LANCELOT ANDREWES

THE PRIVATE DEVOTIONS OF

LANCELOT ANDREWES

R.D.ICE

 

        “The cow grazes in many pastures, but the milk she gives is her own.”  Just so writers are influenced by many and much as they generate the written word.

        Many years ago I came into contact with this little book of “Devotions” written by Lancelot Andrewes during his lifetime.  He died in 1624.

        Andrewes was a leader and scholar of the English Church.  He was appointed as one of the translators of the King James Version Bible in 1604.  He translated Joshua through Second Chronicles.

        He had a “gift” with language.  His Devotions are a kind of “prose-poetry.”  He wrote in the language of the 16th century.  I have attempted to keep the spirit of his writings, while condensing and revising certain things.  Although his “world view” was quite different from ours, he loved God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, etc.  He may have been overly pessimistic, which was likely due to the times in which he lived.  This world is a dangerous and difficult place!  Yet Christ Jesus brought in a Living Hope!

        May we all be people of hope!  R.D.Ice

 

 

 

A Preface to the Lord’s Prayer:

 

Grant, O Lord, to remember me

        according to the multitude

                of Thy mercies,

        wink at mine infirmities,

        O Lord, and cast me not away:

But sovereign Lord which lovest

                mankind:

        After Thine unspeakable love

        account me worthy, O Lord,

        remove mine iniquities:

        without condemnation,

        with clean heart,

        with contrite soul,

        with face unashamed,

        with hallowed lips,

        to make bold to call upon Thee

        the Holy God and Father which

                art in heaven.

Do not by reason of me and my sins

        refrain Thy readiness to hear

        my service and my prayer.

Holy is Thy Name above every Name!

 

 

PRAISE TO THE TRINITY  Lancelot Andrews

 

O God the Father, of heaven,

    who hast marvellously created

        the world out of nothing,

    who dost govern and uphold heaven

        and earth with Thy power,

    who didst deliver Thy Only-begotten

        for us unto death:

 

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world,

    who didst will to be incarnate of

        a virgin,

    who hast washed us from our sins

        by Thy precious blood,

    who rising from the dead didst ascend

        victorious to heaven:

 

O God the Holy Ghost, the Comforter,

    who didst descend upon Jesus in

        the form of a dove,

    who coming upon the apostles didst

        appear in fiery tongues,

    who dost visit and confirm with

        Thy grace the hearts of the saints:

 

O sacred, highest, eternal, blissful,

        blessed Trinity,

    always to be praised, yet always

        unspeakable:

            O Father good -

            O Son loving -

            O Spirit kind -

    whose majesty is unspeakable,

    whose power is incomparable,

    whose goodness is inestimable:

    whose work is life,

    whose love is grace,        

    whose contemplation is glory:

 

Deity, Divinity, Unity, Trinity:

        Thee I worship, Thee I call upon,

    with the whole affection of my heart

        I bless now and forever:

            through Jesus Christ our Lord,

                Amen.

 

    *  References:

        1  Timothy 6:15-16

        1  Timothy 2:3-6

        Hebrews l:5-7

        John 14:15-17

        Romans 11:33-36

 

Worship To God:

 

Look down, O Lord our God,

        from heaven Thy dwelling place

        and from the throne of the glory

        of Thy kingdom,

        and come to hallow us.

Jesus, Thou that sittest on high,

        with the Father, and art here

        with us invisibly,

        come to hallow the worship

        that we set forth.

And give us communion and fellowship:

        unto faith unashamed,

        Love without hypocrisy,

        keeping of the commandments,

        alertness for every spiritual

                fruit

        turning aside of every spiritual

                adversary,

        healing of soul and body:

With the intent that we also,

        with all the saints,

        which have been wellpleasing

                unto Thee since the world began,

        may be made partakers

        of Thine unalloyed and everlasting

                good things,

        which Thou hast prepared for

        them that love Thee, O Lord:

        in whom Thou art glorified

        forever

O Lamb of God,

        that takest away the sin of

                the world,

        take away the sin of me who am

                a mere sinner.

We beseech Thee, O Lord,

        that with the witness of our

                conscience clean,

        receiving our share of Thy

                hallowed things,

        we may be united to the holy

        body and blood of Thy Christ

        and not unworthily

        may have Christ indwelling in

                our hearts,

        and be made a temple of the

                Holy Ghost.

Yes, Our God, grant us unto our

                last and closing gasp,

        worthily to receive hope

        of Thy hallowed things and

        appropriation of Thy kingdom.

 

FUNERAL THOUGHTS

FUNERAL THOUGHTS TRADITIONAL

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

 

"And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation."

