Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 21
A Prayer for obtaining Triall, and cheriſhing, of the holy Spirit of God.
GLorious and euerlaſting Lord God, Father of all Spirits and ſoules of the righteous, who haſt reuealed thy ſelfe in thy ſacred word to be a Spirit, holy, and incomprehenſible, eternall, infinite, immortall, & all-ſufficient; and therefore wilt be worſhipped in Spirit, and truth. And haſt in the riches of thy mercy, promiſed to ſend thy holy Spirit the Comforter, into our hearts, to lead vsus into all truth, and to comfort vsus in all our tribulations, and ſo to ſeale vsus vp to the day of Redemption. Looke downe graciouſly vppon mee thy poore and forlorne ſeruant, whoſe po…tion is in this valley of miſerie, to wander in darkneſſe, and walke many times in the valley of the ſhadow of death, altogether ignorant of my way, and ſo ſubiect to continuall error, and wholy deſtitute of all direction therein, and ſo neceſſarily expoſed to continuall danger. For mine owne heart within me, is no better then a guide to betray me to error, and the glory of the world is nought elſe then a baite to deceiue me, either by clogging mee in the way, that I may faint in my iourney, or diuerting mee from my right home, that I may ſet vp my reſt in mine Inne, or build my foundation vponupon the ſands. And mine old aduerſarie ſtill compaſſeth and watcheth all opportunities from both: either to ſinke mee with diſpaire, that I may periſh in the way, or to ſwell me with preſumption that I may not enter into the ſtraight gate. And euen ſo did it fare with me, (Bleſſed Lord) all the daies of my vanity, before I knew thee in Chriſt. As mine owne heart miſled mee into all error, through my wilfull ignorance, ſo it betrayed mee hereby, to all occaſions of ſinne without, which I ſwallowed more greedily then my appointed food, and bleſſed my ſoule therein as my cheefeſt happines, and ſo was faſter bound in the chaynes of Sathan, as being led captiue at his will, to eueryevery luſt, and reioycing therin as my greateſt liberty. And ſo alſo hath it in part befalne mee ſince my liberty in Chriſt, by whome though I receiued the free Spirit to lead mee in the way of thy ſtatutes, and ſo hauehave ſomtimes obeyed the motions thereof, to the euidencing of my glorious libertie; yet ſuch hath beene the power of my corruption preuailing ouer mee, that I hauehave many times greeued thy good Spirit, by my manifold back-ſlidings, and to my ſenſe and apprehenſion, ſeemed vtterly to hauehave quenched the ſame: ſo ſtrong hauehave I found my corruption, to lead mee captiue into many deſperate euils: ſo little life and comfort hauehave I found in prayer, hearing thy word, eſpecially, in my endeauour to repentance; either to reſiſt temptations, or releaſe my ſelfe out of the ſnares thereof. And yet thou haſt promiſed, that thy Spirit ſhall abide with mee for euer; and ſtill methought in my greateſt wandrings, on the right hand, and on the left, methought I heard the voyce of thy Spirit behind me, ſaying, This is the way walke in it. Me thouhgt I hauehave heard the voyce of my beloued, many times knocking at the doore of my heart, when I hauehave beene aſleepe in the bed of my ſecuritie, ſaying, Open vntounto mee, my LoueLove, my Doue, my vndefiled; yea, I hauehave felt him puting in his finger at the hole of the doore, to open it for mee, that ſo I might ariſe and let him in? And hauehave I not many times aroſe to entertaine him, and loe he was gone? Did I not follow after him to ſeeke him, and yet found him not? HaueHave I not many times ſmarted ſoundly for my folly, becauſe I would not open betimes? HaueHave not the watch-men that ſhould hauehave cheriſhed mee, wounded me iuſtly for my careleſneſſe? HaueHave they not pluckt away my vaile to diſcouer my nakedneſſe the more, that ſo my face being couered with ſhame, I might ſeeke thy face more humbly? And yet (O my God) I am ſtill to ſeeke of thee, though thou ſtill calleſt on mee to ſeeke thy face, and my heart in ſome poore meaſure, anſwereth, Thy face Lord will I ſeeke. Yet what fellowſhip can there be betweene light and darkneſſe, what hope hauehave I to find thee, ſeeing I want my guide vntounto thee: