The Right Way to Heaven, Prayers 1
THE PRAYER AND MEDITATION of the faithfull Soule,
Touching the preſent affliction of the Church.
1. O LORD our good God, and gracious Father, wee thy poore creatures, humbled before thy face, are bold to preſent our ſelves before thy holy and high majeſty, although we be but duſt and aſhes, thou dwelleſt in inacceſſible light; but wee by nature are plunged in darkneſſe: thou art a conſuming fire, but we are as the chaffe: thou art ſoveraigne righteouſneſſe, and we are poore ſinners, thou art the fountaine of life, and we by nature are in death.
Yet O Lord, thou haſt commanded vsus to call vponupon thee in our neceſſities, with promiſe to heare vsus, and haſt given us thine owne Sonne to be our Interceſſor promiſing vsus to give us the things we ſhall aske in his Name, thou haſt called us with an holy calling, and amidſt the thick darknes of ignorance, wherewith the earth is couered, thou haſt enlightened us with thy knowlege, and received us into the number of thy children: yea every one of us ſeverally hath beene ſenſible of thy particular aſſiſtance and fatherly ſuccours in the whole courſe of his life.
But, O Lord, the greater thy favours are towards us, the guiltier are we of ingratitude, for we have abuſed thy graces, and thy feare hath not beene before our eyes; Wee have deſpiſed thy word, and have not reverenced it. After the fires and maſſacres; whereof we are but a remnant, and as a firebrand pluckt out of fire, thou haſt re-eſtabliſht us, and haſt given us dayes of peace, and of refreſhing; but we have abuſed our repoſe, and turned it into licentiouſneſſe and looſenes. We have had more care to build againe our owne houſes, then to advance thine, we have run after the gaine and vanity of this world. In ſtead of cloathing the poore, we hauehave arrayed our owne bodies ſumptuouſly. Wee have rent and torne our ſelves with quarrels and enmities, and are thereby become contemptible to our adverſaries, our prayers have beene cold, our zeale languiſhing, our almes skanted, and therefore hath our iniquitie abounded, and our charity been frozen. In ſtead of drawing the ignorant unto the knowledg of thee, by our good life, we have ſcandalized & exaſperated them by our evil converſation. When we have had humane ſtrength, and meanes, and when thou raiſedſt up among us Princes and Potentates, who ſeemed they would be a firme prop unto thy Church, and and an aſſured ſhelter, and place of retrait during the ſtorme, we have leaned on the arme of fleſh, in ſtead of relying on thee alone: O God, which caſteſt downe and abateſt the pride of the loftieſt, and raiſeſt up the miſerable out of the duſt, thou lifteſt up, and bringeſt low the degree, therfore haſt thou caſt us downe, and humbled us, and haſt made us know the vanitie of our thoughts contrary to thy counſells: yea even the Miniſters and Preachers of thy word, have failed in their charges, and in many places evill and prophanation is iſſued and come foorth fr…m the Prophets, and indeed in theſe yeares of peace are ſeene the revolts of many, which had the leading of thy flocke.
For theſe cauſes, O Lord God, thou juſt Iudge, thy wrath is kindled againſt thy people, being confounded in our ſelves, wee acknowledge that thy chaſtiſements are juſt: yea, Lord, far leſſe then we have deſerved, thou haſt covered our faces with confuſion, thou haſt glutted us with bitterneſſe: thou haſt cauſed us to drinke of the cup of thine anger, thou haſt called us to weeping and ſighing in ſacke-cloath and aſhes, thou haſt lifted up the hand of our adverſaries, and haſt expoſed us unto ſcorne, and haſt made thy hand heavie upon us, thou haſt plucked up the plants which thou hadſt planted, and beaten downe the Churches which thou hadſt erected by the blood of thy Martyrs, by the preaching of thy Goſpell. Thou haſt broken downe the hedge of thy providence, which environed thy Church, and haſt expoſed it as a prey to wilde beaſts. And now Lord, we ſee, that in the places where thy Goſpell was purely preached, even there at this day ecchoeth forth alowd forgerie, and idolatrie is againe eſtabliſhed, and the enemies of thy truth inſolently triumph, and inſult over the ruines of thy houſe.
