Meditations Concerning Prayers for the Safety of England, Meditations 1
Meditations concerning Praiers to almightie God, for the ſafetie of England, when the Spaniards were come into the narrow Seas, Auguſt. 1588.
O Lord God almightie, terrible, and fearefull God, thou Lorde of Hoſtes, iudge of the worlde, which hateſt ſinne, and viſiteſt the tranſgreſſions of the Fathers vponupon the children, to the thirde and fourth generation of them that hate thée; Wée moſt miſerable ſinners doe in moſt humble manner throwe our ſelues downe before thy maieſtie: acknowledging that wee are not worthy of the leaſt of thy mercies, no, not ſo much as to goe vponupon the ground, or to looke vp vntounto heauen: much more vnworthy are wée to hauehave this fauour, to call vponupon thy name, with anie hope to be heard, and to find fauour in thine eies, for the obtaining of our requeſts, for our ſelues, and the reſt of thy people, for whom wee are bounde to pray.Pſa. 50.15 Yet, becauſe it is thy commaundement, that we ſhould call vponupon thée in our troubles,Pſa. 145.18 and further thou haſt promiſed to bee néere thoſe that call vppon thée in truth: In ſome meaſure of conſcience to obey thy commaundement, and truſting vntounto thy great merciemercy, we do humble our ſelues before thée. Praying thée, that wée may not be of the number of them, whoſe praiers bee abhominable in thy ſight (according as it is with them that regarde wickednes in their harts, and turne their eares from thy law:Pſa. 66.18.) but that we may ſo pray vntounto thée in ſorrow for our ſins paſt,Pro. 28.9. in vnfained deſire to pleaſe thée for the time to come, in a true perſuaſion of thy fauour to vsus in Chriſt, and in ſuch a louelove of thy Church, that our ſeruice may be allowed of thée, and our ſelues & all they for whom we are to make ſute, may receiue much comfort, of our performing this dutie, euen to the honour of thy name.
And becauſe it is our ſinnes onelyonly,Jſa. 59.2. that make ſeparation betwéene thée and vsus, kéeping away the good bleſſinges, which thou elſe wouldeſt giuegive, and pulling vponupon vsus the plagues, which thou art not eaſily drawne to powre vponupon thy children; We doe firſt of all in moſt humble maner confeſſe, that as we were conceiued in ſinne and brought forth in iniquity: ſo we hauehave beſides, yéelded moſt curſed fruits of that our corrupt nature in rebellion againſt thée, and breaking thy commandements, in our thoughts, words, and déedes, in doing euil, and leauing good things vndone, and doing good things very weakely and imperfectlie. And that not onelyonly in the daies of our youth, and in the time of our ignoraunce, but alſo ſince wee came to more yeeres, and hauehave béene inſtructed in the knowledge of thy bleſſed will. O wée hauehave ſinned, wée hauehave ſinned hainouſly, in neglecting thy ſeruice, and our duety to our brethren in our callinges. Wée hauehave ſinned openlie and ſecretelie, alone and in companie, yea, oftentimes wilfullie and againſt our conſciences, when wée knew thy commandement was, that wée ſhould hauehave done otherwiſe.
