The Institution of Children in the Christian Religion, Prayer – Instructions

The Institution of Children in the Christian Religion · Prayer – Instructions

A godly prayer for Children to vſe.

O Almightie God, and our moſt gracious Father; we thy deare children (béeing taugth by thy worde (doe know the nature of thy goodneſſe to be ſuch, that as thou art alwayes ready to giuegive, glad to forgiue, & willing to bleſſe and proſper them, that appertaine vntounto thée: ſo thy will and pleaſure is, that we ſhold learne thy lawes, to y^e end we may know how to glorifie thée, & walke in thy wayes: and that becauſe there is no man able to performe this without the aſſiſtance of thy ſpirit, thou haſt promiſed to ſend foorth y^e ſame vntounto them that faithfully deſire, and runne vntounto thée: now therefore (O good father) we acknowledging our faults, & our vnworthineſſe, do come vntounto thée & proſtrate our ſelues before thy footſtoole, in the hope and aſſurāce of thy tēder mercies: to whō ſhould the childe come, but vntounto his father? and to whom ſhould we come but vntounto thée? for howſoeuer we hauehave faulted agaynſt heauen, and agaynſt thée, and are vnworthy to be called thy ſonnes: yet art thou our father, and we hope that in the name of thy moſt deare ſon Ieſus, thou wilt not denie vsus to be thy children. Let it be thy good pleaſure (O father) to pardon all our defects and ignorances, to looke on vsus in thy louelove, to imbrace vsus with thy fauour, and to bleſſe vsus in thy merciemercy: that on vsus the ſwéete influences of thy ſpirit (with the which thou vſeſt to grace thine elected children) may be bountifully powred foorth graciouſly encreaſed, & longſomly continued on vsus for our perfect inſtruction, for the benefit of thy church, and for thine eternall glory; Teach vsus (O father) in the right vſe of thy worde, to know thée the only true God, to know Ieſus Chriſt our ſauiour, and to know our ſelues: that howſoeuer we be ſchooled and catechized by our bodily and ſpiritual fathers, whō thou haſt in thy wiſdome made meanes of our better inſtruction, we may be all taught of thée, which giueſt an happy encreaſe to Pauls planting, and the Apoſtles watering. Sanctifie vsus (O father) that we may be holy, as thou art holy, and confirme vsus, that we may be perfect, as thou art perfect: then ſhall we rightly know thy will and walke in thy wayes: then ſhall we indéed feare thée, and ſerue thée (as we are bound) to holineſſe and righteouſnes before thée, without feare, all the dayes of our life, and finally pleaſing thée, we ſhall enioy that euerlaſting inheritance of thy children in the higheſt felicitie, through the worthy merit of thy moſt deare ſonne our ſauiour Ieſus Chriſt, in whoſe name only wee preſume to come vntounto thée, praying as he hath taught vsus. viz.

Our Father which art in heauen. &c▪

Hereafter follow certayne godly graces for children to vſe before and after meat.

Before meate.

O Moſt gracious God, we beſeech the to ſanctifie and bleſſe all theſe thy creatures, which at this time we ſhall receiue at thy bountifull hand, giuegive vsus grace (good father) to take and vſe the ſame with right thankfulneſſe to thy worthy glory, and to our comfort, both in body and ſoule, through thy deare ſonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and ſauiour, Amen.

After meate.

O Lord God our heauenly father, moſt good, gracious, & merciful, we yeeld thee praiſe, honour, and glory, for theſe and all other thy benefits and bounties powred foorth on vsus: and and now we humbly beſeech thee to be mercifull vntounto vsus, and forgiue vsus all out ſinnes, & to grant that thy louing graces and bleſſings may be both encreaſed and continued vntounto vsus thy high glory and our happy comfort, in Ieſu Chriſt our ſauiour. Amen.

Another.

AS we hauehave now receiued thoſe thy gifts (O God) whereby we be refreſhed in our bodies ſo grant that the may be alſo ſpiritually fed, and nouriſhed with thy worde, and diuine graces in our ſoules: that ſo both in bodie and ſoule (taſting in both the ſweeteneſſe of thy louing mercies) we may prayſe and glorifie thy moſt holy name, through the ſonne Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, Amen.

Before Supper.

O Lord, our father celeſtiall,

Bleſſe vsus, and theſe thy creatures all:

That we may rightly vſe the ſame,

And therein prayſe thine holy name.

After Supper.

O Gracious God, we glorifie,

Thy name, and ſupreame maieſtie:

For all thy gifts, which from aboue,

We hauehave receiued in thy great louelove:

Oh grant vsus grace, therefore to be,

For euer thankefull vntounto thee.

Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · John Carpenter, The Institution of Children in the Christian Religion (1601)