A Pacific Discourse of Gods Grace, Part 4
THE LAST VVORDS OF THE Reverend, Pious and Learned Dr. HAMMOND: Being Two PRAYERS for the Peaceful re-ſettlement of this Church and State.
Prayer I.
O Bleſſed Lord, who in thine infinite mercy didſt vouchſafe to plant a glorious Church among us, and now in thy juſt judgment haſt permitted our ſins and follies to root it up, be pleaſed at laſt to reſume thoughts of peace towards us, that we may do the like to one another. Lord, look down from heaven, the habitation of thy holineſs, and behold the ruines of a deſolated Church, and compaſſionate to ſee her in the duſt. Behold her, O Lord, not onelyonly broken, but crumbled, divided into ſo many ſects and fractions, that ſhe no longer repreſents the Ark of the God of Iſrael, where the Covenant and the Manna were conſerved, but the Ark of Noah, filled with all various ſorts of unclean beaſts; and to complete our miſery and guilt, the ſpirit of diviſion hath inſinuated it ſelf as well into our affections as our judgments; that badge of Diſcipleſhip which thou recommendedſt to us, is caſt off, and all the contrary wrath and bitterneſs, anger and clamor, called in to maintain and widen our breaches. O Lord, how long ſhall we thus violate and defame that Goſpel of peace that we profeſs? how long ſhall we thus madly defeat our ſelves, loſe that Chriſtianity which we pretend to ſtrive for? O thou which makeſt men to be of one mind in an houſe, be pleaſed ſo to unite us, that we may be perfectly joyned together in the ſame mind, and in the ſame judgment. And now that in Civil affairs there ſeems ſome aptneſs to a compoſure, O let not our Spiritual differences be more unreconcilable. Lord, let not the rougheſt winds blow out of the Sanctuary; let not thoſe which ſhould be thy Embaſſadors for peace ſtill ſound a Trumpet for war: but do thou reveal thy ſelf to all our Eliah's in that ſtill ſmall voice, which may teach them to eccho thee in the like meek treating with others. Lord, let no unſeaſonable ſtiffneſs of thoſe that are in the right, no perverſe obſtinacy of thoſe that are in the wrong, hinder the cloſing of our wounds; but let the one inſtruct in meekneſs, and be thou pleaſed to give the other repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth. To this end do thou, O Lord, mollifie all exaſperated minds, take off all animoſities and prejudices, contempt and heartburnings, and by uniting their hearts prepare for the reconciling their opinions: and that nothing may intercept the clear ſight of thy truth, Lord, let all private and ſecular deſigns be totally depoſited, that gain may no longer be the meaſure of our Godlineſs, but that the one great and common concernment of ruth and peace may be unanimouſly and vigorouſly purſued. Lord, the hearts of all men are in thy hands, O be thou pleaſed to let thy Spirit of peace overſhadow the minds of all contending parties; and, if it be thy will, reſtore this Church to her priſtine ſtate, renew her dayes as of old, let her eſcape out of Egypt, be ſo entire, that not an hoof may be left behind: But if thy wiſdom ſee it not yet a ſeaſon for ſo ful a deliverance, Lord, defer not, we beſeech thee, ſuch a degree of it; as may at leaſt ſecure her a being; if ſhe cannot recover her beauty, yet, O Lord, grant her health, ſuch a ſoundneſs of conſtitution as may preſerve her from diſſolution. Let thy providence find out ſome good Samaritans to cure her preſent wounds: and to whomſoever thou ſhalt commit that important work, Lord, give them skilful hands and compaſſionate hearts; direct them to ſuch applications as may moſt ſpeedily, and yet moſt ſoundly, heal the hurt of the daughter of Sion; and make them ſo advert to the intereſts both of truth and peace, that no lawful condeſcenſion may be omitted, nor any unlawful made. And do thou, who art both the wonderful Counſellor and Prince of peace, ſo guide and proſper all pacifick endeavors, that all our diſtractions may be compoſed, and our Jeruſalem may again become a City at unity in it ſelf; that thoſe happy primitive dayes may at length revert, wherein Vice was the onelyonly hereſie; that all our inteſtine contentions may be converted into a vigorous oppoſition of our common enemy, our unbrotherly feuds into a Chriſtian zeal againſt all that exalts it ſelf againſt the obedience of Chriſt. Lord, hear us, and ordain peace for us, even for his ſake whom thou haſt ordained our Peace-maker, Jeſus Chriſt our Lord.
Prayer II.
