Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 4
¶ A Prayer for the proſperous eſtate of the whole Church.
O Lord our God and heauenly Father, foraſmuch as by thy holy word, we are commanded in our Prayers, not onelyonly to be mindefull of our ſelues, but alſo of all other thy children: yea, euen of our enemies, wee commend vntounto thy diuine Maieſtie, all thy whole true and Catholicke Church, and eueryevery member thereof, that as it hath pleaſed thy goodneſſe by the bright beames of thy holy word to ſhine ouer the whole world, whereby thou haſt expelled, driuen away, & cauſed to vaniſh the darke and miſty cloudes of ignorance and ſuperſtition: ſo thou wouldeſt vouchſafe by thy holy Spirit, to touch the hearts of men, that they may ioyfully imbrace that thine ſo high a Treaſure ſent amongſt vsus, that through our vnthankefulneſſe, wee prouoke not thy Maieſty in anger to take it from vsus.
Cruſh, bruiſe, and deſtroy with the breth of thy mouth the mightie power of that man of ſin, which ſo proudly exalteth himſelfe aboue al that is called God. Let not thy ſimple flocke (deere Father) in whoſe conſciences he ſo long time hath, & yet doth ſit as God, bee any longer poiſoned with his ſweet inticing poiſons: but ſo lighten their harts, that they may perceiue his iuglings, & embrace the ſweet and comfortable doctrine of life euerlaſting reuealed in thy glorious Goſpell.
And foraſmuch as it hath pleaſed thee in mercy aboue all Nations of the earth, to pow…e down the ſweet ſhowers of thy heauenly graces vponupon this our Engliſh Nation aboundantly; in more plentifull wiſe, watering the ſame with the giftes of thy holy Spirite, in promoting thy Goſpell, and ouerthrowing Idolatrie, we beſeech thee continue thy fauour towards the ſame, and vttery roote out all Remnants, Reliques, and Mon…ments of Idolatrie, that thy glorious name may be throughly exalted in ſincere, pure, and holy worſhip.
And as thou haſt in merciemercy from amongſt vsus in this thy Church, vtterly baniſhed all falſe, venomous, and poiſonfull doctrine, wherewith the ſoules of thy Children heretofore hauehave beene wounded …o death, and in place thereof, haſt placed the true and comfortable doctrine of life euerlaſting; wherewith the ſoules of thy children may be fedde and noriſhed to euerlaſting ioy: ſo in like merciemercy and fauour we beſeech thee, deare Father, eſtabliſh in the ſame thy Church, a true, perfect, and ſincere regiment therof, according to the preſcript rule of thy bleſſed Word, all fantaſies of mans brains, and dreames of humane policie vtterly aboliſhed, that thy glorious Maieſty onelyonly may be exalted in the light of thy glorious Goſpel: and that thy Church may flouriſh & increaſe, being through thy protection aided, ſupported, maintained, and defended: we beſeech thee …thy holy Spirit, guide and rule eueryevery part and member thereof, eſpecially thy ſeruant Iames, our King, whome thy gracious fauor and mercifull prouidence hath appointed a cheefe member of the ſame: vnderunder whoſe winges (next vntounto thy protection) it hath a cheefe ſuccour and ſupport. Grant vntounto him, O Lord, a pure and perfect zeale, aboue all things to promote thy glorie: firſt & cheeflie in labouring and endeuoring of himſelfe earneſtlie in wiping away and purging out of the Church all blots and deformities, to reduce the ſame to a pure & ſincere forme of worſhippe, agreeing to thy bleſſed word, vtterly to remooue all ſtumbling blockes, which ſtay and hinder the courſe of thy Goſpell. GiueGive in like manner, O Lord GOD, the ſpitit of wiſedome, diſcretion, & gouerment, that with equitie and iuſtice he may ſee this whole Realme, which thou haſt committed to his charge, peaceably & quietly gouerned: that hee may ſtudiouſlie labour, that as well through the whole Realme vertue be exalted, & vice abandoned, as eſpecially in his owne houſe and Court, that all wicked vanities of this world, all licentious and inordinate life, all flattering and diſsimulation being vtterly baniſh…d, the f…are of thy glorious Maieſty may ſo reigne in the harts of all within his Highneſſe Pallace and Court, that their liues and conuerſation may bee agreeable to thy bleſſed will, in ſinceritie and true holineſſe, and integritie of life, that from them, as from the head, may ſhine purity of life and conuerſation as an example and patterne of true godlineſſe to the whole Realme.
Preſerue him wee beſeech thee, good Lord, from all conſpiracies and Treaſons, that if it bee thy good will he may hauehave a long & quiet raigne ouer vsus, to the benefite of thy Church, and aduancement of thy glory. Indue the whole Counſell good Lord, with true and perfect wiſedom, that in all their conſultations & Counſels, hauing thee preſent before their eies, they may conſult of thoſe things which principally & cheefly may bee for the aduancement of thy glory, and the commodity of thy Church, and next for the quiet peace and gracious gouernment of this his Realme. So lighten all inferior Magiſtrates of this Realme, good Lord, with brightneſſe of thy holy Spirit, that vnderſtanding thy will, they may zealouſly defend, maintaine, and further the courſe of the Goſpell, with the ſword of iuſtice cut off the wicked and cheriſh the godly.