yet thou art not wanting vntounto mee, to tender this holy guide: and my guide is not farre from me, though I know it not; yea, thou art euer with me, to keepe mee from vtter fainting, and thine holy Spirit is within mee, helping me to crie vntounto thee. O harken therefore I humbly pray thee, vntounto the groanes of thine owne Spirit, and hauehave mercy vppon thine owne ſeruant, for greeuing the ſame. Reſtore to mee the ioy of thy ſaluation, that I may diſcerne the ſeale of thy Spirit, and eſtabliſh mee with thy free Spirit, that I may euer bee with thee. O make mee wiſe to trie the Spirits, whether they bee of God or no, that neither I may be deluded by a Spirit of error, and withall may be able to diſcerne the worke and euidence of thine holy Spirit, from the motions and teſtimonie of mine owne ignorant and d…ceitfull heart. Grant me therefore (Gracious Father) to plead mine intereſt in thy Spirit, by ſuch true meanes and endeauors, as may vndoubtedly auouch it to proceed from thee: and may apparantly conuince, that it dwelleth in me. GiueGive mee to diſcerne the means wherby thy Spirit is conuayed vntounto mee, that after I hauehave heard thy word, and beleeued therein, then I hauehave beene ſealed with the Spirit of promiſe: grant mee to diſcerne the maner how it tooke poſſeſſion of mine heart: that, to make way for it fit habittation, it caſt downe eueryevery Imagination that enabled it ſelfe againſt thy wiſedome, that it onelyonly might rule and gouerne mee Spiritually (and that withall) thereby my houſe was ſwept and cleanſed from the Dominion of ſinne, that Ieſus Chriſt thereby might wholy gouerne mee. And grant mee to auouch the truth of thy Spirit dwelling in me, not ſomuch by my entertainment and apprehenſion thereof, becauſe it bloweth where it lifteth: and though I may heare the ſound thereof; yet I know not whence it comes nor whether it goes: but rather by the nature and qualitie of thy Spirit; which will leaue it true ſtampe in my receiued Spirit, in eueryevery qualitie thereof, for the aſſuring my poſſeſſion thereof, by reſemblance therto, though yet ſurely and abſolutely according to the Nature of the Spirit: neither working it at all times alike, nor at any time in full meaſure: but ſtill working according to the capacitie of the veſſell, and the maine end, the glorie of God, that ſtill it power may bee ſeene in my weakneſſe, that the glorie may be of God, and not of Man. And therefore, as I may not challenge a right in thy Spirit, vnleſſe I find ſome liuely reſemblance and effects of it holy nature in mee, as to be Holy, Meeke, Peaceable, Sincere, and the like: ſo I may not challenge the truth thereof in me, though I find not at all times a like meaſure of it working, nor at any time in this life may expreſſe the full Image therof, ſeeing it worketh freely, and ſo cannot alwaies be apprehended alike: and it worketh freely, that it onelyonly may hauehave the glory of the worke, and therefore ſo ſtill worketh, that it power may bee in weakneſſe, and it glorie perfected by infirmitie. And therefore as I may at all times find the like working of thy holy Spirit, ſo if I feele, in regard of this different working thereof, a different apprehenſion of the ſeale: as ſometimes not to feele it at all, ſometimes more or leſſe to apprehend the ſame: yet grant me (holy Father) not to challenge the working of thy Spirit, becauſe it is free and wiſe, working according to what is beſt for my preſent ſtate, which is not ſometimes fit for comfort, and yet abſolutely in it good pleaſure, euen then ſuſpending comfort, when I hauehave long fitted my ſelfe thereto. But rather, ſpecially to condemme mine owne folly, in depriuing my ſelfe of ſuch effect of it, working aboue all; to adore the infinit wiſedome and power of thy Spirit, working yet in theſe greateſt deſertions ſo with me, as to keepe mee from vtter fainting, and further my cheefe good, to raiſe mee vp againe by repentance, that I may bee fit for comfort: and yet when I hauehave done my beſt, to ſuſpend what I moſt deſire, that ſo in the beſt, I may acknowledge my ſelfe an vnprofitable ſeruant, and ſo ſtill labour to bee found in Chriſt, to bee lead along to perfection.
