The Vanity of the Creature, Prayer
A Prayer.
ALmighty God, who rulest the Sea of this World by thy power, and whose paths are in the roughest Waters; We the unworthiest of all thy Servants commit our frail Barks, with all that we have, to the Steerage of thee our great Pilot, and faithful Preserver: beseeching thee so to order by thy good hand of Providence all outward contingencies to us, that we may be able to bear up through them with a steady and even Course, against the several Storms we shall meet with in this passage to our blessed Harbour of Eternity. And however earthly things may like Watery Billows be every day rowling up and down in their vicissitudes about us; yet suffer, oh suffer not the Heavenly truth of our Reformed Religion to flote about any longer so uncertainly among us, nor our selves to be as Children toss'd to and fro with every Wind of Doctrine. But let us be constant and unwavering in the profession of that Holy Faith we have received; and (Thou that art the God of Truth) be graciously pleased to stay us up firmly in it by the sacred Scriptures, which are thy Word of Truth, and the sole Anchor of our Faith to rest upon. Lord, pull in the Sails of our desires towards fleeting and transitory substances: for who will cast his eyes upon that which hath wings to flee away as an Eagle towards Heaven! Ballast our Spirits with Humility in a prosperous condition; and when we have the highest and most pleasing Gale of the worlds favour for us, give us to strike our spreading Sails of Pride, and to make our Lenity and Moderation to be known to all men, for the Lord is nigh at hand. But if thou in thy just judgment against us for our manifold and hainous sins, shalt cause some cross wind or other to blow upon us, and give us over to Shipvvrack in our temporals; Supply then, we entreat thee, their want with thy spirituals of Patience, Faith, and other suffering graces; That although the tempest be never so boisterous without, yet we may enjoy within a Christian calmness of Spirit, in a happy quietude and contentedness of mind with all thy dealings towards us, and not set down our rest upon the Creature, which is so restless with us, but amidst the sundry and various changes of the world, may there fix our Hearts, where onelyonly true and unchangeable joys are to be found, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Allestree, The Vanity of the Creature (1684)