Heb 9:27-28 (NKJV)

 

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" She [Martha] said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." John 11:25-27 (NKJV)

 

Precious in the sight of the Lord Is the death of His saints.  Psalms 116:15 (NKJV)

 

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:37-39 (NKJV)

 

 

HE CARETH

[writer unknown]

 

What can it mean?  Is it aught to Him

That the nights are long and the days are dim?

Can He be touched by the griefs I bear,

Which sadden the heart and whiten the hair?

Around His throne are eternal calms,

And strong, glad music of happy psalms,

And bliss unruffled by any strife;

How can He care for my little life?

 

And yet I want Him to care for me

While I live in this world where the sorrows be;

When the lights die down from the path I take,

When strength is feeble and friends forsake;

When love and music, that once did bless,

Have left me to silence and loneliness.

And my life song changes to sobbing prayers,

Then my heart cries out for a God who cares.

 

When shadows hang o'er me the whole day long,

And my spirit is bowed with shame and wrong'

When I am not good, and the deeper shade,

Of conscious sin makes my heart afraid,

And the busy world has too much to do

To stay in its course to help me through,

And I long for a Savior - can it be

That the God of the universe cares for me?

 

Oh, wonderful story of deathless love!

Each child is dear to that Heart above;

He fights for me when I can not fight,

He comforts me in the gloom of night;

He lifts the burden, for He is strong,

He stills the sigh and awakens the song;

The sorrow that bowed me down He bears,

And loves and pardons because He cares.

 

Let all who are sad take heart again;

We are not alone in our hours of pain;

Our Father stoops from His throne above

To soothe and quiet us with His love.

 

 

THE DAYS OF OUR YEARS

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away."  Ps 90:10.

     Death visits all ages.  Uncertainty part of the tragedy imposed by sin.

 

     1. LIFE FILLED WITH LABOR AND SORROW.

     a) hardships.  everybody.  tuff love.

     b) labor develops character.

     c) Suffering mellows personality.

 

     2. COMFORT TO KNOW THIS LIFE TEMPORARY

     a) brief - preparation.

     b) "heart of wisdom."

     c) cooperate with God.

 

     3. THE BEGINNING OF ETERNAL LIFE.

     a) we leave what we have - we take what we are.

     b) Jesus is Coming Again!

     c) no more tears!

 

 

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness

For His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;

For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord .Forever.  Psalms 23:1-6 (NKJV)

 

 

TRADITIONAL WORDS AT THE GRAVESIDE

Almighty God, our Father who art in heaven, in thy hands are the living and the dead, and with thee do live the spirits of those who depart in the Lord. With thee are the souls of the faithful, who have been delivered from the burden of their flesh. Into thy hands, O Lord, we commend thy servant Samantha, our dear sister, O faithful Creator and most merciful Savior, beseeching that she might always be precious in thy sight. We pray thee, by the blood of Jesus, that immaculate Lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world; that, whatsoever defilements she may have contracted in the midst of this earthly life, having been purged and done away with, she may be presented pure and without spot before thee; through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son, our Lord and Savior.  Amen.

 

PRAYER

      Almighty God, through the death of Christ Jesus on the cross, You have overcome death for us.  Through His burial and resurrection from the dead You have made the grave a holy place.  You sent Christ Jesus so that the world might be saved.

      In Jesus, who rose from the dead, our hope dawned of being raised to life at the end of the world.  Our great sadness of death gives way to the bright promise of eternal life. Lord, because of You, life is changed, but not ended.  When this body of our earthly dwelling lies in death, we hope for an everlasting dwelling with You in heaven.

      Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might; heaven and earth are full of Your glory. We come to You, Father, with praise and thanksgiving, through Your Son Jesus Christ.

      Remember us who are gathered here today to honor this one who has departed life. You know how firmly we believe in You, O God.  Comfort our hearts, wrap Your arms of love around us.  Be merciful in judging us.

      We commit this body to the dust of earth.  We know the spirit has returned to You, O God.  We wait in hope for the Coming of our Lord Jesus.

 

      A reading from the Gospel of John 11:25f  

Our Lord Jesus said: “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?  She [Martha] said to Him, Yes Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.

 

Closing Prayer

Thank You, O Lord, for the gift of memory.  Help us to hold in our minds the days of our departed sister, both the good and also the bad, since they are all part of life.  Wrap Your arms of love around each of us and draw us close to Yourself.  Help each one of us with our journey of faith as we walk into the future.  As our Lord Jesus arose from the dead, alive forevermore, please give us new bodies and new life in the Great Resurrection at the End of the World.  Thank You O Lord, in Jesus' Name.  Amen.