Meditations Concerning Prayers for the Safety of England, Title page – To the reader
MEDITATIONS Concerning praiers to Almighty God, for the ſafety of ENGLAND, when the Spaniards were come into the narrow Seas, Auguſt 1588.
As alſo other meditations concerning thankſgiuing, for deliuering Englande from the cruelty of the Spaniards, and for their meruailous confuſion and ouerthrow.
By O. Pygge.
With a ſpirituall ſong of praiſes by P. Turner Doctor of phiſicke.
Pſalme, 145.18.
The Lord is neere to all that call vponupon him: yea, to all that cal vponupon him in truth.
Pſalme, 126.2.3.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with ioy: then ſaid they among the Heathen, the Lorde hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for vsus, whereof we reioyce.
Printed at London by R. R. for Thomas Man. 1589.
TO THE READER.
MAnie are the waies, by the which our moſt mercifull God, hath ſought to bring vsus of England vntounto true repentaunce. Who is able to recken vp all the benefites, ſpirituall and temporall, that we hauehave receiued at his handes? As, the light of the Goſpell ſhining in the middeſt of vsus, and the meruailous preſeruation of our gratious Prince, to our ſpeciall comfort, notwithstanding the manifold wretched practiſes of the wicked againſt her Highneſſe perſon, & the ſtate, which he from time to time hath diſcouered, and brought many of the principall authors to their deſerued confuſion. He hath alſo chaſtiſed vsus ſundrie times, and in diuerſe maners threatned vsus more plagues, than as yet he hath brought vppon vsus. Among other warninges, this ought ſpecially to bee remembred for euer,Jſa. 7.18. that this laſt Sūmer, hiſſing for the Spaniards, he brought thē ſo far from their owne Country, & ſo nere vntounto our coaſts, with reſolute minds to hauehave made hauocke of vsus. Jt was not without him, as blaſpheming Rabſache ſpake of his maſters forces comming againſt Hieruſalem, Jſa. 36, 10.no doubt more truely then hee was ware of. True it is, their purpoſe was not to doe that which the Lorde meant, but rather in the pride of their hearts to hauehave made manifeſt breaches of his commaundements, in ſeeking the ſuppreſſing of his truth here profeſſed, and the conqueſt of a lande, whereunto they can make no iuſt claime or title. Howbeit, wee ought to looke into the Lordes ſecrete purpoſe ouer-ruling all, and carrying men to that which they knowe not, yea, cleane contrarie to that which they purpoſe,Jſa. 10.6.7. euen in the ſelfe ſame action.
Therefore whatſoeuer they intended, the Lorde in them ſhooke his rod ouer vsus, to draw vsus to repentance, that ſo in deede hee might not ſtrike. He put vsus in great feare, that ſo hee might driue vsus to flie to him, where onelyonly comfort is, by earneſt praiers. At that time many praied and confeſſed ſinnes: and bleſſed bee his name, that for his owne honour, hearde the cries of his poore ſeruants, ſo bearing witnes, that it is no vain thing, in the time of diſtreſse, to humble our ſelues before him. How bleſſed the euent hitherto hath bin, is generally knowen amongnſt vsus, and the comfort thereof what true Engliſh heart is there, that doth not feele and reioyce therein? Jt remaineth that the daunger then imminent beeing eſcaped, wee of this Natian doe not onelyonly with our mouthes, continually giuegive God praiſes: but that alſo by the rodde thus ſhaken ouer vsus, and as it were readie to hauehave bene laid vponupon our ſhoulders, we learn to turne to him, forſaking our euill waies, leaſt not profiting thus, as the Lorde calleth for at our handes, in the ende he bring vponupon vsus deſerued destruction. Againſt this destruction as it is my part alwaies to praie, & by Gods aſſistance I hope to praie: ſo I ſhould hauehave great cauſe to be glad, if by any meanes the Lord would vouchſafe to vſe me as his inſtrument, to ſtirre vp, though neuer ſo few, to ſuch a ſerious conſideration of theſe thinges as ought to bee in all. For the which purpoſe I preſent vntounto thee (Christian Reader) this little treatiſe heere following, containing certaine meditations of praiers and thanksgiuings. Thoſe that be of praiers, I wrote at ſuch time as the Spaniardes were come into the narrow ſeas, and then there were ſome copies written to the vſe of ſome friendes. True it is, in