Londons Lamentation for Her Sins, Part 1
LONDONS LAMENTABLE COMPLAINT to her GOD. Containing, A Prayer for the time of Infection: afore confeſsion of SINNE. A Meditation vponupon the cauſes and remedie of this Plague: A Thankeſgiuing for Gods merciemercy euen in this Croſſe.
Moſt high and holy Iehouah thou being of beings, who giues life and being to eueryevery Creature, giuegive leaue vntounto us, the moſt unworthy oues of all thy Children, to come before thee, and preſent our petitions at the Throne of Grace; Wee durſt not ruſh ſo rudely into thy holy preſence, mightie Lord God, nor beg ſo boldly ſo great a ſauour, were it not that thou haſt gratiouſly vouthſafed, not onelyonly to call and inuite vsus, but euenMatth. 11. Pſal. 50. command vsus to come vntounto thee, and call vponupon thee in the day of our affliction, and haſt moreouer mercifullypromiſed, that thou wilt heare vsus and deliuer vsus, that we may glorifie thy great Name: In this confidence we take comfort, to come to thee O Lord, in this day of our trouble, and common calamitie of our Church and Kingdome. And firſt we doe all, in the name one of another, and wée for our parts, eueryevery one of vsus for himſelfe, humbly and freely couſeſſe, wee hauehave all had our hands in this blood, and each one borne apart, in pulling down theſe heauie plagues vponupon this City and our Nation: O Lord wée doe none of vsus excuſe our ſelues, but wee doe eueryevery one of vsus accuſe, and arraigue our ſelues at the barre of thy Iuſtice, and we doe all pronounce our ſelues guiltie in thy ſight: Nor are we onelyonly tainted with Originall ſin in our natures, but Lord our liues are ſtayned, with all actuall pollutions, in our thoughts, words, and déeds, by ſins of Comiſſion and Omiſſion, by ſins not onelyonly of Ignorance, but euen of negligence careleſneſſe and preſumption: Miſerable ſinners that wée are, wée hauehave not only committed ſoule and fearefull things, abhominable to thy pure and holy Maieſtie, diſhonorable to thy holy Religion, offenſiue to thy holy Law, and therefore iuſt prouocations of thy Wrath: but alas, we hauehave ſometime totally omitted, and at the beſt alwaies failed in all the good and holy duties required at our hands: Wée hauehave not béene humbled for thy iudgements, nor thankfull for thy mercies, as wee ought to hauehave beene, therefore thy mercies being abuſed, hauehave heretofore made way for thy Iudgements, but wee wicked wretches hauehave beene bettred by neither of both. Thou haſt writtenHoſ. 8. 12. to vsus the great things of thy Law, but wée hauehave not regarded them, Thou haſt reuealed to vsus thy bleſſed Goſpell, but wée hauehave not belieued it; Thou haſt honoured vsus with thy louelove, but wee hauehave not walked worthie of it: Thou haſt afforded vsus bleſſed meanes and many opportunities to doe good, and by well doing to come nearer vntounto thee, but we hauehave, either ſo neglected them, or abuſed them, as thereby wee hauehave done much euill inſtead of good: Thou haſt alſo giuen vsus time to turns & repent, but we hauehave turned it the wrong way, & miſpent it in vanities: Thou haſt ſhe wed vsus the way, and offered vsus the meanes to know and feare thée, but wee hauehave wilfully wandred in our owne wayes, and hauehave not cared to come neere thée, and hauehave put thy feare farre from vsus, Such ſinfull Caittfs are wee O Lord, as the meanes of thy honour, wee hauehave turned to thy diſhonour, our owne helpes into hinderances, our Comforts into Croſſes, and our Croſſes into Curſes, thy Mercies into Iudgements, and thy Uiſitations into vengeance: And the gratious bleſſings that were giuen vsus, as helpes to bring vsus neerer thee; Wée hauehave peruerted, to drive vsus further from thée: Thy heauenly word, and holy Sacraments, which thou haſt gratiouſly giuen vsus, (more then to many other Nations) to be the meanes of our Conuerſion, and Saluation, wee hauehave prophaned and peruerted, to our hardning in ſinne, and agrauating our condemnation.
