LITANY is a Word of a Greek Original, which signifies Supplica­tion or Prayer; so that The Litany is as much as, The Supplication or The Prayer, deservedly so called by way of Eminency; as the Best of Humane Com­position. It begins with a most Solemn and Devout Address made to the Three several Persons in the Holy Trinity di­stinctly, and then to them All conjoyntly as three Hypostases of One and the same God, One and the same Fountain of all Goodness and Mercy, whence Miserable Sinners must hope to obtain Forgiveness. But to wave that (as being Forreign to my present Design to discourse of that most glorious and incomprehensible My­stery) and consider the Subject Matter of [Page 4]the Prayer it self; which is so Compre­hensive as to leave out very little, and so Pithy and Expressive as to have little re­dundant or superfluous. The Matter is double; Deprecation of Evil, and Peti­tion for Good; both urged with most po­tent and proper Arguments as we shall see.

1. Deprecation of Evil, whether in­cumbent, or imminent; or probable to be­tide us. And that is either of Sin or Suf­fering.

1. The Evil of Sin, and that is also Two-fold, past or future. First, Sin past, whether committed by our selves or by those that went before us; the Guilt whereof may not be expiated or depre­cated sufficiently till the third and fourth Generation according to the Second Com­mandment; and that is done in these words. Remember not, Lord, our Offences, nor the Offences of our Fore-fathers, nei­ther take thou Vengeance of our Sins: Spare us, good Lord, spare thy People— and be not angry with us for ever. And this Supplication is grounded upon this strong Argument; that we are redeemed by the most pretious Blood of the Son of God. And so we do in effect say, Let the Blood of our Lord Christ speak better [Page 5]things for us than the Blood of Abel; let not our Sins nor the Sins of our Pro­genitors cry louder to Heaven for Ven­geance than the Sufferings of the Son of God for Forgiveness. Redeemed by his most pretious Blood; so pretious, that it is the Cause, for which God is not angry with us for ever; and for which we may hope he will not keep his Anger any longer, he will not Remember our Offences, nor the Offences of our Fore-fathers. This Supplication is not only agreeable to, but in a manner taken out of the Holy Scrip­ture. O remember not against us former Iniquities, Psa — or (as in the Margent) the Iniquities of them that were before us. Be not Wroth very sore, O Lord, Isa neither remember Iniquity for ever: Behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy People. And here upon this occasion I shall take leave once for all to tell the Reader, that those Men do not argue with Un­derstanding, that say our Liturgy is a Translation of the Popish Mass-book; for neither is that true as to the Whole, nor the Argument cogent as to the Parts.

1. It is not true as to the Whole; for many things are added, as this Suppli­cation, and others to be mentioned after­wards; and more omitted, as to give one notorious Instance; After the Invo­cations [Page 6]of the three several Persons and then the whole Trinity, they intersert I know not how many Ora pro Nobis's or Invocations of Saints and Angels; as thus, Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy Virgin of Virgins, Holy Michael, Holy Gabriel, Holy Raphael, pray for us. All ye Holy Angels and Arch-angels of God, All ye holy Orders of blessed Spirits, All ye holy Patriarchs and Prophets, pray for us. All ye holy Apostles and Evan­gelists, All ye holy Disciples of our Lord and Innocents, All ye holy Martyrs, Holy Confessors, Holy Monks and Eremites, Holy Virgins, pray ye for us. These are general; but besides, the Apostles and Evangelists are all particularly in­vok'd, and other He and She-Saints, to­gether with several of their Companions, whereof S. Ʋrsula had no less than eleven thousand.1 Cor. 14. Chap. 15, &c. Surely, They prayed neither with the Spirit, nor with Ʋnderstanding, that by such Invocations derogated from our Lord's Intercession, and attributed Omniscience and Omnipresence (incommu­nicable Attributes of God) to so many Saints, whereof several were far from being Holy, and some so far as never to have had a Being, but in their Legends and Bead-Rolls. God be thanked, that gave our first Reformers so much Ʋnder­standing, and so much of his Spirit, where­with [Page 7]as with a Refiner's Fire they severed the Gold from the Dross; and gave unto God the things that were God's.

2. Secondly, For those things that are translated out of the Mass-book, they are none of them Popish, nor ever the more so for being used by them that own'd the Pope's Authority. 'Tis a Popish Argu­ment to say, Where was your Litany or Liturgy before that Translation? It is just like that of the Papists, Where was your Religion before Luther? The same Answer will therefore serve both; Our Religion and Liturgy were before Luther, but much corrupted and polluted and disguised at and before his time; but a thousand or twelve hundred Years be­fore that, they were what they are now restored to, Pure and Genuine; without Mask or Paint, without Idolatry or Su­perstition. It is as much as if one should ask a Noble-man, whose Ancestors for several Generations had been so great Spend thrifts as to bring a vast Patrimony to a small Annuity, and left him to seek his Fortune, and he through his own Vertue and Prince's Favour should be re­stor'd to the Place and Honour due to his Ancientry: If an Upstart Malepert Gentleman should ask him, Where was his Nobility before such a late King; He [Page 8]would answer, My Nobility was before the Conquerour, &c. Before Luther, before that Translation, they ask; We answer, before Constantine, before Pope Eleutherius, in the Councils and Writings of the Fathers for the first five hundred Years, in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; what we have in our Liturgy, Articles, and Homilies, was fetch'd from thence, and to them we make our Appeals.

