Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 1
A prayer containing the effect of the Houſholders Catechiſme.
ALmighty God, and moſt mercifull Father, I ſee in thy bleſſed Lawes and Commandments, the greatneſſe of my ſinnes and wickedneſſe: yea, I ſee O Lord my God, the whole courſe of my life to be almoſt nothing elſe, but a continuall breaking of thy holy Lawes and Commandements. The thoughts of my heart (eyther in vanitie, or elſe open wickedneſſe) are in number infinite, daily in the aboundance of them, cauſing my mouth to ſpeake, and my bodie to execute, and doe contrarie to thy holie will. And againe, O Lord, I ſee thy heauie wrath, vengeance and iudgement againſt ſin, to be intollerable, that euen the leaſt wicked thoughtes, and moſt ſecret cogitations of my heart, procureth thy heauy wrath and euerlaſting curſe, the torments of hell, and euerlaſting fire, euen although I had but once in all my life broken any of thy Commandements, ſo much as once in thought. And I know, O Lord GOD, that thou art true and iuſt, and canſt not abide ſinne and wickedneſſe, but will iuſtly puniſh euerie ſinne, euen with the ſelfeſame torments of hell, which thy iuſtice hath appointed.
This O Lord my God, throweth me downe, and euen amazeth me ſo that I know not what to doe. I looke into my ſelfe, viewing mine owne power, whether I am able to ouercome this puniſhment of my ſinne or no: and I ſee that all, euen the moſt exquiſite puniſhment which I can deuiſe of my ſelfe, in whipping of my body as long as I liue; wearing Hair-cloth, pining my ſelfe with faſting, or any other paine. I ſee, I ſee, O Lord, that all this puniſhment is not ſufficient for one of my leaſt ſinnes, becauſe it deſerueth euen the euerlaſting paines of hell. I looke to Heauen, I ſee there is no Saint, nor Angell, able to abide and ouercome this puniſhment of ſinne; I looke to men in this wo…ld, euen to the Popes Treaſure, that wicked man of ſin, and I ſee that neyther his Maſſe, nor Purgatory, Pilgrimage, Pardons, Pennance, Satiſfactions, nor any of ſuch like wicked ſtuffe, alas, I ſee they are nothing for the ſatiſfying for one of my leaſt wicked thoughts, ſeeing the puniſhment is due by the iuſt decree and ſentence of thy euerlaſting curſſe. Wherefore I am driuen out from my ſelfe, and all that I can doe, to ſeeke this puniſhment diſchargd other wher, or els to quaile vnderunder the burden; I ſee there is no help for me in Angels, Saints, nor Mortall men, but onelyonly in that perfecte man Chriſt Ieſus thy deare Sonne, in whom I ſee the full puniſhment of my ſinne wholy paide, ſatiſfied, diſcharged, and ouercome: death vanquiſhed, the paines of hell in victory ſwalowed vp, the curſſe ſatiſfied, and the eternity of the puniſhment (thorough his euerlaſting power) ouer-reached.
This I ſee (O Lord) by the eyes of faith, being through thy holy ſpirit, wholy aſſured, that all the whole puniſhment of ſinne payd by my Sauiour Chriſt, is not onelyonly paide for other men, but euen alſo for mee and my ſinne. This aſſurance of faith beeing thine onelyonly, worke in me, I beſeech thee in mercy to ſtrengthen and increaſe, for I feele it often full of wauering and doubting. Grant that I may dayly more and more in my ſoule and conſcience, feele my ſelfe knit and ingrafted into the body of thy Sonne, whereby I may be aſſured that whatſoeuer hee hath done, pertaineth to me, and is fully and wholy mine: that I may through the power of his death, feele ſinne dayly dye in mee, and thorough the power of his reſurrection feele my ſelfe riſen from ſinne, to hauehave my full ioy and comfort in thoſe things which bee agreeable to thy holy will, onelyonly deteſting, hating, and abhorring from my heart, all things which be contrary to thy will and pleaſure: that euen in this life I may ſtill looke for his endleſſe ioy & felicity, vſing the things of this world, as though I vſed them not, till that good time that it ſhall pleaſe thee to call me to thine euerlaſting kingdome of glory, there to raigne with my Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt for euer and euer. Amen.