that thou shalt be most iust if thou giue vs and our kingdome ouer into their hands Notwithstanding because thou art a God ful of mercie 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 vnto 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 haue mercie vpon vs to forgiue vs our land all the sins whereof we be guiltie before thée O pursue vs not with thy iudgements as wee haue giuen thée cause for then we must néedes perish eternally Among other plagues from the which we praie thée to bée deliuered preserue vs we beséech thée from the handes of the Spaniards other idolaters which haue conspired against our nation to root out thy religion from hence to place Papistry again and to dispossesse vs of that parte of the earth which it séemed good vnto thée to allowe vs to dwell in where also through thy goodnes we and our forefathers haue 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 vs out and thou maiest suffer the enemies to preuaile But remember O Lord that these men be not behind vs in sinnes for they be a most wicked generatiō neither is it our sinnes that they do so much looke vnto in comming against vs as thy religion among vs 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 vnto 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 haue so long professed As though the religion were not good which we haue 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 vnder thy gouernment Deliuer vs O Lorde wee pray thée at this time Trie vs 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 vs for euer That these thy blessings may bee obtained O driue away from our hearts the meruailous securitie wherin we haue slept these many yéeres imagining that our waies did please thée and that no plague should come néere vnto vs 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 vs and staie thy hande from our destruction And howsoeuer we haue meanes for our defence by sea and lande Psa 20.7 yet kéepe vs 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 vpon vs and graunt that in thy name onely trusting to thy mercie in thy strength we may come forth against these our aduersaries And as for them that thus boile in malice against thy religion and vs thy most vnworthie seruants O turne their hearts if they belong to thée open their eies to sée thy trueth that they may with vs depart from that Antichrist of Roome loue 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 giue thanks vnto 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 haue prepared for our destruction may be vsed in thy iustice for the execution of thy long deserued wrath vpon themselues And so bring them to naught that they may not anie longer trouble vs and other of thy Churches as a long time they haue done euen nowe doe Psal 79.10 O let the bloud of thy Saints which they haue cruelly shed come before thée to pull vengeance vppon them Heare the cries of the womē whom they haue made widowes and of the children whom they haue made fatherlesse Hearken to the pittifull complaintes of such as they kéepe in prison for thy truth and deliuer such as they haue appointed to death Let them bee vppon the seas Exo. 14. as was Pharao and his companie pursuing thy Israell let them bee vpon 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 haue done to thy Church that they may knowe that thou art God and that it is thy truth which we haue learned from thy worde though we haue 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
vpon this nation added to the rest of thy woonderful mercies towards vs may bée an occasion to lead all sorts and states to true repentance and to a through reformation of whatsoeuer is amisse least if we hold on in our euils thou make a chaunge and giue our enimies cause to reioyce ouer vs as we do now ouer them For notwithstanding they bee marueilouslie weakened yet such is thy power that thou art able to arme wounded and famished men to our destruction Iere. 37.10 if wee continue to sinne against thee as thou didst threaten the Iewes with the Chaldeans in Ieremies time We were deliuered that we should sinne no more Iohn 5.14 as our Lord Iesus saide to the man whom hee had made whole Our faithfull ministers when they were most earnest in suing for vs with fasting and praiers was it vpon any other condition but that being spared longer wee should yéelde better fruits according as the dresser of the vinyard intreateth for the figtrée Luk. 13.7.8 which the owner cōmanded to cut vp Now if spéedilie euen this present yéere this bee not done by vs who shall hereafter intreat any more or what is he that crieng for vs is like to be heard Nay wee may feare that thou wilt say to our most faithfull prophets Iere. 7.16 as sometime thou saidest to Ieremie Praie no more for this people neither lift vp crie or praier for them neither intreat me for I will not heare thée Or as in another