A Prayer for one under the Displeasure of Relations, for being Religious.
BLESSED Lord, who hast commanded us to call upon thee in the time of trouble, and thou wilt deliver us; and hast always shewn thyself to be a God hearing prayer, mighty and willing to save; hear me now, I pray thee, when I call upon thee, for trouble is at hand.
Thou seest, O Lord, how many of my brethren, according to the flesh, persecute me for thy name’s sake; so that I must renounce them, or decline openly professing thee before men.
But God forbid I should love father or mother, brethren or sisters, more than thee, and thereby prove myself not worthy of thee. No! I have long since given thee my soul and my body; so, lo! I now freely give thee my friends also.
I now find by experience, that as it was formerly, so it is now. They that are born after the flesh, do persecute those that are born after the spirit. Thou camest not to send peace on earth, but a sword. And unless a man forsake all that he hath, he cannot be thy disciple.
Lo! I come to perform this part of thy will, O my God; being assured, that whosoever forsaketh father or mother, brethren or sisters, houses or lands, for thy sake, or the gospel, shall receive a hundred-fold in this present life, with persecution, and in the world to come life everlasting.
I trust, O Lord, it is for thy sake alone, that I now make an offering of the favour of my friends to thee; for thou knowest, O Lord, how continually they cry out against me, though I am doing no more than thy holy word strictly requires me to do.
But do thou, O blessed Saviour, who saidst unto Peter, “Get thee behind me Satan,” enable me to stop my ears to their false insinuations, charm they never so sweetly; for they favour not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And unless, O Lord, thou dost help, they will be an offence unto me, and cause me to deny the Lord that bought me.
Far be it from me, O Lord, to be surprized, because of those offences; for thou hast long since denounced woe against the world because of offences; and I find it is needful for my soul, that such offences should come, to try what is in my heart; and to try whether I love thee in deed and in truth.
Blessed, therefore, for ever blessed be thy holy name, that I am accounted worthy to suffer for thy name’s sake. O let me rejoice, and be exceeding glad, that my reward shall be great in heaven.