Sacramental Discourses Before and After the Lords Supper, Paraphrase
A PARAPHRASE OF THE Lord's Prayer.
Our Father.
O Moſt Merciful, and Gracious Father, who haſt made us out of nothing, by thy Powerful Word, and form'd us after thine own Image, but we ſought out Sinful Inventions, and might juſtly have periſht in our Apoſtaſie; We owe Thee Homage as the Father of our Spirits, as the God of our Lives, as the Author of our Beings; much more as thou haſt called us into thy Family, and Favour, by Jeſus Chriſt; as Redeemed by him, and Regenerated by thy Spirit, and Priviledged with the Dignity of Children, and may call Thee, Our Reconciled Father.
Oh what manner of Love is this, that ſuch Rebellious, Miſerable Creatures, as we, ſhould be called the Sons of God, and treated as ſuch! Holy Father! we have ſinned againſt Heaven, and before Thee, and are utterly Unworthy to be entertain'd as thy Servants, much more to be cheriſht, and ſpared, and pittied, and provided for as thy Children, and have the promiſe, and hope of the Heavenly Inheritance. As the Children of the Firſt Adam, we are Children of Wrath, and Heirs of Hell, in Bondage to Sin, and ſerving divers Luſts; the Works of our Father the Devil we have done. But by thy Redeeming Love and Grace, through Jeſus Christ▪ we are ſet Free from that Slavery, and partake of the Liberty and Priviledge of Sons in thy Houſe and Family. Oh let the Spirit of thy Son, breath continually in our hearts, and teach us to cry, Abba, Father, as created by thy Power and Goodneſs, and reconciled, and ſaved by thy Mercy, after we had undone our ſelves. Give us that Faith, and humble Confidence in Prayer, by the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, that we may go to thee in all our Neceſſities, as Children to a Father, and come with boldneſs to a Throne of Grace. We beg the Holy Spirit of Grace to that end, which thou art more ready to give to them who value it, and ask it earneſtly, as ſenſible of their need of it, than any Father on Earth is to give Bread to his Children that ask it of him.
O let this Name of Father, and our conſequent Relation to thee, be our Glory, and our Refuge, our Defence and Guard, the Principle of our Obedience and Love to thee, and of Charity, Kindneſs, and Affection to all our Brethren, who are Children of the ſame Father, and Adopted Heirs of the ſame Inheritance. And let all thoſe, whom thou wilt own for thy Children, moſt Gracious Father, be united to thee, and to one another, in holy Bands of Love and Concord; bearing with one another wherein they differ, let them heartily joyn together to advance the Honour of thy Holy Name, to celebrate thy Praiſe, and promote thy Truth and Worſhip. Grant unto them and us, the help of thy Spirit that we may ſo Pray, and Live.
O God of the Spirits of all Fleſh, the Father of Glory, the God and Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, teach us ſo to ask, as thou mayſt pleaſe to grant teach us to Worſhip thee in Spirit and in Truth, that our perſons may be wellpleaſing in thy ſight, and our Prayers be accepted through the Great Mediator. We would ask nothing but in his Name, for the manner, ſo nothing but what he hath adviſed and taught us to Deſire, and Seek.
Who art in Heaven.
And ſince thou dwelleſt in Heaven, (though the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain thee,) that is thy Throne, and the Earth thy Footſtool; thou beholdeſt whatſoever we do, or ſay, or think, and wilt call us to an Account; Let us reverence thy Glorious Majeſty, Thine All-ſeeing Eye, and thy Soveraign Power. And raiſe our Affections above Earthly Things, that we may ſeek Heaven as our Country, where our Father is, and our Redeemer, and where we hope to poſſeſs the Inheritance prepared for us by Everlaſting Love, through the Purchaſe and Merit of thine Eternal Son, who owns himſelf our Elder Brother; and who, when he was on Earth, was concerned for nothing more than for the Glory of Thy Name. Therefore in Imitation of his Example, in Conformity to his Counſel, and Obedience to his Command, we beg Thy Name may be Sanctified,
Hallowed by thy Name.
