In a Treatise, entitled, The Flower of Godly Prayers, written by the Rev. Mr. Thomas Becon, and printed in the year 1563, there is

A PRAYER FOR FAITH,

Which breathes the very Spirit of the Apostles' Doctrine, and which I lay before the reader, that he may pray for the comforts of it in the devout words of this holy man.

WE are taught by thy holy apostle, O most loving Saviour, that whatsoever is not of faith is sin, and that it is impossible to please thee without faith. And therefore they that come unto thee must believe that thou art God, yea and such a God as is both able and will also abundantly reward all them that with true faith seek thee. For thy eyes, O Lord, look upon faith, and thou dost appear and shew thyself unto them that have faith in thee: yea, through faith, thou being the King of glory, art married to the souls of the faithful, and makest them partakers of thy divine nature, through the wonderful working of thy blessed Spirit. Through faith so many as believe are justified, made the sons and heirs of God, and have everlasting life. By faith we obtain of God all good things, even whatsoever we ask in thy name. Seeing that faith is so precious a jewel in thy sight, that without it nothing is acceptable unto thy divine majesty; and we of our own nature cannot have this most singular treasure except thou givest it unto us from above, and dost breathe it into our hearts by thy holy Spirit for we of ourselves are blind, ignorant, fool

ish, and by no means can perceive the things that pertain to the Spirit of God, we most heartily beseech thee to take away from us all infidelity and unfaithfulness, which we received of old Adam, and to plant in us true faith and undoubted belief, that we may be thoroughly persuaded that thou art the Son of the living God, very God and very man, our alone sweetsmelling sacrifice, our alone Mediator, advocate, and intercessor, our alone wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, by whom alone, and for whose sake only, thy heavenly Father is well pleased with us, our sins are remitted, grace and everlasting life are freely given unto us. O Lord God, suffer us not to lean to our own wisdom, nor to believe, as blind flesh fancieth, nor to seek salvation where superstition dreameth; but let our faith only be grounded on thy word, and give us grace truly to believe in thee with all our heart, to put our trust in thee, to look for all good things of thee, to call upon thy blessed name in adver sity, and with joyful voices and more merry hearts, to praise and magnify it in prosperity. Suffer us not to doubt neither of God thy heavenly Father, nor of thee, God his Son, nor of God the Holy Ghost, but earnestly to believe that you being the distinct persons in the Deity, are notwithstanding, one very God, besides whom, there is no God, neither in heaven nor in earth. Grant also, that we may assuredly believe whatsoever is contained in the holy scriptures, and by no means suffer ourselves to be plucked from the verity thereof, but manly and stedfastly abide in the same, even unto death, rage world, roar devil. And this faith, O sweet Jesus, increase thou daily in us more and more, that at the last, through thy goodness, we may be made perfect and strong men in thy holy religion, and shew ourselves both before thee and the world truly faithful, by bringing forth plenty of good works unto the glory and honour of thy name: which with God the Father, and God the Holy Ghost, livest and reignest true God, worlds without end. Amen.

JEPHTHAH'S VOW FULFILLED,

AND

HIS DAUGHTER NOT SACRIFICED;

PROVED IN

A SERMON

PREACHED BEFORE

THE UNIVERSITY, AT ST. MARY'S, IN OXFORD