A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 1
1. A Morning Prayer, for priuate Families.
MOſt gratious GOD and louing FATHER, in all humilitie of ſoule, and vnfained acknowledgement of our bounden duty, we preſent our ſelues heere before thy throne of maieſtie, and glory, deſiring in ſome meaſure to ſhew our thankfulneſſe for the multitude of thy mercies heaped vponupon vsus thy moſt vnworthy ſeruants. By thee at the firſt we were fearefully and wonderfully made, thou coueredſt vsus in our mothers wombes, thou gaueſt vsus the ſhape of men & women, when it was free for thee to hauehave equalled vsus vsus vntounto thy baſeſt creatures: ſince, it hath pleaſed thée to preſerue vsus, to watch ouer vsus and to guard vsus by thy prouidence, to open thy hand, and to repleniſh vsus with good things, to giuegive vsus foode and rayment, health, libertie & peace: O Lord thy compaſſions faile not, but they are renued euerie morning: euen in this night paſt, we hauehave receiued an apparant euidence of thy louelove: For whereas, for the ſinnes committed the day before, thou mighteſt euen in the deade of ſleepe hauehave taken our ſoules from vsus, and ſo ſuddenly hauehave brought vsus to our account, it hath been thy pleaſure yet to ſpare vsus; and not onlie ſo, but to refreſh vsus with quiet reſt, and to bring vsus in ſafetie to the beginning of this day. Grant (O Lord) wee pray thee, that the ordinarie vſe of theſe thy kindneſſes, may not make vsus the leſſe to eſteem them: but ſo affect our hearts with the apprehenſion of them, that we may learne to admire thy mercy, which dealeſt ſo gratiouſly with ſuch vnthankfull perſons as wee hauehave alwayes béene, and may euen bind our ſelues to ſtriue to ſhew all obedience & duty to thee, which doſt ſo enlarge thy goodnes vntounto vsus. But chiefelie (O Lord) raiſe vp (we beſeech thee) our hearts and our affections from theſe outward fauours (the leaſt of which notwithſtanding is greater then the beſt of our deſeruings) and drawe vsus to the ſerious conſideration of thoſe bleſſings, which doe more directlie concerne a better life. Make vsus thankefully mindfull of the grace of election, by which thou fréely choſeſt vsus in Chriſt to be veſſels of merciemercy, before we were; of thy ſending thy ſonne out of thine owne boſome, being in thine owne forme, to take on him the forme of a ſeruant, and to become obedient vntounto the death euen ye death of the Croſſe for our ſakes; of thy calling vsus out of the kingdome of darknes by the power of the goſpel preached, of thy ſhining into our hearts by the enlightening of thy ſpirit; of quickening vsus when we were dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes; of thy begetting vsus againe vntounto a liuelie hope; of the firſt fruites of the ſpirit, and of that earneſt of our inheritance which thou haſt giuen vsus: of the dailie free vſe and libertie of thy worde, whereby that great myſterie of godlines yea euen thy whole counſell is cléerelie reuealed to vsus. O Lord teach vsus to conſider what miſerable creatures wee were in our ſelues, & what a fearefull caſe we had yet beene in, if thou hadſt left vsus to our ſelues: that ſo the veiw of theſe vnſpeakable and vndeſerued fauours may euen rauiſh our ſpirits, and ſo poſſeſſe our hearts that we may conſtantly reſolue, henceforth to giuegive vppe our ſelues as a liuing ſacrifice, holie and acceptable vntounto thee, and to deuote all our powers both of ſoule and body to the glorie and honor of thy name. And (Lord) enable vsus hereunto we pray thée; for we are not ſuffcient of our ſelues, to thinke anie thing, as of our ſelues, we are naturally reprobate to euerie good worke. Open therefore the eies of our mind, that we may ſee what is good, and what thou requireſt of vsus; teach vsus to make thy word our delight & counſellor; that by it we may be informed in thy paths: put thy ſpirit within vsus, and cauſe vsus to walke in thy ſtatutes; let our eares continually hear a word behind vsus, ſaying, This is the way; giuegive vsus hearts of fleſh, yéelding, & pliable affections; ſubdue the crookednes of our nature, and bring it vnderunder the obedience of