Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week, Prayer 11
Friday Morning.
O Lord, the great and holy Dan. 9. 4.God, that keepeſt Covenant and Mercy, to them that Pſal. 145. 18.love thee, and art nigh to all that call upon thee in truth and ſincerity, though thou haſt thouſands of holy and bleſſed Spirits, and ten thouſand times ten thouſands dayly Miniſtring about thy Throne, and art not at all better'd by their pure and ſpotleſs Services, yet thou haſt gracious and compaſſionate regards to the Prayers of weak and ſinful Creatures, that dwell in Houſes of Clay, thou openeſt thine Eyes to take knowledge of their condition, boweſt thine Ear to hearken to their Cryes, moveſt thy Bowels to pity their infirmities, and ſtretcheſt forth thine hand to relieve their wants.
We poor Creatures and guilty Sinners are here fallen down at thy Footſtool, adoring thine infinite perfections of holineſs and wiſdom, power, truth and goodneſs, and beſeeching thee mercifully to look upon our follies and frailties, to ſupply our bodily and ſpiritual neceſſities, to lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and turn away thy Face from our deſerts of vengeance, to anſwer … which purpoſes, we have none in Heaven Pſal. 73. 25.but thee, none in Earth that our Souls can deſire in compariſon of thee.
We dare not, we confeſs, look up to Heaven with any confidence of being acceptedfor our own worthineſs, as being conſcious that we have grievouſly offended that holy, juſt, and Almighty Majeſty that is there ſeated on the Throne of his Glory; nor are we worthy to tread upon the Earth, or injoy the fruits and benefits of it, where we have acted our wickedneſſes in the ſight of Heaven.
We were not only conceived in Sin, and brought forth in Iniquity, but we have conceived Sin, and brought forth Iniquity, Num. 32. 14and are riſen up in our Fathers ſtead a generation of ſinful men; to kindle and in creaſe the anger of the Lord againſt us.
We have followed after our own imaginations, and fulfilled the motions of our own Wills which have been oppoſite and contrary to the declarations ofthine, though there hath been the greateſt reaſon we ſhould receive Law from thy Mouth as our Almighty Creator, Sovereign Lord, and merciful Redeemer.
How barren and unfruitful have we been in thy Vineyard, though thou haſt cauſed the Clouds to drop down their moiſture upon us, and watered us with the plentiful ſhowers of thy Word, and the fructifying dew of thy holy Spirit, that ſhould have made us fruitful in all good works? How have we neglected the Seaſons of Grace? And when thou haſt called us to a ſpeedy and preſent repentance, the anſwer of our hearts hath been, we will repent to morrow, as if we could live as long as we liſted, and had powerin our ſelves to turn to thee when we liſted.
We bewail, before thee, the blindneſs of our underſtandings, the ſtubbornneſs of our wills, the vanity of our thoughts, the earthlineſs of our affections, we have hated what thou loveſt, and loved what thou hateſt, and the good things which thou haſt allowed us to love moderately, and in ſubordination to thee, we have followed with eager and unbounded appetites, and embraced with our higheſt and beſt love: we have not carryed our ſelves as it becomes thoſe that are Strangers and Pilgrims upon the Earth, and profeſs to ſeek a better heavenly Countrey, but lived as if we were at home, and expected nothing better than what is to be here injoyed, as if the happineſs of this Life would never end, and that of the next would never begin.
O Lord, be merciful to us, and in the multitude of thy tender mercies be reconciled to us through thy Son, and blot out all our Iniquities: give us heartily to repent of all our forepaſt Sins and Follies, and ſo to receive Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, as Col. 2. 6.to walk in him: And whatever thou denyeſt us, grant us a full pardon through our dear and all-ſufficient Redeemer, whom thou haſt ſet forth to be a Propitiation Rom. 3. 25.through Faith in his Blood.
And let the time paſt of our 1 Pet. 4. 3.Lives ſuffice to have wrought the wills of the fleſh, judging that Chriſt dyed for us, that we 2 Cor. 5. 15.ſhould not henceforth live unto our ſelves, but unto him which dyed for us, and roſe again: Col. 1. 10.help us to walk worthy of thee unto all pleaſing, being fruitful in every good work, and increaſing in the knowledge of God; give us we pray thee a Pſal. 111. 10good underſtanding, not only to know, but to do thy Commandments, and by growing 2 Pet. 3. 18.in Grace, let us increaſe the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt.
