Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 40 – Prayer 43
A prayer againſt tbe ſecret venim, and great danger of proſperity.
O Lord, prepare my heart to wiſedom, prepare it to prayer, and teach my ſoule to feele all the dangers wherewith it is beſet on eueryevery ſide: and grant good Father, that I m…y not pray in wordes, or in ſound of ſpeech, but in Spirite and Faith. I acknowledge to thee O Lord, thy great mercies toward mee at this time; for beſide the vnſpeakable graces of my redemption, and of my holy calling in the Goſpell, (which are euermore good) thou haſt giuen me a large meaſure of earthly bleſſings, my table is richly and daintily furniſhed, my Cup ouer-floweth, mine enemies are chaſed away, and I feele no want, no affliction, no ſorrow. My proſperitie leadeth mee, as by the hand, from one delight to another, and from one pleaſure to another. In the morning, peace is at my right hand, and at night quietneſſe at my left. O Lord are not theſe thy bleſſings? Haſt not thou opened thy mercifull hand, and filled me with all theſe comforts? True it is, O Lord, that they came all from thee, and for them I am indebted vntounto thee, and giuegive thee hearty thanks. But alas, O Lord, I finde by experience that proſperitie (ſuch is our infirmitie) carrieth vsus too too farre away, it feedeth vsus from day to day, and from time to time, with new delights, it ingendereth alſo ſecretly ſuch peace and confidence in theſe things, which are but as a reede to leane vponupon, that we are carried away, wee forget not thee onelyonly, but our ſelues alſo. But the day of aduerſitie, the day of ſickneſſe, the day of trouble, that layeth open our weakeneſſe, it cauſeth much care to bee releaſed, it prouoketh many praiers for releefe. O it is a happy day, a day of returning to the Lord, a day of repentance, as in Sackcloath and Aſhes. O how may my ſoule praiſe the day of affliction, wherein I called vponupon the name of the Lord, and hee heard mee, and I found that his rod comforted me. Neuertheleſſe, O good Lord, conſider and helpe: two dayes of health, take away the fruite of many dayes of ſickneſſe: wee are as men Sea-ſicke, that comming on the ſhore, preſently returne to ioy and mirth, and forget both dangers on the Sea; and dangers on the Land. So came it to paſſe from age to age in thy people of Iſrael, being tied faſt in miſerie, and iron, they called vponupon thee and receiued merciemercy; being deliuered, they ſoone turned backe like a bow, and became drunken with proſperitie. Then thy face was againſt them, thy anger was kindled, and they caſt into affliction againe: but in their miſeries they renewed their prayers and thou diddeſt renew thy grace: but new proſperitie brought new rebellion, and new rebellion new puniſhments, and new puniſhments new conuerſation. The houſe of mirth was to them, and is to all, a baite to wantonneſſe: but in the houſe of ſorrow, a prouocation of humilitie and prayer. Proſperitie is as a Cup of wine mingled with poyſon, as a bed of ſecuritie, and a way to deſtruction. Therefore, O Lord with the fulneſſe of earthly things, giuegive mee alſo the fulneſſe of ſpi…ituall thinges, that I forget thee not in vanity of life, or in the falſe delights of ſinfull fleſh. O keepe my heart that it bee not made drunken with proſperity: but grant mee in ſoberneſſe to vſe thy bleſſings to thy glory, and to the releefe of my Brethren: and when I reioyce, not to reioyce in theſe baſe things (for that reioycing is euill) but to reioyce in thee, turning my mirth from wanton Daunces, from vaine Songs, from other carnall delights, to exerciſes of Religion, to helpes of knowledge, & ſinging of Pſalmes, with melodie to thee in my heart.
Finally, O Lord, ſeeing that in this earthly proſperity there is ſo great abuſe and ſo preſent danger for want of grace to abuſe them: O Lord teach mee the true vſe of them, that I may not ſet my heart thereon, but in thee, giuing thee thanks for them: and labouring with all diligence through thy grace in Ieſus Chriſt, that they bee not through my wickedneſſe turned into curſes. As Salomon teacheth wiſedome, to take heede of an Harlot, ſo teach mee to take heed of vaine pleaſures, in worldly matters, that I be not bewitched with proſperity, and forget thee, bathing my ſelfe in pleaſures, and neuer ſetting thee before mine eyes. O mercifull Father for thy deerely beloued Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, worke this in mee, that I may bee rich in good workes: that I may hauehave, as not hauing: that I may vſe the world, as not abuſing it, but vſing it to thy glory and praiſe, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and onelyonly Sauiour, to whom with thee and the holy Ghoſt, three perſons, and one God, bee all praiſe, honor, and glory both now and for euer, Amen.
A Prayer againſt Whoredome and vncleanneſſe.