Defend and gouerne by thy holy Spirit, the Paſtours of thy Church, and labour…rs in thy vineyard, that …hey may zealouſly, earneſtly, and diligently feed thy flocke committed vntounto them, with the food of life, thy bl ſſed word, wherewith their ſoules may bee nouriſhed to life euerlaſting. Increaſe the number of them deare Father, place ouer eueryevery flocke, a godly, learned, and painfull Paſtor, who may painfully & carefully trauell eueryevery one in his charge, to bring thy people (which now alaſſe in many parts doe wander and goe aſtray like loſt ſheepe) to the true knowledge of their Lord and God, and of thy deare Son Ieſus Chriſt their Sauiour. And for thy mercy, wee beſeech thee to take pitty vppon thy poore and ſimple flocke, roote out all rauening woolues, which hauehave craftily crept into thy ſheepfold, and doe make hauocke of the ſoules of thy ſimple Flocke. C…ſt out all hirelings, time-ſeruers & dumbe Dogges, which to fill their bellies onelyonly, hauehave thruſt themſelues among thy ſheepe, and doe pittifully ſuffer the Flocke of Chriſt thy Sonne, to be deuoured and ſcattered of the Woolfe. Stirre vp good Lord, and place in their roomes faithfull Sheepeheards, which diligently, painefully, carefully, and earneſtly may labour in thy Vine-yard, ſeeke to winne the ſoules of thy people, out of the tyranny and power of Sathan, to the freedome of thy deare Sonne Chriſt Ieſus our Lord.
And that thy Church may better be furniſhed with godly learned Paſtors, wee beſeech thee good Lord, to proſper and increaſe in all Godly knowledge all ſchooles of lea…ning: eſpecially the two Vniuerſities Cambridge and Oxford. Grant deare Father vntounto all the ſtudents of the ſame, that the chiefe end of all their ſtudies, may bee to the furtherance of thy Church, and maintenance of the common-wealth. Bleſſe their ſtudies (deare Father) that al vaine ſtudies ſet aſide, they may ſo fructifie in all profitable and godly Sciences, that hereafter they may become profitable members of thy Church & godly Vpholders of the Common-wealth.
Grant (good Lord) to all the whole Commons of this Realme, that their hearts being touched with a ſincere feare and reuerence of thy Heauenly Maieſty, acknowledging thy mercy in placing ouer them a godly & Religious Prince, they may eueryevery one in their callings walke in all true and humble obedience vntounto him, in thee, and for thee without reſiſtance, tumults, Inſurrections, conſpiracies, or rebellions know… gr…at to reſiſt the higher Powers, is to rebel againſt thy Maieſty. Finally wee beſeech thy goodneſſe, ſo to giude & gouerne the hearts of all the whole Realme of eueryevery degree, that eueryevery one in his calling, being by thy holy wiſedome ſupported, may ſo occupy his Talent, that thy glory in all things may be aduanced, thy church inlarged, & this whole Realme into ſincere godlines vertuouſly reduced.
Moreouer, wee beſeech thee (O Lord our God) in Mercy to behold all thoſe which ſuffer perſecution for thy glorious words ſake, whether it bee impriſonment, death, or baniſhment, or whatſoeuer elſe, ſtrengthen them good Lord, that they hauing thee alwaies before their eyes, and the glory laide vp for them in the life to come, may continue conſtant in defending thy truth without feare of man, or vaine allurements of the world, that whether it come by life or death, they may glorifie thy holy Name in continuing in the truth to the end.
Preſerue in like manner wee beſeech thee, all others thy Children, whome it hath pleaſed thee with any kind of Croſſe to chaſten for their amendment, whether by peſtilence, famine, warre, pouerty, Impriſonment, ſickneſſe, or baniſhment, trouble of conſcience, vexation of ſpirit, vnquietneſſe of minde, want of ſpirituall comfort, or whatſoeuer kinde of affliction of body or minde thou doſt try them with: that by thy holy ſpirit being fully aſſured that thou by this thy correction mindeſt to call them backe to a feeling of their ſinne, & due conſideration of their life & conuerſation, they may patiently abide thy Fatherly tryall, looking for aide, helpe, and comfort from thee, when it ſeemeth moſt conuenient to thy holy wiſedome: and being by thy mercifull hand once deliuered, may acknowledge thy ſingular power and worke, giuing all laud and praiſe to thy glorious name: and afterwards all the daies of their life, ſtudy and liue before it hee in ſincerity and perfect holineſſe, euen to their liues end. This O Lord, we beſeech thee in Mercy to grant, for thy beloued Sonnes ſake, Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, and onelyonly Sauiour, Amen.