Yea, wee doe not onelyonly thus confeſſe our owne ſinnes, but alſo after the example of thy worthy ſeruants,Dan, 9.1…. Nehe. 1.6 & 9.34. Daniel & Nehemiah, we confeſſe the ſins of our whole land, acknowledging, that we, our forefathers, our princes, our gouernours, our whole Eccleſiaſticall ſtate, & all the people of the Realme, hauehave fearefully ſinned againſt thee. If wee were guilty of no other ſins before thy maieſtie, the idolatry & bloudſhed in the former times, yet not reuenged, nor repented of as they ought, were ſufficient to bring vtter deſolation vponupon a lande, wherein ſuch abhominations were committed, as thy ſeruant Ieremie in his time,Jere. 15.4. threatened the Iewes for the ſinnes of Manaſſe. But (O Lorde) what hauehave béen the iniquities committed ſince our deliuerance from that yoke, and thy beſtowing vppon vsus the light of thy Goſpel? O, hauehave we not all from the higheſt to the loweſt damnably ſinned againſt thée? yes verily. If we would denie it, our iniquities would teſtifie againſt vsus. For, which of thy commandementes hauehave wée not broken? If we looke to thoſe foure of the firſt table, which teach vsus our duetie towards thée, or thoſe ſix of the ſecond table, which teach vsus howe to walke in our callinges towardes men: O wee ſhall be found meruailouſly faulty before thy maieſtie. And that, not only ſome of the people, but euen eueryevery ſort, ſtate, and condition: not in ſome part of the lande alone, but eueryevery where, in eueryevery quarter and corner, yea, in eueryevery houſe and familie. For (O Lorde) wée hauehave loued the vaine things of the worlde, more than thée and thy word: we hauehave béene more loth to diſpleaſe men than thy maieſtie: wee hauehave made fleſh our arme, putting our truſt in man, and withdrawen our heartes from thée.Jere. 17.5. Howe ſeldome and colde hauehave our praiers bin? And how ſparing our thanks to thée for the innumerable benefites beſtowed vponupon vsus and our nation? What idolatry hath bin committed heere by Papiſts in corners, and by ſtrangers of other countries? There hath wanted care to amend thinges throughly, according to the rule of thy word. Thy name hath infinitly bin blaſphemed: for where almoſt can we come, in the houſe or in the ſtréete, but wee ſhall heare this moſt ſhamefully, by the greater, and by the meaner, by the elder and by the yonger ſort, which take thy glorious name in vaine, ſpeaking of thée raſhly and vnreuerently, yea, ſwearing without cauſe, forſwearing, curſing, and ſuch like. O thy Sabothes, there is ſcarce one among manie, which maketh conſcience according to thy law, to dedicate thē wholie vntounto thy ſeruice publikelie & priuatelie, but as if they were anie other daies, ſo they bee beſtowed: yea, manie thinke it lawfull to follow a riotous and prophane courſe then, which vppon other daies they woulde thinke vnfit for them. And how fearefull examples hereof, hauehave we had from the great places and perſonages of the lande? The ſuperiours in the common wealth, in the Church, and in the houſe, hauehave not done their duetie to their inferiours. The inferiours likewiſe hauehave béene meruailous vndutifull to their Prince, and the reſt which thou in thy wiſedome diddeſt ſet ouer them. The lande hath abounded with murthers, ſlaughters, quarrels, fightinges and contentions, with inceſts, adulteries, whordomes, dronkennes, exceſſiue pride in apparrell: filthie ſtage plaies hauehave béene ſuffered euen in our chiefeſt citie, and vppon the Saboths. Thefts be common, oppreſſions, deceits, vſuries, lying, falſe witnes bearing, and ſuch like. O we are not able to recken vp the innumerable ſins, of the which we and the whole land may iuſtlie be indited and araigned before thy maieſtie. They which hauehave béene in place to puniſh ſin, and to maintaine well dooing, hauehave dealt too too fauorably with ſinners, on the other ſide not cheriſhing the godly as was their dutie. The miniſters which ſhould boldly hauehave reproued theſe corruptions in all ſorts and ſtates, hauehave for the moſt part béene vnable to doe this, & many of them corrupt in their conuerſation, they hauehave winked at diſorders, daubing with vntempered morter,Ezec. 21.28 that will not hold, as if nothing had béen amiſſe, and no danger toward, when as iniquitie mightily preuailed amongſt vsus, and thou in thy high diſpleaſure didſt threaten war. Iuſt is the complaint of thy ſeruant Ieremy in his time againſt ſuch Miniſters.Lame. 2.14. They hauehave looked out vaine and fooliſh thinges for vsus, they hauehave not diſcouered our iniquities, to turne away our captiuity, but hauehave lookt out for vsus falſe propheſies and cauſes of baniſhment. True it is, we hauehave had ſome deſirous to doe their dutie, who alſo accordingly hauehave laboured, but euen diuerſe of them hauehave béene euill intreated, by wicked and vngodly men, which could not abide to heare their faultes reproued. Whereas in the mean time, they hauehave liked well of ſuch, which ſéeking themſelues onelyonly and their owne eaſe, hauehave béene vnable to inſtruct them in thy waies, by occaſion whereof, many of the people of the lande hauehave béene kept in ignorance of thy maieſtie, and ſuffred to goe on in their other ſins.
