The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Prayer 1
A godly prayer to bee vſed at all times: eſpecially of ſuch as delight in this exerciſe, without wearineſſe.
MOſt high and mightie God, and in thy Son Chriſt Ieſus our mercifull, louing, and gracious Father, thou haſt commanded vsus to come vntounto thee, and vponupon the knées of our hearts wée doe come vntounto thée, humbly entreating thée, before we begin, to remoue farre from vsus, all ſuch impediments, as vſually Satan caſteth vponupon this exerciſe; and ſo to quicken vsus vp, by the Spirit of ſupplication, that in feare, and reuerence of thy great name, in faith and confidence of thy gracious aſſiſtance, and in a féeling deſire of the ſupply of our wants, we may put vp and powre out our ſupplications vntounto thée: that as the meſſengers of our ſoules, they may ſignifie our wants, as the petitiouers of mercy they may ſue for our pardon, and as proclaimers of thy grace, they may declare our thankfulneſſe for all thoſe mercies, which we hauehave receiued, and all thoſe iudgments which we hauehave eſcaped.
O Lord our God, we doe here in thy preſence (and bleſſed are we that we may come to thy preſence) acknowledge and confeſſe, that we are of our ſelues moſt wofull, wicked & curſed creatures. The corruption of our natures, the iniquities of our liues, doe generally beare witneſſe againſt vsus. But more particularly wee confeſſe, that our hearts are full of infidelity: by reaſon wherof, we doe not (as wee ought) either depend vponupon thy prouidence for the things of this life, or beleeue thy promiſes for the life to come. Doeſt thou viſit vsus? wee are impatient: doeſt thou denie vsus our deſires in this world? we are neuer contented with our eſtate. We are full of doubt for the life to come, and full of diſtruſt for the things of this life. Wee are glued too much to this wicked world: and as though we ſaid in our hearts, there is no God, our mindes are greatly eſtranged from thee. And alas miſerable wretches that we are, we delight in doing our owne wils: it is not meat and drinke to vsus to doe thy will. In the pride of our hearts, we exalt our ſelues aboue thee, and our brethren, and boaſt our ſelues as though we had receiued nothing from thee. We put away from vsus the euill day, and liue as though wee ſhould neuer die. Wee walke on in the hardnes of our hearts, & by reaſon of the abundance of vaine-glory, we rather ſéeke praiſe of men then thy glory. Our ſoules are ſo filled with louelove to our ſelues, that we preferre our owne pleaſure, peace, and liberty, before thy Maieſty, or the louelove of our brethren: yea hypocriſie is ſo rooted in our ſoules, that wee content our ſelues with a profeſſion of piety, and labour not for the power of godlineſſe.
And as for our liues they abound with actuall tranſgreſſion againſt eueryevery one of thy ten Commandements; hauing broken the ſame ten thouſand tims. We Lord hauehave liued in contempt of thy prouidence, committing idolatry with thy creatures, taking thy glorious name in vaine, and profaning of thy moſt holy Sabbaths. We, euen we, who ſhould hauehave been vpright, hauehave not regarded our betters, but enuied our brethrē, defiled our ſoules with vnchaſte deſires, laboured to be rich by vnlawfull meanes, diſgraced our neighbours, and longed after that which was none of ours. Wee hauehave heard thy word, O Lord; but we hauehave not beleeued it: we hauehave known the word, but hauehave not practiſed it. Wee hauehave come to thine houſe without reuerence, approched to thy Table without repentance, and practiſed many ſins without remorſe. Doe we any good? wee pleaſe our ſelues too much: Doe we any euil? we feare thée too little: we are wearie of praying, when we talke with thée: we are careleſſe in hearing, when thou ſpeakeſt to vsus. If we reade thy Sacred and Holy Word, it is not