The Guide Unto True Blessedness, Prayer 1
A Prayer for the Morning.
O Lord God, the Almightie maker, and carefull preſeruer of all thy creatures, but eſpecially the ſauiour & ſanctifier of them that beleeue, by the merit and efficacie of the bloud of Ieſus Chriſt: we acknowledge, that as all thy works doe praiſe thee, ſo it becommeth thy Saints eſpecially to bleſſe thee, and that both night and day, for the bleſſings of the night and of the day. May it pleaſe thee therefore to receiue at the hands of vsus, thine vnworthy ſeruants, in the name of Ieſus Chriſt, this morning ſacrifice of thanks & praiſe for all thy mercies, and namely thoſe of the night paſt, and of this morning. Thou, O Lord, haſt ſpread the darknes as thy curtaine ouer vsus, fauouring vsus ſo much, as to hide the light of the world, and beauty of thy creatures, that in the mean time we might commodiouſly take our reſt. And in the time of reſt, thy prouidence, O Lord, hath not reſted in our behalfe, but waked for vsus whiles wee ſlept, to keepe vsus from the feares and danger of the night. Yea thou haſt bleſſed the bleſſing of ſleepe vntounto vsus, and haſt thereby reſtored the decaied powres of nature in vsus, whereas thou mighteſt iuſtly hauehave curſed it, & turned it into ſudden and vnexpected death. Againe, it hath pleaſed thee this morning to raiſe vp the light of the day to ſhine vntounto our bodies, laying open vntounto vsus the goodly ſhape of thy creatures, and inlightning the waies wherein wee are to walke: giuing vsus ability of body, and alacritie of ſpirit, to proceed in the courſes of our ſeuerall callings: finally, beginning the world with vsus as it were, and putting vsus in poſſeſſion of all thy works of wonder. Further wee remember with thankful hearts, all thy mercies formerly beſtowed and continued vponupon vsus: namely, life, health, peace, libertie, maintenance, credit, fellowſhip, ſucceſſe in our affaires, preſeruation from dangers, deliuerance from troubles, recouery out of ſickneſſes, conſolation in afflictions, and the iſſue of them, euen a morning of ioy, after a night of ſorrow. Laſtly, and aboue all, for magnifying thy mercy towards vsus, in the great worke of our redemption and ſaluation by Ieſus Chriſt, and for eueryevery linke of the golden chaine of grace, whereby thou haſt faſtened vsus vntounto thy ſelfe; namely, for election, vocation, iuſtification, ſanctification, and hope of glorification: likewiſe for the meanes of grace, thy Chriſt, thy ſpirit, thy word, thy ſacraments, thy ſabbaths, and the aſſemblies of thy Saints, with all the helps of example, inſtruction, admonition, and fatherly correction; by which thou haſt indeauoured to further vsus in the way of our ſaluation. Yea that though our prouocations of thee be many and greeuous, yet thy compaſsions faile not, but are renewed eueryevery morning. For all theſe teſtimonies of thy bounty, thy pitie, thy patience towards vsus, what ſhall we render vntounto thee O Lord? Wee doe euen take the cup of ſaluation, and call vponupon thy bleſſed name: wee doe according to our pouerty, offer thee the calues of our lips, confeſsing thy goodneſſe, and the due ſeruice of our bodies and ſoules, as a liuing and reaſonable ſacrifice.