Theſe O Lord are the common and generall ſins of our times, of Us, our Citie, and our Nation, which as an vniuerſall deluge running ouer our Land, wée alſo hauehave béene carried away by the violence of theſe ſinfull ſtreames: beſides the perſonall ſins preuailing in this age, as baine ſwearing, inordinate drinkings, ſuper fluous feaſtings profuſeneſſe in gaming, vanitie and pride in apparell, oppreſſions and fraudes in bargaining, prophaning thy Sabbaths, neglect of thy poore members, contempt of thy Word, and holy Miniſters, formalitie in Religion, dulneſſe in deuotion, coldneſſe in charitie; In all which O Lord and eueryevery one of them, we are not able to excuſe, much leſſe exempt our ſelues, beſides alſo the publicke ſinnes of our State, in letting our Lawes bee laid a ſleepe againſt Idolatrie & Superſtition, whereby much Popiſh impietie hath not only beene practiſed in priuate, but ſo publickly profeſſed, that euen the Remiſh Dagon did ſtand in defiance with thy holy Arke, whereby thy Religion hath béene villified, thy Ordinances deſpiſed, thy great Name diſhonoured, and thy Sauctuarie troden vnderunder foot: Nor was this the ſinne alone of ſome ſet ouer vsus, who by their places, ought rather to hauehave defended thy truth and maintained the Integritie thereof with their liues and blood, & yet either wickedly, or weakly hauehave giuen way to theſe enormities, whereby Poperte and Idolatrie, were in a ſort inuited and prepared for, before they came; But in this ſinne, like the ſinne1. Kings 14. 16. of Ieroboam, all our Iſrael hath ſinned againſt the Lord of Hoaſts, for alas wee hauehave all either had our hands, or held our tongues, and not béen zealous in the cauſe of thée our God And when for this our prophaneneſſe and preſumptions againſt thée, Thou haſt declared thy ſelfe angry againſt vsus, both at home, and abroad, wée hauehave béene ſo far from fearing thée, and ſéeking thy face, in Prayer, & Faſting, and holy humiliation in true contrition, and hearty repentance: As contrariwiſe when other Nations were ſighing, and ſorrowing for our ſin and ſecuritie, wée were lul'd aſleepe, and cryed peace, peace, when there was none: And when other Churches were faſting and praying, we alas were masking, feaſting and playing: And when as thy Goſpell had glutted vsus, ſo as holy Lectures, begun to bee now held, like meate out of ſeaſon, and preaching in ſome places to bee put downe, pet euen then O Lord, were the Theaters magnified, and enlarged, where Satan is ſerued and ſinne ſecretly inſtilled, if not openly profeſſed. Thus haſt thou O mightie God béene little better then forgotten among vsus theſe many yeares: And thus hath thy glorious Name béene diſhonoured, thy precious Religion billified, thy gratious Ordinances deſpiſed, thy fearefull Iudgements neglected, thy bounteous Mercies abuſed, thy holy Councels contemned, thy fatherly warnings not regarded, and thy ſacred Word in thew, and ceremonie aduanced, but indéed and truth troden vnderunder foot. It is true O Lord, wee thought and ſpake otherwiſe of our ſelues while our plenty pleaſed vsus, our proſperitie bewitcht vsus, and worldly carnalities blinded vsus: Then wée ſéemed to our ſelues to be a glorious Nation, a beautifull Church and outwardly appeared to be a people that didEſ…y. Iob. righteouſneſſe, and forſooke not the Ordinances of their God; But now that affliction hath made vsus wiſer, and thy corrections hauehave opened our eyes, now we ſee what we are, and are aſhamed of our ſelues: Now we caſt the duſt of contempt vponupon our owne heads, we goe out of our ſelues, and we cry to thée in the hearing of thy holy Angels, & all thy holy Churches vponupon earth, wee are vncleane, we are vncleane; and like vncleaneLe… and loathſome Leapers deſerue to bee cut off from the bleſſed bodie of thy Church, May euen to bée rooted out of the Land of the Liuing, as being the Nation, next vntounto the Iewes, who hauing béene honoured, and bleſſed by thée, aboue all the World, hauehave moſt diſhonoured thée of all other, playing with thy Mercies, dallying with thy Iudgements, and prophaning all thy holy things, not conſidering wee are no better then the flye playing with the candle, wée in our ſins being flaxe and ſtubble, and thou our God in thy furie a conſuming fire. Therefore itHeb. is O Lord, that now thy mercies are gone aſide, and giuen place vntounto thy Iuſtice, and thy Iuſtice prouoked hath kindled thy wrath and the fire of thy wrath being now broke out in the moſt fearefull Peſtilence this Nation euer ſaw: Now our beautie is turned into Aſhes, our Melodie into Mourning, our Songs into howlings, our glorie into confuſſion of face, our triumphs into teares, aud our flouriſhing Citie into a Wilderneſſe, there being now at our doores nothing but death, deſtruction, and deſolation, nothing but miſerie and mourning, crying and confuſion in our ſtreets; This is our preſent eſtate O Lord, and it is thy doing, and herein only are we happy that wee ſée thy hand, and know, and belieue it to bée thy doing: And wée all confeſſe O Lord, righteous artPſal. 119. thou in all thy wayes, and moſt iuſt are all thy iudgements: For ſéeing we all offended thee, therefore now thou makeſt vsus one offend another; And becauſe we feared not thée, thou haſt now iuſtly made vsus afraid one of another. And becauſe wee wickedly and careleſly miſpent our time, now thou haſt made vsus wearie of our time, and brought to paſſe that which thou didſt threaten, that in the morning we wiſh it were euening, and inDeu. 18. 67. the euening that the morning would appeare and as though we were either wearie of our time, or afraid of the ayre, wee breath in we vainly wiſh, the long deſired Sommer, would now flye faſt away, and turne vsus ouer, to the cold and carefull Winter: And becauſe wee poyſoned all things by our ſins now thou iuſtly makeſt vsus feare poyſon, in our very meate, drinke, and apparell: Nay but for thy ſpeciall mercy, we are not ſafe in our Pues, & Pulpits in our Church: And becauſe we delighted not to come to thy houſe, now thou makeſt vsus glad to flye from our owne houſes. And becauſe we cared not to come to thy houſe for the food of our ſoules, thou haſt iuſtly brought it to this, that we knowe not whither to goe, nor to what houſe ſafely to ſend for the food of our bodies: & becauſe we hauehave wickedly ſet our hearts, vponupon the miſerable Mammon of this World, thou haſt now in Iuſtice made a great number at their wits and, not knowing what to doe with it, where to hide it, with whom to leaue it, nor whom to truſt with it, neither can they carrie it with them, nor dare they tarrie with it themſelues, and becauſe they would lend nothing in Charitie, they hauehave now none left, to lend vntounto at all: And now they that louelove it beſt, (by thy wonderfull Iudgement) are affraid to touch it, leaſt that which formerly poyſoned their ſoules, ſhould now infect their bodies; O Lord how wonderfull are thy workes, and how iuſt are all thy Iudgements.
