The Exaltation of the Soul, Prayer 96
A Prayer for the Evening.
O most gracious and loving Father, who art about my bed, and knowest my lying down, and my rising up, and art near unto all that call upon thee in Truth and sincerity, I a wretched sinner do humbly beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of mercy, and not to behold me, as I am in my self, for then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature, conceived in sin, and living in iniquity, so that I am ashamed to lift up my eyes unto thee, knowing how grievously I have sinned against Heaven and before thee; for, O Lord, I have transgressed all thy Commandments and Righteous Laws, not through negligence and infirmity, but oftentimes through wilful presumption, contrary to my knowledge, and the motions of thy holy Spirit reclaiming me from them, so that I have wounded my conscience, and grieved thy holy Spirit, by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of Redemption. Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost, I wretched sinner have defiled both, with all manner of pollution and uncleanness; mine eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanities, that I am ashamed to lift up my eyes unto thee; mine ears in hearing impure and unclean speeches; my tongue in evil speaking; my hands are so full of impurity, that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee; and my feet have carried me after mine own waies; my understanding and reasonings, which are so quick in all earthly matters, are only blind and stupid; when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things, my memory which should be a treasury of all goodness, is not so apt to remember any thing, as those things that are vile and vain; yea Lord, by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are only evil altogether, and continually; for these my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head, and they have grown over me, like a loathsom leprosie, from the crown of my head, to the soal of my feet; there remains no part which they have not infected; they make me seem vile in mine own eyes, how much more abominable must I appear in thy sight! the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin, and pull'd upon me such dulness of sense, and hardness of heart, that thy judgments denounced against my sins, by the faithful Preachers of thy Word, do not terrifie me to return unto thee with unfeigned repentance; and if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice, and my deserts, I should utterly be confounded and condemned; but seeing that of thine own mercy thou hast spared me so long, and still waitest for my repentance, I humbly beseech thee for the blood, death and passions sake, which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me, that thou wouldest pardon and forgive me all my sins, and mine offences, and open unto me that ever-streaming fountain of the blood of Christ, which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament, to the penitent of the house of David, that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood, buried in his death, and hid in his wounds, that they never more be seen to shame me in this life, nor to condemn me in the world to come, before the judgment seat of God. And for as much, O Lord, as thou knowest that it is not in man to turn his own heart, unless thou first give him grace to convert: And seeing it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy, as to suffer me to be such, O my God, give me grace to do what thou hast commanded, then command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do what thou commandest, and to observe thy blessed Will in all things; to this end give unto me thy Holy Spirit, which thou hast promised to give to the worlds end, unto all thine elect people; and let the same Holy Spirit purge my heart from the dross of my natural corruption; heal my soul and body, that they may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost, to serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness all the daies of my life, that when by the direction and assistance of thy Holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life, I may cheerfully leave this world, and resign my soul into thy fatherly hands in assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thy heavenly Kingdom, which thou hast prepared for thine Elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus, and expect his appearing. In the mean while, O Father, I beseech thee, let thy Holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance, as that I may with tears lament my sins past, with grief of heart be humbled for my sins present, and with all my endeavours resist the like filthy sins for the time to come, and let the same Holy Spirit keep me in the Unity of the Church, lead me in the Truth of thy Word, and preserve me that I may never swerve from the same to Popery, or any other error or false Worship; and let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more, to see the wondrous things of thy Law; and open my lips that my mouth may set forth thy praise; increase in me those good gifts with which thou hast already endowed me of thy mercy, and give unto me a penitent spirit, and a chaste heart, a contented mind, pure affections, a wise behaviour, and all other graces which thou seest necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear, and to guide all my life in thy favour, that whether I live or die, I may live and die unto thee, who art my God and my Redeemer. And here, O Lord, according as I am bound, I render unto thee, from the Altar of my humblest heart, all possible thanks and praise for all those blessings and benefits which graciously and plentifully thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body, for this life, and that which is to come, namely, for my Election, Creation, Redemption, Justification, Sanctification and Preservation, from my childhood until this present day and hour, and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification: Likewise for my Life, Liberty, Food and Rayment, a competent estate for the maintenance of this present life, and prosperity; more especially, for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all peril and dangers, both of body and soul, furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of; and as thou hast ordained the day for man to travel in, and the night for him to take his rest; so I beseech thee to sanctifie unto me this nights rest and sleep, that I may be the better disposed to serve thee in all honesty and godliness, and that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit, that so dull and wearied a body of mine being refreshed with moderate rest and sleep, I may be the better enabled to work before thee, doing all such good works as thou hast provided for me; and when it shall please thee by thy divine providence to awaken me the next morning, do thou, O Lord, who art the keeper of Israel, who never slumberest nor sleepest, watch over me in thy holy providence, to protect me from all dangers, so that neither the evil Angels of Satan, nor any wicked enemy may have any power to do me any harm, or evil; and to this end give a charge unto thy holy Angels, that they at thy appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety, as thou hast promised they should do about them that fear thy Name; and knowing that thy Name is a strong Tower of defence unto all those that trust therein, I here recommend my self, and all that belongs unto me unto thy holy protection and custody, if it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleep. O Lord, for Christ his sake, have mercy upon me, and receive my soul unto thy heavenly Kingdom; and if it be thy blessed pleasure to add more daies to my life, add more amendment unto my daies, and wean my mind from the love of the world, and the vanity thereof, and cause me more and more to settle my conversation on Heaven and heavenly things, and perfect daily in me that good work which thou hast begun, to the glory of thy Name, and the salvation of my sinful soul. O Lord, I beseech thee likewise, save and defend from all evil and danger thy whole Church, our gracious King Charles, and grant him a long and prosperous Raign over us: Bless our gracious Queen Katherine, James Duke of York, and all the Royal Family; endue them with thy grace, and defend them from all evil: Bless the Nobility, Magistrates, and Ministers of these Churches and Kingdoms, each of them with those graces and benefits which are expedient for their places and callings; and be thou, O Lord, a comfort and a consolation to all thy people, whom thou hast thought meet to visit with any kind of sickness, cross, or poverty, or calamity. Hasten, O Father, the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; make me ever mindful of my last end, and of the reckoning that I am to make unto thee therein; and in the mean while, carefully so to follow Christ in the generation, during this life, as that with Christ I may have a portion in the resurrection of Christ, when this mortal life is ended: These graces, and all other blessings, which thou, O Father, knowest to be required and necessary for me, I humbly beg and crave at thy hands, in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ, thy Son; and in that form of Prayer which he himself hath taught me to say, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.