The Plain Mans Pathway to Heaven, Prayer 1
A Morning prayer, to be vſed in priuate families.
O Lord our God, and heauenlie Father, we thy vnwoorthy children doe heere come into thy moſt holy and heauenly preſence to giuegive thee praiſe and glory, for all thy great mercies and manifold bleſſings towards vsus: eſpecially for that thou haſt preſerued vsus this night paſt from all the dangers and feares thereof, haſt giuen vsus quiet reſt to our bodies, and brought vsus now ſafely to the beginning of this day, & doſt now afreſh renew all thy mercies vponupon vsus, as the Eagle reneweth her bill, giuing vsus all things abundantly to enioy; as foode, raiment, health, peace, libertie, and freedome from many miſeries, diſeaſes, caſualties, and calamities which we are ſubiect vntounto in this life, eueryevery minute of an houre: and not onelyonly ſo, but alſo for vouchſafeing vntounto vsus many good things, not onelyonly for neceſſitie, but euen for delight alſo. But aboue all (deare Father) we praiſe thy name for the bleſſings of a better life, ſpecially for thy moſt holy word and ſacraments, and all the good we enioy thereby; for the continuance of the Goſpel amongſt vsus; for the death of thy ſonne, & al that happineſſe which we hauehave thereby; alſo becauſe thou haſt choſen vsus to life before we were, and that of thy meere goodnes, & vndeſerued fauor towards vsus, & haſt called vsus in thine appointed time, iuſtified vsus by thy grace, ſanctified vsus by thy ſpirit, & adopted vsus to be thine own childrē, & heirs apparant to the great crown. O Lord open our eies eueryevery day more & more, to ſee and conſider of thy great & marueilous louelove to vsus in all theſe things; that by the due conſideration therof, our harts may be drawne yet neerer vntounto thee, euen more to louelove thee, feare thee, & obey thee: that as thou art enlarged towards vsus in mercy, ſo we may be enlarged towards thee in thankſgiuing: & as thou doeſt abound towards vsus in goodnes, ſo we may aboūd towards thee in obedience & louelove. And ſith (deere father) thou art neuer weary of doing vsus good, notwithſtanding all our vnworthines & naughtines: therefore let the conſideration of thy great mercy, & fatherly kindneſſe towards vsus euen as it were force our hearts, and compell vsus to come into thy moſt glorious preſence with new ſongs of thankeſgiuing in our mouths. We pray thee (O moſt mercifull God) to forgiue vsus all our vnthankfulnes, vnkindnes, prophannes, & great abuſing of all thy mercies, & ſpecially our abuſe & contempt of thy Goſpel, together with al other the ſins of our life, which we confeſſe are innumerable & mo then can be reckoned vp, both in omiſſion of good things & commiſſion of euill. We moſt humbly intreat thee to ſet thē all ouer to the reckning which thy ſon Chriſt hath made vp for them vpō his croſſe, & neuer to lay any of them to our charge, but freely forget all, & forgiue all; Naile downe all our ſins & iniquities to the Croſſe of Chriſt, bury them in his death, bathe them in his blood, hide them in his wounds, let them neuer riſe vp in iudgement againſt vsus. Set vsus free of the miſeries that are vpō vsus for ſin, & keep back the iudgements to come, both of ſoule, body, goods, and good name. Be reconciled vntounto vsus in thy deere ſon, concerning all matters past, not once remembring or repeating vntounto vsus our old & abhominable iniquities: but accept vsus as righteous in him, imputing his righteoſnes to vsus, & our ſins to him. Let his righteouſnes ſatiſfie thy iuſtice for all our vnrighteouſnes, his obedience for our diſobedience, his perfection for our imperfection. Moreouer we humbly beſeech thy good maieſty to giuegive vsus the true ſight & feling of our manifold ſins, that we may not be blinded in them through delight, or hardned in them through cuſtom, as the reprobates are: but that we may be euen weary of them, & much grieued for them, labouring and ſtriuing by al poſſible means to get out of them. Good Father touch our harts with true repentance for all ſin. Let vsus not take any delight or pleaſure in any ſin: but howſoeuer we fal throgh frailty (as we fall often) yet let vsus neuer fall finally, let vsus neuer lie downe in ſin, nor continue in ſin; but let vsus get vponupon our feete againe, & turne to thee with all our hearts, & ſeeke thee whileſt thou maieſt be found, & whileſt thou doeſt offer grace and mercy vntounto vsus. O Lord encreaſe in vsus that true and liuely faith whereby we may lay ſure hold on thy ſonne Chriſt, & reſt vponupon his merits