Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week, Prayer 4
Monday Evening.
BLeſſed and holy Lord, God, who madeſt all things by thy Power, and ruleſt all things by thy Providence, and filleſt all places by thy preſence, art about our Bed, and about Pſal. 139. 3.our Path, and ſpyeſt out all our Ways; we thy poor Creatures moſt heartily beſeech thee that thou wouldeſt fill every one of our hearts with an awful ſenſe of thee, and an humble ſincerity in our approaches to thee, that laying aſide all guile and hypocriſie, we may draw near thee Heb. 10. 22.with a true heart and worſhip thee, that deſireſt truth in the in Joh. 4. 24.ward part, in Spirit and in Truth.
We thankfully acknowledgeour dependance upon thee, and that our lives, and all the comforts of our lives are the effects of thy bounty and goodneſs thy hands have both made and faſhioned us in the Womb, and brought us into the World, and ever ſince we ſaw the Light, thou haſt all along opened thine hands, and filled us with variety of good things; though for our many and great ſins thou mighteſt have left us naked and miſerable, and brought upon us all the puniſhments, that the threatnings of thy holy and righteous Law have made juſtly due to the Tranſgreſſors of it; and had thy ways been as the ways of a Man are, or thy thoughts towards us like unto our thoughts, we had long ſince been paſt the Thank-offering of Praiſe, the benefit of Prayer and the hope of Pardon; for our trangreſſions have been multiplied againſt thee; and our Iniquities have gone over Pſal. 38. 4.our Heads, as a burthen too heavy for us.
The corruption of our nature is oppoſite to thy holy Law, that requires no leſs holy principles than holy practiſes, and by the tranſgreſſions of our lives, we have broken it in thought, word and deed.
We confeſs, O Lord, with ſorrow and ſhame, our ignorance of thy will, and in many things our acting contrary to the knowledge we have had of it, our pride, earthlineſs and hypocriſie; our injuſtice, uncharitableneſs and ſenſuality; our inordinate ſelf-love, eagerneſs inthe purſuit of worldly things, and indifferency in matters of Religion; our impenitency and unbelief, the hardneſs of our hearts, notwithſtanding all the ways and methods thou haſt taken to ſoften them; our unthankfulneſs for all thy mercies, our incorrigibleneſs under all thy chaſtiſements, our unfruitfulneſs under the means of Grace, our unfaithfulneſs under all our vows and promiſes, and reſolutions of ſervice and obedience. We have ſinned againſt a clear revelation of thy Will, and againſt the greateſt obligations to compliance with it, againſt the expreſſions of a tender kindneſs in thy multiplyed mercies, and the evidence of a righteous ſeverity in thy juſtly deſerved chaſtiſements; we have ſinnedagainſt thine inviting promiſes and dreadful threatnings, againſt the frequent warnings of thy Word, the renewed motions and powerful convictions of thy Spirit, and the precious blood of thy dear Son; we have ſinned againſt the light of our underſtandings, againſt our promiſes and purpoſes of obedience, againſt the checks of our own conſciences; we cannot recount the number of our ſins, they are ſo exceeding many, nor ſet in order the aggravating circumſtances, whereby they are become exceeding ſinful.
But, O Lord, have mercy upon Pſal. 51. 1.us, according to thy loving kindneſs: according to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out our tranſgreſſions; Help us to forſake our ſinful Iſa. 55. 7.thoughts and crooked ways, and by unfeigned repentance to return unto thee, that thou mayeſt have mercy on us and abundantly pardon us.
Speak peace to us, moſt merciful Father, through the death and ſufferings of thy dear Son, who gave up himſelf in Sacrifice to expiate the guilt of our ſins, and by that precious ranſom to buy off the puniſhment that was due to our tranſgreſſions; O ſprinkle our conſciences with that blood of ſprinkling that ſpeaketh better things Heb. 12. 24.than the blood of Abel; work in us a true and lively faith, that we may be juſtified and have Rom. 5. 1.peace with thee, through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt: For though we have no righteouſneſs of our own that we dare plead to theſtrictneſs of thy Law, and the ſeverity of thy Juſtice, thou haſt treaſured up an alſufficient righteouſneſs in thy Son; that believing in him we may be pardoned, and through his ſtripes be healed.
And let thy pardoning mercy be accompanied with thy purifying grace, that we may be both delivered from the guilt and puniſhment of our ſins, and cleanſed from the filth, and impurity of them. And as our Lord Chriſt dyed unto ſin to condemn it in the fleſh, let us dye unto ſin to crucific it in ours, that it may never reign in our mortal bodies, that we Rom. 6. 10, 11, 12.ſhould obey it in the luſts thereof.
