When to the church thou shalt repair,
Kneeling or standing, to God make thee prayer.
All worldly matters from thy mind set apart,
Earnestly praying, to God lift up thy heart.
A contrite heart He will not despise,
Which He doth count a sweet sacrifice.
To Him thy sins show and confess,
Asking for them grace and forgiveness.
He is the physician that knoweth thy sore,
And can to health again thee restore.
Ask then in faith, not doubting to have;
The things ye desire, ye shall them receive;
So they be lawful of God to require,
He will thee hear and grant thy desire.
More merciful He is than pen can express,
The author and giver here of all goodness.
“All ye that labour and burdenéd be,
I will you refresh in coming to Me.”
These are Christ’s words, the Scripture is plain,
Spoken to all such as here suffer pain.
Our wills to His word then let us frame,
The heavenly habitation thereby we may claim.
In the church comely thyself do behave,
In usage sober, thy countenance grave.
While you be there, talk of no matter,
Nor one with another whisper nor chatter.
Reverently thyself order alway,
When to the church thou shalt come to pray.
Each thing hath his time, consider the place,
For that is a token of virtue and grace.
The Lord doth call it the house of prayer,
And not to be used as is a fair.
[This is followed by a series of moral instructions, omitted partly
because they do not primarily belong in this book, and partly for lack
of space. They are entitled:—
_The Fruits of Gaming, Virtue, and Learning (sic).
How to Behave thyself in Talking with any Man._
_How to Order thyself, being sent of Message._
_Against Anger, Envy and Malice._
_The Fruits of Charity, Love and Patience._
_Against the Horrible Vice of Swearing._
_Against the Vice of Filthy Talking._
_Against the Vice of Lying._]