Diuine Sea-seruice: CONTAINING SVNDRY NECESSARY AND VSEFVLL FORMES OF PRAYER AND THANKS-GIVING FOR THE HELPE OF SVCH AS TRAVAILE BY SEA, FITTED TO THEIR SEVERALL NECESSITIES.
By SAMVEL PAGE D r in Diuinitie.
Pray continually. In all things giue thankes, for this is the will of God, in Christ Iesus toward you.
LONDON, Printed by Nicholas Okes for Simon Waterson, and are to bee sold at his shop in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Crowne. 1616.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE Master, Wardens, and Assistants, and the whole Societie of the Brethren of the Trinitie-house, of Saint CLEMENTS in Deptford-Strand.
BEcause I finde not, that any man hath of purpose endeuoured to helpe the deuotion of the Sea-men, with fitting formes of Prayer and thanks-giuing, applied to their seuerall occasions, I haue addressed these meditations to your vse, and the vse of your [Page] Companies at Sea. I doe not herein preiudice the holy libertie of such as are able without these directions, to powre forth their hearts before God, to vse their owne formes, but to giue helpe to such as cannot, beseeching you to recommend these to such, and beseeching Gods Amen to yours, and their deuotions: And to this you shall euer haue the Amen of your euerlouing and thankefull friend,
Diuine Sea-seruice, Containing sundry necessary and vsefull formes of prayer and thankes-giuing, for the helpe of all such as trauaile by sea, fitted to their seuerall necessities.
A forme of Prayer to be vsed in our owne land for all our brethren at Sea.
ALmightie God, whose eye beholdeth all things in heauen and in earth, and whose gracious prouidence keepeth an eternall watch ouer thy seruants, so that the Sun shall not hurt them by day, nor the Moone by night: wee thy humble and vnworthy seruants confesse and acknowledge, to thy glory, that wee enioy many fruits of thy [Page 2] mercifull fauour, which many of thy deere children doe want: Wee humbly recommend to thy fauour and protection, all those that are for a time depriued of that fulnesse of temporall blessings which wee possesse; especially we pray thee for all our brethren, that trauaile vpon the seas in their lawfull vocation: giue them the feare of thy name, the loue of thy mercie, peace in their consciences, safety in their ships, health in their persons, mutuall loue amongst themselues, obedience to their Gouernours, contentment with their prouisions, defence against all dangers, successe in their businesse, and safe returne to their owne land, that wee may all ioyne together in the praise of thy name, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A forme of Prayer to be vsed at the setting forth of any shippes in any voyage to Sea.
ALmightie God and most mercifull Father, who hast disposed vs thy seruants in sundry callings in this world, wherein thou hast appointed vs to labour honestly for our liuings, wee humbly beseech thee for thy blessing vpon this our voyage: wee commend the care of our bodies and soules into thy hands, receiue vs, wee pray thee, into thy protection, keepe vs in thy faith and feare, defend vs from the danger of sinne and Sathan, preserue our persons in health and safety, and keepe the goods committed to vs from the hand of the enemie, from the fraud of the deceitfull man, from the violence of fire and water, and from all other euils: goe thou forth with vs, and accompany vs all the way, crowne our honest labours with good successe, and safe returne, that wee may tell the people, what things thou hast done for vs, and praise thy name in the great Congregation, through Iesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
A Prayer to be vsed at Sea for our owne Land.
GRacious God, by whose prouidence we are now shipt for a strange land, we thy poore children doe beseech thee to blesse our owne Lands, and therein we pray thee for our gracious soueraigne Lord king Iames, Queene Anne, Prince Charles, the Prince Elector Palatine, and the Lady Elizabeth his wife, and their issue: blesse the whole Councell of state, the Clergie, Nobilitie, Magistracie, and Commons thereof: maintaine amongst them the free passage of thy Ghospell, giue, and continue to them sincere religion, peace, plenty, health, prosperitie, and honour, defend them from secret conspiracies, domesticall contentions, schismaticall and hereticall corruptions, and keepe them all in the vnitie of thy spirit, and in the bond of peace, and loue, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Morning Prayer.
