The Man of Prayer

That King William III of England was indeed a very great man is a fact beyond all dispute.  His magnitude as a soldier, a statesman, a churchman, and a monarch is sufficiently authenticated. 

But it was not in the material realm alone that he was illustrious; he was even greater in the sphere of spiritual things.  He is revealed to us as a very humble man, of deeply religious character, who was extremely conscious of his own unworthiness and of the fact that in the sight of God he was a sinner.  Thus he has earned the right to the most famous epitaph men have given him - "of pious and immortal memory."

This man, who was the greatest Protestant of his day, had won a fame which is immortal, because he was a truly pious man.

The secret of the greatness of William is to be found in his life of prayer, for he was a man of prayer.  It permeated his whole life and was his source of strength and his solace in the various vicissitudes of his life and his comfort in the many adventures and dangers he was forced to face.

The King lived a very full and busy life, much of which was spent in the conference chamber or on campaigns during his many days of war and battle.   Nevertheless, whether in palace or camp, William always made it a strict rule to find time for prayer, no matter how much he might be engaged upon other more mundane things.  This is especially illustrated in his attitude the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.  It was the custom of His Majesty, in Presbyterian fashion, to receive the sacrament four times in the year, and he always set apart two or three days to prepare himself for it.  If, however, he was in camp, or if urgent affairs of State prevented him from observing the season he usually allotted for his preparation, he ordered the sacrament to be deferred until a convenient Sabbath, that he might have opportunity to fit himself worthily to partake of it holy mysteries.  Thus with prayer and meditation the King prepared his soul for that most intimate means of grace by which God comes near unto His assembled people.

Some prayers used by William at the time of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper illustrate this part of the King's prayer life.  The prayers used in this article are all taken without the least variation from the original papers which His Majesty constantly used and so can be assumed to be authentic.  They are written in a plain, serious and unaffected style, and give evidence of a true devotion, a reverence of Him who is the King of Kings, and a sincere love of his Heavenly Father.  Take, for example:-

A prayer to God to prepare my heart for the worthy receiving of the Holy Sacrament, and to make me partaker of the blessings and benefits of it:

"I come to thee, O my Lord God, from whom are the preparation of the heart, and the good disposition of our minds for thy worship and service.  Fit me, O Lord, by hearty contrition for my sins, and a sincere resolution of a better course, to approach thy altar.  Accept of the expiation which thy Son hath made of all my transgressions by the sacrifice of himself, as a Lamb without spot and blemish.  Let the remembrance of my sins; and of his bitter sufferings for them, pierce my very heart, and engage me for ever to love and serve him, who laid down his life for me.  Cleanse me, O Lord, from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, that I may be a meek guest for thy holy table, and a real partaker of those blessings and benefits which are represented in the sacrament of Christ's body and blood.  Strengthen, O God, all good resolutions in me; enable me by thy grace faithfully to perform the conditions of that covenant, which I made in baptism, and intend to renew in the holy sacrament, by dedicating myself entirely, and for ever, to the service of my blessed Redeemer, who hath loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood.  To him be all honour and glory, thanksgiving and praise, love and obedience for ever and ever.  Amen"

A prayer to be used in private afterwards:

"I praise and magnify thy great and glorious name, O Lord, my God, for the blessed opportunity afforded to me this day of commemorating thy infinite goodness and mercy to me and all mankind, in sending thy only Son into the world to take our nature upon him, to submit to the infirmities and miseries of it, to live amongst us, and to die for us; and to preserve the memory of this great love and goodness of thine to us for ever in our hearts, that thou hast been pleased to appoint the blessed sacrament for a solemn remembrance if it.  Grant, O Lord, that I may faithfully keep and perform that holy covenant which I have this day so solemnly renewed and confirmed in thy presence, and at thy table.  Let it be an eternal obligation upon me of perpetual love and obedience to thee.  Let nothing seem hard for me to do, or grievous for me to suffer for thy sake, who whilst I was a sinner, and an enemy to thee, lovest me at such a rate as never and man did his friend.  Grant that by this sacrament there may be conveyed to my soul new spiritual life and strength and such a measure of thy grace and assistance as may enable me to a greater care of my duty for the future: that I may henceforth live as becomes the redeemed of the Lord; even to him who died for my sins, and rose again for my justification, and is now sat down on the right hand of the throne of God, to make intercession for me: in his holy name and words I conclude my imperfect prayers.

The King's life of prayer was not confined only to such specially sacred periods as the receiving of the Lord's Supper, but was indeed part of his everyday behaviour and habit.

There is good reason to believe that he made use of some of these prayers every morning and evening.  Those who attended upon his person testify to the fact that he was constant and regular in his devotions and morning and evening he obeyed the Scripture injunction to enter his closet and having the shut the door to pray along with God.

The following prayer reveals how William looked upon himself as a sinner in God's eyes.  It's a penitent confession of sins, with a humble supplication for mercy and forgiveness:

"Most gracious and merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, I desire to humble my soul before thee, in a deep space of my own vileness and unworthiness, by reason of the many sins and provocations, which I have been guilty of, against thy divine Majesty; by thought, word and follies of my life, which have been many and great; and which I do now with shame and sorrow confess and bewail before thee, for thy mercy's sake in Jesus Christ.  Pardon, O my God, my manifold neglects and omissions, and slight and careless performance of the duties of religion, without due affection and attention of mind; that I have not served thee with that purity of intention, with that sincerity of heart, with that fervency of spirit, with that zeal for thy glory, with that care, and diligence and constancy that I ought.

