Twelve Sermons, Prayer 2
A godly praier to be said at all times.
BEcause I hauehave sinned, O Lord, and done wickedly in thy sight, and prouoked thee to anger by my abhominable wickednesse, making my body which thou hast ordayned as a vessell for thine honor, an instrument to most detestable filthines, O Lord be mercifull vntounto me, and pardon me this great wickednesse: looke not vponupon me, good Father, with the eyes of iustice, neither doe thou drawe against mee the sword of iudgement, for then howe shall I that am but dust, stand in thy presence, when thy vvrathful indignation commeth forth as a whirle wind, and thy heauy displeasure as a mighty tempest: seeing the earth trembleth, the depths are discouered, and the verie heauens are shaken when thou art angrie? Exercise not therefore thy fury against me, that am but chaffe before the winde, and as stubble against a flaming fire: though I hauehave sinned grieuously in thy sight, preferring my wicked desire, before thy holy commandement: esteeming the pleasure of a moment, before eternal & euerlasting ioyes: nay, which is worse, making more account of vilenes and vanitie, and extreame folly and madnes, then of the glory and maiesty of the most excellent, wonderful, and blessed God, nothing dreading his displeasure, whose wrath maketh the diuels to quake, & burneth vnquenchable vntounto the bottomles pit of hel; whose might is so great, that by the breath of his nosthrils he can in the twinkling of an eye destroy a thousand worlds: yet am I bold, prostrating my selfe before the throne of thy maiesty, heartily to beseech, and humbly to intreate thee, that thou wilt not deale with me according to my merires, for I hauehave deserued yt thou shouldest raine down fire & brimstone from out of heauen vponupon me to deuoure me, or to open the earth vnderunder me, to swallow me vp quick vntounto hell: but thou art gratious and ful of compassion, and rich in mercies, therefore do men put their trust vnderunder the shadow of thy wings. I hauehave none in heauen to flie vntounto but thee, nor in earth of whom I may receiue any comfort, but at thy fauorable hands, which are stretched out day and night, to receiue all that by earnest repentance turne to thee, being ready to ease al those that are ladē with the burthen of their sin, and to refresh their distressed consciēces. In the multitude of thy mercies I approch vntounto thee O Lord, desiring thee to looke down from the height of thy sanctuary, vponupon me poore and wretched sinner, and to wipe away mine offences, & to blot out my misdeeds, especially, this my vngratious, vncleane, and vngodly act, that it may not come vp in remembrance with thee, nor be imputed to me for euer, for thy sonnes sake, O Lord, in whom thou art well pleased, in whome thou wast fully satisfied vponupon the crosse for my sinnes: grant me free pardon and remission of that I hauehave so foolishly by my exceeding frailetie, committed against thee in this shamefull deede. But O thou my vncleane and vnthankefull soule! my vngodly and rebellious heart! what did I sinful wretch & execrable caitife, so blindly and desperatly attempt? Howe art thou become quite senselesse, that thou wast so ready to anger thy most louing God, and to prouoke thy most mightie Iudge, that thou mightest satisfie thy filthie flesh, suborned both by thine & Gods most malitious aduersarie, to grieue and vexe the spirit of the Lord, and to damne thy selfe for euer? Hath not God of his singular fauour, made the heauens of olde, and placed the Sun and Moone in thē, two glorious lights, with innumerable starres, a wonderfull workmanship, for thy vse and benefit? Hath he not lifted vp the cloudes by his strong arme, and heaped treasures of raine, haile, and snow, to doe thee seruice? Hath he not in the midst of the world▪ laid the foundations of the earth, that thou mightest hauehave a stable habitation, and mightest from thence beholde euerie way thou lookest, the walles of his beautifull palace? Hath hee not gathered the waters into one place, and made the drie land appeare, and drawne forth by his power a pure substance of aire betweene heauen and earth, that fishes might multiplie in the seas, fowles in great abundance flye in the open face of the firmament, tender plants, hearbes, flowers, and trees in al variety, grow and fructifie