the confeſſion of ſinnes, vponupon ſome occaſiō there is ſome thing altered from that which was then written: but in the reſt, J remember little otherwiſe than was then ſette downe, as the copies then giuen forth can beare witneſſe. Since our wonderful deliuerance, I wrote the other meditations concerning thankeſgiuing, Both ioyned together in ſome vritten bookes, I hauehave ſithence preſented to ſome of good calling, to whome J was bounden to wiſhe all good, as well for their profeſſion of the truth, as for ſpeciall kindeneſſes towarde mee. And to more J had ſome purpoſe, that waie to hauehave made them common. Howbeit beeing read ouer by ſome learned and godlie men of good iudgement, which thought they might bee profitable if they were put in print: I was content in that behalfe to yeelde vntounto their iudgement, and accordinglie doe heere offer them to thy viewe. J hope thou mayeſt make ſome vſe vntounto thy ſelfe of either of them, if thou reade them with a ſanctified minde. For, although the Meditations concerning Praiers maye ſeeme vntounto ſome to no greate purpoſe, becauſe that occaſion for that time is now remoued. Yet the ſinnes of England doe ſtil remaine, with which no doubt God is highly diſpleaſed. Theſe thou maiſt there ſee in ſome ſort confeſsed, as alſo how by thy ſelfe, from a feeling heart thou maiſt confeſſe both them and thine owne, and humbly craue pardon. Moreouer, the hatred and mallice of the Spaniard and his partakers, is not yet quenched, but rather we may be aſſured, much more increaſed, ſo as they will but wait opportunitie to ſet vponupon vsus againe. Beſides, other Churches, as thoſe of France and of the lowe Countries, whoſe caſe wee ought to tender, hauehave many deadly enemies, which thirſte after bloude. So as ſtill neceſſarily there is required an imploying of our and their forces, againſt ſuch commō aduerſaries. I hope that frō thoſe meditations, thou maiſt hauehave ſome help, to further thee with comforte in thy praiers for the one, and againſt the other. The meditations for thankeſgiuing, J truſt to eueryevery indifferent reader, will ſeeme to be of ſome vſe. My purpoſe is not, to require that either of them bee vſed, as an ordinarie forme of praier or thankeſgiuing, but that by reading of them, and exerciſing thy ſelfe ſometimes in them, thou ſhouldeſt helpe thy ſelfe, towards a ſerious accompliſhmēt of thoſe dueties, though thou do it more ſhortly and in other words. Jf for theſe endes, this my poore trauaile, may any way further thee, I praie thee giuegive the praiſe to God, to whome alone it is due, and remember to praie moſt earneſtly for me, and for all the reſt, whom it pleaſeth him to vſe in anie ſort for thy comfort. This one thing I deſire to hauehave remembred, that many of the thinges ſpecially mentioned in the praiers, hauehave bene gratiouſly performed of the Lord, & accordingly they be acknowledged in the thāksgiuing: to aſſure vsus (as was ſaid before) that praiers ſpecially ioined with true fasting, be not in vaine, but to ſingular purpoſe. And yet, J deſire not to be ſo mistaken, as if J arrogated any thing to my poore and weake praiers, made by me in my publike miniſterie, or priuate exerciſe. No, I doe vnfainedly from my heart acknowledge mine owne vnworthineſſe, to bee hearde crying for my ſelfe, much more for the Church and this ſtate. J am perſuaded, that the things which I then meditated, and which the Lord directed me to write, were alſo thought vponupon, and remembred with more feruencie of ſpirite and ſingleneſſe of heart, by other the faithfull ſeruants of God, Preachers and profeſſours, of our owne Nation, and of other Countries. They ſtoode vp in the gap, they cried to the Lorde,Exo. 17.11. they helde vp their handes, and England hath preuailed. They in deede were chariots, horſemen, and forces by ſea and land, as to that purpoſe Eliſha ſpake of Elias, & Ioaſh of him.2. Reg. 2.12. & 13.14. Their praiers made in the bitter mourning of their ſoules, for their owne and our ſinnes, did the Lorde heare, bleſſing the worthy ſeruice of our valiant Countrimen imploide in thoſe affaires, and without meanes, doing wonderfully for vsus: not for any worthineſſe in themſelues, or in their praiers, but for the worthineſſe of Chriſt Ieſus, and for the honor of his owne name.
