Household Prayers, Prayer 6
The ſixth Prayer, For obtaining the gift of the Holy-ghoſt.
By the eternall Spirite, Christ hath offered himſelfe to GOD, the Spirit which ſoundeth the profound things of God: which alſo testifieth with our ſpirit, that we are the children of God.
Heb. 9.1. Cor. 2. Rom. 8.
O Lord God almightie, wee doe learne in thy word (the vnchangeable trueth) how without confounding any thing in the three perſons of thy moſt ſimple Deitie, or ſeparating the onelie and indiuiſible ſubſtance thereof, each perſon retaineth that which is proper to it ſelfe in the workes of thy hands, eſpeciallie in that which concerneth our ſaluation. So the beginning of all and eueryevery action, is properly attributed vntounto thee, O Father of the whole world, and to Ieſus Chriſt, the wiſdome, the counſel, and the order, to diſpoſe all things, and to the Holy-ghoſt, the virtue and ſupporter of all thy workes. According whereunto we alſo doe acknowledge from thy louelove, and from thy eternall decree, that which thou haſt prouided for vsus in thy ſonne (very God made very man) ſuch a mediatour and ſauiour, as was neceſſary for vsus: and we do render vntounto him the honour of the fulneſſe of thy louelove towards vsus, and of that perfect obedience which he hath yeelded to thy ordinance, euen to the death of the croſſe for vsus in moſt bitter anguiſh, as alſo from the vertue of the Holy-ghoſt, wee doe confeſſe the efficacie, and healthfull application of this great & principal worke-manſhip of our redemption.
But thy wiſdome, O Lord, reſteth wholy in myſterie, that is to ſay, it is hidden, except vntounto thoſe to whom thy ſpirit giueth ſight. For true it is, that Chriſt calleth all men vntounto him by his Goſpel, ſpreading forth to that effect, his light throughout the whole world. Whoſo followeth him, ſhall not walke in darkeneſſe; for hee is the Sunne of righteouſneſſe, and the way to go to heauen: But his ſheep only do heare his voice, and follow him; as alſo hee knoweth them and giueth vntounto them life euerlaſting: euen by the meere efficacie of his ſpirit which quickeneth & lighteneth all thy elect, O God, to make them in thy word to behold the onelyonly lampe of thy kingdome, the knowledge of ſaluation, the ſtedfaſt good of the ſoule, and the ſure and only means to obtaine the ſame: all people may reade thy ſacred writings, only they can gather the ſence to the peace of their ſoules, whom it pleaſeth thee, as a Father to illuminate from aboue. For ſo may they ſee howe in the croſſe of Ieſus they doe obtaine their triumph, in his ſhame, their glory, in his paine, their peace, in his teares, their ioy, in his ſorrowe, their comfort, in his death their life, in his reſurrection, the fulnes of their hope. I beſeech thee therefore, my God, to powre vponupon me this thy ſpirit of wiſdome, and reuelation, and grace, and merciemercy, through the force of his beames, to ſcatter the darkeneſſe of my vnderſtanding, and with the propertie of his fire, to purifie my peruerſe affections, with his celeſtiall lamp to kindle in my hart the true zeale of his glorie, with his holie oyntment, to enbaulme my conſcience, with his ſacred oyle to reioyce and refreſh my bowells, and with his vertue to renew in me an vpright ſpirit, to the end that my ſoule thus cleanſed from the dead workes of the fleſh, may be repleniſhed with faith working all righteouſneſſe, whereby to ouercome all the enemies of my peace, (Sathan, the fleſh, the world, and my owne luſts.) But aboue al things, O Lord, make that by the efficacy of thy holy ſpirit, I may obtaine the true and firme conſolation of the faithful ſoule, the height of his ioy, of his quiet and content, and the infallible direction to his perfection, namely, the aſſurance that thou, my heauenly Father, haſt adopted mee into the number of thy children, by that grace that thou haſt giuen vsus in Chriſt, who was made our wiſdome, righteouſneſſe, ſanctification, and redemption. And that being ſo ouerſhadowed with the hope of Chriſtians which neuer at all confoundeth, I may bee ſupported, euen to the end of my dayes, by thy holy ſpirite, which then eſpecially may help my weakeneſſe, that I may yeeld vntounto thee, O my God, my laſt groanes, to thee acceptable, and to me ſalutiferous, as being in the throne of thy glorie approoued capable of the contemplation thereof in the heauenly Ieruſalem, through thy goodneſſe and mercy in Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: To whom with thee, O Father, and the holy ſpirit, one onelyonly God, bee all honor, glory, and dominion for euermore. So be it.