The daily office of a Christian being the devotions of the most Reverend Father in God Dr. William Laud, late archbishop of Canterbury : wherein several catechetical paraphrases ...

For the Church.

O Lord, we humbly be∣seech * 1.1 thee to keep thy Church and Houshold continual∣ly in thy true Religion, that they which do lean onely upon hope of thy heavenly Grace, may evermore be de∣fended by thy mighty power: And that I may humbly and faithfully serve thee in this thy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Gracious Father, I humbly beseech thee, for thy holy Catholick Church, fill it with all Truth, in all truth with all Peace. Where it is corrupt, purge it: where it is in error, direct it: where it is superstitious, rectifie it:

where any thing is amiss, reform it: where it is right, strengthen and con∣firm it: where it is in want, furnish it: where it is divided and rent asunder, make up the breaches of it, O thou holy One of Israel. Amen.

O merciful God, since thou hast or∣dered me to live in these times, in which the rents of thy Church are grievous; I humbly beseech thee to guide me, that the divisions of men may not separate me either from thee or it, that I may ever labour the pre∣servation of Truth and Peace, that where for and by our sins the Peace of it succeeds not, thou wilt yet accept my will for the deed, that I may still pray, even while thou grantest not, because I know thou wilt grant it when thou seest it fit. In the mean time bless, I beseech thee, this Church in which I live, that in it I may ho∣nour and serve thee all the days of my life, and after this be glorified by thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Lord, thou hast brought * 1.2 a Vine out of Egypt and planted it; thou madest room for it, and when it had taken root it filled the land. O why hast thou broken down her hedge, that all which go by pluck off her Grapes? the wild Boar out of the Wood rooteth it up, and the wild Beasts of the Field devour it. O turn thee again, thou God of Hosts, look down from Heaven, be∣hold and visit this Vine, and the place of the Vineyard that thy right hand hath planted, and the Branch that thou madest so strong for thy self. Lord, hear me for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

O Lord, except thou * 1.3 buildest the House, their labour is but lost that build it; and except thou, O Lord, keep the Citie, the Watchman waketh but in vain. It is but lost la∣bour to rise early, and take late rest, and to eat the bread of carefulness, if thou bless not the endeavours that seek the peace and the welfare of thy

Church. Therefore, O Lord, build thy Church and keep it, and take care for it, that there may be no lost la∣bour among the Builders of it. Amen.

O Lord our God, the * 1.4 great, the mighty, and the terrible God; O thou which keepest co∣venant and mercie, let not all the trouble seem little before thee that hath come upon us, upon our Priests, upon the Houses built and dedicated to thy Name, upon the Maintenance for them that serve at thy Altar, upon our Kings, State, and People, since that day of Affliction. Thou are just in all that is brought upon us: For thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly. Yet, O Lord, have mercie, and turn to us a∣gain, for Jesus and his mercies sake.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  5 Sund. af∣ter Epiph.
• * 1.2

  Psal. 80.8.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 127.1.
• * 1.4

  For the Church of England, when robbed of her Re∣venues. Nehem. 9.32, 33.