The Plain Mans Pathway to Heaven, Prayer 2
An Euening Praier, to be vſed in priuate families.
OEternall God, and our moſt louing and deare Father, wethy vnwoorthy children doe héere fall downe at the foote of thy great Maieſty, acknowledging from our harts, that we are altogether vnworthy to come néere thée or to look towards thée: becauſe thou art a God of infinite glory, and we are moſt vile, and abhominable ſinners, ſuch as were conceiued, & borne in ſinne and corruption, ſuch as hauehave inherited our fathers corruptions, and alſo hauehave actually tranſgreſſed all thy holy ſtatutes and lawes, both in thought, words, & déeds, before weknew thée: and ſince, ſecretly and openly, with our ſelues & with others, our particular ſinnes are moe then can be numbred: for who knoweth how often he offendeth? But this we muſt needs confeſſe againſt our ſelues, that our hearts are full of pride, couetouſneſſe, and the louelove of this world, full ofwrath anger, and impatiencie, full of lying, diſſembling, and deceiuing, full of vanity, hardneſſe, and prophaneneſſe, full of infidelity, diſtruſt, and ſelfe-louelove, full of luſt, vncleannes, and all adhominable deſires: yea our harts are the very ſinkes of ſinne, and dunghils of all filthineſſe. And beſides all this, we doe omit the good things we ſhould doe: for there are in vsus great wants of faith, of louelove, of zeale, of patience, of contentment, and of eueryevery good grace; ſo as thou haſt iuſt cauſe to procéed to ſentence of iudgement againſt vsus, as moſt damnable tranſgreſſors of all thy holy commandements: yea ſuch as are ſunke in our rebellions, and hauehave many times & often committed high treaſon againſt thy maieſty, & therefore thou maiſt iuſtly caſt vsus all downe into hell fire, there to be tormented with Sathan, and his Angels for euer. And we hauehave nothing to except againſt thy maieſty for ſo doing: ſith therein thou ſhouldeſt deale with vsus but according to equity, and our iuſt deſerts. Wherfore déere Father, we do appeale from thy iuſtice to thy mercy, moſt humbly intreating thée to hauehave mercy vponupon vsus, and freely to forgiue vsus all our ſinnes paſt whatſoeuer, both new, and old, ſecret and open, knowen and unknowen, and thatfor Jeſus Chriſts ſake our only mediator. And we pray thée touch our hearts with true griefe, & vnfained repentance for them, that they may be a matter of continuall ſorrow, & hart-ſmart vntounto vsus, ſo as nothing may grieue vsus more then this, that wée hauehave offended thée béeing our ſpeciall friend and Father. GiueGive vsus therefore (deare Father) eueryevery day more and more ſight & féeling of our ſinnes, with true humiliation vnderunder the ſame. GiueGive vsus alſo that true and liuely faith, whereby we may lay ſure hold on thy Sonne Chriſt, and all his merits, applying the ſame to our owne ſoules; ſo as we may ſtand fully perſwaded that whatſoeuer he hath don vponupon the croſſe, he hath done for vsus particularly, as well as for others. GiueGive vsus faith (good Father) conſtantly to beléeue all the ſwéete promiſes of the Goſpell, touching remiſſion of ſin, and eternall life, made in thy ſon Chriſt. O Lord increaſe our faith that we may altogether reſt vponupon thy promiſes which are all yea, and Amen. Yea, that we may ſettle our ſelues, and all that we hauehave wholly vponupon them: both our ſouls, bodies, goods, name, wiues, children, and our whole eſtate, knowing that all things depend vponupon thy promiſes, power, and prouidence, & that thy word doth ſupport and beare vp the whole order of nature. Moreouer, we intreate thée, O Lord, to ſtrengthen vsus from aboue, to walke in eueryevery good way, & to bring foorth the fruits of true faith in all our particular actions, ſtudying to pleaſe thée in all things and to be fruitfull in good works, that we may ſhew forth vntounto all men by our good conuerſation whoſe children we are: and that we