Thou, O Lord, shalt suddenly shoot at them with a swift arrow that they shall be wounded. And all men that see it, shall say, This hath God done for they shall perceive, that it is his work. Praised be the Lord daily, even the God that helpeth us: Psal. 68. and poureth his benefits upon us. He is our God, even the God of whom cometh Salvation: God is the Lord by whom we escape death. He hath given victory unto us: and hath delivered Psal. 144. David his servant from the peril of the sword. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his Psal. 107. goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men. That they would exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the seat of the Elders. That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving and tell out his works with gladness. Then shall our sons grow up as the young plants: and [Psal. 144.] our daughters be as the polished corners of the Temple. Our garners shall be full and plenteous with all manner of store our sheep shall bring forth thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. Our oxen shall be strong to labour, there shall be no decay no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets. Happy are the people that be in such a case: yea, blessed are the people, that have the Lord for their God. The third Psalm. WE will magnify thee, O God our King: and will praise Psal. 145. thy Name for ever and ever. Every day will we give thanks unto thee: and praise thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised : there is no end of his greatness. One generation shall praise thy works unto another and declare thy power. The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed: and men shall sing of thy righteousness. The Lord is righteous in all his ways: and holy in all his works, : Psal. 138. Psal. 116. Psal. 30. Psal. 106. Psal. 11. Psal 22. Psal. 35. The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him: yea, all such as call upon him faithfully. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will help them. The Lord preserveth all them that love him: but scattereth abroad all the ungodly. Though we walk in the midst of trouble, yet shall he refresh us: he shall stretch forth his hand upon the furiousness of our enemies, and his right hand shall save us. The snares of death compassed us round about: and the pains of hell gat hold upon us. But thou, Lord, hast delivered our souls from death: our eyes from tears, and our feet from falling. Thou hast turned our heaviness into joy: thou hast put off our sackcloth, and girded us with gladness. Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing: O God, we will give thanks unto thee for ever. his The fourth Psalm. O GIVE thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious: and mercy endureth for ever. Who can express the noble acts of the Lord: or shew forth all his praise? For we have sinned with our Fathers: we have done amiss and dealt wickedly. We have not regarded thy wonders, nor kept thy great goodness in remembrance: but have been disobedient to thy holy will. Nevertheless he hath holpen us for his name's sake: that he might make his power to be known. For lo, the ungodly hath bent their bow, and made ready their arrows within the quiver: that they might privily shoot at us. Many Oxen purposed to have come about us: fat Bulls of Basan intended to close us in on every side. They gaped upon us with their mouths: as it were ramping and roaring lions. The counsel of the wicked laid siege against us: they set traps in our ways. They had privily laid their net to destroy us without a cause: yea, even without a cause had they made a pit for our soul. But thou (O Lord) hast delivered our soul from the Psal. 22. sword: thy darling from the power of the dog. Thou hast saved us from the Lion's mouth: thou hast heard us from amongst the horns of the Unicorns. A sudden destruction is come upon them unawares, and Psal. 35. the net that they had laid privily, hath catched themselves: they are fallen into their own mischief. They are confounded and put to shame, that did seek after our soul: they are turned back and put to confusion, that imagined mischief for us. Wherefore praise the Lord, ye that fear him: magnify Psal. 22. him all ye of the seed of Jacob, and fear him all ye of the seed of Israel. For he hath not despised, nor abhorred the low estate of the poor: he hath not hid his face from him, but when we called unto him, he heard us. Therefore our praise is of thee in the great Congregation: our vows will we perform in the sight of them that fear him. Glory be to the Father, to the Son. &c. Hereunto also may be added, at the discretion of the Minister, the lxxxiii. the ciii. and the cxxiiii. Psalms. And for the first Lesson, when he shall see occasion, he may read one of these Chapters; viz. Exod. xv. Judg. v. Esther vi. vii. viii. and ix. XXVI. A Prayer and THANKSGIVING fit for this present: and to be used in the time of Common prayer. Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Cum privilegio. 1587. A prayer and thanksgiving fit for this present: and to be used in the time of Common prayer. O LORD God of hosts, most loving and merciful Father, we thy humble servants prostrate ourselves before thy di vine Majesty, instantly beseeching thee of thy gracious goodness to be merciful to thy Church militant here upon earth, many ways vexed and tormented by the malice of Satan and his members, and at this time, as it were, environed on every side with strong and subtle adversaries. We confess and acknowledge, O Lord, (with all humble and hearty thanks) the wonderful and great benefits which thou hast bestowed upon this thy Church and people of England, in giving unto us not only peace and quietness, but also in preserving our most gracious Queen thy handmaid so miraculously from so many perils and dangers, and in granting her good success against the attempts of her adversaries: for the which so wonderful and great benefits, we humbly beseech thee to stir up our dull minds to such thankfulness and acknowledging of thy mercies as becometh us, and as may be acceptable unto thee. O Lord, let thine enemies know, and make them confess, that thou hast received England into thine own protection. Set (O Lord, we pray thee) a hedge about it, and evermore mightily defend it. Let it be a comfort to the afflicted a help to the oppressed: a defence to thy Church and people persecuted abroad. And, forasmuch as thy cause is now in hand, we beseech thee to direct and go before such as have taken the same upon them. Pitch thy tents about them, and grant unto them (O Lord) so good and honourable victories, as thou didst to Abraham and his company, against the four mighty kings': to Josua against the five kings, and against Amalech: and as thou usest to do to thy children when they please thee. We acknowledge all power, [The following prayer for the earl of Leicester (see p. 467) contains a similar reference: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who was crucified for our sins, and rose again for our justification, and, ascending up into heaven, sittest now at the right hand of the Father, with full power and authority, ruling and disposing all things according to thy glorious and gracious purpose. We, most miserable and sinful creatures, prostrate ourselves and our prayers before thy divine Majesty, beseeching thy gracious goodness, according to thy accustomed mercy, to be merciful to thy poor Church militant, miserably vexed in this world, by the malice of Sathan and his brood, enemies to all Christian peace and concord, so that thy little flock is distressed on every side. Notwithstanding (O merciful Father) so many strifes and debates of men, among so many brands of discord, tossed to and fro by the devils, enemies of truth, having neither rest without, nor peace within: we humbly confess, yielding all thanks unto thy divine Majesty, that this Island of ours, by thy direction from above, hath been so peaceably and quietly governed by her Majesty, that it hath been like a golden Cup in thy gracious hand; for which mercy of thine, as it is more sweet unto us than to other our neighbours, so we beseech thee to stir up our dull minds to such thankfulness and acknowledging of thy mercies, that all the enemies of thy truth may still (though with weeping hearts) confess, because of the continuance of thy goodness towards us, that thou hast made England a chosen shaft, and put him in thy quiver. And forasmuch (O Lord) as this discord abroad reacheth almost to the throat of our Church and commonweal, and that the enemies, O Lord, especially those that have the mark of Antichrist, seek to build like the Moth in another man's possession and garment, and seek to swallow up thy people as a grave; make, O Lord (we pray thee), a hedge about us and thy house, and let thy Church be like Salomon's bed, about the which there was always a watch, and let the fruit of the English Church be meat unto others, and the leaf thereof medicinable unto thy afflicted and scattered people. Break, O Lord, the Hydra his heads, or strangle him within his cave, that he do no more hurt: and that our prayers may be more welcome to thy gracious presence, grant unto us thy Holy Spirit, that every one of us may unfeignedly sorrow for our sins, and confess the majesty of thy word, and our great contempt of thy workmen, before thou do seal this great and known sum with some sharp and notable plague. And forsomuch as thy cause is now taken in hand by our gracious Sovereign, we beseech thee that thou wilt direct and go before her, and her noble wise Counseller, the honourable Earl of Leicester, her highness' Lieutenant in those Countries, and grant unto him so good and honourable victories, as Josua had against the five Kings, which sought to destroy the Gabaonites: fight for him, XXIII. |