Works, Prayers 1 – To the reader 2
A MORNING PRAYER.
O Moſt glorious God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and in him our Father, the Fountaine of all our wel-fare, and the giuer of all grace: wee thy poore children (according to our bounden duty) are at this preſent aſſembled together before thee in Prayer, to offer vp euen from the ground of our hearts, the Morning Sacrifice of Thankſ-giuing, for all thy louing mercies, and tender kindneſſes whatſoeuer, beſtowed vponupon vsus. We highly bleſſe thy Maieſty for electing vsus in thy Chriſt to life eternall, before all worlds, for creating vsus after thine owne moſt glorious Image in purity and perfection of holineſſe, for iuſtifying vsus by the perfect obedience of thy Sonne, for ſanctifying vsus by thy holy Spirit: and for the hope that thou haſt giuen vsus of our future glorification with thée hereafter in Heauen. We alſo returne vntounto thée all due and poſſible praiſe, for preſeruing of vsus hitherto of thine eſpeciall goodneſſe and mercy; ſupplying abundantly all our neceſſities both in ſoule and in body: and at this preſent wee heartily magnifie thy name for thy watchfull prouidence ouer vsus this night, and for thy bleſſing vponupon vsus and ours, keeping vsus from diuers dangers, that might iuſtly for our ſinnes hauehave come vponupon vsus, both ſpirituall and corporall. O what ſhall wee render vntounto thée for all theſe thy mercies done vntounto vsus? what are we, that thou ſhouldeſt thus reſpect vsus? or what are our deſeruings, that thou ſhouldeſt thus eſteeme vsus? To vsus (O Lord) to vsus moſt miſerable ſinners, there nothing belongeth but ſhame and confuſion. If thou (Lord) markeſt ſtrictly what is done amiſſe, who is able to abide it? O how farre doth thy mercy exceede thy iuſtice? O the deepeneſſe of thy fauours towards vsus? So vnſearchable are they, as no man can expreſſe them, ſo vn-vtterable, as no man can declare them.
And (moſt mercifull Father) wee humbly intreat, for thy Chriſts ſake, the continuance of theſe mercies towards vsus: bleſſe vsus this day and euer with thy heauenly protection and benediction, guide vsus by thine owne Spirit into all godlineſſe, that wee may profitably and conſcionably walk before thee in our vocations, both generall and particular: bleſſe vsus in the houſe, and bleſſe vsus in the field, bleſſe vsus in the baſket, and bleſſe vsus in the ſtore: bleſſe vsus in our out-goings, and in our commings in, compaſſe vsus on eueryevery ſide with thy mercies: guard thine Angels round about vsus: keep vsus from the euill of this world, and eueryevery worke of darknes; and ſanctifie both our ſoules and bodies with thy feare to thy ſeruice, that as heretofore we hauehave ſerued the Diuell and the World by prophaneneſſe, ſo euer hereafter (redeeming the time) wee may apply our ſelues vntounto holineſſe.
To which end we moſt earneſtly craue (O heauenly Father) the preſence of thy Spirit alwayes to direct vsus, the powerfull preaching of thy Goſpell alwayes to inſtruct vsus, the holy vſe of thy Sacraments alway to confirme vsus, that (all hereſie and vngodlineſſe remoued farre from vsus) by theſe meanes ſanctified vntounto vsus, wee may glorifie thy holy Name, by our holy conuerſations in this life, and be glorified of thee euerlaſtingly in the life to come.
And becauſe (by reaſon of our ſins) in ſtead of thy mercies we hauehave deſerued thy furious indignation againſt vsus: we therefore ſeriouſly begge at the Throne of thy mercy, in the meritorious mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, that thou wouldeſt remoue farre from vsus and our Land, all thy fearefull and heauy iudgements whatſoeuer; as famine, peſtilence, ſword, and the like; and giuegive vsus all grace from the King to the beaſt, that we may be truely humbled for all our iniquities, that wee repenting vsus of our euill, which is ſinne, thou maiſt be pleaſed to repent thee of thy euill, which is puniſhment for ſin.
Heare vsus (O bleſſed Lord God) in theſe our Petitions, pardoning our ſinnes, and granting to vsus all our requeſts, with all other thy graces that wee ſtand in need of, that may make for thy glory, and the ſauing of our poore ſoules, at the diſmall day of Iudgement, and that for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake: To whom with thee and thy bleſſed Spirit, three glorious perſons, but one immortall God, we deſire to returne all poſſible praiſe, power, Dominion, and Thankſgiuing, this morning, and euerlaſting, Amen.