O Moſt gracious Lord, who doeſt not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, who ſmiteſt not till the importunitie of our ſins enforce thee, and then correcteſt in meaſure, we thy unworthy creatures humbly acknowledge that we have abundantly taſted of this patience and lenity of thine. To what an enormous height were our ſins arriv'd ere thou beganſt to viſit them! and when thou couldſt no longer forbear, yet maſtering thy power, thou haſt not proportion'd thy vengeance to our crimes, but to thy own gracious deſign of reducing and reclaiming us. Lord, had the firſt ſtroke of thy hand been exterminating, our guilts had juſtified the method; but thou haſt proceeded by ſuch eaſy and gentle degrees, as witneſs how much thou deſiredſt to be interrupted, and ſhew us, that all that ſad weight we have long groaned under, hath been accumulated onelyonly by our own incorrigibleneſs. 'Tis now, O Lord, theſe many years that this Nation hath been in the furnace, and yet our droſſe waſts not but increaſes; and it is owing onelyonly to thy unſpeakable mercy, that we, who would not be purified, are not conſumed; that we remain a Nation, who ceaſe not to be a moſt ſinfull, and provoking nation. O Lord, let not this long-ſuffering of thine ſerve onelyonly to upbraid our obſtinacy, and enhanſe our guilt; but let it at laſt have the proper effect on us, melt our hearts, and lead us to repentance. And oh, that this may be the day for us thus to diſcern the things that belong to our peace! that all who are (yea, and all who are not) caſt down this day in an external humiliation, may by the operation of thy mighty Spirit have their ſouls laid proſtrate before thee in a ſincere contrition! O thou who canſt out of the very ſtones raiſe up children unto Abraham, work our ſtony flinty hearts into ſuch a temper as may be malleable to the impreſſions of thy grace, that all the ſinners in Sion may tremble; that we may not by a perſevering obſtinacy ſeal to our ſelves both temporal and eternal ruine, but inſtead of our mutinous complaining at the puniſhments of our ſins, ſearch and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. O be thou pleas'd to grant us this one grand fundamental mercy, that we who ſo impatiently thirſt after a change without us, may render that poſſible and ſafe by this better and more neceſſary change within us; that our ſins may not, as they have ſo often done, interpoſe and eclipſe that light which now begins to break out upon us. Lord, thy dove ſeems to approach us with an olive-branch in her mouth, oh let not our ſilth and noyſomneſs chace her away; but grant us that true repentance which may at one thee, and that Chriſtian charity which may reconcile us with one another. Lord, let not our breach either with thee or among our ſelves be incurable, but by making up the firſt prepare us for the healing of the latter. And becauſe, O Lord, the way to make us one fold is to have one ſhepheard, be pleas'd to put us all under the conduct of Him to whom that charge belongs; bow the hearts of this people as of one man, that the onelyonly contention may be who ſhall be moſt forward in bringing back our David. O let none reflect on their paſt guilts as an argument to perſevere, but repent, and to make their return ſo ſincere as may qualify them not onelyonly for his but thy Mercy. And, Lord, be pleas'd ſo to guide the hearts of all who ſhall be intruſted with that great concernment of ſetling this nation, that they may weigh all their deliberations in the ballance of the Sanctuary, that conſcience, not intereſt, may be the ruling principle, and that they may render to Caeſar the things that are Caeſars, and to God the things that are Gods; that they may become healers of our breaches, and happy repairers of the ſad ruines both in Church and State: and grant, O Lord, that as thoſe ſins which made them are become Nationall, ſo the repentance may be Nationall alſo, & that evidenc'd by the proper fruits of it, by zeal of reſtoring the rights both of thee and thine Anointed. And doe thou, O Lord, ſo diſpoſe all hearts, and remove all obſtacles, that none may have the will, much leſſe the power, to hinder his peaceable reſtitution. And, Lord, let him bring with him an heart ſo intirely devoted to thee, that he may wiſh his own honour onelyonly as a means to advance thine. O let the precepts and example of his Bleſſed Father never depart from his mind; and as thou wert pleas'd to perfect the one by ſuffering, ſo perfect the other by acting thy will; that He may be a bleſſed inſtrument of replanting the power inſtead of the form of Godlineſs among us, of reſtoring Chriſtian vertue in a prophane and almoſt barbarous Nation. And if any wiſh him for any diſtant ends, if any deſire his ſhadow as a ſhelter for their riots and licenciouſneſſe, O let him come a great but happy defeat to all ſuch, not bring fewel, but cure, to their inordinate appetites; and by his example as a Chriſtian, and his Authority as a King, ſo invite to good, and reſtrain from evil, that he may not onelyonly releaſe our temporall, but our ſpiritual bondage, ſuppreſs thoſe foul and ſcandalous vices which have ſo long captivated us, and by ſecuring our inward, provide for the perpetuating our outward peace. Lord, eſtabliſh thou his throne in righteouſneſſe, make him a ſignall inſtrument of thy glory and our happineſſe, and let him reap the fruits of it in comfort here, and in bliſſe hereafter; that ſo his earthly Crown may ſerve to enhanſe and enrich his heavenly. Grant this, O King of Kings, for the ſake and interceſſion of our Bleſſed Mediator, Jeſus Chriſt.
THE END.
LONDON, Printed for Richard Royſton at the Angel in Ivie-lane, 1660.
End of the text · Henry Hammond, A Pacific Discourse of Gods Grace (1660)