And although thou (O Lord our God) in tender care of vsus, haſt warned vsus of theſe great ſinnes, by our Preachers in their Sermons, and ſome of their bookes, which hauehave béene grauelie and dutifullie written: yea, although thou haſt ſought to moue our hard harts by thy benefites, ſo as we hauehave inioyd thy goſpel, outward peace and plentie, when as the Nations about vsus hauehave bene meruailouſly diſtreſſed, euen as vntil this time their wounds bée bléeding newe, and remaine vncured. And further, we hauehave had many wonderfull deliueraunces of our Prince, to our great comfort: and moreouer thou haſt threatned vsus by inſurrection in our owne lande, by vnſeaſonable times of too much drought, or too much raine, by deſtroying ſome fruites of the earth, by ſcarſitie, by the peſtilence, by ſignes in heauen, and by a fearefull earthquake, not many yeeres paſt: yet hauehave not we of this nation profited by anie of theſe, to bewaile our ſins, & to turne vntounto thée, as it did become vsus. But hauehave deſpiſed thy Prophets, which ſpake to vsus in thy name, and hauehave ſtill gone away from thee, multiplying our tranſgreſſions againſt thy maieſtie. So as now moſt iuſtly there belongeth to vsus, to our Princes, gouernors, teachers, and to all the people of the land,Dan. 9.7:8. nothing but ſhame and confuſion of face, yea, vtter deſtruction of our Nation and ſtate: wherof, when wée looke into our great ſinnes, wée may feare, that thou haſt prepared the Spaniard, and ſuch as take his parte, to be thy executioners. Wherein alſo wée doe confeſſe, that thou ſhalt be moſt iuſt, if thou giuegive vsus and our kingdome ouer into their hands.
Notwithſtanding, becauſe thou art a God ful of merciemercy and infinite in compaſſion,Ezec. 18.23. and haſt alwaies ſhewed thy ſelfe ſo to bée, not delighting in the deſtruction of ſinners, but rather deſiring their repentance, that they might liue and inioy thy fauour.Jere. 18.7.8 Who haſt ſaid by thy ſeruant Ieremie, that when thou ſpeakeſt againſt a nation, threatning to root it vp, and to deſtroie it, yet thou wilt ſpare it, if they turne from their wickedneſſe, according as wée ſée it in the example of the Niniuites. Jonah.Truſting vntounto theſe, and ſuch other promiſes in thy worde, that we doe iudge our ſelues and our nation woorthie of all miſery, do notwithſtanding pray thée, for our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to hauehave merciemercy vponupon vsus, to forgiue vsus & our land, all the ſins, whereof we be guiltie before thée. O purſue vsus not with thy iudgements, as wee hauehave giuen thée cauſe, for then we muſt néedes periſh eternally. Among other plagues, from the which we praie thée to bée deliuered, preſerue vsus we beſéech thée from the handes of the Spaniards & other idolaters, which hauehave conſpired againſt our nation, to root out thy religion from hence, to place Papiſtry again, and to diſpoſſeſſe vsus of that parte of the earth, which it ſéemed good vntounto thée to allowe vsus to dwell in, & where alſo through thy goodnes, we and our forefathers hauehave inhabited now many yeres. We confeſſe, that for our vnwoorthie walking of thy Goſpell, and ill behauing of our ſelues in this pleaſant lande, it may iuſtly ſpue vsus out, and thou maieſt ſuffer the enemies to preuaile. But remember (O Lord) that theſe men be not behind vsus in ſinnes (for they be a moſt wicked generatiō) neither is it our ſinnes that they do ſo much looke vntounto in comming againſt vsus, as thy religion among vsus profeſſed, and our renouncing the man of ſinne, the Biſhop of Rome thine enemie, & the enemie of thy Chriſt. So as now whatſoeuer we be that do defend it, or howſoeuer we do defend it, the cauſe is thine