A Guide to Godliness, Paraphrase of the Lords Prayer · Prayer 7
A Prayer for the Lords Day in the Morning.
O Lord our God, glorious in Maieſty, omnipotent in power, infinite in all goodneſſe & perfection, and our moſt gracious Father in Ieſus Chriſt, who haſt created all things of nothing for thine own glory, and man eſpecially for thine own ſeruice; the which he is bound to performe both by the right of creation, wherin thou haſt vouchſafed vntounto him his being; & of Redemption, whereby thou haſt giuen vntounto him his wel-being, by reſtoring him to that eſtate of bleſſednes which he had loſt by his ſins. But yet in a more eſpeciall maner ought this ſeruice to be performed on thine owne peculiar Day, which thou haſt appropriated to thy worſhip, & conſecrated to an holy reſt, both by thy commandement, and alſo thine owne example. We thine vnprofitable ſeruants, and vtterly vnworthy of theſe high and holy priuiledges, doe here preſent our ſelues before thee, deſiring, and in ſome poore meaſure indeuouring to ſanctifie this Day of reſt, and to glorifie thee by performing, as we are able, ſuch duties of thy ſeruice as thou requireſt. Howbeit, we muſt needs acknowledge, to thy glory & our own ſhame, that we hauehave vtterly diſabled our ſelues vntounto them by our manifold & grieuous ſins. For through our naturall corruption, thy Sabbaths, which ſhould be our delight, are become tedious & vnpleaſant; thy ſeruice, which ſhould be our meat and drinke, and euen the very life of our life, and ioy of our hearts, is become ſo lothſome and diſtaſtfull to our carnall appetite, that either we vtterly neglect it, or elſe performe it after a cold and careleſſe manner, with much dulneſſe, drowzines, and irkſome wearineſſe. Our wiſdome is enmity againſt thee, & our vnderſtandings dull in conceiuing ſpirituall things, our thoughts & imaginations ſo wholy carried away with earthly vanities, that when they ſhould be wholy intent vntounto ſpirituall exerciſes, they roue and wander after worldly trifles. Our conſciences are ſo loaded with dead works & the guilt of our ſins, that they weaken our faith in applying thy promiſes, and depriue vsus of that confidence and comfort which we ſhould otherwiſe hauehave in our praying and hearing. Our memories are like riuen veſſels, which ſuffer the precious liquor of thy Word to run out without vſe or profit. Our wils are ſo ſtubborne and rebellious, that we cannot ſubmit to thine holy Ordinances, but reſiſt both the outward miniſtry of thy Word, and the inward motions of thy holy Spirit. Our hearts are ſo hardned with the deceitfulneſſe of ſin, that they are not eaſily mollified with thy ſweet promiſes and gracious benefits, nor terrified and broken with thy threatnings and righteous Iudgements. Our affections are ſo wholy corrupted and diſordred, that they are wholy ſet vponupon worldly things; and little louelove and delight in thee and thy ſauing truth, in thy ſeruice and Sabbaths, doe wee feele in our dead hearts, in compariſon of that feruour of affection, which we ſenſibly perceiue in the pleaſures of ſinne, and worldly delights. And with this corruption of our ſinfull ſoules, our bodies likewiſe are ſo tainted and infected, that they are altogether indiſpoſed vntounto thy ſeruice, and exceeding dead and lumpiſh in the performance of all holy and Religious duties. From which totall corruption of our natures, hauehave iſſued and ſprung thoſe innumerable numbers of actuall tranſgreſſions, whereby we hauehave broken thy whole Law, and eueryevery Commandement thereof in thought, word and deed. But eſpecially we acknowledge our fearefull neglect of the duties of thy ſeruice, and our weake & imperfect performances, when we hauehave vndertaken them; our profanation of thy Sabbaths, and abuſe of thine holy Ordinances; our little profiting by thoſe plentifull meanes of our ſaluation, which for a long time thou haſt graciouſly affoorded vsus, either for the increaſing of ſauing knowledge, the ſtrengthening of our faith, or bringing forth fruits of new obedience; our want of faith and feruency of ſpirit in calling vponupon thy Name; our want of reuerence and attention in hearing thy Word; our many diſtractions and wandring thoughts; our want of care to treaſure it vp in our hearts, and of conſcience to make an holy vſe of it in our liues and conuerſations. By all which and innumerable other ſinnes, we acknowledge (good Lord) that we hauehave iuſtly deſerued to be depriued of all meanes of our ſaluation, and that thou ſhouldeſt take away from vsus the food of our ſoules, and cauſe them to periſh through Spirituall famine; or that thou ſhouldeſt turne our meate into poyſon, and make it to become the ſauour of death to our deeper condemnation, which in it owne nature is the ſauour of life vntounto life, and thine owne ſtrong power vntounto ſaluation. But wee beſeech thee (good Lord) for thy Sonnes ſake, to be gracious vntounto vsus in the free pardon of theſe and all other our ſinnes; and ſeeing hee hath fully ſatisfied thy Iuſtice, by that all-ſufficient ſacrifice, which he hath once offered vponupon his Croſſe, be reconciled vntounto vsus in him, and clenſe vsus thorowly from the guilt and puniſhment of all our ſinnes, that they may not be as a wall of ſeparation to ſtop from vsus thy bleſſings, nor as ſtrong chaines to pull downe vponupon vsus thy iudgements and puniſhments, either in this world, or in the world to come. And being thus freed from all our ſinnes, let vsus deuote our ſelues wholly to thy ſeruice: which that we may performe with greater cheerfulneſſe and diligence, let vsus hauehave the comfortable aſſurance of this thy mercy in the remiſſion of our ſinnes, ſealed in our hearts by thy good Spirit, witneſſing vntounto vsus that we are thy children by adoption and grace. And thereby not only ſeale vsus vp vntounto the Day of our Redemption, but alſo ſanctifie vsus throughout in our bodies and ſoules, by the mortification of the fleſh, and our ſpirituall quickening in the inner man, that wee may, in the whole courſe of our liues, ſerue and pleaſe thee. But in a more eſpeciall manner we beſeech thee (good Lord) to ſanctifie vsus, that we may ſanctifie this thy Sabbath; and aſſiſt vsus by thy grace and holy Spirit, that wee may ſo performe the religious duties of thy ſeruice, as that wee may bee made more holy, and inabled vntounto the leading of ſuch a Chriſtian life as may bee acceptable in thy ſight. Take away from vsus the corruption of our natures, wherby we are made backward and vntoward to the duties of thy ſeruice, and make vsus willing to ſequeſter our ſelues from all worldly affaires, that we may wholly be imployed in them. Let vsus reioyce in thy Sabbaths, as being the time of our ſpirituall refection, and the market of our ſoules, and let vsus not reſt in a formall keeping of them, but performe the duties required in them, with all care and good conſcience, not onelyonly in the outward man, but with our hearts and ſoules, in ſpirit and truth. Free vsus from carnall wearines, as thinking the time long till they be paſt: but knowing that time to be beſt ſpent which is imployed in thy ſeruice, let vsus take moſt comfort and contentment in it. Inable vsus (good Lord) by priuate preparation to fit our ſelues for thy publike ſeruice, meditating on our wants, that we may vſe all good meanes whereby they may be ſupplyed, and on our ſpeciall ſins & corruptions, that we may get ſpiritual ſtrength againſt them, and imploring the aſſiſtance of thy good Spirit, that we may be inabled thereby to performe, in an holy manner, all duties which thou requireſt. Let vsus keep an holy Reſt vntounto thee, and abſtaine not only from the ordinary workes of our callings and worldly affaires, but alſo from all carnall pleaſures and ſenſual delights. Suffer not our thoughts to be taken vp with worldly or wicked cogitations, but let our minds bee exerciſed in ſpirituall and heauenly meditations. Set a watch before our mouthes, that we may not, on thine holy Day, ſpeak our owne words, nor vtter any idle, vaine, worldly or wicked ſpeeches; but let our tongues ſpeak to thy praiſe, and be exerciſed in holy & religious conferences, tending to the mutuall edification one of another. Let vsus not content our ſelues with a meere ceſſation from our labours, but refer this Reſt to holineſſe, as the maine end thereof, without which the outward reſt is but vaine; and with the externall, let vsus ioyne the internall reſt from ſin, exerciſing our ſelues in repentance from dead workes. Make vsus carefull in vſing all good means which thou haſt ordained for the ſanctifying of thy Day, both publikely and priuately, and let vsus, with one hart and voyce, ioyne with the reſt of the Congregation in all the parts of thy ſeruice. Inable all thy Miniſters in all places, and him eſpecially to whoſe charge thou haſt committed vsus, that they may break vntounto vsus the Bread of life, and rightly diuide thy Word for our ſpirituall nouriſhment. Furniſh them with all gifts and graces neceſſary for their high calling, and let them deliuer thy truth as in thy preſence, faithfully and powerfully, truly and ſincerely, and ſo aſſiſt them with the inward working of thine holy Spirit, that thy Word may be effectual for the conuerſion, edification and ſaluation of their hearers. Inable vsus by the ſame Spirit, to call vponupon thee with faith & feruency, and with all louelove and thankfulnes to praiſe thee for all thy bleſſings vouchſafed vntounto vsus. Let vsus with all due reuerence & attention heare thy Word, lay it vp in our harts and memories, and bring forth the fruits of it in our liues and conuerſations. GiueGive vsus grace alſo (O Lord) to ſanctifie thy Sabbaths priuately, by performing by our ſelues, and in our owne families, thoſe priuate duties which are ſpecially required on this thy Day. Let vsus meditate on thy Word after we hauehave heard it, and apply it vntounto our ſelues for our owne vſe. Let vsus meditate on thy maruellous works of Creation, Preſeruation and Redemption; but eſpecially on the death and Reſurrection of our Lord and Sauiour, that they may be effectuall to mortifie our ſins, and to quicken vsus vntounto newnes of life. Let vsus ſpend our time in religious exerciſes, and in the works of charity & mercy, as being thoſe ſacrifices wherein thou moſt delighteſt; but eſpecially in thoſe ſpirituall duties which tend to the ſaluation of our owne and others ſoules, taking care not onelyonly to ſanctifie thine holy Day our ſelues, but, as much as in vsus lyeth, that it may be ſanctified by all thoſe who any wayes belong to our charge. Accept of our praiſe and thankſgiuing for all thy bleſſings and benefits, both ſpirituall and temporall, which thou haſt multiplyed vponupon vsus, and continue them vntounto vsus this day and euer, preſeruing vsus from all perils, and furniſhing vsus with all neceſſaries, that we may be the fitter with all cheerfulneſſe to doe thee ſeruice: And vouchſafe all theſe bleſſings which wee hauehave craued for our ſelues, with all other things which in thy wiſdome thou ſeeſt needful, vntounto eueryevery true member of thy Church, &c. euen for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to whom with thee & thine holy Spirit, we aſcribe all praiſe and glory, power and dominion, both now, and for euermore. Amen.