The Daily Practice of Devotion, Hour of prayer 7
THE SEVENTH HOUR OF PRAYER, AT Bed-Time, About IX. at Night.
Mark 13. 33.
Take ye heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is.
Mat. 26. 41.
Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.
Job 1. 21.
Naked came I out of my mothers womb, and naked ſhall I return thither.
Chap. 14. 12.
Man lieth down, and riſeth not; till the heavens be no more they ſhall not awake, nor be raiſed out of their ſleep.
EVENING.
I. AS you began, ſo end, the day with God, in thanks and praiſe, that he hath graciouſly preſerved you hitherto; and in prayer to him, that he will vouchſafe ſtill to continue his mercy and protection to you.
II. Remember that your days are but a ſpan long, that in the midſt of life you are in death, and every day brings you nearer to that long night.
III. Conſider, that perhaps many others, no worſe than you, have this day been cut off in the midſt of their days and ſins, and caſt into the place of darkneſs; yet the long-ſuffering of God hath ſpared you until now, to make up your accounts.
IV. Shew your ſelf truly thankful for this ineſtimable favour, by making right uſe of it, ſpending the time which is given you in doing ſome good, in working while it is called to day, before the night cometh, wherein no man can work.
V. The Evening of the day is now come upon you, and for ought you know the end of your life may be as nigh at hand, when you ſhall be called to account how you have ſpent your time here.
VI. Begin therefore with your ſelf before-hand.
When you have done with the world, and all buſineſs and company, and are retired to your privacy and quiet, ſit down and call your ſelf to a ſtrict account how you have ſpent this day; what you have done, what you have left undone; what good you have neglected, what evil you have committed.
Where you perceive you have done well, give thanks to God, and aſcribe it and all the Honour of it to him alone, who hath enabled you to perform it, working in you both to will and to do.
Where you have omitted your duty, or otherwiſe done ill, confeſs and humble your ſelf before him, and earneſtly deſire pardon and reconciliation.
If you have wronged or offended any one this day, deſire God to forgive you, and reſolve to make ſatisfaction. If any one have wronged or offended you, freely forgive them, and deſire God to confirm your pardon by adding his.
How can he ſleep at quiet that is not at peace with God, and in charity with the World?
And conſider that if this be done conſtantly and ſincerely every night, whenſoever it ſhall pleaſe God to call you to judgment, you will have but one day to anſwer for.
VII. The Son of Man cometh as a thief in the night, Mat. 24. 44.at an hour when you are not aware: be careful that he may find you watching, and imployed about his Service.
Bleſſed is that ſervant, whom his Lord when he cometh ſhall find ſo doing, Mat. 24. 46.
Evening Prayer.
IN the night I lift up my hands towards thy Sanctuary, and bleſs thy Name, Pſal. 134. 2, 3.
The Lord hath granted his loving kindneſs in the day-time, and in the night-ſeaſon alſo will I ſing of him, and make my prayer unto the God of my life, Pſal. 42. 10.
As long as I live will I magnifie thee in this manner, and lift up my hands in thy Name.
Let my prayer be ſet forth in thy ſight as the Incenſe, and let the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice, Pſal. 14. 1, 2.
OUR Father which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily Bread, and forgive us our Treſpaſſes as we forgive them that treſpaſs againſt us. And lead us not into Temptation, but deliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
O Lord, open thou my lips,
And my mouth ſhall ſhew forth thy Praiſe.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever ſhall be, world without end. Amen.
Pſal. 91.
WHoſo dwelleth under the defence of the moſt High, ſhall abide under the ſhadow of the Almighty.
I will ſay unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my ſtrong hold; my God, in him will I truſt.
For he ſhall deliver thee from the ſnare of the hunter, and from the noiſom peſtilence.
He ſhall defend thee under his wings, and thou ſhalt be ſafe under his feathers. His Faithfulneſs and Truth ſhall be thy ſhield and buckler.
Thou ſhalt not be afraid for any terror by night, nor for the arrow that flieth by day:
For the peſtilence that walketh in darkneſs, nor for the ſickneſs that deſtroyeth in the noon-day.
A thouſand ſhall fall beſide thee, and ten thouſand at thy right hand; but it ſhall not come nigh thee.
Yea with thine eyes ſhalt thou behold, and ſee the reward of the ungodly.
For thou Lord, art my hope: thou haſt ſet thine houſe of defence very high.
