The Exaltation of the Soul, Prayer 18 – Prayer 37
A Prayer for Protection in all Dangers.
O Lord, quicken me as thou art wont, and hide not thy face from me in time of distress. As for lyes, I hate and abhor them, but thy Law do I love. Consider O Lord, how I love thy Commandments; O quicken me according to thy loving kindness, for I am glad of thy Word, as one that findeth great spoils. Great is the peace that they have which love thy Law, and are not offended at it. Lord, I have looked for thy saving health, and done after thy Commandments. O let my complaint come before thee. O Lord, give me understanding according to thy Word, and let my supplication come before thee, and deliver me according to thy Word. Let thine hand help me, for I have chosen thy Commandments: I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; O seek thy servant, for I do not forget thy Commandments. When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord, and he helped me. Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. O Lord God, my hope, and my strong hold, have mercy upon me, and defend me under the shadow of thy wing, that I trusting under thy defence, may by thy faithfulness and truth be defended and covered, as with a shield and buckler. Give thy Angels charge concerning me, and my habitation, that I may be preserved and kept in all my waies, and that no evil happen unto me, no plague come nigh my dwelling, no terrours of the night, no arrows of thy vengeance by day may disturb my peace or safety: Let thy ministring Spirits bear me in their hands, and keep me from precepice, from fracture of bones, from dislocations, noisom or sharp diseases, stupidity and deformity, that I may tread under my feet all the snares of the roaring Lion, and the great Dragon the Devil, who seek my bodily and ghostly heart, do thou O Lord, set thy love upon me, and deliver me from all my troubles, and put an end to all my discontents which I suffer of them that hate me without a cause; and at the end of my daies, shew me thy salvation, and satisfie me with long life, even of a blessed eternity in this heavenly Kingdom, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen.
The Collect.
Keep, I beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church, with thy perpetual mercy, and because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep me and all thy people ever by thy help, from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Protection of the godly, and a Meditation of the great Works of God in the destruction of the wicked.
I Will lift up mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help; my help cometh even from the Lord, which made Heaven and Earth. Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord himself is my defence upon my right hand: The Lord shall preserve me from all evil; yea, it is even he that shall keep my soul. The Lord shall preserve my going out, and my coming … from this time forth and for ever more, unto thee I lift up mine eyes. O thou that dwellest in the Heavens, have mercy upon me, for I am utterly despised, yet my help standeth in the Name of the Lord, which hath made Heaven and Earth. They that put their trust in the Lord, shall be even as the Mount Sion, which may not be removed, but standeth fast for ever. Do well, O Lord, unto those that be good and true of heart, and reform what is amiss in me, for thy mercy sake. O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. If thou Lord, wilt be extream to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it? for there is mercy with thee, therefore thou shalt be feared. O Lord God, thou art the highest for evermore, thy works are glorious, and thy thoughts are very deep: make my heart and tongue loud instruments of thy praises, that I may tell of thy mercy in the morning, and of thy truth in the night season; that I may rejoyce in giving thee thanks for the operations of thy hand all the daies and nights of my whole life. Let thy merciful kindness descend evermore upon the righteous, that they may flourish like a Palm Tree, being continually watered with the dew of temporal and spiritual blessings, and may bring forth fruit of a holy conversation, and grant that thy servant being planted in the house of God, and firmly fixt in the blessed communion of Saints, may flourish in the Courts of thy house, and in thy Ecclesiastical Temple to all Eternity. O let not my portion be amongst the ungodly and unrighteous. Make me not to communicate in their wickedness, so much as by consent or approbation, that I may never perish and be destroyed in the furiousness of thine anger, which thou treasurest up against the day of vengeance, and righteous Judgment, even the day of the appearing of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Collect.
ALmighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh, that thy faithful people do give unto thee all true and laudable service, grant I beseech thee that I may faithfully serve thee in this life, that I fail not faithfully to attain thy heavenly promise, through the merits of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
A Prayer that God would preserve his Church against the storm and flood of Persecution.
