A Help Unto Devotion, Prayer 5
5. A more particular Morning Prayer on the beginning of a Sabbath day.
MAnifold (O Lorde) are thy mercies, & thy goodneſſe is infinite. In eueryevery particular which befalleth mee, I hauehave aboundant experience of thy louelove. It is much (moſt gratious God) that I, which hauehave ſo many wayes prouoked thee, ſhould bee let to liue, to behold the light and comfort of the day: But much more is it, that hauing béene heretofore a profaner of thy holy day, a barren and an hypocriticall profeſſor of thy word, a fruitleſſe and an vnprofitable hearer, I ſhould yet enioy the bleſſed opportunitie of another Sabaoth. How iuſtly mightſt thou long ſince hauehave fatted vp my heart and giuen mee ouer vntounto a reprobate mind, taking from me the comfortable and happie freedome of going into thy houſe, and of giuing attendance vponupon the poſtes of thy doores! O teach mee (I pray theée) to value thy mercy in this behalfe according to the true worth thereof: Suffer me not ſlightly to entertaine either this or any other of thy fauours. And, as thou haſt brought mee to the beginning of this holy reſt: ſo enable me, (I beſéech thee) to thee ſanctifying it, and to ſuch a kind of ſpending the ſame as thou requireſt. Teach mee to remember that it is thine owne ordinance, euen one of thoſe vnchangeable lawes, which thou wroteſt with thine owne finger, that this day ſhould after a more ſpeciall manner be diuerted & deuoted to thy ſeruice, & that thou haſt not therefore reſtrained outward imployments in our callings becauſe idelenes pleaſeth thee, or becauſe eaſe giuen vntounto ye fleſh is a part of thy worſhip; but yt yu haſt in thy infinite wiſedome ſo appointed it, that being fréed from all other encombrances, we might wholy apply our ſelues, eyther to the publique or priuate exerciſes of godlineſſe GiueGive mee therefore grace (I moſt humbly entreat thee) that I may call thy Sabbaoth a delight to conſecrate it as glorious vntounto thee, and that I may beware of doing mine owne waies, or of ſéeking mine own will, or of ſpeaking vaine words, and may euen bind my ſelfe to a ſerious and continued courſe of ſeruing thée in the practiſe of ſuch dueties as belong to the hallowing of this day. I know (O Lord) that herein I ſhall méet with many lets; mine owne corrupt nature will repine & thinke this a yoke and a burden that cannot be endured: abroad in the world, I ſhall ſée many vaine faſhions, followed by great troupes, making thy day a day of carnal pleaſure; I ſhall be derided and ſcorned, if I refuſe to doe as others doe. I ſhal méet alſo with many cunning perſwaders, which will ſéeke by plauſible reaſons to draw mee from diligence and conſtancy in this courſe. O Lorde (I beſéech thée) euen with the bowing of my heart, to make me ſtrong againſt all theſe withdrawments: Grant that I may more eſtéeme obedience to thee, then either the cōtenting of mine own ſenſual affections, or ye auoyding of reproche amōg profane perſons, or ye ſatiſfying of men; be their pretenſes, what they may be. I am taught (O Lord) & I do belieue it, that thy yoke is eaſie, & that thy cōmandements are not grieuous: & I know that by a holy vſe in theſe religious ſeruices, I ſhall make them ſo familiar vntounto me, & ſhall alſo find that excéeding ſwéetnes in them, that I ſhal euen long for thy Sabaoth before it comes, & the time will ſéeme ſhort vntounto me that is ſo beſtowed. And for this day (moſt louing Father) I pray thee bleſſe vntounto me the particular buſineſſes thereof. In praying, giuegive me reuerēce to thy Maieſtie, ſenſe of my own wāts, fayth in thy promiſes, freſh remembrance of thy former kindneſſes, charitable & compaſſionate & yéelding affections towards others. In hearing vouchſafe mee an vnlocked & an vnderſtāding heart, a right iudgement, meekenes of ſpirit, liuelines of affectiō, faſtnes of memory. In cōmunicating at thy table, beſtow on me an hūbled ſoule, a hungring heart, a cōſcience purged from dead workes, power of ſweet meditation vponupon the death of Chriſt. In looking vponupon the adminiſtration of Baptiſme, afforde mee mindfulneſſe of mine owne vowe, remorſe for my often fayling in that ſolemne promiſe, earneſtneſſe of deſire for the good of the baptized, ioy for the encreaſe of thy Church. In ſinging, take frō me all both dulnes and vanity, make me to ſing with a grace in my heart, ſtill ſtriuing to lift vp my ſoule vntounto thee. Enlarge my heart towards others, as occaſion ſhall be offered, that I may bee ready to giuegive to thoſe that want, forward in eueryevery good work, comfortable to the ſicke, tender hearted to thoſe whom thou haſt humbled, apt to make peace, where diſcord is. Let all workes of mercy bee a delight vntounto me, and make mee carefulll not to ſtay till I am prouoked, but to ſéeke occaſions to doe good. And when I am priuate (O Lord) ſanctifie my thoughts, that I may meditate in good things, and may hide thy worde in my ſecret parts, and may louelove it, and eſpecially that I may ſhewe the fruite of it in all my conuerſation. Finally, I humbly pray thee, ſo to guide me both in publique and priuate dutyes, that when it commeth to euening, I may féele my knowledge to be encreaſed, my fayth ſtrengthened, my ſoule & conſcience abundantly refreſhed, and all this for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, & for thine owne Names ſake Amen.