The Practice of Christian Graces, Part 1
DIRECTIONS for the MORNING.
As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning, lift up thy heart to God in this or the like short Prayer.
LORD, As thou hast awaked my body from sleep, so by thy grace awaken my soul from sin; and make me so to walk before thee this day and all the rest of my life, that when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave, I may rise to the life immortal, through Jesus Christ.
WHEN thou hast thus begun, suffer not (without some urgent necessity) any worldly thoughts to fill thy mind, till thou have also payd thy more solemn devotions to Almighty God, and therefore during the time thou art dressing thy self (which should be no longer then common decency requires) exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts: As for example, Consider to what temptations thy business, or company that day are most like to lay thee open, and arm thy self with resolutions against them; or again consider, what occasions of doing service to God, or good to thy neighbour are that day most likely to present themselves, and resolve to embrace them, and also contrive ho… thou maist improve them to the uttermost. But especially it will be fit for thee to examine, whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last nights examination. If after these considerations any farther leisure remain, thou maist profitably imploy it in meditating on the general resurrection (whereof our rising from our beds is a representation) and of that dreadful judgment, which shall follow it, and then think with thy self in what preparation thou art for it, and resolve to husband carefully every minute of thy time, towards the fitting thee for that great account. As soon as thou art ready, retire to some private place, and there offer up to God thy Morning Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer.
PRAYERS for the MORNING.
At thy first kneeling down say,
O Holy, Blessed and Glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner.
Lord, I know not what to pray for as I ought, O let thy spirit help my infirmities, and enable me to offer up a spiritual sacrifice acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ.
A THANKSGIVING.
O Gracious Lord, whose mercies endure for ever, I thy unworthy servant, who have so deeply tasted of them, desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest prayses for them; In thee, O Lord, I live and move and have my being, thou first madest me to be, and then that I might not be miserable, but happy, thou sentest thy Son out of thy bosome to redeem me from the power of my sins, by his grace, and from the punishment of them, by his blood, and by both to bring me to his glory. Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold, the Christian Church, where I was early consecrated to thee in Baptism, and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps, which might aid me to perform that Vow I there made to thee, and when by my own willfulnesse or negligence, I have failed to do it, yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me, but hast graciously invited me to repentance, afforded me all means both outward and inward for it, and with much patience hast attended, and not cut me off in the acts of those many damning sins I have committed, as I have most justly deserved. It is O Lord thy restraining grace alone, by which I have been kept back from any the greatest sins, and it is thy inciting and assisting grace alone, by which I have been enabled to do any the least good, therefore not unto me, not unto me, but unto thy name be the praises: For these & all other thy spiritual blessings my Soul doth magnify the Lord, & all that is within me praise his Holy Name. I likewise praise thee for those many outward blessings I enjoy, as Health, Friends, Food, and Raiment, the comforts as well as the necessaries of this life, for those continual protections of thy hand, by which I and mine are kept from dangers, and those gracious deliverances thou hast often afforded out of such as have befallen me, and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetned and alayed those troubles thou hast not seen fit wholy to remove; For thy particular preservation of me this night, and all other thy goodness towards me, Lord, grant that I may render thee, not onelyonly the fruit of my lips, but the obedience of my life, that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee, and that for his sake, whom thou hast made the Authour of eternal Salvation to all that obey him, even Jesus Christ.
A CONFESSION.
O Righteous Lord, who hatest iniquity, I thy sinful creature cast my self at thy feet, acknowledging that I most justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee, for I have drunk iniquity like water, gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee, daily committing those things thou forbiddest, and leaving undone those things thou commandest, mine heart which should be an habitation for thy Spirit, is become a cage of unclean birds, of foul and disordered affections, and out of this abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh, my hands act, so that in thought, word and deed I continually transgress against thee. [Here mention the greatest of thy sins] Nay, O Lord, I have despised that goodness of thine, which should lead me to Repentance, hardning my heart against all those means thou hast used for my amendment. And now, O Lord, what can I expect from thee but judgment and fiery indignation, that is indeed the due reward of my sins. But, O Lord, there is mercy with thee, that thou mayest be feared, O fit me for that mercy, by giving me a deep and hearty Repentance, and then according to thy goodness let thy anger and thy wrath be turned away from me, look upon me in thy Son, my blessed Saviour, and for the merit of his sufferings, pardon all my sins; And, Lord, I beseech thee, by the power of thy grace so to renew, and purify my heart, that I may become a new creature, utterly forsaking every evil way, and living in constant, sincere, universal obedience to thee all the rest of my dayes, that behaving my self as a good and faithful servant, I may by thy mercy at last be received into the joy of my Lord; grant this for Jesus Christ his sake.