And now, O Lord, that wée ſée our caſe, and are ſenſible of thy hand that is vponupon vsus, what ſhall wée ſay, what ſhall wée thinke might bée the cauſe of this ſo fearefull a Plague? and that ſo mercifull and pitifull a Father, is now become ſo ſeuere and angry a Iudge? Shall we be ſo Fooliſh as to thinke it comes becauſe our King is not Crowned, as though former experience hath not proclaimed the contrary? Or ſo Prophane as to aſcribe it to the Summer, and Seaſon of the yéere, as though thou wert not God as1. Ki. 20. 18 well of the Winter as the Summer? Or ſo Proud as to thinke that becauſe we hauehave hitherto held vp thy Religion, better then ſome other Nations, and hauehave in ſome meaſure maintayned the Preaching of thy Word, and hauehave béene a Sanctuary and Refuge, For ſome diſtreſſed Chriſtians of other Countries, wée may therefore with the Hypocritical Iewes truſt vntounto our externall Prefeſſion, and cry, The Temple of theIer. Lord, The Temple of the Lord, as though thou hadſt néed of any Nation to kéep vp the credit of thy cauſe? Or ſo Preſumptuous, as to thinke that becauſe thou haſt taken vsus to be thy Church, and ſome of thy Children are amongſt vsus, thou canſt not therefore be angry with vsus? Or becauſe we hauehave done ſome good, wée may be therefore the bolder in Cuill? Or becauſe there bee ſome holy Lots amongſt vsus, therefore our Sodome cannot be conſumed? O, Lord, all theſe be the broken ſtaues of Egypt, theſe cannot comfort vsus in this our Calamity. Theſe will not vphold vsus in this day of our diſtreſſe, and this houre of temptation, that thou haſt brought vponupon vsus: No, Lord, all theſe and all other like to theſe, are eyther lyes or vanities: And thy holy Prophet hath told vsus, and wéeIonas 2. beléeue it, that thoſe who truſt to lying vanities forſake their owne mercies. Therefore, O Lord, wee renounce; for thoſe our Idle and Idoll conceits hauehave ſpoken vanitie, our Deuiners hauehave ſéene a lye, and hauehave told falſe Dreames, O, Lord, they comfort vsus in vaine: For contrariwiſe thy Word hath taught vsus, thy Spirit informes vsus, and now our owne Conſciences tell vsus, that our own wayes and doings hauehave procured this vponupon vsus, and none but our ſelues, and nothing but our ſins hauehave pulled down this Plague, and that we hauehave forſaken thée the Lord our God, who didſt lead vsus the right way, but with thy people Iſrael, we hauehave committed two euils, we hauehave forſaken thée, the Fountains of Liuing Waters, and hauehave hewes our ſelues broken Ciſternes that can hold no water. Thus hauehave wee requited thee the Lord our God, being a fooliſh people and vnkind, therefore now our owne wickedneſſe both correct vsus, and our back-ſlidings doe reprooue vsus, and hauehave made vsus know, and ſée, and féele; how euill and bitter a thing it is that wée hauehave forſaken thée the Lord our God, and that thy feare was not in vsus.
