The Pastors Last Legacy and Counsel, Prayer
Mr. Edward Hancock's Prayer before his Farewel Sermon, at St. PHILIPS, in Briſtol, Auguſt 24. 1662.
Holy Lord God, Thou who art the Spring of Being, the Root of the World, the Foundation of all, the Centre of Immortal Souls, unto thee ſhall all Fleſh come.
Souls muſt have vent, they have not a competent happineſs at home to live upon, they muſt look out and ſeek abroad; and it is vanity to give vent to the Soul any way, except upwards. Prayer is the greateſt vent and hearts eaſe in all the world unto immortal Souls: Lord at this time lift up our Hearts by Prayer unto thee in and through the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
O Lord, we are unworthy to come into thy preſence at this time; truly we do confeſs it, being conſidered in our ſtate of Nature; Oh how were we by the tranſgreſſion of our firſt Parents born Children of Wrath and Heirs of eternal Damnation; and our whole Life ever ſince hath been a life of Sin and actual Rebellion againſt thy Majeſty. Alas, we are unworthy to pour out our deſires before thee, we are Dogs, yet truth Lord, the Dogs may eat of the crumbs that fall from thy Table. O Lord, are there ſo many now about thy Houſe, and ſhall none of them be filled with good things that they be not ſent empty away. O Lord, thou art a bountiful Houſe-keeper, that deals out a large deal of ſpiritual gifts for every poor ſoul that is poor and hungry, and empty in his own apprehenſion. Bleſſed are the poor in ſpirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Thou haſt bid us open our mouths wide, and thou wilt fill them; Oh open our mouths abroad, our hearts do thou open at this time that they may be filled.
O Lord, time would fail us, ſtrength would fail us, and memory would fail us, to make a particular recapitulation of all our Sins and Tranſgreſſions committed againſt thee: We carry bad hearts about us, hearts that are never weary of offending a good God, that waits that he may be gracious. O Lord, we would fain lay open the deſires of our ſouls before thee, it is pardoning mercy and healing mercy we would beg of thee, for Jeſus Chriſt his ſake pardon all our Sins original and actual, and waſh our ſouls in that fountain opened for the houſe of Judah and Jeruſalem, for ſin and for uncleanneſs. Change our natures, chain up our corruptions; Oh ſubdue our iniquities, and give us thy Holy Spirit.
For by nature we are prone to all wickedneſs, we have not a rag to cover our nakedneſs; Lord cover us with the Robes of Chriſts Righteouſneſſe. O Lord we pray thee bring us into the bond of the Covenant, ſanctifie our hearts and lives for ever, to the honour of thy great Name. Take this opportunity of working upon us, deal with us mightily by thy Spirit, who knows what a day may bring forth? we know not how ſoon death may beat up our quarters and ſtorm our caſtles, the next meſſenger that knocks may be the meſſenger of Death; let us therefore be ſerious, and betake our ſelves to ſoul concernments. Let us conſider Sabbaths were not made for nought, to pleaſe an itching ear, or unruly fancy; but to ſave our ſouls.
O Lord make us diligent and careful at this time to receive ſpiritual good from thee. Put us into thy Covenant, carry us ſafe through this world, bring us out of a natural condition, give ſincerity to ſouls that groan under hypocriſie; give us a heart to know thee the Lord our Righteouſneſſe, do ſaving good to us this day; our laſt dayes are not the leaſt but of the greateſt concernment; the deſires of our ſouls unto thy Majeſty is, that it may go well with us at thoſe two laſt great dayes of Death and Judgement. O that our dying dayes and dooms dayes may be delightful and pleaſant dayes to us!
We are but ſeeming Actors in a play in this world, we are but a ſhadow, how ſoon are we gone, and our Habitations ſhall ſee us no more.
O Eternity, Eternity, Eternity, that our ſouls muſt ſhortly launch into a vaſt ocean; where there is a great account to be given how we have behaved our ſelves in this life: Oh grant that we may ſo provide for that day, that we may render our account with joy, and not with grief.
O Lord to whom ſhall we go, thou haſt the words of eternal life; make us (like thy ſelf) partakers of thy Divine Nature, deliver us into the mould of thy word; thou knoweſt the condition of us, let thy Word reach us all. Oh Lord run up thy Sword to the Hilt in the hearts of all impenitent Sinners, make thy Word ſharper then a two-edged Sword.
O Lord thou haſt done good by thy ſervants in their departing from us, do good at this time amongſt us: Oh let thy ſtrength be put forth to the conviction, humiliation, enlightning, and converting of many a Soul this day. Our ſtrength is but ſmall, we cannot be ſo importunate with thee as our hearts doth deſire; thou knoweſt our ſtate and wants, do exceedingly for us above and beyond what we are able to ask or think.
