[The following
prayer was
offered in John Knox's own congregation in Edinburgh, after the defeat of the
French army, which had been sent to Scotland in a plot to reimpose the Roman
Catholic religion in the land by force,
and unite Scotland, England and France under the French king.]
O
Eternal and Everlasting God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath not
only commanded us to pray, and promised to hear us, but also willest 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, nor can we forget, O Lord, in how miserable estate stood this
poor country, and we the just inhabitants of the same, not many days past. Out
of these miseries, O Lord, could neither our wit, policy, nor strength deliver
us; yea, Thou didst show unto us how vain was the help of man, where Thy
blessing giveth not victory.
In
this our anguish, O Lord, we sobbed unto Thee; we cried for Thy help, as Thy
troubled flock, persecuted for Thy truth's sake. Mercifully hast Thou heard
us. 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 a reasonable liberty. Oh, give us hearts with reverence and
fear, to meditate Thy wondrous works late wrought in our eyes. We beseech
thee, O Father of Mercies, that as of Thine undeserved grace Thou hast partly
removed our darkness, suppressed idolatry, and taken from above our heads the
devouring sword of merciless strangers, so it would please Thee to proceed
with us in this Thy grace begun. And albeit that in us there is nothing that
may move Thy Majesty to show us Thy favour, –
yet for Christ Jesus, Thy only well-beloved Son's sake, whose name we bear,
and whose doctrine we profess, we beseech Thee never to suffer us to forsake
or deny this Thy verity which now we profess.
And
seeing that nothing is more odious in Thy presence, O Lord, than is
ingratitude and violation of a 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, to whom we in Thy name have promised mutual faith again; let us
never fall to that unkindness, O Lord, that either we declare ourselves
unthankful to them or profaners of Thy holy name. Confound Thou the counsels
of them that go about to break that godly league contracted in Thy name, and
retain Thou us so firmly together by the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that Satan
have never power to set us again at variance.
Give
us Thy grace to live in that Christian charity which Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus,
has so earnestly commanded to all the members of His body; so 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 becometh the sheep
of Thy pasture, and the people that daily look for our final deliverance, by
the coming again of Our Lord Jesus. To whom, with Thee, and the Holy Spirit,
be all Honour, Glory, and Praise, now and ever. Amen.
Reference
John
Knox, The Reformation in Scotland (pp. 225-227). Edited by C. J.
Guthrie, Q.C., 1898. First Banner of Truth edition 1982.