And now, O Lord, that wée ſée our caſe, and ſée alſo the cauſe of it, now what ſhall we doe for remedie, where ſhall we ſéeke reliefe, whither ſhall wee goe, to whom ſhall we flie, but euen from thée vntounto thée, euen from thy deſerued anger, to thy vndeſerued mercy? For deſtruction is from our ſelues, but Saluation is of thée, O Lord, and thou art hee that canſt both wound and heale, both kill and make aliue: None but thou couldſt hauehave laid this vponupon vsus, none but thou canſt remooue it from vsus: To thée therefore doe wee lift vp our eyes, O thou that dwelleſt in the Heauens, and do beſéech thée helpe vsus in this diſtreſſe, for vaine is the helpe of Man, and though our ſinnes plead againſt vsus, and make thée for a time kéepe backe thy comfort from vsus, pet our eyesPſal. 123. 2. ſhall waite vponupon the Lord our God vntill hee hauehave merciemercy vponupon vsus: For whateuer wéeMal. 3. 6. be, thou art the Lord that changeſt not, for elſe thy Children ſhould bee all conſumed: We therefore take comfort, and ſay one toHoſ. 6. 1, 2. another. Come let vsus returne vntounto the Lord, for he hath torne vsus, he will heale vsus: He hath ſmitten, and hee will bind vsus vp, after two dayes he will reuiue vsus, in the third day he will ravſe vsus vp, and we ſhall liue inPſal. 22. 4. his ſight. For art not thou he in whom our Fathers truſted and were deliuered? Art not thou the God that brought thy people through the raging Sea, and through the barren Wilderneſſe into the Land of Peace and Plentie? Art not thou he that ſaued thy Seruants in the fiery Ouen, in the Lions den, & in the Whales belly? And is there notPſal. 130. 4 mercy with thee, elſe there ſhould not be left a man on the earth to feare thee? And is notPſal. 100. 4 that mercy of thine euerlaſting, & endures to al Generations? And though we be caſt into the laſt ends of the World, and may fears that the Store-houſe of thy mercies is exhauſt and ſpent, yet haſt not thou taught vsusPſal. 136. twenty times in one Pſalme, that thy mercy endures for euer? And in that mercy, haſt thou not made a couenant of Peace, Parson, and Reconciliation with the Sonnes of men? And haſt thou not ſealed that Couenant, and made it firme in the bloud of thy bleſſed Sonne? And haſt thou not proclaymed thy ſelfe to be the God that kéepes Couenant and Mercy to thouſand Generations? Séeing then thou haſt vouchſafed to take vsus and make vsus thy people, and to receiue vsus into thy holy Couenant, and haſt pleaſed to place thy holy Tabernacle among vsus, and honoured vsus with thy holy Word and Sacraments, and haſt among vsus hundreds and thouſands whom thou haſt ſeparated from the ſinfull maſſe of Mankind, and ſanctified, and ſealed for thy ſelfe, ſo as they runne not riot with the wicked World, but waite on thee in the holy wayes of thine Ordinances, Iudgements, and Mercies, and lay to heart thy words and warnings, and mourne in Sion for the affliction of Ioſeph, and for their owne, and the ſinnes of others, and for the iniquities of the Time: Therefore our Faith bids vsus beléeue, and the truth and certainty of thy Couenants cauſeth vsus to hope, that thou wilt chaſtiſe vsus to our correction, but not plague vsus to deſtruction: And in this confidence wee come vntounto thée, thou Father of Mercies, and are bold to beſéech thée to call to mind thy Couenant, whereby thou haſt bound thy ſelfe, to be our God, and to take vsus to bee thy People, and neuer to forſake vsus (although by our ſinnes we hauehave forſaken thée) as long as by Faith we cleaue vntounto thée, and in Repentance and Humilitie doe ſeeke thy face: And in the vertue and merit of that bleſſed bloud of thy holy Sonne, which hee hath ſhed for vsus, and all Beléeuers, we take boldneſſe to our ſelues, to challenge at thy hands the performance of thoſe ſwéet promiſes, thou haſt made vntounto vsus, and ſealed in his bloud ſhedding.
And firſt we begge at the hands of thy holy Maieſtie (euen rather then our lines, or beliuerances from this dreadfull Plague) peace and pardon to our poore Soules, and aſſurance of thy louelove in Chriſt, for our eternall happineſſe: and then wee beſéech thée not ſo much to deliuer our bodies from this Plague, as to ſaue our ſoules from ſin which is the Plague of all Plagues, and the true cauſe of this Plague, therefore wee cry and pray with thy holy Prophet, Lord hauehave merciemercy vponupon vsus, and heale our ſoules, which hauehave ſinned againſt thee. Then wee beſéech thée, thou God of compaſſions, looke in merciemercy vponupon this Land, make vsus not like Sodome, Gomorrha, as wee hauehave deſerued, wee confeſſe wee are vnderunder thy Hand, and all the World could not hauehave laid this on vsus, but only thou, O Lord, And it was time for thee O Lord, to lay to thy hand, for wee had almoſt made void thy Law: Thou haſt therefore iuſtly taken vsus vnderunder thy hand, and becauſe thy gentle warnings were deſpiſed, thy holy Counſels contemned, thy Iudgements neglected, and thy Mercies abuſed, thou haſt therefore iuſtly giuen way to thy wrath, and let looſe thy heauy Iudgements vponupon our Land: Yet this is our comfort, and Man, nor Deuill can take it from vsus, that we are in thy hand, O Lord, and with thée is merciemercy. And as we bleſſe thy Name, that thou haſt not giuen vsus ouer into the cruell hands of mercileſſe men, the wicked bloudie Papiſts, ſo in this, our ſoules take comfort, that we are vnderunder the hand of our heauenly Father, whoſe mercies are great: And in the multitude of thoſe thy mercies, we looke vp to thée, O Lord, and beſéech thée, be mercifull to this Land. Thou art our Father, and we hauehave fouly offended, therefore thou muſt needs correct vsus, or elſe thou louedſt vsus not, & puniſh vsus alſo, or elſe thou wert not iuſt: Correct therefore Lord, and ſpare not, but yet in thy Iudgement, not in thy furie, leſt we be all conſumed. And foraſmuch, as corrections are to worke our not onelyonly Humiliation, but Reformation alſo, we begge not the remoouing of thy Iudgement, till it hath wrought thy worke, and not onelyonly brought vsus down vnderunder thy hand, but euen purged our hearts, and renewed the face of our Church & Common-wealth. And ſéeing till then, O Lord, wee neyther may expect, nor dare deſire thou ſhouldſt remooue it, wee beſeech thee to prepare vsus all to bee both willing and ready to meete thee our God, and now to be content, thou glorifie thy ſelfe in vsus, and vponupon vsus by Life or Death, ſo thou ſaue our Soules: But when it hath done thy worke, and finiſhed that for which thou didſt ſend it vponupon vsus, then, O Lord, in merciemercy remooue it from vsus: And preuent the other grieuous plagues that muſt needes follow vponupon, and after this.
