The Prisoners Prayers, Prayer 16 – Prayer 33
A Prayer againſt Deſperation.
O Lord my God moſt mighty and glorious, I moſt humbly intreat thee to aſſiſt me in all aſſaults of Satan: this enemy is ſtrong, I poore ſinner weake, I pray thee then helpe me againſt all his moſt deſperate and diſmall temptations: I confeſſe my ſins moſt odious, moſt damnable, yet vponupon my true humiliation, I am bold to reſt vponupon thy renowned mercies for forgiueneſſe of them; To whom wilt thou looke (O bleſſed Lord God) but to him that is of a contrite heart,Eſa. 66.2. and trembleth at thy words: therfore in the confidence of this thy promiſe & mercy, giuegive mee reſolution againſt all feares, and deſperate harmes of my ſoule: not to beleeue thy promiſe, who art truth it ſelfe, not to hope in thy performance, who art moſt faithfull and iuſt, it were to deny thy glorious Name, it were heauy and fearefull ſinning againſt thee: I hauehave ſinned (Lord thou knoweſt) too too much alreadie, ſhall I now by deſpaire adde ſinne to ſinne? O Lord God forbid it: though my ſinnes bee many, yet thy mercies are more; though they bee as red as crimſon, yet in the crimſon Blood of Chriſt thy Sonne,Eſa. 1.18. thou canſt make them all as white as ſnow or wool. O Lord my God, who art ſo full of mercy, as thou delighteſt not in the death of the greateſt ſinner,Ezek. 18.32. but rather that hee may conuert and liue, giuegive mee to breake mine heart for ſinne, but not to deſpaire of thy mercies for the forgiueneſſe of my ſinnes, for thou giueſt grace and ſaluation to the humble, and the Lord Ieſus came to call none but bleeding ſinners to repentance: In hope of which thy truth and mercy, I make bold to reſt vponupon thee (O Lord my God and Sauiour) for preſent peace, for euerlaſting ſaluation. Amen.
Amen.
A Prayer against Hereſie.
O LORD and heauenly Father, ſeeing there is but one truth, one faith, one way laid out for life, which is the Lord Ieſus,Iohn 14.6. for he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life: ſaue me (O Lord) from all by-paths and errors, all falſe waies,Pſal. grant (with Dauid thy ſeruant) I may vtterly abhorre: eſpecially I beſeech thee, keepe me that I drinke not of the cuppe of fornication, which the Whore of Babylon holdeth in her hand, wherewith the greateſt part of the world is deceiued, poiſoned, drunke: a cup pleaſing to fleſh and blood,Reuel. 17.4. and therfore called, A golden Cup, yet within it is full of deadly poiſon and abomination.
Lord grant I may not bee miſled in iudgment, nor obſtinate in defending errours againſt thy truth, but giuegive mee an humble heart,1 Cor. 14.32. and let my ſpirit be euermore ſubiect to the iudgment of thy zealous Prophets: O Lord, giuegive mee to this end (with the Boroans) to examine all things,Acts. and to conferre Scripture with Scripture, that ſo I may neuer ſwerue from thy moſt pure, holy, and ſacred Truth.
And giuegive mee (my good Father) courage and magnanimity to defend and vphold thy glorious Goſpell, againſt barking Papiſts, and cauilling Atheiſts, and all malicious oppoſers of the ſame, to the loſſe and laying downe of my de…reſt life and blood.
Thus grant me (gracious God) to ſtand for thy truth againſt al defacers of the ſame, to my liues end.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt Lying.
MOST deare and gracious heauē ly father, who art truth it ſelfe, in whom no errour nor falcity can abide or dwell, grant me (of thy goodneſſe) that I may abhor that vaine and vile euill of lying, let me euermore ſpeake the truth with feare and care in a good conſcience.
