think no eyes see us, neither judge, witness, nor accuser can espy us, how open are our souls then to all dangerous temptations! And yet our temporal concerns are not more safe; for how soon may we be seized by diseases or sudden death, or made miserable by thieves and robbers, burnings or inundations! Are not our lives and limbs, estates and friends, liable to loss and mischief both suddenly and unavoidably? Go we then with all speed to our merciful Father, and let us represent our condition to him; the consideration whereof will both humble us, and make our requests more zealous, and mollify him and make him more ready to grant them. He will be moved to compassion, to see us chained by night and sleep, helpless and exposed to all mischiefs of soul and body, and will send his grace to defend our souls, and his angels to guard our bodies that none of these perils shall hurt us: and then our morning praises must own it as an act of his great pity. How dare you suffer your eyes to sleep in the midst of such armies of perils, before you have besought him that never slumbers nor sleeps to save you from them? But if any be confident without prayer, it is not courage, but desperate stupidity and inconsideration that makes him so daring. The good man begs protection for this night, and so again for the next, and every time with a new devotion, having warmed his heart first with apprehensions of his own dangers and his insufficiency to escape them.

.X. FOR THE LOVE OF THINE ONLY SON, OUR SAVIOUR, 170 JESUS CHRIST. AMEN] Although with the disciples we may be somewhat afraid when we enter into the cloud, yet we must beware the darkness do not shut up the eye of our faith, by which we may behold him in whom God is well pleased, when our bodily eyes are closed. And if we discern him by faith, that very sight will

make our darkness to be light. For we may run to him, and approach the throne of grace with him in our arms. The Molossian king was by law obliged to grant any petition offered by one that brought his son with him. And the King of heaven cannot deny us, when we most truly and humbly disclaim our own merits, and beg his protection for the love he bears to the holy Jesus, who was the delight of his soul from all eternity, and yet he became one with us in his incarnation, and made us one with him in our regeneration; and we are the members of his body, and the price of his blood: so that the Father loves us in and for him, that have nothing attractive or lovely in ourselves. Again, we entreat him to save us by all the love which Jesus bears unto us, to whom we are near as his own flesh, dearer than his own life, more esteemed than fallen angels, or a thousand worlds; for his delight is with the sons of men, Prov. viii. 31. Wherefore we beseech our heavenly Father by that which will move his bowels towards us, by his own everlasting love to us, and his affection to his only Son, and by the inexpressible love of that his Son to us, to give us a night comfortable and safe. We are in darkness, but our Head is in a never-ceasing light, and he that gave him to redeem us from eternal darkness will not suffer us to perish in spiritual darkness, nor leave us exposed to the mischiefs of one night, that will so soon be overpast. If our affections be as fervent as this argument is forcible, it is sure this petition will not be denied. The Paraphrase of the third Collect for Aid against all Perils.

Let the assurance of thy providence, the comforts of thy grace, and the beams of thy favour LIGHTEN OUR DARKNESS, and remove the discomfort of the approaching night; WE BESEECH THEE to make it sweet and safe to us, O LORD, thou Father of lights; AND BY THY GREAT MERCY behold and pity

the various miseries and mischiefs that we thy poor helpless creatures are exposed unto; that thou mayest preserve and DEFEND US in our souls and bodies, estate and friends, from ALL PERILS AND DANGERS which might befall us in any part OF THIS NIGHT. Grant this, dear Father, (not for our merits, but) FOR THE LOVE thou bearest to the person OF THY ONLY SON, and to us for his sake, since he is OUR SAVIOUR, even JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD and our Redeemer.

AMEN.

SECTION XXIII.

OF THE COLLECTS FOR THE KING AND THE ROYAL FAMILY.

§. I. THE church of England is famous above all other churches for her entire loyalty to the king; which may be seen not only in the lives of the true sons thereof, but in these prayers which are prescribed to be daily made therein for his majesty's welfare, which no offices in the world can parallel. And that we may repeat them with hearts full of loyalty and true devotion, we will more particularly explain them in our usual method.

171

§. II. This prayer hath two general parts:

The Analysis of the Prayer for the King's Majesty.

{0 Lord our heavenly

Father, high and

mighty,

King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth; Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious sovereign Lord King CHARLES;

[and so replenish him
with the grace of thy
Holy Spirit, that he
may alway incline
to thy will, and walk
in thy way:
Endue him plenteously
with heavenly gifts ;
grant him in health and
wealth long to live;
strengthen him that he
may vanquish and
overcome all his ene-
mies;

and finally, after this
life, he may attain
everlasting joy and
felicity, through Je-
sus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

172 A Practical Discourse on the Prayer for the King's Majesty. §. III. O LORD OUR HEAVENLY FATHER] The almighty and eternal God is (without dispute) the King of heaven and earth, and supreme Governor of all the world. But since his throne is in heaven, he is pleased to constitute princes his deputies on the earth, which he hath given to the children of mena. Wherefore since by him kings reign, we submit to his appointment of them, and revere his majesty in them, and to

a Psal. cxv. 16.

b Prov. viii. 15. Nos judicium Dei suscipimus in imperatoribus, qui gentibus illos præfecit; id in

eis scimus esse quod Deus voluit, ideoque et salvum volumus esse quod Deus voluit. Tertull. Apol. cap. 32.

him we make our supplications for them, who hath power to defend them, as well as authority to create them. And he must needs have a peculiar regard toward them and love to them, because they are anointed by him to administer his rights among us. This hath encouraged all nations to pray for their governors so universally, as if it had been an agreement among all mankind. To omit the heathen's sacrifices and prayers for their kings and emperors, we shall find two Psalms which were used by the Jews as forms of prayer for the king. And both by God's command and the desire of the Persian emperors, (who then were rulers over that people,) supplications were made to God in their behalfd by those Jews who were under their protection. But to come nearer; we Christians are most expressly commanded by God and his holy apostle, to pray for kings and all in authority: so that it was ever a part of the church's public devotions, to intercede for the emperors and princes, even while they were enemies to the faith, as all antiquity doth evince: much more when the powers of the world became Christian; for then they named them in their offices with titles expressing the dearest affection and most honourable respect. And surely since we meet in public to pray especially for public mercies, there is not any temporal blessing that is of so universal concern, as that we should have righteous and religious kings, guided by wise counsels, and living in prosperity and peace. For

c Psal. xx. et lxxii. d Ezra vi. 10. Jerem. xxix. 7. e 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. In obsequio quotidiano-et pro regibus et pro his qui in sublimitate positi sunt orandum est. Chrys. in Tim. ii. Pro potestatibus seculi. Tertull. Apol. Obsecramus Deum pro tranquillitate mundi, pro

regibus. Cyril. Catech. 5. Pro fidelissimis et Deo dilectis imperatoribus. Liturg. Chrys. Memento, Domine, piissimi et fidelissimi imperatoris. Basil. in Liturg. Pro rege preces fiant. Concil. Berkhamsted. cap. I. an. 697. Spelman.