I Looked for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him; in his Word is my trust; therefore keep me O Lord, and thy whole Church from the hands of the ungodly. Preserve me from the wicked men which are purposed to overthrow my going; sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor and innocent, and maintain the cause of the helpless. Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee to help me, and consider my voice when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight, as the incense, and the lifting up of my hands be as an evening Sacrifice. Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips. O let me hear thy loving kindness in the morning, for in thee is my trust. Shew me the way that I should walk in, for I lift my soul unto thee. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man, and preserve me from the wicked man that seeketh to overthrow my going. O Lord God, Judge of all the World, to whom vengeance belongeth, and execution of Righteous Judgment, have mercy upon us: Chasten us with thy gentleness and fatherly correction when we sin against thee. Teach us thy Law. Be our refuge and confidence in trouble; and give patience in time of adversity, that in the multitude of sorrows thy comforts may refresh us, thy mercies may relieve us, thy grace may pardon and confirm us, that our feet slip not, and our souls be not put to silence; have pity upon all distressed and miserable people. Do justice upon all that murther the Widow, that put the fatherless to death, that grind the face of the poor. Fail not thy people, O Lord, and forsake not thine inheritance, but destroy the devises of all them that imagine evil as a Law, and are confederate against the Righteous, to condemn the innocent, to discountenance Religion, to disadvantage thy worship and service, that in the day of eternal vengeance, when thou shalt reward the proud after their deserving, and the pit be digged by the ungodly; we may have the lot of thine inheritance, and raign in the fellowship of Saints, who give honour and praise to thee, O Lord God, Almighty, world without end. Amen.
The Collect.
Keep I beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy, and because the frailty of man without thee, cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Invitation to the Worship of God, and a Prayer for Obedience to his Will.
O Great God, the Lord, our Maker, who art a King above all Gods, give me the graces of humility, and holy Religion, that I may worthily praise and worship thy glories and perfections infinitely. I am the Sheep of thy Pasture; let thy mercies lead me and feed me, and refresh my soul with the Divine nutriment of thy Word and Sacraments. I am the sheep of thy hands, do thou guide me that I may never go astray; or if I do, bring me home into the Sheepfold of the great Shepherd, that I hearing his voice, may not harden my heart, neither tempting thy mercies, nor provoking thy wrath; but my heart being preserved from errors, and my waies from obliquity and crookedness, I may at last enter into thy eternal rest, through the merits and guidance of my great Shepherd, Jesus Christ, my Mediatour and Redeemer. Amen.
The Collect.
O Lord, I beseech thee let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church; and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour, preserve it ever more by thy help and goodness, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Adoration and magnifying the Glories of God.
O Lord God, in whose Sanctuary is power, and honour, before whose presence is glory and worship. Fill my lips and soul with great devotion and reverence towards thee my God. Make me to love thy Goodness, to adore thy Omnipotency, to reverence thy Justice, to fear thy Majesty, to tremble at thy Omniscience and Omnipresence, and to contemplate with the greatest zeal and affections all those glories which thou communicatest to the Sons of men, in the revelations of the Gospel of thy Creatour, and of thy miracles, that I may tell of thy greatness, and declare thy salvation from day to day; and when thou comest with Righteousness to judg the Earth, and all people with thy truth, I may rejoyce in thee everlastingly, and sing eternally Hallelujah to thee, in thy Sanctuary; grant this for Jesus Christ his sake, my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
The Collect.
O Lord, I beseech thee, grant thy grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and with pure hearts and minds, to follow thee the only God, through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A Prayer for Mercy and Salvation.
O Lord our King, Lord of the whole Earth, have mercy upon me, and sanctifie me with thy grace, that I may hate every thing that is evil; that I may love thee, give thanks unto thy Name, and rejoyce in the remembrance of thy holiness, that in the day of Judgment and great terrours, when thou shalt sit in thy seat supported with Righteousness and Judgment, and a fire shall go forth from thy presence, to burn up thine enemies on every side, thou mayest preserve my soul in safety from the hands of mine enemies, and a light may spring up unto me, to preserve me from eternal darkness, and the want of the light of thy countenance, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
The Collect.
O Lord God, for as much as without thee I am not able to please thee, mercifully grant that thy holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule my heart, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A Thanksgiving for the Redemption of mankind by Jesus Christ.
