Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 18 – Prayer 19
A Prayer for the obtaining of ſauing Faith.
O Eternall God, and mercifull Father, who in the riches of thy mercy, haſt ordained thine onelyonly Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, to bee the propitiation for the ſinnes of thine elect: that whoſoeuer beleeues in him ſhall not periſh, but hauehave euerlaſting life: that ſo many as receiue him, and beleeue in his Name, may hauehave power from him, to bee the Sonnes of God, and heires with him of eternall glory. And in thine infinite wiſedome, haſt ſo diſpoſed of me thy Creature, that being firſt eſtated by thee, in a condition of holineſſe, and falling willingly from the ſame, by mine owne rebellion, into a moſt fearfull & deſprate eſtate of ſinne and damnation: I might bee reſtored againe to a better condition of life and immortalitie, by the death & paſſion of thy deere Sonne. Looke downe I humbly pray thee, with the …ies of thy mercy vppon mee thy moſt vnwo…thy ſeruant, who doth vnfainedly here confeſſe before thee: that, though I am by Nature moſt ſinfull and miſerable; yet ſuch herein is my deſperate caſe: that through the blindnes of my minde, and hardnes of heart, which cannot repent, I am ſo farre from knowing my miſery, much leſſe how to helpe my ſelfe out of this wofull eſtate, that the very wiſedome of my fleſh, is emnity againſt thee. And my ſelfe, not onelyonly rebelling againſt the meanes, which might diſcouer vntounto mee my miſerie, but moſt deſperatly peruerting thoſe meanes, to the further hardning of my heart, and ſo to the more deſperate enwrapping me in the bonds of damnation, by heaping vp wrath againſt the day of wrath.
And therefore, Firſt I humbly pray thee Bleſſed Lord, who haſt the key of Dauid; that openeſt and no man ſhuts, that ſhuts and no man openeſt; to open the blind eies of my mind, that I deſcerne the wonderous things of thy law; that ſo in the true glaſſe of thy holy law, I may clearly diſcerne mine owne miſerable eſtate, and by the hammer of thy Law, my hard heart may be throughly broken, with the ſence of my ſinnes: that ſo feeling my ſinne a burthen, which I am not able to beare; I may be wholy confounded in my ſelfe, as diſcerning my ſelfe to bee an vtter caſt-a-way, and reprobate branch, fit for nothing, but for the vnquenchable fire of thy Ielouſie. O make me Lord, to ſee the inward vildneſſe of mine heart, and that all the thoughts, and imaginations thereof, are onelyonly euill continually: that though I may be happily free from groſſe euils, and ſeeme to ſhew forth ſome ciuill goodneſſe, yet thoſe may bee cōuinced to be moſt abhominable, becauſe they proceed from the filthy ſink of my heart: and the leſſe I diſcerne the euill of my waies the more I may acknowledg the deceitfulneſſe of mine heart, the more I may conuince the obliquitie thereof; that howſoeuer I ſeemed to be aliue, as being ignorant of my miſery: yet now diſcerning my ſelfe in thy righteous Law, I may not only acknowledge my ſelfe dead in ſinnes and treſpaſſes, and ſo vtterly ſenſeleſſe and vnable to helpe my ſelfe; but alſo, may renounce vtterly mine owne wit and wiſedome to any good, as being no better then deſperate Rebellion againſt thee.
Thus beeing confounded, and wholly caſt out of my ſelfe, and finding my caſe to be out of meaſure ſinfull, and ſo altogether deſperate in regard of any ability as of my ſelfe, to my recouery: O let mee not ſinke vtterly vnderunder this inſupportable burthen, but put thine holy hand vnderunder me, to preuent vtter diſpaire: and ſuſtaine mee ſecretly by thy mighty Power, that I bee not ſwallowed vp in death: Oh raiſe mee vp I humbly pray thee, with the hope of thy merciemercy, and leade me by the hand of thy grace, to ſeeke it where it may bee found. Bring me into the ſecret Chamber of thy gracious Preſence, where I may behold thy face in my Sauiour, and grant me to admire thine infinite wiſedome and merciemercy, in prouiding ſo ſoueraigne a remedie, for my diſtreſſe.