owne, therfore looke vntounto it we deſire thée for the glorie of thy name, and for Ieſus Chriſts ſake. O why ſhould ſuch wicked men as theſe blaſpheme thy name,Pſal. 79.10. ſaying, where is their God, and the religion they hauehave ſo long profeſſed? As though the religion were not good, which we hauehave receiued from thy word, or as if thou wouldeſt not defende thoſe that profeſſe the ſame. O remember thy auncient mercies ſhewed to this Nation manie yéeres, breake not off till thou haſt finiſhed them, by giuing yet further helps to thy Church and religion here, for the better ſubduing of all the people vnderunder thy gouernment. Deliuer vsus (O Lorde) wee pray thée at this time. Trie vsus yet once more, that our magiſtrats and miniſters may in their callinges reforme whatſoeuer is amiſſe, and indeuour to bring the whole lande into better order, that thou maieſt delight to fauor vsus for euer. That theſe thy bleſſings may bee obtained, O driue away from our hearts the meruailous ſecuritie wherin we hauehave ſlept theſe many yéeres, imagining that our waies did pleaſe thée, and that no plague ſhould come néere vntounto vsus, when we liued verie ſinfully in all ſorts and ſtates, and ſo prouoked thée to diſpleaſure. Grant that by theſe thy fearefull warnings, we may at length be moued to confeſſe our ſinnes, to lament them, to humble our ſelues before thée in faſting and praier, to turne from our wicked waies, to enter into a newe courſe, and to make a ſure couenant, for euer hereafter in our callinges to doe our dueties better, that thou maieſt ſpare vsus, and ſtaie thy hande from our deſtruction. And howſoeuer we hauehave meanes for our defence by ſea and lande,Pſa. 20.7. yet kéepe vsus wée pray thée, from truſting in them: though others put their truſt in their horſes,Pſal. 6.4. 1. Sam. 17 45. in their ſhips and multitude of men. O ſhew the light of thy countenance vponupon vsus, and graunt that in thy name onelyonly, truſting to thy merciemercy, & in thy ſtrength, we may come forth againſt theſe our aduerſaries. And as for them that thus boile in malice againſt thy religion, and vsus thy moſt vnworthie ſeruants: O turne their hearts if they belong to thée, open their eies to ſée thy trueth, that they may with vsus depart from that Antichriſt of Roome, louelove thy Goſpell, our nation, and all the profeſſors of thy truth. Or elſe (Lord) as thou haſt begun (for the which we do in moſt humble manner giuegive thanks vntounto thée) ſo we pray thée to goe forward, to curſe them in all their actions by ſea and by lande. Let their table be a ſnare before them,Pſal 69.22 23 & their proſperitie their ruine. Let their eies be blinded that they may not ſée, and make their loines alway to tremble. Strike thē with ſuch feare, that the ſound of a leafe ſhaken may make them to quake, & that as wicked men they may flie,Leuit. 26.36 when no man purſueth them.Pro. 28.1. Scatter their counſels, ouerthrowe their forces, turne their owne ſwords one againſt another, and ſo prouide by thy mightie power, that the things which they hauehave prepared for our deſtruction, may be vſed in thy iuſtice, for the execution of thy long deſerued wrath vponupon themſelues. And ſo bring them to naught, that they may not anie longer trouble vsus and other of thy Churches, as a long time they hauehave done, & euen nowe doe.Pſal. 79.10. O let the bloud of thy Saints, which they hauehave cruelly ſhed, come before thée, to pull vengeance vppon them. Heare the cries of the womē whom they hauehave made widowes, and of the children whom they hauehave made fatherleſſe. Hearken to the pittifull complaintes of ſuch as they kéepe in priſon for thy truth, and deliuer ſuch as they hauehave appointed to death. Let