Hereupon we have cryed unto thee: but thou haſt turned away thy face. Thou haſt covered thee with a cloud, that our prayers might not come up unto thee: and we ſee thy hand lifted up to ſmite us yet more rigorouſly: and the rods prepared which thou diſplayeſt in thy diſpleaſure, Lord God. juſtice belongeth to thee, but unto us confuſion of face; wee acknowledg in all this which is come to paſſe, the tokens of thy juſt diſpleaſure, and there is no evill in the Cittie which the Lord hath not done.
So it is that thou art our Creator, and wee are the worke of thine hands; thou art God, & we are thy people, thou art our Redeemer, and we are thine own purchaſe, thou haſt purchaſed us with a great price, a people whom thou haſt honored with thy knowledge, thou art a mercifull God, and of great benignitie, ſlow to anger, and doſt not alwayes keepe it, that takeſt no pleaſure in the deſtruction of thy work. It is thy goodneſſe that we have yet any being: It is of thy tender compaſſion that we are not utterly conſumed; thou dweileſt in the higheſt heavens, and in the humbleſt hearts: the broken and contrite ſpirit unto thee is an acceptable ſacrifice.
Now then, O God, look downe from the place of thy Sanctuarie, to wit, from the heavens, heare the prayer of thy ſervants, and accept their humiliation, pardon Lord, pardon the iniquitie of thy children for thine owne ſake, for the greater it is, by ſo much the more admirable is thy goodneſſe in pardoning it, the greatneſſe of our ſinnes ſerveth to exalt thy merciemercy. and withall thou haſt received a ſufficient ranſome of thine owne Sonne, and a redemption of infinite pric…, whereon relying we dare approch unto the throne of grace, to obtaine grace in due time.
For O God, in theſe anguiſhes we ſee no meanes on earth: but our eyes are towards thee. Heare then from thy habitation, and regard, for thou art able to releeve us, thou art not a God, that art onelyonly a God at hand, and not a God a farre off, even then when all humane meanes faile, then is it that thou diſplayeſt thy ſtrength, and when thorough our fooliſhneſſe we have procured unto our ſelves evils, thou uſeſt our fooliſhneſſe for our good, that the ſubſiſting of thy Church might not bee a work of mans wiſdom, but of thy ſacred providence.
Thou it is that in all former times haſt ſuccoured thy people, and dreweſt them forth of the iron fornace, with a ſtrong hand, and with an outſtretched arme, and haſt carried them as upon the wings of an Eagle, who even in our time haſt made us ſenſible of thy ſuccours by many deliverances, and who deliveredſt our fathers from many cruell perſecutions, having cauſed them to paſſe thorow many more grievous tryals then this, thy tender compaſſions are not drawne dry, thy arme is not ſhortened, nor thine eare growne heavie of hearing: but our iniquities are they which make this ſepation between thee and us, which take thou away by thy mercy, and by the interceſſion of our Saviour Ieſus Chriſt; It is thou that haſt cruſht the Dragon and bruiſed the head of that old Serpent, and who by the blood of thy Covenant haſt drawne us out of the pit, where there was no water, having vanquiſhed hell by the death of thy Sonne: thou then, great God, that haſt pluckt us from out the talons of the Divell, wilt thou not deliver us from the hands of men, thou which haſt ſaved us from hell, wilt thou not deliver us from the power of the world?
O Eternall Lord, thou wilt do it, and wilt not forſake us, but rather having chaſtiſed us in meaſure, thou wilt make us ſenſible of thy comforts, and wilt cauſe to ſhine upon us thy face, in ioy, and in ſalvation, leaſt wee faint thorow our infirmity, and leaſt we be overcome through the length and hardneſſe of the temptation, for ſo alſo Lord, haſt thou promiſed, and thy promiſes are certain, & thy word more firm then heauen and earth, thou haſt promiſed us by the mouth of thine own Sonne not to forſake us, and to be with us even to the end of the world, thou numbereſt our haires, thou receiveſt our ſighes, thou putteſt up our teares into thy bottles, he that toucheth thy children, toucheth the apple of thine eye, thou cauſeſt thine Angels to pitch their camps about them that feare thee, deare and precious is their death in thy preſence.