And howſoeuer thy iuſt and long forborne Decree is now gone out againſt vsus, ſo as yet our cryes and teares mooue thée not, Nay, the Prayers of our Prophets preuaile not with thee, Inſomuch as thoſe Noabs,Ezek. 14. Daniels and Iobs, that are among vsus, are onelyonly able to deliuer themſelues (and ſcarce that, O Lord, ſo great is the Contagion of our ſinnes) yet we beſéech thée giuegive vsus leaue to take comfort, in beléeuing thine owne Word, and truſting to that which no mortall Creature, no Humane Aſſurance, but thine owne holy Selfe haſt told andHab. 3. 2. taught vsus: Euen that in Wrath thou remembereſt MercieMercy, and that thou keepeſt not anger for euer, but that thy mercies endure for euer. And that thou haſt not onelyonly betrothed vsus vntounto thy ſelfe in faithfulneſſeHoſe 2. 19. …. and truth, but euen married thy ſelfe to vsus, and though we wickedly, in our ſpirituall Idolatries, and other ſinfull courſes, cut off our ſelues from thee, and whoriſhly giuen our ſelues to others: yet moſt mercifully haſt thou called vponupon vsus, to returne againe to thee, and thou wilt receiue vsus: But miſerable Catiffes that wee are, wee cānot turn to thée, we could of our ſelues fal away from thée, but of our ſelues, wee cannot returne home vntounto thee: Cauſe vsus therfore to returne, O Lord, and ſéeing thou ſo loueſt vsus, as thou wilt not leaue vsus, wee beſeech thee alſo looſe vsus not, nor ſuffer vsus good Lord to looſe our ſelues, but renew our hearts towards thée, and cauſe vsus to cry and mourne after thée, and ſay with Ephraim, turne thou vsus and wee ſhall bee turned, conuert vsus, and wee ſhall bee conuerted, thou art the Lord our God: And bring vsus backe againe, O Lord, the right and holy way: Firſt, make our faces aſhamed of our back-ſlidings, and our Soules more grieued for the ſame, then for the Plague that is vponupon vsus: Then make vsus ſeeke thee ſincerely, and not ſlauiſhly, and out of LoueLove more then Feare, and make vsus turne vnfaynedly and with the whole heart: And let vsus not come, with ſorrow onelyonly in our hearts, but holy words alſo in our mouthes, and take vntounto our ſelues the words that thou haſt taught vsus,Hoſ. 14. 2. … and ſay vntounto thee, Take away all iniquitie, and receiue vsus graciouſly, ſo will wee render the calues of our lips.
And that our Prapers be not bull, let vsus, whet and ſharpen them by Fatting; nor let vsus bring thee Bare words, but let our humiliation be accompanied with works of MercieMercy, Pietie, Pittie, and Compaſſion: And that the Humiliation of vsus bath Prince and People, may bee both more acceptable to them and auaileable to vsus, ſtirre vp the holy heart of our holy Phineas, thy Seruant and our Souereigne, that hee may ſtand vp in the Zeale of his God, and execute thy iuſt Iudgement vponupon the Zimryes, and Cozbyes, that bee amongſt vsus, euen the great ſinnes, and bold Sinners of this Nation, that then, as thy Word hath told vsus, thy Plague may bee ſtayed. To which end alſo make our Moſeſſes, to ſtand in the Gappe, and our Aarons, with the ſwéet Incenſe of their holy Prapers, to ſtand betwixt the liuing and the dead, and ſtirre vp our Prieſts, the Miniſters of the Lord, to wéepe for vsus before thy Altar, and let them cry and ſay, Spare thy people, O Lord, and giuegive not ouer thine Heritage to reproach: Let not the Papiſts and Schiſmatickes inſult ouer vsus; Let them not ſay at their Idolatrous Méetings, nor prophane Conuenticles, Where is now their God? for thou art our God, and thou art in Heauen, and thou doeſt what thou pleaſeſt, and all thy wayes are right, and the Iuſt walke in them, but Tranſgreſſors ſhall fall therein: Let them know, O Lord, that thou being our Father, and wee hauing iuſtly prouoked thee, thou wilt take thy Children in hand, and that they ought not to hauehave reioyced ouer vsus, in the day of our deſtruction: O ſuffer them not good Lord, to make thy correction, their aduantage: O let them not lay their hands vponupon our ſubſtance, in this Day of our Calamitie, ſuffer them not to ſtand in the croſſewayes, to cut off thoſe whom thou ſhalt ſpare, and make a prey of thoſe that ſhall remaine: Wee ſhall euer acknowledge, how great ſoeuer this Plague bee, yet thy mercies are greater, in that thou tookeſt vsus into thine owne hand to correct vsus, and gaue vsus not ouer into the hands, of theſe men the Ieſuited Papiſts, whoſe mercies are cruell, and their cruelties inſatiable: Therefore good Lord, when thou haſt remooued thy hand, let vsus not fall into their hand, but ſaue vsus for thy ſelfe, and let vsus liue to call vponupon thy Name, and let vsus deſire rather now to dye vnderunder the hand of thee our Father, and in thy feare and louelove, then to liue to heape ſinne vponupon ſinne, and to be reſerued for further vengeance, or to be expoſed to the cruel Papiſts the wicked Enemies of Religion. O looke vponupon vsus in merciemercy Lord, who lye downe in the duſt of Deſolation, and are couered with confuſion of our faces, O look downe vponupon vsus, who looke vp vntounto thée, and who deſire to rend our harts though not our garments, and to turne to thée the Lord our God, O looke vponupon this deſolate, and diſtreſſed Citie, who now may cry to all her ſtately Siſters the Cities of Europe, and to all her beautifull Daughters, the Cities of England, and with aſhes now vponupon her head, inſtead of her ſtately & coſtly CrownePſal. 