Supplications of Saints, Title page – Prayers
Supplications of SAINTS. A Booke of Prayers: Diuided into three parts.
1 Daniels deuotion. prayers for Seuerall dayes.
2 Paul, and his company. prayers for ſeueral occaſions.
3 Dauid alone. prayers for ſeuerall parties.
Wherein are three moſt excellent Prayers made by the late famous Queene ELIZABETH.
A third Edition, enlarged.
APOC. 8. 4.
The Prayers of the Saints went vp before God.
LONDON: Printed for Nicholas Bourne, and are to ſould at his ſhop at the entring in of the Royall Exchange. 1612.
THE CONTENTS OF the ſeuerall parts.
1 Daniels Deuotion: Containing three Prayers for eueryevery day in the weeke: with other priuate Prayers for Morning and Euening in number. 27. Pag.
2 Paul and his Company: Containing Prayers for diuers Occaſions, generall and particuler, in number 23. Pag.
3 Dauid alone: Containing Queene ELIZABETHS prayers, & other Prayers in the name of diuers parties of ſeuerall eſtates: in number. 21. Pag.
Prayers accompanying the ſeuerall parts.
A three-fold Paraphraſe vponupon the LORDS Prayer, Nine ſhort Prayers beginning with the letters of the name Elizabeth.
Two Prayers and meditations vponupon the paſſions of the life and death of our ſauiour Ieſus.
A generall thankeſgiuing, &c.
To the moſt Gratious Lady, Lady ELIZABETH, eldeſt daughter of our Soueraigne Lord the King.
BEing willing, amongſt others of my Function, to performe ſome office to the glory of Gods people, & conſidering with my ſelfe the times we liue in, together with our owne frailties: I hauehave in that regard (moſt vertuous Lady) labored to compoſe a ſmall volume of ſhort Prayers and to contriue it into this Method; aſſuring my ſelfe that nothing is or can be more acceptable to Almightie God, then the hartie Prayers of his people.
In which Collection I hauehave alſo inſerted three moſt ſweete Prayers, made by the late Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie. Which as vponupon her occaſions ſhe powred forth before the Lord, (as it is written of King Salomon) kneeling on her knees, & ſtretching of her hands to heauen: ſo I thought them moſt worthy to be regiſtred for perpetuall memorie, being compiled by ſo renowned a perſon as her ſelfe, and carying in matter pithe, in ſtile Maieſtie, and in words true deuotion.
And vnderſtanding of your Graces louelove of vertue, with the humbleneſſe of your minde, and zeale of ſeruing God, I am therefore enboldened in the forehead of this my Myte, to ſtampe your royall Name: not doubting of your Graces fauourable allowance. Which being my humble ſuite and deſire, & crauing pardon for this boldneſſe, I ceaſe not as heartily to pray that the manifold graces of the moſt High may be multiplyed vponupon your Eſtate, and your Grace long preſerued to the ioy and comfort of your moſt roiall Parents (our Soueraigne King and Queene) the good of Gods Church, and the finall ſaluation of your owne ſoule.
From the Parſonage houſe of S. Mildreds in the Poultry London, Septem. 7. Anno Dom. 1610. Your Graces moſt humbly Thomas Sorocold.
To all deuout People.
CHRISTIAN brethren, I hauehave bin perſuaded to publiſh to your view and charitable interpretation, this handfull of flowers, picked, ſorted, and tyed vp into a bundle, according to my ſlender abilitie, both of iudgement and inuention. I hauehave preſumed alſo to entitle them SVPPLICATIONS of Saints, induced thereunto by three reaſons. First, becauſe they are ſquared to the practiſe of the two holy Prophets, and the bleſſed Apoſtle, and Saint, Saint Paul. Secondly, three of theſe praiers, (which are indeed praeſtantiores, far more eminent and excellent then al the reſt proceeding from humane conceit) were vſed and penned by the late noble Queene of famous memorie ELIZABETH, and may iustly challenge the Denomination, as the remaines of her Deuotion, who liuing a Religious and Peereleſſe PRINCE, was truely accounted (as the Wiſe-man ſpeaketh) among the Children of God: Wiſd. 5. 5.and now being taken from vsus, hath her portion among the Saints. The third reaſon is, becauſe I hope they may be the dayly exerciſe of your ſelues, who being called to the participation of Ieſus Chriſt, embracing the Goſpell of God, and hauing receiued the Sacrament of life, hauehave alſo your part in the Communion of Saints.