Doe then, O God, according to thy word, and let the Angell of thy face march before us, let thy protection be round about us as a wall of fire, thou that ſtilleſt the waves of the ſea, and the inſurrections of the people, and which holdeſt the hearts of Kings in thine hands as the rivers of waters, curbe the furie of the people, and give unto our King thoughts of peace, eſtrange farre from him the Counſels of violence, fruſtrate the expectation of our enemies, who alreadie have devoured us in hope, diſſipate their counſels, thou that ſurpriſeſt the wiſe in their ſubtilties, which knoweſt the depths of Satan, and pierceſt with thine eyes into the counſels of the ſonne of perdition, whom thou wilt diſcomfite with the breath of thy mouth, and wilt beate downe all power which oppoſeth it ſelfe againſt thine, but if our iniquities beare witneſſe againſt us, and make us unworthy to ſee ſo excellent a worke, do it for thine owne ſake, for though we be unworthy to be heard, thou art worthy to be glorified, wherefore ſuffer not Satan to triumph and reioyce at the diſſipation of thy Church, and that thy holy Name is without puniſhment blaſphemed.
Awake then, O God, thy jealouſie, and the bluſtering motions of thy fatherly affections: unbare and tucke up the arme of thy holineſſe, and let the ends of the earth ſee thy ſalvation; remember thy ancient compaſſions, and thy covenant with thy people; Remember the bloud of thy children ſpilt in abundance, which cryeth for vengeance from the earth.
We confeſſe indeed that we have need to be humbled, and that thy Church hath need to be purged againe, and therefore it is that thou takeſt the fanne into thy hand to repurge thy floore, and raiſeſt the wind of perſecution, which ſerveth to carry away chaffe, and to expell hypocrites: But withall, O good God, amidſt this tribulation the weak do faint, and the good are oppreſſed, and partake in the affliction, and Idolatrie gathereth ſtrength; and the night of ignorance groweth thicker and thy holy Name is blaſphemed, and the doctrine of ſalvation trampled under foot by thy adverſaries.
Therefore is it, that we beſeech thee, O Father of merciemercy, that if thou wilt afflict us, that we may not fall into the hands of men, but that we may fall into thine owne hands, for thy compaſſions are great: for men hate us not, for that we have offended thee, but becauſe wee defend thy quarrell, and becauſe thy Name is called upon by us, and renouned upon us, the blood-ſuckers thirſt after our blood, not to eaſe the patient, but to ſatisfie their luſt.
Above all things, O God and moſt gracious Father, continue unto us thy word, and afflict us rather with all other manner of affliction in this life, then to take from us that light, ſith it is the teſtimonie of thy favor towards us, our priviledge amongſt all people, and the way to come to thy kingdome, that our children may be inſtructed therein, and m…y be heires of thy Cove…nt after us, and that our dayes may be finiſhed in thy favour, may be followed with an age wherin thy truth may ſhine forth againe, and the kingdome of thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt may take a great increaſe, and by preſerving unto us this preaching of the Goſpell in the purity thereof, give it efficacie in our hearts, and breake not in thy anger the ſtrength of this ſpirituall bread.
Rather, Lord, make the feare of this light incite and rowſe us up to make our profit thereof, and to redeeme the time, and to further and carrie us on forward in this way, whilſt we have the light: and let evils wherewith thou viſiteſt us, be wholeſome remedies unto us, and an inſtruction for our ſoules; and let them ſerve to recollect our faith, and to draw from out our hearts fervent prayers; and that the deliverance which it ſhal pleaſe thee to graunt us, may make us know thy fatherly love towards us, which ſhall accompanie us the reſt of our dayes, till we be retired out of this vale of miſerie, to put us in poſſeſſion of thy kingdome, that we may leave after us thy Church peaceable, the breaches of thy houſe repaired, and thy ſervice purely eſtabliſht, to the glory of thy great Name, and the ſalvation of many by thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
Eſ. c. 26. v. 12. & 13.
Lord, thou wilt ordaine peace for us: for thou alſo hast wrought all our workes in us.
O Lord our God, other Lords beſides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee onelyonly will we make mention of thy name.
Ver. 20.
Come my people enter thou into thy chambers, and ſhut thy doores about thee; hide thy ſelfe as it were for a little moment, untill the indignation be overpaſt.
Morning Prayer.