O Lord, thou art willing to do us good, thou profeſſeſt thou takeſt no pleaſure in the death of a Sinner; what then ſhould hinder in all the world, but a ſecret unwillingneſs in our hearts to come over to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: For his ſake, by this laſt throw of the Adminiſtration of thy Grace, let ſome poor fouls that ſticks and ſtayes long in the place of bringing forth, be born to Jeſus Chriſt at this time. Although this be the laſt Sermon (in an ordinary way) that ever thy unworthy ſervant is like to preach in this Congregation, let it be a quickning Sermon, an effectual Ordinance, ſanctified by thy Spirit, to convert many and many a Soul: work like a God, work like thy own ſelf; let the power of the Lord be ſeen in the weakneſs of thy Servant.
Lord ſhew mercy unto all, carry on thy glorious Churches deſign, let not the gates of Hell prevail; Let not the rod of the wicked alwayes reſt upon the back of the righteous; ſtand by thine in this hour of temptation: though they be but weak in grace, yet they have a ſtrong God; O ſupport them, and let the name of the Lord be great in the midft of them.
In much mercy look on theſe ſinful Nations; Oh bleſs our Sovereign Lord the King in his perſon, and in his Relations; thou that knoweſt all things, doth know, that it is the deſire of our ſouls, that thou wouldeſt bleſs him with a competency of Spiritual, Temporal, and Eternal Glory.
Oh make him a King after thy own heart, we are reſolved to wait on thee; who knoweth what a day may bring forth? what a God can do to the terrour and aſtoniſhment of all his enemies? Let them ſee that the Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord, and he can turn it as pleaſeth him: and make him the choiceſt inſtrument of thy Glory, and the good of thy Church, that ever was.
Thou art a good God in great faithfulneſs; doſt thou afflict us, let us learn our leſſon quickly; deliver us from dulneſs and ſecurity; Lord we pray thee let inſtruction and correction go together: thou doeſt appear in thy Providence, as a God that art going about to ſit upon the Tribe of Levi, even that is moſt precious as a Fullers fire, &c. Oh take away the droſs, that they may offer to God acceptable ſervice. It hath been much upon the thoughts of ſome of thy People, that God had a ſcourge for the Miniſtry; becauſe of their failings and defects: ſend thy Spirit with thy Rod, we look upon the diſpenſation as corrections for Sin, humble Miniſters for their Defects, and People for their Sins.
We look upon it as matter of Thankſgiving, and ſo have cauſe to bleſs thy Name, that thou counteſt any of us worthy to bear a teſtimony of thy Name. Lord whatſoever thou takeſt from us in this World, make it up with the Emoluments of another World; with the Incomes of thy Grace, that ſhall make us more glad, then when their Corn, Wine, and Oyl increaſeth. We have ſpiritual wants, and it is nothing but ſpiritual remedies that will cure us; Oh be thou nigh unto us in all that we ſhall call upon thee for.
Oh look upon all in affliction; upon thoſe that have begged our Prayers; the Lord be merciful to them, lay no more on them, then thou ſhalt enable them to bear; thoſe that complain of unprofitablenefs under the means of Grace, Lord convince them, convert them, turn their hearts, take away the ſtony heart, and give them a. heart of fleſh: take away the old rotten diſpoſition, and give them a ſoft and flexible.
Be in the midſt of all Congregations this day met together in the faith, and fear of the Lord; we beg that thy ſervants who have had the ſeal of their Miniſtry, may now at their departure prove powerful Inſtruments in thy hands of ſaving good to their people.
Oh let them deſtroy more luſts, more temptations; beget, quicken, and raiſe up in the hand of thy Spirit, more Sons and Daughters unto the Lord this laſt time, then in all their lives before.
Be with us in this Congregation, prepare our hearts to handle thy Word, which is able to ſave our ſouls; give us ſuitable affections, proportionable abilities, both in Soul and Body. Do thou the work, thou ſhalt have the glory. Let Satans Kingdom at this time loſe a little ground, that thoſe who are yet in a Chriſtleſs condition, may now make up the match between Chriſt and their poor ſouls. And for thoſe who have given up themſelves to Jeſus Chriſt, and yet have back-ſlidden from him; let them this evening be recovered, and give up themſelves to Jeſus Chriſt in an everlaſting Covenant; and and in a day of Confeſſion, take a part with God, and ſide with a power of Godlineſs, againſt all things that hinder.
Carry thy ſervant through his work at this time, remove corruptions, give in grace; let not thy word come as a ſlight thing, but with a deep and ſerious impreſſion upon every one of our hearts, and all for Jeſus Chriſt his ſake, but dear Redeemer; To whom with thee, and thy Bleſſed Spirit, be aſcribed as is moſt due, Kingdom, Glory, Power, and Praiſe, now and to all Eternity. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Edward Hancock, The Pastors Last Legacy and Counsel (1663)