First Epistle of John Applied Part 2, Title page – Prayer
THE First general EPISTLE OF St. JOHN The APOSTLE, Unfolded and Applied.
The First PART In two and twenty Lectures on the First Chapter: and two Verses of the Second: Delivered in St. Dyonis. Back-Church. AN. DOM. 1654.
By NATH. HARDY Minister of the Gospel, and Preacher to that Parish.
Orig. hom. 2. in divers.
O Beate Iohannes, non immeritò vocaris Iohannes, id est, cui donatum est: cui enim Theologorum donatum est, quod tibi donatum est? abdita videlicet summi boni penetrare mysteria & ea quae tibi revelata & declarata sunt humanis mentibus ac sensibus intimare.
London, Printed by E. Tyler, for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham, and are to be sold at the Black Bear in Pauls Church yard, 1656.
AQuilae, Theologi Christo Discipuli conjunctissimi Fidei Martyris meruenti Charitatis praeconis Ecclesiae insignis Columnae D. Johannis Apostoli Perspicaci Mystae, Servo Fideli, Confessori invicto, Spectatissimo Exemplo, Reverendo Patri, Johanni D no Episcopo Roffensi.
In primam Epistolam has Commentatiorum primitias D.D.N.H. In perpetuum grati animi Testimonium.
Obnixè rogans foreign, ut & illi res omne genus prosperas, & Ecclesiae Anglicanae aerumnis & erroribus (heu!) penè obrutae antiquam veritatem & splendorem pristinum, pro summa sua misericordiâ largiri velit.
THE Epistle to the Reader.
THE Mahumetans say, that the first thing God created was a pen:Chronicon. de vitis, Mahum. & successor. Sure I am, the best thing which ever was conveyed to us by a pen is the Bible; nor can the one be better exercised then about the other. I have often wished that every one of St. Pauls Epistles, yea every Book of holy Writ might have a Davenant to draw forth its lineaments; nor do I know any work that would be of more general and singular use, then a practical Commentary upon the whole Bible.
VponUpon a small, yet choice piece of this sacred Volume, I have made an essay, wherein if any thing be well done, let it be ascribed to divine assistance, and whatsoever is amisse, to my ignorance. The chief design of this work is explication of the Text; yet I have still annexed a brief application of the doctrine, that I might not only enlighten thy mind, but enliven thy affections. In the prosecution of this design, I am sometimes engaged in controversies, which are calmely debated, and (according to my measure of knowledge) hope truely stated; if thou hast a Starre-light, yet contemne not my Candle.
The prefixing of the prayer is that to which I am necessitated for my own vindication, having met with my name affixed (in print) to a broken prayer, made up of some scraps, which a scribling pen hath taken from my mouth, and phrases which anothers fancy hath added.
In omnibus meis scriptis, non solum pi…m lectorem, sed & liberum correctorem desidero. Aug. pro…em. l 3. de ….What mistakes, misplacings, omissions, or additions of words thou mayest observe in perusing these discourses, pardon and correct, those especially, which are taken notice of to thy hand.
If these labours find any acceptance with the pious, orthodox, and judicious, I shall be encouraged to a progresse, and the remaining parts may in due time see the light. Thy candid censure, of, and devout prayer for, is earnestly desired by him, who is
Thine in the common Saviour, NATH. HARDY.
The Prayer commonly used before Sermon.
ETernall Jehovah, in whose presence the glorious Angels vaile their faces, as being not able to behold thy brightness; How shall we who are men and not Angels; wormes and no men, yea, dust and ashes rather then wormes, dare to appear before the, Oh Lord, we acknowledge there is an infinite distance between thee and us by our Creation, as far as is between the high Heavens, and the low Earth. Thou art Infinite, and we finite, Thou art immutable, & we changable, Thou art the Potter, and we the Clay: Thou our Maker: and we all the worke of thy hands. But far, oh far greater is that distance which we our selves have made between thee and us by our corruption; even as far as is between the highest Heavens, and the lowest hell: Thou art Purity, add we Filthinesse, Thou …rt Majesty; and we Misery: Thou a God of purer eyes then to behold iniquity without fury, and we such in whome dwelleth nothing but sin and iniquity. We were at first (Oh God) concluded in sin, and in iniquity did our Mother bring us forth, and ever since we have conceived nothing but sin, and that iniquity hath been a fruitfull Mother of all uncleanesse: we are by nature deprived of all good, and depraved with all evil, & throughout the whole course of our life we have neglected much good, and committed more evill. Which of thy righteous lawes (Oh God) have not we often violated by impiety against thee, and iniquity against man, in our thoughts and affections, in our words and actions? Before we knew thee, we knew how to offend thee, and ever since thou hast set up a light of knowledge in our minds, we have not ceased to act the workes of darknesse in our lives. Thy patience hath spared us, and our wickednesse hath provoked thee; thou hast forborne to punish, and we have therefore gone on to R…ell. The raine of thy Word hath not fructified our barren lives, The beames of thy love hath not melted our frozen hearts, The thunder of thy wrath have not awakened our sleepy consciences, but we still continue to adde sin unto sin, and thereby treasure up wrath against the day of wrath.