O God, which by thy holy word haſt commanded, that for the auoyding of the filthy ſinne of fornication, eue…y man ſhould hauehave his lawfull wife, and eueryevery woman enioy her lawfull huſband, threatning death and damnation to all ſuch as ſeek to liue contrary to thy commandement herein: I humbly beſeech thee for Chriſts ſake, that thou wilt mortifie and kill in me all carnall concupiſcence, filthy motions, and fleſhly deſires, by the operation of thy holy Spirit in me, that I neuer defile either my body or ſoule in this loathſome and ſtinking ſinne of whoredome, adultery, fornication, Inceſt, or other vncleanneſſe of body whatſoeuer, but liuing purely & vnpolluted therewith all the dayes of my life, I may practiſe to pleaſe thee in all my proceedings. I know (O Lord) that fleſh and blood, (the filthy vncleane workes of fleſh and blood) cannot enter into thy habitation, nor yet poſſeſſe any portion in thine euerlaſting kingdome of glory: & therefore whenſoeuer the diuell, his wicked members, the world, or the fleſh, ſhall tempt and prouoke mee to preparation hereto, giuegive me power and ſtrength to withſtand their aſſaults, and put into my minde to conſider that thine eyes doe behold me, and thine holy Angels looke vponupon me alſo: that the horrible company of diuels compaſſe me about, ready to regiſter my filthy fact in a booke of memo…ials againſt the great day of the Lord. And ſo by thy gracious aſſiſtance, and th…ſe good conſiderations, I may be… partly terrified, and partly aſhamed for euer to commit the ſame; knowing that thou who ſparedſt not the former world, but deſtroyedſt Sodom and Gomorrha with fire & brimſtone from heauen, the whole world with water; the Citty of the Sichemites with the edge of the ſword, and the children of Iſrael at ſundry times, ſlaying infinite Millions of them for this horrible vice, wilt not ſpare me a moſt wicked and abhominable ſinner, if I commit the like offence. Wherefore (bleſſed Father) ſuffer mee not thy deere Child in Ieſus Chriſt, bought with thy moſt precious blood, to bee once ſpotted, ſtained, or blemiſhed, either in body or mind, with this filthy ſtinking ſinne of whoredome & fornication, that I appearing cleane in thy ſight, may after this life ended liue with thee, thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, and the holy Ghoſt: one true and euer liuing God, world without end, Amen.
A Prayer againſt Couetouſnes and ambition.
ALmighty God, and moſt mercifull Father, who haſt commanded eueryevery man to labour and trauaile in his vocation and calling, thereby to releeue his neceſſities, and to maintaine his eſtate, and haſt promiſed thereto thy bleſſing. Bleſſe I beſeech thee, all my actions and laboures which I ſhall at any time take in hand in thy name, and thereby I receiuing ſufficent ſuſtentation & maintenance for mine eſtate and calling, may be free from the inſatiable deſires of couetouſnes, ambition, auarice, and all deſire of vnlawfull gaine; knowing that thoſe that deſire to bee rich, fall into diuers tem…ptations and ſnares of the diuel. From which cō tagious infection, I beſeech thee ſo much more warily to keepe mee, by how much more I finde the ſame forbidden in thy holy word. The holy Apoſtle calleth it idolatry, worſhipping of Idols, and the roote of all euill, excluding them out of the kingdome of heauen that be infected therewith. And thy deere Son Ieſus Chriſt telleth vsus, that it ſhall be eaſier for the Camell to goe through the eye of a needle, then for a rich man (that is a couetous rich man, whoſe affiance is in his riches) to enter into the kingdome of heauen. Wherefore (good Father) keepe me farre from this filthy vice of couetouſneſſe and ambition, & grant that I hauing food for my body, and cloathes for my backe, with all other neceſſaries incident to this life, may bee well contented therewith, not coueting or deſiring any more: and all the daies of my life in true ſimplicity of heart, may giuegive thee praiſe for the ſame. Finally, grant that I ſeeking the kingdome of heauen and the righteouſneſſe thereof, as thou haſt commanded vsus in thy holy word, may receiue the reward of thy promiſe, that is, all things neceſſary for this life, and in the life to come euerlaſting glorie, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and Sauiour, Amen.
A Prayer againſt vſuall and common ſwearing.
ETernall God and lou…ng Father, in thy holy word, the word of truth, thou ſayeſt that the man who vſeth to ſweare much is accurſed, and the plague ſhall neuer depart from his houſe: and in thy holy Goſpell haſt ſaid, that we ſhall render account at the day of iudgement for eueryevery idle word that we ſhall ſpeake. O how much more ſhall we giuegive accounts of eueryevery p…ophane, blaſphemous and bloody oath, that wee ſweare? And therefore to the end wee might auoyd thy vengeance againſt that day, thou haſt commanded vsus not to ſweare at all, but that our communication be yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatſoeuer is more then that, commeth of euill. Wherefore I beſeech thee (good Lord) in the bowels of mercy, ſo to diſpoſe & order my tongue and mouth (the vſe whereof thou haſt giuen me aboue other creatures to glorifie thee withall) that thereby I abuſe nor blaſpheme not thy holy name. For true it is (O Lord) that ſwearers & blaſphemers of thy holy name, as much as lyeth in them, do crucifie thy Sonne afreſh, and are as guilty of his blood as Iudas was that betrayed him, or the curſed Iewes that ſlewe him.
And ſeeing that to ſweare by thee, whoſe bleſſed name is neuer to bee thought of, nor yet once called into queſtion, but with great reuerence, feare, and dread, is moſt horrible blaſphemy, and to ſweare by any creature elſe, is moſt deteſtable Idolatry, keepe me I beſeech thee from all manner of vnlawfull ſwearing, and from all wicked bloody Oaths, that both my heart, tongue, and mouth, and all parts elſe both of body and ſoule, may bee inſtruments of praiſe to ſet forth thy glory, all the daies of my life, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and Sauiour, Amen.