ſwéete vntounto vsus as the hony combe, but wee delight more euen in vngodly bookes. Yea O Lord, the pampering of our bellies, the pride of our apparel, the negligence in our calling, the miſpending of our time, our vaine conference at table, our wandring eyes, our wanton luſts, our ambitious minds, our couetous deſires our vngodly ſpéeches, our laſciuious eares, our cenſuring of our brethren, our ſinne in recreations, our vnwillingneſſe to labour, our vnfaithfulneſſe in life, our forgetfulneſſe of death, and our abuſe of thy mercies, eſpecially in Chriſt, doe teſtifie againſt vsus, that wée hauehave ſinned againſt Heauen and againſt thee, and are no more worthie to be called thy children. Are wee aſhamed at this, and reclaimed from it? no Lord, wee are not aſhamed, but howſoeuer it hath pleaſed thee to vſe many meanes, as partly by thy Word, and partly by thy Spirit: and partly by thy mercies, & partly by thy iudgments, to the end we might bee reclaimed from our crooked wayes; yet we hauehave contemned thy Word, the Miniſterie of ſaluation, greiued thy ſpirit, the earneſt of our inheritance, abuſed thy mercies, the pledges of thy louelove, and forgotten thy iudgments, the meſſengers of thy wrath. Enter not into iudgement with vsus thy ſeruants, O Lord, for then ſhall no fleſh liuing bee iuſtified in thy ſight. Be mercifull vntounto vsus in forgiuing ſinnes paſt, and be gracious vntounto vsus in preuenting ſinnes to come. Correct vsus O Lord but with merciemercy, not in thy iudgement: for then ſhall we be conſumed, and brought to nought. Open our blind eyes, that we may come to a particular knowledge of our particular ſinnes, eſpecially ſuch as wee are moſt giuen vntounto. Soften our hard and ſtonie hearts, that wee may ſigh and grone vnderunder the burden of them: make vsus, good God, diſpleaſed with our ſelues, becauſe by ſinne wee hauehave diſhonoured thy Maieſtie. Stirre vp our dead and dul hearts, that we may hunger after Chriſt and his righteouſneſſe, and after eueryevery drop of his precious bloud. In that Sonne of thine looke on vsus thy ſeruants: and for his merits and righteouſneſſe, vouchſafe, good God, mercifully and fréely to do away al our offences. Waſh them away in his blood; and by the purity of his ſpirit, clenſe our hearts from the pollution and impurity of them all: ſay vntounto our ſoules thou art our ſaluation; let thy ſpirit in our hearts crie Abba Father. Teach vsus. O Lord, thy way, & we ſhal walk in thy truth: O knit our hearts vntounto thée, that we may feare thy Name. And becauſe, through corruption in our hearts, and ſinne in our liues, our faith is féeble, and our confidence ſmall; wée doe humbly beſéech thée, to ſtrengthen our faith, by the daily meditation and particular application of thy mercifull promiſes, made vntounto vsus in thy Sonne Chriſt, that neither in the dangers of this world, nor in the troubles of conſcience, nor in the houre of death we may fall from thée. Gracious Father, expell out of our hearts al carnal confidence, the vnderminer of our faith; & teach vsus in the ſpirit of true humilitie, to denie our ſelues, and to relie only vponupon thée, and the merit of Chriſt in the matter of our ſaluation. And becauſe it is not enough to come vntounto thée by prayer, and to ſue vntounto thée for pardon, but all that are in Chriſt muſt be new creatures: therefore we call vponupon thée, for the ſpirit of regeneration: mortifie therby the corruptions of our fleſh; & quicken vsus thereby in the inner man. By the power of Chriſts death let vsus die vntounto ſinne; and by the power of his reſurrection, let vsus riſe to righteouſneſſe, and newnes of life: let the one as a corraſiue eate vp the dead fleſh of vngodlineſſe; and the other as a ſpur, ſtir vsus vp to holineſſe. Illuminate our mindes, that wee may know thy will: giuegive vsus ſpirituall vnderſtanding