place thou sayedst Though Moses Samuel stood before me yet mine affection could not bee toward this people Cast them out of my sight Iere. 15.1 let them depart such as are appointed to death to death and such as are for the sword to the sword and such as are for the famine to the famine such as are for captiuitie to captiuity And I wil appoint ouer them foure kinds saith the Lord the sword to slay the dogs to teare in peeces the foules of the heauen and the beasts of the earth to deuoure and destroy Or as it is in Ezekiel Ezek. 14.24 though these thrée mē Noah Daniel Iob were among them they shold deliuer but their own soules For although by thy singular goodnes we haue gotten this victorie yet are we not past al danger as if carelesly we might doe what we list Nay we sée that Asa the king of Iudah triumphing most gloriously ouer the ten hundred thousand Ethiopians that came foorth against him is notwithstanding met with by the Prophete Azariah and by him certified from the Lord that he might no otherwise looke for the continuance of his fauor to himselfe to his people but as they should continue to do their duetie and therfore saith vnto them after this maner 2. Cr◠15.2 O Asa and all Iudah and Beniamin heare ye me The Lord is with you while you be with him if you séeke him hée will be found of you but if you forsake him he will forsake you The same people of Israel for whom thou wroughtest so many great works in Egypt and after leaddest through the red sea destroying their enimies which assaied to follow thē were afterward fearfully destroied in the wildernes for their sins Exo. 12.37 Nu. 14.30 So as of six hundred thousand that were numbred onely two persons Caleb Iosua entered into the promised Canaan Thy seruant Iude putteth vs in remembrāce of this in these words For asmuch saith hee as ye once knew this Vers 5. how that the Lord after that he had deliuered the people out of Egypt destroied them that beleeued not And the same nation of the Iewes though oftentimes thou diddest marueilously fight for them and deliuer them so as among the heathen it might be iustly said God hath done great things for them they on the other side had iust cause to answer them as with an eccho He hath done great things for vs whereof we reioice as it is in the Psalme Euen these notwithstanding whē they neglected their dutie Psal 126 2.3 were most sharply punished and giuen ouer as a pray vnto their enimies as may appeare in the history of their Iudges and Kings And at length when nothing woulde reclaime them but that they continued in their disobedience mocking and il intreating the faithfull prophetes which called them to repentance then thou broughtest vpon them the Chaldeans who wasted their land tooke their chiefe city euen Hierusalem and their king put out his eies slue his children nobles before his face Ier. 39.6.7 and dishonorablie ledde him captiue vnto Babylon leauing that fruitful and populous countrie as it were a desolate forsaken wildernes and bringing scorne reproch confusion shame vpon that citie nation which sometimes were as a Quéen aboue al others admired for their prosperitie as if they had bene the onelie praise of the world 1. Cor. 10.6.7.8 Their example dost thou set before our eies as a glasse to looke into whereby we may sée what remaineth for such people as be like them in thy blessings and not vnlike them in their sinnes We therefore of this nation whom thou hast thus marueilouslie preserued and defended in peace prosperitie plentie and with the vse of thy holie religion vnder the reigne of our souereigne prince now these whole thirtie yeares and for whom of late thou hast done these great thinges what else may we looke for but the like destruction with the Iewes except with all spéed wée doe turne to thée and reforme our selues according to thy woorde Therefore O Lord our God we do most humbly craue of thée pardon for all our sinnes past committed by vs by our whole land either before this our deliuerance or since wee were deliuered beséeching thée in the blood and obedience of Christ Iesus and for the honor of thy name not to bring vpon vs the destruction which for our vnthankefulnes for this thy great mercie and for other our transgressions wee haue most iustlie deserued And graunt that for all the time to come all sortes and states ciuill and ecclesiasticall from the highest to the lowest may be carefull in all thinges to séeke thy will and to haue the same obeied as wel in matters for the Church as the common-weale and each of them for the direction of their seueral families and particular conuersations That they may all ioyne together in their callinges as one man for the reformation of the ministerie that so the preaching of the Gospell may bée established and setled in all the quarters of the lande whereby all the subiects may be subdued vnto thée and taught holie obedience to her Maieiestie and the rest that vnder her gouern the state That godlinesse and godlie men may more and more bee cherished and maintained and idolatrie papistrie blasphemie prophanation of the holie Saboths and all other wickednesse and wicked men may bee punished and suppressed O teach vs to knowe
