The Devout Christian Instructed How to Pray and Give Thanks, family · Prayers 2
A ſhorter Morning Prayer for any day in the week, when there is not time, by reaſon of ſome extraordinary occaſions, for the other.
O Moſt great and glorious God, the Soveraign of the World: Upon whom we continually depend; to whom we owe all the love, the ſervice, and the praiſe that we are able to render to all eternity. We adore thy infinite mercy, from whence we have received ſo many bleſſings for the comfort of this life; and by which we have a ſure Hope of good things, in the life to come. Bleſſed be thy goodneſs, which hath not ſuffered us to wander without inſtruction, after the fooliſh deſires of our own hearts: but hath clearly ſhown us where our happineſs lyes. We receive with all thankfulneſs thoſe holy words, which teach us the bleſſedneſs of poverty and contentedneſs of ſpirit; of meekneſs and humility of mind; of hungering and thirſting after righteouſneſs; of mercifulneſs and purity of heart; of peaceableneſs, and patient ſuffering, for doing the will of our Lord Chriſt.
O that we may have grace to labour alway to be in the number of thoſe bleſſed Souls, that never ſet their hearts on any thing ſo much, as theſe heavenly vertues! O that we may ever think and feel our ſelves happy, in the comfort of thoſe great and precious promiſes, of being made the children of the higheſt, the heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven, and at laſt of ſeeing thee our God. It ſuffices, O Lord, that we have theſe glorious hopes hereafter: which make us believe, thou wilt not let us want what is neceſſary for us, whilſt we continue here. We commend our ſelves, with an humble confidence, to thy watchful providence this day: beſeeching thee to guide and aſſiſt us, that in all our deſires, words and actions, we may keep our ſelves innocent, and undefiled before thee; and be diſpoſed to do all good, as we have opportunity.
And we heartily deſire that all mankind may be filled with the ſame devotion to thee: and eſpecially that all Chriſtian people may glorifie thy Name, and be joyful in thee. And the greater any are in Dignity and Power, raiſe their ſpirits to the greater pitch of Wiſdom, Mercy and Piety: that they may right thoſe that ſuffer wrong; and defend thoſe that have no helper; and provide for the eaſe and comfort of all miſerable creatures; to the utmoſt of their power. In this ardent charity we commit both ſouls and bodies to thee; beſeeching thee to increaſe our love to thee, and to all men, till we be fit to be tranſlated to the region of love and joy, and perfect ſatisfaction, through Chriſt Jeſus: who hath taught us, when we pray, to ſay
Our Father, &c.
Another ſhort Prayer for the Morning.
O Bleſſed God; be thou acknowledged, praiſed and loved by us, and all the children of men; on whom thou poureſt continually thy benefits. They are great and many: we know not the ſumme, nor underſtand the value of them. The Angels themſelves admired thy love to us in Chriſt Jeſus; and are become miniſtring Spirits to them; who are heirs of Salvation. We enjoy the continual fruits of thy watchful providence; by which we have been kept in peace and ſafety the laſt night, and are raiſed this morning in health and ſtrength, both of body and mind: beholding all things belonging to us, juſt as we left them with thee, when we went to ſleep.
Accept, we moſt humbly beſeech thee, of this poor tribute of praiſe and thanks; together with the hearty oblation of our ſouls and bodies, which we here dedicate again to thy ſervice. Vouchſafe us the continued aſſiſtance of the grace of thy holy Spirit; to inable us to make good thoſe vows that are upon us, of obediently keeping thy holy will and commandments, and walking in the ſame all the days of our life. Pardon, good Lord, all our breaches of this Sacred Covenant. Deal not with us according to our ſins, neither reward us after our iniquities: But in the multitude of thy tender mercies pitty our errors and wandrings; and help us againſt our infirmities.
Give us leave this day to put our ſelves into thy powerful protection, and to depend on thee for thy merciful guidance and aſſiſtance; that we may be more faithful to thee in the diſcharge of our duties, and never ſwerve from the rules of Sobriety, Righteouſneſs, Charity and Godlineſs. So ſhall we return with joyful hearts to praiſe thee in the Evening: and teach thoſe who ſhall come after us, to continue thy praiſes in the next generation. Amen, for thy mercies ſake in Chriſt Jeſus; in whoſe words we preſent the earneſt deſires of our hearts for our ſelves, and all our Brethren; ſaying
Our Father, &c.