vponupon the groundt yea creeping things, cattell and beastes increase in infinite number, in pastures, fields, gardens, orchards, and groues; & all these to do thee pleasure? Hath he not further giuen thee springs and riuers gold and siluer, pearles and iewels; euen plentie of streames, stones, and mettall, to furnish thee with whatsoeuer for profit thou needest, or for pleasure desirest? Hath he not made thee Lord and ruler ouer al his creatures, euen ouer the huge Elephants, the Whale, the strong Lion, and Vnicorne, and horse of warre? ouer the sauage Tigers, Beares, & Wolues? ouer the mighty Eagle, Griffin, Vultur, Ostrich, and Hawke? Art thou not clad and defended, fed and inriched, cheared and renowned by these his creatures, and that all the parts of thy body, and sences of thy minde, might be pertakers of his goodnesse, and with his sweetnes refreshed, comforted and delighted in great measure? yea, aboue all this, hath hee not breathed into thy body an immortall soule, that thou mightest remaine with him in glory for euer? Did he not at the first frame thee like vntounto himselfe, that he might therefore louelove thee as his sonne? Did he not cast into thy spirit the beames of his wisedome, that thou through thy vnderstanding mightest beholde him and his glorie, and stirred vp sparkes of goodnesse in thy heart, that thou mightest by thy affection imbrace him and his bountie, and bee made perfectly blessed by his infinite happinesse, who when Adam thy vngratefull father, by distrusting him that had faithfully promised, was throughlie able to fulfill his will, and resolutely determined, exceedingly to aduance him, hauing giuen him this whole worlde in testimony thereof, by discontenting his minde with the excellent estate hee was placed in of vnspeakeable louelove, vnlesse hee might bee as good as God himselfe, proudly desiring to make dust the fellowe of him who was from euerlasting, infinitly full of wisedome, power, grace and maiestie, and had done al this at the perswasion of the most traiterous rebell of his right gratious king, and spitefull enemie of his most bountifull master, euen then when this most villanous conspiring with Gods notorious aduersarie, had deserued immortall hatred against him, and all that pertained vntounto him: yea thee as yet vnborne, but contained in him, whose whole masse by his impious disobedience, became by iust iudgement a temple of cursed estate for euer, and for euer: thou also thy selfe bringing foorth fruite of contempt of his law, who is most holy, merciful and mightie: yet euen then I say, of vnspeakable pittie and compassion intended, nay promised, nay laboured to deliuer him and thee from that dreadfull vengeance which ye had purchased by your own wicked and vngracious demerits, and to reconcile you base abiects and vile castawaies, and yet stubborne and spitefull haters of the great God Iehouah, who when there was no meanes to be found in heauen, nor seas, nor in the earth, nor vnderunder the earth, but that he should damne his onelyonly begotten Sonne, the very brightnes of his glory, who neuer offended him, but was an eternall delight vntounto his soule, and reioycing vntounto his spirit, that thou mightest be saued, a grosse lumpe of slime and clay, still vexing him by thy wickednes; yet deliuered his sonne into the full power of Sathan, to put him to a most shamefull death, by the hands of most detestable persons, and did cast him farre away out of his fauor, and threw him downe into the bottomlesse pit of his vnsupportable wrath & indignation, that thou mightst be placed betweene his owne armes in the kingdome of heauen, in all royalty and glorie, as his deare and entirely beloued sonne. Why therefore wast thou O my vnholy and vnthankful nature, so ready and prone, so violent and headlong, to commit things highly displeasant in his sight, who in a manner, and as far as it was possible, slewe himselfe for thy safetie, when he had no creature so disobedient vntounto him as thee? O thou my inwarde soule, and spirit of my minde awake, and stand vp to defend thy self, for thou art besieged with mightie enemies, the prince of darknes, the rulers of the aire, the spiritual craftinesse and policies of hel! why arisest thou not thou sluggard? thy foes in great number are prepared with many ambushments, hauing a huge armie all