A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 13 – Prayer 11
13. A Prayer, in reſpect of ſome loſſe receiued, as of honour, or goods, &c.
O Eternall God, ye God of prouidence, the orderer and the diſpoſer of all things both in heauen and in earth: Be ready (I beſéech thee) to heare the Praier of thy diſtreſſed ſeruaunt. Helpe my weakenes (I entreat thée) and quicken mee to the performance of this duety of calling vponupon thy Name. I am euē aſhamed of my ſelf, to ſée mine owne faintnes, & how ſoone I am caſt downe vponupon eueryevery occaſion. O rayſe me vp (I pray thee) and make me to lift my heart towards thee, according to whoſe good pleaſure all things come to paſſe: Is it not thou (O Lord) which haſt laid theſe things vponupon me? art not thou he who both giueſt & takeſt at thy will? art not thou the iudge which makeſt low & which makeſt high? ſhall I murmure againſt thee, which haſt ſuch an abſolute & vncontroulable ſoueraingty ouer al? ſhal I receiue good at thy hand, and not euill? O kéepe downe my repining & mutinous and diſcontented thoughts, allay ye height and hautineſſe of my ſpirit, teach me how to be abaſed & to hauehave want, make mée to ſée the vanitie of that which I was wont euen to admire, and to ſet my heart vponupon. Let this abridgement be a ſchoole maſter vntounto mee, that I may learne by it to draw mine affections from theſe fading and tranſitorie commodities. O Lord, what is honour? Is it not a blaſt, or as ſmoke which quickely vaniſheth? What is wealth? Is it not lighter then vanitie it ſelfe? doth it not take her to her wings as an Eagle and flye into the heauen? O knit my heart henceforth vntounto thee: O bleſſed Father, faſten my affections on the things which are aboue where Chriſt ſitteth at thy right hand: make mée to lay vp treaſure in heauen, & to ſeeke after that kingdome of thine, which cannot be ſhaken: frame my heart to the choyce of the better part, of which I can neuer bee depriued. Let mee affect the true honour which ſtandes in the faythfull ſeruice of my ſauior. Let me labor for that enduring and durable riches, which conſiſtes in the knowledge of thee, and in the féeling of thy gratious ſauour. Suffer me not (I pray thee) ſo to limit thy power, as to thinke that thou art not now able to ſupply mée, ſith the meanes which I was wont to enioy is taken from mée; but make mee faythfully to conſider, that thy hand is not ſhortened, but that thou haſt inough in ſtore for thoſe that louelove thee. Thou art able to giuegive me a great deale more, & after thou haſt exerciſed mée awhile, to bleſſe my laſt dayes with more abundance then the firſt: thou canſt make the little meale in the barrell not to waſte, and the ſmall quantitie of oyle not to diminiſh: thou canſt cauſe a ſmall thing to bée better vntounto mee then great riches to the mightie, and a dinner of greene hearbes to bée more ſauory to me, then a ſtalled Oxe to them. O therefore I beſéech thee, reſtrayne my deſires, make me willinglie to ſubmit my ſelfe to thy wiſedom; Let thy prouidence & promiſe bee my ſtore-houſe, and the ſtocke that I rely vntounto: let this ſatiſfy mée, that though I loſe all that I hauehave, yet inaſmuch as thou haſt once loued mée in Chriſt, I ſhall neuer loſe thy fauour. And let not the beholding of my children & family diſharten mee, or make mee to caſt perils, and to ſay, Wherewith ſhall I feed them? How ſhall I clothe them? O Lord they are better then many ſparrowes, and dearer vntounto thee then the lylies of the fielde; thy promiſe of mercy is entayled to my poſterity: O let my faith reſt vponupon this foundation. Prepare me (I pray thee) to further trials, make mée ready by degrées to loſe euen my life it ſelfe, if it may be for thy glory. And thus (O Lord) deſiring to reckō euen this croſſe (though my vnreformed nature doeth gaineſay it) among thy chiefeſt fauours, I commend my ſelfe and my poore Prayers vntounto thee in Chriſt Ieſus thy beloued Sonne, and my belieued ſauiour. Amen.
11. A Prayer, fitted to the loſſe of an eſpeciall friend, as a Father or Huſband, &c.
O Almightie Lord God, whoſe glory is aboue the heauens, and which haſt thy dwelling on high, but yet abaſeſt thy ſelfe to behold the things in the earth, be pleaſed, euen for thy deareſt Sonnes ſake, to caſt down thy compaſſionate eye vponupon my afflicted & grieued caſe. Comfort (Lorde) comfort (I pray thee) thy ſeruants ſoule, ſuffer me not to be ſwallowed vp of diſcouragement. Thou haſt taken from mee the very ſtaffe of mine eſtate, one, vponupon whō (in the ey of fleſh & blood) al my cōfort did depend; He is now gone ye way of all fleſh, & hath made his bed in the darke: yet yu (O Lord) ſtill liueſt, thou art alwayes the ſame, & thy yeares ſhal not fayle. O rayſe vp (I beſéech thée) my languiſhing & diſcouraged heart, my drowping thoughts: make mee to looke towards thee, frō whom alone all comfort commeth. Haſt thou done this, & ſhall I controule it? Is death thy meſſenger, and ſhal I murmure at his comming? Is my deareſt friend, whom I loued as mine own hart, gathered vntounto thee, his appointed moneths being now expired, & ſhall I lament his happines? Doeſt thou ſtill hold me with thy hand, & euen cōpaſſe me about with thy gracious prouidence, & ſhall I diſtruſt? Is thy purpoſe and promiſe & power to be my God, ye ſame yet that it was, & ſhall I be doubtfull, as though I had made fleſh mine arme, or as if yu (O alſufficient God) wert tyed vntounto outward meanes? Muſt not I alſo ere it bee long make ye graue my houſe, & lye down with others in ye duſt? Is there not an aſſured hope yt all ye liue & dye in the Lord Ieſus, ſhall bee ioyned together after death, and at the laſt day bée caught vppe in the cloudes to méet the Iudge in the ayre, and after that to bee euer with the Lord! I moſt earneſtly beſéech the therefore (O my moſt gratious God) to moderate my paſſionate and vnrulely thoughts, to bring my violent affections into a holy cōpaſſe: Let me not be ſorrowfull like thoſe which hauehave no hope, make me to reioyce on his behalfe, whoſe pilgrimage is at end, and whoſe Chriſtian and holy cauſe doeth euen aſſure mee, that thou haſt receiued him into euerlaſting habitations. Teach me to hauehave a holy and prepared longing for the day of my diſſolution: And graunt me that grace and wiſdome, ſo to louelove thoſe whome both Nature and Religion bind me to reſpect, that I may alwayes conforme and ſubmit my affections to thy moſt wiſe and ſoueraigne diſpoſings. To bee without apprehenſion of ſuch loſſes, I know by thy word, that it is impious; to bée extreame & without meaſure in paſſion, is deſperate: Kéepe me, I beſéech thée, in ye meane, that my ſorrowes may bée tempered with comfort, & my heart may alwayes bee fixed ſurely vponupon thee: Afford mée both this and all other néedfull fauours in and for the merites of my alone Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Amen.