Household Prayers, Prayer 2
The ſecond Prayer, VponUpon the Symbole or Articles of Beliefe.
I beleeue in God the Father Almightie: &c.
1. Cor. 15.
Before all things I hauehave deliuered vntounto you, that which I hauehave receyued, namely that Christ died for our ſinnes, according to the ſcriptures, and that hee was buried, & that he roſe againe the third day.
O Lord God gouernour of the whol world, immortall, inviſible, and onelyonly wiſe, for whoſe glory al things are. It hath pleaſed thee, according to the decree of thy vnſerchable counſel, that man, formed after thy image, & falling through miſtruſt and curioſitie, ſhould, by faith, be reſtored to the excellency of his nature; & as he ſought knowledge aboue thy commaundement, and ſo ſtrayed from thee, and wandred out of thy kingdome, ſo he ſhould be revnited, and reduced into the path of ſaluation, by beleeuing thy onelyonly word in the promiſed Meſſias, bending the power of his ſoule, to the knowledge of thee, in embracing the preaching of the croſſe, which the world would accompt folly. But becauſe we al are borne blind, & corrupt in our vnderſtanding and wil, it therfore followeth, that all the imaginations and thoughts of our hearts are at all times nothing but euill, our knowledge but vanitie, our learning but ignorance, our iudgment but errour, our virtue but pride, our wiſedome but folly, the viuacitie of our ſpirit but the inſtrument of ruine, our delight but filthineſſe, our faith but incredulitie; our hope but fancie, our charitie but coldnes, to be briefe, our pietie but hipocriſie or ſuperſtition; and our righteouſneſſe but couetouſneſſe or ambition. So (O Lorde) we of our ſelues are not capable, ſomuch as of any good thought, vntill thou that knoweſt how to drawe light out of darkeneſſe doeſt returne to recreate'vs, and by thy ſpirit to ſhine in the firmament of our ſoules, to the end to frame vsus to eueryevery faithfull diſpoſition, and obedience, and ſo to make vsus beleeue in the goſpell of thy grace, and in the myſteries of our ſaluation. I doe therefore beſeech thee (my God) according to the'fficacy of thy vertue, to change in me all that I hauehave of my ſelfe, euen my rockie and ſtony heart, and to make it pliable, and flexible, vntounto the voice of my Redeemer, who is come according to thy promiſe, to the end, that with a ful and liuely faith I may cleaue to his eternall truth, for to comprehend, according to the meaſure of the gift of thy grace, the ſumme and perfection of al ſpirituall wiſedome, which is taught vsus in the articles of the true faith and ſound principles of religion. Surely my ſoule is ouermuch enclined to incredulity and miſtruſt, neither is it any way able to pierce into theſe high and profound ſecrets of pietie, where we hauehave a full declaration of all the figures, and propheſies of the Lawe, with a moſt pure and perfite doctrine of foure pointes, which are the end of all religion, and in regard whereof it is called Catholike. For we find thee there (thou only and true God) the Father, authour and gouernour of all things by thy almightie power, goodneſſe, and prouidence. Next is our Lord Ieſus Chriſt (thy word and eternall wiſedome) therein taught vntounto vsus, together with the holy hiſtory of our redemption. Thirdly, wee there find the Holy-ghoſt (the infinite vertue of thee the father, and of the ſonne) three perſons, of one ſole, and ſimple eſſence, and in equality of glory. And finally therein is ſhewed vntounto vsus, the Church, with a deſcription of theſe celeſtiall graces, which thou poureſt vponupon her, whereof the forgiueneſſe of ſins is the ſumme, and life euerlaſting the onelyonly ſcope. GiueGive therefore vntounto me (O merciful father) of this thy ſpirit of reuelation, of grace, and of mercy; to the end that the brightneſſe and operation therof may make my ſoule capable of theſe great myſteries of thy Kingdome, ſo farre forth as may be expedient for me to know, for the ſeruice of thy glory, and my owne ſaluation, that I may obtaine the onelyonly true and ſound knowledge, whoſe ſubiect and end is the onelyonly true, ſolide; & ſoueraign good, both of men and angells, namely to know thee, to glorifie thee, and him whome thou haſt ſent, the Sauiour of the worlde. So that with my hart I do belieue before thee, and before al men, I do with my words and workes, confeſſe this acceptable meſſage of the Meſſias come, borne in the Cittie of DAVID, which is CHRIST the lord God, manifeſted in the fleſh, iuſtified in the ſpirit, ſeene of the Angelles, preached to the Gentiles, beleeued by the elect, and exalted into glory, for our righteouſneſſe, holineſſe, and glorification: And further alſo (O Almightie Lord) print in my heart the feeling & knowlege of this thy vnſpeakable goodneſſe and louelove, extended vntounto vsus miſerable ſinners, in that thou haſt giuen vntounto vsus in ſacrifice, thy only Sonne, ſauing vsus by the onelyonly merits of his death, to the end, that as the efficacie of thy louelove hath redounded vntounto mee wretched creature, ſo I may alſo ſufficiently meditate vppon thy great merciemercy, inceſſantly yeelde thankes vntounto thee, and feele thy eternall conſolation, vntil that I departing in peace towardes thee my Father, which art in Heauen, may obtaine full knowledge of thoſe things that thou haſt giuen me to belieue, and in the perfect contemplation of the ſame, the ſoueraigne good of Angells and Saints. So be it.