46. cals vponupon them all and ſayth, Come and behold the workes of the Lord what deſolations hee hath made in the midſt of my moſt wealthy and populous ſtreets, learne by mée,Eſay. and ſeeke the Lord while hee may bee found, left he pull downe your Pride: And reioyce not ouer mee, O thou mine Enemie, thou Daughter of Babylon, leſt the Lord turne his wrath from mee to thee, and haſten the vengeance, ſo long agoe deſerued by thee, and pronounced vponupon thee; truſt thou in thy Horſes aud in thy Chariots, thy Idols and thy Idoll Superſtitions, We will rememberProu. the Lord our God, For thy Name, O Lord, is a ſtrong tower, and the righteous flying vntounto it, are alwayes helped: Thou haſt ſpoken it Lord, and wee beléeue it, and in that beliefe are wee bold to preſſe vntounto thee, nay, to preſſe thee with performance of thy promiſe. Therefore, O thou that art thePſal. helper of the friendleſſe, helpe vsus in this City, who are forſaken by ſo many friends, and left deſtitute by them, that ſhould hauehave ſtood to vsus in this day of our deſolation, but haſtPſal. not thou told vsus, that if our Fathers and Mothers ſhould forſake vsus, yet thou Lord wilt take vsus vp: Thou therefore who ſéeſt our friends faile vsus and our acquaintance to ſtand afarre off, ſtand thou ſo much the néerer vsus, O Lord our God: And now that humane helpes fall ſhort, Helpe thou vsus OPſal. God of our Saluation for the glory of thy Name: O thou in whom the Fatherleſſe finds merciemercy, in thée let the comfortleſſe findcomfort, In thée let this deſolate Citie find conſolation.
Looke mercifully vponupon vsus who come vntounto thée, with teares in our eyes, ſorrow in our ſoules, Lamentations in our mouthes, heauineſſe in our hearts, workes of merciemercy in our hands, and humilitation of the whole man: And thou that looſeſt not a teare, forgetteſt not one deſire, but heareſt eueryevery greane, and counts the very ſighes and ſobs of all thy Saints, giuegive vsus comfort, and fill our hearts with hops, that this humiliation of our King and his people ſhall not be fruitleſſe, but after it is not barely performed but accompliſhed, and perfected, as thou appointeſt it ſhall then preuaile with thée our God, not onelyonly to make an end of our miſeries, but to remember and renew thy Cauenant with vsus, and to bring vsus and this Citie, and our whole Land, both Court and Kingdome neerer vntounto thée, and hauing in this fire of affliction conſumed our corruption, and purged away our droſſe both in Church and Common-wealth, wilt make vsus come out new creatures, both high and low, both publike and priuate perſons, pure as Siluer, and as Gold moſt precious before thée: And wilſt hereby worke out that inward Renouation, and that outward Reformation, in our Church and State, in our Court and Kingdome, and all that ſee itPſal. Pſal. ſhall ſay; This hath God done, for they ſhall ſhall perceiue it is thy worke: Then we that did ſowe in teares, ſhall reape in ioy: Then the long night of our ſorrow beeing ended, the long deſired morning of our ioyes ſhall ſhine forth: The voice of the Turtle ſhall beEſay. heard in our Land, Bleſſed ſhall then they all be that come to vsus in the Name of the Lord: And beautifull the feete of thoſe, that bring vsus the glad tydings of the Goſpell, whoſe faces formerly hauehave béene contemned, Olde things ſhall then be done away, and all things ſhall bee made new. Truth ſhall flouriſh, and Hereſie finde no footing, Iuſtice ſhall reigne, Oppreſſion ſhall be oppreſſed: The hand of Briberie ſhall be broken: The arme of iniuſtice cut off, and the Mouth of Iniquitie ſhall be ſtopped: Then ſhall our Sons grow as plants, and our Daughters bee like poliſhed precious ftones, Our Garners ſhall be full, and our Cattle ſhall increaſe, we ſhall feare no breaking of Enemies to inuade vsus, nor heare any newes or noyſes to affright vsus, no cryes, nor clamours, nor complaynings in our ſtréets; Our poore ſhall eat and be ſatiſfied, and our rich ſhall reioyce in the bleſſings of their God: Our Prieſts ſhall be clothed with Saluation, and Sions Saints ſhall sing aloud for ioy: Our Princes ſhall be wiſer, and our Iudges better inſtructed, and inſteed of ſeruing themſelues and the time, will then learne to ſerue the Lord withPſal. 2. feare, and reioyce to him with reuerence. Then ſhall our King and Queene ioy in thyPſal. 21. ſtrength, O Lord, and exceedingly reioyce in thy ſaluation: Then all our friends ſhall reioyce with vsus, and all our enemies be couered with confuſion, and the World ſhall ſay, Bleſſed are the people that bee in ſuch a caſe,Pſal. 144 yea a thouſand times bleſſed the people, that hauehave ſuch a Lord for their God, who hath purged them, from their old pollution, and purified them for himſelfe, that now he may dwell among them for euermore.
