Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week, Prayer 12
Friday Evening.
MOſt bleſſed Lord God, the Father of Mercies, our hope and preſent help, our ſtrength and our Salvation, the over-flowing and inexhauſtible Fountain of all Good, we thy poor Servants, in an humble and thankful ſenſe of thy great goodneſs, and emboldned by the invitation of thy gracious promiſes, preſent our ſelves before the Throne of thy Grace, to offer up our ſupplications, and thankſgivings through the Mediation of thy dear Son, in whom thou haſt given us acceſs Eph. 3. 12.with confidence, through the Faith of him.
We are moſt unworthy inour ſelves to receive bleſſings, or offer praiſes, but worthy art thou, O Lord, to receive honour and glory, and bleſſing, and thankſgiving, as for thy divine perfections which we cannot comprehend, ſo for thine abundant kindneſſes towards us, which we can neither deſerve nor number.
Thou didſt frame and faſhion us in the Womb, by thy wiſdom and power, and haſt maintained and provided for us by thy goodneſs and bounty, ever ſince thou haſt brought us into life and being; giving us richly all things to injoy, not only the neceſſaries, but conveniencies of Life, whereby it hath been made eaſie and pleaſant to us.
But above all from the bottomof our hearts we praiſe, a dore and magnifie thy tranſcendent wiſdom & ſuperlative love in that ineſtimable benefit of our Redemption, by the bitter ſufferings and bloody Death of thy dear Son, that when we had loſt and undone our ſelves, were lyable to wrath and eternal miſery, when we lay weltring in our own blood, and there was no Eye to pity, no Hand to relieve us, thou redeemedſt us in ſuch a way as no creature had wiſdom to contrive, worthineſs to undertake, or power to effect.
We praiſe thee O Lord, that thou haſt in thy Goſpel manifeſted this great and admirable Salvation, made thy goodneſs to paſs before us, and fully and plainly inſtructed us in our duty; that in performing the one we might be made partakers of the other; that thou haſt afforded us the means of Grace, thy Word and Sacraments, opportunities of thy publick Worſhip, the motions and aſſiſtances of thy holy Spirit, that thou haſt quickned our obedience by the hopes of a glorious recompence.
Give us, we pray thee, a due ſenſe of all thy mercies, and withdraw not thy loving kindneſs from us; if our worthineſs had been to procure theſe mercies, they had never been put into our hands and if any thing but thy goodneſs were to continue them, we could never hold them; our own wickedneſs might correct us, and our Jer. 2. 19.back-ſlidings reprove us, for wehave ſinned and done very fooliſhly.
We have perverted and polluted our ways, and profeſſing Tit. 1. 16.to know thee, have in our works denyed thee, we have called thee our Father, but have not loved and honoured thee, as Children, our Maſter, but have not feared and obeyed thee as Servants, our Friend and Benefactor, but have expreſſed our enmity againſt thee in wicked works; we have 2 Tim. 2. 19.named the Name of Chriſt, but not departed from Iniquity, vowed allegiance to thee in our Baptiſm, but have broken thy Bonds aſunder, and caſt away thy Cords from us, and as if the temptations of the World and the Devil would not have enough prevailed to defile anddeſtroy us, we have tempted our ſelves, and been drawn away of our own luſt and enticed.Jam. 1. 14.
We have not had that ſenſe of thy Love, as to love thee with all our hearts; that ſenſe of thy Mercies, as with thoſe Cords of kindneſs to be drawn to thy Service; that ſenſe of thy diſpleaſure, as to fear offending thee; that ſenſe of Sins filthineſs and deformity, as to hate and flee from it with our whole Souls; nor have we had that belief of Heavens Glory and Happineſs, as by a fruitfulneſs in good works to preſs toward it with all our might; that active and vigorous diligence that ſhould have been uſed to promote the ſpiritual good of our Souls, and ſecure their immortalintereſt, we have with great folly miſimployed in purſuing the pleaſures and profits of this World, and in aſſuring thoſe fickle and ſlippery vanities, that are not capable of a long, or certain continuance.
O Lord have mercy upon us, miſerable offenders, and help us ſo to repent of all the Sins we have committed, as never more to commit the Sins of which we have repented, and work in us a true and a lively faith in thy dear Son, our bleſſed Redeemer, who is both God and Man, that God and Man may be reconciled, and through the blood of his Croſs, grant us repentance and remiſſion of Sins, and by that precious Blood, ſprinkled upon our Conſciences, Heb. 9. 14.purge them from dead Works,to ſerve thee the living God.
