The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Prayer 2
A MORNING PRAYER FOR priuate families.
MOſt glorious and gratious Lord God, giuer of all good things, forgiuer of all our ſinnes, and the only comforter of ſuch as flie to thée for ſuccour; we thine vnprofitable, and vnfaithfull ſeruants, doe héere preſent our ſelues before thée this morning, to offer vp a liuing ſacrifice to thée, who diddeſt offer vp thy Sonne to death for vsus. Lord let this lifting vp of our hands and hearts vntounto thee, be as a morning ſacrifice, acceptable in thy ſight. All thy mercies call vponupon vsus, that we ſhould be thankful to thée for ſuch mercies; and all our miſeries call vponupon vsus, that wee ſhould call vponupon thée for the continuance of thy mercies. Wee hauehave taſted of thy fauour this night paſt; and euen ſince we awaked, we might hauehave had a féeling of thy goodnes: thou haſt begun to ſerue vsus, before wee begun to ſerue thée. And now that we begin to offer thée this ſeruice, wee muſt néeds acknowledge and confeſſe, that we proſtrate our ſelues before thee, before we know how to worſhip thée as wee ought: wee conſider not the excellencie of thy Maieſtie, the multitude of thy mercies the al-ſéeing eye of thy preſence, nor that danger wee are in by reaſon of our ſinnes. Why ſhouldeſt thou be ſo carefull for vsus, ſince that we are ſo careleſſe of thée? Surely O Lord, in that thou affordeſt health to our bodies, wealth to our eſtate, libertie to our perſons, and proſperitie to this familie in which wee liue, wee can giuegive no reaſon, but becauſe thou art mercifull. And if thou ſhouldeſt take all theſe from vsus againe, and leaue vsus in as great miſerie, as was the Prodigall ſonne, we muſt néedes acknowledge it a iuſt recompence for our ſinnes. All which are ſo many in number, and ſo grieuous in tranſgreſſion, that as wee cannot reckon them, but only ſay, we hauehave ſinned; ſo we cannot beare them, but only ſay, that wee are not able to looke vp. And whileſt al other creatures ſerue thée in their nature, wee men and women are the ſinners of the world.
Our liu…s are full of infidelitie, eyes of vanitie, eares of noueltie, mouthes of ſubtiltie, hands of iniquitie: and though we deſire that all our members ſhould by thee be glorified in heauen, yet by all them do we diſhonor thée vponupon earth. Thou haſt giuen vsus vnderſtanding to learne vertue, by it we apprehend nothing but ſinne: thou haſt giuen vsus a will to affect righteouſneſſe, by it we delight in nothing but wickednes. Thou haſt giuen vsus a memory to be a ſhorehouſe of thy word, we make it a warehouſe to treaſure vp euill. In a word, we confeſſe againſt our ſelues, that in this fleſh of ours there dwelleth no good thing, it is a world of wickedneſſe; and by reaſon of the manifold corruptions that are in vsus, there is ſmall difference betwéene vsus and the wicked; yea and many heathen people who hauehave not known thee, goe beyond vsus in the practiſe of righteouſneſſe towards men. If we ſhould goe about to excuſe our ſelues the ſinnes that we hauehave done this wéek will teſtifie againſt vsus, that they are more then all the good we hauehave doneal the daies of our liues: we hauehave tranſgreſſed thy commandements by our ſelues alone, & hauehave communicated with the ſins of others. In doing of good we hauehave reioyced but a little, in the practiſe of euill wee hauehave gloried too much. Wee ſue vntounto thée often for the pardon of our ſinnes, and when wee hauehave ſo done, we commit them againe. And in this verie act of calling on thy name, our thoughts are ſo wandering, our bodies wauering, our knées wearied in knéeling for a while, that euen now when wee come to pray, wee had néede to deſire thée to forgiue vsus our prayers: becauſe wee thinke not of thee, when we pray vntounto thée.