A PRAYER for GRACE.
O Most gracious God, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, I wretched creature, that am not able of my self so much as to think a good thought, beseech thee to work in me both to will and to do according to thy good pleasure, inlighten my mind, that I may know thee, and let me not be barren, or unfruitful in that knowledg; Lord, work in my heart a true faith, a purifying hope, and an unfeigned love towards thee, give me a full trust on thee, zeal for thee, reverence of all things that relate to thee, make me fearful to offend thee, thankful for thy mercies, humble under thy corrections, devout in thy service, sorrowful for my sins, and grant that in all things I may behave my self so, as befits a creature to his Creator, a servant to his Lord: enable me likewise to perform that duty I owe to my self, give me that meekness, humility, and contentedness, whereby I may alwayes possess my soul in patience, and thankfulness, make me diligent in all my duties, watchful against all temptations, perfectly pure, and temperate, and so moderate in my most lawful in joyments, that they never become a snare to me; make me also, O Lord, to be so affected towards my neighbour, that I never transgress that royall Law of thine, of loving him as my self; grant me exactly to perform all parts of justice, ye…lding to all whatsoever by any kind of right becomes their due, and give me such bowels of mercy & compassion, that I may never fail to do al acts of charity to all men, whether friends▪ or enemies, according to thy command and example. Finally, I beseech thee, O Lord, to sanctifie me throughout, that my whole spirit, and soul and body may be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever: Amen.
INTERCESSION.
O Blessed Lord, whose mercy is over all thy works, I beseech thee to have mercy upon all men, and grant that the precious ransome which was paid by thy Son for all, may be effectual to the saving of all. Give thy inlightning grace to those that are in darkness, and thy converting grace to those that are in sin; look with thy tenderest compassions upon the Universal Church, O be favourable and gracious unto Sion, build thou the wals of Jerusalem, unite all those that profess thy Name to thee, by Purity, and Holiness, and to each other by Brotherly love. Have mercy on this desolate Church, and sinful Nation▪ thou hast moved the Land and divided it, heal the sores thereof for it shaketh, make us so truly to repent of those sins, which have provoked thy Judgments, that thou also mayest turn, and repent, and leave a blessing behind thee. Bless those whom thou hast appointed our Governours, whether in Church, or State, so rule their hearts, and strengthen their hands, that they may neither want will, nor power to punish wickedness and vice, and to maintain Gods true Religion and Vertue. Have pity, O Lord, on all that are in affliction. Be a Father to the fatherless, and plead the cause of the widow, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, heal the sick, releeve the needy, defend the oppressed, and administer to every one according to their several necessities; let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to me, and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessary either to their bodies or their Souls, [Here name thy neerest Relations] Reward all those that have done me good, and pardon all those that have done, or wisht me evil, and work in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ.
For PRESERVATION.
O Merciful God, by whose bounty alone it is, that I have this Day added to my life, I beseech thee so to guide me in it by thy grace, that I may do nothing which may dishonour thee, or wound my own Soul, but that I may diligently apply my self to do all such good works, as thou hast prepared for me to walk in; and Lord I beseech thee, give thy Angels charge over me, to keep me in all my wayes, that no evil happen unto me, nor any plague come nigh my dwelling, but that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection, through Jesus Christ.
O Lord, pardon the wandrings and coldness of these petitions, and deal with me, not according either to my prayers, or deserts, but according to my needs, and thine own rich mercies in Jesus Christ, in whose blessed Name, and Words, I conclude these my imperfect prayers, saying
Our Father, &c.