The ieſting lye is meere vanity; the officious lye, or lye for profit or aduantage, is groſſe iniquity: the malicious lye, or lye to doe hurt, is moſt pernicious and damnable impiety: Good Lord keep me from all theſe abominations, & giuegive me to know, that thine infinite wiſdome, and all-ſeeing knowledge is moſt grieuouſly diſhonoured herein: for (Lord) thou knoweſt all ſecrets, nothing hidden from thine all-ſeeing eye; though man may bee deceiued, yet thy Maieſty can neuer bee deceiued: A lye then is moſt fooliſh, moſt odious; Lord keepe me from this vanity, now and for euermore.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt Sabbath-breaking.
O Eternall GOD, Creator and gouernour of all things, ſeeing thou haſt put a principall charge vponupon thy fourth commandement,Exod. 20.8. Remember to keep holy the Sabbath day: O my God, grant me thy feare, thy grace, that that thy day may neuer bee neglected of mee: Lord grant I may ſpend it in prayer publike, priuate, in hearing and reading of thy holy word, in inſtructing my family: Lord vouchſafe me ſo great a care, ſo heauenly a deſire, as I may not therein ſpeake mine owne words,Eſay 58.13. nor think mine owne thoughts, and that I may make the exerciſe of that day my ioy, my ſoules delight: No one ſhall enter thy Sabbath & reſt of glory, but hee that hath been ſtrictly carefull to keepe thy Sabbath on earth: Grant I may deale with no worldly thing on this thy day, that I may go to thy Temple, and returne to mine houſe, and make no other walke on this thy day, that I may not doe or looke vponupon any vaine paſtimes on this thy day.
And (good Lord) ſtirre vp mine heart to bleſſe thy Name, for ſo bleſſed and happie a day, wherein thine heauenly inſtructions are imparted to my ſoule: Did not this day ſhine in thine ordinance moſt graciouſly vponupon me, all the daies of the weeke, yea all the daies of my life would bee diſmall vntounto me: Lord continue this thine holy day to the comming of the Lord Ieſus in the clouds to iudgment, for thy mercies ſake ſweet LORD.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt Idle words.
MOſt glorious and bleſſed heauenly Father, whereas thou haſt ſhewen vntounto mee from thy heauenly Word,Matth. 12.36. That of eueryevery idle word that men ſhall ſpeake, account ſhall bee giuen at the day of iudgment: O GOD of thy great goodneſſe and mercy, ſo poſſeſſe me with thy power of grace, that I may alwaies ſay with thy good and godly ſeruant Dauid, Pſal. 39.1.I will take heed vntounto my waies that I offend not in my tongue.
Lord, if I ſpeake,1 Pet. 4.11. giuegive mee that I may ſpeak, as thy holy word preſcribes mee, holily, profitably, to the glorification of thy great Name, the edification of the hearers, & conſolation of mine owne ſoule.
Moderate (I beſeech thee) the rudeneſſe and raſhnes of my tongue; it is but a little member,Iames 3.5, 8. but (Lord) I confeſſe, a very hard thing for me to rule & tame: grant therefore I may ſet a watch ouermore before the doore of my lippes,Pſal. 41.3. that no vanity may bee vttered: the tongue (in the originall) ſignifieth glory; Lord grant that I therby may glorifie thy great and godly name.
O Lord, giuegive me neuer to ſpeake but holily, modeſtly, heauenly, that I may in the end for euer in heauen with the ſame my tongue ſing a moſt ioyfull and glorious Halleluiah to thee (O bleſſed Lord God) and to the Lambe, the Lord Ieſus, for euermore.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt euill Thoughts.
