Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week, Prayer 2
Lord's Day Evening.
EVer bleſſed, and gracious Lord God, and in Jeſus Chriſt our loving and merciful Father, and moſt liberal and open-handed Benefactor, from whoſe favour, and kindneſs, we have all the good things that we receive in this Life, and the hopes of a better to make us everlaſtingly happy in the next. We thy poor Servants acknowledging our manifold unworthineſs of the leaſt of thy mercies, and the guilt of thoſe ſins, whereby we have made frequent forfeitures of them, are here before thee, to offer up to thee our Evening Sacrifice of hearty praiſe and thanſgivings for all thoſe bleſſings that with a moſt free and unwearied bounty thou haſt been pleaſed to confer upon us, and continue to us.
Thy hand hath formed us in the Womb, given us Life, and Breath, and Being, and having brought us into the World, beſtowed on us many conveniencies of Life, that have made our Being in the World eaſie and delightful to us: Thine, O Lord, is our health and ſtrength, our eaſe and liberty; thine the Air we breath in, and the Earth we tread upon, thine our Food and our Raiment, the Sun that ſhines to give us Light, and the Rain that falls to give us plenty, thine the uſe of our Limbs, and thine the exerciſe of our Underſtanding and Reaſon. And webleſs thy Name for all thoſe outward and temporal bleſſings, the multitude whereof, (ſuch is thy goodneſs) makes us unable to recount them, and whoſe dayly repetition, that ſhould heighten our eſteem of them, and thankfulneſs for them, makes us (ſuch is our folly and weakneſs) too apt to undervalue them.
But above all we adore, and with our higheſt and heartieſt praiſes, deſire to magnifie thy rich and free Grace for ſpiritual bleſſings in heavenly things in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord, that tend to the renewing us after thy likeneſs in this life, and the ſatisfying of us with it in the life to come.
We bleſs thee for that ineſtimable gift, the Foundation of all others, the Son of thy deareſt love, and everlaſting delight, whom in a tender compaſſion to our Souls, thou haſt ſent into the world to be our Redeemer and Saviour, that when we had by our ſins ruined and undone our ſelves, and were ſo lyable to thy ſevere diſpleaſure and inſupportable vengeance, that no creature in Heaven or Earth could deliver us from it, it pleaſed thee in thine infinite goodneſs, to find out, and in thy mercy to afford us in him an admirable and unthought of way of recovery. Now, O Lord, we know thou loveſt us, and haſt a favour and good will towards us, ſeeing thou haſt not withheld thy Son, thine only Son from us.
Ever bleſſed be thy Name,that thy Son, who is God over all, bleſſed for ever, took upon him our humane Fleſh; that while he lived here upon Earth, he inſtructed us, both by his heavenly doctrine and exemplary life, that he gave himſelf to Death as the price of our Redemption, that he compleated that great work, in his powerful and glorious Reſurrection, wherein he conquered and triumphed over all the powers of darkneſs, and hath begotten us again to a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, 1 Pet. 1. 3, 4.that fadeth not away, reſerved in Heaven for us. We praiſe thee, that, when he had wrought a perfect Righteouſneſs for us upon Earth, he aſcended up to Heaven, & ſits at thy right hand to repreſent and plead iton our behalf, by his prevailing interceſſion; that when he aſcended up on high, he led captive thoſe ſpiritual enemies that held us in captivity, and for the Eph. 4. 11.edification of his Church gave gifts unto Men, Apoſtles and Prophets, Evangeliſts, Paſtors and Teachers. That thou haſt Pſal. 119. 10given thy holy Word to be a Lamp to our Feet, and a Light to our Paths, and when many Nations ſit in Darkneſs and the Regions of the Shadow of Luk. 1. 78, 79.Death, the day ſpring from on high hath viſited us, to guide our Feet into the way of Peace. We give thee our humble and hearty thanks, that thou ſtill keepeſt open the doors of thy Sanctuary, that for our unfruitfulneſs thou mighteſt have ſhut and barred againſt us, and notwithſtandingour vile unworthineſs, thou graciouſly admitteſt us to Communion with thy Self in thy publick Ordinances, the Reading and Preaching of thy Word; Prayers to and Praiſes of thy Name, and the participation of thy holy Sacraments, wherein thou doſt lively repreſent the Death of thy Son, and to all worthy Receivers doſt firmly aſſure and convey the precious benefits of it, and bind them to walk anſwerably to them.
