The Grand Question Resolved, Prayer 2
A Prayer for Families in the method of the Lords Prayer, being …ut an Expoſition of it.
MOST Glorious GOD, who art Power, and Wiſdom, and Goodneſs it ſelf, the Creator … all things; the Owner, the Ruler, and the Benefactor of the World, but eſpecially of thy Church and Choſen Ones: Though by ſin original and actual we were thy Enemies, the Slaves of Satan and our Fleſh, and under thy diſpleaſure, and the condemnation of thy Law; yet thy Children Redeemed by Jeſus Chriſt thy Son, and Regenerated by thy Holy Spirit, have leave to call thee their reconciled Father: For by thy Covenant of Grace thou haſt given them thy Son to be their Head▪ their Teacher, and their Saviour: And in Him thou ha…t pardoned, adopted, and ſanctified them; ſealing and preparing them by thy Holy Spirit, for thy C… leſtial Kingdom, and beginning in them that holy life, and light, and love, which ſhall be perfected with thee in Everlaſting Glory. O with what wondrous love haſt thou loved us, that of Rebels we ſhould be made the Sons of God! Thou haſt advanced us to this dignity, that we might be devoted wholly to Thee as Thine Own, and might delightfully obey Thee, and entirely love Thee with all our Heart; and ſo might glorifie Thee here and for ever.
O cauſe both us, and all thy Churches, and all the World, to hallow thy great and holy Name! And to … to Thee as our Ultimate End; that thy ſhining … on Holy Souls may Glorifie thy Divine Perfection.
And cauſe both us and all the Earth, to caſt off the Tyranny of Satan and the Fleſh, and to acknowledge thy Supream Authority, and to become the Kingdom… of Thee and Thy Son Jeſus, by a willing and abſolute ſubjection. O perfect thy Kingdom of Grace in our ſelves and in the World, and haſten the Kingdom of Glory.
And cauſe us and thy Churches, and all people of the Earth, no more to be ruled by the Lu…s of the Fleſh, and their Erroneous Conceits, and by Self-will, which is the Idol of the Wicked; but by thy perfect Wiſdom and holy Will revealed in thy Laws: Make known thy Word to all the World, and ſend them the Meſſengers of Grace and Peace; and cauſe Men to underſtand, believe and obey the Goſpel of Salvation and that with ſuch Holineſs, Unity, and Love, that the Earth, which is now too like to Hell, may … made liker unto Heaven; and not only thy ſcattered imperfect Flock, but thoſe alſo, who in their carnal and ungodly minds do now refuſe a holy Life, and think thy Word and Ways too ſtrict, may deſire to imitate even the Heavenly Church; where Thou art obeyed, and loved, and praiſed, with high Delight, in Harmony and Perfection.
And becauſe our Being is the ſubject of our well-being, maintain us in the Life which thou haſt here given us, until the work of Life be finiſhed; and give us ſuch health of Mind and Body, and ſuch protection and ſupply of all our wants, as ſhall beſt … our Duty; and make us contented with our daily Bread, and patient if we want it; And ſave us from the love of the Riches, and Honours, and Pleaſures of this World, and the Pride, and Idleneſs, and Senſuality which they cheriſh; And cauſe us to ſerve thy Providence by our diligent Labours, and to ſerve thee faithfully with all that thou giveſt us; And let us not make proviſion for the Fleſh, to ſatisfie its deſires and luſts.
And we beſeech thee of thy Mercy, through the Sacrifice and Propitiation of thy Beloved Son, forgive us all our ſins, original and actual, from our Birth to this Hour; our omiſſions of Duty, and committing of what thou didſt forbid: Our ſins of heart, and word, and deed; our ſinful thoughts and affections, our ſinful paſſions and diſcontents; our ſecret and our open ſins; our ſins of negligence, and ignorance, and raſhneſs; but eſpecially our ſins againſt Knowledge and Conſcience, which have made the deepeſt guilt and wounds. Spare us, O Lord, and let not our ſins ſo find us out as to be our ruin; but let us ſo find them out, as truely to repent and turn to thee! Eſpecially puniſh us not with the loſs of thy Grace! Take not thy Holy Spirit from us, and deny us not his aſſiſtance and holy operations. Seal to us by that Spirit the pardon of our Sins, and lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us, and give us the joy of thy Favour and Salvation. And let thy Love and Mercy ſo fill us not only with Thankfulneſs to Thee, but with Love and Mercy to our Brethren and our Enemies; that we may heartily forgive them that do us wrong, as through thy Grace we hope we do.
And for the time to come ſuffer us not to caſt our ſelves wilfully into Temptations; but carefully to avoid them, and reſolutely to reſiſt and Conquer what we cannot avoid; And O mortifie thoſe inward Sins and Luſts, which are our conſtant and moſt dangerous Temptations: And let us not be tempted by Satan or the World, or tryed by thy Judgments, above the ſtrength which thy Grace ſhall give us. Save us from a fearleſs confidence in our own ſtrength. And let us not dally with the ſnare, nor taſte the bait, nor play with the Fire of thy wrath; But cauſe us to fear and depart from evil; leſt before we are aware, we be entangled and overcome, and wounded with our Guilt and with thy Wrath, and our End ſhould be worſe than our Beginning. Eſpecially ſave us from thoſe radical Sins of Error, and Unbelief, Pride, Hypocriſie, Hardheartedneſs, Senſuality, Slothfulneſs, and the love of this preſent World, and the loſs of our love to Thee, to thy Kingdom and thy Ways.
And ſave us from the malice of Satan and of wicked Men, and from the Evils which our ſins would bring upon us.
And as we crave all this from thee, we humbly render our Praiſes with our future Service to thee! Thou art the King of all the World, and more than the Life of all the Living! Thy Kingdom is Everlaſting: Wiſe▪ and Juſt, and Merciful is thy Government. Bleſſed are they that are thy faithful Subjects; But who hath hardened himſelf againſt thee, and hath proſpered? The whole Creation proclaimeth thy Perfection▪ But it is Heaven where the Bleſſed ſee thy Glory, and the Glory of our Redeemer, where the Angels and Saints behold thee, admire thee, adore thee, love thee, and praiſe thee with triumphant joyful Songs, the Holy, Holy, Holy God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt, who was and is, and is to come; Of Thee, and through Thee, and to Thee are all things: To Thee, be Glory for ever, Amen.