Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 38
A Prayer for mortification and holineſſe.
BLeſſed Lord God, and moſt mercifull Father, I doe acknowledge vntounto thee, that I am vnworthy to appeare before thy high Maieſtie, to offer vp vntounto thee a ſacrifice of prayer; being full of ſinne and corruption, naturally glad of euill, and vnprofitable to good. Yea, being ſo miſerable, yet I ſee not my miſerie, I feele it not, I bewaile it not as I ought to doe, but multiply mine iniquities, prouoking thy iuſt iudgement againſt me. My zeale is cold, my louelove feeble, my exerciſes of Religion faint and few, and I take no way but that which leadeth from euill to worſe, and finally, would lead me from ſinne, to the reward of ſin. All this is true, deere Father, yet my heart is not moued with feare: all this is true, yet I doe not ſorrow for it, but walke with ioy, where I muſt (if I continue) reape affliction: therefore be mercifull vntounto mee, and bleſſe me: be mercifull vntounto me, & in Chriſt Ieſus, waſh away all mine iniquities; be mercifull vntounto me, and create in me a new heart, and prepare it to prayer, and to thy holy ſeruice; for thou alone (O Lord) art my hope, and the mighty God of my ſaluation. Thou haſt giuen mee a deſire to ſerue thee, O teach me that I may doe it: and the good worke which thou haſt begun, make it perfect in me, that I may no more louelove wickednes, & follow vanity, but that my good deſires in thee may be increaſed, and all of them accompliſhed; ſo ſhall I praiſe thee and magnifie thee for euer. For ther is no honor but thy honor, no glory but thy glory: O Lord, it is vaine to truſt in Princes, but truely to truſt in the Lord bringeth plentifull ſaluation. From age to age it hath appeared, that thou (O Lord God) art mercifull, and that in thy Courts there is nothing but truth and holineſſe. This world is full of vanitie, full of pride, full of rebellion, and the fleſh alſo. The world hath many baites of deſtruction, and the fleſh doth delight in them▪ they are ſworne together to betray vsus to Sathan; yea, wee betray our ſelues, therefore (deere Father) by the croſſe of Chriſt, mortifie in vsus the deeds of the fleſh and crucifie in vsus the deeds of the fl…ſh, and crucifie both vsus to the world, and the world to vsus, that our ſoules may liue. In our generall calling make vsus obedient to ſerue th…e in holineſſe and in righteouſneſſe all the daies of our life: in our particular callings, alſo make vsus faithfull, that we may neither put away a good conſcience, nor make ſhip-wracke of faith. I beleeue, O Lord, helpe my vnbeleefe: in the day of peace and proſperitie make vsus ſober, in the day of trouble and aduerſitie, make vsus looke vppe, and cheerefuly to waite and truſt in thee for our deliuerance, that our enemies mouthes may bee ſtopped by our godly conuerſation, and their hearts pricked with zeale to turne vntounto thee. Neither do I pray (O Lord) for my ſelfe alone, but for the whole body into the which I am grafted by Chriſt Ieſus: that is, for thy Church (O God) for thine inheritance, that rhou wouldeſt encreaſe it from one end of the world to another, that all Nations may worſhip before thy foot-ſtoole. Eſpecially (O Lord) I pray for them that profeſſe thy Goſpell, as for this our Nation, that thou wouldeſt be mercifull vntounto it, turning our hearts to thee: for our gracious Soueraign the King, and for all our Councell, that thou wouldeſt poure thy graces vponupon them, to diſcharge of their dutie and our peace: for all the holy Teachers in the Church, that thou wouldeſt bleſſe them and their labours: for the peace and full beautie of this Church, for the peace and wealth of the Common-weale. Wee pray thee alſo for to bleſſe all the meanes to bring this to paſſe. Alſo we pray thee for our Parents, for all others to whom wee owe ſpeciall louelove or ſeruice: but principally wee beſeech thee to ſhew thy compaſſion vponupon all that are in perſecution for thy Goſpel: O Lord, increaſe and renew their ſtrength, giuegive them victorie, and turne their aduerſaries hearts, if they pertaine to thy holy election, otherwiſe (O Lord) bring vponupon them the confuſion that they would bring vponupon others, & into the pit that they hauehave digged, let them fall and neuer riſe vp againe. O Lord, heare vsus in theſe ſuites: pardon our dull ſpirits in praier, and giuegive vsus theſe and all other graces needfull for vsus, and the Church, to thy glorie, for our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, in whoſe name wee pray as hee hath taught vsus, ſaying: Our Father, &c.