The Exaltation of the Soul, Prayer 101 – Prayer 102
A Private Evening Prayer for the Sabbath Day.
O Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Sabbath, suffer me who am but dust and ashes, to speak unto thy glorious Majesty; I know that thou art a consuming fire, I acknowledge that I am but wretched stubble, my sins are in thy sight, and Satan stands at my right hand to accuse me for them; I come not to excuse, but to judge my self worthy of all those judgments which thy justice might most justly inflict upon me, a wretched creature, for my sins and my transgressions, the number of them is so great, and the nature of them is so grievous, that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes, how much more loathsom in thy sight. I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son, that I am altogether unworthy to have the name of thy meanest servant; and if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my deserts, the Earth, as weary of such a sinful burden, should open her mouth, and swallow me up like one of Dathans Family, into the bottomless pit of Hell; for if thou didst not spare the natural branches, those Angels of glorious excellency, but hurledst them down from thy heavenly habitation in the pains of hellish darkness, to be kept unto damnation, when they sinned but once against thy Majesty, and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise, when they did but transgress one of thy Laws: Alas, what a vengeance may I expect, who have not offended in one sin only, but heaping sin upon sin, without any true Repentance, drinking in iniquity as it were water, ever pouring in, but never pouring out any filthiness; and transgressed all thy Laws and Commandments; yea this present day thou hast straightly commanded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship, I have not so religiously kept and observed, nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was fit to meet thy blessed Majesty in the holy Assembly of thy Saints: I have not attended to the Preaching of thy Word, nor to the administration of thy Sacrament, with that humility, reverence and devotion that I should; for though I was present at those exercises in my body, yet Lord, I was overtaken with much drowsiness, that when I was awake, my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts, that my soul seemed to be absent, and out of the Church. I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self, nor conferred with my Family upon those good instructions which I have heard and received out of thy holy Word, by the publick Minister, for default whereof, Satan hath stollen the most part of those instructions out of my heart, and I wretched creature, have forgotten them, as though they had never been heard; and my family doth not thrive in knowledge and satisfaction under my government, as they should, though I know that many of my poor Brethren live in want and necessity; some in pain, and comfortless, yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my alms, nor the other with my consolations, but have feasted my self, and satisfied mine own lust; I have spent most part of the day in idle talk, vain sports and exercises; yea, Lord, I have, &c. here confess what faults thou hast done that day, by omission or commission, and then fetching a deep sigh from thy heart, and for all these my sins, my conscience cries guilty, thy Laws condemns me, and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Commandment: but what if I am by the Law condemned, yet Lord, thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works, and that thy grace transcends thy Law, and thy goodness delights there to raign, where sinners do most abound. In the multitude of the mercies and merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour, I beseech thee, O Lord, who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner, to pardon and forgive unto me all these my sins, and all the errours of that day, and of my whole life, and free my soul from that curse and judgment which is due unto me for them. Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publican for four words of confession, and receivedst the prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of grace, into favour, upon his repentance, pardon all my sins likewise, O Lord, and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions. O spare me for thy mercy sake, and receive me unto favour again. Wilt thou, O Lord, reject me, who hast received all Publicans and sinners, that upon repentance sued unto thee for grace. Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy? far be it from me to think so, for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them, and thy compassion never fails; wherefore, O Lord, deal not with me after my merits, but according to thy great mercy, execute not thy severe justice against me a sinner, but execute thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature. I have nothing to present unto thee for a satisfaction, but only those bloody wounds, bitter death and passion which thy blessed Son, my only Saviour, hath suffered for me, him, in whom only thou art well pleased, I offer up unto thee, for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased; he my Mediator, the request of whose blood speaking better things than that of Abel, thy mercy can never gainsay, illuminate my understanding▪ and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit, that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day, or at any other time hath been taught unto me out of thy holy Word, that I may remember them; thy Commandments to keep them, thy Judgments to avoid them, and thy sweet promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress; and now, O Lord, I resign my self to thy most holy Will, O receive me into thy favour, and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self, that I may as well be thine by Love and Implantation, as by Calling and Creation, and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbath in this life, as that when this life is ended, I may with all thy Saints and Angels, celebrate an eternal rest of joy and praise to the honour of thy most holy Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for ever more. Amen.
Devotions for several Occasions.
In the Name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
A Morning Prayer.
O Eternal Son of Righteousness, who camest from the bosom of the Father, to enlighten the darkness of the world, I praise thy Name that thou hast preserved me from the danger of this night, and hast continued to me still the opportunities of serving thee, and advancing my hopes of a blessed eternity, let thy mercies shine brightly upon me, and dissipate the clouds and darknesses of my spirit and understanding; rectifie my affections, and purifie my will, and all my actions, that whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day, or in my whole life, my words and purposes, my thoughts, and all my intentions, may be sanctified, and be acceptable to thy Divine Majesty. Amen.
Grant that my understanding may know thee, my heart may love thee, and all my faculties and powers may give thee due obedience, and serve thee; preserve me this day from all sin and danger, from all violences and snares of mine enemies, visible, or invisible; let thy holy fear be as a bridle to my distemperatures, and thy love so enkindle and actuate all my endeavours, that no pleasures or allurements of the world may draw me from thy service, nor any difficulty or temptation may be my hinderance; let the profound humility and innocence of my blessed Saviour keep from me all pride and haughtiness of mind, all self-love and vain-glory, all obstinacy and disobedience, all fraudulency, and hurtful dissimulation, and let the graces of the Holy Ghost take such absolute possession and seisure of my soul, and all his faculties, that I may bring down, and east out the spirit of uncleanness and intemperance, of malice and envy, idleness and disdain, that I may never despise any of thy creatures, but my self, that so being little in my own fight, I may be great in thine. Amen.