I hauehave not helde ſuch a courſe as happily other Collectors of the like Deuotions hauehave done, and yet I hope you will not condemne mee but vponupon good deliberation. I confeſse, they are not mingled with diſcourſe, foraCommoneri aut doceri noſtra locutione non quaerit. Auguſt. de Mag. lib. 1. God deſireth not to take admonition or information from our reports: neither are they interlaced with Meditations, for the places of Scripture which I hauehave prefixed before eueryevery one, will miniſter matter of that Deuotion: neither hauehave I made any of them very longbIn mille verſus extendunt Orationem ſuam, quaſi apud Dominum, multitudo ſermonum opus ſit. Chriſoſt. hom. demuliere Caman. to draw them into a thouſand periods (as Chryſoſtom ſaith) as if it were a goodly worke to multiply much ſpeech before GOD: But I hauehave made them ſomewhat briefe, ayming at that Rule which our Lord and Sauiour preſcribed, ſaying: After this maner pray ye. That is (ſaith Chryſoſtome againe) cCollecte voluit diſcipulos Orare. Chriſoſt. Orat. dom.Hee appointed the Diſciples to gather the Petitions of their prayers, into a ſhort ſumme.
Wherefore if ye find them worthy the name of prayers, vſe them: if otherwiſe, yet take them as meane grounds of Prayer and meditation, to ſet your deuout thoughts a worke: with this liberty, that where I hauehave been defectiue, I referre it to the iudicious to ſupply: and where I hauehave offered any thing vaine or offenſiue, I am content to admit a godly Corrector. But how euer it be, yet let me aduiſe you not to waxe faint or ſlacke in Prayer: for ſuch as hauehave learned of the Lord Ieſus (ſaith Saint Auguſtine) true humilitie and meekneſſe of heart,dPlus cogitando & orando profierunt, quam in legendo & audiendo. Aug. Ep, 122. receiue more profit by meditation and prayer, then in reading and hearing: whereby ye may be ſure, the religious Father meant not to traduce either the preaching of the word, or the reading of any thing that may make a man wiſe vntounto ſaluation; but enforced the more reuerend reſpect, and more frequent vſe of this Ghoſtly exerciſe, that as men are commanded to be Doers of the Word, Iam. 1. 22.ſo they ſhould be ſeekers of Grace to doe it by, & not Hearers onelyonly, for ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, they ſhould deceiue themſelues. For when Paul hath planted, and Apollos watered: when one hath read a learned treatiſe, and another hath heard a fruitfull Sermon, they muſt refer the reſt to him that giueth the increaſe: and vntounto whom will he giuegive it? to him that ſeeketh, vntounto him that knocketh, to him that asketh humbly and deuoutly in his prayer. Follow then his counſell which ſayeth,eOratio aſcendat, vt Gratia deſcendat. Put vp your Prayers to him, that hee may ſend downe his grace to you.
Againe beloued, all is not peace, if yee conſider of what Church we are, while we be in this world. S. Paul tels vsus that we are in a Warfare, 2 Cor. 10. 4.& that Prayer, is a principall peece of our Armour: Epheſ. 6. 12.therefore his counſell is,Ephe. 6. 28. Pray alwayes, & watch thereunto. For wee cannot (as Abiſhai ſaid to Dauid, 1 Sam. 26. 8.concerning his blow) make ſo ſure worke at one time, that we ſhall not need to come againe: But rather, ſo many are our ſinnes, as the haires of our heads; ſo many our enemies, as the stars in the skye, and ſo fierce and ſtrong the Tempter, as a roaring Lyon; that as the Man of God was angry with the King of Iſrael (becauſe when he bad him ſmite the earth with his dart,2 King. 13. 19. he ſmote onelyonly thrice) who ſhould hauehave ſmiten fiue or ſixe times, that he might hauehave beene aſſured of the ouerthrow of his enemies: So GOD that bids vsus continue in Prayer, Coloſſ. 4. 2.will be angry with vsus, if wee pray not againe, and againe, as the importunate widdow in the Goſpel proſecuted her ſuite:Luke 18. 3 yea (to ſpeake of Deuotion as he doth of compaſſion) if we pray not ſeuen times, Mat. 18. 22.yea, ſeuentie times ſeuen times, that wee may obtaine a bleſſing. I ſpeake to them that hauehave vnderſtanding, iudge you what I ſay, and I ſhall pray vntounto the Holy One of Iſrael in heauen, that your inſpirations may be heauenly, your deſires holy, & your Prayers here feruent and frequent, & there acceptable before the throne of his Maieſtie, to the reliefe of your neceſſities, and to the ſetting forth of his glory in IESVS Chriſt, Amen.
The faults eſcaped in ſome copies amend thus.
| Pag. | Lin. | for | read |
| 4 | 6 | Father. | Trinity. |
| 103 | 19 | hope. | heart. |
| 114 | 14 | apparelled | appalled. |
| 229 | 4 | Marke | Make. |
| 327 | 6 | be, | begin. |
THE moſt abſolute prayer, and beſt Rule of all holy Petitions, is that which our Lord & Sauiour taught his Diſciples. A Prayer large for matter, ſhort for Phraſe, and ſweet for order, which, (I hauing thus paraphraſed as you ſee) thought not ſo good to inſert it into this bundle, as to place it here alone before them all: as a Supplication not appropriate to any one part, but apperaining & giuing life to all, and fit to conclude eueryevery one.
