Occasional Prayers

O ALMIGHTIE God, our heavenly Father, I confesse and knowledge, that I am a miserable and a wretched sinner, and have manifold waies most grievouslie transgressed thy most godly commaundements, through wicked thoughts, ungodly lusts, sinfull words and deeds, and in my whole life. In sinne am I borne and conceived, and there is no goodnesse in mee; inasmuch as if thou shouldest enter into thy narrowe judgement with me, judging me according unto the same, I were never able to suffer or abide it, but must needes perish and be dampned for ever: So little help, comfort, or succoure is there either in me, or in any other creature. Onely this is my comfort (O heavenly Father), that thou diddest not spare thy onely deare beloved sonne, but diddest give him up unto the most bitter, and most vile and slaunderous death of the Crosse for me, that hee might so pay the ransome for my sinnes, satisfie thy judgement, still and pacifie thy wrath, reconcile me againe unto thee, and purchase me thy grace and thy favour, and everlasting life. Wherfore, through the merite of his most bitter death and passion, and through his innocent bloodshedding, I beseech the, O heavenly Father, that thou wilt vouchsafe to bee gracious and mercifull unto me, to forgive and pardon me al my sinnes, to lighten my harte with thy holy Spirit, to renue, confirme, and strengthen me with a right and a perfecte faith, and to inflame mee in love toward thee and my neighbour, that I may hencefurth with a willing and a glad harte, walke as becommeth me, in thy most godly commaundements, and so glorifie and praise the everlastingly. And also that I may with a free conscience and quiet hert, in all manner of temptations, afflictions, or necessities, and even in the verie pangs of death, crie boldly and merily unto thee, and say: I beleve in God the Father Almightie, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, &c. But, O Lord God heavenly father, to comfort myselfe in affliction and temptation with these articles of the Christian faithe, it is not in my power, for faith is thy gift: and forasmuch as thou wilt bee prayed unto, and called upon for it, I come unto thee, to pray and beseech the, both for that and for all my other necessities, even as thy desre beloved Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ himselfe hath taught us. And from the very bottome of my heart I cry, and say: Our Father, which art in heaven. &c.