Having interposed thus much, I now go on; our Church teacheth us to de­precate

2. Sin future, as the great Evil and Mischief, together with the Causes and Effects thereof; First, the Causes, the Crasts and Assaults of the Devil;— for the Devil is both a sly Serpent and a roar­ing Lyon; where Force will not do, there he useth Fraud, and when his Fraud is detected, he flies to main Force; but he is dangerous both ways, and there­fore to be fear'd, shunn'd, and depre­cated. Secondly, the Effects; the first and immediate Effect is the Wrath of God; the last and utmost is everlasting Damnation. And surely we ought ever to fear that that is Everlasting, and ne­ver think our selves too secure from the [Page 9]Danger of it, nor past Praying against it; the greatest Degree of Assurance at­tainable in this World, can rise no higher than that of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.12, &c. Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall. But here I would fain know with what Spirit or with what Sense they Pray this Prayer— From the Assaults of the Devil, thy Wrath, and everlasting Damnation, Good Lord, deliver us, that can so often, and so boldly say, the Devil take, and God damn either themselves or others. I say, with what Spirit or Sense do they Pray, that contradict themselves so desperately; and make the Throne of Grace a Refuge of Lies? When the Disciples would have fetch'd Fire from Heaven, our Lord tells them, Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of; of what manner of Spirit, think ye, then are they that would fetch Fire from Hell; and say,

Flectere sinequeo Superos Acheront a movebo; call both God and the Devil to be Exe­cutioners of their Wrath? The next Supplication, is to be delivered from those Spiritual Wickednesses, those Fil­thinesses of the Spirit, which have less of Infamy but more of Malice belong­ing to them. viz. From all Blindness of Heart, from Pride, Vain-glory and Hy­pocrisie; [Page 8] [...] [Page 9] [...] [Page 10]from Envy, Hatred, and Ma­lice, and all Ʋncharitableness: Wherein we pray God to deliver us from not meerly the outward Assaults, but the inward Possession of the Devil. For these are the very things that constitute the Essence of a Devil, and the main things that he endeavours to plant and propagate in us, as being his very Like­ness and Image. We pray not against Blindness of Eyes, Lib. 4. c. 25. but of Heart. So­crates tells us what Antonius the Monk said to that great Scholar and Writer I will not say, but Dictator of Writings, Didymus that was blind; Let not the loss of your bodily Eyes trouble you; for you are deprived of such Eyes as the Flies and Gnats can see with; but rejoyce that you have those Eyes, wherewith the Angels see, and by which God himself is discerned, and his Light comprehended. So I may say on the other hand; Pray not so much against the loss of bodily Sight, which is common to us with Worms and Flies, but against Blindness of Heart, which will make us see no more than the Devil, and with which the Devil labours to lead us Captive. So the Apostle tells us, the God of this World hath blinded the Minds of them that be­lieve not; 2 Cor. 4.4, &c. lest the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the Image of [Page 11]God, should shine unto them: and from such Blindness, Good Lord, deliver us.

The Second thing here pray'd against is Pride, another Ingredient of the De­vilish Nature: Not a Novice, 1 Tim. 3.6, &c. lest being lifted up with Pride, he sall into the Condemnation of the Devil. The next is Vain-glory, (a branch, or outward token of Pride) and a-kin to it is Hypocrisie; for they both pretend to something more than they are owners of. As the Devil told our Saviour, when from an exceeding high Mountain he shewed him all the King­doms of the World, and the Glory of them, Matt. 4.8, 9. All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. When (vain-glorious Dissembler as he was) he had not one foot of Land to give; and certainly whoever belie and ostentate themselves, in pretence of being what they are not, are of their Father the Devil, according to what is said in the Revelation, Chap. 2.9 Chap. 3.9 I know the Blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the Synagogue of Satan. Next follows,—From Envy, Hatred, and Ma­lice, and all Ʋncharitableness; for these are three, and there are other branches of that bitter Root, which are all con­stituent of a Devil, and make the Fiend so black as he is. Let not the Sun go [Page 12]down upon your Wrath, neither give place to the Devil; When Wrath rests and settles into Malice, then the Devil takes place in the Heart, and the Spirit of God is grieved; as you may see in the Epistle to the Ephesians, the fourth Chap­ter, 26, 27, 30, 31 Verses, compared together; and these are all contrary to the Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in the Galatians, for they are Love, Joy, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Good­ness, Meekness, Temperance. I have been thus particular in this Branch of the Litany, because I have long observed these two things. First, That Men in their Prayers have commonly pass'd by these Sins, when they have long insisted upon the Confession and Exaggeration of other less Malign. Secondly, That Men in common Conversation seldom express their dislike against them as against others, that are more Scandalous, because more obvious to the Eyes of the World; which whether it proceed from a secret In­dulging of those Sins, or a gross Mistake in thinking them more Pardonable than others, or because it is more easie or usual to gild and varnish over those Spi­ritual Lusts with specious Names and Titles of Virtue; as to call Pride Mag­nanimity, Revenge Sense of Honour, Envy Emulation, and the like, I will not in­quire: [Page 13]And upon this Score I the more value our Litany; and shall only ob­serve this farther as to this Branch of it, that the Primer of Salisbury hath not Pride, Hypocrisie, Envy mentioned in it. The next Branch hath respect to the Lusts of the Flesh;— From Fornication and all other deadly Sin;—that is, from all deliberate, willful, presumptuous Sin; for it is Willfulness, Presumption, Deli­beration, that makes Sin Deadly or Un­pardonable without special Repentance; whereas Sins of Surprise and Incogi­tancy, which Tertullian calls Quotidianae incursionis, and are so frequent, that we can scarce know when we commit them, for those God is pleased to accept of a more general Repentance▪ Wherefore it is a groundless Jealousie, that makes this Objection against this Prayer; that it favours the Popish Distinction between Venial and Mortal Sins. And let me tell the Reader farther, [from all other deadly Sin] is not in the foresaid Primer; and upon search it will be found that For­nication is a very Venial Sin with them, that coined this Distinction, and in a Priest more pardonable than honest and honour­able Wedlock.

