Household Prayers, Prayer 4
The fourth praier. To one only God in Trinitie of perſons.
God in the beginning created Heauen and earth, The word was with god, and this word was God: And the ſpirit of GOD mooued vponupon the waters.
Gen. 1. Iohn. 1.
O Eternall, true, and only God in three perſons, coequall & almightie, of one ſole, and ſimple eſſence, inuiſible, and infinite. The Father, the word and the holy Ghoſt, who being the ſoueraign good, ſufficient to thy ſelfe, needing no newe matter, wouldeſt not for euer inioy thy glorie alone, but according to thy vnmeaſurable & altogether incomprehenſible goodneſſe, reueale thy ſelfe at thy good pleaſure, in foure workes altogether diuine & ſingular. (The creation of the world, & of all nature: the redemption of mankinde: the building thy church, & thy graces the ſame:) O Lord, who only art in trueth, permanent and ſtable; through whome eueryevery thing is that is, in reſpect of whome, all is leſſe then nothing, who giuing by thy word beeing to that that was not at all, haſt, out of a confuſed, voyd, and dark ſubſtance, drawne light, beauty, and order, ſtretching forth the heauen as a vault or tent vnderunder the ſame, the earth, and the inhabitants thereof, who haſt made al things in number, weight, and meaſure: & from whoſe prouidence doeth proceede, the moderation and gouernement of all that is, whether it liueth, feeleth, or vnderſtandeth: O holy, thrice holy, admirable, and amiable, who being righteous, wouldeſt not ſuffer man, made after thy image, to go vnpuniſhed when he had ſinned, and who, beeing mercifull, haſt not left him without grace: who, being good, haſt not neglected the leaſt of thy works, euen to the haire of a beaſt, the lighteſt fether of a fowl, and the leaſt flower or leafe of graſſe, in eueryevery of theſe things, grauing certaine tokens of thy glory and maieſty by the harmonie & agreement of al theſe ſmal creatures with the greateſt of the world: O Father, and moderator of all things! I beſeech thee, let thy eternall wiſedome reach to me euen through the light of thy ſpirit which ſeeth all things, which ſoundeth all thinges, which ſearcheth into all things, and which, with his preſence of grace, maketh his reſidence, in al peaceable cogitations, to lift them vp by the effects of his gifts, vntounto the fanctuarie of thy ſuperceleſtiall pallace, there to make them ſee, heare, and worſhip, in ſpirit & truth, the diuine maruels of thy Kingdome, & the myſteries of the adoption of thy elect. So that being thus taught by the moſt ſacred Oracles, I belieue in hart, and with vnderſtanding meditate vponupon the true & eternall exiſtence of thee (O Father) borne of none, the firſt Soueraigne and Almighty cauſe of al things and eſpecially of our ſaluation throgh thy louelove: Of thee (O Sonne) eternally begotten by the Father, and by whom he hath made all his works, who art the principall cauſe, which giues vsus life & happines, according to the fulneſſe and perfection of thy louelove, and of thee (O Holy Ghoſt) from al eternitie proceeding from the Father & the Son, and by whome all creatures doe ſubſiſt, and ſaluation is communicated vntounto vsus; three perſons, of properties diſtinct, yet not ſeperate; in vnitie of eſſence, and equalitie of glory: in thee one, and true God, not created, infinit, and almighty, & the God of thy people. And that through this healthfull knowledge, I doe worſhip, ſerue and call vponupon thee only for euer, without declining from thy word. Wherupon likewiſe, through a ſtedfaſt faith in thy promiſes, depending vppon an aſſured hope, and true louelove, I doe more and more draw vponupon my ſelf the ſauour of thy holie bleſſings: to the end that as the Angels aboue doe praiſe thee, the powers of heauen do bleſſe thee, & all the ſpiritual armies do magnifie thee, I likewiſe may heere belowe hauehave this felicitie, to finiſh my courſe in ſinging thy praiſes, and ſo leauing this terreſtriall life, to ioyne my ſelfe altogether to the celeſtial, with thoſe bleſſed ſpirits in the ful contemplation of thy face, to ſing with them without ende this ſong of perfect ioy (Glory be to the Father that hath created vsus; Glorie bee to thee Sonne that hath redeemed vsus; Glory be to the Holy-Ghoſt that hath ſanctified vsus; Glorie bee to the moſt high Trinitie, one onelyonly God and Lord, whoſe kingdome is euerlaſting.