Christian Commonwealth, Prayers
Morning and Euening Prayer to be daily vſed in priuate Families.
Morning Prayer.
O Almighty and our moſt mercifull & louing God, & Father in Ieſus Chriſt, wee thy moſt vnworthy ſeruants through thy mercy preſuming to proſtrate our ſelues here before the face of thy diuine Maieſty, doe moſt humbly beſeech thee for his ſake to accept this our bounden duty and humbled hearts which as a Morning ſacrifice with all humbleneſſe wee heere preſent vntounto thee, yeelding prayſe & thankes vntounto thy ſacred Maieſty for all thoſe manifold bleſſings, which in thy mercy thou haſt dayly thus plenteouſly powred vponupon vsus thy moſt vnworthy ſervants, & amongſt the reſt we forget not that bodily health, peace & proſperity which thou in thy mercy doſt ſtill continue vntounto us with that quiet and comfortable reſt which wee hauehave enioyed this night paſt, & that thou haſt now brought vsus to the beginning of this day in ſafety, Theſe and all other things whatſoeuer, we doe praiſe thy moſt glorious name for, and now ſtill doe moſt humbly beg of thee, that thou wilt be pleaſed to receiue vsus this day and all the daies of our liues vnderunder thy powerfull protection, Oh defend and keep vsus from euil, guide vsus with thy grace ſanctifie vsus with thy ſpirit, graunt that in all things, yea and aboue all things, that our whole care and endeavours may be zealouſly to walke before thee in holy obedience vntounto thy heauenly will & holy commandements, bleſſe vsus we humbly beſeech thee in the labors of our hands, grāt that we take nothing in hand vnaduiſedly, but what ſhall be agreeable vntounto thy moſt holy will; thou that knoweſt what is needfull for vsus better then we our ſelues do, vouchſafe wee pray thee to giuegive vntounto vsus the good things which wee hauehave neede of, whether it bee for our ſoules or bodies, euen for thy deere and onelyonly Sons ſake Ieſus Chriſt bleſſed for euer: we doe moſt humbly begge them in of thee that forme of prayer which he himſelfe haught vsus, ſaying, Our Father, &c.
Euening Praier.
O Bleſſed God, which gaueſt the people of Iſrael in charge eueryevery day to offer vntounto thee a morning & euening ſacrifice, that there by thou mighteſt be glorified and praiſed for their dayly protection and preſeruation, wee moſt vnworthie wretches preſuming through this thy mercy to proſtrate our ſelues heere before thy divine maieſty, to offer vntounto thee this our bounden duty, do moſt humbly beſeech thee for thy bleſſed Sonnes ſake Ieſus Chriſt bleſſed for euer, that by the powerfull aſſiſtance of thy holy ſpirit, thou wilt ſanctifie our harts vntounto the performance heereof; for we confeſſe, in reſpect of our manifold ſins, wee are farre vnworthy to preſent our ſelues before thy glorious maieſty, & much more that thou ſhouldeſt regard vsus or accept any thing which we do but wee moſt humbly beſeech thee enter not into iudgment with thy ſeruants for who then ſhall ſtand before thee, our very righteouſneſſe is like vntounto a filthy cloath, the thoughts of our hearts are dayly and hourely corrupt before thee, who can tell how often hee offendeth? we hauehave beene alwaies rebellious Children againſt thee, diſobeying thy commandements, contemning thy iudgements, and abuſing thy merits, and it is thy great mercy that hath ſtayed thee, that thou haſt not vtterly conſumed vsus long ſince, euen in the midſt of our ſinnes, when they were vnregarded of vsus, or we vnrepented of them: but ſince thou haſt beene pleaſed to infuſe now againe into vsus thy grace to ſee our ſins let this thy grace worke in vsus we beſeech thee a true and vnfained repentance of them, pardon, oh pardon all our ſins O Lord we humbly beſeech thee for thy bleſſed Sonnes ſake Ieſus Chriſt we moſt humbly beſeech thee to pardon all our offences, which eieither either this day, or any other day or time from our births to this houre wee hauehave committed, whether in thought, word, or deed, wherſoeuer, whenſoeuer, howſoeuer, or againſt whomſoeuer committed, let that innocent & moſt precious bloud which thy bleſſed Sonne hath ſhed to waſh a way the ſins of thy ſeruants, waſh and purge vsus from all our ſinnes, and ſeeing that from vsus of our ſelues no good thing can proceed, we humbly beſeech thee to create in vsus new hearts, and by the powerfull working of thy holy ſpirit ſanctifie both our hearts and ſoules vntounto thee, that we may heerafter ſtriue to performe a more holy and zealous obedience vntounto thy heauenly will and holy commandements, then euer hitherto we hauehave done, for our bleſſed Sauiours ſake we beſeech thee to graunt theſe and all other good thinges vntounto vsus which may dayly further vsus in the workes of our ſaluation, and heere as wee are by duty bound, we render vntounto thee humble and moſt heartie thankes for all thoſe great and manifold bleſſings which in thy great mercy thou doeſt dayly thus plenteouſly power vponupon vsus moſt vnworthy wretches; and amongſt the reſt, wee forget not that bodily health, peace, and proſperity which we doe ſtill enioy, with the bleſſings which wee hauehave this day receiued. Theſe and all other thinges whatſoeuer, wee doe praiſe thy moſt glorious name for, and doe moſt humbly begge of thee to continue thy mercies and bleſſings ſtill vntounto vsus in all the good thinges that we hauehave need of, and amongſt the reſt, we beſeech thee to receiue vsus vnderunder thy powerfull protection this night, that ſo wee may reſt in peace, and ſleepe in ſafety, for wee know there is no ſafety but in thee & with thee, in vaine are our houſes any protection vntounto vsus, or our beds any place of reſt for our weak bodies, if thy bleſſing bee not with vsus. Oh ſuffer not Sathan to trouble vsus in our ſleepes, nor any danger to annoy vsus, but wee beſeech thee let thy holy Angels watch ouer vsus while we take reſt, that ſo when wee ſhall wake againe wee may render due prayſe vntounto thee, vntounto whome all prayſe belongeth, neyther doe wee beg theſe thinges for our ſelues here alone, but for thy whole Church whereſoeuer diſperſed. More particularly we pray thee be gracious vntounto this land wherin through thy goodneſſe we liue and hauehave o… beeing, and herein as wet are by duty bound, wee humbly beſeech thee to powre thy bleſſings on that great piller of thy Church our dread Soueraigne Lord Charles, by thy gracious appoyntment King of great Brittaine France and Ireland, wee beeſeech thee enrich his royall heart with ſuch graces and gifts as ſhall bee meete for that high place and calling wherein thou haſt placed him, bleſſe with him his and our noble Queene Mary, his faythfull privie Counſellors, the reverend Clergie, all true hearted Nobilitie, loyall Gentry, and louing Comminalty, we beſeech thee let thy bleſſings dwell on the heads of theſe ſo long as the Sunne and Moone endureth, neyther forget wee the poore afflicted mēbers of this thy Church whereſoeuer diſperſed, or howſoeeuer diſtreſſed, and eueryevery particular member thereof howſoeuer afflicted, whether outwardly in body, or inwardly in mind, euen as if our ſelues were in their caſe, ſo begge wee for them patience, comfort, and a ſpeedy releaſe of their ſeuerall calamities, that they with vsus, and wee with them, may in the end reioyce together with thee in thy heauenly kingdome: which Lord we beſeech thee to haſten, prepare vsus for thee, and come Lord Ieſus, come quickly, euen ſo, Amen.
T. C.
End of the text · Thomas Carter, Christian Commonwealth (1627)