The Daily Practice of Devotion, Prayers 4 – Prayer
TWO PRAYERS For the Peaceful re-ſettlement of this Church and State.
IV. A Prayer for the Church.
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 deſolate Church, and compaſſionate to ſee her in the duſt. Behold her, O Lord, not only broken, but crumbled; devided into ſo many Sects and Factions, 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 withall 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 recommendeſt to us, is caſt off, and all the contrary wrath and bitterneſs, anger and clamour 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 unreconcileable. Lord, let not the rongheſt winds blow out of the Sanctuary; let not thoſe which ſhould be thy Embaſſadours 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 Echo 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 thou be 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 pre udices, contempt and heart-burnings 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 truth 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 over-ſhadow the minds of all contending parties; and if it be thy will, reſtore this Church to her priſtine ſtate, renew her days 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 full 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 condeſcention 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 endeavours, that all our diſtractions may be compoſed, and our Jeruſalem may again become a City at unity in it ſelf; that thoſe happy primitive days may at length revert, wherein Vice was the only 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.
V. A Prayer for the King and State.
O Moſt gracious Lord, who doſt not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, who ſmiteſt not till the importunity of our ſins enforce thee, & 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 arrived ere thou beganſt to viſit them! and when thou couldſt no longer forbear, yet maſtering thy power, thou haſt not proportioned 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 eaſie 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 only by our own incorrigibleneſs. 'Tis now, O Lord, theſe many years that this Nation hath been in the Furnace, and yet our droſs waſtes not, but encreaſes; and it is owing only to thy unſpeakable mercy, that we, who would not be purified, are not conſumed; that we remain a Nation, who ceaſe not to be moſt ſinful, and provoking Nation. O Lord, let not this long-ſuffering of thine ſerve only to upbraid our obſtinacy, and inhanſe 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 into the impreſſions of thy grace, that all the ſinners of Sion may tremble; that we may not by a perſevering obſtinacy ſeal to our ſelves both temporal and eternal ruine; but in ſtead of our mutinous complaining at the puniſhments of our ſins, ſearch and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. O be thou pleaſed 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 filth and noiſomneſs chaſe her away; but grant us that true repentance which may atone 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 Shepherd, be pleaſed 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 only contention may be who ſhall 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 qualifie them not only for his but thy Mercy. And, Lord, be pleaſed 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 balance of the Sanctuary, that conſcience, not intereſt, may be the ruling principle, and that they may render to Ceſar the things that are Ceſars, 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 National, ſo the repentance may be National alſo, and that evidenced by the proper fruits of it, by zeal of reſtoring of the rights both of thee and thine Anointed. And do thou, O Lord, ſo diſpoſe all hearts, and remove all obſtacles, that none may have the will, much leſs the power, to hinder his peaceable reſtitution. And, Lord, let him bring with him an heart ſo entirely devoted to thee, that he may wiſh his own honour only 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 pleaſed 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 licentiouſneſs, 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 only releaſe our temporal, 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 righteouſneſs, make him a ſignal inſtrument of thy glory and our happineſs, and let him reap the fruits of it in comfort here, and in bliſs hereafter; that ſo his earthly Crown may ſerve to enhanſe and inrich his heavenly. Grant this O King of Kings, for thy ſake and interceſſion of our Bleſſed Mediator, Jeſus Chriſt.
A Prayer for all Chriſtian Princes and the Eccleſiaſtical State.
ALmighty God who ruleſt in the Kingdoms of men, and in all events of the world, defend thoſe with thy mercy whom thou haſt adorned with thy power, lift up the horn advance the juſt intereſts of all Chriſtian Kings, Princes, and States by the power of thy venerable and life-giving paſſion.
Give unto all them who ſerve thee in the miniſteries of religion, wiſdom and holineſs, the bleſſings of peace, and great abilities to miniſter proſperouſly to the good of ſouls by the power and aids of thy holy Spirit of wiſdom.
Pardon all our ſins; take away our iniquities from us all, and preſerve us from all danger and trouble, from need and perſecution, from the temptations of the Devil, from the violence▪ and fraud of all our enemies. Keep us O God from ſinning againſt thee, and from ſuffering thy wrath, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
Poſtſcript.
THE deſolation of Sion being that which every good Chriſtian ought to remember in his Daily. Addreſſes to Heaven, I ſhould wrong, not only your Charity, but even your good Nature, to think you forgetful or careleſs of our Common Mother, the Church of England, thus deſpightfully uſed by thoſe ungrateful and unnatural Children, who having formerly ſucked her Breaſts, yet are not aſhamed to trample upon her in the day of her Calamity. I have therefore thought it not improper to add theſe foregoing Lamentations and Devotions in her behalf; hoping they will not be unacceptable or unuſeful to you, and ſuch others as ſhall find it worth their while to have proceeded thus far. To the bleſſing of God I commend them and you.
Farewell.
THE END.
End of the text · Henry Hammond, The Daily Practice of Devotion (1684)