O Most powerful Jesus, who with thine own Right hand, and with thy holy Arm hast begotten to thy self on our behalf the victory over sin, hell, and the grave, remember this thy mercy and truth which thou hast promised to all that believe in thee, give me pardon of all my sins sealed unto me by the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and a good conscience, and grant that I may by thy strength fight against my ghostly enemies, and by thy power may overcome them, that I may rejoyce in a holy peace, and sing, and give thanks for my victory, and my Crown, extend this mercy, and enlarge the effect of thy great Victories to the Heathen, that all the ends of the world may sing a new song unto thee, and see the salvation of God, that when thou comest to judge the Earth, we may find mercy, and be joyful together before thee in the fruition of a blessed Eternity, through thy mercies, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesu. Amen▪
The Collect.
O Almighty and most merciful Lord God, of thy bountiful goodness and mercy keep me, I beseech thee, from all things that may hurt me, that I being ready both in body and soul, may accomplish those things that thou wouldest have done, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
A Psalm of Praise to God for his Mercy and Truth.
The Prayer.
O Lord our God, Who hast created us out of nothing, and hast redeemed us from misery and death when we were thy enemies, shewing great expresses of thy loving kindnesses when we were vessels of wrath, and inheritours of perdition, revealing thy Truth unto us in the Sermons of the Gospel; teach us to walk as thou hast commanded us, to believe as thou hast taught, that we may inherit what thou hast promised us; for thou art the way, the truth, and the life. We are thy people, and the sheep of thy Pasture; thou art our guide, and our defence; let thy grace teach us to serve thee, and thy holy Spirit assist and promote our endeavours with the blessing of gladness and chearfulness of spirit, that we may love to speak good of thy Name, and at last go to the Courts of thy Temple with praise and a song in our mouths, to thy honour and eternal glory, whose Mercy and Truth is everlasting, and revealed unto the Church in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Collect.
LOrd, I pray thee, that thy grace may alwaies prevent and follow us, all the daies of our life; make us continually be given to all good works, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for a holy Life.
O Lord God, of eternal purity, who who art of pure eyes, and canst behold no iniquity or impurity, enlighten my understanding, that I may have knowledge in the way of godliness; make my path straight, and my heart perfect; take from me the sins of unfaithfulness; correct and mortify in me all froward and peevish dispositions; let me love the society of the Saints, and hate the fellowship of the wicked, that I may not be destroyed with the ungodly, nor be rooted out from the City of the Lord, nor banished from the sweetness of thy presence; for with thee is light and health, and salvation to thy Name, be all honour, and glory, and praise ascribed world without end. Amen.
The Collect.
ALmighty and Everlasting God, give unto me the increase of Faith, Hope, and Charity, that I may obtain that which thou dost promise; make me to love that which thou dost command, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for Comfort in sadness of spirit in Sickness, or in any other affliction.
O Eternal God, who endurcst for ever, and thy remembrance throughout all generations, have mercy upon me according to the infinite treasures of thy loving kindness; hear the voice of my groaning, for thy indignation and thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and my sins have put an edge upon thy sword, and a thorn upon my wounded conscience. O hold up the reins of my soul; repair the breaches of my comfort, and my hope, and let thy glory now appear, for that shines brightly in the beams of thy mercy, and when thou turnest unto the prayer of the poor destituted, it becomes an eternal monument and a record of thy honour, and all generations which shall be born shall praise thee. Look down, O Lord, from thy Sanctuary, hear the mourning of me, and all distressed people; send me life and health so long as it may be a blessing, and not shorten my daies in wrath, but give me grace so to spend all my time in the work of repentance and holiness, that when my years fail, and my change is come, I may be translated to the new Heaven which shall never perish, nor wax old, there to continue and stand fast in thy sight for ever, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
The Collect.
O Lord, I beseech thee absolve thy people from their offences, that through thy bountiful goodness we may be delivered from the bondage of those sins, which by our frailty we have committed; grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ his sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A Thanksgiving to God for all his benefits and mercies.
O Most merciful God, whose mercies are as high as the Heavens, as many as the moments of eternity, thou hast opened thy hand wide to me with thy blessing, and the sweet effects of thy loving kindness: Thou art pitiful as a Father, tender as a Mother, careful as a Guardian, and exceeding merciful to all them that fear thee. I pray thee to fill my soul with apprehension and impresses of thy unspeakable mercy, that my thankfulness may be as great as my need of mercy is; and let thy merciful loving-kindness endure for ever and ever upon thy poor servant, that putteth his trust in thee. Keep no anger in store for me. Chide me not in thy displeasure. Satisfie my mouth with good things. Remove all my sins from me, as far as the East is from the West. Heal all my infirmities, and save my life from destruction, for all these are mercies that thou delightest it; and because I cannot praise thee according to thy excellencies, take my soul in thy due time into the land of everlasting praises, that I may spend a whole Eternity in ascribing to thy name praise, and honour, and dominion; grant this for Jesus Christ his sake, my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
The Collect.
