The Good Mans Grace, Prayer
A PRAYER FOR A Family at all times.
OBleſſed Lord God, and Our Father which art in Heauen, thou that louingly tendreſt the welfare of thy people, carefully prouiding for them, and liberally beſtowing thy bleſſings vponupon them, we thy poore children by adoption in Chriſt Ieſus, aſſured hereof by thy holy Spirit, doe, in the brotherly fellowſhip of louelove, with the reſt of thy Saints, moſt humbly ſue vntounto thy Diuine Maieſty, for thy heauenly grace, that wee may ſerue thee. Hallowed (O Father) be thy Name; let ſuch feare and reuerence poſſeſſe our hearts, that by our words and workes, we may ſet forth thy praiſe and glory, according as thou haſt and doeſt make thy ſelf known to vsus in thy Word and in thy Workes. We know (O Father) that wee owe this duty vntounto thee, for our election, for our naturall being, for our heauenly vocation, for our iuſtification, ſanctification and our happy preſeruation both bodily and ghoſtly: but we are not of our ſelues able to glorifie thy Name by well-doing, but as thou thy ſelfe ſhalt inable vsus therevnto: for it is thou (O Father and Author of all goodneſſe) that workeſt in vsus both the will and the deed. Let therefore, Thy Kingdome come, ſend forth thy Word to teach vsus, thy Spirit to conuert vsus more & more; ſubdue the kingdome of ſin & Satan, & do thou take the rule and gouernment ouer vsus into thy owne hands; and by thy power ſo defend vsus, and by thy eſpeciall grace make vsus ſuch faithfull, ſuch loyall ſubiects to thee alwayes and in all things, in this Kingdome of Grace, that at the length of thy Fatherly mercy, we might attaine to the Kingdome of Glory.
And becauſe our hearts be deceitfull through too much ignorance, ſelf-louelove, and hidden hypocriſie, that we may be thereby eaſily deceiued, in liuing onelyonly in an outward bare profeſſion of thy Name, and onelyonly in an outward formall worſhip and ſeruice to thy Maieſty, giuegive grace (O heauenly Father) that by vsus thy Will may be done in earth, as it is in Heauen. Make vsus in this our pilgrimage, while we here liue from home, mingled among Aliens and ſtrangers from the life of God, ſo faithfull in belieuing, ſo conſcionable in liuing, ſo patient in ſuffering for wel-doing, as hereby our hearts by thy Spirit may aſcertaine vsus that wee be truely the children of regeneration and grace. Worke in vsus this good worke, that wee may wholy renounce our owne wills, dye to our ſelues and to the world, ſubmit to thee, and to thy will in eueryevery condition, and ſay, It is the Lord, let him doe what ſeemeth him good. What thou commandeſt, that put into our harts to practiſe, and whom we ſee to be examples of wel-doing before vsus, giuegive vsus grace to follow them, and to ſtriue euen to imitate the holy Angels of heauen in doing thy will, readily without lingering, cheerefully without murmuring, faithfully without adding or diminiſhing, ſincerely without ſiniſter reſpect, and conſtantly without wauering, and neuer bee weary of weldoing. What though we hauehave croſſes and many diſcontentments, yet let it neuer repent vsus, that wee hauehave repented, denyed our ſelues, and renounced the world to follow thee, euen in the ſtraight way which leadeth to life and immortality in the end.