There ſhall no evil happen unto thee, neither ſhall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he ſhall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They ſhall hear thee in their hands, that thou hurt not thy foot againſt a ſtone.
Thou ſhalt go upon the Lion and Adder; the young Lion and the Dragon ſhalt thou tread under thy feet.
Becauſe he hath ſet his love upon me, therefore ſhall I deliver him; I ſhall ſet him up, becauſe he hath known my Name.
He ſhall call upon me, and I will hear him: yea I am with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and bring him to Honour.
With long life will I ſatisfie him, and ſhew him my Salvation.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever ſhall be world without end. Amen.
Pſal. 121.
I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the Lord, which hath made Heaven and Earth.
He will not ſuffer thy foot to be moved, and he that keepeth thee will not ſleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Iſrael ſhall neither ſlumber nor ſleep.
The Lord himſelf is thy Keeper: the Lord is thy defence upon the right hand;
So that the Sun ſhall not burn thee by day, neither the Moon by night.
The Lord ſhall preſerve thee from all evil, yea it is even he that ſhall keep thy Soul.
The Lord ſhall preſerve thy going out, and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever ſhall be world without end. Amen.
The Song of Simeon.
LOrd, now letteſt thou thy Servant depart in peace, according to thy Word, Luke 2. 29.
For mine eyes have ſeen thy Salvation.
Which thou haſt prepared before the face of all people,
To be a Light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the Glory of thy people Iſrael.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoſt.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever ſhall be world without end. Amen.
BLeſſed be thy holy Name, O Lord my God, who haſt ſhewed me the light of thy countenance,Pſal. 27. 23 and cauſed me to ſee thy goodneſs in the land of the living: who haſt preſerved me in all my ways, and delivered me from all the dangers and evils of this day, and brought me ſafe thus far of my life to the beginning of this night.
O Lord, I beſeech thee forſake me not in the vaniſhing of my days, but ſtill contiuue the protection of thy gracious hand upon me:Pſal. 84. 28. be thou my light and defence, my guide and guard, through the valley of miſery and tears, and the ſhadow of death, to that Holy Hill, where thine Honour and our Reſt dwelleth.
Give me grace to remember the many days of darkneſs,Eccl. 11. 8. and prevent the long night of Death by a timely preparation for it; that being always ready and provided, whenſoever thou ſhalt call me to judgment, I may give an acceptable account how I have ſpent my time here.
Lord, as we add days to our days, ſo we add ſins to our ſins.
Father, I have ſinned againſt Heaven and againſt thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, Luke 15. 21.
But I will confeſs my wickedneſs, and be ſorry for my ſins, Pſal. 30. 18.
Here make a particular Confeſſion of the ſins you have committed this day, or ſince your laſt ſolemn account.
THus have I wandred from the right way of thy Commandments, walking after the fooliſh Imaginations of mine own corrupt heart, and wearying my ſelf in the by-ways of vanity and wickedneſs all the day long.
But now, O Lord, I deſire to turn from my evil ways; and evening after evening I return to thee with all my heart,Pſal. 27. 9, 10. and ſeek thy face: O hide not thou thy face from me, nor caſt thy ſervant away in diſpleaſure.
Out of the deep my ſoul crieth unto thee;Pſal. 130. 1. O hear my voice,Pſal. 51. 1, 2. and have mercy upon me. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, after thy great goodneſs; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. Waſh me throughly from my wickedneſs, and cleanſe me from my ſin.
Forgive and put away all mine offences and abominations, for the merits and ſatisfaction of thy dear Son: in him be reconciled unto me, and reſtore me again to thy grace and favour, to the peace and comfort and communion of thy holy Spirit, that mine eyes may ſee thy Salvation, and thy Servant may depart in peace, Luke 2. 29, 30.
And now, O Lord, I go to my bed as to my grave, and know not but that I may awake in another world: Live or die I commend my ſelf to thy mercy and goodneſs, beſeeching thee to receive me under the wings of thy protection, where I may reſt ſafe and ſecure from all evils.
And with my ſelf I commend unto thee all whom any relation or occaſion hath made near or dear unto me—
Thou Keeper of Iſraei, who doſt neither ſlumber nor ſleep,Pſal. 121. 4. receive us all into thy keeping, and preſerve our Souls in perpetual peace and ſafety.
And the peace of God, which paſſeth all underſtanding, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jeſus Chriſt our Lord:
And the bleſſing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, be with us this night, the reſt of our lives, and for evermore. Amen.