The Ambassador Between Heaven and Earth, Prayers · Prayer 21 – Prayers
A meditation or thankeſgiuing after the receyuing of the holy cō munion.
HOnour, glory, and praiſe be giuen to the O God, the euerliuing ſonne of the euerlaſting father, the ſtay and comfort of all Chriſtian ſoules, at whoſe right hand in heauen thou ſitteſt and raigneſt for euermore, what may we render vntounto thee as a ſacrifice acceptable, that haſt giuen thy ſelfe a bleeding ſacrifice for vsus and for our ſinnes, A broken and contrite hart O Lord that thou will not diſpiſe, which daily in the meditation of this thy louelove and mercy towardes vsus, and what thou haſt vndergone for vsus our ſakes, ſhall be rent and torne, that it may be healed in thy wounds, and bound vp in the bundle of thy mercy, that ſo we may ſtand ſpottleſſe before thee ye day of thy appearing, and good Lord ſo continue thy fauour vntounto vsus, that this learneſt and pledge of thy louelove, left as a monument to all after-worldes and ages to come, may be ſo powerfull and effectuall vntounto vsus that it may ſeale in our hartes the forgiueneſſe of our ſins waſht away in the ſtreame of thy bloud, and buried in thy ſide, neuer to open there mouthes againſt vsus beeing there condemned to euerlaſting ſilence, and if at any time the frayltie of the fleſh by the inſtigation of Sathan ſhall draw me vntounto ſinne, forgetting what thou ſufferedeſt therefore, yet let my wandering thoughts, bee called home to thy fould, in remembrance of theſe viſible ſignes, whereby the breaking of thy body and the ſhedding of thy bloud is ſo liuely preſented vntounto me, that I behould it as with my eyes mourning in my ſelfe, not accuſing the iewes, the ſcribes nor phariſes, high prieſtes nor elders, Iudas nor Pilate, but my ſins that tormented, wounded, crucified the Lord of life to death, they were the cauſe, theſe were but the inſtruments whereby it was effected, O what is man that thou ſhouldeſt ſo regard him, or the ſonne of man that thou ſo kindly viſiteſt him: let eueryevery nayle that was driuen into thy handes and feet, by the hammer of our ſinnes, be a thouſand daggers at our hartes, to launch and let forth that putrified corruption, that returned ſuch muddy chan…elles, to thee the fountaine of liuing waters, that but with ſo a high a price, and deare expence could not be purified, but now beeing thus purged and made cleane let vsus be wary we pollute them not againe, hauing receiued ſo pure a gueſt, let vsus not harbour with him the vncleane, leaſt to our euerlaſting loſſe he take his flight, and forſake vsus, when then our vncleane thoughts and cogitations, which his preſence expelled and kept a loofe of from vsus, retire themſelues, eueryevery one accompanied with ſeauen worſe then themſelues, and our end be worſe then our beginning, and ſo that become vntounto vsus the ſauour of death vntounto death, which otherwayes had bene the ſauour of life vntounto life, wherefore O Lord bleſſe vsus at this time, and this thy holy inſtitution that by our vnworthineſſe we turne not that to euill which was ordayned for our good, make it O Lord the plaſter to heale all our wounds, the garment to couer our nakednes, the ſpirituall and corporal bread to the ſtay of our bodies and ſoules, let it be the cocke to remember our ſins, and the rocke to ſtay our ſoules vppon that we neuer fall from thée againe, & to that end ſo bleſſe vsus moſt gratious God, y• this thy ſacrament now receyued, may be to our euerlaſting good and wellfare, ſo conducting vsus through this vale of miſery with ſo godly a direction & guide, enuy, contention, and malice layed a ſide, forgiuing the offences of our bretheren towards vsus, as we expect forgiueneſſe at thy handes, that ſo in a godly ſociety in this world we may liue together in peace vntill we ſhall raigne with thee in glory, which art the end of peace, where we ſhall then behold thee with our bodily eyes, as wee behold thee now with faith, by the eye of the Spirit, and ſee that body that was broken and bruiſed for our ſinnes, thoſe hands that hauehave made vsus, and fed vsus, that head that was crowned, now all glorified, neuer to bee debaced more. To which bleſſed viſion, & fruition, he bring vsus, that hath ſo ranſomed vsus, for the glory of his ſacred Name.
Amen.
A Thankſgiuing vntounto God the Father, vſed by the reuerend and learned, W. Muſc. and fit to bee vſed of all good Chriſtians.
LET all true Chriſtians ſay and acknowledge with one heart and mouth, ſay alſo with them, O my Soule, ſay in this mortall body, without this mortall body, Glory, Honour, and Praiſe bee vntounto thee, moſt mercifull God, throughout all ages and Generations of the world, which haſt not ſpared thine onelyonly Sonne, but offered him vp a bleeding Sacrifice for the ſins of thy people giuen him to death euen to the death of the Croſſe, for moſt wretched mankind, to that end that through him we might be ſaued and deliuered from diſtruction and brought into the liberty of euerlaſting life, graunt vntounto vsus by thy ſpirit that we may perfect and continue in this thy grace for euer and euer.
Amen.
Mart. Luthers Prayers.
COnferme in vsus O God that which thou haſt wrought, and finiſh the worke thou haſt begunne in vsus, to the glory of thy name, and the ſauing of our ſoules at the dreadfull day of thy Viſitation, for thy mercies ſake.
Amen.
Saint Auſt.
O Deus omnium miſerationum, pater Abyſſus miſericordiae tuae abſorbeat abyſſum peccatorum meorum.
O Father of all goodneſſe and mercy, let the depth of thy mercy drye vp the depth of my ſinnes.