Six Sermons, Prayers
A PRAYER FOR THE MORNING.
O Lord prepare our hearts to prayer.
… Lord God our heauenly father, we thy poore & wretched creatures, giuegive thee moſt humble & heartie thanks for our quiet and ſafe ſleepe, and for raiſing vsus vp from the ſame. We beſeech thee for Ieſus Chriſt his ſake, to proſper vsus this day in our labor and trauel, that principally it may be to thy glorie, next to the profit of our Maiſter and the Common-weale, and laſt of all to the diſcharging of our dutie in this our vocation. Grant deare father, that we may cheerfully and conſcionably do our buſineſſe and labours, not as men-pleaſers; but as ſeruing thee our God, knowing thee to be the chiefe Maiſter of vsus and our Maiſters, & that thou ſeeing and beholding vsus with thy fatherly eyes, promiſing reward to them that faithfully and truly walke in their vocation, and threatening euerlaſting death and damnatiō to them that deceiptfully and wickedly do their works and labours. We beſech thee ô heauenly father, to giuegive vsus the ſtrength of thy ſpirit, that godly and gladly we may ouercome our labours, and that the tediouſneſſe of this irkſome labour which thou for our ſins haſt powred vponupon al mankind, may ſeeme to vsus delectable and ſweet. Graunt ô deare Father, that we may chearfully walke in our vocation, and faithfully ſerue thee in this our ſeruice, and gladly and ioyfully go foorth in our labors. Fulfill now ô Lord theſe our requeſts, for thy ſon our Sauiours ſake, in whoſe name we pray as he him ſelfe hath taught vsus. Our Father &c.
Another Prayer.
ETernall God, all mightie and moſt mercifull, we thy vnworthie ſeruants proſtrate before the throne of grace, do yeeld our ſelues bodie and ſoule vntounto thee, for all thy benefits, which thou from our birth haſt heaped vponupon vsus, as though we had alwayes done thy will, although we occupied about vaine things, neuer marked, neuer loued, neuer ſerued, neuer thanked thee ſo heartily for them, as we eſteeme a mortall friend for the leaſt curteſie. Therefore we come with ſhame and ſorow to confeſſe our ſinnes, not ſmall but grieuous, not few but infinite, not paſt but preſent, not ſecret but preſumptuous againſt thy expreſſe word and will, againſt our owne conſcience, knowledge and liking if any had done them but our ſelues. O Lord if thou ſhouldſt require but the leaſt of thē at our hands, Sathan would chalenge vsus for his, and we ſhould neuer ſee thy face againe, nor the heauens, nor the earth, nor all the goodneſſe which thou haſt prepared for man: what ſhall we do then but appeale vntounto thy merciemercy, and humbly deſire thy fatherly goodneſſe to extend that compaſſion towards vsus, which thy beloued ſonne our louing Sauiour hath purchaſed ſo mightily, ſo mercifully, ſo graciouſly, & ſo dearely for vsus. We beleeue and know, that one drop of his bloud is ſufficient to heale our infirmities, pardon our iniquities, and ſupplie our neceſſities, & without thy grace our ſtrēgth, our guide, our life, we are able to do nothing but ſinne, as woful experience too long hath taught vsus, and the example of thoſe which are voyd thereof, whoſe life is nothing elſe but the ſeruice of the world, the fleſh & the deuill: therefore good Father, as thou in eſpeciall fauor haſt appointed vsus to ſerue thee like as thou haſt ordained all other creatures to ſerue vsus: ſo may it pleaſe thee to ſend down thine heauenly ſpirit into this earthly manſion, to illuminate our minds, mollifie our hearts, cleanſe our affections, ſubdue our reaſon, regenerate our willes, purifie our natures with thy ſpirit: ſo ſhall not thy benefits, nor thy chaſtiſements nor thy word returne void, but accōpliſh that, for the which they were ſent, vntill we be renued into the image of thy ſonne. Good Lord we beſeech thee to looke downe in the multitude of thy compaſſions vponupon thy militant church, this ſinfull Realme, thy gracious handmaid our dread Soueraigne, her honorable Counſellers, the ciuill magiſtrats, the painfull miniſters, the two Vniuerſities, the people that ſit in darkneſſe, and all that beare thy croſſe, gather vsus into one communion of thy truth, & giuegive vntounto eueryevery one a ſpirit vntounto his calling, that being mindfull of the account, and that we are called Chriſtians, may firmely reſolue, ſpeedily begin, and continually perſeuere in doing and ſearching thy moſt holy will. Good Lord bleſſe & ſanctifie our meeting, that no temptation hinder me in ſpeaking, or them in hearing, but that thy word may be heard & ſpoken as the word of God, which is able to ſaue our ſoules in that day: howſoeuer it pleaſeth thee by weake & fooliſh things to magnifie thy ſelfe, there is no cauſe ô Lord moſt iuſt, why thou ſhouldeſt heare ſinners, which art diſpleaſed with ſin, but for his ſake which hath ſuffered for ſin and ſinned not, in whoſe name we are bold to lift vp our hearts, hands, and voyces vntounto thee, ſaying as he hath taught vsus, O our Father &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Henry Smith, Six Sermons (1592)