O giuegive me, to be rauiſhed with thy louelove, in the exceeding riches of my Redeemer, and make me ſo to valew the worth of his Merit, as for the obtaining thereof, to reſolue on vtter renouncing and parting with whatſoeuer I hauehave, to obtaine the ſame. And ſo finding now by thy Grace, what neede I hauehave thereof; oh worke in me a ſecret hope that thou maiſt be reconciled if I can faſten on the meanes thereto, and grant me aboue all, to hunger after his righteouſnes, that ſo mine iniquities being thereby couered, I may draw neere with confidence vntounto the Throane of Grace, to begge vnfeignedly, euen with ſtrong cries, the pardon of my ſinnes. And though I receiue not a preſent anſwer to my deſire, yet ſuſtaine me I pray thee with thy gracious Spirit, that ſo I may with patience waite thy good leyſure, and neuer giuegive ouer, till thou haſt ſaide vntounto my Soule, I am thy Saluation.
And though I do not preſently feele this teſtimony of thy Spirit, ſealing me vp to the day of Redemption, yet grant me (I pray thee) to be ſtrong in Faith, beleeuing what I feele not as I would, and hoping for what I do not yet enioy, that ſo thereby being knit vntounto Chriſt my Sauiour, and made one with him, I may therby draw vertue from his death, to the mortifying of my corrupt Nature, and killing of thoſe ſpeciall luſtes that do hinde… this ſenſe of thy louelove in him towards me; that ſo feeling in me a dying to corruption, I may alſo therby apprehend more fully, the diſcharge of the guilt of my ſinnes, in the merites of my Sauiour: and ſo therby renewing my peace with thee my gracious God, I may reioyce in the hope of that glory, which hee hath purchaſed for me.
And ſo in the hope of that Glory, grant mee (I humbly pray thee) to draw vertue from the Reſurrection of my Sauiour, that ſo I may be raiſed vp with him to newneſſe of life: whereby I may render thanks vntounto thee for this vnſpeakeable gift, and to bee made meete for the ſame, in the acceptable time.
And that I may not be diſappointed of my Hope: Oh grant me ſtill to liue by faith in the Sonne of God, dayly denying mine owne righteouſneſſe, that ſtill I may bee found acceptable with thee in him, aboue all worthineſſe in my ſelfe, of my imperfect endeauours, only in his righteouſneſſe, and ſo therby may be prepared to the hope of Glorie.
And ſeeing I am like to meete with many hinderances in purſuite of this Glory, both from the World without, either detaining mee in the way, or drawing me from the marke; as alſo from mine owne deceitful heart within, as diſcouraging mee in my courſe, and laggering mee in my pace; and ſometimes alſo blinding me either not to diſcerne, or miſtake the gole. Oh grant me to walk by faith and not by ſight, as to reſt on the foundation which ſtands ſure, the Lord knoweth who are his, though ſometimes in the building I may miſſe of it: ſo to walke as a ſtranger & Pilgrime in the world, not clogging my ſelfe in my iourney with vnneceſſary luggage, and fretting cares, nor ſetting vp my reſt in any preſent Inne of outward happineſſe, or inward means therto, but ſtill caſting away eueryevery thing that preſſeth down, and the ſinne that hangeth ſo faſt vponupon me, I may run with ioy the race that is ſet before, looking vntounto Chriſt Ieſus the Authour and finiſher of my Faith; and ſo by him ſeeing within the rule into the glory that is ſet before mee, I may deſpiſe the ſhame, and waite with patience, the great recompence of Reward. That ſo neither riches may daunt my Faith by preſuming too farre, nor depth may quayle it, by ſtooping too low: That Principalities may not ſhake it by force of tentation, nor Powers ouercome it by their violent impreſſions: that neither things preſent may abaſe it by groueling thereon, nor things to come may deiect it by doubtings or falſe feares: That neither life may corrupt it by doting thereon, nor death may confound it by vnpreparedneſſe thereto: That nothing may ſeparate me from the louelove of God in Ieſus Chriſt, in whom (by Faith) I am more then Conqueror ouer all things.