Chriſt. And when thou haſt entred vsus into a good courſe, vphold vsus therein by thy alſufficient grace, ſtabliſh vsus in euerie worde and good worke, fill vsus with the fruites of righteouſneſſe, let vsus not be idle nor vnfruitfull-in our profeſſion: but graunt that wee may bee euen rich in good workes, and ſo may adorne the doctrine of thée our Sauiour in all thinges, making the aduerſaries of thy truth aſhamed, when they ſhall hauehave nothing concerning vsus to ſpeake euill of. And ſhield vsus (O Lord) we earneſtlie intreate thee, againſt the malice and rage and fury of the diuel: giuegive vsus wiſedome to diſcerne his policies, and courage to reſiſt euen his moſt fiery aſſaults: make vsus wiſe againſt the beguiling entiſements of this ſinfull world: let vsus not be caried awaie with the ſtreame of theſe corrupt times: harden our faces, againſt the reproches & enmities of euill men: ſuffer vsus not to bee wearyed nor to faint in our minds for any tribulations, ſanctifie vntounto vsus euerie affliction, that it maie bee a meanes to purge out our corruptions. Draw our mindes from the louelove of this preſent world, teach vsus to vſe it as if wee vſed it not, graunt that wee may euer remember that wee hauehave heere no continuing citty; that ſo we may ſéeke for that kingdome that cannot be ſhaken, but is eternall in the heauens: Cauſe vsus to depend vponupon thy prouidence, and to caſt our care and burden vponupon thee; aſſuring our ſelues that thou which haſt giuen vsus Chriſt, canſt not but with him giuegive vsus all thinges alſo. And (Lord) if at any time we fall by occaſion into a fault (as who are we, that we ſhould preſume?) put vnderunder thy hand we beſéech thée, deliuer vsus out of the mire that we ſinke not, let not ſinne ſwallow vsus vppe, let it not grow ſtrong vponupon vsus, leaſt wee periſh. Enable vsus vntounto diligence and faithfulnes in our ſeuerall callings, teach vsus to lift vppe our heartes to thee for a bleſſing vponupon our indeuours, and to remember that we are alwayes in thy preſence; that ſo we may ſtudie to walke with thee and to approue our very thoughts vntounto thee. GiueGive vsus a ſober vſe of thy creatures, make vsus readie to reach out our hands vntounto the wants of others; beget in vsus a godlie iealouſie ouer our ſelues, that we may walke circumſpectly, taking heede to our ſelues, in our eatings, in our apparell, in our companie, in our recreations, often conſidering our wayes, and labouring quicklie after euerie error, to turne our féete into thy teſtimonies. And (Lord) cauſe vsus to be earneſtlie mindfull of the eſtate of thy whole Church: bleſſe all kingdomes and ſtates profeſſing thy truth, bee gratious eſpeciallie to this our kingdome, forgiue the crying ſins of the times, continue thy goſpel, diſappoint the hope and expectation of all Papiſts, let them periſh as manie as hauehave euill will at Sion, diſcouer Antichriſt more and more, enlarge the territories of thy church, ſtabliſh thy kingdome of grace, haſten the kingdome of glorie. Heape thy bleſſings vppon our gratious King, make him a further inſtrument of much good vntounto thy choſen, bleſſe his Quéen, proſper the worke of thine owne handes begun in the young Prince, ſhew mercy to the reſt of the royall progenie. Be gracious to the Councell, to the Court, the Nobles, the Gentry of the Realme, graunt that they may all ayme at the honouring of thee, by whom they hauehave receiued honor amongſt men; Bee with the Magiſtracy & Miniſtrie of the Realme, make thy word to grow by the labours of thoſe whome thou haſt appointed to the ſeruice of thy church: Containe the ſubiects in their due obedience to authority, bring to nought all tumultuous & rebellious practiſes; comfort al thine afflicted ſeruants, refreſh them with a ſweete feeling of thy fauour. GiueGive vsus compaſſionate harts, and a fellow feeling of others miſeries; prepare vsus vntounto the daie of triall, and keepe vsus by thy mightie power, through faith, vntounto ſaluation. Graunt vsus theſe good thinges, for Chriſts ſake: in whoſe name, wee commend our ſelues and our ſutes vntounto thee, ſaying as he hath taught vsus,
Our Father &c.