The Exaltation of the Soul, Prayer 65 – Prayer 82
A Prayer for the Morning at the first kneeling down, saying,
Holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, Three Persons, and One God, have mercy up-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.
O Most gracious Lord, whose mercies endureth for ever, I thy unworthy servant who have so largely tasted of them, desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest praises for them. In thee, O Lord, I live, move, and have my being; thou hast made me to be, and then that I might not be miserable, but happy, thou sendest thy Son out of thy bosom to redeem me from the power of my sins by his grace, and from the punishment of them by his blood, and by both of them to bring me to his glory: Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy particular 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 wilfulness or negligence I have fallen to do ill, yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me, but hast graciously invited me to Repentance, aforded me all means both outwardly and inwardly for it, and with patience hast attended, and not cut me off for the acts of those many damning sins I have committed, as I have most justly deserved; thou art glorious in thy manifold mercies, O Lord, in thy restraining grace by which I have been kept back from any of the greatest sins, and in thy inciting grace, by which I have been enabled to do the least good, therefore not unto me, but unto thy Name be praises, for these and all other spiritual blessings. My soul doth magnifie the Lord, and 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 rayment, 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 aforded out of such as have befallen me, and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetened and allayed those troubles thou seest not fit wholly to remove; for thy particular care of me this night, and all other thy goodness towards me. Lord, grant that I may render unto thee not only 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 Author of eternal salvation to all that obey him, even Jesus Christ. Amen.
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 in iniquity like water, gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee, daily committing those sins thou forbidest, 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. O Lord, I have done amiss, I have dealt wickedly; the good I would do, I do it not, but the evil I should not, that do I. O my God, be merciful unto me for my luxury, pride, covetousness, and all wandring thoughts, and worldly imaginations. Nay, O Lord, I have despised that goodness of thine which should have lead me to repentance, hardning my heart against all those means thou hast used for my amendment; and now, 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 a hearty Repentance, and then according to thy goodness let thine anger and thy wrath be turned away. Look upon me in thy Son, my blessed Saviour, and for the merits of his sufferings, pardon all my sins; and Lord, I beseech thee, by the power of thy grace, so to renew and purifie my heart, that I may become a new creature, utterly forsaking every evil way, living in constant, sincere, universal obedience to thee all the rest of my daies, behaving my self as a good and faithful servant, I may at the last be received into the Joy of my Lord; grant this for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
A Prayer for Grace.
O Most gracious God, from whom every good and perfect gift cometh, I a wretched sinner 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 of thy good pleasure what thou requirest of me; enlighten my mind, that I may know thee, and let me not be barren or unfruitful in that knowledge. Lord, work in my heart a true faith, a purifying hope, and an unfeigned love towards thee. Give me a full trust in thee, zeal for thee, reverence in all things that relate to thee. Make me fearfull to offend thee, thankful for thy mercies, humble under thy corrections, devout in thy service, sorrowful for my sins▪ & 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 alwaies possess my soul in patience, and thankfulness. Make me diligent in all my duties, watchful in all temptations, perfect, pure, and temperate, and so moderate in all my most lawful enjoyments, that they never may become a snare to me. Make me also, O Lord, to be so affected towards my neighbour, that I never transgress that Royal Law of thine, of loving him as my self. Grant me exactly to perform to all a part of Justice, yielding to all whatsoever by any kind of right is their due. Give me such bowels of mercy and compassion, that I may never fail to do all 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 within and without, that my whole spirit, and soul, and body, may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father 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 Ransom which was paid by thy Son for all, may be effectual for the saving of all. Give thy enlightening grace to those that are in darkness, and thy converting grace to those that are in sin. Look with thy tenderest compassion upon the Universal Church. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem; unite all those that profess thy Name to thee, by purity, and holiness, and to each other by brotherly kindness. Have mercy on this desolate Church, and sinful Nation; Thou movedst 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 want neither will nor power to punish wickedness and vice, and to maintain God's true Religion and Verity. 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, relieve the needy, defend the oppressed, and administer to every one according to their several necessities. Let thy blessing rest upon all that are near and dear unto me, and grant them whatsoever is needful and necessary both for their souls and for their bodies; here name thy dearest Relations. Reward all those that have done me or them good; pardon all those that have done or wish us evil; work in me and them all that good which may make us acceptable in thy sight, Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Preservation.