AN EVENING PRAYER.
O Moſt gracious God, and in Ieſus Chriſt our moſt louing and moſt mercifull Father, the Father of all mercies, and God of all conſolations: wee thy poore ſeruants do moſt humbly caſt downe our ſelues before the Throne of thy dreadfull Maieſty, confeſſing and acknowledging our manifold ſins, from time to time moſt grieuouſly committed againſt thee, in thought, word and worke: O Lord our God, we muſt needs confeſſe with mourning and ſorrowing hearts and ſpirits, that we were all borne in ſin, all conceiued in iniquity, and that all our life hitherto hath beene moſt fearefully corrupted, and ſtained with all manner of ſinfull tranſgreſſions, to the great diſhonour of thine owne Maieſtie, to the great diſcomfort of our owne ſoules, and to the euerlaſting confuſion both of ſoule and body in thy iuſt iuſtice and iudgement in the world to come. Yea (O Lord) we cannot but confeſſe that (ſo ſoone as euer wee came into the world) thou mighteſt iuſtly for our ſinnes hauehave taken vsus both body and ſoule, and giuen vsus our portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone: it is thy great mercy that thou haſt ſpared vsus hitherto, and not conſumed vsus from the face of the earth.
To thee therefore (God of endleſſe compaſſion) we moſt miſerable wretches make our pitious mone: to thee in Chriſt Ieſus, wee come now for mercy: heare vsus, heale vsus, helpe vsus, and hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, pardon and forgiue vsus all our ſinnes, let ſhine thy fauourable countenance towards vsus, and ſay vntounto our ſoules that thou art our ſaluation.
Thou haſt promiſed in thy holy and heauenly Word, that a broken and a contrite heart thou wilt not deſpiſe. Fulfill therefore now (O Lord) this thy gracious promiſe to vsus, that are weary and laden with the affrightments of ſinne, and that offer vp our prayers with grones that cannot bee expreſſed.
Waſh vsus (O Lord) in the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt, make vsus cleane within and without, by thy ſanctifying and renewing grace, preſerue vsus both in body and ſoule from the guilt and puniſhment of all our miſ-doings, aſſure our conſciences of the ſame by faith, and ſeals vsus by thy good Spirit to the day of redemption. And (heauenly Father) wée humbly intreate thee to worke thy good worke in eueryevery ſoule of vsus, to giuegive vsus faith in thy promiſes, zeale to thy glory, louelove to thy truth, obedience to thy will, care and conſcience to walke vpright before thee in all our wayes, and to offer vp our ſoules and bodies a liuely ſacrifice to the ſeruice of thy Maieſtie, in holineſſe all the dayes of our life to come.
And in theſe our prayers, we craue alſo (at thy mercifull hands) thy gracious bleſſings for all thy faithfull Children, and elect perſons, whereſoeuer diſperſed, and howſoeuer diſtreſſed vponupon the face of the earth; and more eſpecially for theſe thy churches amongſt vsus, of Great Brittaine, France, and Ireland: repleniſh the Kings moſt excellent Maieſtie with all neceſſarie graces meet for ſo worthy a Perſonage: Redouble thy gracious Spirit vponupon our moſt hopefull Prince, and multiply thy bleſſings vponupon all His Royall Iſſue. Bleſſe all the Nobility of our Land, all the reuerend Clergy, from the higheſt to the loweſt; all of the ciuill Magiſtracy; all Schooles of learning, with the two Vniuerſities of Cambridge and Oxford, and all the Commons of this Realme; ſhew pitty vponupon all thine that are in any kinde of tribulation, or affliction, eſpecially vponupon all thoſe that ſuffer perſecution for thy Goſpels truth: comfort all thoſe that lye languiſhing in ſpirit, Soule-ſicke at the heart, for remorce of their ſinnes; ſay vntounto their Soules that thou art their Redemption.
Bleſſe moreouer (we beſeech thee) all that are deare and neere vntounto vsus in the fleſh, as our Parents, Father, and Mother, Brother and Siſter, and Kinſfolke, together with our deare Friends, and Chriſtian acquaintance, abſent, or preſent: Lord bee preſent with them, and keepe them as the apple of thine owne eye, from eueryevery euill worke and way, to thy euerlaſting Kingdome and ſaluation.
