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A Prayer for comfort in sadnesse, anxiety of spirit, sicknesse, or any other affliction.
HEare my prayer, O Lord: and let my crying come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble ••encline thine eares unto me when I call, O heare me, and that right soon.
3 For my dayes are consumed away like smoake: and my bones are burnt up as it were a firebrand.
4 My heart is smitten down, and withered like grasse: so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 For the voyce of my groaning: my bones will scarce cleave to my flesh.
6 I am become like a pelican in the wilder∣nesse: and like an owle that is in the desert.
7 I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow: that sitteth alone upon the house top.
8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long: and they that are mad upon me, are sworne toge∣ther against me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread: and mingled my drinke with weeping.
10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath: for thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.
11 My dayes are gone like a shadow: and I am withered like grasse.
12 But thou (O Lord) shalt endure for ever: and thy remembrance throughout all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise and have mercie upon Si∣on: for it is time that thou have mercie upon her, yea, the time is come.
14 And why? thy servants thinke upon her stones: and it pittieth them to see her in the dust.
15 The heathen shall feare thy Name, O Lord: and all the kings of the earth thy ma∣iestie.
16 When the Lord shall build up Sion: and when his glorie shall appeare.
17 When he turneth him unto the prayer of the poore destitute: and despiseth not their desire.
18 This shall be written for those that come after: and the people which shall be borne, shall praise the Lord.
19 For he hath looked down from his sanctua∣rie: out of the heaven did the Lord behold the earth.
20 That he might heare the mournings of such as be in captivitie: and deliver the children appointed unto death.
21 That they may declare the Name of the Lord in Sion: and his worship at Ierusalem.
22 When the people are gathered together: and the kingdomes also to serve the Lord.
23 He brought down my strength in my iour∣ney: and shortened my dayes.
24 But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age: as for thy yeares, they endure throughout all generations.
25 Thou Lord in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the worke of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: they all shall wax old as doth a garment.
27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy yeares shall not faile.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.
O Eternall God, who endurest for ever, and thy remembrance throughout all generati∣ons, have pittie upon us according to the infinite treasures of thy loving kindnesse, heare the voyce of our groaning, for thy indignation and thy wrath lieth hard upon us, and our sinnes have put an edge upon thy sword, and a thorne into our wounded consciences. O build up the ruines of our soules, repaire the breaches of our comforts and our hopes, and let thy glorie now appeare, for that shines brightest in the beames of thy mercie, and when thou turnest unto the prayer of poore wretched destitutes, it becomes an eternall mo∣nument and a record of thy honour, and all ge∣nerations which shall be borne shall praise thee. Looke downe, O Lord, from thy Sanctuary, heare the mournings of us and of all distressed people; send us health and life so long as it may be a bles∣sing, and do not shorten our dayes in wrath, but give us grace so to spend all our time in the workes of repentance and holinesse, that when our yeares faile, and our change is come, we may be translated to the new heavens which shall ne∣ver
perish and wax old, there to continue and stand fast in thy sight for ever, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.