The Guide Unto True Blessedness, Prayer 6
A ſhort Prayer for the Euening.
O Almightie God, King of Glory Father of Eternitie, who dwelling on high abaſeſt thy ſelfe to behold things in heauen & in earth, & being the firſt & the laſt, giueſt beginning & ending to all times & affaires, wherein thy creatures are employed; we acknowledg with humble & thākfull hearts, the riches of thy bountie afforded vsus, thine vnworthie ſeruants, as well this day now paſt, as in the whole courſe of our liues. Thou O Lord, haſt made vsus, and that fearfully and wonderfully: thou haſt been our hope from our mothers breſts. Thou haſt lengthened the daies of our life vntounto this houre, & therein haſt ſhewed vsus many mercies. Thou haſt freed our bodies from diſeaſes & dangers, our names from reproch, our ſubſtance from ſpoile, our liberty from violent and vniuſt reſtraint. Thou haſt ſtrengthened vsus vntounto labour, ſatiſfied vsus with thy good creatures, cheared our hearts with the fellowſhip and louelove of thy people, our fellow ſeruants: and bleſſed our endeauors with ſucceſſe through thy good prouidence. Thou haſt heard our prayers, accompliſhed our deſires, turned away our feares, mitigated our troubles, and put an end from time to time to all our afflictions. Thus haſt thou ſhewed thy ſelfe to be the God, that delighteſt in the proſperitie of thy ſeruants. But, O Lord, how can we worthilie magnifie thy mercy towards vsus in Ieſus Chriſt? In whom thou haſt, from all eternitie, appointed an heauenly Kingdome vntounto vsus: By whoſe word thou haſt called vsus: by whoſe blood thou haſt redeemed vsus: by whoſe Spirit thou haſt ſanctified, and ſealed vsus vntounto the day of redemption: In whom we hauehave this liberty, to call thee Abba, Father: In whom, and with whom, all earthly bleſſings are giuen vntounto vsus, not onelyonly for our bodily comfort, but alſo as pledges of our heauenly inheritance. Oh, how deare therefore are thy thoughts of merciemercy vntounto vsus, O Lord how great is the ſumme of them Bleſſed Father, enlarge our hearts to comprehend thy louelove, and encline them to louelove thee, who haſt ſo loued vsus.
But let vsus mourne and be aſhamed that wee hauehave returned nothing vntounto thy maieſtie, but hatred for thy good will. Let it ſtrike our hearts, that wee hauehave abuſed thy bodily bleſsings vntounto couetouſneſſe, or intemperance: thy patience vntounto preſumption: the grace of thy Goſpell vntounto licenciouſneſſe in ſinning. Let vsus abhorre our ſelues, that wee hauehave prophaned thy ſabbaths, deſpiſed thy word, quenched thy ſpirit, vnhallowed thy name, & many waies defiled the holy profeſſion we hauehave taken vponupon vsus. Let vsus repent in duſt and aſhes, for our wilfull blindneſſe of minde, hardneſſe of heart, remorſeleſſeneſſe of conſcience; whereby wee hauehave reſiſted the worke of thy grace in vsus. Thou O Lord wouldeſt hauehave purged vsus, and we would not be purged; thou wouldeſt hauehave cured vsus, but wee would not be cured. Th…ſe, and all other our ſinnes, O Lord, let vsus recount before thee, with true ſorrow and aſtoniſhment of heart. But doe not thou, O Father, ſtraightly marke iniquities; nor deale with vsus as we hauehave deſerued. Truth Lord, vntounto vsus belongeth nothing, but confuſion and condemnation: but vntounto thee compaſsio… and forgiueneſſe, though wee hauehave grieuouſly rebelled againſt thee. Thou haſt in thy word proclaimed thy ſelfe vntounto vsus, to be The Lord, mercifull & gracious, ſlow to anger, forgiuing iniquitie, tranſgreſsion, and ſinne. Thou haſt made many faithfull promiſes, that thou wilt bee found of them that ſeeke and ſue for merciemercy vntounto thee. Thou haſt ſatiſfied thy Iuſtice in the accurſed death of thy Sonne, our ſurety and Sauiour, Ieſus Chriſt, for the ſinnes of the whole word of thine elect. Thou haſt giuen vsus of thy Spirit, wherby euen we, ſinfull wretches, are taught, and enclined, to forgiue for thy ſake ſuch as hauehave offended vsus: how much more wilt thou ſhew thy ſelfe a faithfull and mercifull God to pardon all our ſinnes, and to clenſe vsus from all vnrighteouſneſſe? Wherefore O Lord heare, O Lord forgiue, O Lord conſider, n… giuegive a gracious anſwere vntounto our ſupplication, for the Lords ſake.