O Merciful God, by whose bounty and love 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 own soul to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for me. And, Lord, I beseech thee, give thy Angels charge over me, to keep me in all my waies, that no evil happen unto, nor any plague come nigh my dwelling, but that I and mine may be safe under thy protection, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen.
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 mercy in Jesus Christ, in whose blessed Name and words I conclude these my imperfect prayers, saying, Our Father, &c.
Prayers for Night.
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 holy Spirit help mine infirmities, and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable unto thee, by Jesus Christ.
A Confession.
O Most holy Lord God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, how shall I an abominable wretch, appear before thee, who am nothing but pollution? I am defiled in my very nature, have a backwardness to all good, and a readiness to all evil, but I have defiled my self much worse by my own actual sins and wicked customs; I have transgressed my duty to thee, my neighbour, and my self, and that both, in thought, word, and deed, by doing those things thou hast expresly forbidden, and neglecting to do those things thou hast commanded me, and this not onelyonly through ignorance and frailty, but knowingly and wilfully, against the motion of thy Spirit, and the checks of mine own conscience to the contrary; and to make all these out of measure sinful, I have gone on in a daily course of repeating these provocations against thee, notwithstanding all thy calls to, and my own purposes and endeavours of amendment; yea this very day I have not ceased to add new sins to my former guilt, (here name the particulars) and now, O Lord, what shall I say, or how shall I open my mouth, seeing I have done these things? I know that the wages of sin is death, but O thou who willest not the death of a sinner, have mercy upon me; work in me, I beseech thee, a sincere contrition, and perfect hatred of all my sins; let me daily confess them, but yet not as duly renew them; and grant, O Lord, that from this instant I may give a bill of divorce to all my most beloved lusts, and then be thou pleased to marry me to thy self, in Truth, in Righteousness, and true Holiness, all the daies of my life: and for all my sins past, O Lord, receive a Reconciliation, accept of that Ransom thy blessed Son hath paid for me, and for his sake whom thou hast set forth as a propitiation, pardon all my offences, and receive me to thy favour; and when thou hast thus spoken peace to my soul, Lord keep me that I turn not any more to folly, but stablish me with thy grace, that no temptation of the World, the Devil, or my own Flesh, may ever draw me to offend thee, that being made free from sin, and becoming a Servant unto God, I may have my fruit unto holiness, and in the end everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
A Thanksgiving.
O Thou Father of mercy, who art kind even to the unthankful, I acknowledge my self to have abundantly experimented that gracious property of thine; for notwithstanding my daily provocations against thee, thou still heapest mercy and loving kindness upon me; all my contemnings and despisings thy spiritual favours hath not yet made thee withdraw them, but yet in the riches of thy goodness thou still continuest to me the offers of thy grace and life in thy Son, and all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou hast not punished with an utter depravation of them, but still art pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them, the sins of this day thou hast not repayed, as justly thou mightest, by sweeping me away with a swift destruction, but hast spared me and preserved me according to the greatness of thy mercy; here mention the particular mercies of this day; What shall I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he hath done unto me. Lord, let this goodness of thine lead me to hearty repentance, and grant that I may not only offer thee thanks and praise, but may also order my conversation aright, that so I may at the last see the salvation of God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Here use the Prayer for grace, and that Intercession appointed for the morning.
For Preservation.
