The Ambassador Between Heaven and Earth, Prayers · Prayer 2 – Prayer 3
An euening Prayer for the Sabaoth day.
O eternall God and moſt mercifull father which art the Lord of heauen and earth, of Angels and men, principalities and powers, light & darkeneſſe, day and night, in whoſe handes is contained that ouerflow of goodneſſe, that filleth all the empty and indigent creatures in the world, in the ayre, in the earth, in the ſea, and on the land, who ordayneſt times and ſeaſons, ſucceſſions and diſcentes, ould age, and childhood, a beginning and an ending, a reſt and a labour, an increaſe and a decreaſe, and a perpetuall motion and change ouer all the ſublunary things in this world▪ the liuely witneſſe whereof is this day which not many howers ſince broke out of darkeneſſe and cheard the world with her light, and the ſunne aroſe and came forth as a bridegrome out of his chamber, and reioyſing as a Gyant to runne his courſe, and his beames are now ſteeped in night & darkenes, the true reſemblance of all earthly glory, and tranſitory pleaſures, and delights, which hauehave there increaſe, there height, and there ſuddaine decreaſe againe, and there is no continuance or ſtability in any thing vnderunder the ſunne, and by this motion and change the time is now come that thou haſt apointed for reſt, which Lord ſo bleſſe vntounto vsus that as this day thou haſt gratiouſly miniſtred ſtrength vntounto vsus to walke in our vocations, & bleſſe our good indeauours, ſtudies and labours, our hearing & meditating on thy word to the comfort of our bodies and ſoules, ſo we may be thankefull therefore, hauing alwayes thy hand to ſuſtayne vsus, to effect and finiſh thoſe councels and labours which we vndertake for thy glory; ſo good Lord bleſſe this night vntounto vsus that we may now receiue that comfort and ſtrength which thou haſt graunted to our weake nature, by the which we are ſuſtayned and daily renued and refreſhed to our labours, and further we beſeeche thee as the night ſhadoweth & darkeneth all things that they are vnſeene, ſo for thy deare Chriſts ſake hide our ſins from thy ſight that they neuer ſtand vp to accuſe vsus vntounto thee, beeing buried in eternall obliuion, that as our bodies ſhall hauehave the reſt of ſleepe this night, ſo our minds by the hope of thy mercy may inioy the reſt of a quiet conſcience for euer: that ſo beeing wholy refreſhed both in body and in mind we may ariſe with alacrity & chearfulneſſe vntounto thy ſeruice this day inſuing and all the dayes of our life after ſucceding, that when death, which is the end of all fleſh, ſhall remoue vsus from thence into the graue of corruption where our bodies ſhall diſſolue to the matter they are, though now they ſeme not, from the which it is as eaſy for thee to rayſe them vp from the ſmalleſt graine of deſſolution as from our naturall ſléepe, for I beleeue that the time ſhall come when all that are in the graue ſhal heare the voyce of the ſonne of God, when he ſhall ſpeake vntounto the earth giuegive, and to the ſea reſtore my ſonnes and daughters, and to all the creatures in the world keepe not backe mine inheritance, and to the priſoners of hope, lodging a while in the chambers of the ground, ſtand forth and ſhew your ſelues and the earth ſhall diſcloſe her bloud and ſhal no longer hide her ſlain▪ and the ſea ſhall find no reſt till her drowned be brought forth, nor any creature in the world be able to ſteale one bone that it hath receiued, but all kinds of death ſhall be ſwallowed vp in generall victory, and in his name that hath wonne the feild for vsus, we ſhall ioyfully ſing thanks be to God that hath giuen vsus victory through our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, whence our bodies being awaked to that euerlaſting day of light which ſhall neuer be obſcured with darkeneſſe more, where we ſhall be made pertakers of that vnſpeakable inheritance that thy ſaints and holy ones enioy, which is honour, & glory, and peace, a garland of righteouſneſſe, an incorruptible crowne, fruite of the tree of life, ſight of the face of God, following the lamb, fellowſhip with Angels and Saints, and the congregation of the firſt borne, new names & white garments, pleaſures at the right hand of God and fulneſſe of ioy in his preſence for euermore: whither he bring vsus that hath made vsus, that muſt raiſe vsus from both theſe ſleepes for the glory of his bleſſed name.
Amen.
A further Deſcription of this heauenly Ieruſalem, and bleſſed happineſſe therein, taken out of the Man. Cathol. of W. C.
IN Syon lodge me Lord for pitty,
Syon Dauids Kingly Citty,
Built by him that's onelyonly good,
Whoſe gates are of the croſſes wood,
Whoſe keyes are Chriſts vndoubted word,
VVhoſe dwellers feare none but the Lord,
VVhoſe walles are ſtone, ſtrong, quicke and bright,
Whoſe keeper is the Lord of light.
Here the light doth neuer ceaſe,
Endleſſe ſpring, and endleſſe peace.
Here is muſicke heauen filling,
Sweetneſſe euermore diſtilling.
Here is neither ſpot nor taint,
No defect, nor no complaint,
No man crooked, great nor ſmall;
But to Chriſt conformed all.
Bleſſed towne diuinely graced,
On a Rocke ſo ſtrongly placed:
Seated ſure from feare of warre,
I ſalute thy walles from farre:
Thee I ſee, and thee I long for,
Thee I ſeeke, and thee I groane for.
O what Ioy thy dwellers taſt▪
All in pleaſure, firſt and laſt.
What full enioying bliſſe diuine?
What Iewels on thy walles do ſhine?
Ruby, Iacinth, Chalcedon,
Knowne to them within alone.
In this glorious Company,
In theſe ſtreets of Syon, I
With Iob Moſes, and Eliah,
Will ſing the heauenly Heluiah.