Forasmuch, O heavenly father, as both thy honour and dishonour after a certain manner dependeth in this world,1 either of our godly or wicked life (if we live well, thy very adversaries ⟨image 75⟩shall be compelled to glorify thee, but if our• life be ungodly,2 so shalt thou be dishonoured among the wicked & evil spoken of through our sinful living) and because we should not walk inordinately & so provoke the enemies of thy truth to rail on thee, and to blaspheme thy holy name, thou hast appointed in thy blessed law certain honest & godly states and degrees, wherein thy people should live, and haste straitly commanded that so many as profess thee and thy holy word, should continue in the same,3 every one according to his vocation and calling, and by no means lead a dissolute life after the manner of the heathen, which know not God, that by well doing• the professors of thy holy religion may not only stop the mouths of foolish,4 and ignorant people but also provoke them to glorify thee, our Lord in the day of visitation: ⟨p. lx⟩we knowing our infirmity & weakness, which is so great and unable to be remedied of our natural strengths and freewill,5 that we are not able to think a good thought,6 much less to fulfil thy commandments which thou haste straitly commanded to be kept and wishing y• glory of thy most glorious name and the accomplishment of thy heavenly will most humbly and from the very heart beseech thee for Jesus Christs sake to endue us, with thy holy spirit, which may fulfil that lacketh in us, make us new creatures, trade us in the paths of thy holy law, and give us grace to walk according to our vocation in thy fear, & in the obedience of thy godly will, that we attempt nothing that in any point may hinder thy glory, obscure thy honour, deface thy name & cause y• to be evil spoken of among the ungodly. ⟨image 76⟩And that this may come to pass, grant O most merciful father that every one of us even from the highest to the lowest, may unfeignedly answer to our calling, & train our life according to thy blessed will, unto the glory of thy name▪ that whatsoever we do in word,7 or deed, we may do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to the God the father through him.
FOrasmuche, O heauenlye father, as bothe thy honoure and dishonoure after a certein maner dependeth in thys worlde,1 eyther of oure godlye or wycked lyfe (if we lyue well, thy very aduersasaries ⟨image 75⟩shal be cōpelled to gloryfye the, but if our• life be vngodlye,2 so shalt yu be dishonored amonge the wicked & euell spoken of thorowe our sinful liuing) and because we shuld not walke inordinatlye & so prouoke the enemies of thy truthe to rayle on the, and to blas•heme thy holye name, thou hast appoynted in thy blessed law certayne honest & godly states and d•grees, wherein thy people shoulde lyue, and haste streyghtelye commaunded that so manye as professe the and thy holye worde, shoulde continue in the same,3 eueri one accordyng to hys vocacion and calling, and by no means leade a dis•olute life after the maner of the heathē, which know not God, that by well doing• the professours of thy holie religiō may not only stop the mouthes of folish,4 and ignorant people but also prouoke them to glorify ye, our Lord in the day of visitacion: ⟨p. lx⟩we knowing our infirmiti & weaknes, whych is so great and vnable to be remedied of our natural strē gthes and frewill,5 that we are not able to thīk a good thought,6 much lesse to fulfil thy cōmaundements which thou haste straightlye commaunded to be kept and wyshing y• glory of thy most glorious name and the accomplishmēt of thy heauenly will most humbly and from the very heart besech the for Iesu Christes sake to endue vs, wyth thy holy spirit, which maye fulfyll that lacketh in vs, make vs newe creatures, trade vs in ye pathes of thy holye lawe, and geue vs grace to walke accordinge to our vocacion in thy feare, & in the obedience of thy godly wyll, that we attempt nothynge that in anye poynt may hīder thi glory, obscure thi honour, deface thy name & cause y to be euil spoken of among the vngodly.
- 1Math. v.
- 2Isaiah. iii. Ezec. xxxvi. Rom•. ii.Esay. iii. Ezec. xxxvi. Rom•. ii.
- 3i. Cor. vi. Ephe. iiii.
- 4[…]〈…〉
- 5ii. Cori. iii.
- 6Psalm. •xix
- 7Collos. iii.
