The Magistrates Scripture, Prayer 1 – Prayer 2
A GODLY PRAYER TO BE SAID AT all times.
BEcause I hauehave sinned O Lord, and done wickedly in thy sight, and prouoked thee to anger by my abhominable wickednes, making my bodie which thou hast ordained a vessel for thine honor, an instrument to most detestable filthines, ô Lord be merciful vntounto me, & pardon me this great wickednes: looke not vponupon me good father with the eies of iustice, neither do thou draw against me the sword of iudgement, for thē how shall I that am but dust stand in thy presence, when thy wrathfull indignation commeth forth as a whirlewind, and thy heauie displeasure as a mightie tempest: seeing the earth trembleth, the depthes are discouered, and the verie heauens are shaken when thou art angrie? Exercise not therfore thy furie against me, that am but as chaffe before the wind, and as stubble against a flaming fire: though I hauehave sinned grieuouslie in thy sight, preferring my wicked desire before thy holy commandement: esteeming the pleasure of a moment before eternall and euerlasting ioyes: nay, which is worse, making more account of vilenesse and vanitie, and extreame folly, and madnes, then of the glory and maiestie of the most excellent, wonderfull, and blessed God, nothing dreading his displeasure whose wrath maketh the diuels to quake, and burneth vnquenchable vntounto the bottomlesse pit of hell: whose might is so great that by the breath of his nosthrils he is able in the twinkling of an eye to destroy a thousand worlds: yet am I bold, prostrating my selfe before the throne of thy maiestie, heartely to beseech and humblie to entreat thee, that thou wilt not deale with me according to my merites, for I hauehave deserued that thou shouldst raine downe fire and brimstone from out of heauen vponupon me to deuour me, or to open the earth vnderneath me, to swallow me vp quick vntounto hell: but thou art gracious and full of compassion, and rich in mercies, therefore do men put their trust vnderunder the shadow of thy wings. I hauehave none in heauen to flie vntounto but thee, nor in earth, of whom I may receiue any comfort, but at thy fauourable hands, which are stretched out day and night to receiue all that by earnest repentance turne vntounto thee, being readie to ease all those that are laden with the burthen of their sinne, and to refresh their distressed consiences. In the multitude of thy mercies I approch vntounto thee O Lord, desiring thee to looke downe from the height of thy sanctuarie vponupon me poore and wretched sinner, and to wipe away mine offences and to blot out my misdeedes, especiallie this my vngracious, vncleane, and vngodly act, that it may not come vp in remembrance with thee, nor be imputed to me for euer, for thy sonnes sake O Lord, in whome thou art well pleased, in whom thou wast fully satisfied vppon the crosse for my sinnes: graunt me free pardon and remission of that I hauehave so foolishlie by my exceeding frailtie committed against thee in this shamefull deed. But O thou my vncleane and vnthankfull soule! my vngodly and rebellious heart! what did I sinfull wretch, and execrable caytife, so blindly and desperatlie attempt? How art thou become quite sencelesse, that thou wast so readie to anger thy most louing God, and to prouoke thy most mightie iudge, that thou mightest satisfie thy filthie flesh, suborned both by thine and Gods most malitious aduersarie, to grieue and vex the spirit of the Lord, and to damne thy self for euer? Hath not God of his singular fauour made the heauens of old, and placed the sun and moone in them, two glorious lights with innumerable starres, a wonderfull workmanship for thy vse and benefite? Hath he not lifted vp the clouds by his strong arme, and heaped treasures of raigne, haile, and snow to doe thee seruice? Hath he not in the midst of the world laid the foundations of the earth, that thou mightest hauehave a stable habitation, and mightest from thence behold euerie way thou lookest the wals of his beautifull pallace. Hath he not gathered the waters into one place, and made the drie land appeare, and drawne forth by his power a pure substāce of aire betweene heauē & earth, that fishes might multiplie in the seas, foules in great aboundāce flie in the opē face of the firmament, tender plants, hearbs, flowers, and trees in all varietie, grow and fructifie vponupon the ground: yea creeping things, cattell and beasts increase in infinite number, in pastures, fields, gardēs, orchards & groues; and all these to doe thee pleasure? Hath he not further giuen thee springs and riuers, gold and siluer, pearles and iewels euen plentie; of streames, stoanes, and mettal, to furnish thee with whatsoeuer for profite thou needest, or for pleasure desirest? Hath he not made thee Lord and ruler ouer all his creatures, euen ouer the huge Elephants, the Whale, the strong Lion, and Vnicorne, and horse of warre? ouer the sauage Tigars, beares & wolues? ouer the mightie Eagle, Griffin, Vultur, Ostrich and haulke? Art thou not clad & defended, fed & enriched, cheered and renowned by these his creatures, & that al the parts of thy