2. O Our good God, and gracious Father, we thy poore creatures preſent our ſelves before thy face, acknowledging that we are great ſinners, who ceaſe not to offend thee, in thought, word, and deed, ingratefull for thy benefits, full of diffidence and incredulitie: more affectioned to the things of this world, then unto thy ſervice.
But there is merciemercy with thee, for thou loveſt not the death of a ſinner, but that he ſhould convert and live: and haſt given us thine own Sonne, that we beleeving in him, might not periſh, but have life everlaſting. Thou haſt commanded us to call upon thee, with promiſe to give us whatſoever we ſhall ask in his name.
Receive then his Paſſion and his obedience for ſatisfaction for all our ſins, and in thy contemplation of his interceſſion be mercifull and favourable unto us, give us thy holy Spirit to touch our hearts unto true repentance, to enlighten our underſtanding with thy knowledge, and to warme our ſpirits in thy love, ſo that we may ever have thy glory for our end. thy will for our rule, thy providence for our guide, and thy promiſes for our comfort.
And becauſe we are inclined unto incredulitie and diſtruſtfulneſſe, and are aſſaulted with diverſe temptations, ſtrengthen us in faith, and imprint in our hearts thy holy promiſes, giving us inwardly a lively ſenſe and feeling of thy love, and the witneſſe of our election, to the end that we may ſtand againſt all temptations, and may drive away all feares, griefes, and unprofitable ſorrowes, by the aſſurance that thou loveſt us, and art our Father in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.
And as it hath pleaſed thee to have kept us this night paſt, conduct us alſo this day, by cauſing to ſhine upon us the brightneſſe of thy face, by directing us in all our actions, ſo that our deeds, our words, and our thoughts may be conformable to thy holy will.
Bleſſe our ſtudies, open our underſtandings, preſerve our memories, proſper our labours, ſtrengthen us in our callings, wherein let us not have for our end our owne humour, but the glory of thy Name, nor our owne temporall profite, but the ſalvation of our ſoules.
For the effecting hereof, give us the grace to ſet our affections not on earthly things, but that we may acknowledge our ſelves pilgrims and ſtrangers upon earth, may uſe the things of this world, as though we uſed them not, and as ready to loſe them, tending alwayes to the end of our heavenly calling, expecting with joy and aſſurance that laſt houre wherein thou wilt draw forth our ſoules out of theſe bodies, to make them partakers of thy heavenly glory.
And ſeeing it hath pleaſed thee to graunt us the favour to be borne in thy Church, and haſt receiued us even from our infancie into thy ſacred Covenant, grant us the grace ſeriouſly to acknowledge the greatneſſe of ſo ineſtimable a benefit, and to keepe even unto the end our ſoules unpoluted of all Idolatrie, ready to beare the opprobrie of Ieſus Chriſt, and to ſuffer for the defence of thy truth, if it ſhall pleaſe thee to call us thereunto.
To this end give us thy holy Spirit, which may guide us, and teach us rightly to imploy our time, and to husband the occaſions of learning, by obeying our ſuperiours whom thou haſt given us to conduct and teach us, that we may at length bring forth fruits, which may ſerve unto thy glorie, and may glorifie thee by our works, and by our words, both in life, and in death.
Have pittie alſo upon thy Church diverſly toſſed, defend it againſt the complots of thine enemies, and ours; repaire her breaches, give her increaſe in thy graces, and in the number of perſons give us faithfull Paſtors, whoſe preaching may be pure, and their life holy: and Princes, which may be nurſing Fathers to thy Church.
Bleſſe and preſerve our King, enrich him with Chriſtian and Royall Vertues: Guide and direct the Queene, be mercifull to our kinsfolks and friends, grant both them and us grace to live in thy feare, and to die in thy favour, and to be received into thy glorie: Theſe things we humbly intreat thee for in the prayer which thy Sonne hath taught us.
Our Father which art in heaven, &c.
I beleeve in God, &c.
EVENING PRAYER.