A Paraphraſe vponupon the Lords Prayer.
OVR FATHER
By right of Creation.
Merit of MercieMercy.
Gracious prouiſion.
Which art in Heauen.
The ſeate of thy Maieſtie.
The inheritance of thy children.
The kingdome of bliſſe.
Hallowed be thy Name.
By the thoughts of our hearts.
By the words of our mouthes.
By the works of our hands.
Thy Kingdome come.
Of grace to inſpire vsus.
Of power to defend vsus.
Of glory to crowne vsus.
Thy will be done.
In weale and woe.
In fulneſſe and wane.
In life and death.
In Earth, as it is in Heauen.
In vsus, as it is in thine Angels.
Willingly, readily, faithfully.
Without murmur, Let, Deceit.
GiueGive vsus this day our daily Bread.
For the nouriſhing of our bodies.
For the feeding of our Soules.
The reliefe of all neceſsities.
And forgiue vsus our debts.
Whereby thou art diſhonoured.
Our Neighbour wronged, or,
Our ſelues indangered.
As we forgiue our debtors.
That hauehave hurt vsus in our bodies.
Hindred vsus in our goods.
Wronged vsus in our good Name.
And lead vsus not into temptation.
Of the wicked World.
The entiſing fleſh, or
The enuious Deuill.
But deliuer vsus from euill.
Forgiue that is paſt.
Remoue that is preſent.
Preuent what is to come.
For thine is the
Kingdom Power & glorie.
To rule and gouerne all.
To command and do all.
In all, & by all, All in all.
Now and for euer.
At this preſent.
In this world, and
In the world to come.
AMEN
As thou ſay'ſt, So it is
As thou promiſeſt, So it ſhall be.
As we pray, So be it, Lord.
PRAYERS: Beginning with the letters of the name ELIZABETH.
E
EVery day, O Almighty GOD and heauenly Father, will I pray vntounto thee, to hauehave mercy vponupon me, and to keepe me in thy grace, fauour and louelove.
EueryEvery day will I giuegive thankes vntounto thee, ô Lord IESV, the Sonne of GOD, for thy gratious redemption of my body and ſoule; from ſinne, death and hell.
EueryEvery day will I laud thy holy Name, ô holy Ghoſt, Gods Spirit, hearts ioy, elects comforter: beſeeching thee, bleſſed Trinitie, in ſacred vnitie, to repleniſh my heart with all charitable deſires, and heauenly inſpirations neceſſary to Saluation. Amen.
L
LAy too thy helping hand, ô Lord, ſtrengthen my weake condition, and powre thine oyle of grace into my wounded heart, that I may be able to walke in the wayes of thy commandements without reproofe, and receiue comfort in all my needs and neceſſities. Amen.
I
IT is pitie and compaſſion, ô LORD, alone, which muſt couer mine vnworthineſſe: therefore renouncing all merite in my ſelfe, I flie vntounto thee for ſuccour. Leaue me not, ô Lord, but preuent mee with thy goodneſſe, now and euermore. Amen.
Z
ZEalous, O LORD, I am of thy truth. Wherefore I pray thee, ſanctifie my heart to a right conuerſation in this world. Direct me by thy lawes, that I neuer ſtep beyond the limites of my duetie: and ſuffer me not to enter into any action, which eyther may diſhonour thee, or bring my life into infamie. Amen.
A
ADmit me, O mercifull Lord, to thy gracious fauour: many are the dangers of this life, and I hauehave no patron to defend mee, but thee. Heauen is thine, and the earth is thine; keepe me on earth, as one of thine, and bring mee to Heauen to raigne with thee. Amen.
B
BLeſſed Lord, I hauehave ſinned, but my pardon is with thee. If I were as ſinfull as Marie Magdalen, as outragious as the prodigall ſonne, and as baſhfull to come neere, as the Publican, yet Ieſus hath made ſatisfaction for my ſinne: therefore in mercy forgiue mee now and euermore. Amen.
E
ENter not into iudgement with a poore creature, O LORD duſt and aſhes is my ſtate here, onelyonly I am created after thine Image, for a better world: deſtroy not then the worke of thine owne hands, but ſhew thy mercy and goodneſſe vntounto me, this day and euermore. Amen.
T
THinke vponupon me, O LORD, thy word neuer failed, and thy compaſſions hauehave no end. By the vertue of the one, and the ſubſtance of the other, purifie me from all iniquitie, and leade me into all truth this day and euermore. Amen.
H
HAueHave mercy vponupon mee, O LORD. accept my Prayers which I powre out before thee, and graunt my requeſts. Mercifully proſper the things that I take in hand: ſaue mee from mine enemies: a bleſſed life, and a happie end, good Lord ſend me. AMEN.