[Page 14]2. Then we come to deprecate the Evils of Suffering or Punishment; which are of two sorts, such as concern our selves, and such as touch the Publick. First, Such as may do us a Mischief in particular, instancing in those that en­danger our Lives; as (1.) Lightning and Tempest; from which there is no flying nor hiding, no arming nor fencing; that which doth often set Houses and Barns on Fire, and sometimes destroys Men in a Moment. (2.) The Plague of Pestilence; from which we have great reason to beg Deliverance, if we call to mind how that Becsom swept away near an hundred thousand in our Capital City in one Summer, 1665. and many Thousands be­sides in other Parts of the Kingdom, in that, and the Year following. (3.) From Famine; a Judgment (God be thanked) not heard of in our Land, and yet to be feared, if we call to mind the several Fàmines we find threatned and inflicted upon the two Fruitfulest Countries in the World, the Land of Canaan and Egypt. (4.) From Battle, that is, not only from proclaimed Wars and open Hostilities, but from all sudden Frayes, Quarrels and Duels, which never end well. (5.) From Murder, that is, from Suffering as well as Committing of it. From all violent Death, and especially (6.) that which [Page 15]is Sudden. From which last, it is not only Lawful (whatever private Fancies have suggested to the contrary) but very behoveful to pray to God to deliver us, as that which may snatch us away, before we are prepared either to leave this World, or go to a Better. The Frequency and Fearfulness of Earth­quakes gave the first occasion to this Prayer against Sudden Death (as a Re­verend and Learned Person tells us;Dr. Hake­will's Apology, &c. Lib. 2. S. 4) and I question not if Earth quakes were as Frequent and Fearful now, as they were in those days, the Objectors would be as ready to Pray the same as any other. But though this sort of Calamity be more rare in this than in some other Countries, and less Dreadful in later than in former Ages, (so that this Petition (at least as to us) may seem less need­ful upon that account) yet how many are the Casualties and Dangers we are continually exposed to, that may put a sudden period to our Lives? Which, to beg the Divine Protection to be pre­served and delivered from, the Judicious Mr. Falkner looks upon as the most proper and direct sense of this Petition; Libert as Ecclesia­stica. p. 150, 152. and let that Man alone (saith he) who judgeth this unfit, condemn and reject this Petition against Sudden Death.

