A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 4
4. An Euening Prayer for a priuate Perſon.
MOſt mercifull God and gratious Father in Ieſus Chriſt, were it not that thou haſt made a gratious promiſe in thy word, that whatſoeuer is aſked of thee in ye name of thy Sonne, ſhall bée beſtowed, I ſhould not dare to preſſe into thy preſence, being guilty to my ſelfe of ſo many ſinnes which I hauehave heaped vp in thy ſight, from the beginning of my dayes vntill this preſent. I am by nature (O Lorde) the child of wrath, a vaſſall of Sathan, no better then a very firebrand of hell. It is thy great mercy, that I eſcaped the fury of thy wrath, due vntounto mée at the very inſtant of my birth, in reſpect of that maſſe of corruptiō which I brought with mée from my my mothers wombe. Neither hauehave I, ſince I came to vnderſtanding, any whit amended or bettered my firſt eſtate: but I hauehave added to it a numberleſſe number of tranſgreſſions, breaking eueryevery of thy commandements by thought, word and déede, ſinning in many things againſt knowledge, againſt conſcience and againſt that light which thou haſt giuen me; yea, cleane againſt many vowes and promiſes of better obedience. I hauehave no colour of excuſe, nothing hauehave I to plead in the defence of my many ſlips: If I diſpute with thée, I muſt néedes lay my hand vponupon my mouth, and learne to abhorre my ſelfe in duſt and aſhes. And (Lord) giuegive me, I beſéech thee, a fleſhy and melting heart, that nothing may more affect mée, or touch me more deepely then to ſée my owne vileneſſe, and how diſobedient and ſtubborne I hauehave béene towardes thee, which haſt euen heaped vponupon mee ſo many fauours. Make me aſhamed of my barrenneſſe and vnfruitfulneſſe in my profeſſion, who hauehave giuen thee iuſt cauſe to range mée among thoſe hypocrites which make a ſhew of godlineſſe, but yet deny the power thereof. Beget in me that godly ſorow which cauſeth true repentāce neuer to be repented of; that I may bee grieued in my very ſoule for my ſins, not ſo much becauſe of the danger of hell that followeth, as becauſe I hauehave offended thee, the louelove of whoſe maieſtie ought to bee a ſufficient motiue to obedience. And for the furtherance of my humiliation & ſorow, cauſe me, O Lord, to ſearch & to try my wayes, to call my ſelfe to a ſtraite account, that I may ſée my ſins in particular, the vanitie of my heart, my extreame deadnes & ſecuritie, my pride & hautines of ſpirit, my backwardneſſe to all good ſeruices, my worldly-mindedneſſe, my ambitious riſing and crauing thoughts, my want of charity & mercy to others, my miſcariage in my place & calling, my idle & vnbeſéeming ſpeaches, my offenſiue & ſcandalous behauiour: thus (O Lord) make me carefull to rip vp my heart and life, that ſo I may ſet my ſins in order before me, & may thereby become the more humble & the more forward to caſt down my ſelfe before thee, & to iudge my ſelfe, that I may not be iudged of thee. Yet withall (moſt gratious God) make me able in ye middeſt of all this, to reach out the hand of faith, & to lay hold vpō Ieſus Chriſt, whō thou haſt ordained to be ye recōciliatiō for my ſins. I know (O Lord) ye vertue of his blood, yt it can make my ſins, though they were as crimſm, yet to become as white as ſnowe. O then (I beſéech thee) couer my filthy nakedneſſe with his glorious righteouſneſſe; cloth me with the garments of his Saluatiō, that ſo therby I may be holy and vnblameable & without fault in thy ſight. Speake peace vntounto my Conſcience by thy holy Spirit. Say vntounto my ſoule, I am thy Saluation. My fayth (O Lorde) is but weake and poore: ſtrengthen it, I beſéech thée, and bring it forward, by thy mighty working, vntounto more perfection. Thou haſt promiſed not to quench the ſmoking flaxe, nor to breake ye bruiſed réede: beare then, I pray thee, with my ſcantneſſe, and helpe my vnbeliefe, perfite the worke of thy owne hands, performe it vntill the day of Ieſus Chriſt. My fayth is that I muſt liue by; it is my victorie: thou (O Lord) in mercy haſt begun it: cheriſh it (I beſéech thée) together with all thoſe graces which accompany ſaluation, that they may bee in mee, as a well of water, ſpringing vppe into euerlaſting life. And graunt, yt I may not be preſumingly ſecure touching mine owne eſtate, but may euer and anone bee proouing and examining my ſelfe, whether I am in the fayth or no; and that I may alſo ſtudy and ſtriue to giuegive euidence of my fayth, by ſhewing forth good works, and by bringing foorth good fruite, euen fruite worthy amendement of life. I am compaſſed about with many weakeneſſes, and (as I hauehave found by the experience of this one day) Sathan is full of malicious cunning, to worke vponupon all aduantages; O Lorde, ſtrengthen mee to reſiſt him, giuegive mee holy wiſedome to to diſcouer his ſleights, and grace to withſtand his moſt ſharpe aſſaults. Arme mee alſo againſt the reproches and obloquies of the worlde. I hauehave learned in thy word, that if I ſerue thee in ſinceritie, my name ſhall bée put out as euill amongſt men: giuegive mée both care to cary my ſelfe out of the reach of iuſt exception, and reſolution alſo to ſacrifice my credit & eſtimation, yea, euen my life it ſelfe if néed be, to thy glory.
Teach mee to learne of the author and finiſher of my fayth, to deſpiſe the ſhame, and to endure the ſpeaking againſt of ſinners, in reſpect of that eternall waight of ioy and glorie which is ſet before me. And now (Lorde) with the bowing of my Soule, I bleſſe thy name for this daies preſeruation. How many euils hauehave I eſcaped to which I was ſubiect by nature, and to which I had made my ſelfe ſubiect through ſin? It is thou (Lord) onelyonly which makeſt mee to dwell in ſafety. Stretch out the wings of thy grace & protectiō ouer me this night: though ſléepe ſeize vponupon the eyes of my body, yet let not ſecuritie oppreſſe my ſoule: kéepe mée from idle fancies & from vaine dreames: giuegive me a ſober and ſanctified vſe of al outward refreſhings, that I may alwayes in all things ayme at this one thing, namely, how I may be the better fitted to ſerue thee faythfully in my place and calling; and that for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, thy onelyonly Sonne, and through thy mercy, my louing Sauiour, Amen.