Merciful God and Father, to whom our saviour christ 1approached in his fear and need, by reason of death, & found comfort: gracious God & most bounteous Christ, on whom Stephen called in his extreme 2need, & received strength: most benign holy spirit, which in the middest of all crosses & death, diddest comfort the apostle s. Paul, 3with more consolations in christ, then he felt sorrows & terrors in the world: have mercy upon me a most miserable, vile & wretched ⟨image 50⟩sinner, which now draw near the gates of death deserved both in soul & body eternally, by reason of my manifold horrible, old & new transgressions, which to thine eyes (O lord god) are open and known. Oh be merciful unto me, and forgive me for the bitter death and blood shedding of thine only Son Jesus Christ. And though thy Justice do require in respect of my sins, that now thou shouldest not hear me, contemning thy daily callings: yet let thy mercy, which is above all thy works, and wherewith the earth is filled, let thy mercy (I say) prevail towards me, through the merits & mediation of christ our saviour, for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bring me forth now, as one of his witnesses, & ⟨image 51⟩a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him, to give my life therefore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (dear god) that there was never any so unworthy and unmeet, no not the these that hanged with him on the cross. I humbly therefore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly, aid, help, & assist me with the strength and heavenly grace, that with christ thy Son I may find comfort, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, with Paul and all others, which for thy names sake have suffered afflictions and death, I may find so present with me thy gracious consolation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, set forth & ratify thy verity, comfort the hearts of the heavy, confirm thy church ⟨image 51⟩in thy truth, convert some that are to be converted, and so depart out of this miserable world (where I do nothing but daily heap sin upon sin) and enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy: whereof now give & increase in me a lively taste, sense, and feeling, wherethrough the terror of death, the torments of fire, the pains of sin, the darts of Satan, & the dolours of hell, may never overcome me:
MErcifull God and Father, to whom our sauiour christ 1approched in hys feare and nede, by reason of death, & founde comforte: gracious God & most bounteous Christe, on whō Stephen called in hys extreame 2neede, & receiued strength: moste beninge holy spirite, which in the middest of all crosses & death, diddest comfort the apostle s. Paule, 3with more consolations in christ, then he felt sorrowes & terrours in the worlde: haue mercy vppon me a most miserable, vile & wretched ⟨image 50⟩sinner, which nowe drawe nere the gates of death deserued both in soule & body eternally, by reson of my manifold horrible, old & newe transgressions, which to thine eyes (O lorde god) are opē and kuowen. Oh be merciful vnto me, and forgeue me for the bitter death and bloud sheddinge of thine onely sonne Iesus Christe. And thoughe thy Iustice do require in respect of my sinns, that nowe thou sholdest not heare me, contemning thy dayly callinges: yet let thy mercy, which is aboue all thy works, and wherwith the earthe is filled, let thy mercy (I say) preuayle towardes me, thorow the merites & mediation of christ our sauiour, for whose sake it pleaseth thee to bringe me forth now, as one of his witnesses, & ⟨image 51⟩a record bearer of thy verity and trueth taught by him, to geue my life therfore. To which dignity I do acknowledge (deare god) that there was neuer anye so vnworthy and vnmeete, no not the thefe that hāged with him on ye crosse. I humbly therfore pray thee that thou wouldest accordingly, ayde, helpe, & assist me with the strēgth and heauenly grace, yt with christ thy sonne I may finde comforte, with Stephen I may see thy presence and gracious power, wyth Paule and all others, whych for thy names sake haue suffred afflictious and death, I maye finde so present with me thy gracious cō solation, that I may by death glorify thy holy name, set forth & ratify thy verity, comforte ye hartes of the heauy, confirme thy church ⟨image 51⟩in thy truth, cōuert some that are to be conuerted, and so depart out of this miserable world (wher I do nothing but dayly heape sinne vpon sinne) and enter into the fruition of thy blessed mercy: wherof now geue & increase in me a liuely taste, sense, and felinge, wherthrough the terrour of death, the torments of fier, the pains of sin, ye darts of Sathan, & the dolours of hell, may neuer ouercome mee:
- 1Math. 26
- 2Acts. 7.Actes. 7.
- 32. Cor. 1.