MErcifull father, by whose watchfull care wee haue beene preserued this night from all dangers, in quiet and comfortable rest: we beseech thee to keepe vs also this day in thy feare and fauour, sanctifie vs by thy good spirit, that neither in thought, word, nor deed we may displease thee: enable vs to do the businesses of our calling, and blesse we pray thee, all our labors therin, make vs more sensible of thy good fauours, more sorrowfull for our sinnes, more thankfull for all thy mercies, more patient in all our afflictions, and more constant in our obedience to thy holy will, through our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer before Meate.
O Lord blesse these thy Creatures which thou hast giuen vs for our bodily sustenance, to the maintenance of our strength and health, make vs by them the better able for thy seruice, and the workes of our calling, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A thankes-giuing after meat.
WE giue thee thankes most mercifull Father, for these thy creatures, wherewith thou hast now refreshed our weake bodies, beseeching thee to furnish vs with food conuenient for vs, and to make vs alwaies thankful to thee for the same, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
An Euening Prayer.
A Almightie and most mercifull father, we thanke thee vnfainedly for all thy fauours vouchsafed to vs this day past, in our health and nourishment, and in thy powerfull defence from all danger of body and soule: we beseech thee to watch ouer vs this night, and to giue vs such comfortable rest, that wee may bee thereby refreshed, and enabled to the duties, and labours of our calling: forgiue we pray thee to vs, all the sinnes of the day past: suffer vs not to bee ouer-come with drowsinesse, nor dulnesse in thy seruice, but that sleeping or waking wee may bee ready for thee; and so direct vs by thy good spirit, that we may be more carefull in the day following, to serue and please thee, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer to bee vsed in a time of danger, by Stormes, and Tempests at Sea.
GRatious God to whom all creatures stoope, and obey thy will, who rulest the raging of the sea, and calmest the furges thereof when they arise, wee thy distressed children, beseech thee to haue mercy vpon vs, to forgiue vs all our sinnes, and to remoue this present danger from vs: Wee haue none in heauen but thee, and wee haue none on earth, whom wee esteeme in comparison of thee: Thou art our refuge against the stormy wind, and the tempest, speake thou the word, and our soules shall liue, visit vs with thy louing kindnesse, defend vs with thy power, say vnto the windes, be still, and to the seas, stay heere your proud waues; let our liues, and goods be pretious in thy sight. Thou hast commanded vs to seeke thee in the day of our trouble, and thou hast promised to heare the prayers of the distressed, arise O Lord, and helpe now, that we may know that it is thy hand; if thou helpest not, our soules shall dwell in silence: [Page 8] Hast thee O Lord to helpe vs, O Lord make no long tarrying, O Lord heare vs, and deliuer vs for thy mercies sake: And whatsoeuer become of our bodies, wee beseech thee to prepare our soules for death and iudgement, that whensoeuer they shall depart from our bodies, they may rest in the glory of thy chosen, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thankes-giuing for deliuerance from the former danger of tempest and foule weather.
O Lord our deliuerer, who hast brought vs againe from the graue of death, and hauing onely shewed vs our destruction, hast redeemed vs from it: by the power of thy great mercy, thou Lord hast changed our feare into reioycing, and turned our groanings into praises of thy name; thou hast saued our liues, and refreshed vs with thy mercies; O Lord receiue from vs the remaine of our liues which thou hast preserued, and sanctifie them to thy seruice, and to the obedience of thy will heere, and crowne them with eternall life with the, in the Kingdome of thy glory, through Iesus Christ our Lord: Amen.
A Prayer in danger of the enemie.
O Lord the preseruer of all, that put their trust in thee, wee beseech thee to saue vs from the hands of our enemies, protect vs from the power of the cruell man, giue vs not a prey to them that seeke our liues to destroy them, and our goods to possesse them: Wee confesse that our sinnes haue deserued to bee chastised with roddes, but O Lord we pray thee to take the matter into thine owne hand, for with thee there is mercy, and in thy rod there is correction, but not destruction to thy seruants; O Lord set not vp the right hand of our enemies, and make not our aduersaries to reioyce: Wee humbly commit our bodies and soules into thy hands, for we know whom we haue trusted, and thou dost not faile them that depend on thee: Heare vs O Lord our deliuerer, and haue mercy vpon vs for Iesus Christ his sake, our onely Lord and Sauiour, Amen.
A Thankes-giuing for deliuerance from the former danger of the enemie.
