more circumspect of godly life hereafter; to exercise my faith in thy godly promises; to try me, whether I will be patient and constant in adversity; to make me abhor the vain pleasures of this life; and, finally, with fervent and continual desire to long for the life everlasting. Wherefore, I most heartily pray thee, vouchsafe to increase and strengthen my faith, hope, charity, and meekness, and that I may, without murmur or grudge, patiently bear this thy fatherly chastisement; especially grant me, that I may daily increase more and more in fervent love towards thee: for thy holy word saith, that to them that love God, all things shall happen for the best; whether it be prosperity or adversity, health or sickness, life or death. In consideration whereof, I submit me wholly to thee; and fully surrender and resign all my will to thy most godly will and pleasure; which I nothing doubt shall end this my afflic tion so as shall be meetest and most agreeable to thy honour and glory, and to my most perfect wealth and everlasting salvation; through Jesus Christ our only Saviour, Redeemer, Advocate, and Mediator. Amen. A PRAYER TO BE SAID WHEN THE SICK PERSON IS JOYFUL AND GLAD TO DIE. O Lord Jesu Christ, I beseech thy mercy and goodness, that thou wilt strengthen and conduct my soul in the great journey which approacheth unto me. I believe thou for my sake didst die, and rise again; and that thou, through thy mercy, shalt forgive me all my sins; and that thou hast promised me everlasting life. Of this my belief, O Lord, shalt thou be witness with all thine elect. This shall also be my last will; in this faith, O Lord, do I die upon thine incomparable mercy. And if through pain and smart, impatience, or other temptation, I should or would shrink from this faith, O Lord, I beseech thee, let me not stick in such unbelief and blasphemy; but strengthen and increase my faith, to the intent that sin, hell, and the devil may not hurt me. For thou art stronger and mightier than all they. To this do I stedfastly trust; Lord, let me not be confounded. Amen. A PRAYER. Laud, honour, and thanks be unto thee, most merciful Lord Jesu Christ, for thy holy incarnation, for thy pains and bitter passion, through the which I know that thou art my Redeemer and Saviour; and believe that thou hast overcome sin, hell, and the devil; so that they cannot hurt me. To this do I only trust; upon this do I build; upon this standeth all my hope; in this trust and confidence will I be found. Only, O Lord, be propitious and merciful unto me, even as I, according to thy faithful promises, do nothing doubt. O Lord, leave me not in this great distress, but deliver me from evil. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THEM THAT LIE IN EXTREME PANGS OF DEATH. O pitiful Physician, and Healer both of body and soul, Christ Jesu! Vouchsafe to cast thy merciful eyes upon thy poor and sinful creature, who lieth here captive, and bound with sickness, turning his weakness to thy glory, and to his health. And vouchsafe, good Lord, to send him patience and endurance, that he may stedfastly continue to the end: And that he may, with a true and perfect faith, fight manfully against all temptations of the devil, when he may no longer continue. So be it. [Instead of the Dirige, a service for the dead highly esteemed in the church of Rome, and strongly imbued with its doctrinal errors, the Primer contains under the same title, a selection from the Psalms, and other appropriate parts of scripture, with the following prayers intended for use in the house of mourning.] O merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth and believeth in him, shall not die eternally: Who also hath taught us, by his holy apostle Paul, not to be sorry as men without hope, for them that sleep in him; we meekly beseech thee, O Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness, that when we shall depart this life, we may sleep in him, and, at the general resurrection in the last day, receiving again our bodies, and rising again in thy most gracious favour, we may, with all thine elect saints, obtain eternal joy. Grant this, O Lord God, by the means of our Advocate, Jesus Christ; who, with thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth one God for ever. Amen. Almighty God, we give thee hearty thanks for those thy servants, whom thou hast delivered from the miseries of this wretched world, from the body of death, and all temptation; and hast brought their souls, which they committed into thy holy hands, into sure consolation and rest: Grant, we beseech thee, that at the day of judgment, we, with all thy elect departed out of this life, may fully receive thy promises, and be made perfect altogether, through the glorious resurrection of thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.* who King Edward the Sixth's Primer is accessible to any person wishes to see the whole of its contents; two editions having been recently printed. |