A06743:36
[The flour of godly prayers] [most worthy to be used in these our days…[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies…
[The flour of godly prayers] [most worthy to be used in these our days for the safeguard, health, and comfort of all degrees, and estates / newly made by Thomas Becon].[The flour of godly praiers] [most worthy to be vsed in these our daies for the sauegard, health, and comforte of all degrees, and estates / newlie made by Thomas Becon].
London: printed by John Day, 1550London: printed by Ihon Day, 1550
No title page in the transcription: set from the catalogue record.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
A prayer for the night.
A prayer for the nighte.
O Lord God and my heavenly father, forasmuch as by thy divine ordinance the night approacheth, and darkness beginneth to overwhelm the earth, and time requireth that we give our selves to bodily rest and quietness, I render unto the most hearty thanks for thy loving kindness, which hast vouchsafed to preserve me this day, from the danger of mine enemies, to give me my health, to feed me, & so to send me all things necessary for the comfort of this ⟨image 18⟩my pore & needy life, I most hum bly beseech thee for Christs sake, that thou wilt mercifully forgive me, all that I have this day committed against thy fatherly goodness, either in word, deed, or thought, & that thou wilt vouchsafe to shadow me this night under the comfortable wings of thy almighty power, and defend me from Satan, & from all his crafty assaults, that neither he, nor any of his ministers have power over either my body, or my soul, but that although my body through thy benefit enjoyeth sweet and pleasant sleep, yet my soul may continually watch unto thee, think of thee, delight in thee, & evermore praise thee, that when the joyful light of the day returneth according to thy godly appointment, I may rise again with a faithful soul, and undefiled ⟨p. iii⟩body, and so afterward behave my self all the time of my life according to thy blessed will and commandment,1 by casting away the works of darkness, and putting on the armours of light,2 that men seeing my good works, may thereby be provoked to glorify the my heavenly father, which with thy only begotten son Jesus Christ our alone saviour, and the holy ghost that most sweet comforter, livest, and reignest one true and everlasting God, world without end. Amen.