Make me deeply sensible of the great evil of my sins,  and work in me a hearty contribution for them; and let the sense of them be more grievous to me that any other evil whatsoever.  Have mercy upon me, O Lord, and according to thy tender mercies forgive all my transgressions, for the sake of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer.   Amen."

That William was a true Protestant with a real Catholic and universal outlook is shown by the breadth of vision which his prayers reveal.  Though he must have made many enemies, his prayers show that he was a genuine Christian in the forgiving spirit which he manifested towards them.  This is illustrated by the following prayer :-

A humble intercession with God for all mankind; for the whole Christian Church, and more particularly for that part of it which is planted in these kingdoms; for the Queen, and for all under our Government; for my relations and friends; for my native country, and for my allies, etc.

"I thine unworthy servant desire likewise humbly to intercede with thee, the God and Father of all, for all mankind; that thou wouldst be pleased to have compassion upon their blindness and ignorance, their gross errors and their wicket practices.  Send forth, I beseech thee, thy light, and thy truth, to scatter that thick darkness which covers the nations, and overspreads so grate a part of the world; that thy way may be known upon earth, and thy saving health among all nations.

Bless and preserve thy church dispersed over the face of the earth; restore it to unity and concord, in the acknowledgement of the truth, and the practice of righteousness and goodness.  Remove out of it all errors and corruptions, all offences and scandals, divisions and dissensions, all tyranny and all usurpation over the minds and consciences of men; that they who profess the same faith, may no longer persecute and destroy one another, but may be king and tender hearted on towards another, as it becomes brethren, and those that are heirs of the same common salvation.

I beseech thee more especially, to be merciful to that part of thy church which thou hast planted in these kingdoms.  Pity the distractions, and heal the breaches of it.  Purge out of it all impiety and profaneness; take away those mistakes and mutual exasperations, which cause so much distemper and disturbance; and restore to it piety and virtue, peace and charity.  Endue the pastors and governors of it, with a spirit of true religion and goodness, and make them zealous and diligent to promote it in those who are under their instruction and care.  Give them wisdom to discern the best and most proper means of composing the difference of this miserably divided church, the heart to endeavour it, and by thy blessing upon their endeavours, the happiness to effect it.

And I beseech the, O Lord, of thy great goodness, to bless all my relations and friends; particularly my dearest consort, the Queen.  I acknowledge thy special providence in bringing us together, and thereby giving me the opportunity and means of being instrumental in rescuing these nations from misery and ruin.  And as thou has been pleased to unite us in the nearest relation; so I beseech thee to preserve and continue that entire love and affection between us, which becomes that relation.  And if it be thy blessed will, and thou seest it best for us, bless us with children to sit upon the throne of these Kingdoms, and to be a blessing to them for many generations.

Be merciful, also, O God, to my native country; let true religion and righteousness be established among them, as the surest foundation of their peace and prosperity.

Bless all my allies; O righteous Lord, that lovest righteousness and hatest falsehood and wrong, do that stand by us in the maintenance of that just cause in which we are engaged, and bless us with union and good success.

And in thy good time, O Lord, restore peace to Christendom; put an end to those bloody wars and desolations, wherewith it hath been so long and miserably harassed:   and, when thou seest it best and fittest, manifest thy glorious justice in giving check to that ambition and cruelty, which hath been the cause of so great calamities to so great a part of the world.  O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself; lift up thyself, thou Judge of the earth, and render a reward to the proud:  scatter the people that delight in war:  let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but do thou establish the just.

Be merciful, O God, to all that are in affliction or distress; that labour under poverty, or persecution, or captivity; under bodily pains and diseases, or under temptation and trouble of mind: be pleased to support and comfort them and in thy due time to deliver them, according to thy great mercy.

Forgive, I beseech thee, most merciful Father, to all mine enemies all their malice and ill-will towards me; and give them repentance and better minds; which I heartily beg of thee for them, as I myself hope for mercy and forgiveness at thy hands, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my most merciful God and Saviour.   Amen."

It is related how once Constantine the Great was looking at some statues of noted men that he exclaimed: "These are standing; I shall have mine kneeling, for so I have risen to eminence."

The same could be said of William III, Prince of Orange, for this truly great man rose to eminence largely because behind all his greatness there was a humble life of prayer.

We are most accustomed to seeing him represented in statues and pictures, riding a horse which is often white, but surely a true statue of His Majesty would depict him kneeling, for this man was great because his life of prayer was great.

King William's Prayer

It is well known that a fall from his horse on the road from Kensington to Hampton Court hastened the death of King William the Third. His death took place on the following March 8.

A prayer King William used after his fall from his horse.

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 The we live, move, and have our being, and our times and lives are in Thy hand. A sparrow falls not to the ground without Thy leave and direction, much less are persons of kings shut out from Thy rule and governance. 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.