The Whole Duty of Prayer, Part 1 · Subpart 8
Meditations for Saturday.
THE great Creator this day rested from all his Work which he had made, and blessed it; O Lord, grant that after this painful life is ended, I may enjoy a comfortable rest with thee in Heaven, where I may keep an eternal Sabbath, and hold a perpetual Feast; there will be rest without Labour, tranquillity without Molestation, and joys without End: There, my Soul, wilt thou behold a Glorious City, the Streets of Gold, the Gates of Pearl, and the Foundations garnished with all sorts of precious Stones.
I SHALL behold thee, the Father, in thy Majesty, Christ thy Son in his Glory, the Spirit in his Sanctity, the Arch-Angels and Angels in their Exceilency, and the Saints in their Felicity; then shall I no more hunger, labour, nor travel; I shall no more fear, grieve, nor desire; I shall want no more an earthly House, for the Heaven of Heavens shall be my Habitation, God will be my Temple, and the Lamb that shineth for ever shall enlighten me.
LORD, let the hope and expectation▪ of this eternal rest and felicity sweeten all my labours, and ease my torments, let it mitigate my afflictions, and comfort my spirits, that I faint not in my Journey, nor be depressed under my burden, but hold on cheerfully and valiantly, till I arrive at the Land of Promise, and there receive the Lot of mine Inheritance with the Saints in light for evermore.
Amen.
A Prayer for Saturday Morning.
MOST Gracious God, sanctifie I humbly beseech thee, this day unto me, and my self, now and ever unto thy service; thy Mercies, O Lord, they are new every Morning, and therefore my Thanks ought every day to be a new repeated: I praise thy holy Name, for keeping me this Night past, unto this present hour and moment, and hast now brought me unto the last day of the Week; grant that I may spend the same soberly, righteously, and holily.
BRING me to the knowledge of thy Blessed Will in all things, that I may endeavour to perform the same to thy Glory, the peace of my Conscience, and the preservation of my own Soul; purge and cleanse my Heart and Conscience from all dead Works, that I may serve thee, the living God, for evermore. Be thou my Guide in all my ways, my stay and support in all my necessities; put an end to the motions of the Flesh, enlarge my Heart for all pious Duties, and habitual Graces of thy Spirit, that I may bring forth the Fruits of them in my Life and Conversation.
BLESS the Kingdom wherein I inhabit, and thy holy Catholick Church, whereof I am an unworthy Member; bless thy Servants, and our dear Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary, as thou hast Crowned them with a Temporal Crown here, so in thy due time give them a Crown of Glory hereafter. Bless Katherine the Queen Dowager, her Royal Highness the Princess Ann of Denmark▪ with the rest of the Royal Family. Bless all persons, whether dignified or distinguished, from the swayer of the Scepter, to the drawer of Water; have mercy upon all sick persons, Women travelling with Child, and those who are troubled in Body, Mind, or Estate; O Lord, speak peace unto their Consciences, and as thou hast laid laid them down with the one hand, so raise them up with the other, if not to this life, to life eternal, for the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord
Amen.
A Prayer for Saturday Evening.
O GOD, the maker and preserver of all things, look down with thy eye of pity and compassion upon me a miserable sinner; I here prostrate my self, Soul and Body, before thy Divine Majesty, beseeching thee in much mercy to pardon my sins, to Sanctifie me, with thy grace, and to bring me to thy glory: That so my Soul may be refreshed with such things as Eye hath not seen, Ear hath not heard, nor hath it entered into the heart of Man to conceive.
ENTER not into Judgment with thy Servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no Flesh living be justified: Examine not my wayes, this Week past, by the strickt rule of thy Law, neither reward me in the severity of thy Justice: But have Mercy upon me a miserable offender, that have deserved the sharpest of thy Judgments; but as the Heavens are higher than the Earth, so is thy Mert cy over all thy Works▪ of and great exten to poor Sinners.
SATISFIE my Soul with thy Mercy, and that right soon, so shall I rejoyce, and be-glad in thee, and learn to praise thee Evermore: And now, O Lord, as this Week is ended, so let my Sins be ended, and never be repeated again any more: Be pleased to be my merciful protector and preserver from all perils; and dangers this Night: Refresh my▪ Body with quiet rest, that my mind may be chearful, and be fit to serve thee, in. Sanctifying thy Sabbath, and keeping it as a glorious day unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen