A Guide to Godliness, Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer · Prayer 4
Another Prayer for the Family in the Morning.
O Lord our God, who art in thine owne nature glorious and full of maieſty, infinite in goodneſſe, wiſedome, power, bounty, truth, and all perfection, moſt iuſt in all thy waies, and holy in all thy workes, and our moſt gracious Father in Ieſus Chriſt, wee thine vnworthy ſeruants, finding and feeling our ſelues loaded with the vnſupportable waight of our manifold and grieuous ſinnes, doe come vntounto thee for eaſe, and being ſicke in ſinne, euen vntounto the death, doe flee vntounto thee the alone Phyſicion of our ſoules, that wee may be eaſed and cured, and doe here lay open before thee our miſerable eſtate and condition, that thou mayeſt magnifie thy mercies in our recouery. Wee confeſſe our hereditary diſeaſes, and that originall leproſie of our bodies and ſoules, whereby they were infected and corrupted, euen in our firſt conception, and ſo diſabled vntounto thy ſeruice, that we cannot of our ſelues thinke a good thought, nor ſo much as entertaine into our hearts a deſire to come out of the miſerable thraldome of ſinne and Satan. Our wiſedome is enmity againſt thee, and we are not capable of that knowledge which thy Spirit reuealeth. All the imaginations of the thoughts of our hearts are onelyonly euill, and that continually; our conſciences are loaded with dead workes; our wills crooked and rebellious, ſtill reſiſting all good motions of thy Spirit; our hearts hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne; our affections, deſires and paſſions ſo diſordred and poiſoned with naturall corruption, that they are become filthy and lothſome ſinckes of ſinne; and all the members of our bodies, the ready inſtruments of our defiled ſoules for the acting of all abominable wickedneſſe. So that being, through his naturall corruption, a ſinfull generation and viprous brood, wee hauehave iuſtly deſerued, that thou ſhouldeſt reiect and purſue vsus with thy wrath, though wee were free from all other ſinnes, ſauing thoſe alone whereof wee were guilty as ſoone as wee were borne. And yet (alas) we hauehave not ſtayed here, but hauehave added vntounto this our originall ſinne, innumerable numbers of actuall tranſgreſſions, by breaking thy whole Law, and eueryevery Commandement thereof, in thought, word and deede, both in the omiſſion of all duties therein required, and in the commiſſion of the vices and ſinnes therein forbidden; whereby wee hauehave made our ſelues liable to the fearefull curſe thereof, and to all the plagues & puniſhments of this life, and the life to come. Neither is there any power in vsus to helpe our ſelues out of this miſery, being as vnable to renew our nature, as the Blackamore to change his skin, or the Leopard his ſpots. Yea, when by thy Spirit wee are regenerate, and hauehave ſome deſires and indeuours to ſerue and pleaſe thee, wee are vtterly vnable to ſatisfie thy Iuſtice for the leaſt of our ſinnes paſt, ſeeing, if thou lookeſt vponupon vsus with thy pure eyes, our beſt righteouſneſſe will appeare like a polluted cloth, ſo mingled with our imperfections, and ſtayned with our corruptions, that it cannot challenge any other reward as its due, but thy diſpleaſure and euerlaſting death. O Lord, wee humbly beſeech thee, let vsus not ſecurely reſt and pleaſe our ſelues in this our wofull condition, but hauing a liuely ſenſe and feeling of our ſinne and miſery, let vsus labour aboue all things to be freed from it. And ſeeing there is no name in heauen or earth, whereby wee may bee ſaued, but by Ieſus Chriſt alone, thine onelyonly Sonne and bleſſed Redeemer, whom thou haſt purpoſely ſent into the world to ſaue ſinners; O Lord, let vsus renounce our ſelues and all creatures in heauen and earth, as being vtterly vnſufficient to ſatisfie thy Iuſtice, and ſaue our ſoules, and let vsus reſt vponupon him alone, hungring and thirſting after his righteouſneſſe, and deſiring aboue all things that wee may bee found in him. And for his ſake we humbly beſeech thee to magnifie thy mercies in the free forgiueneſſe of all our ſinnes: and as they in their waight and number doe exceedingly abound, ſo let thy grace abound much more in their forgiueneſſe. Enter not into iudgement with thy ſeruants; for in thy ſight ſhall no man liuing bee iuſtified. Wee are not able to anſwere vntounto thy Iuſtice one of a thouſand, but Chriſt our ſurety hath payed our debt, and now as our Aduocate pleadeth for vsus, that by him thou haſt thy due, and that thy Iuſtice ſhall ſuſtaine no loſſe in ſetting vsus free, ſeeing hee hath made full ſatiſfaction for vsus. Heare him then, deare God, thus pleading for vsus; Heare vsus, holy Father, in his mediation pleading for our ſelues; forgiue vsus all our debts, and cancell the hand-writing by which wee were obliged, that it may neuer bee produced in iudgement