maliciously bent, with venemous darts to pearce thorow thy heart: they are entred thy hold at all fiue gates of thy outwarde sences: yea, they hauehave broken downe thy inward doores, and hauehave left thee but one window towards heauen to escape by, euen thy praiers, whereto the spirit of God waiteth thy speedy comming: make hast O thou heauie with sleepe, or thou art taken by thy cruell enemies, whose handes are of yron, and their teeth of steele, to grind thy very bones to powder: hearken no longer to that stinking harlot, thy wicked appetite, which lying in thy bosome, desireth nothing but thy vtter destruction: she perswadeth thee that thou art in no present danger, that she may reioyce at thy miserable ende. It may be thou art fed to the slaughter, that though thou go on a little waie in thy pleasant path, thou maiest returne backe vvhen thou wilt, and thy little wandering wil not greatly be regarded. O thou vnwise and sottish of heart! when wilt thou vnderstand? Hath the sonne of God indured such paine for the smallest of thy sinnes, and makest thou so light account of so grieuous crimes? Doth the law thunder curses, and plagues, and euerlasting torments against thy least inordinate motions, and didst thou not dreade to performe so shamelesse a practise? Knowest thou not that the eyes of God, and his Angels behold thee doing that thou wouldest be ashamed to do in the presence of vngodly men, or vncleane beastes? or doest thou not consider howe thou didst grieue the spirit of God, who hath vouchsafed of his infinite merciemercy to dwell in thy bodie to this ende, chieflie that hee might mortifie thy carnall lusts? Why didst thou then defile his temple, which he hath sanctified to be an house for himselfe to dwel in? take heed thou driue not out so worthy and noble a ghest, by such swinish and fleshly behauior, vvho if he once depart, then shalt thou be an hold for diuels, and legions of damned spirits, that they may stuffe thee full of all manner of iniquitie, and then at length become pitch and brimstone to maintaine the fire of Gods scorching wrath in thy sinewes, spirits and inwarde bowels, drinking out in full measure the dregs of the wine of his rage and fury▪ and canst thou be so blind and retchlesse, that for the vaine pleasure of sinne for a little vvhile, thou vvilt constraine God to torment thee euerlastingly, who it may bee euen at this instant, if thou vvilt still trie his patience and long sufferance, will suddenly take thy spirit from thee, or come in iudgemēt to recompence all sinners by his finall sentence in the burning of the vvhole vvorld, the stipend of horror, shame, confusion, and vtter reprobation? & weigh vvith thy selfe, that to approch to God, is the chiefest ioy of his chosen, to beholde his glorious countenance in the face of his son, vvhereas thy sinnes doe seperate thee from him, and make thee afraid to speake to him by praiers, vvhichwhich is thy chiefest and greatest solace in this mortall life: how much more vvill thy vngodlines make thee wish delay of the last iudgment, the speedy and present comming vvhereof is a chiefe prop of our fight, in the middest of so many troubles and temptations: and withall, remember how the diuell that roaring Lion laboureth by this impure acte, to make thee most filthy and lothsome in the sight of God, and reioiceth to see thy gratious Father, mercifull Sauiour, and comfortable sanctifier, so abused and withstoode, and angred by thee whome he hath wonderfully made, carefully preserued and deerely redeemed, and tenderly loued, that if it may be thou shouldest by vtter Apostasie, dishonour him in the face of the world, who hath aduanced thee in the presence of all his Angels: and though thou bee so sure in faith, that thou canst not vtterlie fall (the consideration whereof should make thee more dutifull, and not encourage thee in a sinfull course) yet maiest thou by little and little, and by often falling, bring thy selfe into a better liking, both of the wicked and of wickednes it selfe) whom thou oughtest to hate with a perfect hatred, and then God by iust iudgement cast thee into a sure sleepe, that thy filthines may be seene of men, and thou condemned to the griefe of the righteous, and scorned to the shame of the vngodly, & in the mean season, by prouoking Gods iudgement, be spoiled of thy goodly