Time Complaining, Prayer 2
❧ A Godlie and comfortable Praier.
O Moſt gratious God and merciful Sauior, we pray and beſeech thee to bee mercifull to our ſinnes, according to thy greate merciemercy, as thou haſt forgeuen vsus euen from our bondage in Egipt vntill now. Geue vsus not ouer, O Lord, our moſt gratious father, leaſte the heathen which deſpiſe thee, behold our miſerie, and ſay in deriſion: loe where is now their God in whome they truſt? And although when a man putteth away his wife, and ſhe goeth from him and marieth with another, then the queſtion is: ſhould he reſort to her any more after that? And the land is vnpure and defiled, committing fornication with many louers: yet Ier. …1.turne vsus againe (O GOD) and we ſhalbe turned. And becauſe thou art mercifull and of long ſuffring, louing and gentle to them that offende, not willing the death of a ſinner, but rather that hee ſhould conuerte and liue, repreſſe the vehement heate of thy fire with godly pitie, ſtay thine hand from our deſtruction, and looke fauourably vntounto our Soueraigne Princeſſe, Elizabeth thy ſeruant, as thou diddeſt vntounto Dauid, Hezekias and Ioſia, and ſo to the whole land. And ſend vsus peace, yea an happie peace. Bleſſe vsus al with thy ſpirite, defend vsus with thy right hand, ſhrowd vsus vnderunder thy wings againſt our enemies, that ſo we may ſerue thee in holines and righteouſnes al the daies of our liues. Let it not be ſayed: how long ſhall the land mourne, and all the herbs of the fielde periſh for the wickednes of them that dwell therein: let not the creatures hauehave ſuch cauſe for vsus to deſire to leaue vsus: let not Time ſay of vsus: theſe be they that greue me, waſte mee out riotouſlie, make me complaine and wiſh to reſt and riſe no more. But let it bee ſaied: beholde the Lorde liueth for euer worthie of praiſe, becauſe hee hath bin mercifull vntounto ſinners, cauſing them to beleeue, repent, and turne vntounto him and be ſaued. And though thou once ſpakeſt to Ier. 15. 1.Ieremie againſt thy owne people being diſobedient vntounto thee, ſaying: Though Moſes and Samuel ſtoode before mee, yet hauehave I no heart vntounto this people, driue them away, that they may goe out of my ſight, ſome vntounto death, ſome to the ſword, ſome to hunger and ſome to captiuitie: yet we knowe (O our good Lord) that when Ephraim was heard lamenting & praying Ier. 31. 18. of 6. 1. Io. 2. 10.heartilie vntounto them in his diſtreſſe thou thoughteſt vponupon mercy, as a father pitying his owne children. And though Ionas cried out, deſtruction deſtruction againſt Niniuie: yet ſeeing them to turne from their euill waies, thou didſt repent, & layed not that euill vppon them. Let vsus therefore preſume on GOD, to call for merciemercy vppon repentaunce, and let vsus heare that ſounding in our eares, which Hezekias proclaymed in all his prouinces ſaieng: be not you ſtiffnecked like as were your fathers: but yeld your ſelues vntounto the Lord, 2. Chro. 30 8.and enter into his holy place which hee hath ſanctified for euer: & ſerue the Lord your God, & the fearceneſſe of his wrath ſhalbe turned away from you. Let vsus not only heare this, but obey this, that we may find the comfortable commoditie thereof. Graunt vsus grace (O father) to forſake our euill waies, & our own imaginations, Iſa. 55.and turne hartilie vntounto thee. Oh graunt, it that wee may put diſpleaſure betimes Eccleſ. 1 and. 12.out of our hearts, and in ſeaſon remoue euill from our bodies, that we may not any longer delight in Childhood and youth, which are vanities: that we may fruitfully remember thee in theſe our tender yeres, while we hauehave libertie to goe where wee liſt, before the Time of trouble come, and the dayes approach wherein wee ſhall crie out: oh theſe daies be euill: they doe not delight vsus. Graunt (O good Lord) that thy grace may guide vsus, that we may not contemne, but moſt gratefullie entertaine our faithfull Iacob: if for nothing els, yet in regard of theſe our preſent commodities, whereof his departure wil ſhortlie depriue vsus, if we continue vnthankfull. That wee may reteine him as good Abraham and Lot did the Angels, as Rahab did the Spies of Ioſuah, as the widows did the prophets, Elias & Elizeus as Zacheus and Martha did our ſauiour Chriſt, and as Lidia did the Apoſtles: that ſo wee may obtaine thy mercy, enioy thy fauour, abound with bleſſings, bee encreaſed in our treaſures, defended in thy faith: and preſerued from our enemies, whome, wee beſeeche thee, either to conuert and bring home to thee, or elſe to caſt downe before vsus: that wee being in peace vnderunder our vines, and 1 King …. 