And now O Lord, wee acknowledge our penurie to be ſuch, that we cannot liue but on thine allowance. For looking into our ſelues, we finde no ſtore but of ſinne and miſery: our vnderſtanding full of blindneſſe, vanitie, and infidelitie: our conſciences dead and remorſeleſſe: our hearts hard and impenitent: our affections diſorderly and violent: our appetites ſenſuall and brutiſh: our whole nature deformed with originall corruption: our whole life abounding with the fruits thereof in all maner of actuall tranſgreſsions: no ability to any good duty, no reſtraint or moderation in ſinning againſt thee; yea if we doe any good thing, we are apt to blemiſh it with ſelfe-louelove and hypocriſie: if we abſtaine from any euill, it is manie times rather from the act then from the louelove of it. In this caſe, O Lord, if thou ſhouldeſt looke vponupon vsus as a Iudge, ſtraightly to marke iniquities, or take this our confeſsion as an euidence againſt vsus, how ſhould we be able to ſtand before thee? But we beſeech thee take knowledge of it as of our complaint, and pitie our pouerty, our miſerie, and our nakednes. Cloath vsus with the righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, that may both hide our filthineſſe from thy ſight, and, as the garment of the elder brother, make vsus accepted before thee, and procure thy bleſsing. Acquaint thy ſelfe with vsus O Lord, and renew daily with vsus the couenant of thy peace: and euen now this morning let thy ſpirit from heauen bring vsus a new patent of merciemercy, that being to meet with thee in the waies and works of this day, wee may be ſure to meet thee as a reconciled Father, not as an offēded Iudge. Fill vsus with all ioy and peace in beleeuing: Comfort vsus ouer all our ſinnes, by the aſſurance of thy merciemercy: Confirme vntounto our heares our title vntounto thy Kingdome. And becauſe, o Lord, we liue vponupon thine hand, and all our welldoing is from thee, graunt that we may yeeld thee ſo much due, that no Lords beſides thee may rule ouer vsus. And to that end, good Lord, doe thou free vsus from the contrary power & rule of Sathan & of ſinne. It is not for thine honour, O Lord, that thy ſeruants ſhould be vnderunder the yoake of thine enemies: redeeme vsus therefo…e mightily frō the thraldome of the diuel: help vsus to leade our captiuity captiue: and ſtabliſh our hearts for euer by thy free ſpirit; For where thy ſpirit is, there is freedome. Let that ſpirit of thine therefore, O Lord, come vponupon vsus, and ſtrengthen vsus with a greater might then that of Samſon, to breake in ſunder the ſtrongeſt cords, euen our ſpeciall ſinnes. Teach vsus to ſee the vileneſſe of them: powre vponupon vsus the ſpirit of grace and godly ſorow that we may mourne for them: affect vsus with an holy hatred & deteſtation of them: waken vsus out of our ſecurity with the feare of thy iudgements: ſtrenghen our weakeneſſe with the power of thy might: arme vsus with the furniture of thy grace: encourage vsus with the preſence of thy ſpirit, and be with vsus in our ſpirituall conflict, as the King in the armie: Couer our he…ds, aſſure our hearts, inſtruct our hands, helpe vsus ſo to fight that wee may ouercome, ſo to ouercome that we may receaue the crown of victorie. Further, O Lord, we entreat thee ſo to let thy kingdome preuaile in vsus, that wee may not onelyonly be thy ſouldiers, but thy ſeruants and ſubiects. To this end write thy lawes in our inward parts, giuegive vsus vnderſtanding of thy will, ſet vp the ſcepter of thy kingdome in our conſciences, ſubdue our hearts to the obedience of thy commandements, win our affections to the louelove of thy ſtatutes, conforme our liues to the rule of thy righteouſneſſe, and tranſforme vsus daily into thine image from glorie to glory. Bleſſe all the meanes of grace vntounto vsus, and bleſſe vsus with hearts ſanctified, and ſet vponupon the meanes for encreaſe of grace. Let thy holy word, O Lord, bee our chiefeſt treaſure, thy ſtatutes our counſellors, thy promiſes our comforters, thy ſacraments our delicates, thy ſabbaths our beſt daies, and thy ſeruants our deereſt companions. Let thy ſeruice be our liberty, let thy