A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 3
3. A Morning Prayer for a priuate Perſon.
O Almightie Father, the Father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and in him my Father alſo, how vnworthy and wretched a Creature were I, if receiuing ſo many bleſſings frō thee I ſhould not ſtirre vp my ſelfe to returne ſome thankefulneſſe vntounto thee for the ſame! It is euen thou (O Lorde) which from my firſt being vntill now, haſt couered me vnderunder thy wings, and vnderunder thy feathers I hauehave béene ſure. My body & ſoule, my health, my ſtrength, my maintenāce, whence hauehave I theſe things but from thee? The ſafety of this night, the quiet reſt, wherwith I hauehave béene refreſhed, to whom can I aſcribe it but onelyonly vntounto thee? That I hauehave liued hitherto, that I hauehave not béene ſwallowed vp with ſome ſuddaine iudgement, that Sathan had not had his will vponupon me, that I know the way and the meanes vntounto a better life, that I am deliuered from the power of darkneſſe and tranſlated into the kingdome of thy deare Sonne, that I hauehave daily acceſſe into thy glorious preſence, whence are all theſe, but from the freedome of thy grace?
If thou hadſt giuen mée my deſert, I ſhould hauehave periſhed long agoe: it is from thy mercy alone that I am not conſumed.
O Lord make mee aſhamed of mine vnthankefulneſſe, wound my hart with the conſideration of my owne dulneſſe, whom ſo many kindneſſes hauehave not wrought vntounto more obedience. And vouchſafe, I pray thee, notwithſtanding the ſmalneſſe of my deſeruing, yet to looke graciouſly vponupon this my morning ſacrifice of prayſe, which I do here tender vntounto thy Maieſty: let not, I beſéech thée, ye ſcantnes and barrennes of my ſeruice, make thee to turne away thine eyes, and to hauehave no regarde vntounto mine offering; But as thou art wont to ſpare thy ſeruants euen as a man ſpareth his owne ſonne that ſerueth him, and in them to accept the will for the ful performance: ſo be pleaſed to looke vponupon mée in Ieſus Chriſt, and for his ſake to remit my former vngratefulneſſe, and to ſtrengthen me by thy grace for the time to come, in ſome good meaſure to reforme the ſame. And to the end (O God) that I may manifeſt the trueth of my deſire to be thankefull, I beſéech thee, to beget in me a holy care both this day and for euer, to walke worthy of that calling wherevnto I am called, to ſtudy to pleaſe thee with reuerence and with feare; & by a blameleſſe, pure and vnrebukeable conuerſation, to ſhine as a light amongſt men. I cannot, I confeſſe, doe this of my ſelfe, I hauehave in mee the ſame corruption of nature which the moſt wicked hath: I entreat thée therefore to worke in mee that which is pleaſant in thy ſight: GiueGive me a cleane heart and a right ſpirit: make mee to vnderſtand aright the way of thy precepts, direct me in the path of thy commandements, knit my ſoule vntounto thee, and make it to cleaue vntounto thy teſtimonies: ſtay mee, and ſtabliſh me, that my foot-ſteps may not ſlide. Crucifie my fleſh with the affections and luſtes: mortifie my members which are on earth: ſuppreſſe and ſubdue that law in my members, which leades mee captiue vntounto the law of ſinne: Graunt that I may ſenſibly féele the power of Chriſtes death killing corruption in mee, and the power of his reſurrection raiſing mee vppe vntounto newneſſe of life; Make mee to reſolue, to renounce euen my ſwéeteſt and beſt-pleaſing ſinnes, and not to take libertie to my ſelfe to continue in any knowne vngodlineſſe. Let it bée inough that I hauehave hitherto giuen the raynes vntounto mine owne luſts: graunt that heereafter I may take no thought for the fleſh, to content it, but may ſtriue rather to curbe and to ſubdue it, and to bring it vnderunder the yoke of due obedience. And (good Lorde) encreaſe my fayth, and better my féeling and apprehenſion of thy louelove, that I may with courage and chearefulneſſe runne the race which is ſet before me; Bleſſe mee alſo this day in the dutyes of my calling. Idleneſſe and godlineſſe cannot agrée: and it is thy will, that in the ſweate of my face I ſhould eate my bread: Preſerue me from all fraudulent, guilefull, oppreſſing, gréedy courſes: draw my affections from the louelove of the world: fixe my heart vpō the things which are aboue: If things ſuccéede according to my minde, make mee thankefull to thée which haſt giuen the bleſſing: If any croſſe come, make mee patient and carefull to profit by eueryevery chaſtizement. And becauſe the daily occaſions of danger to my ſoule are infinite, teach me to put on thy whole armor, and to kéepe my heart with all diligence, to furniſh my ſelfe with holy meditations, to make a couenant with mine eyes, to kéepe my mouth with a bridle for the auoyding of all filthy communication, to vſe ſuch words as may miniſter grace vntounto the hearers, to bée ſober in diet, wary in diſports, moderate in apparell, choiſe in my company, and euer to practiſe that cōtinuall feare which hath a promiſe of bleſſedneſſe. Finally (Lord) ſo guide mee through the courſe of this whole day, both in my priuate and more publique imployments, that if I liue by thy ſufferance vntill night, I may hauehave much comfort in the taking notice of thy grace and goodneſſe towards me: and all this for Chriſt Ieſus ſake thy onelyonly Sonne, and my alone Sauiour. Amen.