Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week, Title page – Preface
FORMS OF PRAYER FOR EVERY Day in the Week, MORNING and EVENING. Compoſed for the uſe of PRIVATE FAMILIES.
By John Meriton D. D. Rector of St. Michael Cornhill London, and Lecturer at St. Martins in the Fields.
LONDON, Printed by H. H. for Robert Boulter, at the Turks Head in Cornhill, 1682.
THE PREFACE.
THat all Men are obliged to worſhip God by praiſing and praying to him, is ſo evident by the light of natural Reaſon, as well as the Revelation of Scripture, that none can queſtion it, but they whoſe Immoralities and improved Debaucheries, have laid ſuch a foundation of Atheiſm as makes them inclinable to deny the Being of God, and loath to acknowledge their dependance upon him, leſt this ſhould involve them in the dreadful conſequence of their being accountable to him. And that men ought dayly to pay this Homage and Tribute of Praiſe and Prayer unto God, as they ſtand linked in the relations of Families, though all readily grant, that are ſenſible of the Sins there committed that need his Pardon, of the many Temporal and Spiritual bleſſings either wanted and to be ſought athis Hands, or injoyed, and to be thankfully acknowledged, yet the too common neglect of Family Prayer is (it's to be feared, and he muſt have a very eaſie and credulous charity that can be otherwiſe minded) not only one of the many inſtances of the decay of Piety and Religion, but one of the provoking Sins that cry aloud, to Heaven for vengeance. It is no doubt by many totally omitted from an inſenſible ſtupidity, & an irreligious, profane diſregard of God and their Duty; but by others not a few (as was well and charitablyſuggeſted by the Good Man that earneſtly preſſed me to this undertaking) only from a conſciouſneſs of their inabibility decently to perform it. Now that this might be neither a feigned pretence nor a real hinderance: But that they that like Joſhua are willing and reſolved to ſerve God with their Families, might have Materials of Devotion ready at hand; As the Water near the Road, offered it ſelf to the Eunuch willing to be Baptized, I have for the help of ſuch as can read, complyed with my Friends deſire, and compoſeda Form of Weekly Prayers, Morning and Evening. And though their length will not, I hope, be complained of by any whoſe leaſure may allow, and whoſe Affections can vigorouſly attend one quarter of an hours ſolemn and religious Addreſs to God: Yet in conſideration of others multiplicity of Buſineſs, and that flatting and depreſſion of Spirits that may follow from it; all the Prayers are printed in many diſtinct Paragraphs, that ſome of the Confeſſions or Petitions or both may eaſily, and without diſturbing their Devotion,be paſs'd over and the Prayer thereby ſo contracted as to ſuit their convenience: And I deſire they would rather do ſo than wholly omit the Duty, for better a ſhort Prayer than none at all.