Household Prayers, Prayer 28
The eight and twentieth Prayer, For him that feeleth his death at hand.
Wee knowe, that if this earthly tabernacle be deſtroyed, we hauehave a building giuen of God: that is, a houſe not made with hands but eternall in the heauens. The body is ſowen in corruption, it ſhall riſe againe in incorruption.
2. Cor. 5. 1. Cor. 15.
O GOD my God and FATHER, iuſtly was man, thy creature, when by ſinne he had turned from thee (who art the life) caſt headlong into the curſe both of temporall and eternall death: for thy Maieſtie being infinitely offended, ought alſo in iuſtice to require a puniſhment without end, which beginneth euen in this life in many miſeries, and is perpetuated hell, whereto death is as it were the gate. O Lord! The cauſe of ſo lamentable a miſhap is in our nature: But in thee is pittie and compaſſion, O mercifull Father, who after thy vnſpeakeable goodneſſe, makeſt the temporall death, which to all men is ineuitable, and to the reprobate an entry into hel, to change his qualitie concerning the Elect, beeing vntounto them a ioyfull paſſage to that happineſſe which is in heauen: For Ieſus Chriſt thy eternall Son, to purchaſe vsus this benefit, did put on our fleſh, and therein healed the wound of ſinne by his righteouſneſſe: and by his oblation ſatisfied for our debt, triumphing by his reſurrection, ouer Death, Sathan, and Hel, for the ſaluation of thoſe to whome thou giueſt grace to belieue in his name. Now then, my God, ſith it hath pleaſed thee of thy great louelove, thus to accompliſh the high myſterie of our redemption, I beſeeche thee, grant mee to feele the fruite and efficacy thereof, through the vertue of thy ſpirit, euen to the laſt gaſpe of my life, that then I may render to thee my ſoule in peace. For I am baptized in the name of Chriſt, I belieue his holy goſpel, and am fed with his body and blood in the holy Church. True it is O Lord, that the remembrance of my ſins, whereof my conſcience doeth accuſe mee doeth greatly trouble me; for the darkeneſſe of my vnderſtanding hath kept me from knowing thee aright, and the corruption of my heart from worſhipping thee in ſpirit, and truth, according to thy word; I hauehave neglected this pretious treaſure, euen the voice of my Redeemer, and by my ſlackeneſſe, made the ſeede therof vnfruitfull in my ſoule, many times preferring the louelove of my ſelfe and the vanities of the world, before the louelove that I owe vntounto thee (my Creator) and my neighbour for thy ſake. I hauehave not affected the croſſe of thy Sonne, that I might cheerefully carry mine after him, in renouncing all my concupiſcences: neyther hauehave I applied thy chaſtizement to an vpright amendment of life: I hauehave beene weake in faith, ſlow in hope, cold in charitie, vnpatient in tribulation, and more ſtiffe in retaining other mens offences againſt mee, then ready to pardon them, what more ſhal I ſay, my God? Alſo many other ſins which I cannot expreſſe, which being euen at this day hidden from mee in my infirmities doe ouerwhelme my ſoule, were it not for the repentance that thou graunteſt mee, and the truſt that I hauehave in thy mercy, through the righteouſneſſe of my Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, which it pleaſeth thee in thy Fatherly louelove to make mine; I ſee nothing but matter of diſpaire. His ſacrifice giueth mee peace with thee: his blod cleanſeth me: his obedience abſolueth me: his woundes doe cure mee: In his torments my ſoule findeth her reſt: for of all theſe benefites doe I feele thy promiſe ſealed in my heart by thy ſpirit, which maketh me to crie vntounto thee (Abba Father) and aſſureth me, that thou wilt of thy free mercy, in the name of thy Sonne, and for his ſake, giuegive mee remiſſion of my ſinnes, and eternal life, being illuminated; therefore, by this celeſtiall light, I doe with the eies of my mind behold the ſhip that ſhall carry me ouer from earth to heauen, no farther off from the preſence of my Redeemer, then was that of his Diſciples, when they rowed againſt the tempeſt, to whom he ſaid (feare not, for it is I.) For in like maner commeth hee to meete mee, to ſay vntounto me; Feare not, aſſure thy ſelfe, be conſtant; It is I, not the death which thou maiſt peraduenture feare, but hee that hath broken the ſting thereof, that hath led it in triumph, that hath broken the barres and bonds euen in hell; and who therefore doeth make thee to aſcend from the graue into the Pallace of my glorie.
Thus, my God, ſtrengthened by thy grace with Chriſtian hope, which is not confounded, and couered vnderunder the buckler of Faith, which the darts of the diuell cannot wound, I am able with a ſtrong motion to pa…e in peace from this priſon of nature, with theſe laſt words of Ieſus Chriſt vponupon the croſſe (Into thy hands, O LORD, I commend my ſpirit) and the ſame Chriſt ſaying vntounto me, as to the poore theefe that was dying; Sonne reioyce, this day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradice.
FINIS.
End of the text · Theodore Beza, Household Prayers (1603)