A Godly Meditation, Part 25 – Part 26
i. Timoth. ii. Praye in eueryevery place lyfting vp pure hādes.
OH mighty kinge, and moſte high almighty god, ye father of our lorde Ieſus chriſte, whiche mercifully doeſt gouerne al thinges, which thou haſt made loke downe vponupon ye faithful ſeade of Abraham, the children of thy choſen Iacob, Thy choſen people I doe meane, conſecrate vntounto the by the anoyncting of thi holy ſpirite, And apointed to thi kingdōe by the eternal porpoſe, free merci, and greace, but yet as ſtraungers wandring in this vile vale of miſery, brought forth daily, by the worldly tyrantes, like ſheape to ye ſlaughter. O father of al fleaſhe who by thi diuine prouidēce chaū geſt times and ceaſons, and moſt wonderfully diſpoſeſt kingdoms, thou haſt deſtroyed Pharo, with all his horſe, and Chariottes, puffid vp with pride, agayenſt thy people, leadinge forth ſaffelye by the handes of thy merciemercy, thy belouede Iſraell, thorow the highe waues of ye raging waters Thou oh god the lord of all hoſtes, and armis, dideſt firſt dryue awaye from the gates of thy people the blaſphemous Senacherib, ſlaing of his armye, foure ſcore and fiue thouſand by thy angil, in one night: And after bi his owne ſonnes befor his own Idoles, dideſt kil the ſame blaſphemous Idolater, ſhowyng openly to all heathē thy prouidēt pwre, towardes thi diſpiſed letel ones. Thou dideſt traūce forme and chaūg proud Nabuchodonoſar, ye enimy of thi people, into A brute beaſt, to eate graſſe, and hay, to the horable terrour of all worldly tirantes, And as thou arte the father of mercies and god of all conſolacion, ſo of thy wonderful merciemercy dideſt thou preſerue thos thi thre ſeruauntes in Babilō, which wt bolde corage gaue theyr bodies to the fire, becauſe thei wolde not worſhip any deade Idole, and when they were caſt into ye burning fornace, thou dideſt geue them chearful hartes, to reioyſe, and ſinge pſalmes, and ſauedeſt vnhurt ye very heares of their heades, turning the flame frō thē, to deuoure their enemies Thou oh lorde god, by the might of thy right arme (which gouerneth all) broughteſt Daniell thi prophet ſaue into light and life, forthe of the darcke denne of the deuouring lions where by falſe accuſations he was ſhout vnderunder the erth, of thoſe raging beaſtes to be deuoured, but thou turnedſt ther cruelty vponupon his accuſares, repainge the wickede, vponupon their own pates. Yea lord which paſſeth al wonders, & is far aboue mans powre to perceiue therin thy workinge, thou dideſt cauſe the huge, and greate dragon of the ſeas, ye horrible Leuiathan, and Behemoth, the main whalefiſh, to ſwalow vp and deuoure, thy ſeruaūt Ionas, to kepe him iii. dayes and iii. nightes in the dongeon of his bealy the darke hellicke graue to a liuinge man, Thou dideſt cauſe that grete monſter, to carie him to the place, yt thou haddeſt apointed, and ther to caſt him vp ſaue, and able to do thy maſſage. Now alſo O heauenly father, beholdor of all thinges, to whome only belongeth vengeaunce, thou ſeeſt & conſidreſt how thy holy name by the wicked wordlinges, and blaſphemous Idoloters is diſhonorid, thy ſacrate woorde, refuſed, forſaken and diſpiſed, thy holye ſprite prouokede, and offended, thy choſene temple polluted, and deffilede, Tarie not tooe longe therfore, but ſhow thy powre ſpedelye vponupon thy choſen houſehold, which is ſo greuouſly vexed, & ſo cruelly handled by thy open enemyes, Auenge thy owne glorye, and ſhorten theſe euell dayes, for thy electes ſake. Let thy kingdom come of all thy deſyred, & though oure liuinges, hath offended thy maieſty, as we doe cōfeſſe vnfaynedly (O Lorde) that we hauehave all ſinned, our kings, princes, preſtes prophetes, and people, All we together, wyth our parētes fathers & mothers, hauehave moſt greuouſly, infinitely, paſſing all meſure, and number with our harde flintiſhe hartes, our diſſolute, and careles lyfe, withoute all ſhame and repentaunce for ſyn, offendid, tranſgreſſid, treſpaſſid, ſynned, and cō mitted moſt horrible wickednes, ſo yt we hauehave