bodie, & senses of thy minde might be partakers of his goodnes, and with his sweetnes refreshed, comforted & delighted in great measure? Yea aboue all this, hath he not breathed into thy bodie an immortall soule, that thou mightest remaine with him in glorie for euer? Did he not at the first frame thee like vntounto himselfe, that he might therefore louelove thee as his sonne? Did he not cast into thy spirit the beames of his wisedome, that thou through thy vnderstanding mightest behold him & his glory & stirred vp sparkes of goodnes in thy heart, that thou mightest by thy affection imbrace him and his bountie, and be made perfectly blessed by his infinite happinesse, who when Adam thy vngratefull father by distrusting him that had faithfully promised, was throughly able to fulfill his will, and resolutely determined exceedingly to aduance him, hauing giuen him this whole world in testimonie thereof by discontenting his minde with the excellent estate he was placed in of vnspeakeable louelove, vnlesse he might be as good as God himselfe, proudly desiring to make dust the fellow of him who was from euerlasting infinitly full of wisedome, power, grace and maiestie, and had done all this at the perswasion of the most traiterous rebel of his right gracious king, and spitefull enimie of his most bountifull master, euen then when this most villanous conspiring with Gods notorious aduersarie, had deserued immortall hatred against him & all that pertained vntounto him: yea thee as yet vnborne, but contained in him whose whole masse by this impious disobedience became by iust iudgemēt a temple of cursed estate for euer, and for euer: thou also thy selfe bringing forth fruite of cōtempt of his Law, who is most holy, mercifull and mightie: yet euen then I say, of vnspeakable pitie and compassion intended, nay promised, nay laboured to deliuer him and thee from that dreadfull vengeance which ye had purchased by your own wicked and vngratious demerits, and to reconcile you base abiects and vile castawayes, and yet stubborne and spightfull haters of the great God Iehouah, who when there was no meanes to be found in heauen, nor seas, nor in the earth, nor vnderunder the earth, but that he should damne his onelyonly begotten sonne, the verie brightnes of his glorie, who neuer offended him, but was an eternall delight vntounto his soule, and reioycing vntounto his spirit, that thou mightest be saued, a grosse lumpe of slime and clay, still vexing him by thy wickednes: yet deliuered his sonne into the full power of Sathan, to put him to a most shameful death, by the hands of most detestable persons, and did cast him farre away out of his fauour, and threw him downe into the bottomlesse pit of his vnsupportable wrath and indignation, that thou mightest be placed betweene his owne armes in the kingdome of heauen, in all roialtie and glorie, as his deere and entirely beloued sonne. Whie therefore wast thou ô my vnholy and vnthankfull nature so readie and prone, so violent and headlong to commit thinges highly displeasant in his sight, who in a manner, and as farre as it was possible slew himselfe for thy saftie when he had no creature so disobedient vntounto him as thee? O thou my inward soule, and spirite of my minde awake and stand vp to defend thy selfe, for thou art besieged with mightie enimies, the prince of darknesse, the rulers of the aire, the spirituall craftinesse and pollicies of hell! why arisest thou not thou sluggard? thy foes in great nūber are prepared with manie ambushmentes, hauing a huge armie all maliciously bent with venimous dartes to pearce thorow thy heart: they are entered thy hold at all fiue gates of thy outward sences: yea they hauehave broken downe thy inward doores, and hauehave left thee but one window towards heauen to escape by, euen thy praiers whereto the spirite of God waiteth thy speedie comming: make hast ô thou heauie with sleepe, or thou art taken by thy cruell enimies, whose handes are of iron, and their teeth of steele to grinde thy verie bones to powder: harken no longer to that stincking harlot, thy wicked appetit, which lying in thy bosome, desireth nothing but thy vtter destruction; shee perswadeth thee that thou art in no present daunger, that shee may reioice at thy miserable end. It may be thou thinkest O thou chiefe of fooles and oxe that art fed to the slaughter, that though thou go on a little way in thy pleasant path, thou maist returne backe when thou wilt, and thy little wandring will not greatly be regarded. O thou vnwise and sottish of heart! when wilt thou vnderstand? Hath the sonne of God indured such paine for the smallest of thy sinnes, and makest thou so light account of so grieuous crimes? Doth the law thunder curses, and plagues, and euerlasting torments against thy least vnordinate motions, and didst thou not dread to performe so shamelesse a practice? Knowest thou not that the eyes of God and his Angels behold the doing that thou wouldest be ashamed to doe in the presence of vngodly men, or vncleane beasts? or doest thou not consider how thou diddest grieue the spirite of God, who hath vouchsafed of his infinite merciemercy