25. 2. 2. King. 17.figge trees may freelie ſerue thee to thy glorie. Graunt wee pray thee (O good Lord) that though the ramping Lyons of Samaria ſeeke to ſpoile vsus, wee may not hauehave any iuſt cauſe to feare, becauſe by faith in thee we ſhall ſodainly reſiſt them: thy feare (O father) ſhall ſhield vsus and their treacheries and deueliſh pretences ſhall fall on their owne heads. Though the flies Iſa. 7. 8.that ſwarme about the water of Egipt, and the Bees that be in the Aſſyrians land flie together, and light in al the deſolate valleyes, in the hoales of the ſtones, and vponupon all thorny and buſhye places: yet we may not then feare, nor bee diſcouraged, becauſe they hauehave conſpired wickedlie againſt vsus thy people: againſt our gratious Soueraigne Ladie, thine anoynted, yea againſt thee our GOD, whom we ſerue, whom we honour, on whom we depend for whoſe cauſe we bee perſecuted, vnderunder whoſe banner wee fight, and through whom we ſtand: which in merciemercy to vsus, & in iuſtice to them, haſte promiſed vppon our repentance, and hope in thee, and thou wilt ſurelie performe (if our ſinnes hinder it not, and prouoke thee to wrath againſt vsus) that it ſhall not ſo goe forth & come to paſſe, as they hauehave imagined. And ſo long as thou art pleaſed with vsus, wee ſhall not bee deliuered into the hand of bragging Holofernes. Though the great red Dragon Iud 2. 5. Reu. 12 and 20. 2.with ſeauen heads and tenne hornes bend his force againſt vsus, though with his taile he draw downe the third part of the ſtarres of heauen, though he perſecute the woman and her child; though the kings of Pſal 2. 2 and. 99.the Earth and the mightie Potentats of the world riſe vp and take counſell together againſt thee, and thine annoynted: though the people tremble, the Earth bee moued, the heauens bend, the Sea do rage, and all the Creatures looke ſower, and cry for deliuerance: yet ſhal we not be diſmaid we ſhal not tremble, nor be ſhaken, as long as we truſt in thee, leane vntounto thee, and reſt vponupon thee and the Rock of thy trueth: for thou art our God for euer, mighty, ſtrong, terrible and glorious, which ſitteſt betweene the Cherubins: thou art greate in the middeſt of Sion, & high aboue all the Nations of the earth: thou heareſt them, thou ruleſt them, thou ſendeſt them forth and reſtrayneſt the furie of Leuiathan in Iob 40. 1 and 41. 1the Sea, and of Behemoth in the wilderneſſe: Be thou with vsus continually, hold vsus by thy right hand ſtrongly; guide vsus by thy counſell wiſelie, and receiue vsus into glorie victoriouſlie. And if thou be with vsus, who dare bee againſt vsus▪ For thou arte ſtronger then al they that be in the world. Therefore with a true faith, and heartie repentance we come vntounto thee. Bleſſe vsus (O father) both without and within. Be thou our gard: thy word our guide, thy ſpirite our comfort, thy Sonne our Sauiour, and thy ſeruant our Soueraigne Lady Elizabeth our louing Mother in Iſrael. GiueGive vsus grace (O heauenlie King) to accompte the Time of grace pretiouſe, to redeeme the Time, becauſe the dayes are euil: to vſe the Creatures gratefully, to entertayne faithe hope and charitie, and grant, that we may no longer by meanes of our tranſgreſſions conſtraine Iacob to departe, Ieremie t… ment, Ioſeph to be aflicted, the Creatures to grone, & the peereles Time to ſighe and crie for perpetuall reſt. But rather that we our ſelues may bewaile our ſinnes & the miſeries of this life, with the godly, with the Creatures, with Time, and to crie out vntounto thee Lord in heartie and humble deſires: O come good Lorde, come Lord Ieſus, Reu. 22. 20.how long ſhall the vngodlie triumph? The iuſt be afflicted? the creatures groane for deliuerance? Finiſh ſoone theſe ſinfull dayes: caſt downe the Dragon, the old ſerpent, Antichriſt and all thine enemies into the bottomles pit of euerlaſting torment, & receiue thine holy elected Saintes into thy ſweet boſome, with this comfortable call: come yee bleſſed, receiue the kingdome Mat. 25. 34.prepared for you from the beginning of the world. Into the which Kingdome we beſeech thee, O louing father to receiue vsus, for the ſake of thy deare ſonne Ieſus, to whom with thee and the holie ghoſt, three diſtinct perſons, and one eternall God, bee all honour, glorie power and dominion, now & for euermore Amen.
End of the text · John Carpenter, Time Complaining (1588)