A Guide to Godliness, Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer · Prayer 2
Another priuate Prayer for the Morning.
O Almighty and eternall God, our moſt gracious and louing Father in Ieſus Chriſt, I thy poore ſinfull ſeruant, being in my ſelfe vtterly vnworthy to appeare in thy glorious preſence, doe yet in the Name and mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, offer vntounto thee my prayers and ſupplications, in obedience to thy Commandements, and in ſome aſſurance of thy gracious promiſes; rendring vntounto thee from the bottome of mine heart, all humble and hearty thankes, for thy manifold mercies and abundant bleſſings multiplied vponupon mee, both in reſpect of ſpirituall and heauenly priuiledges, which concerne my euerlaſting ſaluation, and of temporall and earthly benefits appertaining to the good of this life, and my preſent eſtate in this place of my Pilgrimage. For that thou haſt freely loued mee from all eternity, and of thy meere grace haſt choſen mee vntounto life and glory, without any reſpect of my workes or worthineſſe. For creating mee according to thine owne Image, and redeeming me out of the eſtate of ſinne and death. For calling mee effectually by thy Word and Spirit, and making mee a ſeruant of thine owne family, and a member of Ieſus Chriſt, whereby thou haſt giuen mee iuſt title vntounto him and all his benefits. For making with mee the Couenant of grace, adopting mee in him to bee thy child, vntounto a liuely hope of my heauenly inheritance. For iuſtifying mee in his righteouſneſſe imputed vntounto mee, and applyed by a liuely faith; and ſanctifying mee with thy Spirit, giuing mee ſome power ouer my corruptions, and ſome deſire and indeuour to ſerue and pleaſe thee in the duties of a godly life. For watching ouer mee with thy prouidence euer ſince I had my being and birth, ſhielding mee from dangers, deliuering mee out of manifold euils, and prouiding for mee all things neceſſary both for my ſoule and body. For preſeruing mee this night paſt from all perils, giuing vntounto mee quiet reſt, and bringing mee in ſafety to ſee the light, adding yet another day to my life, that therein I may doe thee ſeruice, and vſe all good meanes for the furthering and aſſuring of my ſaluation. O Lord, giuegive mee a true ſenſe and feeling of thy louelove, that I may louelove thee againe, and a liuely apprehenſion and taſte of thy rich mercy and goodneſſe, that mine heart and voyce may returne vntounto thee the praiſes that are due. Yea, ſo much the more, O Lord, increaſe my thankfulneſſe, by how much the leſſe worthy I am of the leaſt of thy mercies, by reaſon of my manifold and grieuous ſinnes. For I confeſſe vnfainedly that miſerable eſtate in which I am by nature; both in reſpect of my originall corruption in which I was conceiued and borne, whereby all the powers and faculties of my body and ſoule hauehave beene wholly defiled, and vtterly diſabled vntounto all duties of thy ſeruice, for which I was created; and that I hauehave made my ſelfe much more miſerable, by adding heereunto actuall tranſgreſſions, whereby I hauehave broken all and eueryevery of thy Commandements, in thought, word, and deed, both by omitting the duties which thou haſt commanded, and committing the contrary vices and ſinnes which thou haſt forbidden; the which, as they are for the quality of them haynous, ſo doe they in number exceed the haires of mine head and the ſtarres of heauen. Yea, Lord, I hauehave not onelyonly thus ſinned againſt thee in the dayes of my ignorance, when as I neither had any knowledge of thee and of thy will, nor ſo much as any deſire to ſerue and pleaſe thee, but euen ſince the time that thou haſt called mee to the knowledge of thy Truth, and by the good motions of thy Spirit, haſt perſwaded mee to imbrace, profeſſe, and practiſe it; ſince thou haſt allured mee by thy gracious promiſes to ſerue thee, and haſt incouraged mee heereunto by innumerable bleſſings, and large teſtimonies of thy fauour, I hauehave often ſinned againſt thee through frailty and infirmity, and not ſeldome againſt my knowledge and conſcience. Oftentimes I hauehave neglected thy ſeruice, to ſerue in the meane while mine owne ſinfull luſts; and when I hauehave vndertaken it, I hauehave performed it oftentimes after a cold and formall manner, with much weakeneſſe and wearineſſe, vnchearefulneſſe, and deadneſſe of heart and ſpirit. By all which my ſinnes thus multiplyed againſt thee, I hauehave iuſtly deſerued to bee depriued of all thy bleſſings and benefits, and to bee ouerwhelmed with all thoſe fearefull puniſhments threatned in the Law, reſpecting both this life and the life to come. O Lord my God, affect my heart with vnfained ſorrow in the ſight and ſenſe of this my ſinne and miſery. And as it is a burthen too heauy for mee to beare, ſo let mee hauehave ſuch a feeling of it, that I may hunger after the righteouſneſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, and apply it vntounto mee by a liuely faith; and ſo make good the Couenant of grace, which thou haſt made with mee: one ſpeciall branch whereof is this, that thou wilt remember my ſinnes no more. I confeſſe that I hauehave