may adorne and beautifie our moſt holy profeſſion by walking in a Chriſtian courſe, and in all the ſound fruits, & practiſe of godlineſſe, and true religion. To this end we pray thée ſanctifie our hearts by thy ſpirit, yet more and more: ſanctifie our ſoules and bodies, and all our corrupt naturall faculties, as reaſon, vnderſtanding, will, and affections, ſo as they may be fitted for thy worſhip and ſeruice, taking a delight and pleaſure therein. Stirre vsus vp to vſe praier, watchfulneſſe, reading, and meditation in thy law, & all other good meanes whereby we may profit in grace & goodnes from day to day. Bleſſe vsus in the vſe of the meanes, that we may daily die to ſin, and liue to righteouſnes: draw vsus yet néerer vntounto thée: helpe vsus againſt our manifold wants. Amend our great imperfections, renue vsus inwardly more and more, repaire the ruines of our hearts, aide vsus againſt the remnants of ſinne. Enlarge our harts to run the way of thy Commandements, direct all our ſteps in thy word, let none iniquity hauehave dominion ouer vsus. Aſſiſt vsus againſt our ſpeciall infirmities, & maſter ſins, that we may get the victory ouer them all, to thy glory, and the great peace & comfort of our owne conſciences. Strengthen vsus good father by thy grace and holy ſpirit, againſt the common corruptions of the world, as pride, whoredome, couetouſnes, contempt of thy Goſpel, ſwearing, lying, diſſembling, and deceiuing. O déere father, let vsus not be ouercome of theſe filthy vices: nor any other ſinfull pleaſures, and fond delights, wherewith thouſands are carried headlong to deſtruction. Arm our ſoules againſt all the temptations of this world, the fleſh, & the diuell: that we may ouercome them all through thy helpe, & kéepe on the right way to life, that we may liue in thy feare, & die in thy fauor, that our laſt daies may be our beſt daies, & that we may end in great peace of conſcience. Furthermore, déere father, we intreat thée not onelyonly for our ſelues, but for all our good brethren thy déere childrē ſcattred ouer the face of the whole earth, moſt humbly beſéeching thée to bleſſe them all▪ to chéere them vp, & glad them with the ioy of thy countenance, both now and alwaies. Guide them all in thy feare, and kéepe them from euill, that they may praiſe thy name. In theſe dangerous daies, and declining times, we pray thée, O Lord, raiſe vp nurſing fathers, and nurſing mothers vntounto thy Church. Raiſe vp alſo faithfull Paſtors, that thy cauſe may be caried forward, truth may preuaile, Religion may proſper, thy name onelyonly may be ſet vp in the earth, thy Sonnes kingdome aduanced, and thy will accompliſhed. Set thy ſelfe againſt all aduerſary power, eſpecially that of Rome, Antichriſt, Idolatry, and Atheiſme: curſe and croſſe all their counſels, fruſtrate their deuiſes, ſcatter their forces, ouerthrow their armies. When they are moſt wiſe, let them be moſt fooliſh: when they are moſt ſtrong, let them be moſt weake. Let them know that there is no wiſedome, nor counſell, power nor policy againſt thée the Lord of hoſtes. Let them know that Iſrael hath a God, and that thou which art called Iehouah art the onelyonly ruler ouer all the world. Ariſe therefore O moſt mighty God, and maintaine thine owne cauſe againſt all thine enemies, ſmite through all their loines, and bow downe their backs, yea let them all be confounded, and turned backward that beare ill will vntounto Sion. Let the patient abiding of the righteous be ioy: and let the wicked be diſappointed of their hope. But of all fauour, we intreat thée O Lord to ſhew ſpeciall mercy to thy Church in this Land wherein we liue. Continue thy Goſpell amongſt vsus yet with greater ſucceſſe, purge thy houſe daily more and more, take away all things that offend. Let this Nation ſtill be a place where thy name may be called vponupon; & an harbour for thy ſaints. Shew mercy to our poſterity, deare Father, and