3. O Lord our good God, we proſtrate our ſelves before thy holy Majeſtie, offering up unto thee our evening ſacrifice, in the acknowledgment of thy gracious benefits, and of the ſpeciall care which thou haſt of us thy poore creatures, thou haſt kept us and led us forth this day, thou haſt given us things neceſſarie for this preſent life: Be graciouſly pleaſed, O good God, to keepe us alſo this night, and give good repoſe, ſo that in our morning-wakeing wee may be ſounder in bodie, and fitter for our vocation, wherein we pray thee, that thou wilt be pleaſed to guide and direct us by thy holy Spirit, making our labour fruitfull, unto thy glory, and to the edification of our neighbours, and unto our owne ſalvation.
Whereof be graciouſly pleaſed to give a full aſſurance, and to ingrave in our hearts the promiſes of thy holy Goſpell, that we being ſtrengthened in ſaith, may overcome all temptations, and finiſh holily and couragiouſly our begunne courſe, walking on not as before men, but as before thee which prooveſt our hearts.
And ſeeing that a great combat is ſet before us, and Satan is ſtrong, and the world contrary; and we weak, and ſlow, and inclined unto evill, hold us up by thy ſuccours, defend us by thy providence, ſanctifie us by thy holy Spirit, and cloath us with ſtrength from above, and let thy Word imprinted in our hearts inſtruct our ignorance, correct our perverſity, and heat our coldneſſe and negligence in thy ſervice: give us fervent charity towards our neighbours, a pure conſcience, faith unfained, and fervent zeale unto the ſetting forth of thy glory.
Drive away from our hearts evill cares, earthly ſorrowes, and unprofitable melancholies, teaching us to repoſe our ſelves upon thy providence, and to truſt in thy promiſes, to be ſorrowfull onelyonly for having offended thee, but comforted in the aſſurance of thy mercies in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord.
Give us alſo things neceſſary for this preſent life, not according to our vaine deſires, but according to thy wiſdome, what may ſuffice for the following of our Callings without lett, and paſſe this our race with ſobrietie, whilſt we advance on forward, towards that eternall and moſt happy life, which thy Sonne hath purchaſed for us.
And whilſt we are in this temporall abode, grant us the favour to ſee the kingdome of thy Sonne advanced, and thy truth manifeſted, and the ignorant, yea even our enemies to be brought to thy knowledge: to this end give us faithfull Paſtors, and Princes, that may imploy their government to the eſtabliſhment of the kingdome of thy Sonne: give thy holy Spirit to the king, and to the Queene, and a good wholeſome Councell, for the repoſe and advancement of thy Church.
Take care of our kinſmen and friends, and give them things ne…dfull both for body and ſoule, and that our iniquities may not ſtay the courſe of thy benefits, pardon them, Lord, and blot them out by the precious bloud of thy Son, in whoſe Name we ask theſe things of thee, in the prayer he hath taught us, ſaying:
Our Father which art in heaven, &c.
I beleeve in God, &c. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for finiſhing the Anſwer made to Mounſieur the Cardinall of Perron by Peter du Moulin.
4. O Lord my God and Father, I cloſe this travell with thanks giving to thy Soveraigne Majeſtie: I ſhould be ungratefull to thy goodneſſe, if I ended not my labour in thy praiſe: O God, that haſt ſtrengthened and enabled me. It is thou, whoſe ſtrength is perfected in our weakeneſſe: it is thou that chooſeſt the lowly and meane, to confound the ſtrong, and who in the weakneſſe of the inſtruments, thou imployeſt, diſplayeſt the greatneſſe of thy ſtrength: not unto us, but to thy Name give the glory and the honour: for, who are we that we ſhould be able to beare ſo great a burthen, and what is our ſtrength to ſuſtaine ſo great a combat? But that very Truth it ſelf, which we defend, giveth ſtrength to them that defend it, and thou denieſt not them thy ſuccours, that in defending thy cauſe have no other end but the glory of thy holy Name. It's thou my God, who having been favourable to me from the beginning of my dayes, wilt not forſake me in my old age, and wilt make it yet profitable to the edification of thy Church, being beaten with ſundrie afflictions, plucked from my flock, bewailing the preſſure of thy People, disfurniſht with all neceſſarie aydes for ſo great a worke, travelled of a ſickneſſe almoſt this two yeares, which hath brought me within two inches of the graue, and