The Jailors Jail, Prayer
A GODLY AND Zealous Prayer.
O Moſt glorious God, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and in him our Father, the Fountaine of all our welfare, and the giuer of all grace: we thy poore children (according to our bounden duty) are at this preſent aſſembled together before thee in Prayer, to offer vp euen from the ground of our hearts, the Sacrifice of thankſgiuing, for all thy louing mercies and tender kindneſſes whatſoeuer beſtowed vponupon vsus. We highly bleſſe thy Maieſty for electing vsus in thy Chriſt to life eternall, before all worlds, for creating vsus after thine owne moſt glorious Image in purity and perfection of holineſſe, for iuſtifying vsus by the perfect obedience of thy Sonne, for ſanctifying vsus by thy holy Spirit; and for the hope that thou haſt giuen vsus of our future glorification with thee heereafter in Heauen. We alſo returne vntounto thee all due and poſſible prayſe, for preſeruing vsus hitherto of thine eſpeciall goodneſſe and mercy; ſupplying aboundantly all our neceſſities both in ſoule and in body; and for thy bleſſing vponupon vsus and ours, keeping vsus from diuers dangers, that might iuſtly for our ſinnes hauehave come vponupon vsus, both ſpirituall and corporall. O what ſhall we render vntounto thee for all theſe thy mercies done vntounto vsus? what are wee, that thou ſhouldſt thus reſpect vsus? or what are our deſeruings, that thou ſhouldſt thus eſteeme vsus? To vsus, O Lord, to vsus moſt miſerable ſinners, there nothing belongeth but ſhame and confuſion. If thou (Lord) markeſt ſtrictly what is done amiſſe, who is able to abide it? O how farre doth thy mercy exceed thy iuſtice! O the deepneſſe of thy fauours towards vsus! So vnſearchable are they, as no man can expreſſe them, ſo vn-vtterable, as no man can declare them.
And (moſt mercifull Father) wee humbly intreat for thy Chriſts ſake the continuance of theſe mercies towards vsus: Bleſſe vsus this day and euer with thy heauenly protection and benediction, guide vsus by thine owne Spirit into all godlineſſe, that we may profitably and conſcionably walke before thee in our vocations, both generall and particular: bleſſe vsus in the houſe, and bleſſe vsus in the field: bleſſe vsus in the basket, and bleſſe vsus in the ſtore: bleſſe vsus in our out-goings, and in our commings in; compaſſe vsus on eueryevery ſide with thy mercies; guard thine Angels round about vsus; keepe vsus from the euill of this world, and eueryevery worke of darkneſſe; and ſanctifie both our ſoules and bodies with thy feare to thy ſeruice, that as heretofore we hauehave ſerued the Diuell and the world by prophaneneſſe; ſo euer heereafter (redeeming the time) wee may apply our ſelues vntounto holineſſe.
To which end we moſt earneſtly craue (O heauenly Father) the preſence of thy Spirit alwayes to direct vsus, the powerfull preaching of thy Goſpell, alwayes to inſtruct vsus, the holy vſe of thy Sacraments alway to confirme vsus, that (all hereſie and vngodlineſſe remoued farre from vsus) by theſe meanes ſanctified vntounto vsus, we may glorifie thy holy name, by our holy conuerſations in this life, and bee glorified of thee euerlaſtingly in the life to come.
And becauſe (by reaſon of our ſinnes) in ſtead of thy mercies we hauehave deſerued thy furious indignation againſt vsus: we therefore ſeriouſly begge at the throne of thy mercy, in the meritorious mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, that thou wouldeſt remoue far from vsus and our Land, all thy fearefull and heauy iudgements whatſoeuer, as famine, peſtilence, ſword, and the like; and giuegive vsus all grace from the King to the beaſt, that we may be truly humbled for all our iniquities, that wee repenting vsus of our euill which is ſinne, thou maiſt be pleaſed to repent thee of thy euill which is puniſhment for ſinne.
Heare vsus (Obleſſed Lord God) in theſe our Petitions, pardoning our ſinnes, and granting to vsus all our requeſts, with all other thy graces that we ſtand in need of, that may make for thy glory, and the ſauing of our poore ſoules, at the diſmall Day of Iudgement, and that for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake: To whom with thee and thy bleſſed Spirit, three glorious perſons, but one immortall God, wee deſire to returne all poſſible praiſe, power, dominion, and thankſgiuing, this day and euerlaſting.
Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Greenwood, The Jailors Jail (1620)