And we further thank thee with enlarged hearts, O our heavenly Father, for all the promiſes of thy Covenant, which thou haſt ſealed with the Blood of thy Son; and given unto us that we might by them be the more encouraged in an holy 2 Cor. 7. 1.obedience, cleanſe our ſelves from all filthineſs of the Fleſh and Spirit, and perfecting holineſs 2 Pet. 1. 4.in thy fear, be made partakers of the Divine Nature.
We can never enough magnifie thy mercy and goodneſs that thou haſt made our duty to be a part of our happineſs, and that it is not only neceſſary but beſt for us to love and fear, truſt and ſerve, obey and honour thee, and that we are not only bound to be ſober and temperate, meek and patient, juſt and charitable, but much better by being ſo.
And what thanks can we render to thee, who in conſideration of our weakneſs and ſluggliſhneſs to the performance of our duty, haſt not only ſet before us the lively and encouragingexamples of thy Saints and Martyrs, but aſſiſted and enabled us by the grace of thy holy Spirit, that our ſufficiency 2 Cor. 3. 5.hath been of thee, who of our ſelves have not been ſufficient to think a good thought, and for the Reward of thoſe Graces and Duties that are the Fruits of thy Spirit working in us, haſt promiſed ſuch a glory and happineſs in the world to come, as ſurpaſſes not our deſires only, but our thoughts and conceptions?
We further glorifie thy great Name, O Lord, that thy rich and free Grace hath been the only motive to the beſtowing all thy Mercies upon us, guilty and wretched ſinners, that our unworthineſs hath not hindred the ſtreaming forth of thygoodneſs, but thy goodneſs hath born away before it all conſideration of our unworthineſs; And O how admirable in themſelves, and how obliging to us are all thoſe favours and kindneſſes, which not only without our merits, but notwithſtanding our deſerts of wrath and vengeance, thou haſt conferred upon us, bold and provoking Rebels!
We are, O Lord, as thy Creatures, infinitely below thee, but as Sinners we have fooliſhly oppoſed and ſet our ſelves againſt thee; we have broken thy holy Laws, abuſed thine abundant Mercies, ſlighted the tenders of thy Grace, diſhonoured and crucified afreſh our great and merciful Redeemer, reſiſted and grieved thy holy Spirit, profaned and polluted thy Sabbaths and Ordinances, that are both the Pledges and means of thy Grace and Favour. And were there no other Sin upon our account, but of theſe thy days and the holy duties of them, they might for ever fill our Faces with ſhame, and lay us under thy wrathful diſpleaſure.
We have come unprepared to thy ſolemn worſhip, and with unhallowed hearts entred the Sanctuary and approached the preſence of the moſt holy God, we have been heedleſs and unattentive hearers of thy holy Word, remembring little of what we have heard, and practing leſs of what we have remembred; we have been flat, and unaffected in offering up thy praiſe, and our hearts havebeen earthly, dull and diſtracted in our Prayers, how often have we turned our Backs upon thy holy Table judging, our ſelves unworthy of the precious benefits that are there tendered; or if we have not altogether neglected the ſacred Ordinance, we have not, as we might have done, grown in the graces and the comforts of thy holy Spirit by it.
How ſeldom have we been ſeriouſly exerciſed in Meditation, and either ſo recollected thy Mercies, as to become ſenſible of our obligation by them, or ſo thought on our ways, as Pſal. 119. 59 …to turn our feet unto thy Teſtimonies.