We hauehave nothing to ſay for our ſelues O Lord, but that ſhame and confuſion belongeth vntounto vsus, merciemercy and forgiueneſſe belongeth vntounto thee. HaueHave merciemercy therefore vponupon vsus moſt mercifull Father, and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all our offences. We confeſſe indéed, that wee are miſerable ſinners, yet by thy Spirit thou haſt taught vsus that we be thine. And therefore wee beſéech thee to ſeperate our ſinnes from vsus, which otherwiſe will ſeperate vsus from thée: If we remember our ſinnes, thou wilt forget them: teach vsus therefore to remember them in the bitternes of our ſoules. If we ſorrow for them in this life, wee ſhall not ſorrow for them in the life to come; make vsus truly ſorrowfull, that wee hauehave offended thée our gratious Father. To this end giuegive vntounto vsus the comfort of thy Spirit, to aſſure vsus of thy fauour by which we may be as readie to eueryevery good worke, as we are prone to all that is euill. Thou haſt renued in vsus O Lord, the image of thy Sonne, O let vsus not turne it into the image of Satan; neither let thy enemie take vsus away from thée: we deſire, good God, to warre againſt him, and his champions, the fleſh and the world: we cannot ouercome without thée; we pray thée therefore, to arme vsus with the ſhield of faith, and the ſword of thy Spirit againſt all their aſſaults, and to put vponupon vsus thy complete armour: and wherein we are moſt weake, there make thou vsus moſt ſtrong, that in the end wee may be more than conquerers.
Kéepe vsus now and euer in the feare of thy Maieſtie. And becauſe we go now forth to ſight againſt all the enemies of our ſaluation, the weakeſt whereof are ſtronger than we… therefore we come vntounto thée for the aſſiſtance of thy Spirit, and do humbly entreate thée to aid vsus by thy prouidence, arme vsus by thy power, guard vsus by thine Angels, inſtruct vsus by thy Word, and gouerne vsus by thy Spirit in all our actions. Let thy bleſſing be vponupon vsus thy ſeruants, in our going out and comming in, and in eueryevery action wee vndertake from this time forth, and for euermore. Let all our thoughts, words and workes this day, tend to the glorie of thy name, the good of thy Church, and the euerlaſting ſaluation of our ſoules.
Let vsus make conſcience of al that we do; neither let vsus account any ſin little, becauſe thy Sonne died for the leaſt. Let vsus caſt away the workes of darkneſſe, and put vponupon vsus the armour of light. And howſoeuer heretofore, by lying, and ſwearing, and ſporting, and ſpending, & inordinate liuing, we hauehave offended thée, yet grant that we may leaue them all leſt they leaue not vsus till they hauehave brought vsus to deſtruction.
Make vsus to diſcerne betwixt right and wrong, good and euill, truth and error, and to learne ſome good thing eueryevery day: make vsus ſkilfull in the profeſſion of pietie, that we may know how to ſerue thee; and let vsus not be ignorant in the myſteries of our call…ngs, that wee may learne how to liue thereby. Settle our affections in the louelove of thy Maieſtie, zeale of thy glorie and vnfained good will one towards another; ſo as we may as much ioy at the proſperitie of others, as in our owne. Are we merrie? let it be in thée: are we ſorrowfull? let it be for our ſins: hauehave we peace? make it in vsus all the peace of a good conſcience: are wee …fraid? let it bee of ſin: that we with as great delight may run the waies of thy Commaundements, as euer we hauehave ouerrun thée in the waies of wickedneſſe.
Thou haſt bin good vntounto vsus many waies, O Lord; as in our creation, when we were nothing & in our redemption, when we were worſe than nothing: in our vocation, when we thought not of thée; and in our ſanctification, when wee were defiled before thee. Thou, thou alone haſt preſerued vsus by thy prouidence, preuented vsus by thy goodneſſe, inſtructed vsus by thy word, acquainted vsus with thy Maieſtie, and deliuered vsus from many dangers. And all to this end, that we ſhould goe as farre before others in thankfulneſſe towards thée, as far as thou goeſt in merciemercy towards vsus before them. We do acknowledge, O Lord, this fauour of thine, and wee deſire from our hearts to acknowledge it more, taking all that wee hauehave as a gift from thée. And in a thankfull remembrance of theſe thy mercies, we deſire thee, O Lord, to ſettle eueryevery one of vsus in ſuch a conſtant courſe of obedience to thée, that we may ſerue thée from this houre, with all thoſe duties which the world, the fleſh and the diuell, would hauehave vsus to deferre till the day of death. O let vsus thinke alwaies of our laſt houre, yea laſt iudgement, the ioyes of heauen, the torments of hell, and what a bitter death thy Sonne Ieſus did ſuffer, to redéeme our ſoules out of the hands of the diuell. Let vsus ſpend the reſt of our vncertaine life, in a renued repentance for our ſins pa…, & make vsus to leaue the pleaſures of this world, before that they doe leaue vsus.
