00A.04 Another Prayer

Another Prayer Pray in every place, lifting up your hands. 1 Timothy 2:1-15.

O mighty King, and most high almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who mercifully governess all things which thou hast made, look down upon the faithful seed of Abraham, the children of thy chosen Jacob, thy chosen people I mean, consecrated unto thee by the anointing of thy Holy Spirit, and appointed to thy kingdom by thy eternal purpose, free mercy, and grace, but yet, as strangers, wandering in this vale of misery, brought forth daily by the worldly tyrants like sheep to the slaughter. O Father of all flesh, who, by thy divine providence, changes times and seasons, and most wonderfully disposes kingdoms; thou did destroy Pharaoh, with all his horses and chariots, puffed up with pride against thy people, and thou did lead forth safely, by the hands of thy mercy, thy beloved Israel through the high waves of the raging waters. Thou, O God, the Lord of all hosts and arms, did first drive away from the gates of thy people the blasphemous Sennacherib, slaying of his army an hundred fourscore and five thousand, by thy angel in one night, and afterwards by his own sons, before his own idols, did kill the same blasphemous idolater, showing openly to all heathens thy provident power towards thy despised little ones Thou did transform and change proud Nebuchadnezzar, the enemy of thy people, into a brute beast, to eat grass and hay, to the horrible terror of all worldly tyrants. And as thou art the Father of mercies, and God of all consolation, so of thy wonderful mercy thou did preserve those thy servants in Babylon, who with bold courage gave their bodies to the fire, because they would not worship any dead idol; and when they were cast into the burning furnace, thou did give them cheerful hearts to rejoice: and sing psalms, and saved unhurt the very hairs of their beads, turning the flame from them to devour their enemies. Thou, O Lord God, by the might of thy right arm, which governs all, did bring Daniel, thy prophet, safe into light and life out of the dark den of the devouring lions, where, by false accusations, he was shut under the earth to be destroyed by those raging beasts; but thou turned their cruelty upon his accusers repaying the wicked upon their own pates. Yea, Lord, who passes all wonders, and art far above man’s power to perceive therein thy working, thou did cause the huge and great dragon of the seas, that horrible Leviathan and Behemoth, the mighty fish, to swallow up and devour thy servant Jonah, to keep him three days and three nights in the dungeon of his belly, the dark hellish grave to a living man; thou did cause that great monster to carry him to the place that thou had appointed, and there to cast him up safe and able to do thy message.

Now also, O heavenly Father, beholder of all things, to whom only belongs vengeance, thou sees and considers how thy holy name is dishonoured by the wicked worldlings and blasphemous idolaters; thy sacred word refused, forsaken, and despised; thy Holy Spirit provoked and offended; thy chosen temple polluted and defiled: tarry not too long, therefore, but show thy power speedily upon thy chosen household, which is so grievously vexed, and so cruelly handled by thy open enemies.

Avenge thine own glory, and shorten these evil days for thine elect’s sake. Let thy kingdom come of all thy desired, and though our lives have offended thy majesty, as we do confess unfeignedly, O Lord, that we have all sinned, our kings, princes, priests, prophets, and peopleoall we, together with our parents, fathers, and mothers, have most grievously, infinitely passing all measure and number, with our hard flintish hearts, our dissolute and careless lives, without shame and repentance for sin, have offended, transgressed, trespassed, sinned, and committed most horrible wickedness, so that we have worthily deserved the uttermost of thy plagues and terrible vengeance. Yet for thine own glory, O merciful Lord, suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ, the Romish antichrist, thus wretchedly to delude and draw from thee our poor brethren, for whom thy Son once died, that by his cruelty, after so clear light, they should be made captives to dumb idols and devilish inventions of popish ceremonies thereunto pertaining. Suffer him not to seduce the simple sort with his fond (foolish, editor) opinion, that his false gods, blind mumbling, feigned religion, and his foolish superstition, give him such conquests, such victories, such triumphs, and such a high hand over us. We know most certainly, O Lord, that it is not their arm and power, but our sins and offences, that have delivered us to their fury, and have caused thee to turn away from us. But turn again, O Lord, let us fall into thy hands; otherwise (seeing thy justice must punish us) let us fall into thy hands as David chose, by dearth, famine, or pestilence, or what way thou likes; lest these vain idolaters rejoice at the miserable destruction of those men whom they make proselytes, and apostates from thy doctrine. But, holy Lord, thy holy will be fulfilled. This is thy righteous judgment to punish us with the tyrannical yoke of blindness, because we have cast away from us the sweet yoke of the wholesome word of thy Son our Saviour. Yet consider the horrible blasphemies of thine and our enemies; they call a cake (the consecrated wafer used at the Romish sacrament, editor) their God, their Christ, and altogether they know nothing of thy power. They say in their hearts, There is no God, who either can or will deliver us; wherefore, O heavenly Father, the Governor of all things, the Avenger of the cause of the poor, the fatherless, the widow, and the oppressed, look down from heaven with the face of the fatherly mercies, and forgive us all former offences; and for thy Son Christ’s sake have mercy upon us, who by the force and cruelty of wicked and blasphemous idolaters without just causes, are haled and pulled from our own houses, are slandered slain, and murdered as rebels and traitors, like persons pernicious, pestiferous, seditious, pestilent, and full of mortal poison contagious to all men. Whereas we meddle no further than against the hellish powers of darkness, against the spiritual craftiness in heavenly things, which would deny the will of our Christ unto us. We contend no further than for our Christ crucified, and the only salvation by his blessed passion, acknowledging none other God, none other Christ or Saviour, but only the ever-living Lord and our most merciful Father, and thy dear Son our Saviour, who is in the same glory with thee in the highest heavens. Therefore, O Lord, for thy glorious name’s sake, for Jesus Christ’s sake, be whom thou hast promised to grant all righteous requests, make the wicked idolaters all wonder and stand amazed at thy almighty power, use thy wonted strength to the confusion of thine enemies and to the help and deliverance of thy persecuted people. All thy saints do beseech thee thereforeothe young infants which have somewhat tasted of thy sweet word, by whose mouth thou hast promised to make perfect thy praises, whose angels always behold thy face, who, besides the loss of us their parents, are in danger to be compelled and driven without thy great mercies, to serve dumb and insensible idols, do cry and call to thee. Their pitiful mothers with lamentable tears, lie prostrate before the throne of thy grace. Thou, Father of the fatherless, Judge of the widows, and Avenger of all the oppressed, let it appear, O Lord omnipotent, that thou dost hear, and in due season avenge and punish all wrongs offered to all thy little ones that do believe in thee. Do this, O Lord, for thy name’s sake. Arise up, O Lord, and thine enemies shall be scattered and confounded. So be it, O Lord, most merciful, at thy time appointed.