Thus grant me (gracious Father) to make triall of Spirits, and when I hauehave found by ſome ſuch liuely euidences, that thine holy Spirit dwelleth in mee: O make, mee I humbly pray thee, wiſe to cheriſh and retaine this bleſſed gueſt, that I may neuer breake through by greeuing the ſame, that not departing from it guidance, it may neuer depart from me: and therfore giuegive me ſtill, to harken to the call of thy Spirit, ſhewing mee the right way, and enable me to ſubmit my ſelfe to the yoake of thy Spirit, howſoeuer irkſome and vnſauourie to my rebellious corruptions. Let mee not conſult at any hand, with fleſh and blood, in the motions of thy Spirit; neither let mee turne the comforts of thy Spirit, as an occaſion to the fleſh: keepe mee I beſeech thee from Spirituall wickednes, that I may not abuſe thy bleſſed Spirit, and enable mee to avoyd groſſe offences, leaſt I offer violence to thy Spirit, and driue it from mee. Aboue all keepe me I pray thee, f…om wiſedome in ſinne, either to commit it vppon carnall grounds or ends, which thy word alloweth not; or to lye in it by preſumption, or ſecurity leaſt I waſte my conſcience, and ſo quench thy Spirit. O make mee ſtill iealous of my ſelfe and beſt abilitie, that I may not challenge the power of thy Spirit, and giuegive mee conſcience euen of ſecret thoughis, that I may tremble at, and abhominate them, leaſt I greeue thy Spirit, make mee to ſtartle at the motion of ſuch ſinnes as the world makes a ſport of, leaſt I ſtartle thy good Spirit. and grant me to be humbled in my beſt endeauors, that ſo the Spirit of Chriſt may helpe me for the acceptance thereof. O giuegive me to make my requeſts manifeſt daily vntounto the throne of grace, leaſt I be diſtracted in all things, and ſo greeue thy holy Spirit: and in all things grant mee to reſigne vp my ſelfe, to the guiding and tuition of thy bleſſed Spirit, that ſo in all occaſions it may go well with me.
Thus grant me (gracious Father) to retaine th… comfort of thy Spirit, by entertaining all good occaſions to cheriſh the ſame. And ſeeing I muſt needs acknowledge, that by my neglect of theſe duties, I hauehave much greeued thy Spirit, and hauehave done what lies in me, euen to quench the ſame. O grant me (bleſſed Lord) to recouer thy Spirit againe, and ſo to enioy the moſt powerfull preſence thereof. And therefore giuegive wiſedome heerein ſeriouſly to enter into mine owne hart, and to iudge my ſelfe for greeuing thy Spirit. Enable me with ſtrong cries to cauſe the returne of thy Spirit, and giuegive me patience to endure ſuch afflictions, as my wantonneſſe hath procured mee: Make mee wiſe to remember the times of old, when thy face did ſhine vponupon me, and giuegive me comfort in the preſent, that it is farre better with mee then I hauehave deſerued. It is thine infinite mercies that I am not ſwallowed vp of deſpaire, that hence I may gather hope of the returne thereof againe.
Grant me to ſtirre vp thy Spirit in me, by communing with mine owne heart, and ſubmitting the ſame wiſelie to the ſearch and cenſure thereof, and make mee more vile in my ſelfe, becauſe I hauehave ſo abaſed thy Spirit, that thou mayeſt hauehave the glory in the deniall of my ſelfe. O let mee neuer giuegive ouer vntill thou haſt ſpoken peace to my ſoule, and thy good Spirit hath anſwered me, That thou art my ſaluation; and grant me to eſteem highly, and ſo make vſe of the leaſt glimpſe of thy fauour, euen in the meaneſt & vnlikelieſt occaſions, as vndoubted Emblems of a greater ſupply in thy good time. And ſo teach me to wait thy good leyſure, in healing my ſoule of that ſtinking rottenneſſe that hath greeued thy Spirit; yet to be led meekly by thy word, that ſo I may be fit for comfort, and then to waite thy good pleaſure, when thou wilt refreſh me: Yea, though I finde not haply ſuch returne all my life long, which formerly I hauehave had; yet grant me to wait all the daies of my mourning, vppon thy holy hand, who knoweſt what is beſt for me, and to liue ſtill by Faith in the Sonne of God, that although thou kill mee, yet I I will truſt in thee, that thou which art comming, wilte come, and the iuſt muſt liue by Faith. Euen ſo (O Father) keepe me by thy mighty power, when I ſeeme loſt in my ſelfe, and that through Faith in thy Son Ieſus, that I may ſtill be found in him, not hauing mine owne righteouſneſſe, and that I may be kept vntounto ſaluation by the power of his merit. VntoUnto whom with thine own glorious Maieſty, and God the bleſſed Spirit, be aſcribed as is moſt due, all honour, and power, and praiſe, and obedience in all the Churches, Amen.