Waſh our hearts from wickedneſs Jer. 4. 14.that we may be ſaved, and let not vain thoughts lodg within us, help us ſo to govern our Tongue, that unruly Member, that no corrupt communication may at any time proceed out of our Mouth, but that Eph. 4. 29.which is good to the uſe of edifying, that it may miniſter grace unto the hearers: and let all our actions be directed by thy Word, and deſigned to thy Glory.
That delight and ſatisfaction that we might vainly, and to no purpoſe ſeek, in ſenſual pleaſures, and the impure gratifications of the Fleſh, let us ſeek and find in the ways of holineſs, and a dutiful compliance with thy Will, that in loving and keeping Pſal. 119. 165.thy Law, we may have great peace, and nothing may offend us: and in the midſt of all the troubles and confuſions of the World, we may rejoyce in our reconciliation with thee, and in the harmony and peaceful reports of our own conſciences.
Bleſs us in our Callings and Imployments, that we may neither Pro. 30. 8. 9.abound in Riches, leſt we be full and deny thee, nor be pinched with extream want, leſt we be tempted to the evils that attend an impoveriſhed State, but in thy wiſe and good providence, carve out to us ſuch a convenient ſhare of worldly good things, health and ſtrength, riches and reputation, that we may faithfully ſerve thee, and be cheerfully helpful to our brethren. Let thy love and holy fear ſo intermix with and ſweeten all our earthly injoyments, that we may eat our Eccl. 9. 7.Bread with joy, and drink our Wine with a merry heart, becauſe thou accepteſt our works.
In every condition of Life be thou our Guide, and our Support, help us to love and rejoyce in thee above our higheſt and beſt comforts, and under our croſſes, with patience and cheerfulneſs to reſign up our ſelves to thy wiſe and righteous providence, and with a ſtedfaſt faith to rely upon thy gracious and faithful promiſes. Let our converſation be without Heb. 13. 5.covetouſneſs, and make us content with ſuch things as we have, becauſe thou haſt ſaid, thou wilt never leave us, nor forſake us: by all the changes we meet with in this World, prepare us, O Lord, for our laſt and great change, when we ſhall leave it; that death our laſt Enemy may be to us neither dangerous nor dreadful, but a ſweet and deſireable paſſage to a bleſſed, and glorious immortality.
And in theſe our Prayers we commend (allied by a common Brotherhood) all Mankind to thy Grace and Favour, heal the Sick, eaſe the pained, relieve the Oppreſſed, ſupply the Impoveriſhed, feed the Hungry, cloath the Naked, comfort the Diſconſolate, cauſe them that are diſquieted in Conſcience to Rejoyce, ſpread forth the knowledge of thy Son into all the dark corners of the World, that Iſai. 49. 6.he may be thy Light and thy Salvation unto the end of the Earth.
Let thy continual pity cleanſe and defend thy Church, and becauſe it cannot continue in ſafety without thy ſuccour, preſerve it evermore by thy help, and goodneſs.
O be gracious and favourable to the Land of our Nativity, forgive all our crying Sins, avert thy threatned and approaching Judgments, cleanſe our defilements, heal our diviſions, ſtabliſh us in truth, righteouſneſs and peace, perpetuate thy Goſpel and Ordinances, the pledges of thy love and kindneſs, and grant that we may alway walk worthy of thoſe ineſtimable benefits.
Bleſs, preſerve, direct and proſper our Sovereign Lord the King, in all his thoughts, words and works, let him ever ſeek thy honour and glory, and ſtudy to preſerve thy People committed to his charge, in wealth, peace and godlineſs. Let the Biſhops and Paſtors of thy Church by their heavenly Doctrine and exemplary Lives, their diligent labours, vigilant care, and prudent carriage, adorn the Goſpel, ſilence gainſayers, and win many to righteouſneſs: and let Magiſtrates by an equal and indifferent adminiſtration of Juſtice, uphold Religion and Virtue, and ſuppreſs Vice and Ungodlineſs; and grant that all under Authority may follow after Peace and Holineſs, obeying thoſe that are over them for conſcience ſake, loving and forbearing one another, leading quiet and peaceable Lives in all godlineſs and honeſty.
Follow us with thy mercy and loving kindneſs this night, and let thy good providence, that neither ſlumbers nor ſleeps, defend and protect us, that no danger or diſturbance in the intermiſſion of our own thoughts, care and reaſon, harm or annoy us: And ſo repair our decaying ſpirits by a quiet and peaceful reſt, that we may ſerve thee with healthful bodies and cheerful minds, the next day, and all our days, till thou bringeſt us to that bleſſed ſtate where eating, and drinking, and ſleeping ſhall be no more, but we ſhall be eternally happy in praiſing and injoying thee through thy dear Son, our ever bleſſed Redeemer, through whoſe Merits alone we hope to be heard, and in whoſe words we further pray;
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.