to dwell in thy bodie to this end, chiefly that he might mortifie thy carnall lusts? Why didst thou then defile his temple which he hath sanctified to be an house for himself to dwell in? take heed thou driue not out so worthie and noble a guest, by such swinish and fleshly behauiour, who if he once depart, then shalt thou be an hold for diuels, and legions of damned spirites, that they may stuffe thee ful of al manner of iniquitie, and then at length become pitch and brimstone to maintaine the fire of Gods scorching wrath in thy sinewes, spirits, and inward bowels, drinking out in full measure the dregges of the wine of his rage and fury: and canst thou be so blind and reachlesse, that for the vaine pleasure of sinne for a little while, thou wilt constraine God to torment thee euerlastingly, who it may be euen at this instant, if thou wilt still trie his patience and long sufferance, will sodainly take thy spirite from thee, or come in iudgement to recompence to all sinners by his finall sentence in the burning of the whole world, the stipend of horror, shame, confusion & vtter reprobation: and waigh with thy selfe that to approch to God is the chiefest ioy of the chosen, to behold his glorious countenance in the face of his sonne, whereas thy sinnes doe separate thee from him, and make thee afraid to speake to him by prayers, which is thy chiefest and greatest solace in this mortall life. How much more wil thy vngodlinesse make thee wish delay of the last iudgement, the speedie and present comming whereof is a chiefe prop of our fight, in the midst of so manie troubles and temptations: and withall, remember how the diuell that roring lyon laboureth by this impure act to make thee most filthie and lothsome in the sight of God, and reioyceth to see thy gracious father, mercifull Sauiour, and comfortable sanctifier so abused and withstood, and angred by thee whom he hath wonderfully made, carefully preserued, and deerely redeemed, and tenderly loued, that if it may be thou shouldest by vtter apostasie dishonour him in the face of the world, who hath aduanced thee in the presence of all his Angels: and though thou be so sure in faith that thou canst not vtterly fall (the consideration whereof should make thee more duetifull and not incourage thee in a sinful course) yet maist thou by little and little, and by often falling, bring thy selfe into a better liking, both of the wicked, and of wickednes itselfe, whom thou oughtest to hate with a perfect hatred, and then God by iust iudgement cast thee into a sure sleepe, that thy filthihesse may be seene of men, and thou condemned to the griefe of the righteous, and scorned to thy shame of the vngodly: and in the meane season, by prouoking Gods iudgement, be spoiled of thy goodly ornaments, of thy godly desires, of religious thoughts, of zealous affections, of christian communication, of holy indeuours, of assured perswasions of faith, of stedfast waitings through hope: of constant suffering by patience, and heartie reioicings from louelove. In the perfect consummation of which things because all happinesse consisteth, beware thou carelesse wretch, lest sodainly by thy abhominable filthinesse, thou either for a time wholly depriue thy selfe of comfortable feeling of these things, or much diminish thy present graces and blessings receiued of the holy spirite, to the glorie of God the Father. But why doe I vtter my voice, or striue to make a dead carkas moue? O quicken thou me that art the fountaine of life, and call thou out of heauen thy dwelling place, that my wandring soule may heare the voice of her shepheard, and follow thee whither soeuer thou leadest: nay of thy tender compassion take me vp vponupon thy shoulders, and carrie me gently into thy fold againe: for theeues hauehave stolne me away, and hauehave bound my feete so that I cannot go, and they watch for me vntil thou art gone that they may carrie me away quicke from thy pastures: O do thou therfore presently deliuer me, and giuegive me thy helping hand: O cast thou downe by thy spirite my raging lust, and by thy grace subdue mine vntamed affection. I am weake O Lord and vnable to resist the force of my mightie aduersarie: send thy helpe from aboue, and saue me out of the iawes of the cruell lion: thou hast deliuered me out of the mouth of hell; ô let not the gates thereof anie more preuaile against me: let me not anie longer be occupied in vngodlinesse, least mine enime triumph ouer me, saying in his malicious hart, there, there, so would I hauehave it. Let this sinne be farre from me ô Lord, that I should defile my selfe anie more with this notorious wickednesse: worke therefore in mine heart an vtter detestation of it, that I may euer hereafter keepe my selfe pure and vnspotted for thy kingdome. Thou that art able to make of stones children to Abraham, mollifie I praie thee my stonie heart, that all manner of son like affections may be imprinted therein: plucke vp ô good father these rootes of bitternesse, that no vnsauorie fruite may come of the tree which thou by thine owne hand hast planted. I desire, I looke, I call, I crie, for thy assistance, that