Two Sermons and The Lords Supper, Prayer
A PRAIER TO BE SAID BEFORE a man repaire to the partaking of the Lords ſupper.
O Eternall God, and moſt mercifull father, I thy poore and vnwoorthie ſeruant doo humblie beſeech thee in Ieſus Chriſt thy deere ſons name, and for his ſake, gratiouſlie through his death and obedience, to pardon and forgiue me all my ſinnes whatſoeuer, which at anie time, by thought, word, or deed, I hauehave, through negligence, ignorance, or knowledge, committed againſt thy diuine maieſtie, or anie other. And becauſe both by reaſon of the curſſed corruption of mine owne nature, and the infinit multitude of my ſinnes alſo, I am ſlow & dull of heart to beleeue, ſeale vp in my ſoule I pray thee O Lord, this great benefit of the free pardon & full forgiueneſſe of all my ſinnes, by the aſſured teſtimonie of thy bleſſed ſpirit, bearing record vntounto my ſpirit that I am thy childe, and by vnfeined parddoning and forgiuing of others, which anie maner of way hauehave offended againſt me. Yea make the death and reſurrection of thy ſonne ſo powerfull & effectuall in me, that I may not onelie feele and finde in the ſame, the forgiueneſſe of all my ſinnes, both generall and particular, and the hope of eternall ſaluation, but alſo that I may be inſtructed thereby, all the daies of my life, more and more to die vntounto ſin, and dailie more & more to liue vntounto righteouſnes of life and holie conuerſation. And foraſmuch as through thy goodneſſe, I hauehave purpoſed this day to communicat, in the vſe of thy bleſſed word and ſacraments, I beſeech thee (good father) to pearſe mine eares, to prepare my heart, yea and ſo to direct all the parts and powers of my body and ſoule, that I may not onelie reuerentlie and profitablie hearken to thy voice, ſpeaking vntounto me out of thy word, laboring all the daies of my life to conforme my ſelfe to the knowledge, faith, and obedience of the ſame, but alſo that I may aſſuredlie be made partaker of the frutes and effects of the death and paſſion of thy deere ſonne, which it pleaſeth thee in that holie ſacrament, to offer vntounto me. To this end and purpoſe I beſeech thee to grant, that I be not carried away in the contemplation and conſideration of the earthly and corruptible things, obiected therein to my ſences, but that my faith may be ſet vp & raiſed to the ſpirituall beholding, aſſured feeling, and full fruition of theſe graces, which it pleaſeth thee by the ſame to offer vntounto me. GiueGive me grace (good Lord) to bring with me a ſtedfaſt faith in the truth of thy promiſes, that by it, as by an eie, I may looke vponupon, and by the ſame, as by a hand, I may apprehend Ieſus Chriſt thy ſonne, ſitting at thy right hand, to be my onelie and continuall iuſtifier, ſanctifier and redeemer. Grant me grace alſo to bring with me, as an earneſt hatred of all my former euils whatſoeuer, ſo a ſincere louelove of all righteouſneſſe and well dooing, that I by the power of thy ſpirit, crucifieng the old man, with the luſts and concupiſcences therof, ſpeciallie ſuch as beare the greateſt ſway in me, may be ſtrengthened in the new man, dailie to thinke, ſpeake, and doo thoſe things which may be acceptable and well pleaſing in thy godlie preſence. And I beſeech thee further, to giuegive me grace to bring with me, ſound & ſincere louelove towards all men, yea euen towards mine enimies, that I may not onelie forget and forgiue all the iniuries & wrongs that they hauehave deuiſed, ſaid or doone againſt me, but alſo pray earneſtlie vntounto thy maieſtie for them, and purchaſe and procure
End of the text · Theodore Beza, Two Sermons and The Lords Supper (1588)