yoake be our eaſe, and thy burthen as wings vntounto vsus. Let thy louing countenance bee our ſunne, thy protection our ſhield, and thy fauourable acceptance our exceeding great reward. Grant that we may account this time of thy Goſpell as our harueſt: and let vsus not now ſleepe, leaſt we be the ſonnes of confuſion; but let vsus ſo lay vp in theſe daies of plenty, that in the time of dearth wee may hauehave ſomething in ſtore. Teach vsus ſo to number our daies, and ſo to ſpend them, that euerie day and eueryevery night we may be able to giuegive vp a good account, eſpecially in the night of death and morrow of iudgement. And now hauing begun to ſpeak to thee our Lord, though we be but duſt and aſhes, we are bold to continue our ſuit, euen for bodily bleſſings. Bleſſe vsus therefore we pray thee, this day followin…, and all the daies of our life, with that portion of health, peace, proſperitie, and eueryevery good thing, that may enable vsus, and make vsus cheerefull in dutie. Aduiſe vsus in all our thoughts and purpoſes, giuegive good ſucceſſe vntounto our lawfull endeauors, ſtrengthen vsus in our bodily labours, ſanctifie vsus in our meats, and drinkes, recreations, and companies. Grant that in doing ſeruice to our ſelues and one ano her, wee may ſtill remember that wee are thy ſeruants. GiueGive vsus ſuch ſpirituall eyeſight, that we may ſee thee in thy creatures, and in thy prouidence. Grant that nothing may draw vsus away from thee, but that eueryevery thing may bring vsus neerer vntounto thee. Lord let vsus liue in thy ſight. Let vsus not liue without thee, as Gentils, let vsus not be caſt out of thy preſence, as Kain; let vsus not runne againſt thee, as Balaam: but let vsus walke with thee, as Enoch, Noah, and Abraham, taking knowledge of thee in all our waies. And take thou knowledge of vsus, vpholding vsus with thine hand, watching ouer vsus with thine eie, guiding vsus with thy grace, ſetting thine heart vponupon vsus to louelove vsus, and doe vsus good and not euill all the daies of our life.
Laſt of all wee come vntounto thee O Lord, in the behalfe of thy whole Church, and of all our brethren and and ſiſters, thine elect ſeruants, whereſoeuer they bee. Call the vncalled, perfect the called, raiſe vp the fallen, ſtrengthen the weake, enlighten the ignorant, heale the ſicke, releeue the needie, and diſtreſſed, releaſe ſuch as are in reſtraint, comfort them that mourne, eſpecially ſuch as mourne for ſinne: ſtrengthen the hand and heart of them, that ſtand in the iuſt defence of religion and right: quaile and confound euerie Aduerſarie and Antichriſtian power and pollicie, and ſo publiſh and propagate the Goſpell of Ieſus Chriſt, that thy name may be knowne, thy kingdome enlarged, & the number of thy Saints fulfilled. Specially wee beſeech thee, beholde and viſite this thy vine, which hauing reſcued from the Egyptian darkenes, and ſlauerie of Antichriſt, thou haſt beene pleaſed to plant among vsus of this nation. Make vsus more thankefull for our long peace, and for the Goſpell of peace. Bleſſe thy ſeruant Iames our ſoueraigne, with our gracious Queen Anne, Prince Charles, & the Count Palatine with the Lady Elizabeth, adorne them with all Princelie graces, anſwerable to their high eſtate, but eſpeciallie with ſuch ſpirituall graces, as may make them Kings and Prieſts to thee and thy ſonne for euer. Impart of the ſame ſpirit of grace and gouernement to all the honorable of his Maieſties priuie Counſell, to the Nobilitie, and Magiſtracie of the Land. Bleſſe thy ſeruants the Miniſters of thy word and ſacraments, and giuegive them ſufficiencie, fidelitie, and ſucceſſe in thy buſineſſe. Take knowledge of our priuate friends, our kinſfolkes, our charges, and whoſoeuer may claime intereſt in this duty at our hands. Finally to them, and vsus, and all that call on the name of Ieſus Chriſt, both our Lord and theirs, grant, whatſoeuer we hauehave or ought to hauehave asked, and that for the only mediations ſake of the ſame thy ſonne our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, to whom with thee O Father, and the holy Ghoſt, one God, be praiſe and dominion for euer and euer. Amen.