MY moſt holy and heauenly LORD GOD, I pray thee in and for the Lord Ieſus, to reforme mine erroneous nature, and ſanctifie my moſt ſinful and polluted ſoule: Lord cleanſe my heart within, and then the outſide ſhall be cleane alſo: It is not (O Lord) that which goeth into man that defileth a man,Matth. 15.19. but that which commeth out of man that defiles him; for out of the heart commeth murther, adultery, and other vncleane euils: O my deare and bleſſed heauenly Father, purge the fountaine, and the riuer ſhal be cleane: purge mine heart from vaine and euil thoughts and luſts, then ſhall my mouth praiſe thee, and mine actions bee in ſome meaſure ſutable to thy holy will: O Lord,P…ou. 4.23. giuegive me to keep mine heart with all diligence, for therout commeth life: if I keepe it not with all diligence, thereout wil come death, that is, ſinne, whoſe wages is death. GiueGive mee (my bleſſed Sauiour) to keepe a narrow watch ouer my thoughts, that no wicked thought, profane luſt, or vngodly deſire may neſtle in my ſoule,Wiſd. 1.9. for inquiſition ſhal be made for the very thoughts of the vngodly: Lord grant then that the thoughts of my heart may bee alwaies holy and heauenly, that ſo my ſoule being taken vp with holy meditations, and heauenly contemplations here, I may bee admitted to that moſt excellent glorie of heauen, purchaſed in the blood of the LORD IESVS: to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit, my ſoule in her beſt thoughts deſire to render all glory in all reuerence now and for euermore.
Amen.
A Praier againſt diſobedience to Parents.
O Almighty God, as thou haſt promiſed long and happy life to thoſe that honor their Father and Mother,Exod. 20.12. ſo is it moſt certaine, that diſobedient children ſhall not eſcape thy fearefull vindicts and iudgments: for hee that diſobeyeth his father or mother, the Rauens of the vallies ſhall pick out his eies, and deuoured ſhal he be of the young Eagles.Prou. 30.17.
O Lord, giuegive mee to conſider, that I receiued from my Parents my being, my maintenance, mine education; how then ſhall I ſufficiently expreſſe my dutie vntounto them? better neuer beene borne, than to contemne or neglect them by whom I had my being: O good God bleſſe my parents, ſanctifie them, giuegive them thy mercies in this life, thy ſaluation in the next, and me thy grace to doe vntounto them all honour and helpe, while I liue. Amen.
A Praier againſt blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt.
O Bleſſed and gracious God, thy mercy is to be mightily magnified, and euerlaſtingly extolled, for thy compaſſion to humbled and penitent ſinners, for there is merciemercy and ſaluation with thee that thou maieſt bee feared,Pſal. 130.4. and truſted to for life: yet notwithſtanding, thou haſt reuealed thine irreuocable Sentence againſt one ſinne, and but one, that hee that committeth it, ſhal neuer bee pardoned, neither here nor at the day of iudgment,Matth. 12.32. and that is, blaſphemy againſt the HOLY GHOST, a ſinne vntounto death, vntounto damnation, not to bee pardoned, not to bee praied for: Lord giuegive me thy grace, that I may carefully ſeeke to know it, and more carefully ſeeke to auoid it: when a man is enlightned to know thy truth, to profeſſe thy truth, to giuegive good allowance of it, to reuerence & honor it, and then by the deuils ſtrong temptatiōs to fall off from the ſame, maliciouſly to oppoſe and perſecute the ſame, and the profeſſors of the ſame, to raile vponupon it, and diſgracefully blaſpheme it, the conſcience notwithſtanding all this while conuincing him, this is that vnpardonable ſinne, and it is impoſſible for this man to repent and bee ſaued: Good Lord grant that I may neuer be thus ouercome by Sathan, grant (ſweet Ieſus) I may take heed of the way of this fearfull offence and ſinne: Lord giuegive mee grace that I may not bee vnreuerent to thy Word, that I may not mocke, but make much of ſincere profeſſors of the ſame, that euermore I may hauehave a trembling reſpect to thy Maieſty and ordinance, that ſo I may bee graciouſly preſerued from this fearfull ſinne here, and the damnation of it hereafter in hell for euermore.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt Preſumption.
O MOST bleſſed Lord God, I cannot while I liue in this body of ſinne, be freed from ſinne and corruption, this world will afford me no perfection: therfore (good Father) ſeeing I cannot but ſinne, grant me this fauour and compaſſion, that the ſinnes which I daily do offend in, may be of infirmity, not of wilfulneſſe, nor of maliciouſnes, nor againſt the light of conſcience; eſpecially (with thy ſeruant Dauid) I pray thee keepe mee from preſumptuous ſinnes,Pſal. 19.13. that they may not preuaile ouer me.