I may cōquer this vnruly motiō. O blessed sauiour, that hast grāted so manie petitions vponupon earth to them that were carefull for the bodie, fulfill I pray thee this my desire, not for health, nor strēgth, nor riches, nor honour, nor for food, nor apparell, but for thine heauenlie grace and inspiration: yea let me lose all those rather thē be left to my sinfull flesh, that I should be ruled anie longer thereby. Mortifie good father in me the old bodie of sinne, and giuegive vntounto me a new bodie, purged frō these dead workes to serue the liuing God: renew my spirite dayly, that I may cast away these works of darknes: let it be enough ô merciful Father, that my weaknesse in failing heretofore, hath bin made known vntounto me least I shold be too proud. Now let thy strength appeare, in putting this mine enimie vnderunder my feete, that thereby I may be bold to put my confidence in thee. Why should my bodie made by thine hand, and my soule framed according to thine image, be giuen ouer as a pray into the hands of Sathan? Deliuer me ô Lord from the snare of the hunter, and preserue me from the hand of mine enimie, who lieth in waite for my spirituall life, and laboureth mine euerlasting destruction: so shal I praise thee for thy great goodnes, and magnifie thy name for giuing me conquest ouer my aduersarie that is too strong for me. To thee I fly for succour till this tempest be ouer past: hide me I pray thee vnderunder thy shield & bucker, that none of the fierie dartes of Sathan take hold on me. Good Lord for the louelove thou bearest vntounto mankind, or thy sons sake, who hath taken our nature vponupon him, graunt that I may not be tempted aboue my strength, and that in all temptations I may flie vntounto thee, as a horne of my saluation, yeelding thee most humble and heartie thankes for that thou hast giuen me a desire to withstand my sinfull flesh: which thy worke I beseech thee for thy namesake to perfect and fully accomplish.
VVatch and pray lest you enter into temptation: the spirite indeed is vvilling but the flesh is vveake.
Matth. 26. 41.
Another zealous prayer.
ETernall God almightie and all mercifull: we thy vnworthy seruants prostrate before thy throne of grace, do yeeld our selues, body and soule vntounto thee for all thy benefits, which thou from our birth hast heaped vponupon vsus, as though we had alwayes done thy will: although wee occupied about vaine things, neuer marked, neuer loued, neuer serued, neuer thanked thee so heartelie for them, as we esteeme a mortall friende for the least courtesie. Therefore we come with shame and sorrowe to confesse our sinnes, not smal, but grieuous: not a few, but infinite: not past, but present: not secret, but presumptuous, against thy expresse word and will: against our owne conscience, knowledge and liking, if any had done thē but our selues. O Lord, if thou shouldest require but the least of them at our hands, Sathā would chalenge vsus for his, and we should neuer see thy face againe, nor the Heauens, nor the Earth, nor all the goodnes which thou hast prepared for mā. What shall we do then? but appeale vntounto thy merciemercy, and humblie desire thy fatherly goodnes, to extend that compassiō toward vsus, which thy beloued sonne our louing sauiour hath purchased, so mightely, so gratiously and so dearely for vsus: we beleeue and know, that one drop of his bloud, is sufficient to heale our infirmities, pardon our iniquities, and supplie our necessities, but without thy grace, our light, our strength, our guide, we are able to do nothing, but sinne, as wofull experience hath taught vsus too long, and the example of them which are void therof, whose life is nothing else but the seruice of the world, the flesh and the diuel. Therefore good father as thou in speciall fauour hast appointed vsus to serue thee, like as thou hast ordained all other creatures to serue vsus: so may it please thee to send downe thy heauenly spirite into this earthly mansion, to illuminate our minds, mollifie our hearts, change our affections, subdue our reason, regenerate our wils, and purifie our nature to this duetie: so shall not thy benefites, nor thy chastismentes, nor thy word returne void, but accomplish that for the which they were sent, vutill we be renued to the image of thy sonne. Good Lord we beseech thee, looke downe in the multitude of thy compassions, vponupon thy millitant Church, this sinful Realme, thy gracious handmaid our dread soueraigne, her honourable Counsell, the ciuill Magistrates, the painfull Ministers, the two. Vniuersities, the people that sit in darknes, and all that beare thy crosse. Gather vsus into one cōmunion of thy truth, and giuegive vntounto euerie man a spirite to his calling, that we being mindfull of the accompt, and that we are called Christians, may firmely resolue, speedely begin, & continually perseuer in doing & suffering thy holy will. Good Lord blesse and sanctifie our meeting, that no temptation hinder me in speaking, nor them in hearing, but that thy word may be heard and spoken as the word of page missing
End of the text · Henry Smith, The Magistrates Scripture (1591)