O Lord our Fortresse, and defence against our enemies, which sought our destruction, we confesse that our sinnes haue iustly deserued, that thou shouldst haue forsaken vs in our greatest feare, & danger, but thou hast exalted thy mercy aboue all our iniquities, and hast giuen vs thy sheild to couer vs in the day of our battell, thy strength hath magnified it selfe in our weakenes, and thy right hand hath done valiantly; we humbly acknowledge our duty to thee, and offer vnto thee a sacrifice of Thankes-giuing for our deliuerance and victory, beseeching thee to fill vs with thy praise all the daies of our life, to the glory of thy name, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Prayer to bee vsed aboard in any visitation, by infectious sicknesse.
FAther of mercies, and Lord of life, to whom also belong the issues of death, wee thy children acknowledge against [Page 11] our selues, that it is thy hand which punisheth vs in our health with sicknesse, and it is our sin that deserueth this, and a greater iudgement to bee inflicted vpon vs, O Lord heale our soules, for we haue sinned against thee, heale our bodies which haue beene the instruments of sin, and the weapons of vnrighteousnesse; command thy destroying Angell to hold his hand, and restore vs againe to the cheerefull light of thy countenance. Clense the corruptions of our defiled soules, and repaire the decaies of our enfeebled bodies, turne our sorrow into ioy, our sicknesse into health; and that mercy may neuer forsake vs, turne all our sinne into obedience of thy will, and if thou haue now appointed vs for death, prepare our soules we pray thee for that remoue, and season vs for a better life, that wee may cheerefully embrace death, and willingly forsake this world to dwell with thee in life euerlasting, through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thankes-giuing for deliuerance from infectious sickenesse.
WEe thy humble, and vnworthy seruants, most mercifull Father, whom thou hast preserued and spared in this great and dangerous visitation, do thankfully praise thy name for this mercy, [Page 12] confessing, and beleeuing, that thou onely hast saned vs, & defended vs; thou hast visited vs gratiously, and corrected vs iustly, but thou hast not deliuered vs ouer vnto death: O Lord make vs more and more thankefull to thee for our liues, and obedient in the whole course of them to thy holy will: Preserue our bodies in health against all sicknesse, and disease, and our soules in holinesse against the infection and dominion of sin, that we may serue thee in all humble obedience to the end of our life through Iesus Christ, our Lord: Amen.
A Prayer for their friends at home, to be vsed by them who aduenture their owne persons to Sea.
ALmighty God, who rulest all things by thy power, and wisedome, and in whose sight all the inhabitants of the round world do walke: We thy seruants, diuided for a time from our deerest friends, to follow the businesse of our lawfull Calling, do yet most humbly call vpon thee for them: Blesse, O Lord, our naturall parents, our wiues and children, our kinred, and allyance, all our friends, and acquaintance; preserue them in the true faith of thy Gospell, [Page 13] in the health of their persons, in the loue of their neighbours, in the businesses of their Callings, in all their waies direct and prosper them. Heare their prayers for vs, and our prayers for them, and grant vs a comfortable and happy meeting againe in our owne Land, that wee may ioyne together in the praising and glorifying of thy name through Iesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Prayer to bee vsed aboard, for the Aduenturers and Owners at home.
MErcifull Father, wee thy seruants, employed in the goods of other men, to get the necessaries of our owne liues, do beseech thy blessing vpon the owners and aduenturers thereof vnder our labour and charge: O Lord God of our maisters, we beseech thee to send vs good speed in this voyage, prosper their affaires in our hands, that we may know that thou hast shewed them mercy, & let their holy prayers be acceptable with thee, and effectuall vpon vs: direct and blesse them in all their vndertakings, and returne their aduentures to them with plentifull encrease, to the praise of thy goodnesse, & mercy, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A thankes-giuing for a faire Wind.
GRacious God, we thy vnworthy seruants do confesse to thy glory, that by thy fauour to vs, thy creatures doe vs seruice, the winde and weather aboue vs, and the seas vnder vs, obey thy word and holy will to prosper our voyage: we humbly thank thee for this fauour; and we blesse thy name with the honor due vnto it: we beseech thee to teach vs also by the example of our fellow-creatures, to learne obedience to thy will, that our vnderstanding, reason and religion, wherein we excell these vnliuely creatures, be not lost in vs; but as wee in many things are more excellent then they, so especially we may exceed them in the maine end of our creation, which is to doe thee seruice and honour in the obedience of thy will, through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen.