A Guide to Godliness, Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer · Prayer 3
A Prayer for the Family in the Morning.
O Lord our God, who by thine infinite wiſdome and power haſt created all things in heauen and earth, and by thy gracious and all-ruling prouidence doſt continually ſuſtaine and preſerue them, wee thine humble and vnworthy ſeruants, doe here, in the mediation of Ieſus Chriſt, proſtrate our ſelues before the Throne of Grace, acknowledging that vntounto thee belongeth all glory and prayſe, but vntounto vsus ſhame and confuſion of face; for whereas thou diddeſt create vsus, according to thine owne Image, in wiſdome, holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, we hauehave falne in the loynes of our firſt parents, from this bleſſed eſtate, by tranſgreſſing of thy Commandement, and thereby hauehave defaced thy glorious Image in vsus, depriued our ſelues of all happineſſe, and become liable vntounto death of body and ſoule. Yea, wee hauehave deriued from our firſt parents, not onelyonly the guilt of their ſinne, but alſo the corruption of their nature, which hath ſo ouerſpred all the powers and parts of our ſoules and bodies, that they are vtterly impotent and inſufficient to performe any duties of thy ſeruice, for which end they were created; but moſt forward and cheerefull in the ſeruice of ſinne and Satan. From which roote of originall ſinne, wee hauehave brought forth thoſe curſed fruits of actuall tranſgreſſions, which we hauehave multiplyed againſt thy Maieſty, by breaking all and eueryevery of thy Commandements in thought, word and deed, euen from the beginning of our dayes to this preſent time. Many hauehave beene our ſecret ſinnes, of which, thou alone and our owne conſciences hauehave beene witneſſes; and many hauehave wee committed in the view of the world, to the diſhonour of thy bleſſed Name, and ſlander of our Chriſtian profeſſion. Many hauehave beene our ſinnes of ignorance, the which vntounto vsus are vnexcuſable, becauſe thou haſt reueiled thy ſelfe and thy will ſo clearely vntounto vsus; and many likewiſe hauehave beene our ſinnes againſt knowledge and conſcience, and the good motions of thy holy Spirit. Oftentimes hauehave wee ſinned through frailty, being ſurprized vponupon the ſudden, with the violent and ſubtill tentations of our ſpirituall enemies; and oftentimes wilfully, aduiſedly and deliberately, after many vowes and promiſes of repentance and amendement. We hauehave ſinned againſt thee before our conuerſion, when as Satans throne being ſet vp in our hearts, wee performed vntounto him in all things cheerefull obedience, and ſuffred ſinne to raigne and rule in vsus, without any gaineſaying or reſiſtance; and ſince wee hauehave beene called to the knowledge of thy Truth, though wee hauehave ſubmitted our ſelues as ſubiects of thy Kingdome, to be gouerned by thy Word and Spirit, yet hauehave we much failed in yeelding that obedience which is due vntounto thee, being ſo led captiue by our corruptions, that wee could neither doe the good we would, nor leaue vndone the euill we would not; and though by thy holy Spirit, wee hauehave caſt Satan out of his Throne, and vanquiſhed the fleſh with the luſts thereof, ſo as they could not reigne ouer vsus, as in former times, yet theſe enemies of our ſaluation doe ſtill fight againſt our ſoules, and being not quite caſt out, are as thornes in our ſides, and as prickes in our eyes, diſturbing continually our peace, wounding our conſciences, and leading vsus captiue vntounto ſinne. And hereof it is, that wee hauehave ſo often, and vponupon ſuch ſlight occaſions vtterly neglected the duties of thy ſeruice, and when we hauehave ſet our ſelues about them, hauehave done them ſo coldly and careleſly, and diſcouered therin ſo many wants and weakeneſſes, imperfections and corruptions, that if thou ſhouldeſt deale with vsus according to thy righteous Iudgement, euen the beſt duties that euer we performed, could not eſcape vnpuniſhed. O Lord our God, make vsus truely apprehenſiue of our ſinne and miſery, that we may humble our ſelues vnderunder thy mighty hand, and turne vntounto thee by vnfained repentance, and not onelyonly bewaile our ſins paſt with vnfained ſorrow, but amend our liues for the time to come; and ſo accept of vsus in thy Beſt-beloued, and whileſt we are returning vntounto thee, meete vsus in the way, and like a tender Father imbrace vsus in the armes of thy merciemercy. Doe away all our ſinnes, and blot out all our iniquities; and ſo waſh and purge our defiled ſoules and bodies in the precious blood of thine innocent Sonne, from the guilt and puniſhment of all our ſins, that they may neuer be layd to our charge, neither in this world, nor in the world to come. Yea, Lord, let vsus not only hauehave the benefit of thy grace in thy free pardon, but alſo the comfort and peace of it, by hauing it ſealed through the inward teſtimony of thy Spirit in our hearts and conſciences; and for our better aſſurance, let vsus finde and feele the power and efficacie of Chriſts death and Reſurrection thereby applied vntounto vsus, as effectuall for our Sanctification, as for our Iuſtification, and for our freedome from the corruption of ſinne, that it may hauehave no longer dominion ouer vsus, and ſpirituall renuing vntounto newneſſe of life, as well as from the guilt and puniſhment. It is enough, Lord, and too much, that Satan and ſinne hauehave thus farre preuayled, not onelyonly for the bringing of vsus into the ſtate of death and condemnation, but alſo for the condemning and crucifying of the Lord of