The Ambassador Between Heaven and Earth, Prayers · Prayer 9 – Prayer 11
An Euening prayer for a priuate Family.
Our tranſgreſſions are more in number then the hairs of our head, wee repent vsus of them all from the bottome of our hearts. O Father, be mercifull vntounto vsus, and forgiue vsus them.
O Lord God, our moſt mercifull Father, vntounto thy diuine Maieſty what might wee render as an Oblation acceptable vntounto thee, which haſt made vsus when wee were not, moulded vsus from the duſt of the earth, an element ſo baſe and contemptible, to ſo excellent a perfection, to a creature ſo glorious and admirable as man is, not onelyonly the worke of thine owne hands, but the Image of thine owne Perſon, from the very iawes of Death and damnation deliuered vsus, if we wilfully runne not into it againe, that in continuing thy bleſſings day by day vponupon vsus, haſt ſhewed thy ſelfe to bee our moſt gratious, mercifull, and louing Lord, and haſt hitherto preſerued vsus by thy powerfull prouidence, yt we hauehave drawne out y• thrid of our life vntounto this time: theſe are thy mercies our God, and not our merits, giuen vsus freely without any deſert of ours: for the rayment of our backes, for the foode of our bellies, for the ayre that wee ſucke in and breath out, for the faſhion of our bodyes, for the motion of the members thereof, for our capability & reaſon, the creation of all thy creatures in the world, to the vſe and ſubiection of man, and ſo many thy benefites that whatſouer wee expreſſe, the more wee remember: yet for all theſe thou requireſt nothing elſe of vsus but that we know and acknowledge thée to be the Lord and giuer thereof: what couldeſt thou require leſſe of vsus then to acknowledge thee, to obey thee, to feare thee, louelove thee, and to keepe thy commandements? and y…t doe wee ſcant thee of that moitye of thy due, that eaſie taſke, but the ſound of our lippes, and y• conſent of our hearts, that ſo wee might become thy faithfull children, and bee made true heires and partakers of thine euerlaſting kingdome, and reigne with thée for euer. Guilty therefore, O Lord, in this groſſe offence wee ſtand forth to accuſe our ſelues of wonderfull folly, and ingratitude, hauing ſtroue, as much as in vsus lyeth, to ſtoppe the ſtreame of thy mercies, that land-comfort to our ſoules in all our extremities, y• they ſhould not come néere vsus: we hauehave bene careleſſe of thy word, neither hauehave wee taken any delight to fulfill thy lawes and Commandements: and therefore if thou hadſt long agoe, as a flower before a Sithe-man, mowed vsus downe, as many, more worthy of▪ theſe bleſſings then we, hauehave beene, and brought vsus to the Barre of thy Iudgement, and from thence caſt vsus (who are before thy face, but as chaffe before the winde, or as ſtubble before the fire) into the laks of perdition, who is he that could accuſe thee of iniuſtice? nay, our owne conſciences would acquit thee, and condemne vsus: for ſeeing thou haſt ſought vsus, and wee would not bee found, it is good reaſon we ſhould cry vntounto thee and finde no mercy. But O Lord, thy mercies are aboue our iniquities, ſo thou haſt ſpared vsus many yeares, and paſt ouer our manifold tranſgreſſions, as one that were ignorant of them, in ſilence and ſorrow, in witneſſe wherof the heauens, with their apparitions ſi…ke of diſaſters and euents hauehave bene portenders vntounto vsus, that we might be forewarned, the earth vponupon her baſes, proppes and foundations ſo firmely layed hath of late bene ſhaken at the aſpecte of thine anger, and tottered to and fro like a drunken-man, thy waters and the whole courſes thereof, that rowle with indignation vp and downe there channelles beeing tyed within boundes and limittes (as the lions in there dens) daſh themſelues with indignation againſt there dammes & there ſhores, ſtoppes to there fury fixed there by thy word, Hetherto ſhalt thou paſſe and no further, hauehave of late by thy ſufferance borne downe there keepers many yeares, and ſweld higher then there brinkes and in there mercileſſe furies prey'd vponupon whole countries leauing nothing but deſolation behind them, and all duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page for our ſins and forwarnings, beſides thy threatning vsus by drought, famine and peſtilence, the fearfull denuntiation of thy word applied vntounto our guilty conſciences, that ſo perceyuing thine anger we might feare and be ſaued: euen ſo I Lord as thou haſt bene gratious in forewarning vsus by theſe, ſo giuegive vsus grace that we may be forewarned by them, that in time we may repent and turne from our wicked wayes, and no longer abuſe thy patience, but run vntounto thee in repentance and humility, that ſo we may be ſaued in the day of thy appearance, which ſo worke in vsus that ouercome at length with thy goodneſſe & patience, we may no longer delaye to aske councell of thee and thy holy word what we ought to forbeare, and what we ought to follow, that we be not puf… vp with proſperity, nor to much deiected in ſickeneſſe and aduerſity, that we may deſpaire of our ſelues & the helpe of our owne hādes, but may expect all things from thy goodneſſe, that we put not our confidence in tranſitory things, but wholy relye vponupon thee & thy promiſes. Bleſſe this famely O Lord and eueryevery member thereof, bleſſe alſo our parentes and frendes according to the fleſh and nature, and continue thy bleſſed word vntounto vsus and to our poſterities after vsus, euen vntounto the ends of the world for thy dearly beloued ſonne Chriſt Ieſus our Sauiours ſake into whoſe handes and protection we commend our ſoules and our bodies this euening and the reſt of our liues ye were bought and redeemed with his moſt deare & pretious bloud: whoſe acceptance he graunt for his owne deare ſake. Amen.