O Blessed Lord, keeper of Israel, that neither slumberest nor sleepest, be pleased in thy mercy to watch over me this night; keep me by thy grace from the works of darkness, and defend me by thy power from all dangers; grant me moderate rest and sleep, such as may fit me for the duties of the next day following; and, Lord, make me ever mindful of that time when I shall lie down in the dust, and I know neither the day nor the hour of my Master's coming; grant me grace that I may alwaies fear thee, and that I may never live in such a state as I shall fear to die, but that whether I live, I may live unto the Lord, or whether I die, I may die unto the Lord; so that living and dying I may be thine, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let thy Bed put thee in mind of thy grave, and when thou lyest down, say,
O Blessed Saviour, who by thy precious death and burial didst take the sting of death, and the power of the grave; grant me the joyful fruits of that victory, and be thou to me in life and death advantage. I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest, for it is thou, O Lord only that makest me dwell in safety, into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed it, O Lord, thou God of Truth.
Collects for several Graces.
For Faith.
O Blessed Lord, seeing without Faith it is impossible to please thee, let thy Spirit, I beseech thee, work in me such a Faith as may be acceptable in thy sight, even such as worketh by Love. O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual Faith, but grant that it may be such as may shew it self by my works; that it may be that victorious Faith which may enable me to overcome the world, and conform me to the Image of that Christ on whom I believe, that so at the last I may receive the end of my Faith, even the salvation of my soul, by the same Jesus Christ. Amen.
For the Love of God.
O Holy and gracious Lord, who art infinitely excellent in thy self and infinitely bountiful and compassionate towards me, I beseech thee suffer not my heart to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, but let the offers of thy Love, make deep impressions on my soul. Lord, thou art pleased to require my heart, and thou only hast right to it. O let me not be so sacriligiously unjust as to alienate any part of it, but enable me to render it up whole and entire to thee; but, O my God, thou seest it already usurped, the world with its vanities hath seized it, and like a strong man armed keeps possession. O thou who art stronger, come upon him, and take this unworthy heart of mine as thine own spoil; refine it with that purifying fire of thy Love, that it may be a fit habitation for thy Spirit. Lord, if thou seest it, be pleased to make me taste of those Joyes, those ravishments of thy Love, wherewith thy soul hath been so transported: But if in this I know not what I ask, if I may not chuse my place in thy Kingdom, yet, O Lord, deny me not to drink of thy Cup; let me have such a sincerity and degree of Love, as may make me endure any thing for thy sake; such a perfect Love as may cast out all fear, and all sloth too, that nothing may seem to me grievous to suffer, or too difficult to do in obedience to thee, that so expressing my love by keeping thy Commandments, I may by thy mercy at last obtain that Crown of Glory, which thou hast promised to those that love thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Devotion in Prayer.
O Most gracious Lord God, who not only permittest us, miserable sinners and needy creatures, to present our petitions to thee, grant I beseech thee, that the frequency of my prayer may be somewhat proportionable to those continual needs I have of thy mercy. Lord, I confess it is the greatest honour, and greatest advantage thus to be allowed access to thee; yet sottish and stupid is my prophane heart, that it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it. My soul, O Lord, is possest with a spirit of infirmity, it is bowed together, and can in no wise lift up it self to thee: O be thou pleased to cure this sad, this miserable disease, to raise, and enliven this earthly drowsy heart, that it may freely mount towards thee, that I may set a true value on this most valuable priviledge, and take delight in my approaching to thee; and that my approaches may be with a reverence, some way answerable to that awful Majesty I come before, with an importunity and earnestness answerable to those pressing wants I have to be supplied, and with such a fixed attention of mind, as no wandring thoughts may interrupt; that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing near to thee with my lips, when my heart is far from thee, or my prayers turned into sin, but may so ask, that I may receive, seek, that I may find, knock, that it may be open unto me, that from praying to thee here, I may be translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glory, through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. Amen.
For the Fear of God.