againſt vsus. Contrariwiſe, wee beſeech thee, write the new couenant of grace, not in tables of ſtone, but in the fleſhy tables of our hearts, and not onelyonly enrole the great Charter of our peace in the volume of the Booke, containing in it the glad tidings of the Goſpel, but ingroſſe and ingraue it in the booke of our conſciences, by the finger of thy Spirit, that wee may with ineſtimable ioy dayly peruſe it, when wee hauehave it in our owne cuſtody. And not only worke in vsus this peace, in our aſſured freedome from the guilt of all our ſinnes, but alſo inward and outward purity in our ſoules and bodies, by bathing and waſhing them in the blood of Chriſt from all ſinfull corruption: And ſanctifie vsus throughout, that our whole ſpirit, and ſoule, and body may bee preſerued blameleſſe vntounto the comming of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt: make vsus in him more then conquerours ouer all the enemies of our ſaluation, and ſpirituall Kings raigning eſpecially ouer our corruptions, that they may not by their might and malice diſturbe our peace. Reuiue vsus more and more with the Spirit of Grace and power; that we may walke with cheerefulnes in the waies of thy commandements, performing throughout the whole courſe of our liues, all Chriſtian duties of holineſſe, righteouſneſſe and ſobriety. Indue vsus plentifully with all ſanctifying and ſauing graces, and let vsus bring forth the fruits of them all in our new obedience, with all ſincerity & vprightnes of heart. Open our blind eyes, that we may ſee the wonderful things of thy law; increaſe our faith, that the gates of hel may not preuail againſt it; preſerue vsus from carnall ſecurity and hardneſſe of heart; and as wee daily renew our ſinnes, ſo let vsus daily renew our repentance and ſorrow for them. Confirme our affiance in the aſſurance of thy power and louelove, ſtrengthen our hope, worke our hearts to thy feare, inflame them with thy louelove, and with feruent zeale of thy glory; giuegive vsus humility, patience, and ſpirituall reioycing in the aſſurance of thy fauour, euen in our afflictions and tribulations. Make vsus zealous of good workes, that wee may approoue our faith by the fruits of it, and let vsus neuer bee weary of well-doing. Arme vsus againſt all the aſſaults of our ſpirituall enemies, againſt the feare of death and iudgement; to which end let vsus keepe alwayes our accounts euen, that we may not be loth to be called to a reckoning. Prepare vsus for the dayes of affliction and perſecution, that wee may be ready with wiſedome, conſtancy and courage, not only to doe, but alſo ſuffer all things for thy ſake. Accept, with theſe our ſuits and prayers, our praiſes and thankeſgiuing for thy manifold bleſſings and benefits, both corporall, ſpirituall and eternall; for thy ineſtimable louelove, and that ſingular pledge thereof, thy deare and onelyonly Sonne, whom thou haſt giuen vntounto vsus to worke that great worke of our Redemption; for our being, and well-being, all thy graces in this life, and aſſured hope of glory and happineſſe in the life to come. For our continuall preſeruation in the whole courſe of our liues, this night paſt, and this day hitherto; for our quiet reſt, and all other comforts of this life. For all which, and all other thy mercies, thy bleſſed name bee praiſed and magnified. Wee beſeech thee (good Lord) continue thy mercy and louelove towards vsus in the whole courſe of our liues; and namely, in the reſidue of this day watch ouer vsus with thy gracious prouidence, and thereby preſerue vsus from all ſinne and danger, and ſo rule all our thoughts, words and deeds, that being holy and righteous, they may be acceptable in thy ſight. Let vsus ſo ſpend this day in thy feare, as though it were the laſt day of our liues; and let vsus, with all care and watchfulneſſe, ſo arme our ſelues againſt all the tentations of our ſpirituall enemies, as that they may not preuaile againſt vsus to make vsus ſlothfull in thy ſeruice. Finally, giuegive vntounto vsus all things neceſſary for our ſoules and bodies, and ſo ſanctifie all thy bleſſings to our vſe, that they may be helps and furtherances vntounto vsus in ſeeking thy glory, and our own ſaluation. Vouchſafe theſe, and all other bleſſings, not onelyonly vntounto vsus, but alſo to thy whole Church, and eueryevery member thereof, as if particularly wee had named them, and ſo ioyne vsus in the holy communion of grace, as that we may for euer inioy the communion and fellowſhip of thy bleſſed Saints and Angels in the Kingdome of glory. Heare vsus, and helpe vsus, O God of our ſaluation, in all theſe our ſuits, for thy Sonne and our Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt his ſake; to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit, one true and euerlaſting God, we aſcribe the glory and praiſe of all goodneſſe and perfection both now and euermore. Amen.