offended thy Iuſtice, but my Sauiour Chriſt hath ſatisfied it, by paying my debt to the vttermoſt farthing: accept therefore of his ſatisfaction, and impute not vntounto mee that debt which hee hath diſcharged. I hauehave deſerued eternall death and condemnation: but hee was condemned, that I might bee acquitted, and hath ſuffered the bitter death of the Croſſe, and thine anger due vntounto my ſinnes, that I might bee freed from death and thy diſpleaſure: and therefore, O Lord, I beſeech thee for his ſake, to take away the guilt and puniſhment of all my ſinnes, that they may neuer bee imputed vntounto mee in this life, nor in the life to come. And being thus iuſtified by faith, and at peace with thee, let mee alſo obtaine peace of conſcience, in the aſſurance of the remiſſion of my ſinnes, and thy louelove and fauour in Ieſus Chriſt. GiueGive vntounto mee thine holy Spirit, and thereby ſeale mee vp vntounto the day of my Redemption, and make mee thine owne Child by adoption and grace. Let mee approoue my ſelfe to bee thy Child, by reſembling thee my heauenly Father in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe; by hating and forſaking all that is euill, and by louing and imbracing all that is good. Sanctifie mee thorowout in my ſoule and body, and let mee not onelyonly make an holy profeſſion with my mouth, but let it proceed from my heart, and bee expreſſed in the whole courſe of my life. Encourage mee in this worke againſt all difficulties, by aſſuring mee that thou wilt bring it to good effect, and let mee apply vntounto my ſelfe thy gracious promiſes, which aſſure mee as well of my ſanctification and victory ouer my corruptions, as of my iuſtification and freedome from the guilt and puniſhment of my ſinnes. Let mee ſet continually before mee thy Law, as the rule of my life, and labour to conforme my obedience in all things thereunto, denying vngodlineſſe and all worldly luſts, and liuing holily and religiouſly, in reſpect of thee; righteouſly and charitably, in reſpect of my neighbours; and temperately and ſoberly, in reſpect of mine owne perſon. Let mee labour to obſerue thy whole Law, in forſaking all ſinne; eſpecially that which is moſt ſweet and pleaſing to my corrupt fleſh, and in imbracing all vertues and Chriſtian duties which thou haſt commanded, eſpecially thoſe vntounto which my nature is moſt auerſe. Let mee not content my ſelfe with ſuch an hypocriticall holineſſe as is deſtitute of righteouſneſſe, nor with ſuch a meerely morall righteouſneſſe as is without holineſſe; but let mee approoue my piety to bee ſincere, by my iuſtice, charity, and mercy, and let theſe bee ſanctified by my true godlineſſe and religious deuotion. Let mee not ſtand at a ſtay, contenting my ſelfe with that ſmall meaſure of ſanctification which is begunne in me, but let mee daily ſtriue in the vſe of all good meanes, whereby I may attaine vntounto more perfection, and ſo ſanctifie them vntounto mee by thy holy Spirit, that they may bee effectuall to perfect that good worke which thou haſt begunne. Inrich mee more and more with all ſanctifying and ſauing graces, with the knowledge of thee and thy will, a liuely faith in Ieſus Chriſt, vnfained repentance for my ſinnes, firme affiance and confidence in thee, feruent louelove of thee and my neighbours, yea, euen mine enemies for thy ſake. Inflame mine heart with an ardent zeale of thy glory, repleniſh it with thy feare, that it may neuer depart from thee. Strengthen mine hope, in the aſſured expectation of all thy gracious promiſes, eſpecially thoſe which concerne my euerlaſting happineſſe; giuegive mee patience in all my troubles, thankefulneſſe for all thy benefits, peace of conſcience, ſpirituall ioy in the aſſurance of thy louelove, and the grace of perſeuerance in the profeſſion and practice of thy true Religion vntounto the end. Remoue all ſtumbling blockes of offence out of my way; comfort me againſt all diſcouragements, and arme me againſt all the tentations of my ſpirituall enemies, that they may neuer preuaile againſt me. Take me into thy gracious protection this day and euer, preſerue me with thy prouidence from all dangers, vphold me with thy Spirit, that I fall not into ſinne. Direct me with thy Wiſdome, and ſtrengthen me with thy power in all my thoughts, words and workes, that they may be acceptable in thy ſight. Bleſſe and aſſiſt me in the generall duties of Chriſtianity, and in the ſpeciall duties of my calling, that they may hauehave good ſucceſſe, and wholy tend to the aduancement of thy glorie, the edification of my brethren, and mine owne ſpirituall and euerlaſting good. Bleſſe thy whole Church and eueryevery member thereof, eſpecially this in which I liue, with all the Magiſtrates, Miniſters and people, this Family, and all to whom I am bound in any ſpeciall bond of dutie, beſeeching thee to giuegive vntounto vsus all, according to our ſeuerall neceſſities, all thoſe gifts and graces which thou in thy wiſdome knoweſt needfull, euen for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake: to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit, I aſcribe all glorie and prayſe, power and dominion, both now and for euermore. Amen.