TO THE MOST HONOURABLE AND VIRTUOUS LADY ANNE OF CLEVE', HER GRACE, SISTER TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CLEVE, &c., THOMAS BECON WISHETH THE FAVOUR OF GOD, LONG LIFE, AND CONTINUAL HEALTH. AMONG many other godly and noble virtues, which God by his holy Spirit hath graffed in your grace's breast, most honourable lady, the fervent affection and continual desire of praying unto the Lord our God hath neither the last nor the least place in you. And as God hath wrought in you by the Holy Ghost this godly mind to call upon his holy name with diligent prayer, so likewise doth your grace stir up and confirm that spiritual motion with the exercise of daily prayer, lest that godly affection should be quenched, which the Holy Ghost hath kindled in your heart. For your grace doth right well consider, that God delighteth in nothing more than in the invocation of his blessed name, and in the sacrifice of thanksgiving for his benefits. Where the name of God is diligently called upon, and most humble and hearty thanks given unto him for his fatherly and friendly gifts, there is his blessing, grace, and favour plenteous; there is the Holy Ghost present, there is a merry conscience; there all things prosper, there wanteth no good thing. Continue therefore, most honourable lady, as ye have godly begun, both you and all your faithful family, to call for the glorious name of the Lord our God with fervent prayer, and forget not to be thankful unto him for his benefits, wherewith above many other he hath richly endued your grace. So shall he be your loving Lord and gracious God, your favourable Father and strong shield. So shall he make your grace to prosper in all your doings, and bless you both with long life and much honour. And that your grace may have at hand convenient prayers to pray unto the Lord our God, I thought it good, considering your grace's manifold virtues, to give unto you this my Pomander of Prayer, wherein are briefly contained such godly prayers as are most meet in this our age to be used of all degrees and estates, most humbly beseech ing your grace to take in good part this my rude and bold enterprise, according to your accustomed gentleness. God, whose glory you heartily love, whose word you joyfully embrace, whose name you earnestly call upon, mought vouchsafe to preserve your grace in continual health and increase of honour! Amen. Your grace's most humble and faithful orator, Thomas Becon. It may, [1 Of Anne, daughter of John duke of Cleve, the fourth wife of king Henry VIII., little is recorded by historians, excepting the particulars of her marriage to that monarch, and a notice of her divorce six months afterwards. Into the details of these events it is not necessary here to enter. however, be said that, the preliminaries having been agreed on in 1539, the princess landed at Deal, Dec. 27, in that year. The king had an interview with her at Rochester, Jan. 3 following, and in three days' time the marriage took place. It does not appear that she was ever crowned; and Henry, having conceived a dislike of her person, speedily endea voured to release himself from the connexion. In July, 1540, the convocation having pronounced against the legality of this marriage, an act to invalidate it was passed by parliament; and Anne, having laid down the title of queen, consented to live still in England, in the enjoyment of certain estates settled upon her on condition that she should not go beyond the sea. She survived her retirement seventeen years, and died in her house at Chelsea, July 17, 1557. She was of a courteous and gentle temper, much esteemed by her friends. Her accomplishments extended little beyond the exercise of the needle, with reading and writing.] THE POMANDER OF PRAYER. A PRAYER FOR THE MORNING. I RENDER unto thee, O heavenly Father, most hearty thanks, by thy dear Son Jesus Christ, that this night past thou hast vouchedsafe of thy fatherly goodness to preserve me from all evil, and to give my body rest and sleep: I now most entirely beseech thee that, as thou hast raised up this my body from sleep, so likewise thou wilt deliver my mind from the sleep of sin, and from the darkness of this world; that I, walking in the light of thy blessed word, may only do that is pleasant in thy sight, profitable to my neighbour, and healthful to my soul. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE EVENING. I MOST humbly thank thee, O merciful Father, for preserving me this day from all misfortunes, and for thy other benefits wherewith thou hast plenteously blessed me. I beseech thee, forgive me all my sins wherewith I have offended thy fatherly goodness from the very beginning of my life unto this present hour, and take me this night into thy tuition, that mine enemies may have no power over me, but that, my body enjoying a sweet sleep, my mind may continually watch unto thee, and through faith behold thy blessed Majesty, with a perfect hope, after this frail and transitory life, to possess that immortal and heavenly life, where thou gloriously livest and reignest with thy only-begotten Son and the Holy Ghost, one true and everlasting God, worlds without end. Amen. A PRAYER FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SIN. Matt. xviii. O MY Lord and only Saviour Jesu Christ, which camest into this world to take away the heavy burdens of them that were loaden, to seek that was lost, to call sinners Matt. xi. unto repentance, to give everlasting life to the faithful, and to be a Mediator between Luke xix. God the Father and us; I, poor and wretched sinner, from the very heart lament and inwardly bewail my sinful and wretched life, desiring thee, for thy promise sake, according to thy merciful wont, to be my Mediator and Advocate unto God the Father, that Matt. ix. he may forgive me all mine old sins, and so wholly possess my heart by his blessed 1 Tim. ii. Spirit, that he may defend me against all perils to come, which the devil, the world, or the flesh, imagineth against me, and so change me into a new man, that, mine old sins being wiped away in thy precious blood, I may walk from virtue to virtue, unto the glory and praise of his blessed name. Amen. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE FATHER. John iii. 1 John ii. THY dearly-beloved Son, O most loving Father, taught us in his holy gospel that to know thee to be the alone true God is everlasting life. Grant therefore, we beseech John xvii. thee, that we may truly know thee, even as we are taught by thy holy word, believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth, that thou alone art the true living and immortal God, our heavenly Father, our maker, our preserver, and our defender; that we, thus believing and confessing, may through thy Son Christ become heirs of ever [2 Pomander: a ball made up of several sorts of perfumes.] Matt. v. lasting life. And as we thus believe and confess of thee, so give us grace to shew forth this our faith by godly conversation and virtuous living, that men, seeing our good works, may glorify thee our heavenly Father, to whom be praise for ever. Amen. Matt. xvi. Psal. ii. John i. Col. i. Eph. ii. 1 John ii. Rom. v. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE SON. O LORD Jesu Christ, the Son of the living God, yea, very God himself, begotten of God the Father from everlasting, and continuing true and immortal God worlds without end, by thee all things were made both in heaven and in earth; by thee also they be conserved and kept in a goodly order: thou art the brightness of thy Father's glory, thou art the very image of his substance; in thee are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge; in thee dwelleth all fulness; by thee are we reconciled to God the Father; by thee are we set at peace with him, through the blood of thy cross; by thee have we free access unto the glorious throne of God's majesty; and by thee are we brought in through faith unto this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. We thank thee for all thy benefits, and most humbly beseech thee to give us grace faithfully to believe in thee, stedfastly to confess thee true God and true man, earnestly to acknowledge thee our alone Redeemer, Saviour, Satisfier, Reconciler, Intercessor, Mediator, and Advocate; that we, altogether depending on thee and thy merits, on thy blessed passion, precious death, and glorious resurrection, may study, through thy grace, so to order our life in true holiness and innocency, that at the day of judgment thou mayest present us both body and soul unto thy heavenly Father, and so for ever and ever place us in thy glorious kingdom. Amen. 1 John v. Matt. v. A PRAYER UNTO GOD THE HOLY GHOST. O HOLY and blessed Spirit, which, being true and everlasting God with God the John xv. xvi. Father and God the Son, proceedest from them both, full of majesty and power; which also with thy heavenly breath quickenest the minds of them that afore were dead through sin, makest merry the hearts of the faithful penitent, bringest into the way of truth all such as have erred and are deceived, settest at one such as were at debate, comfortest the souls of them that hunger and thirst after righteousness, and plenteously enrichest them with divers gifts which pray unto thee in the name of Jesu Christ; purify our hearts, we beseech thee, with the fire of thy love, mortify in us whatsoever is not thine, renew and garnish our minds with thy heavenly benefits and spiritual gifts, that they may be made thy temples; lead us into all necessary truth, suffer us not to be carried about with divers and strange doctrine, but alway to remain in that doctrine whereof thou alone art the author; enarm our souls against the crafty assaults of subtile Satan, against the vain pleasures