The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland: With Which Are Included Knox's Confession and The Book of DisciplineKnox, John
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The History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland: With Which Are Included Knox's Confession and The Book of Discipline
Knox, John
Reformation -- Scotland; Scotland -- Church history
"O Eternal and Everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hast not only commanded us to pray, and promised to hear us,
but also dost will us to magnify Thy mercies, and to glorify Thy
name when Thou showest Thyself pitiful and favourable unto us,
especially when Thou deliverest us from desperate dangers, ... we
ought not to forget, nor can we, in what miserable estate stood this
poor country, and we the just inhabitants thereof, not many days
past.... Out of these miseries, O Lord, neither our wit, policy, nor
strength could deliver us; yea, they did show unto us how vain is
the help of man, where Thy blessing gives not victory. In these our
anguishes, O Lord, we made suit unto Thee, we cried for Thy help,
and we proclaimed Thy name, as Thy troubled flock persecuted for Thy
truth's sake. Mercifully hast Thou heard us.... And Thou hast looked
upon us as pitifully as if we had given unto Thee most perfect
obedience, for Thou hast disappointed the counsels of the crafty,
Thou hast bridled the rage of the cruel, and Thou hast of Thy mercy
set this our perishing realm at reasonable liberty. Oh, give us
hearts--Thou Lord, that only givest all good gifts--with reverence
and fear, to meditate upon Thy wondrous works lately wrought before
our eyes....
"We beseech Thee, therefore, O Father of mercies, that, as of Thy
undeserved grace Thou hast partly removed our darkness, suppressed
idolatry, and taken from above our heads the devouring sword of
merciless strangers, it would so please Thee to proceed with us
in this Thy grace begun. Albeit that in us there is nothing that
may move Thy Majesty to show us Thy favour, O yet for the sake
of Christ Jesus, Thy only well-beloved Son, whose name we bear,
and whose doctrine we profess, we beseech Thee never to suffer us
to forsake or deny this Thy truth which now we profess.... And
seeing that nothing is more odious in Thy presence, O Lord, than
is ingratitude and violation of an oath and covenant made in Thy
name; and seeing that Thou hast made our confederates of England the
instruments by whom we are now set at liberty, and that to them we,
in Thy name, have promised mutual faith again, let us never fall
to that unkindness, O Lord, that either we shall declare ourselves
unthankful unto them, or profaners of Thy holy name. Confound the
counsels of them that go about to break that most godly league
contracted in Thy name, and retain Thou us so firmly together by the
power of Thy Holy Spirit, that Satan shall never have power to set
us again at variance or discord. Give us Thy grace to live in that
Christian charity which Thy Son, our Lord Jesus, has so earnestly
commanded to all members of His body; that other nations, provoked
by our example, may set aside all ungodly war, contention, and
strife, and study to live in tranquillity and peace, as it becomes
the sheep of Thy pasture, and the people that daily look for final
deliverance by the coming again of our Lord Jesus; to whom with
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