bene gratiously performed of the Lord accordingly they be acknowledged in the thāksgiuing to assure vs 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 vpon 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 vs 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 vs and his vnspeakable mercie 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 vpon 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 haue 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 vnder 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 haue 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 vpon 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 vnder her gouerne the state If these causes of so great importance be not loked vnto as they ought but that iniquitie be still suffered to grow and to abounde notwithstanding all that which the Lord hath said to vs from his worde and wonderfullie done for vs 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 vs and the confusion brought vpon our enemies and the enemies of his Church he make vs alwaies thankfull Amen Oliuer Pygge 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 vpon 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 vpon the ground or to looke vp vnto heauen much more vnworthy are wée to haue this fauour to call vpon 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 vpon 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 vnto thy great mercie 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 vnto 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 vs in Christ and in such a loue 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 onely Jsa 59.2 that make separation betwéene thée and vs kéeping away the good blessinges which thou else wouldest giue and pulling vpon vs the plagues which thou art not easily drawne to powre vpon 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 haue 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 onely in the daies of our youth and in the time of our ignoraunce but also since
wee came to more yeeres and haue béene instructed in the knowledge of thy blessed will O wée haue sinned wée haue sinned hainously in neglecting thy seruice and our duety to our brethren in our callinges Wée haue sinned openlie and secretelie alone and in companie yea oftentimes wilfullie and against our consciences when wée knew thy commandement was that wée should haue done otherwise Yea wee doe not onely 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 haue 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 vpon 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 haue béen the iniquities committed since our deliuerance from that yoke and thy bestowing vppon vs the light of thy Gospel O haue 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 vs. For which of thy commandementes haue wée not broken If we looke to those foure of the first table which teach vs our duetie towards thée or those six of the second table which teach vs 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 euery sort state and condition not in some part of the lande alone but euery where in euery quarter and corner yea in euery house and familie For O Lorde wée haue loued the vaine things of the worlde more than thée and thy word we haue béene more loth to displease men than thy maiestie wee haue made flesh our arme putting our trust in man and withdrawen our heartes from thée Jere. 17.5 Howe seldome and colde haue our praiers bin And how sparing our thanks to thée for the innumerable benefites bestowed vpon vs 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 vnto 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 haue we had from the great places and personages of the lande The superiours in the common wealth in the Church and in the house haue not done their duetie to their inferiours The inferiours likewise haue 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 haue 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 haue béene in place to punish sin and to maintaine well dooing haue dealt too too fauorably with sinners on the other side not cherishing the godly as was their dutie The ministers which should boldly haue reproued these corruptions in all sorts and states haue for the most part béene vnable to doe this many of them corrupt in their conuersation they haue 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 vs 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 haue looked out vaine and foolish thinges for vs they haue not discouered our