to diſcerne good and euill. Sanctifie our memories to treaſure vp good things: purifie our conſciences to hauehave peace in thée: reforme our willes to doe thy will, and let all our affections be ordered aright. Teach vsus to feare thée continually whereſoeuer wee are, to neglect all things in regard of Chriſt, to louelove thée and our brethren for thy ſake, to be zealous of thy glorie, to bée grieued at our owne, and others ſinnes, and ioyfull when we can, pleaſe thée. Let our bodies, the inſtruments of ſinne, be euer hereafter clenſed by thy ſpirit, that they may bee temples for that ſpirit to dwell in: keepe our eyes from beholding vanitie, our eares from hearkening to variety, our mouthes from ſpeaking blaſphemie, our hands from committing of iniquitie, and our bodies from the action of adulterie. Let our light ſo ſhine before men, that they ſéeing our good workes may glorifie thee our heauenly Father. Make vsus to remember, that as we are ſonnes, we muſt depend vponupon thée; as wee are ſeruants, we muſt obey thée; and as wee are Chriſtians, we ought to walke worthy of our vocation & calling. And becauſe we hauehave all ſome particular calling, either of rule or ſeruice, or truſt, or fauour, make vsus from the higheſt to the loweſt, faithfull in our callings, and to remember that a day will come in which wee muſt giuegive an account vntounto thée of all our actions done in this fleſh, whether they bée good or euill. Take away from vsus all opportunitie of ſinning, and make vsus euer thankfull that wee liue ſo, as wée want allurements to many ſinnes. Cauſe vsus to ſée, how deformed ſinne is in it ſelfe, and to what confuſion it is like to bring vsus: Lord make vsus to flie the very occaſions of ſinne, and to reſiſt the beginnings of all temptatition: let not a night paſſe ouer our heads in which wee examine not how wée hauehave ſpent the day: neuer let vsus come into any companie, wherein wee may not doe or receiue ſome good. Keepe vsus, that wee faſhion not our ſelues to this World; but rather imitate the faſhion of the moſt godly, in our callings. Let vsus neuer count any ſinne to be a little one, becauſe that our Sauiour died for the leaſt. And becauſe wee liue in dangerous times, wherein many are withdrawne from the profeſſion of thy truth, Lord giuegive vsus heartes neuer to entertaine any ſuch doctrine, which cannot bee warranted out of thy word: nor to admit of any ſuch Teachers, as goe about to withdraw vsus from obedience to our Gouernours: and if any one fall into any ſinne, let vsus reſtore ſuch a one with the ſpirit of méekeneſſe, conſidering our ſelues that wee alſo may bee tempted.
We further acknowledge, moſt gracious God, that our life is a warfare vponupon earth, our enemies are ſinne, Sathan and the world. Lord helpe vsus in this ſpirituall combat. Are wee weake? be thou ſtrong: are we tempted? with the temptation giuegive an iſſue: may we be ouercome? teach vsus to watch ouer our owne hearts and waies: is there any one ſinne which we are weake to reſiſt? in the act of temptation giuegive vsus power to reſiſt it: that by this meanes we may hauehave as iuſt cauſe to praiſe thee in our conqueſts, as wee hauehave many reaſons to humble our ſelues in our foiles. Wee ſee alſo, moſt all-ſéeing God, that none can liue godly in this world, but they muſt ſuffer perſecutions: either Iſmael will reuile them with a reproachfull tongue, or Eſau will purſue them with a bloody ſwor…; what now muſt wee doe in theſe daies of triall? whither ſhall we come for helpe but to thee? To thee therefore muſt wee come. O Lord our God: crauing wiſdome to foreſee, prouidence to preuent, patience to beare and hearts to be prepared for this fierie triall: that by the deniall of our ſelues, diſtaſting the world, and liking of heauen and heauenly things, we may make a good vſe euen of the leaſt affliction.