Gracious heauenly Father, let not mee boldly offend thee, vponupon hope of merciemercy from thee, nor preſume to ſinne vponupon expectation of thy pardon: what greater abuſe of thy merciemercy than this can there be?Rom. 2.4. thy mercy ſhould lead mee from my ſins, vntounto repentance, not from repentance vntounto ſinne.
Lord, with griefe of heart I doe mournfully confeſſe before thee, that I hauehave too too much preſumed in bold and wilful ſinning againſt thee, vponupon hope of pardon from thee: Lord humble me more and more for this my moſt dangerous ſinne and offence, and let it not bee mee, but ſinne in me, whenſoeuer I ſin againſt thee.
LORD, aboue all things ſaue me from an impudent and ſhameleſſe ſoule, ſaue mee from ſinning againſt thee with ſo high an hand, in ſo great a meaſure: that my chiefeſt care being to maſter ſinne in this life, it may bee thy good will and pleaſure to free mee from damnation in the world to come, for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake. Amen.
A Prayer againſt the Plague.
O Lord my God, moſt mighty and glorious, whereas thy gracious promiſe is,Pſal. 91.4.7. to ſaue mee from plague and peſtilence, to hide mee vnderunder thy wings, and to keep me ſafe vnderunder thy feathers, thouſands ſhall fall on my right hand, and ten thouſand on my left, and no plague ſhall come neere my dwelling: Lord for thy mercies ſake ſaue me from this wrath of thine, and euermore defend mee.
And (heauenly Father) I pray thee to this end purge my ſoule from the leproſie of ſinne, the cauſe of all thy iudgments preſent and to come; this fearfull affliction neuer commeth, but alwaies ſome or other ſin procuring it: foure great and grieuous plagues thou ſenteſt againſt the houſe of Iſrael, foure lamentable ſinnes procuring the ſame, as bellicheare,Num. 11. Num. 16. Num. 25. 2 Sam. 24. contempt of thy Miniſters, fornicating, and putting confidence in the arme of fleſh for victorie: O Lord preſerue mee and this whole nation from theſe and al other tranſgreſſions, that ſo iniquity may neuer be our deſtruction.
Thus (I moſt humbly beſeech thee) ſaue me from ſins & iudgments in this life & from euerlaſting damnation in the world to come, for Ieſus ſake.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt the Sword.
ALmighty and moſt merciful Father, great are thy iudgments, and fearefull thy puniſhments appointed for ſinners, yea, for thine owne people, if they ſinne againſt thee: though thou wilt in the Lord IESVS, ſpare them in thine euerlaſting louelove, from an euerlaſting damnation, yet if they bee bold to ſinne, thou wilt laſh them with a temporary correction: as thou didſt threaten thine owne people Iſrael,Ezek. 21.4. that thou wouldeſt draw thy Sword, and cut off the righteous with the wicked: O Lord I beſeech thee, ſaue me from this fearfull miſerie, let the ſword of thy law pierce and humble mee, that the ſword of thy iudgments may neuer ouertake me.
I bleſſe thee (O Lord God) for peace in our borders, wee hauehave no howling in our gates, no complaining in our ſtreets,Pſal. 144.14. no leading into captiuity, no defiling of Temple and City, bleſſed are the people that are ſo, happy are they that hauehave thee (O Lord) for their God.
O Lord God, giuegive mee and the whole nation grace to repent with Nineve of all our ſinnes,I…. 3.10. that ſo wee may neuer bee deuoured by the ſword, but in peace (if it bee meet for thy glory, and the good of thy church) we may paſſe to peace and glory euerlaſting.
Amen.
A Prayer againſt Famine.
