Psalm 106: For A Perfect Confession, and That Grace Which God Hath Endued Us With May Have Much Rule Over Us
of thy blessed spirit, and vouchsafe to mitigate the heat of our manifold temptations, with the most sweet cloud of thy benign grace, whereby we may so purely and with such safety finish our journey through the deserts of this sinful life, as in the end we may rejoice, for being come unto thee with pourged minds into everlasting tabernacles, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Prayer 6) Our faith (O most good and merciful God) is more feeble and weak then it ought to be, whereof it cometh that we sin oftentimes with our fathers, whilst that we do not faithfully trust to thy blessed promises: but as thou
(who art God) hast not dealt with the children of Israel according to their infidelity and unbelief, but didst deliver them with a strong arm and most puissant power from the bondage of the Egyptians, even so we humbly beseech thee to be in such wise present with us by vanquishing and beating down the grievous sins whereby we are led into captivity, as thou hast drowned the Egyptians in the depth of the Sea, to the intent that we being moved with the feeling of this thy unspeakable goodness, may have a more firm and constant faith, nothing pampering our lusts in passing through the desert of this wretched life, least we also in like manner kindle not thy heavy displeasure against us, as did the Israelites who provoked thy wrathful indignation against thee, through their sundry naughty and lewd desires. Let us (we heartily pray thee) have their penalties and punishments always before our eyes, who being admonished by other men's perils and mischief, may behave ourselves warelier and with more wisdom in thy blessed house, which is thy sacred Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
PSALM 106: FOR A PERFECT CONFESSION, AND THAT
GRACE WHICH GOD HATH ENDUED US WITH MAY
HAVE MUCH RULE OVER US
(Prayer 1) We are all greatly bound to magnify thy blessed name so much as in us lieth (O most excellent God) for thy singular goodness and everlasting mercy, who hast very often showed the unspeakable force of thy puissant
strength for thy faithful people's deliverance, the like we now do humbly beseech thee to visit and comfort thy afflicted Church withal, which now is little better then oppressed with the fury of Antichrist and lewd practices of evil persons.
But forsomuch as it is thy blessed heritage, we have a marvelous earnest desire once to behold the peace, joy, and prosperity thereof. We know right well, and plainly confess, that we have committed very much lewdness together with our fathers, so that we have sinned exceeding grievously, and have most wretchedly fallen from thee our God: yet do we not therefore despair, because we verily perceive that thou didst always show thyself to be such a one towards thy chosen people of old time which thou diddest adorn with incredible benefits, who although they were altogether forgetful of the same in starting aside to idolatry and ungodliness, yet didst thou only not utterly overthrow those men, but (being chastised with a fatherly correction for a season) restoredst then to their former quietness, at what time they returned into the way of thy holy commandments.
Wherefore (we humbly beseech thee) O most mighty God, to preserve us none otherwise, and not according to our deserts, but for the glory of thy name only, that like as we are gathered together out of many nations, so also being delivered from a number of great perils, may show forth thy most worthy praises and speak very much honor of thee, through Jesus Christ our lord. Amen.
(Prayer 2) Thy inestimable clemency and wonderful goodness (O most good and merciful God) is such, that the deeper we consider the same by thy glorious works, so much seemeth it to be a more difficult thing to praise thee according to thy desert and worthiness: yet seeing the minds of the beholders hereof do always perfectly see that such are blessed which execute Justice and equity, and contrariwise those most unfortunate, that in their life and conversation swerve from thy sacred laws. We earnestly require thee therefore to keep us
(through the grace and favor of our Lord Jesus Christ) in the obedience of thy most holy will, and call us back from our innumerable and most grievous sins, vouchsafing finally to preserve thy blessed church, not verily for her own deserts sake, but for the honor of thy most glorious name. Let it never be forgetful of thy unspeakable benefits, which, if we do not always well consider, we shall
readily yield to worldly and fleshly desires. Remove far from her, hatred and sects, whereby thy faithful Ministers have been sometime vexed by the craft and subtlety of the Devil. And like as thou hast of old time spared thy people (whom thou determined to destroy) at Moses intercession, even so pardon and forgive us all manner of crimes and faults that we have offended thee in, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Prayer 3) The fathers in the wilderness behaved themselves heedlessly towards thee (O most mighty God) and were so shameless, as they are a spectacle unto us, who did (in a manner perpetually, or at the least within a short while one after another) provoke thy wrathful indignation, swerving marvelous unfortunately from thee through their lewd temptations, wicked grudginges, and most odious repinings. Wherefore thou wert rightly, and not without good cause moved against them, for which things sake thou shewedst forth thy heavy displeasure now and then in suffering and permitting their cruel enemies marvelous severely to chastise them. These things ought to be an ensample and warning unto us, for to have an especial regard to eschew those kind of vices, for the which we know they were cast off from thee. Howbeit, we are so apt and pliable to wickedness, that we have miserably defiled ourselves with the self same vices no less then they did. And therefore have we oftener then once felt, that thou (who art a righteous Judge) hast given us up to be punished by our own wickednesses and lewd desires: but (seeing we have now suffered punishment enough) we humbly beseech thee, that like as thou didst help the Israelites when they called upon thee, in the chiefest storms of their calamities, being nothing forgetful of the covenant thou madest with them, so also thou wouldst be our mighty defense, and set us at liberty from our errors and bondage of sins that we are grievously burdened withal, into the favor of our Lord Jesus Christ thy son, who liveth and reigneth with thee evermore world without end. Amen.