Yea Lord, teach vsus to riſe vp with thy Maieſtie, againſt our ſins, that our warre with them may aſſure vsus that we hauehave peace with thee. Let vsus not be ſuch traitors to thy Maieſtie, as to harbour thine enemies. Breake of in …uerie one of vsus the wicked cuſtomes of ſinning: aboliſh the power and dominion thereof: crucifie the louelove and affection thereto. Let vsus, in the bloudy paſsion of our deare Sauiour, ſee the ougly face, heare the dreadfull cry, and feele the intolerable burden of our tranſgreſsions. And let vsus not, as if the loade were yet too light, let vsus not (bleſſed God) adde more vntounto the waight and meaſure of our ſinnes: but rather let vsus, in our proportion, beare part in the ſufferings of our Sauiour; ceaſing from ſinne for his ſake, who for our ſakes refuſed not to offer vp his innocent ſoule a ſacrifice for ſinne.
Lord teach vsus to doe thy will. Knit our hearts vntounto thee, that wee may feare thy name. Let thy good Spirit leade vsus in all the pathes of righteouſneſſe, and make our barren nature fruitfull in good workes. Quicken vsus, O Lord, for thy names ſake, with the life of grace: and ſtabliſh our hearts with thy free Spirit. Teach vsus freely to ſubmit our ſelues to the eaſie yoake, and light burden of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Let thy grace ſo frame vsus vntounto heartie obedience, that thy commandement may not be grieuous vntounto vsus. Let thy louelove in Chriſt Ieſus be ſo ſhed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghoſt, that no difficulties may diſcourage vsus in the way of well doing. Let the meditation of the glorious kingdome prepared for vsus, ſo poſſeſſe and affect vsus, that the louelove of this preſent world may ſeeme baſe, and vnworthy of vsus. Let the expectation of the ſuddaine comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt ſo awaken vsus, that the momentanie pleaſures of ſinne, or cares of this life, may not lull vsus a ſleepe, and enſnare vsus.
Watch ouer vsus this night by thy gracious prouidence, preſerue vsus from the dangers of the darkneſſe: refreſh vsus with the moderate vſe of thine ordinance of reſt and ſleepe: raiſe vsus vp with health of bodie, and cheare of heart, to the duties of the next day. Let thy kindneſſe and merciemercy follow vsus all the dayes of our life. Bring vsus in peace, with good report, eſpecially with a good conſcience, vntounto the bed of the graue; that after the ſleepe of death, wee may awake vntounto bleſſed immortalitie.
Preſerue thy whole Church, and adde thereto, from day to day, ſuch as ſhall be ſaued. Be mercifull to this Land: forgiue the common and crying ſinnes, of profaneneſſe, worldlineſſe, crueltie, and abuſe of thy long patience, and liberall bleſſings; eſpecially of thy Goſpell. GiueGive grace vntounto all eſtates, truely to returne vntounto thee, and to ſeek thy face and fauour. Eſpecially poure downe a liberall ſhower of all bodily and ſpirituall bleſſings on the Kings Maieſtie, with the Queene, and Royall family; ſanctifie, and aſſiſt the Magiſtrates, and Miniſters. Continue theſe bleſſings of peace, and of thy Goſpell, vntounto the poſteritie after vsus. Bleſſe all that louelove vsus, and are by any band linked, or allied vntounto vsus. Yea take pittie of thoſe that cauſeleſſely hate vsus. Shew vsus all, O Lord, thy merciemercy in this life, and in the life to come, grant vsus thy ſaluation; through Ieſus Chriſt, thine onelyonly Sonne, and our alone Sauiour. To whom with thee, O Father, and thy bleſſed Spirit, be all praiſe, power, dominion, and obedience, henceforth and for euer. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Samuel Crook, The Guide Unto True Blessedness (1613)