We confesse (O God) our just deservings of thy fury, yet are we bold to implore thy free bestowings of mercy, We have abundantly sinned, but thou canst abundantly pardon: with us there have been numerous Rebellions, but with thy Son Christ Jesus is plenteous redemption. According to the freenesse of thy mercy, and the fulnesse of his merits, the greatnesse of thy compassions, and the meritoriousnesse of his passion, have mercy upon us, be reconciled to us, that all our sins may be blotted out of the booke of thy remembrance. Do thou (Oh God) forget our sins, but let us remember them; doe thou cast them behind thy back, but let us set them before our faces; open our eyes that we may see, open our hearts that we may consider, how glorious a Name we have dishonoured, how gracious a Father we have provoked, how deare a Jesus we have crucified, how Holy a Spirit we have grieved, how just a law we have transgressed, how great salvation we have despised, what long suffering patience we have abused, what precious opportunities of grace we have misspended, what Hainous sinnes we have committed; that by all these considerations we may be melted into tears of godly sorrow for our sins, that so mourning, we may loath, loathing, we may leave, leaving, we may strive against, and striving against, we may obtain power and victory over them. Be it enough (O God) for it is enough, nay, too too much, that we have played away so great a part of the candle of our lives in the pleasures of sin, oh give us grace for that little inch of our candle which is yet to burn, so to let our light shine before men, that they seeing our good works, may glorify thee our Father which art in heaven. To this end we pray thee, enlighten our blind minds, incline our crooked wills, soften our hard hearts, compose our distempered passions, mortify our earthly members, sanctify our whole man, Spirit, Soul, and Body, and preserve us blamelesse to the coming of our Lord Jesus. Implant (oh God) and increase all the graces of thy holy Spirit in us, confirm our faith, stablish our hope, strengthen our patience, enlarge our love, enflame our zeale, quicken our obedience, put thy fear into our hearts, that we may never depart from thee, and do thou never leave nor forsake us, but be our God, our Guard, our Guide even to the death; and after death receive us to thy self, in that glory which is everlasting.
Not to us, (oh Lord) not to us alone, but to thy holy Catholick Church, be thou propitious; she is the Vine which thine own right hand hath planted, let her be for ever preserved, and suffer not (Good God) suffer not either the wild Boar out of the Forrest to pluck up her root, or the many pestilent Foxes that are within her to pluck off her grapes. Plant thy Gospel where yet it is not, restore it where it is lost, continue and enlarge it where it is, especially in these Realmes. Remit our crying sins, Remove thy heavy judgements, Restore our wonted blessings, Settle all things once again amongst us, upon their right and ancient Foundations that Glory may dwell in our Land.
Let the cry of the Fatherlesse and the Widow ascend into the eares of the Lord God of Hosts, that he may give them beauty for ashes, and the oyle of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse. Blesse all sorts and degrees of men among us. Let the Gold of our Nobility excell in Grace, as they do in Honour, purify the Silver of our Gentry from the drosse of vice, Engrave upon the brasse of our Commonalty, the fear of thy holy Name; and preserve thine earthen vessels, in whom is laid up, and by whom is dispensed thy heavenly Treasure, the Pastors and Ministers of thy Church. Comfort all the sonnes and daughters of sorrow, poure oyle into wounded consciences, succour tempted souls, settle distracted minds, heale diseased bodies, releeve impoverished families, release imprisoned persons, those especially who suffer for the Testimony of a good conscience. Oh thou that hast a Salve for every sore, a Cure for every crosse, a Remedy for every malady; apply thy self suitably to all the necessities of thy children. And now in Blessing, Blesse that Word of all thy Grace, which goeth forth throughout all Congregations, lawfully and duly assembled in thy fear this day; this in particular. Oh thou that standest at the door and knockest, be pleased to open; Open the Preachers lips, that his mouth may shew forth thy praise, and declare thy message with power and plainnesse; open the peoples ears, that they may hear thy Word with reverence and diligence: open all our hearts, that with faith and love we may receive, with care and conscience we may obey thy sacred truth, so as it may become the power of thee our God, to the illumination of our judgements, the renovation of our natures, the reformation of our lives, and the salvation of our soules, through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Redeemer; for whom we bless thee: To whom with thy self and blessed Spirit of Grace, we give all praise and glory; and in whose most absolute Form of Prayer, we further call upon thee, saying, Our Father which in Heaven, &c.