But because this Petition (as the same Author saith) hath been much excepted against, it may not be amiss to return a more full Answer to it. Although then we ought not to have ever the worse Opinion of any, whom God is pleased to take away on a sudden; as the Chapter of York in the Time of King Henry the First, An. 1109. who would not permit Gerard their Arch-Bishop, who died suddenly, to be buried in the Church, though he had been a Benefactor to it, but in the Church-porch; Although Mr. Brightman pray'd for a sudden Death, and had the Death he desired; wherein perhaps he was sin­gular; for (as the forecited excellent Author (saith) to die as Josiah or Uzzah did, Libertas Ecclesia­stica. p. 151. is not desirable to the most holy and pious Men, who according to the Exam­ple of Jacob, David, and our blessed Sa­viour himself, by their holy Instructions at the time of their Death, may become use­ful for the bettering of the Lives of them who survive. Again, Though, since we know not the Date of our Lives, it should be our constant care and endeavour, whe­ther we die suddenly, or gradually and deliberately, to die preparedly; like the good and faithful Servant, that knowing not when his Lord should come, stands upon his Watch, and is ready at every hour of the Night; Though we are not [Page 17]so much concern'd to pray that our Deaths may be fore-warn'd, as that they may be fore-arm'd; and therefore pray that we may so stand upon our guard, as not to be surprised; and so stand to our Arms, as not to be vanquish'd; yet not­withstanding all this, I question not, but it may become any good Man to pray to be delivered from sudden Death. Our merciful Lord in his Prophesie of the sad Desolation that was coming upon the Nation of the Jews, whereof he gave many most significant fore-tokens, Matt. 24.36. and yet declared, that of that day and hour no Man Knew, no not the Angels in Heaven, but his Father only; Matt. 24.20. in that Prophesie ad­viseth them, saying, Pray that your flight be not in the Winter, neither on the Sab­bath-day: In the Winter, when they could not easily flie; and on the Sabbath, when many through a scrupulous Superstition would not flie; and doth therein advise them to pray, that that sad time might not overtake them unawares. For the same reason Prayer against the Surprise of a sudden Death is very adviseable; that so Men may be fore-arm'd against the Stroke, when it doth come; that so their Houses, which they are to leave, may be set in better Order, (for some cannot be perswaded to make their Wills [Page 18]till extream Sickness; or if made, Men may always have a desire and occasion, and yet not always an Opportunity to alter them; and so something of Con­sequence may be left unwill'd, that may create Trouble to Executors, Heirs, Le­gatees, &c.) and that they may be better prepared for that House or State whither they are going; lest when they are call'd, they may be found not doing their Ma­ster's Work, and so fall short of their Wages. The most prepared Soldier had rather fight a pitch'd Battle, than upon an hasty Alarm. The best furnished House-keeper would take it more kindly to have some notice of his Friend's com­ing before-hand, than to be put upon a sudden Hurry. So the most wary Walker, the most wakeful Watcher, would gladly some Harbinger of the King of Terrours, some kindly Sickness, or sensible Declen­sion of Strength would give him warn­ing to settle his outward Concerns, make his Peace with all the World, and leave Peace amongst his Relations, pay his Debts here below, and get a Release of all above Seal'd and assured to him. I pass on

2dly. To such Evils as may affect the Publick, and that either State or Church. The State may suffer either by Sedition [Page 19]or privy Conspiracy,—the former disturbs the Peace and Health of the Body, the latter aims at the Life of the Head; for the Preservation whereof, we are all bound daily to pray, and against all those things that have any Tendency towards their Ruin, be they open or secret; more or less intended. Sedition is one step to Rebellion, and privy Conspiracy another. We pray therefore that the Cockatrice may be crush'd in the Egg, the mon­strous Bastard stifled in the Cradle, all Tendencies that way may be stopp'd in their first Motions. And then for the Evils, that may injure the Church, False Doctrine, Heresie and Schism; in the Deprecation of them our Church disowns all Pretence to Infallibility; praying a­gainst that which may befall it, or the purest Church in the World. And here let me observe, that the forementioned Primer hath not this Branch in it, viz. From all Sedition, privy Conspiracy and Re­bellion; from all False Doctrine, Heresie and Schism; —The Church of Rome being a great Patroness of Sedition, privy Con­spiracy and Rebellion; and so high a Pre­tender to Infallibility, that False Doctrine, Heresie and Schism are whatever she please to call so. And therefore in her Mouth, and the Mouths of all her Children, all [Page 20]that own the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England, yea, all that teach contrary to Her are Hereticks and Schis­maticks. Heresie strikes at the Doctrine, and Schism at the Discipline of the Church; the former is like a Disease which taints the Blood, and poisons the Seat of Life; the latter is like a Wound, which lets out the Blood, and if not well look'd to may turn to a Gangraena; and both are so dan­gerous, that we cannot too often pray against them, and all the Steps and Ten­dencies thereto, even that that is but False Doctrine or simple Errour; which persisted in and pursued to its utmost Consequences, may turn to Heresie, and occasion Schism: And, Lastly, against the inward Causes of them and the other things that are so Mischievous to the State, to wit, Hardness of Heart, and Contempt of God's Word and Commandment. Ob­stinacy is a great Ingredient of Heresie, and Stubbornness of Rebellion; these two are Synonimous to one another in 1 Sam. 15.23. and these all spring from the Con­tempt of God's Word and Commandments, which are the Test of Truth, and Rule of Obedience. And so much for the things pray'd against.

In the two next Branches we have those potent Arguments wherewith the foregoing Supplications are urged: By the Mystery of the Holy Incarnation; by thy Holy Nativity and Circumcision; by thy Baptism, Fasting, and Temptation;— In all which there is no Swearing nor Con­juring, as some weak Persons sondly ob­ject; as if the Preposition, By, could not be used in any other way or Sense. But what think they of St. Paul, when he saith, I beseech you therefore, Brethren, Rom. 12.1. by the Mercies of God;—that is, as ye hope to partake of or be Saved by the Mercies of God. It is a Form of vehement Ob­secration, Exhortation, or Contestation. So again, We beseech you, Brethren, 2 Thess. 2.1. by the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him; that is, as ye hope for the Coming of our Lord at the last Day, and our Meeting him at that time (of which he had spo­ken in the former Epistle) and such Forms are usual among all Writers and Speakers, when a thing is earnestly de­sired.Chap. 4.15, 17. And so we may account for all the Particulars above-named.

