The Tree of Good and Evil, Prayer
A Prayer for any priuate Perſon.
MOST mighty God, and in Ieſus Chriſt my moſt louing Father, and mercifull Sauiour, I being one of the meaneſt of thy ſeruants, and vnworthy of the leaſt of all thy mercies, do acknowledge and confeſſe thy great goodneſſe and bounty towards mee, in that thou haſt from my birth till this preſent, powerfully preſerued mee, graciouſly ſuſteyned mee, and mercifully prouided all things needfull for my ſoule and body, as well as for thy deereſt children. Thou mightſt hauehave made mee a ſerpent, hatefull and loathſome to all thy creatures. Thou mightſt hauehave vtterly taken from mee the ſpirit of wiſedome, vnderſtanding, and knowledge, and giuen me vp into a reprobate minde, and into a fooliſh and corrupt iudgement, to hate the truth and to beleeue lies. Thou mightſt hauehave taken from me health, ſtrength, and ſoundneſſe of body, and continually hauehave tormented mee with paines, ſickeneſſes, and diſeaſes, and hauehave faſtened all the ſharpe arrowes of thy wrathfull indignation in my head, heart, liuer, lungs, and other members of my body: Thou mightſt hauehave depriued me of all the meanes of neceſſary maintenance, and made mee a common reproach and by-word to the moſt abiect and baſeſt people; Yea, thou mightſt with-draw thy preſence from mee, and cauſe the fretting worme of feare, and deſpaire, to gnaw on my heart day and night, giuing mee my portion heere with the wicked, and after death with the damned in hell for euermore. But (louing Fathert) …y mercy hath beene endleſſe towards mee a wretched ſinner, thou haſt not with-drawne thy louing kindneſſe from mee, but alwaies comforted, and refreſhed mee both in ſoule and body, with all things needfull; thou haſt reioyced my heart with the riches of thy grace; thou haſt meaſurably corrected mee, louingly inſtructed mee, and plentifully offered the meanes of ſaluation vntounto mee. And now, moſt gracious God, leaſt I forget thoſe fearefull iudgements oft-time… inflicted on thy deereſt children, and deſpiſe theſe heauenly graces, and tender mercies, through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne, ſathan, and this euill world, thou that openeſt mine eyes from bodily ſleepe of the night, open I beſeech thee alſo the eyes of my minde, enlighten me with the ſauing knowledge of thee, thy bleſſed will and holy waies, that I ſleepe not in death, lighten the heauineſſe of my wordly heart, waken the drowſineſſe of my dul & dead ſpirit, reforme and ſet in order my ſenſuall and earthly affections, take from me this hardneſſe of heart, rebellion of will, fooliſh thoughts, vaine imaginations, ſelfe-louelove, pride, frowardneſſe; take from me the way of lying, diſſembling, double-dealing, treachery, flattery, worldly craftineſſe, and all vnlawfull getting.
Conuert, ô Lord, and ſtrengthen my vnbeleeuing, fearefull, and diſtruſtfull heart, that truſting in thee the liuing God, and relying wholly on thy gracious prouidence in the lawfull vſe of ſuch meanes as thou daily offereſt to mee, I may eſcape the ſnares of the deuill, and auoid a ſea of euils, whereinto the men of this world doe plunge themſelues to eternall perdition. O Lord incline my heart to thy Word, and not to couetouſneſſe, cauſe mee to valew the worth thereof aboue gold and ſiluer, and to humble my ſelfe to my Spirituall Paſtors and Teachers, whom thou haſt ſent to call mee out of the darkeneſſe of this world into thy maruellous light. GiueGive mee power and ſtrength to redreſſe my waies according to thy Word, and let not thoſe common ſinnes of preſumption, and carnall ſecurity get the dominion ouer mee: Inable mee in ſome good meaſure to diſcerne the ſpirits of men, and the vaine faſhion of this tranſitory world, that I turne not aſide with the multitude to do euill, but that I may delight in the Saints heere on earth, and ſuch as excell in vertue.
And whereas Satan and his inſtruments are enemies to Chriſtian louelove and fellowſhip, giuegive me wiſedome, ſtrength, and conſtancie, that I neither giuegive offence vntounto them, whereby they ſhould withdraw themſelues from my company, neither yet take offence at their infirmities and imperfections, that I ſhould withdraw my affections from them, to ſort my ſelfe with ſuch as know not thee, feare not thee, and condemne the generation of thy children. GiueGive me grace to walke warily in theſe latter euill daies; preſerue my going out and comming in this day and euermore, and ſend thy good Angell to guide and protect mee in all my waies. And as, ô Lord, I grow elder in yeares, and eueryevery day draw neerer to my graue; ſo grant that I may grow in knowledge, faith, hope, louelove and all vertue, that when it ſhall pleaſe thee to call me to giuegive vp an account of my Stewardſhip, I may enter into thine euerlaſting ioy. Vouchſafe, ô Lord, to beſtow and encreaſe theſe graces in me, for thy deerely beloued Sons ſake, Chriſt Ieſus my Sauiour, in whom onelyonly thou art well pleaſed, to whom with Thee, and the holy Spirit, bee giuen all honour, glory, praiſe, and thankeſgiuing, now and for euer.
Thankeſ-giuing before Meate.
VVEe thank thée, O heauenly Father, for all thy mercies, and bleſſings heretofore beſtowed vponupon vsus, and ſtill continued and renewed vntounto vsus, and eſpecially at this time for theſe thy good creatures, that of thine owne goodneſſe and bounty thou haſt ordained and prouided for the maintenance of our bodies, giuegive them vertue and power to nouriſh vsus, that thereby our ſtrengths being renued, wee may bee made the more fit and able to ſerue thee in the duties of our Callings, to thy honour and glorie, and to the comfort of our owne ſoules and conſciences, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: Amen.
Thankeſ-giuing after Meate.
THe God of all glory, and power, who hath created, redéemed, and preſently …ed vsus, hee bleſſed and praiſed, now and for euermore, Amen.
God preſerue his Church, our King, his Realmes and Dominions, increaſe in vsus a true and liuely faith, continuall peace of conſcience, and the comfortable ioy of the Holy Ghoſt, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Granger, The Tree of Good and Evil (1616)