Help us, heavenly Father, to put off the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful Eph. 4. 22, 23, 24.luſts, and to put on that new man which is created after thine own image, in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, and as by the natural birth, we have in ſin and corruption born the image of the firſt Adam, that was made a living Soul, ſo let us by the ſpiritual birth, in ſanctification and holineſs, bear the image of the ſecond Adam, that was made a quickning Spirit. Give us a new Ezek. 36. 26, 27.heart, and put within us a new Spirit; take away the ſtony heart out of our fleſh, and give us an heart of fleſh; put thy Spirit within us, and cauſe us to walk in thy Statutes, that we may keep thy Judgments and do them.
Wean our hearts from an exceſſive and inordinate love of all the things of this World, and let us never place our happineſs in the pomps and pleaſures, the profits and honours, or any tranſitory injoyments of this Life, where we are told not only in thy Word, but by our own experience, it is not to be found; but let us weep, as though we wept not, and 1 Cor. 7. 30, 31.rejoyce as though we rejoyced not, and buy as though we poſſeſſed not, and uſe this World as not abuſing it, becauſe the faſhion of this World paſſeth aaway.
Let us never adventure upon ſin with the fooliſh and deceitful hopes of getting any thing by it, but let our minds be influenced with the great and certain truth of what our Saviour hath taught us, that the gainingof the whole World, can be … 16. 26.no recompence for the loſs of our Souls. Let the great and ſtrict account, that we muſt ere long make be often in our ſerious thoughts, and the courſe of our Lives be thereby ſo ordered that we may think of it with a joyful expectation, and never allow our ſelves to do, to ſpeak or think any thing, that may make the thoughts of the day of Judgment a terrour to us. Let us ſo obey the Laws of our great Lord and Saviour, and follow the ſteps of his example, that when Chriſt, who is our life, ſhall appear, we may lift up our heads with joy, and appear with Col. 3. 4.him in glory.
Show forth the favour and loving kindneſs of a Father, to all the Children of Men, and asthou haſt made them capable of eternal life and happineſs, make known unto them the way of thy Salvation that leads unto it. Let the Sun of Righteouſneſs ariſe with healing in his Mal. 4. 2.Wings, and diſpel the darkneſs of Heatheniſh and Mahometan Superſtition and Idolatry, that the Kingdoms of the Earth may become the Kingdom of thy Son.
Bleſs thy whole Church, and let the company of the Faithful that thou haſt incorporated and knit together as one Body in thy Son, by thy Grace be deſended, and preſerved, enlightned and inſtructed, ordered and governed, purged and ſanctified, and let the Ordinances of Chriſt be ſo adminiſtred, and his Laws obſerved, as may become theSpouſe and Body of thy Son.
Be merciful, O Lord, to the ſinſul Nation wherein we live, and let neither our abuſe of thy mercies, nor our hardning our ſelves under thy Judgments, bring upon us that ruine that they have juſtly deſerved. Lord thou haſt been favourable to the Land, in that thou haſt often reſcued us from the deſtruction that was due to our Sins, and haſt bleſſed us with the long continuance of thy Goſpel, that was no way due to our walking ſo unworthy of it. Oh let that infinite mercy that hath hitherto ſpared us, and interpoſed betwixt us and thy deſolating vengeance, forgive our iniquity and turn away the fierceneſs of thine anger.
Heal our back-ſlidings andheal our breaches, take away Hoſ. 14. 2.all our iniquity, receive us graciouſly and love us freely, to us belongeth confuſion of Face, Dan. 9. 8. 9.but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveneſſes, though we have rebelled againſt thee. Continue thy mercies, our peace and our plenty, and above all the truth of thy Goſpel and purity of Religion, Cauſe us to fear thee and thy goodneſs, and let thine infinite wiſdom find out a way to bring us out of thoſe woful confuſions, from which to be delivered is above the contrivances of our wiſdom.
Bleſs with the bleſſings of the right and left hand, of this life, and a better, thine Anointed Servant, and our Sovereign Lord King Charles; let his Reign bereligious, peaceable, long and proſperous; ſo rule his heart in thy faith, fear and love, that he may ever ſeek thy honour and glory. And let all that are Governours under him, in Church or State, exerciſe their power for the puniſhment of 1 Pet. 2. 14.evil doers, and the praiſe of them that do well.
Be merciful to all afflicted ones, to our Friends and Relations, to all that have wronged us; forgive our Enemies, O Lord, and help us to forgive them, as we expect to be forgiven both of them and thee.
We humbly commit our ſelves to thy merciful protection this night, defend from all danger, our perſons, our dwellings, our poſſeſſions, refreſh us with a quiet and healthful ſleep, and with the health and ſtrength of our Bodies, and the vigour of our minds, let us ſerve thee all our days, till at the end of them we receive the end of our Faith, the ſalvation of our Souls, through thy dear Son, our alone Saviour, Jeſus Chriſt, in the merit of whoſe righteouſneſs, and interceſſion 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.