By the Mystery of the Holy Incarnation, Good Lord deliver us. As if it had been said, O Lord, to what end did'st thou [Page 22]contrive that great Mystery of Godliness, 1 Tim. 3.16. God manifested in the Flesh? Why did'st thou that was't in the Form of God, Phil. 2.6, 7. and thought'st it no Robbery to be equal with God, take upon thee the Likeness of Sin­ful Man? Was it not to save thy People from their Sins? Matt. 1.21. From the Power as well as the Punishment of Sin? From the Crafts and Assaults of the Devil, from the Wrath of God, and from Everlasting Damna­tion.

By thy Circumcision;— Thou, O Lord, that was't made of a Woman, Gal. 4.4, 5. was't made under the Law, to redeem us that were un­der the Law, that we might receive the Adoption of Sons; therefore thou shed­dest thy first Blood at thy Circumcision, and thy last upon the Cross, to redeem us from the Curse of the Law; Gal. 3.13. 2 Cor. 5.21. thou was't made Sin for us, and a Curse for us.

By thy Baptism,— wherein thou was't so Solemnly own'd and proclaim'd to be the Son of God; and whereby thou didst Sanctifie Water to the Mystical Washing away of Sin, Office of Baptism. and making us Children of God.

By thy Fasting; Collect. 1st Sunday in Lent. —Thou who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights, to [Page 23]deliver us from the Surfeit we took by eating the Forbidden Fruit, and to pre­pare thy self against that great Tempta­tion, wherein thou overcamest the Crafts, as after in thine Agony the Assaults of the Devil.— By that three-fold Temptation, which thou underwent'st, and wherein thou overcamest the great Enemy of Man­kind at all his three Weapons, wherewith he worsted Man at first, the Lust of the Flesh, the Lust of the Eye, and the Pride of Life, Good Lord, deliver us from the Deceits of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil.

By thine Agony and Bloody Sweat;—O Lord, the Devil then set upon thee like a roaring Lion, and all the Powers of Dark­ness were let loose upon thee, and thou then offered'st up Prayers and Supplica­tions with strong crying and Tears unto him that was able to save thee from Death, Heb. 5.7. and was't heard and delivered from that thou feared'st, (so may we understand that place) Good Lord, deliver us from all our Fears: O Lord, in that thy self hast suffered being tempted, Heb. 2.18 thou art able to succour them that are tempted.

By thy Cross and Passion;— that is, by thy Passion upon the Cross; or, by thy [Page 24]Cross; that is, The manner of his Death, he was made a Curse for us; but by his Shedding his Blood thereon he took away the Curse, and made full Expiation and Atonement.

By thy precious Death and Burial;— Upon the Shedding of so much innocent and precious Blood, Death must needs follow; and it need not be counted any Tautology to add it to Passion, since we have not words enough to express what our Lord Suffered. And let not any think it was all one to us, whether our Lord was buried or no, meerly to quarrel with this Prayer; for they must also quarrel with the Apostle's Creed, that hath in that short Sum [...]n of our Christian Faith this, and all the foregoing Particulars distinctly, thus, He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, Dead and Buried. Our Lord's Burial, with the choice Circum­stances of it, strongly prove the Reality of his Death and Resurrection. And St. Paul looks upon it as so considerable a Passage, as to particularise it, and re­peat it as part of the Christian Cabbala delivered to him at first.1 Cor. 15.3, 4. I delivered unto you first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our Sins, accor­ding to the Scriptures, and that he was [Page 25]buried; yea, and to resemble the Spiri­tual part of Baptism thereunto.Rom. 6.4 There­fore we are buried (saith he) with him by Baptism into Death. And again,Col. 2.12. Buried with him in Baptism. Next follow, after all these Instances of our Lord's Myste­rious Humiliation, those of his Exalta­tion, his glorious Resurrection and Ascen­sion. Our Lord, by his Resurrection, hath given the greatest Evidence and Assurance of our Immortality and Resurrection; and that he not only died but overcame Death, and mastered him that had had the power of Death, that is, the Devil; Heb. 2.14 and to shew that he was to die no more, he left this Stage of Mortality, and made that glo­rious Ascension, whereof enough cannot be said. And when he ascended on high, he led Captivity Captive, Eph. 4 8. and gave Gifts to Men, by his Mission of the Holy Ghost; which was the last Remarkable in the great Mystery of Godliness; signifying the effe­ctual Means made use of for the Publi­cation and Application of the Doctrine of the Gospel for the Benefit of all Mankind. And now pray what Arguments more strong and proper, and likely to prevail with our Lord, than these that are fetch'd from all the signal Passages and Particu­larities of his wonderful Ʋndertaking, wherein he so much denied himself, and [Page 26]obliged us; and for the effectuating where­of, and making them Saving to us, he now sits at the right Hand of God, for ever to make Intercession for us? What do we more therein, than Pray to our Saviour to Save us by those Means and Methods, which he himself hath managed and directed? Nay, do not they mean the same thing in effect, that say, Save us, Lord, for thy Name's sake, for Jesus Christ his sake? Doubtless we all desire that so great Contrivances and Under­takings of Infinite Wisdom and Goodness, that so much Cost and Pains may become Effectual and Saving to us, in all those Ends and Purposes for which they were intended.

