Coals from the Altar, Prayer 1 – Part 7
A Prayer.
O Lord our God and mercifull Father, we proſtrate ourſelues here, in all humility, at the feet of thy diuine Maieſtie, to acknowledge that it is too true, that we are vnworthy of thy fauour, and worthy of Hell, if thou ſhouldeſt deale with vsus according to thy Iuſtice, for ſo many offences which we heare confeſſe our ſelues to be guilty of. But we beſeech thee remember thy infinite bounty, be mercifull vntounto vsus miſerable ſinners, and take pity vponupon vsus, for the louelove of thy bleſſed Sonnes ſake Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, not beholding of vsus in our ſelues, but in the perſon of this Sonne of thy delight, as members of his Body, reconciled to thy Maieſtie by the bleſſing of his death. And as thou art the Father of mercy, and God of all conſolation, rich in compaſſion, and gratious to all thoſe that call vponupon thee, and hauehave confidence in thee; we beſeech thee that thou wilt be pleaſed to ſhew thy ſelfe liberall in generall towards vsus all, who now cry out for mercy, and particularly towards the perſon of this thy child and ſeruant, lying in this bed of infirmity: giuegive him firſt of all to vnderſtand, that no other hand hath ſtrucke him but thine owne, to the end hee may learne to ſubmit himſelfe to it in all humility and reuerence: And to this end, that he may remember that it is a fatherly hand and a gentle, who ſtrikes not to looſe but to ſaue; and after hauing wounded viuifieth, and woundeth by the ſame wounds which it hath made; make him feele that he is a miſerable and poore ſinner, not onelyonly proceeding out of this maſſe of corruption, from whence we all doe come in Adam, but alſo and principally, that ſince it hath pleaſed thee to giuegive him grace to acknowledge thee the onelyonly true God, and him whom thou haſt ſent, Ieſus Chriſt, in whom conſiſteth eternall life, manifeſting by this meanes thy free adoption in thy welbeloued Sonne, receiuing him to thee, hauing alſo put him into the ranke amongſt the number of thy children and ſeruants in thy Church; although he hath not well knowne the aboundant riches of thy mercy, to louelove and ſerue thee with all his heart as he ought, in renouncing the world and himſelfe, by reaſon of vnthankefulneſſe naturally bred in him and in vsus all, continually rebelling and fighting againſt thy great bounty and grace. O deare Father, touch him in his heart with a liuely feeling of all his infirmities and offences, to the ende that without flattering of himſelfe, he may condemne himſelfe before thy Maieſty, that he may acknowledge all Righteouſneſſe to thee, and to himſelfe nothing but confuſion of face; make him renounce himſelfe wholly, and confeſſe that iuſtly and rightly thou bringeſt vponupon him theſe chaſtiſements; and that if thou ſhouldeſt deale with him according to his deſerts, thou ſhouldeſt binde him vp and throw him euen into eternall deſtruction. Good Lord alſo grant that this acknowledgement be alſo but to humble him, and not to deiect him into the bottome of deſpaire, and ſo being of one ſide caſt downe, and laid vponupon the ground by thy powerfull hand (not ſo much from the feeling of his ſickeneſſe, as from the feeling of his ſinnes) he may be on the other ſide, by the ſame bleſſed hand, relieued and raiſed vp againe in aſſured hope, by the conſideration of this thy incomprehenſible mercy, whereof thou haſt giuen vsus ſo precious and ſo rich a pledge, as thy welbeloued Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, whom thou haſt not ſpared, but deliuered to death, euen to the ignominious and wicked death of the Croſſe, to redeeme vsus from the ignominious malediction of ſinne: Good Lord, grant that from hence, thy poore diſtreſſed ſeruant may receiue all his refuge, fortifie his faith, by the which hee may ſearch and finde in this death and holy obedience of thy Sonne; the forgiueneſſe of all his ſinnes, and firmely embrace the perfect Righteouſneſſe thereof, where withall being clothed, he may finde peace with thee, and glorifie himſelfe in the hope of thy glory amongſt all his tribulations. And that the ſorrow of his ſickeneſſe, wherewith hee is corporally viſited, may be ſweetned with the repoſe and contentment of his ſoule. And if it be thy pleaſure to recouer him from this ſickeneſſe, to prolong his dayes, whereof thou doeſt giuegive vsus ſome ſignes; good Lord giuegive him grace to vſe it to thy glory, perpetually beating in minde this thy grace, to conſecrate the reſt of his life with much more affection and zeale then heretofore hee hath done: And make him receiue this ſickeneſſe as a fatherly affliction to draw him from ſinne, and to make him take a holy reſolution by thy grace, all the dayes of his life, to remember the duty and obedience wherewithall he is bound to thee, to walke in thy feare more purely, and more feruently then euer heretofore. Bleſſe the remedies which thou art pleaſed to let him vſe, that he may receiue