iniquities to turne away our captiuity but haue lookt out for vs false prophesies and causes of banishment True it is we haue had some desirous to doe their dutie who also accordingly haue laboured but euen diuerse of them haue béene euill intreated by wicked and vngodly men which could not abide to heare their faultes reproued Whereas in the mean time they haue liked well of such which séeking themselues onely and their owne ease haue béene vnable to instruct them in thy waies by occasion whereof many of the people of the lande haue 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 vs hast warned vs of these great sinnes by our Preachers in their Sermons and some of their bookes which haue béene grauelie and dutifullie written yea although thou hast sought to moue our hard harts by thy benefites so as we haue inioyd thy gospel outward peace and plentie when as the Nations about vs haue bene meruailously distressed euen as vntil this time their wounds bée bléeding newe and remaine vncured And further we haue had many wonderfull deliueraunces of our Prince to our great comfort and moreouer thou hast threatned vs 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 haue not we of this nation profited by anie of these to bewaile our sins to turne vnto thée as it did become vs. But haue despised thy Prophets which spake to vs in thy name and haue still gone away from thee multiplying our transgressions against thy maiestie So as now most iustly there belongeth to vs 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
songs of praises vnto thée Exo. 15. Moses Miriam and the children of Israel hauing passed through the red sea and séene the destruction of their enimies presentlie doe acknowledge thy mercie and sing to the honor of thy name Deborah and Barach doe the like Iudg. 5 the selfe same day that thou gauest thy people that notable victorie ouer Sisera Iehoshaphat séeing the confusion 2. Cro. 20.26 which thou broughtest vpon the Moabites the Ammonites them of mount Seir whom before he feared after that hee his companie had pursued them the spoile three daies the fourth daie they giue thankes with such feruencie and zeale that the place it selfe hath a name of their blessing God there as it may appeare by the historie Hester Mordecay other of the Iewes in token of thankfulnesse and ioy Heb. 9. kéepe a feast the next day after the kings decrée was frustrated which Haman had procured for their destruction Yea they take order to haue that their deliuerance solemnlie remembred euerie yéere Did their deliuerance from mighty and cruel enimies prouoke them to this Did the escaping of present daungers drawe frō them these praises of thy name Did the ouerthrow of such as rose vp against them moue them thus to honour thée O then wee haue cause to doe the like Our enemies which thus thought in their hearts Wee will pursue wee will diuide the spoile our lust shall be satisfied vppon them we will draw out our swordes our hands shall destroie them according as it is recorded that Pharao spake in his pride Exo. 15.9 euen these with him are sunke in the déepe seas like lead Iudg. 4.21 Iael a woman hath striken a naile into Siseraes head Iudg. 5.28.29 euen then when his mother and hir wise Ladies persuaded themselues that he had gotten the victorie and was diuiding the spoiles The subiects of thy seruant Elizabeth a woman by thy good blessing haue striken a terror into the harts of the mightie yea partlie by their meanes as thine instruments partlie by thine own immediate power the stars in their course the seas in their order fighting against them they haue then fearefully perished Iudg. 5.20 when there was not onlie an assured persuasion in themselues not to be ouercome as may appeare in that they called their Nauie inuincible but also a certaine expectation of the victorie yea reportes giuen written as if they had preuailed Thou turnedst the swordes of such as came foorth on their side as they thought Jn one of their gallies against themselues The ship fired by one of their Gonners And the fire which was kindled to send their shotte against vs was a mean of deliuering one of their ships and some of their company into our hands euen as thou armedst Moab 2. Cro. 20.22 23. Ammon and them of mount Seir one against another in Iehoshaphats time The cursed agréement so many yéeres agoe at the councell of Trent for rooting out the professors of thy trueth whereof this attempt of the Spaniardes may séeme to be intended as an execution in respect of vs is now turned to the destruction of these that fauoured it so as we may not vnfitly say that Haman and his be hanged vpon the gallows which he caused to be set vp for Mordecay the Iew. That is thou hast rewarded these proud men that which they thought to haue done to others Thou onely indéede we must say For notwithstanding thou wentest forth