O Most glorious Majesty, who only art High, and to be feared, possess my soul with a holy awe and reverence of thee, that I may give thee the honour due to thy Name, and may bear such a respect to all things which relate to thee that I may never prophane any holy thing, or sacriligiously invade what thou hast set apart to thy self. And, O Lord, since thou art a God, that wilt not clear the guilty, let the dread of thy Justice make me tremble to provoke thee in any thing. O let me not so mis-place my fear, as to be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the Son of Man, who shall be made as grass, and forget the Lord my Maker, but replenish my soul with the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, which may be as a bridle to all my brutish appetites; and keep me in a constant conformity to thy holy Will. Hear me, O Lord, I beseech thee, and put this fear in my heart, that I may not depart from thee, but may with fear and trembling work out my own salvation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Thankfulness.
O Most gracious and bountiful Lord, who fillest all things with goodness, and expectest no other return, but praise and thanksgiving, let me, O Lord, never defraud thee of that so easie tribute, but let my heart be ever filled with a sense, and my mouth with the acknowledgment of thy mercies. It is a joyful and pleasant thing to be thankful; O suffer me not, I beseech thee, to lose my part in that Divine pleasure, but grant that as I daily receive blessings from thee, so I may daily from an affectionate and devout heart offer up thanks to thee; and grant that not only my lips, but my life may shew forth thy praise, by consecrating my self to thy service, and walking in holiness and righteousness before thee all the daies of my life, through Jesus Christ my Lord and blessed Saviour. Amen.
For Chastity.
O Holy and Immortal Jesus, whose first descent was into the Virgins Womb, and who didst love to inhabit only in pure and Virgins hearts, I beseech thee, send thy Spirit of purity to cleanse me from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit. My body, O Lord, is the Temple of the Holy Ghost, O let me never pollute that Temple with any uncleanness; and because out of the heart proceed the things that defile the man. Lord, grant me to keep my heart with all diligence, that no impure or foul thoughts be harboured there; but enable me, I beseech thee, to keep both soul and body pure and undefiled, that so I may glorifie thee here, both in body and soul, and spirit, and be glorified in both with Christ hereafter. Amen.
For Contentedness.
O Merciful God, thy Wisdom is infinite to chuse, and thy Love forward to dispence good things to us, O let me alwaies fully and entirely resign my self to thy disposals; have no desire of my own, but a perfect satisfaction in thy chusings for me, that so in whatsoever state I am, I may be therein content. Lord, grant I may never look with murmuring on my own condition, nor with envy on other mens; and to that end, I beseech thee, purge my heart of all covetous desires and affections O let me never yield any corner of my soul to Mammon, but give me such a contempt of these fading riches, that whether they decrease, or increase, I may never set my heart upon them, but that all my care may be to be rich towards God, to lay up my treasure in Heaven, that I may so set my affections on things above, that when Christ who is my life shall appear, I may also appear with him in glory; grant this, O Lord, for the merit of the same Jesus Christ. Amen.
For Perseverance.
O Eternal and unchangeable Lord God, who art the same yesterday, to day, and for ever, be thou pleased to communicate some rayes of that excellency, some degree of that stability to me thy wretched creature, who am light and unconstant, turned about with every blast. My understanding is very deceivable, O stablish it with thy truth; keep it from the snares of seducing spirits, that I may not be lead away with the errours of the wicked, and fall from mine own stedfastness. My will also, O Lord, is irresolute and wavering, and doth not cleave stedfastly unto God. My goodness is but as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it passeth away: O strengthen and confirm me; and whatsoever good thou hast wrought in me, be pleased to accomplish it, and perform it until the day of Christ. Lord, thou seest my weakness, and knowest the number and strength of those temptations I am to struggle with; O leave me not to my self, but cover thou my head in the day of battel; and in all spiritual combats, make me more than Conquerour through him that loved me. O let no terrours or flatteries either of the world, or my own flesh, ever draw me from my obedience to thee; but grant that I may continue stedfast, unmoveable, alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord; by patient continuance in well doing, seeking, and at last obtain glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.