A Short and Pithy Catechism Regarding the Lords Supper, Prayer 4
A prayer for the Marriners, to be vſed at the Sea.
O Lord, thou moſt mightie God of all power & ſoueraigntie, who haſt made the heauens and the earth, the ſea & all deepe places, we thy poore ſeruants doo humbly throwe downe our ſelues before thy high maieſty, acknowledging all our manifolde and heynous ſins, crauing entirely pardon and forgiuenes of them all for thy ſonne Chriſte Ieſus his ſake, & namelie, our vnpreparedneſſe to thys ſo holie a duetye of Prayer: intreating thy good Maieſty to behold vsus in thy fauour, and to receiue vsus into thy bleſſed protection, that ſith wee are by thee aſsigned our labours in the mightie deepes, that in the ſweat of our browes, with danger of our liues, we ſhould therin trauell for our lawfull maintenaunce, it may pleaſe thy good maieſtie to proſper the worke of our handes, & to guide vsus in all our actions, to defende vsus from all dangers, eyther of ennemies ſeeking our life or goods, or of the merciles ſongs and ſwallowing ſandes, or of ſtormie wyndes, and raging tempeſtes, or of any other diſtreſſe whatſoeuer, that betydeth ſuch as trauell therein. Thou mighteſt ô Lord we confeſſe, take aduauntage to make our voyages & fiſhings vnproſperous, to ſpoile our goods, to betray vsus vntounto enemies, to ſwallow vsus vppe in the bottomleſſe Gulfe of the Seas, becauſe wee hauehave not feared thee with reuerence, hauehave not obeyed thy worde, hauehave beene careleſſe of thy ſeruice, vnthankfull for our former deliueraunces & ſucceſſe, diſtruſtfull of thy prouidence, repyning at thy hand in our loſſes, forgetfull of thy great and maruailous workes, we hauehave gathered iniquity, and hauehave beene ſtayned with the corrupt manners of other natyons, hauehave blaſphemed thy name, paſſed our daies in ryotte, forgotten thee vponupon the ſhoare, though lately come out of feareful daungers, wee hauehave beene wanton, ſtubborne, and vnruly, ſo as we hauehave freighted our Veſſels more with ſinne, vanity, & vngodlines, then with goods or lading, ſo as it is maruaile wee hauehave not ſuncken in the rolling ſeas, and deſcended down to hel, but that thy merciemercy hath kept vsus. But ô Lorde euen our God, thou that tameſt Leuiathan, and ſmiteſt the heads of the dragons of the deepe, ſmite our ſtony hearts with the liuely ſenſe of our ſinnes, humble vsus vntounto repentaunce, turne thy diſpleaſure from vsus, deal not with vsus according to our tranſgreſſions, but according to thy mercies, we appeale to the throne of thy grace, waſh vsus in the bloode of thy ſonne from all our ſinnes, renue our harts dailie to thy will, & to the obedience of thy word, that we may make conſcience to heare it with reuerence when we may, for ó Lorde in this one thing, thou haſt abridged thoſe that farre trauaile on the Seas, & into diuers countries, of the dailie vſe of the miniſtrye of thy word and ſacraments, which other enioye tarrying at home, which is ſome pettie iudgmēt of thine, to hū ble vsus, & make vsus more carefull. O lord ſtir vsus vp therefore to the reading of thy word in our trauelling, & to ſuch other exerciſes carefullie and faithfullie, that we may be zealous of thy glorie, thankfull for thy mercies & daily benefits, confident to truſt in thy prouidence in all eſtates, patient in troubles, without murmuring, watchful ouer our ſelus that we be not defiled with the corruptions of other places, yea Lord, teach vsus to auoid all ſwearing, dronkennes, ryot, exces, fornication idolatry, contēpt, iniury, deceit, lying, quarrelling, and all vncleanes, that both when we are on the ſeas & on the ſhoare we may feare, glorifie, & praiſe thy moſt holy name, gouerne vsus ó lord in our deedes, words & in our gouernment, as alſo our cōpany that they may obey & be ſubiect to al chriſtian diſcipline, that ſo thou mighteſt proſper vsus in al our affairs increaſing the fruit of our labors, defending vsus frō our enemies, frō robberies, loſſes & al daūgers, & finally bring vsus ſafely to the port & Hauen of our deſire: ó lord make vsus truely thankfull vntounto thee for our former deliuerances & benefits, and if euer thou ſhalt croſſe vsus by any los, hindrance or afflictiō for our ſins, hūble vsus therin, let vsus acknowledg thy hād therin with thankfulnes & patience, that we may therby be ſpurred forward to the reforming of our liues. Bee thou with vsus on the boyſtrous ô Lord in thy name wee hoyſe our ſayles, and launche foorth into the depe, be preſent with vsus in our troubles and dangers, heare vsus & deliuer vsus when we call vponupon thee, for great are the daungers that we ſayle in euerie way, but thou art our God, we truſt in thee, oh ſaue vsus, guide vsus, protect vsus, deliuer vsus, that wee may ſtill liue to prayſe thee. VVe commit Lord our ſelues, our ſhyps, our goods and liues into thy hand, both this day or night, and euer heereafter to bee preſerued at thy pleaſure, and let vsus neuer forget all thy maruailous works. O Lord wee praye thee bleſſe all our freendes and kyndred on the land, our wyues, parents children, maſters, families, or whomſoeuer, that are tyed to vsus by anye band of freendſhip or nature in the Lord. Finally, Lord wee pray thee frame our ſoules to all duties of holines towards thy maieſty, increaſing all true fayth, feare and louelove in vsus towardes thee, inflaming our hartes with all chriſtian louelove to our brethren for thy ſake. Theſe things if thou ſhalt performe vntounto vsus O Lord our God, wee ſhall neuer forget to praiſe and magnifie thy holy name therefore. Theſe things ô lord with all other graces neceſſarye for vsus, for thy whole church, for all nations, people, and for all our brethrē, and for all degrees, wee hūbly craue the ſame at thy maieſties hande, in the name & mediation of thy ſon Chriſte Ieſus, ſaying as hee hath taught vsus. Our father which art in heauen, hallowed he thy name. &c.
O Lord increaſe our fayth and obedience toward thee and thy worde. Amen.
End of the text · Bartimaeus Andrewes, A Short and Pithy Catechism Regarding the Lords Supper (1586)