The Whole Duty of Prayer, Part 1 · Prayer 13 – Prayer 14
A Morning Prayer for a Family.
O ETERNAL, and All-seeing God, wonderful in thy Majesty, and Infinite in thy Mercy, who hast the Heavens for thy Throne, and the Earth for thy Footstool; the Heavens are full of the Majesty of thy Glory, and cannot contain the same; look down therefore from thence, upon us thy Servants, who now prostrate our selves before the Footstool of thy Throne of Grace, humbly beseeching thee, for thy dear Sons sake, to be merciful unto us miserable sinners; one deep calleth upon another, the depth of Misery unto the depth of Mercy, have Mercy therefore upon us, O Lord, and in the multitude of thy Mercies do away all our Offences.
WE Confess we are not worthy to think of thee, much less speak unto thee, we being so vile and miserable, thou so glorious and admirable; yet being assured that in forgiving of Sins and helping afflicted Souls, thy fountain of Mercy is never dryed up; we thine unprofitable Servants are emboldned to present our selves this Morning before thee, to offer up unto thee a lively Sacrifice of Prayer and thanksgiving, who didst offer up thy Son upon the Cross to be a propitiation for our Sins: O let this lifting up of our hearts and hands be a morning Sacrifice pure, and acceptable in thy sight: Let not the greatness of our Sins, with-hold thy emplored Mercy, but wash us from all uncleanness, and remove thy judgments due unto us for them, as far from thy presence, as the East is from the West.
O, BURY them in the Grave with Christ, raise us up by the power of thy Spirit unto newness of Life, that we may walk in all holy obedience before thee this day, and that endeavouring to keep our Faith and a good Conscience void of offence, we may now, and in the hour of death be, and remain alwayes thine, Defend us from all evil, and sence us against the assaluts of Satan, watch over us by the Eye of thy good providence, and cause thy Angels, to pitch their tents about us for our safety and continual preservation.
INTO thy hands, we now commit our Souls and Bodies, guide our thoughts, words, and actions, and if we forget thee, our God at any time, O! do thou in mercy remember us, and forgive us our trespasses; make us to see our Sins in the glass of thy Law, to mourn for them in the Closet of our hearts, and Confess them in the bitterness of our Souls, teach us to cast off the rags of iniquity, and by Faith, put on the Robes of Righteousness: Help us to manage the Sword of the Spirit, and the Helmet of Salvation, that we may be able to fight against the Wiles of the Devil, the vanitics of the World, the Lusts of the flesh, and the pride of Life.
BE favourable to Sion, build up the walls of Ierusalem, more particularly, preserve and enlarge these Churches of great Britain, and Ireland; feed them as thy flock, and Family: Dress them, as thy Vineyard, and adorn them, as thy Spouse: Defend our Soveraign Lord and Lady, King William, and Queen Mary from all Enemies, at home, and abroad, preserve their Bodies in Health, the Hearts and Souls in soundness and truth, their lives in honour, and their honour from underminers. Bless Katherine the Queen Dowager, her Royal Highness the Princess Ann of Denmark, with the rest of the Royal Family. Bless those which rule in Church and State, all Schools of good Education and sound Learning, all thy Ministers and Magistrates, with all our Relations in the Flesh, and Friends in the Spirit, to whom thou hast any ways made us bounden. O Lord, enable us to requite them, or lay it on thine own account to restore it unto them, and their Posterities.
And here we yield thee all laud and praise, for Creating us when we were nothing, for Predestinating us unto the Adoption, and choosing us in Christ before the Foundation of the World. We thank thee for our Preservation this Night past, and for bringing of us this day to behold thy glorious light. Lord, awake our Souls from Sin, and Carnal Security, that we may be prepared like wise Virgins, with Oyl in our Lamps, to meet the sweet Bridegroom of our Souls, whether at the hour of Death, or the Day of Judgment. These and all other Graces, which for blindness, we cannot, and for our unworthiness we dare not ask, we beseech thee to give us, for the worthiness of thy dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose most holy Name and Words, we conclude these our imperfect Prayers, in that most perfect Form of Prayer, which he himself hath further taught us in his holy Gospel, saying, Our Father, &c.
A Collect for the Day.
LORD bless us, and make thy Face to shine upon us; keep us from Sin and Satan, sickness and sorrow, shame and servitude, loss of Goods and good Names, or of any thing more near and dear unto us, if it be thy good pleasure; preserve us evermore in thy Faith and holy Fear, guide us constantly by thy Councel, and after that receive us to Glory.
Amen.