And (holy Father) we finally entreat thee to redouble thy gracious bleſſings vponupon eueryevery one of vsus, at this time humbled in Prayer before thee: bleſſe vsus bodily and ſpiritually, giuegive vntounto our bodies comfortable reſt and ſleepe, that ſo wee may be the fitter to do the works of our ſeueral vocations before thée: and grant vntounto our ſoules the continuall aſſiſtance of thy grace, that they may neuer ſléepe in ſinne, but that they may be alwaies waking and wayting for the comming of our Lord Ieſus to Iudgement; that ſo Soule and body may bee preſerued from the euill of ſinne in this life, and from the euill of damnation in the world to come, and that for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake our ſole Sauiour and onelyonly Redéemer: to whom with thée and thy bleſſed Spirit, thrée glorious perſons, but one Eſſentiall God, we offer vp all poſſible Thankſgiuing and praiſe this euening and euerlaſting: Amen.
FINIS.
Tormenting TOPHET, OR, A TERRIBLE DESCRIPTION of HELL, Able to breake the hardeſt heart, and cauſe it quake and tremble.
Preached at Pauls Croſſe the 14. of Iune. 1614.
The fifth Edition corrected and amended.
Eſay 30. 33.
Tophet is prepared of old; it is euen prepared for the King: he hath made it deepe and large: the burning thereof is fire, &c.
Printed at London by George Purſlow, and are to be ſold by John Clarke. 1620.
TO THE RIGHT Worſhipfull and my verie deare friends, Sir Leſtraunge Mordaunt of Maſsingham Hall, in the Countie of Norfolke, Knight Baronet, and Lady Frances Mordaunt, his moſt louing Bed-fellow: HENRY GREENVVOOD. Wiſheth all increaſe of Grace in this Life, and Eternall Life in Life to come.
IT is, and hath beene long ſince (Right Worſhipfull) the cuſtome of the Learned, that when they commended to publike view (therein ayming a… common good) their Chriſtian pains and diuine indeuors (knowing that the truth hath and alwayes had many oppoſitions and detractions) to preſent them to men of high place, and well affected in Religion, that ſo their works might paſſe with leſſe feare, and danger of diſgrace and opprobry: I (though vnlearned) making bold to imitate their Chriſtian policie herein, hauehave preſumed to preſent that doctrine to your Worſhips eyes, that lately in publike place was ſounded in your eares, both of which ſenſes are great inſtruments in the furtherance of our ſoules in the way of Gods Kingdome; for as the eare conuayeth grace to the affections of the ſoule; ſo the eye bringeth much matter to the vnderſtanding of the minde; nay, the eare cannot ſo often be an Andito, as the eye an Oratour to the Conſcience.
For which cauſe (your Worſhips nothing more affecting than growth in grace and Religion) I hauehave attempted to commend to your often conſideration, Tormenting Tophet: for as nothing allureth the heart to grace, more then Gods mercies, ſo nothing is more preualent againſt ſinne than his fearfull and terrible Iudgements.
If therfore your gracious Worſhips ſhall vouchſafe to accept of theſe my poore preſented pains, it will giuegive much content to mine own heart, & (doubtleſſe) anſwerable comfort to your owne ſoules.
And to conclude, as the Lord hath aboundantly bleſſed your Worſhips with graces internal, & bleſsings externall; So (to vſe the words of the Apoſtle) the very God of peace ſanctifie you ſtill throughout, and I pray God that your whole ſpirits, and Soules, and bodies, may be kept blameleſſe to the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, Amen.
From Hempſted in Eſſex, Ianuary, 10. 1629. Your Worſhips alwaies ready to be commanded in the LORD. Henry Greenwood.
To the CHRISTIAN Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, I commend to thy charitable view, this terrible and lamentable deſcription of Hell, a ſubiect moſt neceſſarie in theſe dayes, wherein Iniquity hath gotten the vpper hand: the greateſt part of mankinde laboureth of this dangerous diſeaſe; namely, hardneſſe of heart and contempt of all grace: I therefore for the remouing of this damnable euill, hauehave prepared this Tormenting Corraſiue. Blame me not, if I be too bitter in denouncing Gods Iudgements againſt ſinne, the preſumption of the time compels me, this only is the ayme of my intention herein, that many may be ſaued from the damnation hereof. Thus commending this Tractate to thy Chriſtian conſideration, and thy ſelfe to Gods moſt bleſſed protection, I reſt
Thine euer-louing and wel-willing brother in the Lord, Henry Greenwood.