of the wicked world, and against the lewd lusts of filthy flesh, that we, being replenished with thy holy breath, may do that only which is acceptable in thy godly sight. Amen. John xiv. Heb. xiii. Wisd. vi. Wisd. vi. PARTICULAR PRAYERS TO BE SAID. OF THE MAGISTRATES. FORASMUCH as it is thy godly pleasure, O King of kings, and Lord of lords, to appoint me among other a ruler of thy people, give me grace, I beseech thee, so to minister the commonweal, and so to execute my office, that I may please thee, and hurt no man in all my doings; but judge equally and justly, rule according to thy will, shew myself a father unto thy people, and so behave myself in all mine enterprises, that I, seeking thy glory, the furtherance of thy blessed gospel, and the weal of the subjects, may, when thou shalt render to every man according to his deeds, be found blameless in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. OF THE MINISTERS OF GOD'S WORD Psal. cx. O THOU high Priest and everlasting Bishop Jesus Christ, the alone teacher of all 1 Pet. v. godly truth, and the only curate of our souls, which by thy holy word hast appointed Pet. ii. some of thy congregation to be ministers and preachers of thy blessed law and glorious gospel, that by this means, the Holy Ghost also working, they may call sinners unto repentance, preach remission of sins in thy name, persuade unto virtue, and dissuade Luke xxiv. from vice; forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to call me, an unprofitable servant, unto that holy office of ministration, and to make me a preacher of thy word, I most humbly beseech thee to give me thy holy Spirit, which may lead me into all truth, John xiv. xv. instruct me with the knowledge of thy holy mysteries, and through his heavenly inspiration so prepare my heart and order my tongue, that I may neither think, breathe, nor speak any thing but that may turn unto thy glory and the edifying of thy flock. Grant also, that whatsoever I preach in word I may fulfil the same in work, unto the 1 Pet. v. example of that thy flock, which thou hast purchased with thy precious blood; that, when thou the chief Shepherd shalt appear, I, being found faithful in my office, may through thy goodness receive the incorruptible crown of glory. Amen. Acts x. OF SUBJECTS OR COMMONS. Rom. xiii. Tit. iii. Acts x. As it is thy godly appointment, O Lord God, that some should bear rule in this Wisd. vi. world to see thy glory set forth, and the common peace kept, so it is thy pleasure again 1 Tim. vi. that some should be subjects and inferiors to other in their vocation, although before 1 Pet. ii. thee there is no respect of persons. And forasmuch as it is thy good will to appoint Rom. ii. me in the number of subjects, I beseech thee to give me a faithful and an obedient heart unto the high powers, that there may be found in me no disobedience, no unfaithfulness, no treason, no falsehood, no dissimulation, no insurrection, no commotion, no conspiracy, nor any kind of rebellion in word or in deed against the civil magistrates, Matt. xxiii. but all faithfulness, obedience, quietness, subjection, humility, and whatsoever else Mark x. becometh a subject; that I, living here in all lowliness of mind, may at the last day through thy favour be lifted up unto everlasting glory, where thou with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest very God for ever. OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS. Amen. Luke xviii. Psal. cxxvii. THE fruit of the womb and the multitude of children is thy gift and blessing, O Gen. xxx. Lord, given to this end, that they may live to thy glory and the commodity of their neighbour. Forasmuch therefore as thou of thy goodness hast given me children, I beseech thee, give me also grace to train them up even from their cradles in thy nurture Eph. vi. and doctrine, in thy holy laws and blessed ordinances, that from their very young age they may know thee, believe in thee, fear and love thee, and diligently walk in thy commandments, unto the praise of thy glorious name. Amen. OF CHILDREN. Deut. v. Eph. vi. THOU hast given a commandment in thy law, O heavenly Father, that children Exod. xx. should honour their fathers and mothers: I most humbly beseech thee therefore to Matt. xix. breathe thy holy Spirit into my breast, that I may reverence and honour my father and mother, not only with outward gestures of my body, but also with the unfeigned affection of the heart; love them, obey them, pray for them, help them, and do for them, both in word and deed, whatsoever lieth in my power; that thou, seeing mine unfeigned hearty good-will toward my parents, mayest become my loving heavenly Father, and number me among those thy children whom thou hast appointed from ever- Matt. xxv. lasting heirs of thy glorious kingdom, through thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Eph. i. |