And now O Lord, albeit we are vnworthie to aſke any thing for our ſelues, yet becauſe thou haſt commanded vsus, we doe intreate thée for others, not as Abraham did for the Sodomites, but as Samuel did for the Iſraelites. Be fauourable to Sion, build vp the walles of Ieruſalem. Behold with the eye of pitie & compaſſion, the great ruines and deſolations of the Church. Feede it as thy flock, foſter it as the familie, dreſſe it as thy vineyard, deck it as thy ſpouſe, and euer rule in it as in thine owne kingdome. Many are the enemies that crie, Downe with it, downe with it, euen to the ground. Abate their pride, aſſwage their malice, confound their deuices; and let their counſell in the end, be as the councell of Achitophel: ſo that peace may be within her walles, and proſperitie in all her palaces, ſo long as the Sunne and Moone endureth. To this end giuegive vntounto our Prince, the wiſedome of Salomon: to his Counſellors, the prouidence of Huſh…y: to our Iudges, the conſcience of Samuel: to our Miniſters, the diligence of Paul: and to our people, the obedience of thoſe ſubiects, who with one conſent, cried out vntounto their Gouernour, Whatſoeuer God ſhall command vsus by him, that will we doe. Thus we O Lord, and our poſteritie after vsus, ſhall enioy a ſpirituall communion of Saints in this life, and a bleſſed communion in the life to come.
Many of thy ſeruants ſuffer for thy cauſe; let all ſuch ſée the truth of their cauſe, thy comfort in their calamitie, and an happie deliuerance if it be thy will. Are any now lying in the anguiſh of their conſcience? diſburden them of the feare of thy iudgement, and refreſh them right ſoone with the conduit of thy comfort. And as thou haſt made them examples for vsus, ſo teach vsus to take example by them: that we may looke vponupon thy promiſes, to preſerue vsus from deſpaire, and vponupon thy threatnings, that wee doe not preſume. Bleſſe them that fight thy battels by land or ſea, whether they incounter with Mahomet, or Antichriſt. And bleſſe them, thou God of hoſts, in ſuch a ſort, that the H…athen in the end may bee conſtrained to ſay; Doubtleſſe there is a reward for the righteous: verely there is a God that iudgeth the earth.
And ſéeing only, we heare of rumours of wars, and liue in ſuch libertie as neuer any nation hath done ſo long: make vsus thankfull vntounto thée, that we are in ſuch a caſe, that wée are not led into captiuitie; neither is there complaining in our ſtréets. And teach vsus to build thy Church in our reſt, as Salomon built the Temple in his peace. We hauehave, O Lord, béene long in proſperitie: be mercifull to this ſinfull nation, which hath ſurfetted, and is ſicke of too too much eaſe. Let not thy bleſſings riſe vp againſt vsus, but make vsus as rich in goodneſſe as in goods, in pietie, as in plentie: that as we go before all nations in proſperitie, ſo wee may labour to excéede them in ſinceritie.
Bleſſe this familie, from the greateſt to the leaſt, bleſſe it O Lord with thy grace and peace: ſo that ſuperiours may rule it according to thy word, ſeruants may obey, as the ſeruants of Chriſt, and that eueryevery one in the ſame may be loued of thée.
Thou ſéeſt O Lord how bold we are, we hauehave called vponupon thée for our ſelues, and others; but many other things ſhould wee hauehave begged of thée, becauſe we want them, and thanked thée for, becauſe we hauehave receiued them. Our vnderſtanding is ſhallow, our memorie ſhort, and wee are vnworthy to pray vntounto thée, and moſt vnworthie to receiue the things which we hauehave prayed for: therefore we commend our perſons, prayers, actions and endeuours, this day, to thy moſt gratious and mercifull protection, and that in the name of Chriſt thy Sonne and our Sauiour: in whoſe name, and in whoſe words, we further call vponupon thée, and thank thée, ſaying: Our Father, &c.
LEt thy mightie hand and outſtretched arme, O Lord be ſtill our defence: thy merciemercy & louing kindneſſe in Ieſus Chriſt, our ſaluation: thy true and holy word, our inſtruction: thy grace and holy Spirit, our comfort and conſolation vntounto the end and in the end: and let all héere preſent ſay, Amen.