And now, Lastly, because there are some Critical Times, wherein we shall stand in need of Salvation and Delive­rance; if these are express'd, they will heighten our Devotion, and make this part of the Prayer still more compleat. There are, I say, four Critical Times; First, The Time of our Tribulation; and this we pray rather to be delivered in than from; because it is very often the Portion of them that will live Godly in this World,2 Tim. 3.12. to suffer Persecution, accor­ding as the Apostle tells us. This is a [Page 27] Time, wherein the Devil is most busie with and against us, and useth both his Crafts and Assaults; and therefore we need more special Assistance. Secondly, The Time of our Wealth;— We do not pray for Wealth; but to be delivered from the Cares, and Snares, and Tempta­tions, which it brings along with it: And in this Time the World and the Flesh use their Deceits against us, and so often pre­vail, that our Table becomes a Snare to us, and our Friends become Flatterers; our Honey turns to Poison, and fair Wea­ther doth us more harm than foul. In this time we stand least upon our guard, and are easily surprised; and therefore we pray to God to make us Watchful, and to watch over us himself, and deliver us from the Dangers of it. Thirdly, The Hour of Death,—in which and not from it we desire to be delivered: For at this Hour the World and the Flesh leave us; but then the Devil sets on us a-fresh, and would make us, if he could, despair of Deliverance, and think our Sins are too great and too many to be forgiven; he would fain make us let go our hold of our Saviour, and then he knows we shall drop into his Bottomless Pit. Where­fore in the Visitation of the Sick, we are taught to pray, O Lord, Save thy Ser­vant; [Page 28]which putteth his Trust in thee. Send him Help from thy Holy Place; And evermore mightily defend him. Let the Enemy have no advantage of him; nor the Wicked approach to hurt him. Be unto him, O Lord, a strong Tower from the face of his Enemy. And afterward, Defend him from the Danger of the Ene­my,—Renew in him whatsoever hath been decay'd by the Fraud and Malice of the Devil. Fourthly,—In the Day of Judg­ment: And that is a Critical Day indeed, wherein, it may be, the Devil may be as ready to accuse us to God, as he did Job; but he can then do us no harm; there will then need no Accuser but our own Consciences, and he that shall be our Judge, who now desires to be our Saviour, and that he may prove so to the last Day we Pray, beyond which there will be no dan­ger, nor need of any more Deprecation. And so we have gone over the first Part of the Litany, Deprecation.

I proceed to the other Part; which is Petition for good things, and this is double, Intercession for others, and Prayer for our selves.

1. Intercession; [...], required by the Apostle; 1 Tim. 2.1 and insinuated by the Plural [Page 29]Number used in our Lord's Prayer, and here. As feeling Members of that Mystical Body whereof our Lord Jesus Christ is the glorious Head, we pray for the Holy Ca­tholick Church; called Catholick and Ʋni­versal ever since the Apostle's days, and in their Creed, because comprehending all Na­tions in the World as well as Jews, or ra­ther, as the World now goes, Comprehen­sive. For our Lord said, Go, teach all Na­tions, &c. and all Nations were taught and baptised in the Faith of Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity; called Holy, not from intrinsick Holiness; for the Kingdom of Heaven is like to a Field that hath in it both Wheat and Tares; like to a Net, Matt. 13.24.47. which being cast into the Sea, gathereth of every kind, both good Fish and bad; but from a Relative and Faederal Holiness, such as was that of the Jews, and from the Pro­fession of a most Holy Faith. For this we pray, that it may be ruled and governed in the right way; the forecited Primer hath not in the right way, for the Church of Rome thinks it can never be in the wrong, never prove Heretical or Apostatical: But we that know the Church Militant is made up of Men, that are frail and fallible, and often err in Judgment, and oftner in Pra­ctice, we pray it may be kept in the right way; and the good Lord keep that Part of [Page 30]it in the right way, that is in it, and restore that that is out.