worthely deſerued, the vttermoſte of thy plages and terrible vengeaunce. Yet for thy owne glorye (O mercifull Lord) ſuffer not the enemye of thy ſonne Chryſte, the romyſhe Antichriſt, thus wretchedlye to delude, and draw frō the our poore brethern, for whome thy ſonne once died, that by his crueltie, after ſo cleare light, thei ſhold be made captiues to domme Idoles, and deuelyſh Inuentions, of popyſhe ceremonies, therunto pertayning. Suffer hym not to ſeduce the ſymple ſort with his fonde opinion, that his falſe gods, blind mumbling, fayned religion or his foliſhe ſuperſticion, doth geue hym ſuche conqueſtes, ſuche victories, ſuche triumphe, and ſo high hand ouer vsus. We knowe moſte certaynely (O Lord) that it is not ther arme and powre, but our ſynnes, and offences, that hath deliuered vsus to their fury, And hath cauſed the to turne away frō vsus. But turne agayne, O Lorde let vsus fall into thy handes otherways (ſeing thy iuſtice muſt poniſh vsus) let vsus fall into thy handes (as Dauid dyd chewſe) by darth, famin, or peſtilence, or what waye thou likeſt, leaſt theſe vayne Idolaters doe reioyſe, at the miſerable deſtruction, of thoſe men, whome they make proſelites, and frome thy doctrine Apoſtates, But oh lorde thy holye will be fulfilled, this is thy righteous Iudgment, to poniſh vsus wyth the tyrannical yoke of blindnes, becauſe we hauehave caſt away from vsus, the ſweate yoke of the holeſom worde of thy ſon our ſauiour. Yet conſider the horrible blaſphemies of thyne and our enemies. They name a cake, ther god, there Chriſt and altogether they know nothing of thy powre, they ſay in ther hartes, ther is no god, whych eyther can, or wyl deliuer vsus: wherfore O heauenly father, the gouerner of all thinges, the Auenger of the cauſes of the poore, the fatherles, the widow & of the oppreſſ…d, loke downe from heauen, with the face of thy fatherly mercies and forgeue vsus al former offences, and for thy ſonne Chriſtes ſake hauehave mercye vponupon vsus, whych by the force, and crueltie, of wicked, and blaſphemous Idolaters without cauſes aproued, are haled & pulled from our owne houſes, are ſlaūdered ſlaine and murthered, as rebelles, and traytours, like perſons pernicious, peſtiferous, ſedicious, peſtilent, and full of mortall poyſon, to al men contagious where we do medell no farther, but againſt the helly powres of darkenes, againſt the ſpirituall craftines, in heauenlye thinges, whyche wold deny the will of our god, and the powre of oure Chriſt vntounto vsus, we doe contend no farther, but onelyonly for our Chriſte crucified, and the only ſaluation by his bleſſed paſſiō, knowledging none other god none other Chriſt, or ſauiour, but onelyonly the, the euerliuing lord and our moſt merciful father, and thy deare ſonne our ſauiour, who is in the ſame glory with the in the high heauens, Therfore O Lord for thy glorious name ſake, for Ieſus Chriſtes ſake, by whome thou haſte promyſed to graunt al righteous requeſtes, make the wicked Idolaters to wonder and ſtand amaſed, at thy almightye powre, vſe thy wonted ſtrength, to the cōfuſion of thyne enemies, and to the healpe & deliueraunce of thy perſecuted people all thy ſaintes doe beſech the therfore, the yonge infantes (which hauehave ſomdeale taſted of thy ſweete worde) by whoſe mouthes thou haſt promiſed to make perfect thy praiſes whoſe Aungels doth alwaye behold thy face, who beſide the loſſe of vsus ther parentes, Are in daunger, to be compellid, and dryuen (wythout thy greate mercies to ſerue domme, & inſenſible Idols) doe cry and call to thee: ther pitefull mothers, with lamentable teares, lye proſtrate before the throne of thy grace. Thou father of the fatherles Iudge of the widdowes, and auenger of all the oppreſſid, let it apere (O Lord omnipotent) yt thou doeſt heare, iudge, aueng, & poniſh all wronges offered to all thy little ones that doe beleue in the, Doe this O Lorde for thy names ſake, Ariſe vp O Lord and thy enemies ſhalbe ſcatered & confoūded, So be yt O Lord moſt mercyfull at thy tyme apointed.
¶An other godly prayer to be ſayde at al tymes.
HOnor and prayſe be geuen to the o Lorde god almighty moſt dere father of heauen, for all thy marſys and louinge kindneſſe ſhowyd vntounto vsus, in that it hath pleyſyd thy gracius goodnes frely and of thine own accord to electe and choſe vsus to ſaluaciō before the beginning of the world, and euen lyke contenewall thankes be geuē to the for creatynge of vsus after thyne owne ymage, for redeminge, vsus with ye precius bludde of thy derſonne when we ware vtterly loſt, for ſanctefieng vsus wt thy holy ſprit in ye reuelaciō and knowlege of thy holy worde, for helping and Suckering vsus in all our needes and neſceſites, for ſauinge vsus frome all daungers of bodie and ſowle, for conforting vsus ſo fatherly in al our tribulaciō and perſecucions, for ſparing vsus ſo long and geuinge vsus ſo large a time of repentans, thes benifites O moſt mercyfull father, lyke as we knowlege to hauehave receuid thē of thy only goodnes, euen ſo we beſeche the that for thy dere ſonne Ieſus Chriſtes ſake to graunt vsus alwayſe thy holy ſprit, wherby we maye contenewally growe in thākefulnes towardes ye, to be ledde into all truthe, and confortyd in all oure aduerſetes, O lord ſtrenthen oure faithe, kindell it more in faruentnes and louelove towardes the & our neyghbors for thy ſake. Suffer vsus not dereſte father to receiue thy worde any more in vayne, but graunt vsus alwayſe the aſſyſtans of thy grace and holye ſprit, that in hart word and deede, we maye ſantefye and doe worſhype to thy holy name. Helpe to amplefye & encreſſe thy kyngdome, and what ſoeuer thou ſendeſte we maye be hartely well content wyth thy good pleaſure and wyll, lette vsus not lacke the thynge (Oh father) wyth oute the whyche we cannot ſerue the, but bleſſe thou ſo al the works of our handes that we maye hauehave ſufficient and not to be chargeabell but rather helpfull vntounto others, be mercyfull (O Lorde) to our offences, and ſeyng our det yt gret whych thou haſte forgeuen vsus in Ieſus chriſt, make vsus to louelove the and our neyghbors ſo muche the more. Be thou oure father our captayne and defender in all tēptacions holde thou vsus by thy mercyfull hande, that we maye be deliuered from all inconueniences, & end our lyues in the ſantefyeng and honor of thy holye name, thorough Ieſu Chriſt our lorde, and only ſauiour. Amen.
Let thy mighty hande and out ſtrechyd arme O Lorde be ſtyll oure defence, thy mercy & louinge kindnes in Ieſu Chriſt thy dere ſonne our ſaluacion, thy trew and holye worde our inſtruction, thy grace and holye ſprite, our comfort and cōſolacion, vntounto the end, and in the end. Amen.
¶ O Lord increſe our fayth.
Bradfords beades that he prayed on being in Priſon for the teſtimoni, of Ieſus Chriſt leauīg them as neceſſary to be vſid of the faythfull.
¶Bleſyd ar the dead that dye in the lord, euen ſo ſaith the Spiret, that they reſt from theyr labores, but theyre workes folow them. Apo. xiiii.
Imprinted at London in Saint Martins pariſhe in the vinetre, vponupon the three Crane warfe, by wyllyam Coplande.
Anno. Do. M.D.LIX. the xv. daye of Marche.
End of the text · John Bradford, A Godly Meditation (1559)