The Blessedest Birth that Ever Was, Prayer
A PRAYER for a bleſsing vponupon this Sermon.
MOST holy and heauenly LORD GOD, for as much as thou haſt taught vsus from thy holy and heauenly Word that Paul may plant, Apollos water, yet all in vaine, vnleſſe thy grace bee annexed thereunto: good Lord therefore we moſt humbly beſeech thee in the Lord Ieſus, to bleſſe this portion of thy holy Word to eueryevery ſoule of vsus, making it the ſauour of life to ſaluation to eueryevery of vsus, and to none of vsus the ſauour of death to damnation: now if wee reverence thy Word, delight in thy Word, and make it the rule and ſquare of all our actions, then it is the ſauour of life to heauen; but if we remaine in wilful ignorance▪ notwithſtanding thy Word, if we preferre the corrupt counſels of our vaine hearts aboue the ſacred commands of thy Word, then is it the witneſſe of death to damnation: therefore wee beſeech thee giuegive vsus thy grace▪ that wee may follow not our owne waies, or our owne wills, for the end of this way will be death; but grant that wee may follow the motions of thy bleſſed Spirit, and the doctrines of thy holy Word from this time forth for euermore into all truth.
O Lord God, we moſt heartily bleſſe thy heauenly Name, for that thou haſt appointed thine holy and heauenly Angels to guard vsus, ſafeguard vsus, attend vsus, defend vsus, from the malice & miſchief of men and deuils: eſpecially (O God of all goodnes) we thank thee for the gift of the Lord Ieſus, the only hope & help of our ſaluation; had not Chriſt Ieſus aſſumed ou mature, and ſatiſfied for vsus thy Iuſtice, wee had all beene euerlaſtingly condemned: ten thouſand times bleſſed be thy holy name, for that thou haſt thus viſited and redeemed thy people.
Now (good Father) ſeeing none are ſaued by the Lord Ieſus, but ſuch as beleeue on his Name, and walke after his Spirit: we pray thee then, giuegive vsus grace to embrace him with the armes of our ſoules, that we may receiue out of his fulneſſe grace for grace: for to ſo many as thus receiue him, giues hee power, priuiledge, prerogatiue to be called, and to be thy ſonnes, O God.
And as we are thus hopefully and happily redeemed by the bloud of Chriſt Ieſus, ſo grant, wee may conſider the end of this our redemption, which is to ſerue him in holineſſe and righteouſneſſe all the dayes of our liues.
As we are called and profeſſed Chriſtians, ſo grant wee may euermore walke worthy of this glorious Name and title: Lord make vsus carefull to imitate this immaculate Lamb, in whom was found no guile: that we may follow him in innocency, piety, humility, patience, obedience, temperance, louelove: that it may be our greateſt glory, our neereſt reſemblance of him, that we following him in holines in this life, may bee admitted to follow him in euerlaſting happineſſe in the world to come.
The marke (moſt gratious Lord God) of the ſheepe of Chriſt is to follow Chriſt, making the holy life & doctrine of the Lord Ieſus, the only paterne of all our actions: therefore keepe vsus (holy Father) from profanenes, pride, worldlines, drunkennes, fornication, and all manner of vngodlineſſe: though wee be in the world, yet grant wee may not be of the world, but let our thoughts, words, actions, euermore bee holy and heauenly.
Thus (good Lord) giuegive vsus thy might of grace againſt ſin, that Satan may not deceiue vsus, nor corruption beſmeere vsus, but beautifie vsus with the graces of thy holy Spirit, that thy name and Goſpel may be honoured, many things among vsus by our holy examples conuerted, the mouthes of the wicked ſtopped, and in the end the ſoules and bodies of vsus all euerlaſtingly ſaued, and that for the alone merits of thy deare Son, our bleſſed Sauiour and Redeemer Ieſus Chriſt, bleſſed for euer. To whom with thee (holy Father) and thine al-glorious Spirit, bee all glory and thankſgiuing aſcribed and returned heartily and throughly now and for euer more. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Greenwood, The Blessedest Birth that Ever Was (1634)