ALmighty and everlasting God, absolve thy people from their offences, that through thy bountiful goodness we may be delivered from the bonds of those sins, which by our frailty we have committed; grant this heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ his sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A Thanksgiving for deliverance from misery and danger.
O Lord God, gracious and good, whose mercy endureth for ever, in my trouble I cry unto thee, for when my heart is brought down through heaviness; there is none to help me up, or to deliver me out of my distress, but only thou, O Lord: I have sinned, I have rebelled against thee, and lightly regarded thy counsel. I have walked and sate in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being fast bound in the captivity and misery of sin; O bring thou me out of darkness; and break my bonds in sunder. Guide me through the desert of the world, in which grows nothing but sadness, and discontent, still the tempest, and smooth the floods of misery which are ready to overwhelm me; and in thy due time bring me to eternal rest, and to the Haven where I would fain be, that in the Congregation of thy holy people I may praise thee for thy goodness, and declare thy wonders that thou hast done for me in delivering me from sins, misery and death, and bringing me to a City to dwell in, where there is life and light, and joy eternal in the beholding the face of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Collect.
GRant, I beseech thee, O merciful Lord, to thy faithful people, pardon and peace, that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and fear thee, with a quiet mind, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer of Thanksgiving for all the mercies and salvation which are given us in Christ Jesus.
O Most gracious God, and most merciful Father, my strength and my salvation, for thy mercy endureth for ever, be thou on my side; take part with them that help me, and forsake me not in time of need; let the voice of joy and health be in my dwelling; and when thou chastenest and correctest me for my sins, give me not over unto death, but fix my faith and hopes upon the head stone in the corner, even my Lord Jesus Christ, that in all the assaults made against me by my ghostly enemies, the right hand of the Lord may have the preheminence, and bring mighty things to pass, even victory and deliverance unto thy servants, that I putting no confidence in the best of men, may trust in thee, O Lord, till at last when thou openest the everlasting gates of righteousness, I may enter in, and give thee praise and thanks through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
The Collect.
O God, my Refuge and Strength, who art the Author of all godliness, be ready to hear the devout prayer of thy Church, and grant that those things which we ask faithfully, we may obtain effectually, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer that God would be pleased to pardon my many and great sins, and direct me in the waies of Righteousness.
O Lord, my Judge and my Redeemer, hearken unto me for thy Truth and Righteousness sake, and deliver me from the guilt of all my sins, and from those great punishments which are due unto me for the same, enter not into judgment with me, for in thy sight no man can be justified by any worthiness of his own: Endue my soul with a righteousness of a holy life, living and working by charity: Shew me the way that I should walk in: Teach me to do whatsoever pleaseth thee: Quicken my soul in the path of life, and so continue the conduct of thy Spirit in me, that it may never leave me, till I be brought forth of this world into the Land of Righteousness, to dwell with thee eternally, through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
The Collect.
O God, my Refuge and Strength, who art the Author of all godliness, be ready, I beseech thee, to hear the devout prayer of thy Church, and grant that those things which I ask faithfully, I may obtain effectually, through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
A Thanksgiving for the benefit of the holy Gospel, particularly of the blessed Sacrament.
O Blessed Jesu, whose Righteousness endureth for ever, thy work is worthy to be praised, and had in honour, for that thou hast been merciful to us, and hast given meat, even the fruit of a blessed Sacrament, unto them that fear thee, that by the participation of thy holy Communion, we should have thee in remembrance, and ever be mindfull of thy Covenant, plant in our hearts the fear of thy Name; give us wisdom and good understanding; make us to have pleasure in thee, and all thy works, that we obeying the precepts of thy holy Gospel, and performing the conditions of thy Covenant, which thou hast established for ever in truth and equity, in verity and judgment, we may worthily praise and adore thy reverend and holy Name among the faithful in this life, and in the Congregation of thy Saints in the life to come, through thy mercies, O blessed Jesu, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, now and for ever more. Amen.
The Collect.
ALmighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things both in Heaven and in Earth, mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy grace, all the daies of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for a Penitent Sinner.
