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 ...

* O [most] mer∣ciful * 1.1 Father, whither shall I turn my self? who both [in my] going out and coming in have sinned against thee. I a Prodigal departed like the Prodigal into a far Countrie, and riotously wasted my substance which thou gavest me. There first of all I grew sensible that all I had was consumed, and my self not worthie of [any] better companie than the Swine; and yet neither that filthie life, nor the famine of thy Grace, did [so much as] make me think of returning to a better temper. But now at my re∣turn from this unhappie Journey, be∣hold, O Lord, thy Judgments over∣take me, a Fire catches hold of the roof under which I was; for God saw and delayed not long, but a fire was kindled in Jacob, and there came up heavie displeasure against Israel. My wickedness (no doubt) it was which threatned this conflagration to the Colledge and to my self: For whilst

I was busily employed about putting out the fire, I was within very little of being destroyed by it, when loe, thy mercie, O Lord, rescued me from the flames almost by miracle: For whilst a friendly hand of one that stood by thrust me away with a kind of vio∣lence, the very same instant, at that very place where I intended to take up my standing, the fire that had been [a while] pent in, broke out, the stairs sunk down all in flames, and if the fire had found me there, I had also perisht. O my sins, which I never can bewail enough! O thy mercies, O Lord, which I can never sufficient∣ly extol! O Repentance, that never was more necessarie for me! O thy Grace, O Lord, which I ought to im∣plore with all Humilitie and without ceasing! I arise, O Lord my Father, and loe, I come; my pace indeed is but slow, and ['tis] unsteadie, but yet I come, and [I] consess I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthie to be called thy

Son. Let me be what thou wilt, O Lord, so I [may] be but thine. Wash away my sins in the bloud of thy Son, that I may be thine: And grant, I beseech thee, that as the terror then, so now the remembrance of that fire may daily burn up [in me] all the dregs and relicks of my sins, that I may grow more circumspect [for the future] that a better fire of Charity and of Devotion may inflame me with [the] love of thee, and [with] hatred of sin, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* O [most] * 1.2 merciful Lord, glorified be thy ever - blessed Name: for be∣hold, whilst I was attending on the King, according to my Place, unmindful of thee, and of the misfortunes that are incident to mankind, and having too much confidence in my self, by an unhappie leap in the road, I fell to the ground,

mistaken ground, and broke a Ten∣don. I was helpt up into a Coach, and came to Hampton: The torment [I had] was such as the Nerves are wont to feel, and [so great, that] the very anguish [of it] had certainly cast me into a violent burning Fever, but that a vast quantity of Bloud flowed out, [and so] delivered me from that fear. It brought me very low, and I went lame [for] almost two years: I am sensible of some weakness [by it] still; but immortal thanks be unto thee, O [thou] ever-blessed Trinity, thou hast given me the use of my legs perfectly enough, and hast establisht my goings beyond all mens expecta∣tion. Direct them now, O Lord, in the ways of thy Commandments, that [so] I may never halt between thee and a false Worship, nor between thee and the World; but that I may walk uprightly, and run the way of thy Testimonies when thou hast enlarged my heart. I pray thee therefore set my heart at liberty without delay,

and confirm my steps in the paths of thy righteousness, by and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Sept. 26. 1617. being Friday. Fire, and the peril thereof.
• * 1.2

  Feb. 5. 1628. being Wednes∣day according to the Julian Account, I broke a Vein; and again, March 6. being Sunday, walking in my Chamber in the Tower of London, 1641/2.