Two Sermons for the Lords Table, Afterword 2
DIVERSE PRAYERS FOR DIVERSE NECESSITIES OF THE SAINTS.
Non vox sed votum, non chordula musica, sed cor,
Non clamans sed amans cantat in ore DEI.
This hauehave I thus englished.
Not voice but wish, not sounding harp but heart,
Not cryes but louelove hauehave in GODS eare a part.
A NOTABLE PRAYER OF THAT FAITHFVLL SERVANT OF GOD, M. IOHN BELL, Minister of Glasgow, which ordinarly hee vseth before Sermon.
WEE are heere assembled in thy presence, O blessed Father! according to thine owne commandement, to seeke thy gratious face: What are wee O Lord, whom thou should admit to come into thy presence, who not onelyonly are dust and ashes, but also that which is worse, vncleane and sinnefull wretches, vnworthy wee confesse to behold the Heaven, farre lesse to offer and present our speaches and prayers to thee who art the GOD of HEAVEN? Yet it hath pleased thee in merciemercy, to graunt vntounto vsus this accesse, and liberty that wee may come before the Throne of grace.
Holy Father teach our hearts with a religious feare, and an humble reverence towards thy diuine Maiestie, in whose sight and presence now we are: Remoue from vsus the impediments which are great and many, and which suffer vsus not to drawe so neere to thee our GOD as wee should, & as wee would: Take from vsus this vaile of darkenesse, which still by nature covers the eyes of our minds: Remoue the foolishnesse, and the vanitie of our worldly, prophane, and wandring cogitiations, as also that hardnesse and securitie, that deadnesse and dulnesse of spirit, that …urketh in vsus, and that maketh thy holy word so oft powerlesse in our hearts, and fruitlesse in our lyues.
GiueGive vsus for thy good names sake, circumcised and sanctified eares: GiueGive vsus also circumcised and sanctified soules that when thou speakes vntounto vsus by thy trueth preached, wee may reverently attentiuely, and obediently, and when wee send vp to the our GOD, the Sacrifice of our supplications, it may proceede from that solide faith and sincere f…rvencie, which be commeth thy elect: with-hold not from vsus O fountaine of grace! With-hold not th… spirit of grace, which thou hast promised to all these that in humility doe aske the same. Remember not against vsus our by-past manifold iniquities, whereby from time to time wee doe offend thee and gri…ue thy holy spirit.
O our GOD cast all our sinnes behind thy back, and looke in the face of thine anointed, our Aduocate at thine owne right hand the LORD IESVS: Graunt for his sake that so many as be heere now present, may feele forcibly that Heavenly fire of the inward Teacher, to come downe and enter into their hearts, to inlighten and purge them, to change and renewe them more and more, till last it shall please thee in merciemercy to compleete in them the worke of grace, and crowne the same with endlesse glory.
Finally, seeing it is thy holy wil, and accustomed working to imploy the weake ministrie of mortall and sinnefull men, in carrying the great and weighty message of thy holy word, let it please thee to strengthen and assist mee, that both in fidelitie and wisedome and sinceritie, I may expresse and vtter the Heavenly oracles, to these who in humilitie shall aske the same.
Waken vp also their hearts and Consciences, that as good and well prepared ground, rightly they may receiue the immortall seede of thy trueth, and heereafter bring foorth such good fruit as may glorifie thy thy blessed name, adorne and beautifie their Christian profession, edifie others by good example of life, and certifie more and more their owne conscience, that they are called effectually to bee heires of life through the Lord IESUS our blessed Saviour, in whose name, &c. Our Father, &c.
A Prayer fitted to the state of one that is neere the doores of death.
QVicken vsus O LORD, and we will call vponupon thy name: Psal. 8 18.Let the words of our mouth, Psal. 19, 14,and the meditations of our heart bee acceptable in thy sight, O Lord our strength a…d our Redeemer. O Father of mercyes,Revel. 1 18 which hast the keyes of death and of the graue, at thy command, thou rulest all that is aboue and belowe: Thy mercy is euer aboue all thy workes:Psal. 130. 4, O Lord mercy is with Thee that thou mayest bee feared, Mercy also is with Thee, that thou mayest bee loued, yea and mercy is with Thee, that Sinners may bee saued: Psal. 86. 5.Thy word is pure and plaine, that thou art plenteous in mercy to all that call vponupon Thee.