having in my ordinary vocation a ſufficient taske to take up a whole man: yet even againſt all appearance I have taken in hand this great labour, and againſt my expectation am come to the end thereof through thy aſſiſtance. I alſo hope, O my God, that thou wilt make fruitfull thy ſervants labor, to the end to draw into the right way the minds of thoſe, who wilfully go not out of the way, and who err but thorow want of inſtruction. Againſt mine inclination I have imployed a multitude of humane teſtimonies in this worke, for I know that thy Word alone is the rule of our faith, and receiueth not men for judges in thy cauſe: and I know well, that a word which commeth forth of thy mouth, is more worth then all the writings of all men. But we are hurried away with the ſtreame, and are conſtrained to give place to the maladie of this age, which holding thy word ſuſpected as a dangerous booke, ſearcheth into the writings of men, wherwith to arme themſelves againſt divine rules. Wee ſhew unto the advocats of errour, that they loſe their cauſe, even before the Arbitrators whom they have choſen: but O God thou art mighty & good to bring forth an age wherein thy Word alone ſhalbe liſtened unto, and whereunto for the ſole unfolding and deciding of doubts, thy Sonnes mouth ſhall onelyonly be conſulted withall. Grant it O God and Father of all mercy, and author of all conſolation, pittie the people that ſtoupe and ſtand ſtill in ſo profound darknes: cauſe to ſhine forth the brightneſſe of thy Word before the eyes of all Nations: as for me, having traverſt and ſtruck through a way ful of thornes, and with many infirmities & defects, which are in me, ſuſtained the contradiction of an age contrary to thy Word, I am glad, perceiving the time to draw nigh of my repoſe, and my task to be ſo ſoone finiſhed: But thou O God wilt raiſe up workmen, who with better ſucceſſe ſhall labour in thy harveſt, and whom thou wilt cloath with thy Spirit in greater meaſure, to defend thy holy Truth, Lord, it is thy cauſe, Lord it is for thy ſake, that we are hated. Awake thy jealouſie, and thine ancient compaſſions upon the people whom thou haſt redeemed, that many ſoules may be ſaved, and thy holy name glorified: for, Lord, though we be worthy to be forſaken, and unworthy to be releeved, yet ever art thou worthy to be glorified. It is indeed a ſmall matter that we are afflicted, were it not that amidſt our afflictions thy truth is oppreſſed, and thy holy name blaſphemed. Attend then O God, and Father of all conſolation, and heare, and pardon for thine owne ſake, thou art wiſe in thy counſels, juſt in thy judgements, mighty to execute thy will: but withall thou art full of tender compaſſion, and true true in thy words. Do then O Lord, according to thy promiſe, for thou haſt promiſed not to forſake vsus, but to bee with us to the end of the world. Thou that haſt redeemed us from the power of Satan by the death of thy Sonne, wilt deliver us alſo from the hands of thoſe which oppreſſe us: the time commeth, and is not long to, that out of the aſhes of that burning, which ſeeme extinguiſht, thou wilt cauſe to come forth a great brightneſſe, and wilt confound the tongues of Babell, and wilt cauſe to fall outright the ſeat of the ſonne of perdition. In the meane time we will poſſeſſe our ſoules in patience, whilſt the full meaſure of their iniquitie be heaped up, and we expect from heaven our Lord Ieſus, who will come to examine our cauſe, and to render unto every one according to his workes. Amen
A Prayer to be ſaid going to the Communion.
5. LOrd, great God, have pitie on me a miſerable ſinner, and grant me grace to lay hold on my Saviour by true faith, and that being called to this holy and ſacred banquet in the number of thy faithfull and elect, and truly repenting of my tranſgreſſions and ſinnes, my ſoule may receive her ſpirituall nouriſhment, the true bread of life, which giveth ſalvation to the world: looke upon me, deſiring ever to receive this holy and ſacred ſpirituall meat. Amen.
A thanksgiving after the Communion received.
6. O My Saviour and my God, I render unto thee humble thanks for the great benefit, which thou haſt this day beſtowed on me, as having thy ſelfe for a ranſome for me; for having pluckt me out of the pawes of the Divell, and out of the depths of hell, whither ſo many enormious ſinnes had plunged me; guide me by thy Spirit, and give me grace that in overcomming the concupiſcence of the world and the fleſh, I may finiſh the reſt of my dayes in thy feare. Amen.