O Lord, withdraw not thou thy loving mercies from me: Let thy loving kindness, O Lord, and thy truth alway preserve me: O Lord, let it be thy pleasure to deliver me from all my fear: Make haste O Lord to help me. As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord careth for me: Thou art my Helper and Redeemer, make no long tarrying, O my God. Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I cry unto thee, have mercy upon me, and hear me. O hide not thou thy face from me, and cast not away thy servant in displeasure. Thou hast been my succour, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. Consider my complaint, O Lord, for I am brought very low. O deliver me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Hear my prayer. O Lord, consider my desire, hearken unto me for thy Truth and Righteousness sake, and enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight no man living can be justified. Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint. Hide not thy face from me, lest I be like to them that go down to the pit. O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is my trust. Shew thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my heart unto thee. Deliver me O Lord, from mine enemies, for I fly unto thee, to hide me. Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God. O let thy Spirit lead me forth into the Land of Righteousness. Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Names sake, and for thy Righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble, O my God, and all for Jesus Christ his sake, my blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.
A Commemoration of God's frequent pardons and mercies to the penitent.
O Lord God, full of mercy and pity, who didst many times deliver thy people from their adversity, when thou for their rebellion against thee, and their inventions, hadst given them into the hands of the Heathen. Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people, and visit me with thy salvation. And though I have done amiss, and dealt wickedly against thee and thy Covenant, yet be pleased to help me for thy Name sake. Make thy power to be known in the mighty deliverance and redemption of me from so many dangers and miseries wherewith thou hast delivered me. Give me grace to believe thy word, to obey thy counsel, and to walk in thy Laws; to relinquish my own sinful and vain desire, to obey my Governours, Ecclesiastical and Civil, that I may not have the lot of Dathan and Abyram, but at last may receive my portion in thine inheritance, which thou hast prepared for thy chosen people, giving thee thanks with thine inheritance, for that thou hast turned from me thy wrathful indignation, pittying me, and saving me according to the multitude of thy mercies, thy Name be blessed, O Lord God, everlastingly, and world without end, through Jesus Christ my Lord▪ Amen.
A Prayer for Victory against our Enemies,
O Lord God, whose mercy is greater than the Heavens, and thy glory above all the Earth, be thou exalted in thine own strength, and magnify thy power and thy mercy in defending me, and thy holy Church against all our enemies temporal and spiritual. Forsake me not, O God, my strength and my defence, for vain is the help of man: Do thou strengthen me, and go along with me, and stand by me in the day of battel, that I being defended and armed by thee, may do acts great and good, fighting thy battel, and putting my confidence in thy Righteousness only, and thy salvation, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Fear of the Lord, for Gravity, and the blessing of the Righteous.
O Lord God, who art to be feared in the generations of the world, teach me the fear of thy Name, that I may fear to offend thee, and that delighting in thy Commandments, I may serve thee without fear of my enemies in holiness and righteousness all my daies. Let thy Light arise upon the darkness of my understanding. Let thy mercies and gentleness turn all the thoughts of unmercifulness in me, and make me charitable, of tender bowels, earning with pity over the need of the poor. Teach me to guide my words with discretion. Make me never to be moved from my purposes of holy living. Stablish my heart in thy love, that in the day of restitution of all things, thou mayest give the portion of the charitable, the rewards of thy Right hand; and when the wicked shall gnash with their teeth, and consume away in a sad Eternity, I may be satisfied with the Riches and plentiousness of thy house for ever, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
A Prayer against my Adversaries▪ and for Confidence in the True God.
O Lord God, at whose presence the Earth trembles, who worketh salvation and deliverance for thy Church in Ages, thou hast done whatsoever pleaseth thee in Heaven and in Earth, give me thy grace, that in all my troubles I make thee my succour and defence, and put my whole trust in thee only, that I receiving thy mercies, and the satisfaction of all my hopes from thy plentiousness and loving kindness, I may give praise unto thy Name, never ascribing unto my self any honour, or the glory or thanks of any good action, or prosperous success, but to thee who art the Author and giver of all good things; preserve me from all evil of soul and body, from vain imaginations, and making any thing to be my confidence besides thee, my God, that so thou mayest be mindful of me, and bless me in all my waies and actions, and when I die and go down into silence, I may have my portion among the blessed of the Lord, in the inheritance of thy Kingdom, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.