them bee vppon the ſeas,Exo. 14. as was Pharao and his companie purſuing thy Iſraell: let them bee vponupon the lande,Jud. cap. 4.7.8. as Siſera and Iabin, as the Madianites, Oreb, Zeb, Zebah, and Zalmana, the enemies of thy people, whom thou deſtroyedſt in the time of the Iudges. O make them like a whéele,Pſal. 83.13 and as the ſtubble before the wind, as the fire burneth the forreſts, ſo perſecute them with thy tempeſts, and make them afraid with thy ſtormes. Fill their faces with ſhame, that they may ſéeke thée (O Lord.) Let them be confounded and troubled for euer. Fight againſt them from heauen,Jud. 5.20. and render into their boſome ſeuenfolde, al the reproches and iniuries, which they hauehave done to thy Church, that they may knowe that thou art God, and that it is thy truth, which we hauehave learned from thy worde, though we hauehave walked moſt vnworthy of the ſame.
Concerning our ſelues, we doe firſt of all praie thée for our ſoueraigne Prince, that notwithſtanding all the trecheries of the aduerſaries, ſhée may ſtil be preſerued, to finiſh hir courſe in thy feare and in peace, euen to the ſaluation of hir ſoule. We beſéech thee ſo direct her, and ſuch as vnderunder her highnes gouerne the ſtate, that in theſe euill and moſt dangerous times, they may ſée what is for thine honour and our common ſaftie, accordingly to aduiſe, command, and take order. GiueGive conſcience to our Miniſters now to ſtand in the gap,Ezek. 22.30 Ioel. 2.17. earneſtly to cry vntounto thée to ſpare this thy people, and ſtir them vp, with all feruencie to call vsus vntounto repentance. GiueGive all the ſubiects in the land grace, to carry themſelues dutifully and loyallie to her Maieſtie, & the ſtate, to be readie to do ſeruice in their perſons, and by whatſoeuer els they hauehave, that ſo they may be helping againſt the common aduerſaries. And as for our countrimen, or any other that are now imploied, or hereafter to be imploied in theſe ſeruices by ſea or by land for our defence: O Lord ſo paſſe by their ſinnes, that they may not hinder thy worke, in theſe cauſes of ſo much importance. O ſo guide them with thy ſpirite, that repenting of their ſinnes, and being throughlie perſwaded of thy fauour for a better life, they may chéerfullie fight thy battailes, without fearing the faces of the enemies, Be thou vntounto them a piller of a cloude by day and a piller of fire by night,Exo. 13.21 22. as thou wert to the Iſraelites in their comming from Egypt. Graunt that each of them may knowe their ſeuerall places, in the ſame to carry themſelues faithfully without enuy, or murmuring. O Lord be with them, and ſo goe foorth with our armies, that one of our fighting men may chaſe a thouſand of theirs,Deut. 31.3… and two may put ten thouſand to flight. GiueGive them ſuch good ſucceſſe by ſea and by land, that we may hauehave new occaſions to praiſe thy name, and to feare thée more than we hauehave done. Yea, that many other nations hearing of it, may thereupon be mooued to ſéeke after thy trueth. We knowe, it is all one with thée, to ſaue with many, or with no power.2. Cro. 14.1. There were but thrée hundred of Iſrael with Gideon, againſt the huge army of the Madianites. Aſa the King of Iudah, Judg. 7.6.did ouercome the hoſt of the Aethiopians, being ten hundred thouſand,2. Cro. 1.4 when as himſelfe had not ſixe hundred thouſand. Yea, thou without any man, diddeſt in one night deſtroie the mightie armie of the Aſſirians in the daies of Ezekiah. Iſa. 37.36.We duplicate page duplicate page knowe that thine arme is not ſhortened, but that thou art nowe alſo able to helpe vsus in like manner, if we had no meanes at all for our defence. And although the forces of our aduerſaries bee come