Let thy mighty hand and outſtretched arme ô Lord be ſtil our defence, thy mercy and louing kindeneſſe in Ieſus Chriſt thy deare ſonne our ſaluation, thy true and holy word our inſtruction, thy grace and holy ſpirit our comfort and conſolation, vntounto the end and in the end. Amen.
The Lord bleſſe vsus and ſaue vsus the Lord make his face to ſhine vponupon vsus and be mercifull vntounto vsus, the Lord turne his fauorable countenance towardes vsus, and this night and euermore vouchſafe to ſend vsus thy euerlaſting peace. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt and the louelove of God, and the fellowſhip of the holy Ghoſt be with vsus all euermore.
Amen.
A prayer to God for the forgiuenes of ſins.
MOſt holy, moſt iuſt, moſt mercifull and omnipotent God thou alone doeſt puniſh and no man can releiue, thou alone doeſt chaſtice and no man can controwle, thou alone doeſt ſaue, and no man can condemne, thou bringeſt to the graue, and bringeſt backe againe pardon I beſeech thee my ſins, more in number then the drops in the ſea, then the ſtarres in the firmament, and purge my corruption, beyond bound, without meaſure, looke not vponupon my merits, for they are none at all, for the purity of mankind is defiled in ſinne, wherefore to mee O Lord, to me thy poore ſeruant belongeth nothing but ſhame and confuſion, but to thee is mercy and iudgement and glory inherent, deſtroy not I humbly intreat good father of mercy, the creation and frame, and compoſition of thine owne hāds de…ace not the image wherein thou thy ſelfe art ſo liuely portrayed, but haſte to comfort me, make thy corrections my inſtructions, that in patience awhile I may heare poſſeſſe my ſoule, and in thy promiſe hauehave an aſſured hope to liue with thee for euer in the life to come, through Ieſus Chriſt my Lord and only Sauiour.
Amen.
A prayer to be ſaid before the vndertaking of any iourney.
O Eternall, wiſe and glorious God, that foreſeeſt the end of all things before they come to paſſe, and bleſſeſt the indeuours of thoſe that go forth in thy feare, and direction, bee preſent therefore O Lord, and protecting in this my trauell, guide thou my courſe and ſhorten thou my way, by the bleſſed communication of thy ſpirit within mee, giuegive thine holy Angels charge ouer me to keepe me in all my wayes & to guide mee to and fro in this my iourney, as thou diddeſt to Toby the yonger, who by thy Angell Raphael was guyded vntounto Gabaell a Citty of the Medes: our whole life O Lord is as a pilgrimage and the dayes thereof are few and euill, by thy appointment we ſoiorne vponupon the face of the earth for a time and our ſpirit alſo within vsus, it commeth and returneth as a traueller vponupon the way, or bourdeth with vsus as an inmate or gueſt or tenant at will, whom we hold by no leaſe nor condition but thy pleaſure, which art the owner thereof, a quarter, a yeare, or perhaps many yeares, till thy meſſinger from heauen to earth knocke at our doores with a Ilinc migrate coloni, ſlit hence my tenant, and then exit de terra noſtra, it departeth from vsus and our bodies fall downe to the earth and our pilgrimage is at an end: teach mee to vſe this world as in my trauayle I ſhall vſe mine inne, taking vp my reſt for a night, and preparing for my paſſage in the morning, knowing there I am but a ſtrā ger and hauehave no abiding place, for ſo the world is but mine inne and becauſe it is fayre and beutious, full of many goodly roomes and ſpatious walkes, beutified with the firmament and the greater and the leſſer lights thereof, the Sunne, the Moone▪ and the ſtarres, yet that I ſeeke not to make it my habitation for euer, but giuegive me grace to vſe it as if I vſed it not, prouiding me with ſuch neceſſaries as may ſuſtayne me in my trauayle, not ouerburdening my conſcience to clogge mee in my way, euer looking vp to thee the ſtarre of my direction, whither my courſe is bound, as the hauen from this impatient and troubleſome ſea, where at the laſt I ſhall anker at reſt, whither Lord conduct me with thy right hand, as in this my temporall and preſent iourney defended from all perils and dangers of the day, I may happely accompliſh my deſire with thy will, and all the dayes of my trauayle & labour aſſigned, ended, I may there arriue where all teares ſhall be wipt from myne eyes, and drops from my browes, wearyneſſe from my bones, ſighes & ſobbes from my ſoule, all dryed vp in the preſence and ioy of thee and thy ſaintes and Angels for euermore, which graunt good father for thy mercies ſake.
Amen.