comfort in his diſtreſſe, moderate the ſharpeneſſe of his colour, and ſtay the courſe of it, if thou Lord thinkeſt it fitting, to the end he may glorifie thy Name, and bee thankefull for thy mercy. But if it be thy will ſtill to continue or augment his paine, make that it may be for his good, and to giuegive him an increaſe of ſtrength and conſtancy to beare theſe thy trials with a tranquile and ſweet ſpirit, without murmure or impatience: and alſo in theſe teſtimonies of his faith and patience, ſo Chriſtianly, we deſire that thou maiſt be glorified, and his neighbours edified and comforted. And that he may by the experience of this miſerable life, be taught to withdraw his heart and affection, and to raiſe them vp freely to the meditation and ſeeking of true repoſe, and to the incomprehenſible felicity, which is prouided for vsus in Heauen to liue eternally: Grant alſo good Lord, the ſame graces to all other that are ſicke and afflicted; Comfort them and fortifie them according to their neceſſitie, and aboue all, giuegive them grace and a liuely faith, to embrace thy mercy in Ieſus Chriſt for their comfort. Heare vsus, O Father of mercy, for the louelove of thy welbeloued Sonne our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, euen as he himſelfe hath commanded vsus to preſent our ſelues vntounto thee: Our Father which art in Heauen, &c.
And foraſmuch, O Lord, as without faith, we cannot be agreeable, or acceptable vntounto thee, we beſeech thee ſo to increaſe it in this thy ſeruant, and in vsus all, that he may come to the laſt breath of life, and we with him, to perſeuere therein, and to be alwayes diſpoſed to render a pure confeſſion, with heart and mouth, as wee now preſent our ſelues vntounto thee, ſaying, I beleeue in God, &c.
This is his faith, O Lord, and ours: giuegive vsus grace to liue and dye herein, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, who in vnity of the Holy Spirit, liueth and raigneth with thee eternally, Amen.
When there is apparencie that the ſickeneſſe is mortall, follow this forme.
Sir, It behoueth you to bee of good courage in the middle of your affliction, which it pleaſeth God ſtill to continue vponupon your body; and be aſſured that he hath neither ſent or continued it, but for the good and ſaluation of your ſoule: to teach you by this meanes to vnderſtand your ſelfe, as being a poore ſinner; more and more to deteſt your ſinnes, contemne the world, to lift you vp to God, and to inuocate and call vponupon him with much more feruour, with aſſurance to be heard, following his holy promiſes, and to obtaine of him Chriſtian Conſtancy, which is moſt neceſſary for you in this tryall.
The aſſurance of the mercy of God in Ieſus Chriſt, the true ground of all Conſolation.
That which ought moſt to comfort you, and with courage and patience to ſtrengthen you, is the aſſurance which you ought alwayes to take; that God, for the louelove of his welbeloued Sonne our Lord Ieſus, hath imbraced you into his louelove and free fauour, hath pardoned your offences, hath adopted you and receiued you amongſt the number of his children, to make you inherite the Kingdome of Heauen, by vertue of the purchaſe which Ieſus Chriſt hath made for you by the merit of his death, ſuch an aſſurance will make you alwayes certaine that nothing can happen vntounto you, whether it be in life or death, which can be any other then the fauour and bleſſing of your Heauenly Father, and ſo conſequently are aides and meanes ordayned by his wiſe prouidence, to conduct you to the bleſſed life.
This aſſurance commeth from Faith.
It is true that this aſſurance wee cannot take of our ſelues, it is our good God that giueth it, when by the vertue of his holy Spirit, and holy Word, he createth in our hearts a true and a liuely faith, with the which we receiue, and wee appropriate the promiſes of his grace which he hath ordayned vsus in the preaching of the goſpel. Which promiſes in effect are, That God hath ſo loued the world, that he hath giuen his onelyonly Sonne, that whoſoeuer beleeueth in him, ſhould not periſh, but hauehave life euerlaſting. Ioh. 3.16. If God then hath giuen you the grace to beleeue in his only Son; & to embrace him for your Redeemer and Sauiour, (as we gather hitherto by the profeſſion you hauehave made, and ſtill continueth in the Church) you may take from thence a holy aſſurance, that God, according to the infallible truth of his Word, hath receiued you into his louelove, that you ſhall not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life. Now being ſo, what can you feare? Rom. 8.30.31. If God be with vsus, who can be againſt vsus? Hee, who hath not ſpared his owne Sonne, but deliuered him vp for vsus all, how ſhall hee not with him alſo freely giuegive vsus all things? Hee hath giuen you the moſt, that is his Sonne; hee will not euertheleſſe deny you any thing elſe that can be neceſſary for to keepe you from all ſort of euill, corporall and ſpirituall, as well in life, as in death.
Faith applyeth to all the faithfull, the promiſes of the Goſpell.
This application whereof I hauehave ſpoken, which you muſt make to your ſelfe, from the promiſes of the Goſpel, to gather ſuch a holy aſſurance, it is neceſſarily required by Faith. For to beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, it is not enough to beleeue in groſſe, that there is a Ieſus Chriſt, and who beleeueth in him, hath eternall life: neither is it enough to beleeue that the promiſes of the Goſpell are altogether true; the Diuell beleeueth ſo much, yet notwithſtanding hee hath no true beleeuing faith: But to beleeue in Ieſus Chriſt, is, when the faithfull beleeueth that there is ſaluation in Ieſus Chriſt for him; which the Diuell cannot beleeue. And the true iuſtifying faith, whereby the iuſt liueth, chiefely conſiſteth in that, that we apply and appropriate vntounto our ſelues, eueryevery one in his own particular, the promiſes of ſaluation, that eueryevery one in his owne behalfe, may ſay, that which St. Paul ſaith, in the perſon of eueryevery one of the faithfull, Gal. 2.20. I liue in the faith of the Sonne of God, who hath loued me, and giuen himſelfe for me; and in the 2 Tim. 1.2. I know whom I hauehave beleeued, and I am perſwaded that he is able to keepe that which I hauehave committed vntounto him, againſt that day; and Rom. 8.37.38. I am aſſured that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can ſeparate vsus from the louelove of God, which he hath ſhewed vsus in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. This faith doth not bring vsus a ſimple opinion or coniecture of our ſaluation, but a certaine knowledge, following that which Saint Iohn ſaith, 5.14. Wee know that we are tranſlated from death to life, And Iohn 10. We know that we are of God, and I hauehave ſaith he, 1 Ioh. 5.13. written theſe things to you which beleeue in the Name of the Sonne of God, to the end that you ſhould know that you hauehave eternall life. This faith freely lets vsus goe to the treaſure of Gods grace, Heb. 4.10. With aſſurance, as hee ſaith in the 10.22. euen with a true heart and a full aſſurance of faith, as Saint Paul ſaith, Epheſ. 3.12. that, by Ieſus Chriſt we hauehave boldneſſe and acceſſe, in our beleefe, by the faith which wee hauehave in him. This faith is called, Hebrewes 11.1. the ſubſtance of things hoped for, that is to ſay, that maketh things beleeued and hoped ſubſiſt in our ſoules, neither more nor leſſe then if we were already in the very Actuall poſſeſſion and inioying. This Faith maketh vsus finde peace and reſt in our ſoules and conſciences, chaſing away the feares and terrours which ſinne would ſet before vsus, with the apprehenſion of Gods iudgements, following that which Saint Paul ſaith, Rom. 5. Verſe 1. That being iuſtified by faith, we hauehave peace with God through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, by the which alſo wee hauehave beene led by Faith to this grace; wherein we hold our ſelues faſt, and glorifye our ſelues in the hope of the glory of God.
The gift of perſeuerance aſſured to the Faithfull.
Moreouer, theſe paſſages propound vntounto vsus this holy aſſurance of Faith, not onelyonly for the preſent, but alſo to come, and containeth a promiſe which God giueth vsus to perſeuere in this Faith, euen to the end. Otherwiſe, where ſhould be this aſſurance which the Apoſtle ſpeaketh of, of not being able to be ſeparated from the louelove of God in Ieſus Chriſt? Where ſhould be this ſubſiſtance of things hoped for? How ſhould wee hauehave in our ſoules a ſolid peace with God? How ſhould wee finde our ſelues firme in this grace? How can we glorifie our ſelues in the hope of the glory of God? Such is then the incomprehenſible bounty of this heauenly Father, that he beginneth not in vsus the worke of our ſaluation, for to leaue it imperfect, according as Saint Paul ſaith to the Philippians, and in their perſons, ſpeaketh alſo to all truely faithfull, Phil. 1.6. I am aſſured, that hee that hath begunne this good worke in you, will perfect it, euen to the comming of Ieſus Chriſt: As alſo he ſaith in another place, Rom. 11.29. That the gifts and calling of God are without Repentance: that is to ſay, hee gaine ſayeth not, nor euer goeth from his word.