Forgive us, O Lord, we pray thee all our paſt offences, and as the beſt aſſurance of our forgiveneſs,let us not ſo offend any more. Graciouſly guide us into the ways of truth and holineſs, and that we may always fear thee, let us ſet our ſelves continually in thy preſence, and ſo obſerve and ſtand in aw of thine all-ſeeing Eye, that all our evil thoughts, words and actions may be ſcattered by it.
Let us dye with Chriſt in the crucifying of our Fleſh, with its affections and luſts, and riſe with him to a life of holy and new obedience; that as Chriſt being raiſed from the dead Rom. 6. 9.dieth no more, ſo being riſen with him, we may wilfully ſin no more, but run the race of thy Commandments, till at length we receive the prize of a glorious and incorruptible inheritance.
Extend thy mercy and goodneſs to all the Sons of Men, and let the Kingdoms of the World, that are ignorant of thee and thy Salvation, behold the light of thy glorious Goſpel, and become obedient to the Scepter of thy Son.
Bleſs thy whole Church, ſcatter the Miſts of Ignorance and Errour, heal the breaches of Schiſm and Diviſion, quench the Wildfire of Strife and Contention; cleanſe the Spots of Profaneneſs, and Superſtition that defile and deform it; and make thy Sion the Beauty and the joy of the whole Earth.
Be gracious to theſe ſinful Nations, forgive thoſe many and great ſins, that have pulled down thy heavy Judgments upon us, and ſtill provoke theemore and more to puniſh us, and particularly pardon, we pray thee, our wicked and ſcandalous profanation of this thy day, our unthankfulneſs for the light of thy bleſſed Goſpel, and walking unſuitably to the principles of that holy Religion that hath been of a long time publickly taught and profeſſed among us. Waſh us throughly Pſal. 51. 2.from our Iniquities, and cleanſe us from our Sins, and grant that by unity, and charity, and holineſs of life, we may glorifie thy great Name, evidence the truth of our Chriſtianity, and adorn the Goſpel of God our Saviour. Continue thy Goſpel among us, defeat and overthrow the evil deſigns of bloody and deceitful Men that would pervert the truth ofit, by mixtures of Superſtition and Idolatry; and let all that Pſal. 40. 16.love thy Salvation, ſay continually, let the Lord be magnified.
Guide and guard, bleſs and protect thine Anointed Servant our Soveraign Lord, King Charles; let his days be many, his Counſels wiſe and religious, his enterprizes ſucceſsful, his Reign happy to himſelf and all his Subjects: Cloath his Enemies with ſhame, and upon his head Pſal. 132. 18.let his Crown flouriſh, let the Biſhops and Paſtors of thy Church further the edification of it, by ſoundneſs of Doctrine, and holineſs of Life; and Magiſtrates cheriſh, and defend it by the encouragement of all virtue and goodneſs, and the puniſhment and ſuppreſſion ofall vice and ungodlineſs; and let all men follow after peace and holineſs, without which Heb. 12. 14.none ſhall ſee the Lord.
Refreſh and ſupport the Sons and Daughters of Sorrow, and in the multitude of their Pſal. 94. 19.thoughts within them, let thy comforts delight their Souls.
Be gracious and favourable to us that are here before thee, forgive us all our Sins and remember not againſt us thoſe iniquities that have this day polluted our holy offerings; defend and protect us this night, from all thoſe dangers and miſchiefs that might overtake us, and let us find ſafety under the ſhadow of thy wings; refreſh our frail Bodies with a quiet and moderate reſt, and help us in the renewed ſtrength of it, vigorouſly to ſerve thee in a faithful diſcharge of the duties of the next day; and all our days let us live to thee, that in the end of them we may live with thee, through Jeſus Chriſt our Lord, who hath taught and commanded us when we Pray, to ſay;
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.