Thou haſt proclaimed thy Name unto the World, and they who know it, will truſt in Thee, to be a God Gracious and Merciful, ſlow to Anger, and of Great Kindneſs, Abundant in Goodneſs, and in Truth, keeping Mercy for Thouſands, forgiving Iniquity, Tranſgreſſion and Sin, and that will not utterly deſtroy his People, though he do correct. Thou art worthy of all our Honour, Homage, and Obedience, and that all the World ſhould Adore thee, and Glorifie Thy Holy Name; that every Creature in Heaven and Earth ſhould tremble at thine Irreſiſtible Power admire thine Eternal Wiſdom, and love thine Infinite Goodneſs. O that the Glory of thy Holy Name may extinguiſh in us the Deſire and Love of Worldly Honour, and Intetereſt; that we may … it our higheſt dignity, to ad… … ſerve the Purpoſes of thy Glory, as the Ultimate End of all Things. Let us be deeply ſenſible of thy Diſhonour in the World, by our own ſins, and the ſins of Others. Let us Grieve and Mourn to obſerve the Prophanation of thy Name, and the Violation of thy Authority; when thy Laws are tranſgreſt, thy Inſtitutions deſpiſed, thy Orders contradicted, thy Majeſty Affronted, thy Glory beſpattered, and trampled on.
The Deſire of our Souls is to thy Name, and the Remembrance of Thee. In thy Name we Rejoyce, and put our Truſt. O let us not diſhonour it by unſuitable Affections, and Actions! Let our Lives be anſwerable to the dignity of our Relation, and to what we know, and profeſs to believe of thy Adorable Perfections; that we may ſo Glorifie thy Name in the Eyes of the World, that others ſeeing our Good Works, may Glorifie Thee our Father, who art in Heaven. To this end, Let thy Kingdom come.
Thy Kingdom Come.
O Thou who Reigneſt among the Armies of Heaven, and over all the Inhabitants of the Earth, rule in our Hearts by the Power of thy Word and Spirit: Subdue every Luſt, and inordinate Affection in us, Mortifie all the Rebellion of our Wills▪ and the Enmity of our Carnal Minds and Hearts; that we may no longer be in Slavery to the Devil, and to fooliſh, Criminal Paſſions, but our Underſtanding, Will, Affections, Conſcience▪ and Converſation, be more intirely Conformed to thy Holy Pleaſure, and Precept. And after the Eſtabliſhment and Advancement of thy Kingdom of Grace in our Souls, perfect it in due time▪ by admitting us to thy Kingdom of Glory.
And let all the Kingdoms of the World ſubmit to the Scepter of our Lord Redeemer; that he may Rule to the ends of the Earth. Let all the People praiſe thee▪ and Worſhip thee, O God, let all the People Praiſe thee. Let not Satan, the Uſurping God of this world, Tyranize over ſo great a part of this Earth: But let the Kingdom of thy Grace be enlarged, and thine Authority be more generally ſubmitted to in all the World. Let the everlaſting Goſpel of the Bleſſed God be publiſht, underſtood, believed, and obeyed, from the Riſing of the Sun, to the ſetting of the ſame. And as the Effect of the Coming of thy Kingdom in Power,
Let thy Will be done on Earth, as it is in Heaven.
Thy Will be done.
Thy Will, O God, is the Meaſure of Holineſs and Peace, the Rule of Juſtice, Truth, and Perfect Wiſdom; Oh that it may be the Rule of our Deſires; that our Will may be intirely conformed to Thine. All thy Works are Wiſdom, and all thy ways of Providence are Judgment: Let us adore thee as Infallible in all the Revelations of thy Mind, and as Wiſe, and Good, Juſt, and Holy, and True in all Thou do'ſt. Let us acquieſce in thy good Pleaſure, as knowing, nothing can be better done, than what thou ordereſt. In Fulneſs, and in Want, in Joy and Sorrow, in Life and Death, thy Holy Will, O Lord! be done.