Jt doth remaine that thou thy ſelfe bee carefull, wiſelie to applie the fearefull warning of the Lord, in the enemies comming againſt vsus, and his vnſpeakable merciemercy in our wonderfull deliueraunce, to ſtirre thee vp to vnfained conſcience of pleaſing him, in thy ſelfe, and ſuch as be of thy ſpeciall charge. As alſo to praie, that whatſoeuer is amiſſe in the land, and ſo diſpleaſeth our moſt mercifull God, may bee amended. Whatſoeuer thou art, I exhort thee earneſtlie to call vponupon the Lorde, that the controuerſies riſen vp amongſt our ſelues, may christianlie and brotherlie bee compounded. That ſo the peace of our worthie Church beeing procured: we may all, whether we be Preachers or profeſſours, proceede one waie according to the truth, to bestowe whatſoeuer gift wee hauehave, to the rooting out of all ſinne, and to the establiſhment of the kingdome of Chriſt Ieſus, in the hearts of all thoſe, that bee vnderunder any of our charges. Specially, becauſe the harueſt is great,Math. 9. and the labourers in compariſon bee but few, praie the Lorde of the harueſt, that ſuch men whome he hath ſanctified in life & learning, ſo as it were, ſeparating them,Gal. 1.15. from their mothers wombes, to the worke of the miniſterie, may bee thruſt out into his harueſt, and continue in the ſame with much comfort to doe their dutie. As alſo that ſuch as bee altogether vnfit for ſo great a burthen, may hauehave nothing to doe in the moſt holie miniſterie of the Lord. Thoſe whome theſe cauſes doe anie waie concerne, moſt humblie and with all reuerence, vppon the knees of heart, euen in the bowels of Chriſt Jeſus I doe intreate, to ſhewe their zeale to his honour, which ſhed his moſt precious bloud for their ſins, and their compaſſion vponupon their dere brethren & Countrie men his members, in many places of the Realme yet wallowing in ignorance, & other ſins, in doing what they can, that all the people of the land may be inſtructed in the euerlaſting truth of God, that ſo they may walke in the obedience of his bleſsed maieſtie, and in all dutie to our gratious Prince, and all ſuch as vnderunder her gouerne the ſtate. If theſe cauſes of ſo great importance be not loked vntounto as they ought, but that iniquitie be ſtill ſuffered to grow and to abounde, notwithſtanding all that which the Lord hath ſaid to vsus from his worde, and wonderfullie done for vsus; I will wiſh to weepe in ſecrete, and that mine eies may drop downe teares, for what els may we looke for, but the captiuitie of the Lordes flocke. And thus doe I commend thee (Christian Reader,) to the Lorde, and my ſelfe to bee remembred of thee, in thy moſt earneſt praiers. March. 7. 1588. the meruailous yeere, in respect of the Lorde his wonderfull deliuerance of vsus, and the confuſion brought vponupon our enemies, and the enemies of his Church, he make vsus alwaies thankfull, Amen.
Oliuer Pygge.