Devotions of Bishop Andrewes. Vol. I

INTERCESSION

O Hope of all the ends of the earth,
and of them that remain in the broad sea;
O Thou on whom our fathers hoped,
and Thou didst deliver them;
40on whom they waited,
and were not confounded;
O my Hope from my youth,
from my mother’s breasts;
on whom I have been cast from the womb,
be Thou my hope
now and evermore,
and my portion in the land of the living:
In Thy nature,
in Thy names, in Thy types,
in word and in deed,
My Hope,
let me not be disappointed of my hope.
O the Hope of all the ends of the earth,
remember Thy whole creation for good,
visit the world in Thy compassion;
O guardian of men,
O loving Lord,
remember all our race.
Thou who hast shut up all in unbelief,
on all have pity, O Lord.
O Thou who didst die and rise again,
to be Lord both of the dead and living,
live we or die we,
Thou art our Lord;
Lord, have pity on living and dead.
41O helper of the helpless,
seasonable aid in affliction,
remember all who are in necessity,
and need Thy succour.
O God of grace and truth,
establish all who stand in truth and grace,
restore all who are sick with heresies
and sins.
O wholesome defence of Thine anointed,
remember Thy congregation
which Thou hast purchased and
redeemed of old.
O grant to all believers
one heart and one soul.
Thou that walkest amid the golden
candlesticks,
remove not our candlestick
out of its place.
Amend what are wanting,
establish what remain,
which Thou art ready to cast away,
which are ready to die.
O Lord of the harvest
send forth labourers,
made sufficient by Thee,
into Thy harvest.
42O portion of those
who wait in Thy temple,
grant to our clergy,
rightly to divide the word of truth,
rightly to walk in it;
grant to Thy Christian people
to obey and submit to them.
O King of nations, unto the ends
of the earth;
strengthen all the states
of the inhabited world,
as being Thy ordinance,
though a creation of man.
Scatter the nations that delight in war,
make wars to cease in all the earth.
O expectation of the isles and their hope,
Load, save this island,
and all the country in which we sojourn,
from all affliction, peril, and need.
Lord of lords, Ruler of rulers,
remember all rulers
to whom Thou halt given rule in the earth,
and O remember specially
our divinely‑guarded king,
and work with him more and more,
and prosper his way in all things.
43Speak good things unto his heart,
for Thy Church and all Thy people,
grant to him profound and
perpetual peace,
that in his tranquillity
we may lead a quiet and peaceable life
in all godliness and honesty.
O Thou by whom are ordained the
powers that be,
grant to those who are chief in court,
to be chief in virtue and Thy fear;
grant to the Parliament Thy holy wisdom;
to our great men, to do nothing against
but for the truth;
to the courts of law, Thy judgments
to judge in all things concerning all
without preference, without partiality.
O God of armies,
give a prosperous course and strength
to all the Christian army,
against the enemies of our most holy
faith.
Grant to our population
to be subject unto the higher powers,
not only for wrath,
but also for conscience‑sake.
44Grant to farmers and graziers
good seasons;
to the fleet and fishers fair weather;
to tradesmen, not to overreach one
another;
to mechanics, to pursue their business
lawfully,
down to the meanest workman,
down to the poor.
O God, not of us only but of our seed,
bless our children among us,
to advance in wisdom as in stature,
and in favour with Thee and with
men.
Thou who wouldest have us provide for
our own,
and hatest the unnatural,
remember, Lord, my relatians according
to the flesh,
grant me to speak peace concerning
them,
and to seek their good.
Thou who willest us to make return
to our benefactors,
remember; Lord, for good,
all from whom I have received good;
45keep them alive that they may be blessed
upon earth,
and deliver them not
into the will of their enemies.
Thou who hast noted
the man who neglects his own, as worse
than an infidel,
remember in Thy good pleasure
all those in my household.
Peace be to my house,
the Son of peace upon all in it.
Thou who wouldest that our
righteousness exceed
the righteousness of sinners,
grant me, Lord,
to love those who love me;
my own friend, and my father’s friend,
and my friend’s children,
never to forsake.
Thou who wouldest that we overcome
evil with good,
and pray for those who persecute us,
have pity on mine enemies, Lord,
as on myself;
and lead them together with me
to Thy heavenly kingdom.
46Thou who grantest the prayers of Thy
servants one for another,
remember, Lord, for good,
and pity all those
who remember me in their, prayers,
or whom I have promised to remember
in mine.
Thou who acceptest diligence in every
good work,
remember, Lord,
as if they prayed to Thee,
those who for any good reason
give not time to prayer.
Arise, and have mercy
on those who are in the last necessity,
for it is time that thou hast mercy
upon them,
yea the time is come.
Have mercy on them, O Lord,
as on me also, when in extremities.
Remember, Lord,
infants, children, the grown, the young,
the middle‑aged, the old,
hungry, thirsty, naked, sick,
prisoners, foreigners, friendless,
unburied,
47all in extreme age and weakness,
possessed with devils,
and tempted to suicide,
troubled by unclean spirits,
the hopeless, the sick in soul or body,
the weak‑hearted,
all in prison and chains,
all under sentence of death;
orphans, widows, foreigners, travellers,
voyagers,
women with child, women who give
suck,
all in bitter servitude, or mines, or
galleys,
or in loneliness.
Thou, Lord, shalt save both man
and beast,
how excellent is Thy mercy,
O God!
And the children of men shall put
their trust
under the shadow of Thy wings.
The Lord bless us, and keep us,
and show the light of His countenance
upon us,
And be merciful unto us,
48The Lord lift up His countenance
upon us,
And give us peace!
I commend to Thee, O Lord,
my soul, and my body,
my mind, and my thoughts,
my prayers, and my vows,
my senses, and my limbs,
my words, and my works,⁷⁷Page 172, Edition of 1675.
my life, and my death;
my brothers, and my sisters,
and their children;
my friends, my benefactors,
my well-wishers,
those who have a claim on me;
my kindred, and my neighbours,
my country, and all Christendom.
I commend to Thee, Lord,
my impulses, and my startings,
my intentions, and my attempts,
my going out, and my coming in,
my sitting down, and my rising up.