Then we come to our particular Church, and pray, first, for Him that is Supreme Governour of it, Supreme Ordinary or Go­vernour of it on Earth, and so our Lord Jesus Christ's Vicegerent, and truly that which the Pope pretends to be over the whole Catholick Church. And (1.) We pray for Spiritual good things, that God would be pleased to keep our Gracious King, and strengthen Him in the true Worshipping of God, and in Righteousness and Holiness of Life; and rule his Heart in the Faith, Fear and Love of God; and that he may evermore have Affiance in him, and ever seek his Honour and Glory. He that considers how prone of old the Kings of Israel and Judah were to Idolatry, and how many Kings of the Earth at this day Worship the Image of the Beast, and are governed in Religious Matters by the Imperious Di­ctates of an Apostate Church; or, to look nearer home, that reflects upon the dole­ful Instance of the late King's embracing the Romish Religion, the mischievous Effects whereof who knows whether ever these Kingdoms may out-grow? I say, He that considers all this, will think it was at first and still is very fit to pray for the keeping [Page 31]and strengthning our King in the true Wor­ship of God. And in what follows, We pray that He may own God for his Sove­reign, by making the Honour and Glory of God his ultimate end, and his Trust and Affiance in God (and not in Man) the Foun­dation of all he doth. And then we pray for Temporal Blessings; namely, That God would be his Defender and Keeper (defend and keep him, whom he hath appointed to defend and keep us) and in order to that, give him the Victory over all his Enemies; whether home-bred or forreign. And then (as is most natural) We pray for the whole Royal Family; desiring that they may prosper and be multiplied. And surely this is far more explicit and parti­cular than that of the so often cited Primer, Ʋt Regi nostro & Principibus nostris Pacem & veram Concordiam atque Victoriam do­nare digneris. After this we pray for all Bishops, Priests and Deacons (the three Orders of Clergy in the Primitive Church) that God would enlighten them with true Knowledge and Ʋnderstanding of his Word, and that both by their Preaching and Living they may set it forth, and shew it accor­dingly. And this is according to the In­struction of St. Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. 4.16. Take heed unto thy self, and to thy Doctrine; — that they may be as John Baptist was, John 5.35. a burning [Page 32]and a shining Light; teach as well by their Examples as by their Instructions. Then (what is not in that Primer) that it would please him to endue the Lords of the Council, and all the Nobility, with Grace, Wisdom, and Ʋnderstanding; To bless and keep the Magistrates, giving them Grace to execute Justice, and to maintain Truth. Which in the Prayer for the Militant Church is thus expressed;— Grant unto his whole Council, and to all that are put in Authority under him, that they may truly and indifferently minister Justice, to the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice, and to the Maintenance of thy true Religion and Vertue.—And then follow several Prayers (which are not in that Primer) which for brevity sake, and because they are so plain and easie to be understood, I will pass over, and take more special notice of those that are Prayers of Charity.

That it would please God to bring into the way of Truth, all such as have erred and are deceived. Humanum est errare, humanius condonare. Though we hope and think we are in the Right, and none have yet convinced us to the contrary, yet (as before) we pretend not to be In­fallible; and therefore as being liable to Error our selves, we pray for the Erroneous, [Page 33]that they may be brought into the way of Truth. And then for our Morals, we are as prone to Errors of Life as Do­ctrine, and therefore pray that they that stand may be strengthned, and others that are wavering and tottering may be help'd and comforted, and kept from falling, and they that are already fallen may be raised up; and because the Devil, that occasi­oned the Fall of our first Parents, lies like a Serpent in our Way, and an Adder in our Paths, to bite and trip up our heels, we Pray that God would tread him under our feet; according to the Assu­rance St. Paul gives us in those very words, And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan un­der your feet shortly. And the first Gospel, Rom. 16.20. —It shall bruise thy head, Gen. 3.15 and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Then we come to Pray for all that are in Danger, Necessity, and Tribulation; and not content with so general a Sup­plication, we reckon up in eight or nine Particulars those that labour under or are most liable to Dangers and Troubles. As, first, All that travel by Land or by Water; — the Dangers of the former, in being bewildred and benighted, invaded by Robbers, and wild Beasts, far from help and home, who cannot tell? And for the [Page 34] latter, David tells us as Emphatically, as if he had gone some East-India Voyage; when he only crossed Jordan, Psal. 107.23. They that go down to the Sea in Ships, that do business in great Waters: Psal. 107.24. These see the Works of the Lord, Psal. 107.25. and his Wonders in the Deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy Wind, which lifteth up the Waves thereof. Psal. 107.26. They mount up to the Heaven, they go down again to the Depths, their Soul is melted because of trouble. Psal. 107.27. They reel to and fro, and stag­ger like a drunken Man, and are at their wits end. Psal. 107.28. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he brings them out of their Distresses. Psal. 107.29. He makes the Storm a Calm, so that the Waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, Psal. 107.30. because they be quiet; so he brings them to their desired Haven. Here some will interpose and say, In pray­ing for all that travel by Land or by Sea, we pray for Robbers and Pyrates, Rebels and Traitors, them that delight in War, and whose Feet are swift to shed Blood. I answer with the ingenious Falkner, He is properly a Traveller (and doubtless is here meant) who goes upon his allowable or ordinary Occasions. Libertas Ecclesia­stica, p. 153. If the meanest Man in the Country should hear of an Act of Par­liament, for securing the safe Passage of all Travellers, he would never thence conclude, that they intended to provide for the Safety [Page 35]of Robbers, High-way-men and Traitors, who are the great Disturbers of Safety. I add, No Prayer can well be devised, but some such small Exception may be made against it; all Men are presumed to be Honest and Loyal, and so we may pray for them; yea, we ought to pray, that they may be Honest. There is no reason that Honest and Loyal Men should be shut out of our Prayers for the sake of them that are not so. We may pray for the Safety of a sinking Ship, though there be a Jonas in it; as our Lord pray'd for his Disciples, though there were a Judas among them.