with our ships prospering them so long as they incountred wherein sensiblie it appeared to bee thy worke in the great losses of the aduersaries both of men and Shippes and so little of ours as it may worthily be reckoned among thy merueilous workes yet séeing so great wrackes followed them when we had left them how els can we thinke it but thine owne hand Therefore not withstanding wée haue much cause to reioice in the wise care foresight prouision of our Prince the honourable counsell and the state as also in the faithfulnes of our countrimen so willingly couragiously offring themselues to spend their goods and to hazard their liues by sea and land in this case Jude 5.2 so as we curse such euen by the sentence of thine owne Angell which were not willing to helpe Chap. 5.23 as it is in the Iudges Yet O Lord our God forasmuch as the one were giftes of thine giuen to such as gouerne vs and the other were but thy instruments to worke by To thee yea to thee alone O Father Sonne and holie spirit three persons and one God do we ascribe all the glorie honour praise and thankes for euer For thou onelie hast done this Exod. 15.2 thou indeede hast shewed thy selfe to be a man of war that saluation is from thee and that there is no trust in horses and chariots Pro. 21.31 For the horse and the rider hast thou ouerthrowen the Spaniards ships hast thou cast into the seas Exo. 15.21 his chosen captaines also bee drowned in the sea the depthes haue couered them Exo. 15.6.7 they bée sunke to the bottome as a stone Thy right hād O Lord is glorious in power thy right hand O Lord hath brused the enimie And in thy great glorie thou hast ouerthrowne them that rose vp against thée thou sentest foorth thy wrath which consumed them as stubble Who can expresse these thy noble actes who can shew foorth all thy praise Psal 106. ◠2. If we had the tongs of al men and Angels we could not sufficiently doe it such praises as by thy grace we be able to offer we pray thee in Christ to accept O our soules praise ye the Lord whatsoeuer is within vs praise yee his holie name sée that ye neuer forget this his benefit praise the Lord ye his angels Psal 103.12 that excel in strength that doe his cōmandement in obeieng the voice of his word Praise the Lord all ye his hostes Psal 103.20.22.23 yée his seruants that doe his pleasure praise the Lord all ye his works in all places of his dominion Yea we beséech thée that not onely we but the whole land also may giue thy maiestie the whole glory of this so as it may neuer come into any of our mindes to thinke that by our worthinesse or by our own strength this is come to passe Grant that it be not onelie once euerie yéere publikely and sollemnlie remembred after the worthie example of that which was appointed to be done of the Iewes for their deliuerance from the crueltie of Haman Hest 9. But that also daylie and continuallie wee may stirre vp our selues to thankfulnesse and to speake of it to our children and they to their childrens children that so the memory of this thy glorious fact may be continued from generation to generation euen for euer But aboue all thinges be herein mercifull vnto vs that this marueilous benefite powred
and beléeue that in these thinges standeth the blessednes safetie of our state and realme that that nation is onely happy Psa 144.15 whose God is the Lord and that thou art a God and sauior to such onlie as walke in thy waies and with all their hearts séeke to doe thy cōmandements If this course be thought vpon yéelded vnto by vs then we may assure our selues of thy protection for euer Then we shall still to our comfort inioy our gratious Prince and her highnes the comfort of the dutifull seruice and obedience of vs her subiectes Our wise counsailours shall bee able to giue aduise for our good our worthy valiāt countrimen with honour to execute that which is appointed for our safetie Thy Gospell shal shine among vs yet in more excellent beautie we shall haue our peace and our plentie still wée shall prosper in our affaires by sea and by land wée shall sée our desire vpon our bloodie enimies Deut. 26.7 they shall come foorth against vs one way and shal flie seuen waies Leuit. 