ſomething néere vntounto vsus, yet as thou diddeſt drowne Pharao and the Egyptians, when they were not farre off from thy people Iſraell, Exod. 14.and ouerthrowedſt the Aethiopians and Aſſirians, 2. Cro. 14.9. & 32.1.beeing with their armies entered into the land of Canaan: ſo do we aſſure our ſelues, that thou art ſtill able to preſerue vsus, and to deliuer theſe our aduerſaries into our hands, although their powers were more than they are, and néerer vntounto vsus than yet they be.Pſal. 79.8. Help vsus therefore we pray thée (O God of our ſaluation:) remember not againſt vsus, nor againſt our nation the former iniquities, but make haſt, and let thy tender mercies preuent vsus. Suffer not thine enemies to raile vponupon thy truth and thy children anie longer. Let it appeare that thou onelie art God, and that the Idols whome they hauehave ſerued, bee vnable to helpe them. GiueGive not ouer thy faithfull ſeruauntes of this nation, and of other Countries fledde hither for thy truthes ſake, into the handes of theſe miſerable men,Pſa. 79.2.3 to ſpill their bloud in the ſtréets like water, to giuegive their bodies to the beaſtes of the field, and their fleſh to the foules of heauen. Thou that promiſeſt to ſpare Sodome, Gen. 18.if there might hauehave béene tenne righteous found there, ſpare this Nation we pray thée, where there be manie times ten, that vnfainedlie deſire to ſerue thée. Thou that pitiedſt Niniuie hauing in it ſixe ſcore thouſand young children,Jonah. 4. pittie wee beſéeche thée this populous Nation, and giuegive it not ouer to bee laide waſt and deſolate. O let not the Churches, where thy faithfull ſeruauntes hauehave aſſembled to worſhippe thée, by praier, faſting, preaching, and the vſe of thy Sacramentes, bee turned into cages of vncleane beaſtes, and ſynagogues of Sathan, to hauehave the maſſe and other damnable Idolatries in them againe. For the glorie of thy name, turne theſe great euils farre from vsus, although we be moſt worthie to taſt of them all. If thou wilt not be intreated to ſpare this ſinful natiō, which hath ſo much abuſed thy patience, and ſo often and manie waies prouoked thée to wrath: O correct vsus yet thy ſelfe, by ſome other of thy rods, that we may be brought vntounto repentance, but leaue vsus not as a praie to theſe merciles & bloody men. Whatſoeuer ſhal fall out, grant (we beſéech thée) that we may take al thy chaſtiſments paciently, acknowledge thy iuſtice therein, and neuer depart from thy trueth, but that wee may holde on in the profeſſion of the ſame euen to ye ende notwithſtanding all the tormentes wée may be brought vntounto. Comforting our ſelues alwaies, with the féeling of thy louelove in Chriſt, & with looking for his bleſſed comming to iudgement,Phil. 3.21. when he ſhall change our vile bodies, and make them like his owne glorious body, by his mightie power, whereby he is able to doe all things. O Lord heare vsus thus calling vponupon thée, and for euerie other grace, for thy Church in the world, for this land, for all ſortes and ſtates in the ſame, and for all other for whome we ought to praie. Receiue alſo (we beſeech thée) our moſt humble thanks for all thy former benefites vppon our ſelues, and vponupon this nation, for thy Goſpell, the ſafetie and preſeruation of our Quéene hetherto, the diſcouerie and ouerthrow of treaſons, and the doers of them, thy patience to our realm, our peace thus long, and plentie of outward bleſſings, as alſo for the good ſucceſſe againſt our enemies giuen vntounto vsus, by ſea or by land, of late or before times. O wée doe moſt humblie praiſe thy holie name, praieng thée to goe forward to doe vsus good ſtil, and ſo we cal vponupon thée as we are taught.
Our Father which art in, &c.