Catechism Abridged, Prayers
Godly Prayers.
A Morning Prayer for a priuate Family.
MOſt mercifull God, and heauenly Father, wee giuegive thee hearty thankes, for the ſweet ſleepe and comfortable reſt which thou haſt giuen vsus this night paſt, and for that thou haſt commaunded by thy holy Word, that no man ſhould bee idle, but alwayes occupied in godly and vertuous exerciſes, eueryevery man according to his calling; wee moſt humbly beſeech thee, that thine eyes may attend vponupon vsus, daily defend vsus, cheriſh, comfort, and gouerne vsus and all our counſels, ſtudies, and labours in ſuch wiſe, that we may ſpend and beſtow this day, and the reſidue of our whole life according to thy moſt bleſſed wil and pleaſure, ſetting thee alwayes before our eyes, liuing in thy feare, & working that that may be found acceptable in thy ſight, hating wrong and louing iuſtice. Alſo we beſeech thee moſt merciful God, to ſtrengthen and keepe vsus in the faith of thy Catholike Church, & kindle in vsus the louelove and light of thy holy ſpirit, that we may walke godly and vertuouſly in this life, die in the truth of thy word, and liue with thee in euerlaſting glory: grant this moſt mercifull Father, for thy deare Son Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, in whoſe name we further pray as he hath taught vsus, ſaying, Our Father which art, &c.
An Euening prayer for a priuate Family.
ALmightie and euerliuing God, wee giuegive thee moſt humble and heartie thanks, that of thy free mercies thou haſt preſerued vsus this day from all hurts and dangers: vouchſafe alſo we moſt humbly beſeech thee, to keepe vsus this night and euer hereafter, to ſaue vsus from all our enemies both bodily and ghoſtly: giuegive our bodies quietneſſe and ſleepe, but let our minds and ſoules continually watch vntounto thee, thinke on thee and thy holy Law, that when the cheerefull light of the day ſhall appeare, we being whole in body and ſoule, may ioyfully riſe againe, bee thankfull vntounto thee, and diligently walke in our vocations, to our comforts, & the glory of thy bleſſed name, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer before the receiuing of the holy Communion.
O Moſt mercifull God, and heauenly Father, I miſerable and wretched ſinner, acknowledge and confeſſe, that I am not worthy the leaſt of all thy mercies, and moſt vnworthy to receiue thee vnderunder the roofe of my ſoule, by participating of thy moſt bleſſed body & bloud, for horrible and infinite are the ſinnes wherewith I am defiled: therfore the very entrals of my heart are troubled, and my bones doe ſhake, becauſe I finde my ſoule a moſt vnworthy gheſt, for ſo heauenly a ſupper. But thou camſt not to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance: and I know, and doe conſtantly beleeue, that notwithſtanding my ſins, thou canſt make me cleane and worthy, and forgiue me my ſins: and through thy power and mercy, I beſeech thee, grant thy grace vntounto mee a ſinner, that I may worthily approach to this heauenly Sacrament. GiueGive me grace, before I preſume to come to the receiuing hereof, I may examine my ſelfe, call my ſinnes to minde, and by vnfained and hearty repentance return vntounto thee my Lord: make mee with heauie ſobs to confeſſe my ſinnes, and pardon all my offences: accept me into thy fauour, cleanſe me from my wickednes, and forgiue me all my ſinnes. Alſo graunt, that receiuing this thy Sacrament, I may put off the old man, which is corruption, according to the luſts of errour, and be renewed in the ſpirit of my mind; and put on the new man, which after God is created in righteouſnes & holineſſe of truth: and though by nature I cannot liue without ſpots of ſinne, yet ſo bleſſe me, that I may neuer willingly offend thee, but altogether depend vponupon thy goodnes: and as a true penitent ſinner, repenting of my ſinnes, I may approach to thy heauenly Supper. Grant (mercifull Father) that I may alwayes worthily receiue this bleſſed Sacrament & memoriall of thy death, according to thy holy ordinance, that it may increaſe in me all goodnes. Be thou the buckler, and perpetual defence of my ſoule and body, that I may come vntounto thy kingdome, where I ſhall behold thee face to face; whither Lord for thy mercies ſake bring me. Amen.