O Moſt mighty and moſt glorious Lord God, I beſeech thee ſaue me from miſerie and deſtruction, which iuſtly for my ſinnes might come vponupon me: O Lord in particular, I pray thee for thy mercies ſake, preſerue me from famine, and periſhing by hunger, that ruefull iudgment, and of all deaths the moſt miſerable vnderunder the Sun, for none like ſtaruing to death: Lord grant I may daily dye vntounto my ſinnes, that for them I may neuer in this terrible iudgment die: how heauie is it to my ſoule the remembrance of that diſtreſſed woman,2 Kings 6.28. who in that famine of Samaria, complained to her King, That her neighbour ſhared with her in the eating of her child, but ſhe could not againe hauehave part with her neighbour: a lamentable complaint, a diſtreſſe moſt miſerable; O Lord of thy goodnes ſaue mee and this nation from the ſame.
And as we would be ſpared from theſe thy diſmall iudgments, ſo (Lord) grant wee may labor to be freed from our wicked and abominable tranſgreſſions: wee hauehave abuſed thy creatures vntounto vanity, and thy comfortable mercies vntounto riot and exceſſe: it were iuſt with thee to fulfill that heauy ſentence vponupon vsus, Hee that hath not, it ſhall bee taken away that which he hath; he that hath not to a good and holy vſe, it ſhall bee taken away that which he hath.
O Lord hauehave mercy vponupon mee, and deliuer me from famine in this life, and deſtruction in the next to come, for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake.
Amen.
A Prayer for grace in generall.
O Eternall GOD, and my moſt mercifull heauenly Father, who art Author and finiſher of my faith, from whom eueryevery good and perfect gift deſcendeth, I moſt humbly intreat thee to ſanctifie my ſoule with thy holy and heauenly grace, eſpecially with thoſe excellent gifts of thy holy Spirit, ſpoken of by thine holy Apoſtle Peter, proper onelyonly to thine elect and choſen: as faith, vertue, knowledge, patience, temperance, godlines, brotherly kindneſſe, louelove: for if theſe things be in me, and abound, I ſhall neuer fall into the ditch of hell.
Lord, let me not do mine own wil, but giuegive mee alwaies to bee guided by the motions of thine holy Spirit into all truth: let it bee my meat and drinke, the obedience of thy word: grant I may finde out that old and good way,Ier. 6.16. the way of thy feare and grace, that walking in it conſtantly and conſcionably, I may finde euerlaſting peace and reſt to my ſoule: O Lord giuegive me to loath ſinne, as the greateſt enemy of my ſoule, for the wages of ſinne is death, but the gift of thee (O my God) is eternall life,Rom. 6.23. through my Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt.
If I bee not borne twice, better it had beene for mee neuer to hauehave beene borne: except I repent, I periſh:Luke 13.3. Lord, who ſhall dwell in thy holy Tabernacle? euen hee that leadeth an incorrupt life, for no vncleane thing ſhall enter into thy kingdome, vnſanctified, vnſaued: and without holineſſe I can neuer ſee thee, O God: therefore I beſeech thine holy and heauenly maieſty, to mortifie ſinne in mine earthly members, and to renew mee in ſoule and body: giuegive me (O my God) a new minde, new will, new affections, new thoughts, new words, new waies, all new, for he that is a member of the Lord Ieſus, is thus become a new creature.
O Lord, euermore delight my ſoule with holineſſe, and let thy feare preſerue mee alwaies from euill: thus giuegive mee (I pray thee) to liue purely in ſome good meaſure in this life, that I may hauehave the ſurer hope of happines in heauen, for bleſſed are the pure in heart, they ſhall ſee thee O God.
Bleſſe me then (good Father) with the bleſſing of ſanctity in this life, and of euerlaſting felicity in the life to come, for the Lord Ieſus Chriſt his ſake.
Amen.
A Prayer for Knowledge.
MOſt bleſſed and heauenly Father, I confeſſe by nature I am a creature moſt miſerable, ſo blinded and darkened by ſinne, as I know not what may make for thy glory, or the comfortable ſaluation of my poore ſoule: the darkneſs of Aegypt was not ſo blacke, ſo palpable as the blindneſſe and darkneſſe of my ſoule: O Lord my God, my ſuit vntounto thee is with blind Bartimeus that I may receiue my ſight,Marke 10.51. ſend mee (Lord) ſome or other good Ananias to vnſcale mine eies that I may iudge and ſee the wonders of thy Law.