Thus grant mee (gracious God) to walke by Faith, and not by ſight. And that I may receiue the end of my Faith, euen the ſaluation of my ſoule, Oh keepe me by thy mighty power through faith vntounto ſaluation, and guide me by the word of Faith in all my wayes, that I may not leane to mine owne wiſdom, bur to thy ſure Word, as to a Light ſhining in a dark place, that ſo I may daily grow in knowledge, and in the grace of Ieſus Chriſt from Faith to Faith; filled with all ioy and peace, in beleeuing & abounding in all fruits of righteouſneſſe and perfect holines, that ſo I may be perfect and intyre, wanting nothing, waiting for the appearance of Ieſus Chriſt; that ſo my Conuerſation being in heauen, an entrance may bee thereby made vntounto me, into the euerlaſting kingdom of thy deare Sonne, euen to take poſſeſſion by faith in this life therof, and to ſee a farre off by faith, into the fulneſſe of that glory, that ſo I may fight the good fight of Faith, and lay hold of eternall life, in full aſſurance of what I hauehave alreadie the earneſt of by Faith; and ſo in that h…pe daily purging my ſelfe of all wickedneſſe of the Spirit and of the Fleſh, that I m…y grow vp to perfect holineſſe in th… fauor of GOD, waiting daily by Faith the adoption of the ſonnes of God, and laboring to attaine the reſurrection of the dead; that ſo I may bee kept blameleſſe, in Soule, Body, and Spirit, vntounto the comming of my Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Grant theſe things (gracious Father) euen for his ſake in whome thou art well pleaſed, Ieſus Chriſt the righteous. To whome with thine owne bleſſed Spirite, one glorious Vnitiue Trinity, be glory, and prayſe, & Dominion, now and for euer, Amen.
A Prayer to feele in heart Spirituall comfort, and the liuely ſence of our Adoption by Faith.
O Lord God, moſt mercifull Father, now I fully perceiue & know, that the heart of man is not in his owne hand, for thou haſt taught mee by diminiſhing thy Spirit of comfort in my heart, that it reſteth wholie in thy power to make ioyfull the heart of man, and to diminiſh the ſame ioy according to thy good pleaſure and will. For if (O God) it had beene in mine owne power and will, to hauehave receiued comfort in thy holie word, or to hauehave beleeued thy promiſes from my hart, I would long ſince hauehave enioyed comfort, and beene confirmed in faith: but I cannot (moſt mercifull Father) it is thy meere worke, I looke therefore, O gracious God, for thy bleſſed comfort & ſtrength of faith, which I beſeech thee, O Lord, ſend into my heart to fill the ſame with ſpirituall ioy, that by the working of thy holy Spirit in mee, the comfortable promiſes of thy mercifull protection may be throughly ſealed in mine heart, and ſinke downe deep into my ſoule, that I may be fully aſſured that thou art my ſtrong rocke and houſe of defence, that thou doſt keepe mee as the apple of thine eye, as thou haſt promiſed in thy bleſſed word, that thou wilt not lay more vppon mee, then thou wilt giuegive mee ſtrength to abide, and that thou wilt aſſuredly at thine appointed time renew my heart, & the whole powers of my mind, that I may fully glorifie thy holy name. But in the meane time (O Lord) alas, my heart is cleane voyde of ſpirituall ioy, yea, euen as hard as a ſtone, ſo that the louing promiſes of thy holy word (although I know them to bee true) yet they cannot ſinke into my hard & ſtony heart, vntill ſuch time as thou by encreaſing of thy holy Spirit to me, ſhalt mollifie and make tender my hard heart, that it may bee meete to receiue the ſweet comfort of thy Spirit. Thy holy Spirit, O Lord, in mee, which is the aſſurance of my ſaluation, doth continually ſend forth vnſpeakable ſighs and longings, for thy full & ioyfull preſence. I beſeech thee therefore (deere Father) for thy Sonne Chriſt Ieſus ſake, harken vntounto my prayers, and grant my requeſts, make tender my hard and ſtony heart, by thy holy Spirit, that I may from the bottome of my heart, acknowledge thee to bee my moſt mercifull God and Father, and all things in thy holy word contained, to be moſt certaine and true, reuerently embrace the ſame, and into my ſoule take comfort and ioy in the ſame: that I may, deere Father, euen vntounto my liues end, walke before thy face in ſinceritie of heart, being aſſured of my ſaluation, through that one alone ſufficient ſacrifice for my ſinnes, made by thy deere Sonne Chriſt Ieſu, to whom with thee, and the holy Ghoſt, bee all honor, and glory, world without end, Amen.