Confound in eueryevery one of vsus the curſed works of the diuell: increaſe in vsus daily the gifts of thy ſpirit. Fit vsus for ſuch callings in which thou haſt, or wilt place vsus; and make vsus to referre the ſtrength of our bodies, the gifts of our minde, our credit in this world, and whatſoeuer grace thou haſt already, or wilt héereafter beſtow vponupon vsus to the glory of thy name, the good of thy Church and the eternall ſaluation of our owne ſoules. And howſoeuer we liue here in this Babylon of the world, Lord let our conuerſation be euer in heauen; that whether we eat or drink or whatſoeuer we doe els, we may heare alwaies this voice ſounding in our eares. Ariſe you dead and come into iudgement. Many other things hauehave wee to beg for our ſelues, that our ignorance knoweth not to aſke, or forgetfulneſſe remembers not to aſke: heare vsus for them in thy beloued Son And giuegive vsus leaue now, good God, to pray to thee for others. There are no Chriſtian people at any time aſſembled, but they are redy to pray for vsus, and therfore it is our dutie to pray for them. We therefore commend to thée thy whole Church, and each member of the ſame: be good & gracious to theſe Churches of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland: giuegive the Goſpell a frée paſſage eueryevery where: and put on the meanes by which it may be publiſhed where it is not, or maintained where it is. Diuide not, O thou indiuiſible God, diuide not Ephraim againſt Manaſſes, nor Manaſſes againſt Ephraim, nor both of them againſt Iudah. The coate of thy Sonne was without ſeame: let the Church of thy Sonne bee without ſeame. Our aduerſaries got ground, and worke vponupon our diuiſion: knit vsus ſo together, that their worke may be as the confuſion of Babel. Are there any meanes to hinder the current of thy Goſpell? ſtop them in the head, poiſon them in the ſtreame, ſtay them in the riuer, and let their labour be like his that would repaire Iericho. To this end be good to the light of our eyes, the breach of our noſtrils, the procurer of our happineſſe, thy Salomon, our King: preſerue his bodie in health, his ſoule in ſoundneſſe, his heart in thy truth, his life in honor, his honor from vnderminers, and his eares from flatterers, the bane of each kingdome. Kéepe him, that hee may euer maintaine thy truth: Defend him againſt the inſinuation of practiſing Papiſts, who will neuer wiſh well vntounto him, vnleſſe they ſee he doe wiſh ill vntounto thee. Let thy good Spirit be with Ioſiah our Prince: ſeaſon his young yeeres with the knowledge of thy will; that as he groweth in yéeres, ſo he may grow in ſtature, and fauour, both with God and men. Bee good vntounto them that hauehave the tution of him, and make them inſtruments of much good that may be done by him. Preſerue, with theſe, our gracious Quéene: let vsus ſée her as a fruitfull Vine about the Kings houſe, and her children like to Oliue plants, round about his table. And becauſe where many Councellers are, there is peace, O Lord, bleſſe his honorable Counſell: in all things let them take counſel at thy word, and in eueryevery conſultation aime at thy glory. The Péeres of our land, the pillars of our kingdome, we commend vntounto thée: make them contented with their preſent honors, and to continue loyall to their vndoubted Soueraigne. And, becauſe the Preachers of thy word, are the pillers of thy Church, bleſſe them all from the higheſt to the loweſt, that both by life & doctrine, they may ſet out thy moſt holy word. Take from the Great, the ſpirit of ambition, and from the meane, the ſpirit of contention; that both may labor as much as they may, to oppoſe themſelues againſt the common aduerſary, and not to aduantage him by inteſtine diuiſion. Bleſſe the people of this land: ſuch as are called, confirme them; ſuch as are not, conuert them: and to that purpoſe ſend a faithfull Paſtor into each Congregation, who may ſpeake a word in due ſeaſon vntounto them. Touch al our hearts from the higheſt to the loweſt, with true repentāce, that thy iudgements preſent & imminent may be preuented and remoued, thy mercies ſtil continued to vsus, and our poſterity after vsus, eſpecially in the true miniſterie of the word & Sacraments, that ſuch as ſuruiue vsus may praiſe thy name. Be mercifull to all thine afflicted ones, be they ſicke in bed, diſtreſſed in conſcience, pinched with pouerty, diſgraced for thy truth, or kept in priſon, and deliuered to death: reléeue them in their neceſſity, ſtrengthen them in their weakeneſſe, comfort them in their diſtreſſe, mitigate their ſorrowes, and turne all their troubles to thy glory and their good. To this end, giuegive thy ſeruants comfort by thy word, ſufficiency of things needfull for them, bleſſe the fruits of the earth, diſappoint both Turke & Pope, from incroaching vponupon thine inheritance: let all ſuch proſper as fight thy battels: and let thy Goſpel bee preached from the one end of the world vntounto the other, In thy good time let the Sunne of thy Goſpell ſhine vponupon Iewes, Turks, Infidels, Atheiſts, and Papiſts belonging to thee.
