The Ambassador Between Heaven and Earth, Prayers · Prayer 23
The Priſoners prayer, written by a Gentleman, in paſſion and penitence, a few dayes before his tryall.
O Euerliuing God, & moſt mercifull Father, that art preſent in all places, and neere vntounto all ſuch as call vponupon thee, hauehave mercy vponupon mee moſt wretched ſinner, odious in the ſight of God, hateful in the eyes of man, baniſhed from thy fauour, from the lights of the Sunne and firmament, all humane comforts denyed me, fettered in body and in ſoule, with the links and chains of my ſins, and euen bound to deſtruction, vnleſſe thou ſend me ſuccour frō aboue. My life I hauehave abuſed and diuerted my courſe from the pathes of thy commandements, by the which I hauehave not onelyonly offended my brethren in ye fleſh, & the law of man, by the which my body is condemned to dye, hauing onelyonly power ouer that: But thee, the great God of heauen and earth (that madeſt me, and induedſt mee with many of thy good gifts, and bleſſings, as health, ſtrength, agility of body, had I had but one bleſſing more, that was grace, to hauehave vſed them well) that art able to caſt both body and ſoule into Hellfire: yet though by my offences againſt Dauids choyce, I hauehave fallen into the hands of man, from whom I expect no fauour for my life, yet with thee there is mercy for the forgiueneſſe of my ſinnes beyond expectation, which with that happy Thiefe, not in his life, but in his death, I truſt in thy goodneſſe to finde ſo, that when the day ſhall come that ſhall finiſh the Sentence that ſhall end my miſery and wretchedneſſe in this life, That day I ſhall be with thee in Paradiſe, though euill hauehave bene my life euer ſince I had power to thinke or execute, ſo farre forgetting humanity and nature, as if I had ſucked the Dragons in the wilderneſſe, hauing done thoſe things that I ought not to hauehave done, and left vndone thoſe that I ſhould, neuer remembring thy dreadfull name, but in the abuſe thereof, neuer hearing thy word, but with contempt, neuer taking admonition, but with ſcorne, and quenching the good motions of the ſpirit with the whole deluge of ſinne, diſhonouring my parents, and all good men, delighting in ryot, drunkenneſſe, whoredome and ſlouth, yet neuer toutht in conſcience for any, nor for all, ſo far had cuſtome hardened me, and Sathan poſſeſt me, that I was ſicke, euen to death, and felt not my ill. I was at the brinke of hell, and yet perceiued not my footing. For the which O pardon me, my God, and ſhew thy mercy vponupon mee, and all priſoners and captiues: teach mee, that by this my reſtraint, that my liberty and looſe life neuer pointed finger vntounto, that it is a happy compunction in the body, that makes a bleſſed compunction in the ſoule; And it is not thy leaſt fauour vntounto mee, that thou haſt ſtopped my headſtrong courſe in the middeſt of mine iniquities, in the readieſt path to deſtruction, that the Diuill could preſcribe, or fleſh and bloud follow, ere I had filled vp the meaſure to the brimme, are my condemnation was ſealed, and thy face for euer turned away from me. GiueGive me grace, O Lord, to make ſuch vſe of this little time I hauehave to liue, that what with many dayes and ſins I had loſt, with many teares and ſobbes I may recouer; and that whether my life bee prolonged beyond my expectation, or ended according to my account, I may neuer from this time fall from thee, but take ſuch deepe root by this thy mercy, that beeing fully perſwaded my ſinnes are waſhed away in the bloud of the lambe, and my tranſgreſſions do…e away in his ſatifiying, I may indeauour to liue in ſuch newneſſe of life and conuerſation amongſt men, that whom my euill life corrupted by example, my better may reſtore againe by imitation, to the praiſe of thy name, the good of thy Chiloren, and and the ſaluation of my ſoule, and the magnifying of thy mercy world without end.