The Devout Christian Instructed How to Pray and Give Thanks, church · Prayer 1
A Prayer upon any Feſtival in remembrance of our bleſſed Lord and Saviour.
O Moſt glorious God, the Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Father of lights, Jem. 1.17.from whom cometh every good, and every perfect gift; with whom there is no variableneſs, nor ſhadow of change. Thou always waſt, and ever wilt be happy without us, or any of the praiſes that we or any other creatures are able to render unto thee. But it is our duty, our perfection, and high …riviledge, conſtantly to acknow…edge thee, with joy and exultation …f ſpirit; in remembrance of thy in…nite bounty to us, and to all world. Every day tells us how good thou art, …nd every one of thy creatures calls …pon us to magnifie thee, and love …hee, and ſerve thee; who haſt made …o many of them to ſerve us. But …his day gives us occaſion to remember thy more ſpecial and extraordinary kindneſs to us the children of men; which calls for our higheſt and moſt exalted praiſes, to be joyned with thoſe of the bleſſed company above, who are never weary of giving honour, glory, bleſſing and thankſgiving to thee, not only in their own behalf, but even for thy goodneſs to us thy unworthy creatures.
O how great was that love, which an Angel came to give notice of! and which a multitude of an heavenly hoſt celebrated with ſongs of praiſe, when thou ſenteſt thy dear Son in the likeneſs of ſinful fleſh, and in the form of a ſervant, to miniſter to our neceſſities, to relieve our miſery, and to be the way to everlaſting life! O the riches of thy grace, that after mankind had forfeited all the rights of thy creatures, and had contemned and deſpitefully uſed many of thy meſſengers, thou wouldſt in much mercy create us again unto good works, and for that end appear thy ſelf moſt gloriouſly among us, in the perſon of Jeſus Chriſt! I thank thee, O Lord, that thou haſt aſſumed our Nature unto ſuch a nearneſs to thee, as we are not able to underſtand. I thank thee for the glad tydings which Jeſus hath brought us from heaven, that thou wilt be reconciled unto us, and admit us again into thy favour: and that he hath fulfilled all righteouſneſs; and ſhown us in our likeneſs what thou art, and what thou wouldeſt have us to be. I thank thee for the redemption which he hath wrought for us by his bloud. And I rejoyce in the victory which he hath got over hell and the grave by his Reſurrection from the dead; and in his glorious triumph, when he aſcended up on high, and led captivity captive; and in his royal Power wherewith he was inveſted, when he ſat down on the right hand of the Majeſty on high; and in thoſe gifts which he received for men, even for the rebellious alſo, that the Lord God might dwell among them.
Bleſſed be thy eternal goodneſs, which hath made him a moſt merciful and compaſſionate High-prieſt; and given us ſo great aſſurance, that he is become the author of eternal ſalvation unto all them that obey him.
Bleſſed be thy goodneſs, which hath ſent the holy Ghoſt; and continued to us a ſucceſſion of Paſtors and Teachers, to be the Guides of our Souls, and to miniſter to us thoſe pledges of thy love, which our Saviour hath left us, in the Communion of his Body and Bloud.
O God, that my heart could aſcend up to heaven in theſe devout meditations, and in ardent love to thee, who haſt loved us in ſuch a marvellous manner! O that it might never come down again to this world, but with deſires left in it aſpiring towards heaven! Touch my ſoul ſo powerfully with a ſenſe of theſe things, that with an hearty and zealous affection it may ever look towards thee, and towards my dear Lord and Saviour Chriſt Jeſus. O …ix mine eyes on him, as he was here on earth, that I may learn of him, his humble and meek obedience to thy commands: and as he is now in heaven, that I may truſt him for the performance of his precious promiſes, and patiently wait till he carry me to that glorious place where he is inthroned. Since he appeared among us to deſtroy the works of the Devil, and died to redeem us from all ſin, and roſe again that he might bleſs us in turning every one of us from our iniquities, and is made Lord of all that he may govern us by his Laws, and reward and puniſh us according to our works; preſerve in my mind, I beſeech thee, a conſtant and lively ſenſe of this great end of his whole undertaking for us: That he may ſee the fruit of the travail of his ſoul in me, and my whole life may be a ſerious ſtudy and endeavour to imitate him, by purifying my ſelf, as he is pure.
O that thy fear and love, and an holy joy in thee, may preſerve me this day, from abuſing any of the good things which thou alloweſt me for the refreſhment of my body. Give me ſuch a ſavour and reliſh of thy Divine Truths revealed to us in the Goſpel, that I way not glut my ſelf with any fleſhly injoyments, as if I knew no pleaſure more excellent. But raiſe up my mind by them to better delights: that I may injoy them with thankſgiving to thee, with bowels of mercy to thoſe who are in need, with a taſte of ſpiritual and heavenly joys, and with hunger and thirſt after the fulneſs and perfection of thoſe joys, when our Lord Jeſus ſhall come to ſhow us his glory, and entertain us with eternal ſatisfaction in his incomprehenſible love. Amen.