Now for the sake of thy Sonne, let it please Thee to pardon and pitie this poore trem…ling & weake hearted sinner, now drawing neere the jawes of death, into which hee is euen now ready to fall; Let it please▪ Thee to seale fast vp in his heart, the full remission of all his transgressions of thought, word, and worke: Say vntounto his Soule I am thy Salvation: There is nothing that can pacifie thy wrath, or allay the qualmes of his Conscience: except onelyonly the purging and purifing blood of thy Lamb the LORD IESVS: who came into this world, for to saue Sinners: 1. Tim. 1. 15Let that blood of sprinkling by its diuine vertue▪ 1. Pet. 1. 2.make all his sinnes though double died in crimson colour, Isa. 1. 18.to become white like Wooll and Snowe: Thou who by the touching of thy garment, suffred a▪ HEAVENLY healing vertue to goe▪ out for the curing of that bloodie fluxe, Luk 8. 46▪bind not vp now the vertues and powers of thy mercy, from this Soule sore yerning for thy …auour.
In this last conflict of the last Battell of his Soule, so sinewe him with thy grace, and so support and vnderprop him by the strength of thy louelove that in his greatest weakenesse, he may find thy grace sufficient for him: 2. Cor. …1… 9.As his naturall strength shall decay, let spirituall courage increase:Psal. 51. 6. Thou desirest trueth in the inward parts, put thou into his heart that which thou desires.Hos. 11, 8.
O thou whose most merciefull heart is ever turned within Thee, and whose compassions are euer most cheerefully rolled together at the …hing of the prisoner: Take notice … the sighs and grones,Psal. 79. 11 of this thy Servant, now in the extremitie of anguis…: Sathan now is come to his tast onset, the feare of death and the terrours of the graue, are now in Battell array against him: Now LORD confound Satan the ring leader of all his enemies: Suffer him not to preuaile against him, for whom thy Sonne hath suffered death: Let his Soule know that thou hast disarmed death of its sting, 1. Cor. 15. 55,and that death is no more death, but a sleepe to all the friends of CHRIST, who hath plucked out the sting thereof,Iohn, 11, 11 Let neither the grips of death nor the greifes of the graue dismay him: Let him know that by thy Resurection, thou hast so ouercome the graue,Isa. 57. …. that thou hast made it a resting bed to each one walking in his vprightnesse.
How great or greeuous so ever the assaults of his enemies bee, make him still hold him fast by Thee: When flesh and heart and all shall faile him,…sal. 73, 26. be thou then the strength of his heart and his portion for euer Behold hee hath none in Heaven bu… Thee,… and there bee none on earth whome he desires besids Thee: disappoint him not LORD: Seeing hee trusts in The, let his Soule rejoyce in thy Comforts as one that findeth a great spoile: Psal. 119. 162.Make him now turne his backe vponupon all worldly desires, as Hezekiah did when hee turned his face to the wall: Isa. 38. 2,Make the hope of Glory so strong within him, that all that is heere belowe, were it never so specious or precious, may seeme to him Dirt and Dung in comparison thereof:Philip, 3, 8 As the time of his departure shall approach, so let his soule drawe neerer vntounto thee that gaue it,Gen, 2: 7, by breathing it into his nosthirls: So long as it shall please thee that it remaine within him, worke Heavenly motions in his heart, that as the Hart panteth after the water brookes,Psal: 42, 1, so may his Soule pant after that Riuer, Psal. 46▪ …4▪the streames whereof make glad the Citie of God. We conclude all our confused sutes, with the perfection of the paterne of all prayers, …ying as our LORD hath taught vsus; Our Father which art. &c.
A prayer at the verie point of death.
NOW LORD it is tyme to help, when breath begins to faile at …he last dints of death: All diseases are from thee, and to thee belong the issues of death: Now behold thy Servant heere in the very pangs and throes thereof: The shadowe of death is now vponupon his eye lids:Iob, 14, 14, The appointed time of his changing is now come, that thou wilt, like a weauer cut off his lyfe from the thrum: Isa, 38. 12,Seing …his change is appointed for all th… Sonnes of Adam, let thy merciemercy toward him, make him to change for the better, even from bondage, death, and darknesse to life, light, aud libertie, yea and from grace to glory, Keepe now his Soule in readinesse,1▪ Pet, 1, 3, that in a liuely hope hee may waite for thy Salvation.Gen. 49, ….
Now Lord his last houre is come to a quarter: The task of his toile is neere an end: when all shall bee finished, let him enter into the full possession of these joyes, whereof hee hath receiued the pawnes and pledges by thy favour: At the last blast and billow of Sathans temptations, let him finde his Saviour Christ to bee a sure harbry for his Soule: The Soule which thou keepest can never miscarrie: Let thy grace bee the staffe of his strength till thou bring him vntounto glory: While the eyes of his body are couered with a shadowe of death, cleare thou so the eyes of his Soule, that with Stephen hee may see the Heavens open, Act. 7, 56.and thy Sonne his Saviour at thy right hand pleading page missing
End of the text · Zacharie Boyd, Two Sermons for the Lords Table (1629)