Phil. 4. 8.Whatſoever things are true, whatſoever things are honeſt, whatſoever things are juſt, whatſoever things are pure, whatſoever things are lovely, whatſoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue, and if there be any praiſe, let us think on, and follow theſe things, andnever be ſlothful in the weighty matters of thine honour, and the everlaſting intereſt and happineſs of our Souls, but diligently follow thoſe that have been followers of thee, and have Heb. 6. 12.through faith and patience inherited the promiſes.
And becauſe we are weak in our ſelves, and inſufficient to perform our duty, to ſubdue our luſts, to improve our bleſſings, or bear our burdens, to reſiſt and conquer our ſpiritual enemies, to ſtand our ground in the fight, or recover our ſelves from our falls, let thy grace and holy ſpirit ſtrengthen Eph. 3. 16.us with might in our inward man, and make us more than Rom. 8. 37.conquerors through him that hath loved us.
Cauſe us in the firſt place to Mat. 6. 33.ſeek thy Kingdom and righteouſneſs, and as thoſe that are Col. 3. 1.riſen with Chriſt, to ſeek the things that are above, not looking at the things that are ſeen, 2 Cor. 4. 18.for they are temporal; but at the things which are not ſeen, for they are eternal: Let our Mat. 6. 20.treaſure be laid up in Heaven, where Moth and Ruſt corrupt not, and where Thieves break not through, nor Steal, and let our hearts be where our treaſure is.
Guide us continually in all the ways of wiſdom and righteouſneſs, and defend us againſt all temptations that might withdraw us from them; help us to go on our way rejoycing, and working righteouſneſs, and perform our ſeveral duties to thee and all men, with ſuch cheerfulneſsand conſtancy, as not to be weary of well-doing, but by a religious abſtinence, and moderate uſe of bodily refreſhments, let our fleſh be ſo ſubdued to the Spirit, that we may ever obey thy godly motions, and in a courſe of righteouſneſs and true holineſs run to the end of the race which thou haſt ſet before us, and be made partakers of that glorious prize which thou haſt promiſed to all them that by a patient continuance in well-doing ſeek for Rom. 2. 7.glory and honour, and immortality.
And let the proſpect and bleſſed hope of thy heavenly Kingdom, make us upright and faithful, active and diligent, contented and cheerful in every condition of life, humble and patient,ſtedfaſt and reſolved, ſelfdenying, and heavenly minded, till thou bringeſt us to the poſſeſſion of thoſe inconceiveable joys, and makeſt us to drink of the Rivers of Pleaſure, that are at thy right hand for evermore.
Do good with us, we pray thee, to the whole world, and let all that bear the image of thy power and wiſdom be made partakers of thy favour and kindneſs, let the Nations that know thee not, be delivered from the power of darkneſs, Col. 1. 13.and tranſlated into the Kingdom of thy dear Son.
Be gracious in an eſpecial manner to all whom thou haſt called to the knowledge and obedience of his Goſpel, forgive, gracious Father, and ſhowrdown thy bleſſings upon the inhabitants of this ſinful Land; let us prepare to meet thee by an hearty and univerſal repentance, and ſo prevent thoſe judgments that ſeem to be arrayed, and marching forward to our deſtruction.
Give Salvation to our King, Pſai. 144. 10and preſerve thy Servant from hidden Treacheries and the hurtful Sword; direct all publick Counſels to thine honour, the promoting of true Religion, the eſtabliſhment of Righteouſneſs and Peace, and the comfort of all them that heartily love and fear thee, and let all that love thy Salvation, ſay Pſal. 40. 16.continually, the Lord be magnified.
Comfort all that in any kind ſuffer adverſity, let thy holy Spirit refreſh them as with new Wine, whom thou haſt given Tears to drink in great meaſure, and let that good providence that hath been our protection and repoſe this night, defend us from all the dangers and temptations, direct and proſper us in all the deſigns and enterpriſes of this day, and by a faithful diſcharge of our duty, bring us nearer to the glorious reward of Eternal Life, which thou haſt promiſed in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, in whoſe Name and Words, we further commend our ſelves and others to thy grace and mercy, ſaying.
OƲr 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, and the Power, And the Glory, For ever and ever. Amen.