Godly Meditations Upon the Lords Prayer, Part 16 – Part 17
A CONFESSION OF SINNES, and praier for the mitigation of goddes wrath and puniſhment for the ſame.
O Almightie god, king of al kings & gouerner of all things, whoſe power no creature is able to reſiſte, to whom it belongeth iuſtly to to puniſhe ſinners, and to be merciful vntounto them that truly repent: we confeſſe that thou doeſt moſt iuſtely puniſhe vsus, for we hauehave greuouſlye ſinned againſt thee, and we acknowledge that in puniſhinge vsus yu doeſt declare thy ſelfe to be our moſt mercifull father, aſwell becauſe yu doeſte not puniſhe vsus in any thinge as we hauehave deſerued, as alſo becauſe, by puniſhing vsus thou doeſt call vsus and (as it were) drawe vsus to increaſe in repentance, in faith, in praier, in contemning of the world and in hartie deſiring for euerlaſting life and thy bleſſed preſence. Graunt vsus therfore gratious lord thankfully to acknowledge thy great mercye, which haſte thus fauorably dealt with vsus in puniſhing vsus, not to our confuſion but to our amendment. And ſeing thou haſt ſworne that yu wilt not the death of a ſinner but that he turne & lyue, hauehave merciemercy vppon vsus and turne vsus vntounto thee for thi derely beloued ſōne Ieſus chriſts ſake, whō thou wouldeſt ſhould be made a ſlaine ſacrifice for our ſinnes, therby declaring thy great and vnſpeakable anger agaiſt ſinne, & thine infinite mercy to wardes vsus ſinfull wretches.
And for as muche as the dulnes of our harts, blindnes, and corruption is ſuch, that we are not able to ariſe vp vntounto thee by faithful & harty praier, acording to our great neceſſity, without thy ſinguler grace and aſſiſtance: graūt vntounto vsus gratious lord, thy holye and ſanctif…inge ſpirite to worke in vsus this good worke, with a pure and cleane mynde, wyth an humble and lowelye harte, wyth grace to waie and conſyder the nede and greatnes of that we doe deſyre, and wyth an aſſured fayth and truſt that thou wilte graunte vsus oure requeſtes, becauſe thou arte good and gracious euen to yonge rauens catling vppon thee, muche more then, to vsus for whom thou haſte made all thinges, yea & haſt not ſpared thyne owne dere ſonne: becauſe thou haſt commaunded vsus to call vponupon thee: becauſe thy throne wherevnto we come is a throne of grace & mercye: becauſe thou haſt geuen vsus a mediatour Chriſt to bringe vsus vntounto thee, being the waye by whom we come, being the dore by whom we enter, and being our head on whō we hang and hope that oure poore petitions ſhal not be in vaine through and for his names ſake.
We beſech thee therfore of thy rich mercy, wherin thou art plentiful to all them that call vponupon thee, to forgeue vsus our ſynnes, namelye oure vnthankefullnes, vnbeleife, ſelfe louelove, neglect of thy word, ſecuritye, hipocriſie, contempt of thy long ſuffringe, omiſſyon of prayer, doubting of thy power, preſence, mercy, and good will towardes vsus, vnſenſyblenes of thy grace, impaciencye &c: and to thys thy benefytte of corrcaynge vsus, adde theſe thy gratious gifts, repentāce, faith, the ſpirit of prayer, y• contempte of thys world and harty deſiring for euerlaſtinge lyfe: indue vsus wyth thy holie ſpirit according to thy couenant and mercy, aſwell to aſſure vsus of pardon and that thou doeſt accepte vsus into thy fauour, as thy deare children in Chriſt and for his ſake, as to write thy law in our hartes & ſo to worke in vsus, that we maye now begyn and goe forwardes in beleuing, liuing, fearing, obeyng, praying, hoping & ſeruinge thee as thou doeſt requyre moſt fatherly and moſt iuſtly of vsus, acceptinge vsus as perfecte throughe Chriſt and by imputation.
And moreoner when it ſhal be thy good pleaſure & moſt to thy glorye, deliner vsus we (beſech thee) out of y• handes of thine aduerſaries by ſuch meanes, be it death or life, as maye make to our comfort moſt in Chriſt. In the meane ſeaſon and for euer, ſaue vsus and gouerne vsus with thy holy ſpiryte and hys eternall conſolation.
And concerning thine aduerſaries whiche for thy ſake are become ours aduerſaries, ſo many of them as are to be conuerted, we beſeche thee to ſhewe thy mercye vponupon them and to conuerte thē: but thoſe that are not to be conuerted whiche thou onelye doeſt knowe (moſt mightye god and terrible lord) confounde, and get thy name a glory ouer them, abate their pride, aſwage their malice, bring to naught their deueliſhe deuiſes, and graunt that we and al thine afflicted children, may be armes with thy defence, weaponed with thy wiſdome and gyded with thy grace and holye ſpirite, to be preſerued for euer from all geuing of offences to thy people, and from all perilles, to glorifie thee whiche art the onelyonly geuer of al victorie through the merits of thy onelye ſonne Ieſus Chriſte oure lorde Amen.
AN OTHER CONFESSION of ſinnes.
AS Dauid, ſeing thyne angell with his ſword readye drawen (moſte righteous lorde) to plague Ieruſalē, cried out vntounto thee, it is I lord that hauehave ſinned, & I that hauehave done wickedly, thyne hand lorde be on me and not on thy poore ſheepe: wherthrough thou waſte moued to mercy, and baddeſt thine Angel put vp his ſword, thou haddeſt taken puniſhment enough: Euen ſo we gratious lord, ſeyng thy fearfull ſword of vengeaunce readye drawen and preſentlye ſtrikynge againſte thys common weale and thy Churche in the ſame, we (I ſaye) are occaſyoned euerye man nowe to caſte of oure eyes from beholdinge and narrowly ſpieng out other mennes faltes, and to ſet oure owne onelyonly in fight, that with the ſame Dauide thy ſeruant, and with Ionas in the ſhippe we may crie, it is we (o lord) which hauehave ſynned and procured this thy greuous wrath.
And this we nowe gathered together in Chriſts name, doe acknowledge, confeſſing oure ſelues giltye of horrible ingratitude for our good king, for thy goſpell and pure religion, and for the peace of thy church & quietnes of the cōmō weale, beſides our negligences & many other oure greuous ſinnes, where throughe we hauehave deſerued not onelye theſe but much more greuous plages, if that euen preſentlye thou diddeſt not as thou art wonte, remember thy mercye.
Herevpon (that thou in thine angre remembreſte thy mercye before we ſeeke & ſue for it) we take bouldnes as thou commaundeſte vsus to doe in oure trouble, to come and call vppon thee to be mercyefull vntounto vsus, and of thy goodnes nowe we humblie in Chriſtes name pray thee to holde thy hande and ceaſſe thy wrath, or at y• leaſt ſo to mitigate it, that this realme may be quietly gouerned and the ſame efteſ…nes to be a harborowe for thy church and true religion, which do thou reſtore to vsus againe accordinge to thy greate power and mercye, and we ſhall prayſe thy name for euer throughe Ieſus Chriſt our onelyonly mediatour and ſauiour, Amen.