And now (O Lord) for that we liue in theſe decaying Tabernacles, in theſe bodies of clay, needing dayly ſuſtentation, wee beſeech thee giuegive vsus this day our dayly bread; of thy goodneſſe, put forth thy liberall hand towards vsus, in granting vsus what is neceſſary for life, and conuenient for our preſent eſtate and calling, in which wee liue. Afford vsus health and peace, if it be thy will, and ſuch abilities of body and minde, as may inable vsus to walke painfully in our vocations. Bleſſe the diligent labour of our hands, and ſo guide vsus, that our gettings may be in iuſtice and honeſty, our keeping in commendable frugality, and our expending in wiſedome and charity. If we hauehave but little, let it content vsus; if much, make vsus thankfull and mercifull. And whatſoeuer we poſſeſſe of theſe outward things, Lord, grant that with a good conſcience we may enioy them, and make a good vſe of them, that they may be bleſſed to vsus and ours. And if it pleaſe thee to trie vsus in any loſſe, let not our inward peace be troubled, nor our hearts fret, or be any way diſquieted there with; but ſay contentedly. The Lord giueth, and the Lord taketh away, bleſſed bee his Name for euer. We know (ô Almighty Lord God) that thy hand is not ſhortned, thy goodnes is not leſſened, nor the fountaine of thy mercies drawne dry, but that thou canſt giuegive vsus all theſe things, and whatſoeuer wee ſtand in need of in a moſt plentifull manner: but alaſſe, alaſſe, we looking vponupon our vnworthineſſe, and our wretchedneſſe, doe acknowledge that wee hauehave many wayes ſinned againſt thee, of ignorance, of knowledge, of infirmity, and ſometimes wilfully: we are borne in ſin, we hauehave broken forth into treſpaſſes againſt thee. Oh how do we dayly commit one euill or another, in thought, word, & deed againſt thee, and againſt our brethren! Oh how vſuall a thing is it with vsus to omit our duties to thee and our neighbours, and neuer to be grieued at it! What other thing therefore may wee looke for at thy hands, than thy deſerued wrath? But (O our Father, the God of mercy, that art infinite in goodneſſe, and takeſt no pleaſure in the death of a ſinner, we humbly beſeech thee to be mercifull vntounto vsus, to forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, as we forgiue them that treſpaſſe againſt vsus. Wee that be by corruption of nature mercileſſe, through thy louelove powred into our hearts, do freely forgiue our brethren their offences and iniuries done vntounto vsus; we therefore truſt that thou being our Father, a mercifull God, yea mercy it ſelfe, wilt freely remit our ſins, and neuer lay them vntounto our charge in this life, nor in the life to come. Wee beg this forgiuenes at thy hands for Ieſus ſake our Sauiour, in whom thou art well pleaſed. He is our atonement accept him for vsus, by his death hee hath payd our debt, thy iuſtice therefore is ſatisfied, of thy mercy be reconciled vntounto vsus. And here of (good Father) perſwade vsus by thy good Spirit that wee may be comforted againſt deſpaire; and that the dread of thy wrath doe not interrupt our prayers, nor breake off our dayly acceſſe vntounto the throne of Grace. Be fauourable, and not fearefull vntounto vsus thy children and ſeruants: for wee are ſorry for our offences; the remembrance of them is greeuous vntounto vsus, & we doe deſire more carefully hereafter to pleaſe thee, and euer to walke before thee, as it becommeth thy Saints. But (ô Lord our God, thou that beholdeſt al things) doſt know ye we are very weak of our ſelues, and are compaſſed about with enemies; our nature is corrupted, and playeth the Traytor; the whole world lyeth polluted in wickednes, & Satan ſeeketh reſtleſly whom he may deuoure; we cannot preuent temptations; wee cannot free ourſelues from the euils thereof. And therefore (Holy Father) tender vsus in mercy, hauehave compaſſion vponupon vsus, and lead vsus not into temptation, but deliuer vsus from euill. Hold vsus vp by diuine inſpiration againſt Satans ſuggeſtion: by inward ſanctification againſt natures corruption, and by a holy conuerſation againſt the worlds pollution, that although we be tempted, we may not be ouercome, and though through infirmity we fall, yet helpe thou to raiſe vsus vp againe. O thou God of ſtrength and power, goe before vsus we pray thee, and enter into this ſpirituall battell with vsus; in danger leaue vsus not, and doe not withdraw thy good grace from vsus. And if in the multitude of thy mercies thou wilt be pleaſed to pardon what is paſt, to watch ouer vsus for the time preſent, and to preuent vsus by thy grace for the time to come, we will acknowledge, as thy due praiſes, from moſt thankfull harts, that thine is Kingdome, power, and glory for euer. Amen.
Let thy Almighty hand be with vsus in our defence againſt the Diuell, the world and the fleſh. Thy tender mercy in Ieſus Chriſt ſaue vsus: and let not our ſins be a wall of ſeparation betweene thee and vsus. Thy true and holy Word inſtruct vsus, and giuegive vsus grace to caſt off al vaine inuentions of man, ſuperſtition, wil-worſhip and idolatry. Thy gracious Spirit comfort vsus, by the ſweet promiſes of the Goſpell, and free pardon in Chriſt, and not by the idle conceit of our owne merits and workes of ſatisfaction, wee being altogether thy vnprofitable ſeruants. Thy holy Angels pitch their Tents about vsus, and about all belonging to vsus, that we may be preſerued both in body and ſoule, from all perils and dangers of this preſent life, through our onelyonly Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. To whom with thee (O Father) and that bleſſed Spirit, be all Honour, Glory, Praiſe, Maieſty, and Dominion for al thy bleſſings and mercies towards vsus, and towards thy whole Church, henceforth and for euermore.
Amen.