A ſhort Prayer for the Evening, when there is not time for the longer.
O God; we thy creatures, who have taſted liberally of thy bounty many ways; and been bleſſed in our ſeveral imployments, and mercifully preſerved from ſeveral dangers this day; are here met to joyn together, in moſt hearty thankſgivings to thy divine Majeſty; which with one accord we offer up unto thee. It is the greateſt happineſs of all, we acknowledge, that we have any ſenſe of thee in our minds; any love to thee in our hearts; any remembrance of thy benefits; any holy diſpoſitions to obey thee; and any hopes that thou wilt pardon our ſins, and make us partakers of eternal life.
All that we deſire of thee, O Lord, is the continuance and increaſe of this happineſs: that we may be poſſeſſed with a ſtronger ſenſe of thy Majeſty, thy Soveraign Power, thy unſearchable Wiſdom, Goodneſs and Truth; and be filled with a more ardent love to thee, and to all righteouſneſs; and delight to do thy Will in every thing, and rejoyce in hope of thy immortal Glory. As for all the things of this life, in a grateful remembrance of thy many paſt mercies, we intirely truſt thee for the time to come: referring our ſelves to thy Wiſdom, and reſolving to be content with that portion, which thy good providence is pleaſed to aſſign us. Help us but to be ſteadfaſt and unmoveable in the work of our Lord, to bring forth all the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs and temperance; and we ſhall think our ſelves rich enough, and well provided for in every ſtate and condition of life.
In theſe holy thoughts and deſires we commend our ſelves to thy gracious protection this night; hoping to find them freſh and lively in our ſouls, when we awake in the Morning: and deſiring withal the happineſs of the reſt of the world, that they may know thee, and acknowledge thee, and be guided unto, and walk in the way that leads to everlaſting life, through Chriſt Jeſus our bleſſed Redeemer. In whoſe powerful name, and comprehenſive words, we continue to pray as he hath taught us; ſaying
Our Father, &c.
Another for the Evening.
IN an humble and thankful ſenſe, O Lord of heaven and earth, of our intire dependence on thee, and of the duty we owe thee, and the many promiſes and vows wherein we ſtand ingaged to thee, we fall down before thee, this Evening, and with all reverence worſhip thy divine Majeſty: Giving thee the glory that is due unto thy Name, and acknowledging thy multiplied mercies to us, particularly thoſe of this day; to the concluſion of which thou haſt now ſafely brought us, with new reſolutions in our hearts to continue for ever in thy faith, and fear, and love, and obedience.
It is but juſt and reaſonable, and we feel likewiſe, by daily experience, that it is our happineſs, to keep thy Commandments; and to maintain chearful thoughts of thee, and an hearty friendſhip with thee, by complying in all things with thy holy Will. O pardon our folly, moſt gracious God, in forſaking at any time that perfect Rule, to follow our own unruly deſires. Pardon us, we beſeech thee, for we know not how to pardon our ſelves ſuch ingratitude to thee, and cruelty to our ſelves. It is the grief of our hearts, that we have, in the leaſt, offended thee; and our moſt earneſt, unfeigned deſire to be preſerved hereafter in an exact conformity to our Rule in every thing. Yea, we would delight to do thy Will, O God, and take ſuch a pleaſure in all the acts of righteouſneſs, mercy, meekneſs, and gentleneſs to our Neighbours; and in praiſing and acknowledging thee the God of all grace; and in living in an humble ſenſe of thy bounty and our own undeſervings, and in a temperate and thankful uſe of all thy bleſſings; that we may have the continual feaſt of a good conſcience, and the conſtant comfort and ſatisfaction of having thee alway for our friend, and our gracious Father in Chriſt Jeſus.
O thou who art the Inſpirer of ſuch holy counſels, deſires and purpoſes, keep them for ever in our hearts. Incourage, ſtrengthen and increaſe them; that after the refreſhment of a quiet ſleep this night, we may feel them lively and powerful in the Morning: and with renewed joy we may ſtill devote our ſelves to thy faithful ſervice. O that our friends, and all thy people in every place, may partake of the ſame mercies we deſire for our ſelves: and howſoever we are ſevered one from another in this world, grant us an happy meeting at the day of our Lord, in whoſe words we pray thee to hear us.
Our 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, &c.