altogether. GiueGive vsus faith aſſuredly to belieue all the great and precious promiſes made in the Goſpell, and ſtrengthen vsus from aboue to walke and abound in all the true & ſound fruits of faith. Let vsus walke not after the fleſh, but after the ſpirit. Let vsus feele the power of thy ſons death killing ſinne in our mortall bodies, and the power of his reſurrection, raiſing vsus vp to newneſſe of life. Let vsus grow daily in the ſanctification of the ſpirit, and the mortification of the fleſh. Let vsus liue holily, iuſtly, and ſoberly in this preſent euill world, ſhewing foorth the vertues of thee in all our particular actions; that we may adorne our moſt holy profeſſion, and ſhine as lights in the middeſt of a crooked and froward generation amongſt whom we liue, being gaineful to all by our liues & conuerſations, & offenſiue to none. To this end we pray thee fill vsus with thy ſpirit and all ſpirituall graces; as louelove, wiſedome, patience, contentment, meekeneſſe, humility, temperancy, chaſtity, kindneſſe, and affability: and ſtirre vsus vp to vſe praier and watchfulneſſe, reading & meditation in thy law, and all other good meanes whereby wee may grow and abound in all heauenly vertues. Bleſſe vsus in the vſe of the meanes, from day to day; make vsus ſuch as thou wouldeſt hauehave vsus to be, and ſuch as we deſire to be, working in vsus both will and deede, purpoſe and power. For thou, O Lord, art all in all, thou wilt hauehave mercy vponupon whom thou wilt hauehave mercy, and whom thou wilt thou hardeneſt. HaueHave mercy vponupon vsus therefore (deere Father) and neuer leaue vsus to our ſelues, nor to our owne wils, luſts, and deſires, but aſſiſt vsus with thy good ſpirit, that we may continue to the end in a righteous courſe; that ſo at length we may be receiued into glorie, and be partakers of that immortall crowne which thou haſt laid vp for all that louelove thee, and truely call vponupon thee.
Further, we entreat thee, O heauenly father, to giuegive vsus all things neceſſary for this life: as foode, raiment, health, peace, liberty, and ſuch freedome from thoſe manifold miſeries which we lie open vntounto eueryevery day, as thou ſeeſt meete. Bleſſe vntounto vsus all the meanes which thou haſt put into our hands for the ſuſtenance of this fraile life. Bleſſe our ſtocke, and ſtore, corne, and cattell, trades & occupations, and all the works of our hands: for thy bleſſing only maketh rich, and it bringeth no ſorrows with it. GiueGive vsus therfore ſuch a competency and ſufficiency of theſe outward bleſſings, as thou in thy heauenly wiſdome ſeeſt moſt needfull for vsus. Moreouer, we humbly beſeech thee, (moſt louing Father) in great mercy to looke downe from heauen vponupon thy whole Church, and eueryevery member of it. Be fauourable vntounto Sion, and build vp the wals of Ieruſalem. Behold with the eye of pity, the great ruines and deſolations of thy Church. Heale vp the wounds, & make vp the breaches thereof in all Nations. Regard it as thine owne flocke, tender it as thine owne family, dreſſe it as thine owne vineyard, louelove it as thine owne ſpouſe. Think thoughts of peace to it, & alwaies look vponupon it in deepe compaſſion. Bleſſe it with thy grace, guide it with thy ſpirit, & defend it alwaies with thy mighty power: ſcatter the deuiſes confound the counſels, & ouerthrow the forces of all that fight againſt it. Specially we intreate thee (deare Father) to ſet thy ſelf againſt that antichriſt of Rome, that man of perdition, which ſetteth himſelfe againſt thee, and againſt all thy people. In thine appointed time we pray thee giuegive him a deadly downe-fall. Beat downe all his power and authority daily more and more: giuegive free paſſage to thy Goſpell in al kingdoms, that Babylon may fall and neuer riſe vp againe. The more the fauorites and adherents of Rome labour to vphold their Idolatrous kingdome, the more let it fall downe, euen as Dagon before the preſence of thine Arke. Poure downe the vials of the fulneſſe of thy wrath vponupon the kingdome of the beaſt, and let their riches, wealth, credite, and authority dry vp eueryevery day more and more, as the riuer Euphrates. Let it pity thee, O Father, to ſee thine owne ſpouſe ſit as a deformed and forlorne woman heere below, weeping and mourning with her haire about her necke, hauing loſt all her beauty and comlineſſe: cheere her vp (deare Father) glad her with the ioie of thy countenance, and ſo decke her and trimme her vp, that thou maieſt delight in her, as a Bridegroome in his Bride. Specially we intreat