ornaments, of thy godly desires, of religious thoughts, of zealous affections, of christian communication, of holy indeuours, of assured perswasions of faith, of stedfast waitings through hope, of constant suffering by patience, and heartie reioycings from louelove. In the perfect consummation of which things, because all happines consisteth, beware thou carelesse wretch, least suddenly by thy abhominable filthinesse, thou either for a time wholely depriue thy selfe of comfortable feeling of these thinges, or much diminish thy present graces and blessings receiued of the holy spirit, to the glorie of God the Father. But vvhy do I vtter my voice, or striue to make a dead carkasse moue? O quicken thou me that art the fountain of life, and cal thou out of heauen thy dwelling place, that my wādring soule may heare the voice of her shepheard, and follow thee whither soeuer thou leadest: nay of thy tender compassion take me vp vponupon thy shoulders, and carrie me gentlie into thy fold againe: for theeues hauehave stolne me away, & hauehave bound my feet so that I cannot go, and they watch for mee vntill thou art gone, that they may carry mee awaie quicke from thy pastures: O doe thou therefore presently deliuer me, and giuegive mee thy helping hand: O cast thou downe by thy spirite my raging luste, and by thy grace subdue mine vntamed affection. I am weake O Lorde, and vnable to resist the force of my mightie aduersary: send thy helpe from aboue, and saue me out of the iawes of the cruel lion: thou hast deliuered me out of the mouth of hel; O let not the gates therof any more preuaile against me: let me not any longer be occupied in vngodlines, lest mine enemie triumph ouer me, saying in his malicious hart, There, there, so would I hauehave it. Let this sinne be farre from me O Lord, least I should defile my selfe any more with this notorious wickednesse: worke therefore in mine heart an vtter detestation of it, that I may euer hereafter keepe my selfe pure & vnspotted for thy kingdome. Thou that art able to make of stones children to Abraham, mollifie I pray thee my stonie heart, that all maner of sonnelike affections may be imprinted therein: plucke vp O good father these rootes of bitternesse, that no vnsauorie fruite may come of the tree, which thou by thine owne hand hast planted. I desire, I looke, I cal, I cry, for thy assistance, that I may conquer this vnruly motion. O blessed Sauiour that hast graunted so many petitions vponupon earth, to them that were carefull for the body, fulfill I pray thee, this my desire; not for health, nor strength, nor riches, nor honor, nor for food, nor apparell; but for thy heauenly grace and inspiration: yea let me lose all those, rather than to be left to my sinfull flesh that I should be ruled any longer thereby Mortifie good Father in me the old body of sinne, and giuegive vntounto mee a new body, purged from these dead workes to serue the liuing God: renew my spirite dayly, that I may cast away these works of darknesse: let it be enough O mercifull Father, that my weaknes in fayling heretofore, hath bene made knowne vntounto me, least I should bee too proud. Now let thy strength appeare in putting this mine enemie vnderunder my feete, that thereby I may be bold to put my confidence in thee. Why should my body made by thine hand, and my soule framed according to thy image, be giuen ouer as a pray into the hands of Sathan? Deliuer me O Lord from the snare of the hunter, and preserue mee from the hand of mine enemie, who lyeth in wait for my spiritual life and laboureth my euerlasting destruction: so shall I praise thee for thy great goodnes, and magnifie thy name for giuing me conquest ouer my aduersarie that is too strōg for me. To thee I flie for succour till the tempest bee ouerpast, hide me I pray thee vnderunder thy shield and buckler, that none of the fierie dartes of Satan take holde on mee. Good Lord, for the louelove thou bearest vntounto mankind, or thy sonnes sake, who hath taken our nature vponupon him, grant that I may not be tempted aboue my strength, and that in all temptation I may flie vntounto thee, as a horne of my saluation, yeelding thee most humble and hartie thankes, for that thou hast giuen me a desire to withstand my sinfull flesh; which thy worke I beseech thee for thy name sake, to perfect and fully accomplish.