The Plain Mans Pathway to Heaven, Prayer 3
A praier to be vſed at any time, by one alone priuately.
O Lord my God, and heauenly Father, I thy moſt vnworthy childe, doe héere in thy ſight fréely confeſſe that I am a moſt ſinnefull creature, and damnable tranſgreſſor of all thy holy Lawes and Commandements: that as I was borne and bred in finne, and ſtained in the wombe, ſo hauehave I continually brought foorth the corrupt & vgly fruits of that infection & contagion, wherein I was firſt conceiued, both in thoughts, words, & works. If I ſhould goe about to reckon vp my particular offences, I know not where to begin, or where to make an end. For they are mo then the haires of my head, yea farre moe then I can poſſibly féele or know. For who knoweth the height, and depth of his corruption: who knoweth how oft he offendeth? Thou onelyonly O Lord knoweſt my ſins, who knoweſt my heart: nothing is hid from thée, thou knoweſt what I hauehave béene, & what I am: yea my conſcience doth accuſe mée of many & gréeuous euils, and I doe daily féele by woful experience how frail I am, how prone to euill, & how vntoward to all goodneſſe. My minde is ful of vanity, my hartfull of prophanenes, mine affections full of deadneſſe, dulneſſe & drowzineſſe in matters of thy worſhip & ſeruice. Yea, my whole ſoule is full of ſpirituall blindeneſſe, hardneſſe, vnprofitablenes, coldneſſe, and ſecurity. And in very déed I am altogether a lumpe of ſin, & a maſſe of all miſery: & therefore I hauehave forfaited thy fauour, & incurred thy high diſpleaſure, & hauehave giuen thée iuſt cauſe to frown vponupon me, to giuegive me ouer, & leaue me to mine owne corrupt will and affections. But (O my déere father) I hauehave learned from thy mouth, that thou art a God full of mercy, flow to wrath & of great compaſſion & kindneſſe, towards all ſuch as grone vnderunder the burden of their ſinnes. Therefore extend thy great mercy towards me poore ſinner, and giuegive me a generall pardon for all mine offences whatſoeuer: ſeale it in the bloud of thy ſonne, and ſeale it to my conſcience by thy ſpirit, aſſuring me more and more of thy louelove & fauour towards me, & that thou art a reconciled father vntounto me. Grant that I may, in all time to come louelove thée much, becauſe much is giuen, and of very louelove feare thée, and obey thée. O Lord increaſe my faith, that I may ſtedfaſtly beléeue all the promiſes of the Goſpel made in thy ſon Chriſt & reſt vponupon them altogether. Enable me to bring foorth the ſound fruits of faith and repentance in all my particular actions. Fill my ſoule full of ioy and peace in beléeuing. Fill me full of inward comfort and ſpirituall ſtrength againſt all temptatious: giuegive me yet a greater féeling of thy louelove & manifold mercies towards me, worke in my ſoule a louelove of thy Maieſty, a zeale of thy glory, an hatred of euill, and a deſire of all good things. GiueGive me victory ouer thoſe ſins which thou knoweſt are ſtrongeſt in me. Let me once at laſt make a conqueſt of the world, and the fleſh. Mortifie in me whatſoeuer is carnall, ſanctifie me throughout by thy ſpirit, knit my heart to thée for euer that I may feare thy name, renue in mée the image of thy ſonne Chriſt daily more and more. GiueGive me a delight in the reading and meditation of thy word. Let me reioyce in the publike miniſtery thereof. Let me louelove and reuerence all the faithfull Miniſters of thy Goſpell. Sanctifie their doctrines to my conſcience, ſeale them in my ſoule, write them in my hart; giuegive me a ſoft and melting heart, that I may tremble at thy words, and be alwaies much affected with godly ſermons. Let not my ſinnes hold backe thy mercies from me, nor mine vnworthines ſtop the paſſage of thy grace. Open mine eies to ſée the great wonders of thy law. Reueale thy ſecrets vntounto me: be open hearted towards me thy vnworthy ſeruant. Hide nothing from me that may make for thy glory, & the good of my ſoule. Bleſſe all meanes vntounto me which thou vſeſt for my good. Bleſſe all holy inſtructions vntounto my ſoule. Bleſſe me at all times, both in hearing & reading thy word. GiueGive me the right vſe of all thy mercies, and corrections, that I may be the better for them. Let me abound in louelove to thy children. Let my heart be very néerely knit vntounto them, that where thou loueſt moſt, there I may louelove moſt alſo. Let me watch & pray, that I enter not into temptation: giuegive me patience & contentment in all things. Let me louelove thée more & more, & the world leſſe & leſſe. So draw my minde vpward, that I may deſpiſe al tranſitory things. Let me be ſo rapt & rauiſhed with the ſight and féeling of heauenly things, that I may make a baſe rekoning of al earthly things. Let me vſe this world, as though I vſed it not. Let me vſe it but for neceſſity, as meat & drink. Let me not be carried away with the vaine pleaſures and fond delights thereof. Good Father worke thy good worke in me, & neuer leaue me, nor forſake me, till thou haſt brought me to true happineſſe. Oh deare Father, make me faithfull in my calling, that I may ſerue thée in it, & be alwaies carefull to doe what good I may in any thing. Bleſſe me in my outward eſtate. Bleſſe my ſoule, body, goods, and name. Bleſſe all that belongeth vntounto me. Bleſſe my goings out, & commings in. Let thy countenance be lifted vp vponupon me, now & alwaies: cheare me vp with the ioies & comforts of thy ſpirit: make me thankfull for all thy mercies. For I muſt néeds confeſſe that thou art very kind vntounto me in all things. For in thée I liue mooue & hauehave my being: of thée I hauehave my welfare & good being, thou art a daily friend, & ſpeciall good benefactor vntounto me. I liue at thy coſt & charges. I hold all of thée in chiefe, and I finde that thou art neuer weary of doing me good: thy goodnes towards me is vnſtanchable. Oh I can neuer be thankefull enough vntounto thée for all thy mercies, both ſpirituall & corporall. But in ſuch meaſure as I am able, I praiſe thy name for all, beſéeching thee to accept of my thankeſgiuing, in thy ſon Chriſt, and to giuegive me a profitable vſe of al thy fauors, that thereby my heart may be fully drawne vntounto thée: giuegive me O Father to be of ſuch a good nature, and diſpoſition, that I may be wonne by gentleneſſe & faire meanes, as much as if thou gaueſt me many laſhes. Pardon all mine vnthankfulneſſe, vnkindneſſe, and great abuſing of thy mercies, and giuegive me grace to vſe them more to thy glory in all time to come. Strengthen me deare Father thus to continue praiſing & glorifying thy name héere vponupon earth: that after this life I may be crowned of thée for euer in thy kingdome. Grant theſe petitions moſt mercifull God, not onelyonly to me, but to all thy déere children throughout the whole world, for Jeſus Chriſt ſake: in whoſe name I doe further call vponupon thée, ſaying as he hath taught me: O our Father which art in Heauen, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Arthur Dent, The Plain Mans Pathway to Heaven (1607)