thee to hauehave mercy vponupon thy Church in this land: intend good vntounto vsus and not euill: giuegive vsus not ouer into the hands of the cruell Spaniard, as our ſinnes hauehave deſerued. Scatter we pray thee, O Lord, the deuiſes, and breake the plots of all ſuch as hauehave plotted the ouerthrow & vtter ſubuerſion of this church and common-wealth. Bleſſe this Church more and more, with the continuance of true Religion amongſt vsus. For thy great names ſake, and infinite mercies ſake, deale gratiouſly and fauourablie with vsus, & our poſteritie. Turne from vsus that vengeance which is due to vsus for our ſins. For thou ſeeſt how iniquitie preuaileth and the wicked goe away with the goale. Atheiſme ouerſpreadeth eueryevery where, and Popery ſeemeth to get a head againe. Now therfore (deare Father) we moſt humbly beſeech thee to take order ſpeedily for the remedying & repreſſing of theſe manifold diſorders, and grieuous enormities that are amongſt vsus. Be intreated of thy poore children to be good to this Engliſh Nation. Heare the cries of thine elect: heare the mourning of them that mourne in Sion. Let the cries of thy children cry downe all the cries of the ſins of the land, and be reconciled vntounto vsus in the multitude of thy compaſſions: that ſo thou maieſt ſtill continue a moſt mercifull protector of this thine Engliſh vineyard. Wee pray thee (good Father) ſhew ſpeciall mercy to our moſt Noble and gratious King Iames thine annointed ſeruant: bleſſe him, and keepe him in all his waies. Bleſſe his gouernment vntounto vsus. Let thine Angels encampe about him, and let thy holy hand be alwaies ouer him, keepe him from treaſons, and deliuer him from the treacheries of his enemies: giuegive him to ſee what belongeth vntounto his peace, and giuegive him a heart earneſtlybent to ſet vponupon the practiſe of the ſame: giuegive him all graces neceſſary for his peace, and neceſſary for his ſaluation: continue his gouernment peaceable and proſperous amongſt vsus: & as thon haſt made him the breath of our noſtrils, and a gratious inſtrument for the ſauing of many thouſand ſoules, ſo let his owne ſoule be ſaued in the day of thy Son Chriſt. Bleſſe his Maieſties moſt honorable priuy Counſellors, & giuegive ſuch good ſucceſſe vntounto all their Counſels and policies in matters of ſtate, that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godlineſſe & honeſty. Bleſſe all the Nobility, worke in them a care to glorifie thy name in their places, make them faithfull to thee, and faithfull to the Land. Direct with thy good ſpirit all ſuch as beare the ſword of Iuſtice, that they may draw it out to puniſh the wicked, and to defend the godly, and that they may with all good care and conſcience diſcharge the duties of their places. Increaſe the number of faithfull and zealous Miniſters, in this church. Send thy Goſpel to thoſe places where it is not, and bleſſe it where it is. Remember them in thy mercy O Lord, that are vnderunder any croſſe or affliction whatſoeuer: be comfortable vntounto them, heale vp their wounds, binde vp their ſores, put all their teares into thy bottle, and make their bedde in all their ſorrowes, and put ſuch a good ende to all their troubles, that they may redounde to thy glory, and the furtherance of their owne ſaluation. In the meane time giuegive them patience and conſtancy to beare whatſoeuer it ſhall pleaſe thy mercifull hand to lay vponupon them. Laſt of all, in a word, we pray thee bleſſe magiſtracy, miniſtery, and commonalty. Bleſſe all thy people; doe good to all that are true and vpright in their hearts. And ſo (deare Father) we doe commit and commend our ſelues, our ſoules and bodies into thy hands, for this day, and the reſt of our life, praying thee to take care and charge of vsus; keepe vsus from all euill, watch ouer vsus for our good, let thine Angels encampe about vsus, let thy holy hand be ouer vsus, & keepe vsus in all our waies, that we may liue to thy praiſe and glory heere in earth, keeping faith and a good conſcience in all our actions; that after this life we may be crowned of thee, for euer in thy kingdome. Grant theſe things (good father) to vsus here preſent, & to all thine abſent; praying thee in ſpeciall fauor to remember our friends, & kinsfolks in the fleſh, all our good neighbours & welwillers, & all thoſe forwhom we are bound to pray by nature, by deſerts, or any duty whatſoeuer, for Ieſus Chriſts ſake our onelyonly mediator; to whom with thee, and the holy Ghoſt, be giuen all praiſe and glory, both now, and for euermore.
Amen.