Let us obediently comply with thy Preceptive Will, in all thou haſt commanded, and humbly ſubmit to thy Providential Will in all thou ſhalt appoint; and be ſatisfied with our Portion, Station, and condition here on Earth. Let us be govern'd in all things by thy Holy Will with Cheerfulneſs, and Readineſs, and Faithfulneſs, and Zeal, without Deceit, Delay, or Murmuring Complaints. That we may obſerve, and pleaſe thy Will on Earth, as the Angels do in Heaven: where thou art loved, delighted in, and obeyed in Perfection. And let all the World, we beſeech thee, joyn with us and them, to praiſe and glorifie thee, with one heart, and one voice, and one conſent, and be the Servants of thy Holy Will for ever. But our Satisfaction in thy Declared VVill doth not hinder, but we may Ask the neceſſary Supports of Life, We pray thee therefore,
Give us tbis day our Daily Bread.
Thou takeſt Care of our Souls, provide alſo, we beſeech thee, for our Bodies. Prolong our Lives, till we have finiſht the Work of Life, and anſwered the Ends of Living. Continue a ſuitable and convenient Supply for the Neceſſities of our Nature: Give us that Health, Protection, Peace, and Plenty, which may beſt aſſiſt us in our preſent Duty, and tend to our Comfortable Accompt in the Day of Reckoning. Thou haſt directed us not to Chuſe either Poverty, or Riches, becauſe of the Temptations of either extreme: Give us therefore Food Convenient, according to that Rank, and State, and Condition thou haſt plac'd us in, or may'ſt hereafter do. That ſo the Temptations of the Right Hand, may not make us Wanton, Secure, and Proud, forgetful of Thee, and our Selves, and the greater Concerns of Eternity, or our Hearts be ſet to make Proviſion for the Fleſh, to fulfil the Luſts thereof. And that on the contrary, by the Snares of Poverty, and pinching Straits, we may not be tempted to doubt, or deny Thy Providence, or quarrel with it; that we may not be expoſed to Contempt, and Miſery, and thereby to Impatience, Diſtruſt, and Deſpair. Keep us from undue Sollicitude about theſe things, and give us Contentment with our preſent Condition. Grant us that meaſure, and proportion of Temporal Bleſſings, which may enable us the better to ſerve and glorifie thee. And whatever thou do with us, let us be Calm and Quiet, and Thankful, and never admit any diſhonourable Thoughts of thy Rule, and Government. Let us own Thee, as the Original and Fountain of all our Good, and faithfully depend on Thee for the Supply of all our Wants. But whatever thou give us of Earthly Good Lord, what will it avail us, when our Sins are ſo many and great, unleſs thou Forgive and Pardon us? Therefore we beſeech thee, O Lord, to
Forgive us our Treſpaſſes, as we forgive them that Treſpaſs againſt us.
Look upon us with a Merciful Eye, for we are here before thee in our Treſpaſſes. Forgive our Sins of Ignorance, and of Wilfulneſs, thoſe of Preſumption, and thoſe of Infirmity, ſecret and open, in heart, and word, and deed; the Vanity of our Minds, the Careleſneſs of our Spirits, the Wickedneſs of our Hearts, the Irregularity of our Affections, the Folly of our Lips, and all the Omiſſions, and Commiſſions of our paſt Lives, from our Birth, and Infancy, to this very hour. Look not upon our Offences, but caſt our ſins behind thy Back, Remember 'em not againſt us, to our Puniſhment and Condemnation
We beg this, for the ſake of our Bleſſed Saviour, who hath made Expiation for Sin by his Curſed Death. For his ſake, be Reconciled to us, and remember our Iniquities no more, and ſeal to us the free and full Forgiveneſs of them, by the Witneſs of thy Holy Spirit, that we may Rejoyce in God, through Jeſus Chriſt, as having received the Atonement.
