University of Virginia Library

Howe to order thy selfe in the Churche.

Cap. .v.

VVhen to the Churche
thou shalt repayer,
Knelynge or standynge,
to God make thy prayer;
All worldely matters
From thy mynde set apart,
Earnestly prayinge,
to God lyfte vp thy hart.
A contrite harte
He wyll not dispyse,
whiche he doth coumpt
A sweete sacrifice.
To hym thy sinnes
shewe and confesse,
Askynge for them
Grace and forgyuenes;
He is the Phisition
that knoweth thy sore,
And can to health
A-gayne thee restore.
Aske then in fayth,
Not doubtynge to haue;
The thynges ye desyre
ye shall then receaue;
So they be lawfull
Of God to requyre,
He wyll the heare
and graunt thy desyre;
More mercifull he is
then pen can expresse,
The aucthor and geuer
here of all goodnesse.
“All ye that laboure
and burdened be,
I wyll you refreshe
In commynge to me.”
These are Chrystes wordes,
the scripture is playne,
Spoken to all suche
as here suffre payne;
Our wylles to his worde
then let vs frame,
The heauenly habytacion
therby we may clame.
In the churche comly
thy selfe do behaue,
In vsage sober,
thy countinaunce graue.
whyle you be there,
taulke of no matter,
Nor one with an other
whisper nor chatter.
Reuerently thy selfe
Order alwaye
when to the Churche
thou shalt come to pray:
Eche thynge hath his tyme,
Consyder the place,
For that is a token
of vertue and grace,
The Lorde doth call it
the house of prayer
And not to be vsed
As is a fayer.