Secondly, All Women labouring of Child, — and so labouring under the Curse of Eve, Gen. 3.16 when God said, I will greatly multiply thy Sorrow and thy Conception: It Sorrow thou shalt bring forth Children. And we know the Scripture to express a very great and sudden Distress, compares it to the Pangs and Throws of a Woman in Travel; for the Safe Deliverance from which, as our Church hath appointed a particu­lar Thanksgiving after, so here a general Prayer before.

Thirdly, All Sick Persons.— And this includes a vast Number; all that labour [Page 36]with Chronical Diseases, as the grinding Pain of the Stone, the racking Auguish of the Gout, and such torturing Ails as none can conceive but they that have felt; with Critical Diseases, as all Fevers and Pestilences, which threaten speedy Death; especially these last, that lock up from the kind and comfortable Visits of Friends and Neighbours; These ought espe­cially to be remembred.

Fourthly, Young Children.—How many thousand Dangers are these poor Lambs obnoxious to; from within and from without; how hard is it to know their Ail, how hard to help them; and when they come to use their Feet, how ready are they to carry them into the Fire and the Water, to trip at every Stick and Straw; how ready are they to play on the hole of the Asp, and sport on the Brink of the Pit; how near Danger must they always be, that are afraid of none, and unable to help themselves out of any. There is doubtless a special Providence watcheth over young Children, that so few miscarry; and doubtless most watch­ful over them that are recommended to his Care by the Prayers of the Church and their Parents.

Fifthly,—Shew thy Pity upon all Pri­soners and Captives.— What all, some will say, old Goal birds, Felons, and Traitors? Although the Prayer chiefly means Pri­soners for Debt, and Captives in War, (and so we may understand the Prayer of Asaph, Let the Sighing of the Priso­ner come before thee, Psal. 79.11. according to the greatness of thy Power: Preserve thou those that are appointed to die. And that in another Psalm, Psal. 102.19, 20. He hath looked down from the height of his Sanctuary; from Heaven did the Lord behold the Earth: To hear the Groaning of the Prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to Death; or the Children of Death.) Yet it will take in also the most Noto­rious Malefactors, that need the more Pity, by how much they less pity them­selves; and we shall do well to Pray for the Thief on the Cross, the Murderer at the Goal-house, that God would make them Penitent, and accept of their Repen­tance; break the Stony Heart, and not de­spise the broken.

Sixthly and Seventhly,—Defend and pro­vide for the Fatherless Children and Wi­dows; and all that are Desolate and Op­pressed. Provide for the Desolate, and defend the Oppressed. And surely we [Page 38]ought to Pray for those who are God's Special Care, so Special, that he intitles himself there-from in the sixty eight Psalm; where God is represented riding in tri­umphant Majesty, and one would have ex­pected a Proclamation of such Titles, as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, &c. but instead thereof we hear, A Father of the Fatherless, Ver. 5, 6. and a Judge of the Wi­dows is God in his holy Habitation. God setteth the Solitary in Families: He bring­eth out those which are bound with Chains. The Widow hath lost the Guide of her Youth, and the Staff of her Age; and the Fatherless the best Friend he can have upon Earth; and therefore we pray that God would be to them Friend, and Father, and Husband.

And now that we may not leave any sort of Men out of our Prayers; it follows, That it would please thee to have Mercy upon all Men. All Men? What Reprobates? Apostates? those that have sinned the Sin unto Death? Who are Reprobates, &c. we know not; but we know St. Paul exhorts that Supplications, Prayers, 1 Tim. 2.1 Intercessions— be made for all Men. 1 Tim. 2.3. Giving this reason, For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour: 1 Tim. 2.4. Who will have all Men to [Page 39]be saved, and to come unto the Know­ledge of the Truth. I know how many Distinctions are made to restrain the All in these places; which if they will hold good there, they will also hold good in this Prayer; and then one of any Perswasion may joyn with us in it.

But there is one fort of Men, for whom the Heart of Man hath little list to pray; to wit, Enemies, Persecutors, and Slan­derers: Now to prevent the tacit Ex­ception, our Church hath added a Prayer for them, that God would forgive them, and turn their Hearts. I say added, for neither it nor any of the forementioned Charitable Prayers (except for the Poor and Captives) are in that Primer.

Thus have I given a plain Account of this incomparable Prayer, our solemn Litany; which is not obscure in it self, but yet hath been much misunderstood; and therefore I have laboured to beget a right understanding of the same. And if what I have said, be not sufficient to remove the Prejudices and Prepossessions of those, who under a Pretence of Pray­ing by the Spirit, have taught the People to despise both this, and all other Set Forms of Prayer; yet I hope at least it [Page 40]may not prove altogether unuseful to such Devout Members of our Church (for whose sake it was chiefly intended) that are desirous both to know what it is they pray for in every part and parcel of it, and heartily to pray for the same.