Bee good to our kinſfolkes in the fleſh, our friends in the ſpirit, & them to whom we are any wiſe bounden, or deſired to be commended vntounto thee in theſe our prayers and ſupplications. HaueHave mercy vponupon vsus now calling vponupon thy name, forgiue our ſinnes and manifold defects in this holy dutie, accepting at our hands this our obedience in Chriſt.
And becauſe thou haſt beene good vntounto vsus many waies, make vsus thankefull vntounto thee for all thy mercies: as our election in thy louelove, our redemption by thy Sonne, our ſanctification through thy ſpirit, our preferuation by thy prouidence, our health in body, peace of conſcience, our life in thy Church, our gratious Gouernours, our painfull Preachers, our Chriſtian friends, our deſire to pleaſe thée, and that wee hauehave the m iniſtration of thy word and Sacarments, and can ſhew louelove euen to our enemies. We thank thée, O Lord, for al graces of thy Spirit: as, faith in thy promiſes, hope of eternal life, feare of thy Name, louelove of thy Maieſty, zeale to thy glory, affection to our brethren, patience vnderunder the croſſe, ſtrength againſt our ſeuerall temptations, humility, gentleneſſe, méekeneſſe, forbearing, with many other gifts & graces of thy ſpirit: all which, we acknowledge, hauehave proceeded from thy meere mercy. O let vsus not be negligent in the vſe of al good means, by which thy grace may daily grow vp in vsus. Wee doe alſo with all thankefulneſſe remember all the bleſſings of this life, our deliuerance from our enemies in 88, our preſeruation from the peſtilence in 603, our protection from gunpowder in 605, as all other fauours which wee doe inioy vnderunder the bleſſed gouernment of our gracious Prince, and for all thy goodneſſe vnderunder our late noble Quéen, Quéen Elizabeth, of happy memory. Wee thanke thee that thou haſt ſuſtained vsus in great weakeneſſe, reléeued vsus in much neceſſite, comforted vsus in much diſtreſſe, reſolued vsus in many doubts, deliuered vsus from many dangers, preſerued vsus from many feares, made vsus willing to deſire to doe thy will, & beſtowed vponupon vsus ſuch a larges of thy good creatures, that wee are more fit to giuegive then receiue. Bleſſe vsus now and euer heereafter, kéep vsus and all ours and all that are neere about vsus from fire, water, peſtilence, robbing, and all dangers whatſoeuer: and grant vsus all ſuch a portion of thy grace, that whether we ſtay at home, or goe abroad, watch or ſléepe, eat or drink, buy or ſel, be in labour or recreation, wee may euer labour to glorifie thy high and great Name in the workes of ſuch callings, as thou ſhalt call vsus vntounto, and fit vsus for, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and Sauiour; in whoſe name, & in whoſe words we further call vponupon thée, ſaying:
Our Father which art, &c.
O Lord bleſſe vsus and kéepe vsus. O Lord make thy face ſhine vponupon vsus. O Lord grant vntounto vsus thy ſwéete and euerlaſting peace, eſpecially that peace of conſcience which the world cannot giuegive, with the pardon and forgiueneſſe of all our ſinnes, this day, at this time, and héeretofore committed againſt thée; with a bleſſing vponupon thy Church and children eueryevery where, as well as though wee had named them, through Chriſt our Lord and only Sauiour. Amen.