Acquaint me (good Father) by thy Law, with my wofull ſinnes, thy fearefull curſes due vntounto mee for the ſame, that ſo I may bee broken hearted for them, and made capable of remiſſion and ſaluation: acquaint mee alſo with thy promiſe made vntounto the hūbled in Ieſus Chriſt for forgiueneſſe, for thou giueſt grace to the humble: acquaint mee alſo with the way of the regenerate, & affect my ſoule with holineſſe, that ſo I may come to ſaluation in the end: this is life eternall to know thee thus, and him whom thou haſt ſent euen Ieſus Chriſt.Iohn
Make good vntounto me that thy gracious promiſe,Pſal. 25. thou wilt impart thy ſecrets to them that feare thee: Lord diſcouer thy glory vntounto me, that I may anſwerably feare thy Name: reueale thy will (O Lord) moſt plentifully vntounto mee, that I may ſtrictly ſerue thee in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the daies of my life, for Ieſus ſake.
Amen.
A Prayer for Humiliation.
MOſt mighty and moſt glorious Lord God, ſeeing that thine holy Word hath taught mee, that the Lord Ieſus came to ſaue none but ſinners, grieued ſinners, wounded ſinners, ſuch ſinners as would neuer ſinne more: and moreouer thou wilt look to none but to ſuch as are of a contrite ſpirit,Eſay 66.2. and tremble at thy words: O Lord,Eſay 66.2. breake mine heart for breaking thy commandements, and ſmite my ſoule for ſinning againſt thee: grant I may bee aſhamed of the filthineſſe of my ſinnes, grieue for offending ſo louing a God by them, and quake and tremble, leſt thou ſhouldſt condēne me in thy ſtrict iuſtice for them for euermore: if my ſinfull ſoule bee not thus rent, thus tormented for my wicked ſinnes in this life, I cannot eſcape at the day of iudgement the damnation of hell: better ten thouſand times to hauehave my hell here, than hereafter: Lord therefore bruiſe my ſoule for all my vile tranſgreſſions, and fearefull abhominations.
And leaue mee not (good Lord) I pray thee, in theſe my ſoule afflictions & affrightments, but when thou haſt ſufficiently corrected mee, then (Lord) turne again and reuiue mee,Pſal. ſay vntounto my ſoule thou art, thou wilt bee my ſaluation: for thou haſt made this gracious promiſe, that the laden ſhall bee eaſed, and the wearied ſhall bee refreſhed: Lord heare then theſe my mournfull praiers, and let theſe my groning cries come vp vntounto thee, for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake.
Amen.
A Prayer for Faith.
MOST deare and gracious God, I humbly beſeech thee to cut mee off from the ſtocke of corruption and ſinne, and that by ſound humbling, and to plant mee (who art that heauenly husbandman) by the power of thy bleſſed Spirit, into that holy ſtocke the Lord Ieſus, and that by effectuall beleeuing: Lord giuegive mee to liue by faith, and not by fleſh; by grace, and not by ſinne, for they that are in Chriſt Ieſus walk not after the fleſh,Rom. 8.1. but after the Spirit.
Grant (gracious God) I may reſt vponupon thee in thy Son Chriſt, for forgiueneſſe of ſin, and for life euerlaſting: grant vponupon this my deliuerance I may liue to the praiſe of thee my bleſſed Redeemer, in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the daies of my life: grant (holy Father) I may not onelyonly by faith depend vponupon all thy promiſes for this life, and for heauen, but likewiſe by the ſame faith labor to walke in the obedience of all thy commandements.
O Lord increaſe my faith, for my heart is full of doubting, thou (O Lord) art faithfull and true, yea, truth it ſelfe, why ſhould I then wauer? My ſoule is weake through my remaining corruptions in obeying thy holy Word, Lord ſtrengthen mee: my heart is faint, and ready to ſink vnderunder the leaſt triall and affliction, Lord for thy mercies ſupport and comfort mee.