Heare vsus G God of MercieMercy for thy Name ſake, But Lord wée beſéech thée begin with the better part firſt, euen the ſpirituall ſores of our Soules and of our Land, remoue thoſe Plagues firſt which hath pulled downe this Plague, therefore begin wée beſéech thée at the right end, and make vsus not healthfull and found in body, and leaue vsus ſicke in ſoule, and miſerable in our ſpirituall ſtate; Turue vsus therefore O God of our ſaluation cauſe thy louing countenance to ſhine vponupon vsus, and wée ſhall bée ſafe: Bring vsus againe into thy Temples with ioy, and into thy Courts with praifs, ſatisfie vsus early with thy Mercies, and comfort vsus according to the dayes wherein thou haſt afflicted vsus: Now let thy worke appeare vntounto thy Seruants, and thy gloeie vntounto their Children: Then we will gee into thy houſe with true Burnt offrings, and with théerefulneſſe of heart wil pay thee our vowes, which our lips hauehave vttered, and our mouthes hauehave ſpoken in the dayes of our affliction. And wée that bée thy People and ſhéepe of thy Paſture will giuegive thée thankes for euer, and ſhews forth thy Prayſes vntounto the Generations that ſhall follow after vsus, vntounto the Worlds end.
And this our poore Prayer which here wée hauehave preſented, and this▪our weake thankſ-giuing which wée hauehave here rendred to thy holy Maieſtie, we humbly beg may bée accepted, not for our ſelues alone, but for thy whole Church, euen the bleſſed body of thy deare Sonne. Nor for our friends alone, but euen our enemies, for whom we implore rather thy MercieMercy to couuert them, then thy Iuſtice to corfound them, yet if they will not be reclaymed, reſtraine their rage, good Lord, and fruſtrate all their furie, make the malice of Man turne to thy praiſe, and if our Prayers can doe them no good, at leaſt, let their cauſeleſſe Curſes and curſed Plots doe vsus no hurt: Stand by all the Armies and Forces of thy Church both by Sea and Land, and by all them that ſtand vp for thy holy Cauſe, eſpecially that chiefe Champion of thy Church, thy deuoted Seruant our Souereigne Lord, rouſe vp his Royal heart, inflame him more and more with zeale and louelove to thée, that thy Church may finde him and thy foes may féele him to be the Great Defender of thy Chriſtian Faith, and the Man of Men whom thou haſt marked for thy ſelfe, euen a ſecond Cyrus raiſed vp anoyntedEſay: 44. … and ſanctified by thy ſelfe to performe all thy pleaſure, and to execute thy great and glorious Deſignes, not only for the building vp of our Ieruſalem, in the Reformation and Reſtoration of our Church, but to ſubdue the Nations before thee, and to weaken and looſe the Loynes of ſuch Kings as will not open their hearts to thée. The promiſe thou didſt pleaſe to make to Cyrus, who knew thée not, make good wée beſéech thée much more to Him who knowes thée, and feares thée, and ſubmits his ſoule vntounto thée, and caſts his Crowne downe at thy féete: That is, Make him thy great Shepheard, hold vp his Right hand, ſubdue thine enemies beforeEſay. 45. 1▪ 2, 3, 4. him, open to him all dores of difficulties breake in pieces the gates of Braſſe, and cut in ſunder the barres of Iron, and goe before him when hée goes to make the crooked places of the World ſtreight. To which end giuegive him good Lord beſide all thy other bleſſings, the Treaſures of darkneſſe, and hidden riches of ſecret places, that euen therby alſo he may know that thou the Lord who haſt called him and ſet him on work, art able to payhis Armies, & prouide for him; do this O Lord for Iacob thy Seruants ſake and Iſrael thine Elect. Bleſſe the Quéene. Thou that haſt made her His, make her alſo Thine, that ſo ſhe may be a helpe to him, a bleſſing to vsus a cōfort to the diſtreſſed Churches of France and a Ioy to the Chriſtian World: Bleſſe therefore good Lord, and make powerfull all meanes of her Conuerſion publike and priuate, and for the ſettling of her ſoule in thy holy Truth, and in the waies of righteouſneſſe: And beſides the Prayers of vsus, and thy whole Church ouer the World, daily made for Her, wee beſéech thée gratiouſly to regard the ſerious ſupplications which wée are ſure his Maieſtie daily powres out before thee, for her happie and ſpéedie Connerſion▪ Eſay,that ſo ſhée may bée a Purſing Mother as he is a nurſing Father to thy Church Shine from Heauen with the beames of LoueLove and Mercy vponupon thoſe glorious Seruants of thine, the King and Queene of Bohemia, and their Royall Branches, and as thou haft honoured them not only to beléeue in thée, but to ſuffer