hauehave …are of them, that thy Goſpell may be left vntounto them as a moſt holy inheritance. Defend vsus againſt forraine inuaſion, kéepe out idolatry, and Popery from amongſt vsus. Turne from vsus thoſe plagues which our ſinnes crie for. For the ſins of this Land are excéeding great, horrible, and outragious, and giuegive thée iuſt cauſe to make vsus ſpectacles of thy vengeance to all Nations: that by how much the more thou haſt lifted vsus vp in great mercy, & long peace, by ſo much the more thou ſhouldeſt preſſe vsus downe in great wrath and long war. Therefore deare father, we moſt humbly intreate thée for thy great names ſake, & for thy infinite mercies ſake, that thou wouldeſt be reconciled to this land, and diſcharge it of all the horrible ſinnes thereof. Drowne them O Lord in thy infinite mercy through Chriſt, as it were in a bottomleſſe gulfe, that they may neuer riſe vp in iudgement againſt vsus. For although our ſins be excéeding many, and fearefull, yet thy mercy is farre greater. For thou art infinite in mercy: but we cannot be infinite in ſinning. GiueGive vsus not ouer into the hands of the Idolaters, left they ſhould blaſpheme thy name and ſay, Where is their God in whom they truſted? But rather, deare Father, take vsus into thine owne hands, and correct vsus according to thy wiſedome: for with thée is mercy, and déepe compaſſion. Moreouer we moſt hartily beſéech thy good Maieſty to bleſſe our moſt gratious King Iames, and to ſhew much mercy to him in all things. Guid him in thy feare, and kéepe him in all his waies, working in his ſoule vnfained ſorrow for ſinue, true faith in the promiſes, & a great care to pleaſe thée in all things, and to diſcharge the duties of his high place, in all zeale of thy glory, and faithfulneſſe towards thy Maieſty: that as thou haſt crowned him héere in earth, ſo hée (ſpending his daies héere below in thy feare) may after this life, be crowned of thée for euer in the Heauens. Wée béeſeech thee alſo to bleſſe his Maieſties moſt henorable priuy Counſellors. Counſell them from aboue, let them take aduiſe of thée in all things: that they may both conſult, and reſolue of ſuch courſes as may be moſt for thy glory, the good of the Church, and the peace of this our Common-wealth. Bleſſe the Nobility, and all the Magiſtrates in the Land, giuing them al grace to execute iudgement and iuſtice, and to maintaine truth and equity. Bleſſe all the faithfull Miniſters of the Goſpell, increaſe the number of them, increaſe thy gifts in them: and ſo bleſſe al their labours in their ſeueral places and congregations, that they all may be inſtruments of thy hand to inlarge thy Sonnes kingdome, and to winne many vntounto thee. Comfort the comfortleſſe with all néedfull comforts. Forget none of thine that are in trouble: but as their afflions are, ſo let the ioyes and comforts of thy ſpirit be vntounto them; and ſo ſanctifie vntounto all thine, their afflictions and troubles, that they may tend to thy glory, and their owne good. GiueGive vsus thankefull hearts for all thy mercies, both ſpirituall and corporall: for thou art very mercifull vntounto vsus in the things of this life, and infinitely more mercifull in the things of a better life. Let vsus déepely ponder and weigh all thy particular fauours towards vsus: that by the due conſideration thereof, our hearts may bée gained yet néerer vntounto thée, and that therefore wée may both louelove and obey thée, becauſe thou art ſo kinde and louing vntounto vsus: that euen thy louelove towards vsus, may draw our louelove towards thée, and that becauſe mercy is with thée, thou maieſt bée feared. Grant theſe things good Father, and all other néedefull graces for our ſoules or bodies, or any of thine throughout the whole world, for Jeſus Chriſts ſake. In whoſe name we further call vponupon thée as hée hath taught vsus in his Goſpell, ſaying; Our Father which art in Heauen, &c.