Enable us by a large and Evangelical Charity, heartily to forgive all thoſe, who have any way troubled, or injured, or offended us; leſt our Prayer be turned into ſin, and thou deny us that Pardon, which we deny to our Fellow Creatures. That having, by thy Grace, this Character of thy Diſciples, and Children, we may reap the Benefit of thy Pardoning Mercy here, and in the other VVorld. But becauſe, tho we ſhould be forgiven for the Time paſt, we ſhall run into the like ſins again, and contract New Guilt, and fall an eaſie Prey to Temptation, we beſeech thee preſerve us from being tempted, or overcome when we are.
Lead us not into Temptation.
Lord, we are Weak, and Ignorant, and Inclined to that which is Evil; and our Adverſary the Devil goes about like a Crafty Serpent, and a Roaring Lion, ſeeking whom he may deceive, and deſtroy; let us never be Careleſs, Secure, and Confident of our ſelves. He is a Malicious, Experienc't, Watchful, Envious, Unwearied Enemy, let us not be Ignorant of his Devices; Enable us to Mortifie the Love of Sin, and Inward Luſt, and diligently avoid the Occaſions, and Appearances of Evil, the Incentives, and Provocatives to Wickedneſs. And ſuffer us not to be Tempted above what we are Able. Order our Conditions, and Affairs, ſo as we may be free from great, and Dangerous Temptations. Help us, that by taking to us the whole Armour of God, we may be able to withſtand the Wiles, and Aſſaults of Satan: that by the Protection, and Guidance of thy Providence, the Miniſtry of thine Angels, and the Aids of thy Good Spirit, we may not enter into Temptation, and yield to it; that Such as we cannot avoid, may not prevail againſt us, to thy Diſhonour, and our Eternal Ruin. Deliver us from the Evil of every Temptation, and from the Evil One, the Tempter, and from other Evils, to which we are Incident.
But deliver us from Evil.
Forgive what is Paſt, Remove what is Preſent, Prevent what may otherwiſe be to come: from Sin, and Shame, from the Malice of the Devil▪ and the Falshood and Treachery of Men, from open Enemies, and unfaithful Friends, from the Deceits of the VVorld, and the Luſts of the Fleſh, but above all, from thy VVrath and Vengeance due to our Sins, VVe Beſeech thee to deliver, and ſave us. Pardon us ſo freely, that all the Sufferings of this Life may be turned from Evil to Good; that if thou ſmite us here with the Rod of a Father, thou may'ſt ſpare us hereafter; That all things may work together for our Advantage, and that in every Condition we may be kept from Sin.
To that end Deliver us from the Evil One, the Great Enemy of thy Glory, and our Salvation. Let us reſiſt him ſted…aſtly in the Faith, that he may flee, and we may Conquer. We acknowledge our own Weakneſs, and deſire to be ſenſible of it, and therefore humbly Invoke thine Aid and Help. O ſave us from an Impenitent hard Heart, while we live; and let us Finiſh our Courſe in thy Fear and Love; let us dye the Death of the Righteous, and not have our Portion to all Eternity, in that Region of Darkneſs, and Torment, which thou haſt prepared for the Devil, and his Angels.
For thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever.
Thou art able to do all this for us, as the All-mighty, Wiſe, and Holy Lord, and Governour of the VVorld, whoſe Glorious Perfections are diſplayed, and honoured in all thy Works. We hope the granting theſe our Supplications, will advance the Mightineſs of thy Kingdom, and Manifeſt thy Power, Mercy, and Truth, For, of thee, and to thee, and through thee, are All Things, to Thee be Glory, for ever, and ever.
Amen.
As Thou ſayeſt, ſo it is. As Thou haſt Promiſed, So it ſhall be. And as we have Prayed, we Beg it may Be,
Amen, and Amen.
THE END.
End of the text · John Shower, Sacramental Discourses Before and After the Lords Supper (1693)