GiueGive me (my deare God) to beleeue beyond beleefe, when I feele not, to reſt vponupon thee for comfort, as thy ſeruant Iob Iob.reſolued, Lord if thou killeſt me yet will I put my truſt in thee: Lord giuegive me by faith, clearely to ſee my ſinnes pardoned, my life reformed, my ſoule reconciled with thee, and my name written in the booke of heauen.
Moſt louing Father, I pray thee grant mee thy grace, that I may deny my ſelfe, that I may wholly reſt vponupon Chriſt Ieſus, and follow his heauenly commandements for life: grant that my faithIam. 2.26. may not bee a dead faith, but a liuely, walking, working faith: that is a dead and vaine faith that moueth not in the obedience of thy moſt holy commandements: thus (I pray thee) guide me by thy good Spirit into all truth, that thy power of grace poſſeſſing me in this life, I may hauehave the better hope of eternall ſaluation in the life to come, and that for the merits of the Lord Ieſus.
Amen.
A Prayer for Obedience.
O Lord God moſt mighty, moſt glorious, I moſt humbly craue thy gracious and louing fauour, that I may bee inabled by ſtrength and power receiued from thee, to walke in abſolute obedience before thee: Lord let mee not doe my will, but thy will in all things:Luke 7.8. as the Centurion ſaid of his ſeruants, He ſaid to one, goe, and hee goeth; to another, come, and he commeth; to another, doe this, and hee doth it: Lord grant me the like obedience and tractability to thy will in all things.
1 Sam. 15.22.Lord giuegive me to vnderſtand that obedience is better than ſacrifice, yea, to obey is the beſt of all ſacrifices: let mee then obey thee in all thy commandements, and ſubmit vntounto thee in all thy corrections: not my will, but thy will moſt willingly bee yeelded vntounto in all things, my Lord, my God.
O Lord vouchſafe me ſincerity in this my moſt bounden duty & ſeruice, that I may obey thee in one commandement as well as in another; let mee with thy godly ſeruant Dauid, Pſal. 119.euermore hauehave reſpect vntounto all thy commandements: O then that my waies were made ſo direct, that I may neuer ſinne more, but in all things do thy righteous iudgments: O let it bee my meat and drinke, the obedience of thy will: O that I could finde out the old way, which is the good way, that walking conſtantly, and conſcionably in the ſame, I may finde euerlaſting reſt and peace to my poore ſoule: Lord, thus ſanctifie me in this life with thy holy feare, that I may not faile of ſaluation in the world to come, for thy louelove in the Lord Ieſus.
Amen.
A Prayer for Zeale.
MOſt bleſſed and glorious heauenly Father, my heart is grieued and much perplexed within mee, becauſe I finde my ſoule ſo dead, ſo cold in all good duties wch thou haſt appointed mee to walk in. O Lord quickē me, and make me more zealous, more feruent for the praiſe and glory of thy great and heauenly Name: let (I pray thee) thy good pleaſure be my chiefeſt glory, and the conſtant ſeruice of thee, the greateſt delight of my ſoule.
O Lord my God, grant I may neuer endure thy Name to bee diſhonoured, nor thy holy Law diſgraced by my ſelfe or others, but ſo affect my ſoule with thy feare, care, louelove, that I may, euermore defend thee, and ſupport the glory of thy Name: giuegive mee to bleede in heart, and melt in ſoule at the great and grieuous euils of the time, let mine eies guſh out into riuers of water, becauſe men keepe not thy Law:Pſal. 119. let eueryevery euill beholden of me, be as a goad in my ſide, and as a thorne in mine eie: grant (good God) I may moſt ſtrictly walke before thee, and ſo burne in zeale of thy law and glory, that thy ſeruice, and the obedience of thy will, may bee more precious, more delightfull vntounto mee than the eternall ſaluation of my ſoule: Thus (Lord) inflame my ſoule with thy louelove, feare, grace, that ſo my part and portion may be with thy Saints and Angels in ioy and glory euerlaſting, in and through my Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt.
Amen.