life, the nayling of his innocent body to the Croſſe, and the ſhedding of his precious blood. Now (Lord) reward them as they hauehave deſerued, and pay them double into their boſome. Breake the head of the old Serpent, that though he hiſſe againſt vsus with his tentations, yet he may not hurt vsus; nayle our body of ſinne vntounto the Croſſe of Chriſt, and by vertue of his death, crucifie our fleſh and the luſts thereof, that they may no longer hauehave dominion ouer vsus, but may like ſlaues be held in perpetuall ſubiection to our ſpirituall part. Yea, ſubdue the power of ſin in all the faculties and parts of our ſoules and bodies. Mortifie the corruption of our mindes and vnderſtandings, the wiſdome of the fleſh, and errors of our iudgements, our fooliſh phantaſies and conceits, our earthly mindedneſſe, and all vaine and wicked thoughts, that we may checke ſinne in the firſt motions, and kill this viperous brood, before they come to growth & ſtrength. Mortifie the frowardneſſe, and peruerſeneſſe of our wils, the corruption of our hearts and affections, eſpecially our ſelf-louelove and louelove of the world, vniuſt anger, and deſire of reuenge, carnall concupiſcence and vncleanneſſe, intemperance, ambition, pride, couetouſneſſe and voluptuouſneſſe. Let vsus hold our eyes and eares, our tongues and taſte, and all other our ſenſes vnderunder couenant, and make all vaine and wicked ſights, all rotten and vnſauory ſpeeches, all intemperance and inſobriety odious and loathſome vntounto vsus. Quicken vsus in the innerman, and frame vsus in all holy obedience vntounto thy heauenly will; make vsus ſuch as thou wouldeſt hauehave vsus to be, and renew thine owne Image in vsus, in wiſdome, holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, and let vsus no more defile and deface it with our corruptions. Let vsus ſubmit our ſelues in all things to be guided by thy good Spirit, and yeeld cheerefull obedience vntounto all the motions therof, not grieuing it by checking and quenching them, or putting them off by delayes to another time. Let vsus ſerue thee in holineſſe, righteouſneſſe and ſobriety, not deuiding thoſe things which thou haſt conioyned; and not by fits and flaſhes, but conſtantly and continually thorowout the whole courſe of our liues. Inrich vsus plentifully with all the gifts and graces of thy ſanctifying Spirit, as Faith, Hope, Humility, Patience and the reſt; yea, let vsus dayly thriue in Spirituall ſtrength, and not ſtand at a ſtay, but grow vp towards perfection, from child-hood to a ripe age in Ieſus Chriſt. And with theſe our prayers and ſuites, we doe with like humble heartineſſe ioyne thy prayſes and our thankeſgiuing, for thy manifold bleſſings and benefits, reſpecting our ſoules, bodies or eſtates. For thine vndeſerued louelove, whereby thou haſt of thy free and meere grace elected, created, redeemed, called, iuſtified, ſanctified and preſerued vsus vntounto an heauenly inheritance, and hope of a better life. For our preſent peace and proſperity, health, food, apparell, ſufficiency of all temporall benefits, and contentedneſſe in them, and eſpecially for cauſing vsus ſo long to enioy the Light of thy Goſpell with ſuch liberty and ſafety. For preſeruing vsus from all dangers this night paſt, and this day hitherto, and enabling vsus by our reſt, and other comforts of this life, to doe thee ſeruice. O Lord, we prayſe and magnifie thee for theſe and all other thy mercies, and are ſorry and aſhamed, that we can be no more thankefull, hauing nothing elſe to returne vntounto thee for all thy benefits. And now, Lord, ſeeing in thee we liue, mooue, and hauehave our beeing, wee beſeech thee to continue thy grace and fauour ſtill vntounto vsus in the whole courſe of our liues, and namely, this day receiue vsus into thy keeping, watch ouer vsus with thy prouidence, and preſerue vsus with thy grace and power from all dangers, both ſpirituall and temporall, and from all euils both of ſinne and puniſhment. Let vsus ſet our ſelues wholy to ſeeke and ſerue thee, and propound thy glory vntounto our ſelues, as the maine end of all our thoughts, words and actions, and ſo direct and order them by thy holy Spirit, that they may vponupon all occaſions further and aduance it. And for as much as if thou doſt not build the houſe, wee ſhall but labour in vaine to build it, O Lord, bleſſe vsus all in the duties of our ſeuerall places and callings, that they may tend to the ioynt good of the whole Family, and eueryevery one of vsus in particular, that finding thy bleſſing vponupon the workes of our hands, wee may with more courage and comfort be faithfull and painfull in them. Set thy feare alwayes before vsus, and let vsus carry our ſelues in all our courſes carefully and conſcionably, as in thy ſight and preſence, that whatſoeuer wee doe, or take in hand, may be acceptable vntounto thee. Bleſſe together with vsus thy whole Church, this eſpecially in which wee liue, our gracious King, and Noble Prince, the Prince and Princeſſe Palatine, with all their iſſue, the Councell, Magiſtrates, Miniſters, and the whole people of this Land, the afflicted members of Ieſus Chriſt, and this whole Family, with all other our friends, kindred and acquaintance; beſeeching thee to vouchſafe vntounto vsus all, and to eueryevery one of vsus in our ſeuerall places and callings, all things neceſſarie for our preſent comfort and future happineſſe, euen for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake; in whoſe Name and words we conclude our prayers, ſaying as he hath taught vsus; Our Father, which art in heauen, &c.