It is not often that history has to record the prayers of God-fearing monarchs, but there have been a few noble exceptions, as recorded both in sacred and secular history. For instance, the young God-fearing King Edward VI’s of England, at the time of his death drew near, his eyes being closed, thought no one was by him, and so he offered the following prayer:—”Lord God, deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life, and take me among Thy chosen. Howbeit, not my will, but Thy will be done. Lord, I commit my spirit to Thee. O Lord, Thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with Thee; yet for Thy chosen’s sake, send me life and health, that I may truly serve Thee and my people. O my Lord God, bless Thy people, and save Thine inheritance. O Lord God, save Thy chosen people of England. O my Lord God, defend this realm from Popery, and maintain Thy true religion, that I and my people may praise Thy holy name, for Thy Son Jesus Christ’s sake.”
Then turning his face, and seeing who was by him, he said to him, “Are ye so nigh? I thought ye had been further off.” The doctor replied: “We heard you speak to yourself, Your Majesty.” Then the young King, characteristically and mildly smiling, said “I was praying to God.”
The last words he uttered were:—”I am faint, Lord, have mercy on me, and take my spirit to Thyself.” Extracted from Fox’s “Memorial,” who was contempory with His Majesty.
The following prayer was offered up by King William the Third, after he fell from his horse on the road from Kensington to Hampton Court on the 21st February, 1702, considerably precipitating his death, which occurred on the 8th March, 1702:— “O almighty God, the Creator and Preserver of men, from everlasting to everlasting Thou art God. But time and chance happeneth to all that are under the sun, and, in the midst of safety, we are in danger; yet, O Blessed God, it is still in Thee we live, move, and have our being, and our times and lives are wholly in Thy hand. A sparrow falls not to the ground without Thy leave and direction, much less are the persons of kings shut out from Thy rule and government. I desire to adore Thee in the depths of Thy over-ruling providence, which I am not able to fathom. I believe that affliction springs not out of the dust. I humbly submit to Thy Fatherly discipline, for Thou correctest in mercy and for my profit. Thou, O Lord, hast exercised me from my youth up until now with troubles and difficulties, and hast hitherto carried me safely through the manifold chances and changes of this mortal life. O, be Thou still my God and my Guide. Preserve in me always a due sense of the instability of all worldly things. Let my heart be fixed where true and everlasting joys are to be found, and grant that I never may be unprepared for death and judgment. Sanctify, I beseech Thee, in a particular manner this, my present affliction; give me patience under it, and a happy issue out of it. Let Thy Fatherly hand ever be over me, and Thy Holy Spirit ever with me. Whilst I live give me grace to serve Thee faithfully in the high station in which Thou hast placed me; and when I have served my generation according to Thy will, vouchsafe me an easy passage to everlasting rest, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.”
The foregoing was copied from an old manuscript in the Library at Cambridge, by the Rev. John Glover, M.A., Trinity College, Cambridge.—J. P. MacQueen.