26.8 One of vs shal chase an hundred of them and an hundred of vs shall put ten thousand to flight Psal 144.12.13 The voice of mirth and gladnesse shal be heard in our stréetes our sonnes shall bée as plants growing vp in their youth and our daughters as the corner stones grauen after the similitude of a pallace Our corners shall be full and abounding with diuers sortes our shéepe shall bring foorth thousandes euen ten thousandes in our stréetes Our oxen shal be strong to labor there shall be no inuasion or going out nor crieng in our Cities the murrain of beasts and the pestilence deuouring men shall not come néere vs. Thus shall wee then bee blessed Psa 144.15 for so is the people blessed whose God is the Lord. O Lord let our nation be thus blessed for euer we do pray thée euen for the honor of thine own name So wee thy peeple and shéepe of thy pasture shall praise thée for euer Psal 79.13 from generation to generation we will set foorth thy praise And for as much as this work of thine is such that it should not onelie mooue vs to whome the comfort thereof doth speciallie appertaine but euen they also should be touched with it that dissent from vs in religion and desired to haue séene our ruine as well the Papistes of our owne nation as those that be in forraigne countries because besides the other miracles recorded in thy woorde wrought by thy sonne Iesus Christ and his holy Apostles for the confirmation of thy truth thou hast also by this our woonderfull deliuerance and confusion of our enimies sealed this to be thy truth which wee haue learned from the same worde and whereof wee make profession We beséech thée euen for these that so manie of them as belong to thée may by this occasion the rather bee brought to sée howe detestable a thing in thy sight Romish and superstitious religion is how thou settest thy selfe against such as would vphold the same that so they may not stand a farre off gazing vpon this thy greate worke Apoc. 18.9.10.11 Apoc. 18 4. 19.20 and bewailing this fall of the whore but that indéede they may come forth of Babylon vtterly renouncing the worshippe of the beast and his image abhorring to carie the least of his markes in their hands or forheads Apoc 17.2 and no longer to bee drunke with the cup of her spirituall fornications Yea wee beséech thée that hauing the mistes and darkenesse of their minds chased away they may at length sée the cleare light of thy gospel so to ioine with vs in one holy profession grounded vpon thy word that together we may be glad of this fall of Babylon and ioyne all forces as it were into one to giue her according as shee hath done to thy Saints Apoc. 18.6 That in the end the may haue the iudgement of an harlot executed vpon her euen to bee rooted out for euer That to their further condemnation they bee not subiect to the reproofe which thy spirit giueth to such as they be that amended not by the vengeance powred vppon others according as it is saide in the Apocalips Apoc. 9.20.21 The remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues repented not of the works of their hands that they shold not worship deuils Idols of golde and siluer and of brasse and of stone of wood which neither can sée neither can heare nor goe Also they repented not of their murthers and their sorceries neither of their fornication nor of their theft For their obstinacie shall be greater and their sinne the more hainous in thy sight if so sensible a iudgement as this is prouoke them not to giue thée glorie and to séeke after thy trueth If there be anie of them so desperatlie hardened that in stéed of repenting they shall presume more more to set themselues against thy holie ones and to blaspheme thy name Apoc. 16.9 which hast power ouer these plagues We beséech thée goe forwarde with this thy excellent worke persecute them so continually that they may know thēselues to be but men and the Idols whom they serue not to be God Turne all their deuises vpon their owne heads and bring them to such miseble confusion that they may for sorrowe gnash their téeth and at last be inforced to acknowledge thy power and iustice in their ruine to whome they will not now stoope to serue thée according to thy word that they might be saued Yea we beséech thee that all the nations of the heathen to whom the reportes of these thy great acts shall come may by this meanes bee mooued to inquire after thee and to seeke to knowe thee and thy good pleasure in Christ Iesus whome thou hast sent to their saluation if they beleeue That so departing from their superstitions and Idolatries wherein they doe dishonour thee they may honor thy name in the knowledge of thy trueth That wee our selues beholding these thinges and the vtter confusion of all such as rise vp against thee and thy Christ Apoc. 20.10 may be assured that that time approcheth apace when the deuill by whom they are led the beast whome his fauourers haue worshipped and the false Prophetes by whome they haue bene seduced not being able to hurte anie more because their time is expired shall be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone Apoc. 10.10.15 where also they shall bee tormented day and night world without end and with them euerie one not found in the booke of life When likewise the Church being fréed from all their tyranny shall come forth as a bride prepared for her husband Apoc. 21.2 to be ioined with the lambe Iesus Christ for euer Where shee shall hunger thirst nor sorrow any more but hauing all teares wiped from her eies Apoc. 7.16 shee shall enioy