A Thankeſgiuing after the receiuing of the holy Communion.
ALmighty God, which haſt vouchſafed ſpiritually to giuegive me theſe holy myſteries of thy body and bloud; mortifie whatſoeuer is euil in me, and garniſh me with thy graces and vertues: renew my ſpirit, my ſoule and my body with thy excellent grace: frame me after thy owne hearts deſire, and grant that I may think, ſpeak, doe, and deſire all things that may pleaſe thee: purge my conſcience from dead works, to ſerue thee the liuing God I thank thee with all reuerence of mind for bidding mee a miſerable ſinner, vntounto the participation of thy holy Supper, and the receiuing of all celeſtial riches, wherby thou beſtoweſt on me particularly all the merits and good things which by thy death thou haſt purchaſed for mee, that I may be a partaker and fellow heyre of eternall bleſſednes. Raiſe vp in me by this bleſſed Sacrament, a continuall remembrance of thy bitter paſsion: make mee retaine it in my mind, as a ſufficien ranſome of my Redemption; let mee neuer doubt of the forgiueneſſe of my ſins; and as often as Sathan aſſayleth mee with his deadly temptations, giuegive me grace to run to this Sanctuary, as to a ſtrong armor of defence; ſo that no tribulation, anguiſh, perſecution, life nor death, ſeparate mee from Chriſt my Head, whereupon being made faſt by thy holy Sacrament receiued, I (as a liuing member) depend: and let mee know that I am fed and refreſhed by thy body, and precious blood, that waſhed therewith, I giuegive not my ſelfe hereafter to carnall pleaſures, but liue in all ſinceritie and truth, as it becometh thoſe that eat af the immaculat Paſchall Lamb. GiueGive me grace, that laying aſide all maliciouſneſſe and enuy, I may forgiue eueryevery one as thou haſt forgiuen me: giuegive mee grace, that participating of the bread of eternall life, I may bee repleniſhed with the fruition of thy bleſſed ſight in thy celeſtiall Paradiſe for euer: and at my reſurrection from death, appoynt mee a place, O mercifull Lord, at thy heauenly Table, where I may taſte the new wine in the kingdome of thy Father, abiding with thine elect Angels, & bleſſed Saints for euermore. Amen.
Grace before Meat.
O Lord, bleſſe vntounto our vſe thy Creatures, at this time prouided for our ſuſtenance, that being preſerued hereby, and comforted, wee may doe thee more laudible ſeruice vntounto thy glory, who art the Authour of all good vntounto vsus, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
Grace after Meate.
COntinuall praiſe be vntounto thee, O Lord, who doeſt continually prouide ſo graciouſly for the feeding of our feeble bodies. Leade vsus heereby to a taſte of our ſpirituall food; ſo that by the helpe of both wee may growe vp in thy ſeruice, both in body and ſoule, till at the laſt we attaine thy heauenly kingdome, and be for euer glorified both in ſoule and body, through Chriſt our Lord Amen.
Grace before Meat.
O GOD, who haſt iuſtly curſed the earth, and all things therein for the ſinne of man, pardon our ſinnes, turne away thy curſe, & vouchſafe thy bleſsing vponupon theſe thy gifts, which we are now to receiue, that we vſing them with temperance and thankfulneſſe, may obtaine by them refreſhing and nouriſhment, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
Grace after Meat.
MErcifull Father, who neuer ceaſeſt to doe good vntounto vsus, though we neuer ceaſe offending thee, and now more eſpecially haſt renewed thy bountie, in feeding vsus with thy bleſsings. Let not the common fruition of thy benefites make vsus commonly, or lightly to eſteeme of them; neither when we are fed, let vsus wax wanton againſt thee, abuſing our ſtrength to the ſeruice of ſinne. But let thy perſeuerance in goodneſſe, worke in vsus perſeuerance in all dutifull obedience to our liues end, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · John Mayer, Catechism Abridged (1623)