for thée, ſo giuegive them in thy good time; a bleſſed Iſſue of all their vniuſt ſufferings, and in the meane time arme them with Faith and Patience to waite on thée. Looke downe in MercieMercy, and bleſſe with thy ſpeciall bleſſing the High Court of Parliament, be with them at their Méetings, Conſultations and Concluſions, ſet thy fear before their eyes, and let thy glorie bee their greateſt Ayme, knit the hearts of Prince and People one to onother, and all to thée; Confound all priuate Plots any way tending to the hinderance of the comfortable continuance of that bleſſed Méeting, till they hauehave firſt diſcouered, and then found meanes to cure the Corruptions, Plagues, and great diſeaſes of this Church and State. Bleſſe this whole Land, make his Maieſties Councell faithfull to thée, leaſt otherwiſe they proue falſe to him, Purge the Tribe of Leui, that their lips may preſerue pure knowledge, and their liues may expreſſe the Life of true Religion. Refine our Nobilitie, from the fil thie dregs of Poperie, and all ignoble bafeneſſe, Cleanſe the hearts and hands of our Iudges and Magiſtrates, and purifie our People in this furnace of Affliction, and humble vsus all from the King vntounto the Captiue, that ſo we may bée a People prepared for the Lord. And looke downe in Mercy as thou art a God of Mercy vponupon thoſe many hundreds, nay yet, alas, alas, thouſands of our deare brethren in this Land, and eſpecially in this Citie, who ſtill lye groaning vnderunder the burthen of thy Wrath, & the Sword2. Sam. 24. Lu. 13. 1. 2. of thy deſtroying Angell: Alas O Lord theſe Sheepe, what hauehave they done? Or are wee better then our Brethren? Or are theſe thouſands that fall before our faces any greater ſinners then the reſt? Or rather hauehave not wee ſinned more then they, and yet they are ſmitten, rather then wée? O how wonderfullRom. 9. are thy workes, how vnſearchable are thy Iudgements, and thy wayes paſt finding out. Againe, how infinite and vnmeaſurable are thy Mercies to all them that feare thée, and ſeeke thy Face? Therefore we beſéech théePſa. 79. 11. let the ſorrowfull ſighing of theſe thy Pryſoners come before thee, and according to the greatneſſe of thy power, preſerue thou thoſe that are appointed to dye. At leaſt, wée beſéech thée as thou emptieſt the Earth, fill the Heauens, and whom thou takeſt from vsus, Lord take vntounto thy ſelfe and fill thy heauenly Manſions with their Soules, whoſe bodies hauehave left ſo many houſes deſolate in our ſtreetes. And for ſo many of vsus whom thou pleaſeſt to preſerue, Lord, Let vsus not liue, but to honour thee; therefore mark vsus withEzek. 9. thy holy ſtampe, and ſeale vsus for thy ſelfe; that when the Angell of Iuſtice ſees vsus ſorrowing for our ſinnes, and for the iniquitie of the time, and mourning for the Miſeries and ſighing for the ſufferings of thy Saints, and laying to our hearts the affliction of Ioſeph, he may then not only paſſe by vsus, but euen in the midſt of this common calamitie leaue vsus ſome badge of thy bleſſing, & ſome better Teſtimonie of thy LoueLove, in the holy vſe of this thy Iudgement, then the more ſecure times of our liues paſt hauehave formerly afforded vsus.
Thus Lord, hauehave wee powred out our ſoules into the boſome of thy MercieMercy: Thou art hee that heares the Prayer, vntounto thee ſhall all fleſh come, and if all fleſh may come ſhall not then thy Children be bold to preſſe vntounto thee? And ſeeing we hauehave poured out our hearts to thee, O poure not out the Uialls of thy Wrath vponupon vsus, but poure down vponupon vsus the new of thy fauour, the ſhowres of ſweet Compaſſion.
Heare vsus thou bleſſed Father, plead for vsus thou bleſſed Sonne, helpe our infirmities thou bleſſed Spirit of Grace, and make thou Interceſſion for vsus, with thoſe holy groanesRom. 8. that cannot by vsus bee expreſſed: Heare vsus and anſwere vsus thou glorious Trinitie in holy Unitie, not for any Merits of ours, for wee lay our hands vponupon our mouthes, nay, wee abhorre our ſelues in duſt and aſhes, butIob 42. 6▪ only for the precious bloud-ſhedding, and all ſufffcient Satiſfaction of Ieſus Chriſt, the Suretie and Sauiour of our Soules, the Mediatour of our Peace, and the Eternall High Prieſt of the New Teſtament. In whoſe bleſſed Name and holy words, wee ſhut vp this our weake Prayer, offer this our poore Sacrifice, and tender this pitifull complaint of our poore ſoules vntounto the hands of thy heauenly Maieſtie, as hee hath taught vsus, and left vsus in his holy Goſpel the Charter of our Peace: Our Father, &c.