Psalm 8: in Trouble for the Favour of Christ
PSALM 8: IN TROUBLE FOR THE FAVOUR OF CHRIST
(Prayer 1) All the things (O most good and merciful God) which thou hast created both in heaven and earth for our commodity and singular profit, declare most evidently how wonderful and excellent thy glorious name is: and although thy goodness be spread forth, and seen in all things, nevertheless even the very infants and sucking babes (whom from their mother's womb thou causest to be cherished and brought up with most tender and loving carefulness) do give us such assurance thereof, that we cannot but warrant ourselves all excellency of the same, insomuch that the infants in the time of their nursing, and when they begin to speak, do set before our eyes most evident tokens of thy gentleness: by these wonderful things are all the wicked confounded which carpe and speak evil of thy excellent goodness and divine providence. The heavens truly might have been thought a piece of work worthy such a workmaster as thou art, but in that thou wouldest so much humble and abase thyself as to have so careful a regard to frail and mortal man, it appeareth to be a sign and token of thy wonderful unspeakable love toward us. Wherefore again, and that worthily are we provoked, (although we have heinously sinned, and lived unworthily both in respect of thee and of our own vocation) to beg and crave at thy hands with a very earnest and assured confidence, not to permit thy Church to be overwhelmed with these present troubles. For if thou hast so highly extolled man to be little inferior unto
Angels, whereas otherwise, he is vile of his own nature: remember them much more I heartily beseech thee, whom you hast now adopted to be thy dear children, and to whom thou wouldst (for thy mercies sake) have all the works of thy hands serve and be obedient, suffer them not to be trodden under foot of ungodly and wicked persons. For thou hast always accustomed to visit the children of men with thy fatherly care and providence: assist us now also with thy ready help, when we stand in most need thereof. Deliver us in such sort we humbly beseech thee, that all men may well understand thy name thereby to be right wonderful (as most certainly it is,) and by all means possible worthy to be honored and made glorious, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.