Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 44 – Prayer 46
A Prayer againſt pride.
HOly Lord, thou haſt in thy bleſſed Goſpell commanded vsus by all meanes poſſible, to eſchew the filthy vice of pride (which is a certaine rebellion of the heart againſt thee) and aboue all things to embrace and euer hold faſt the anchor of humility. A perfect patterne whereof wee may learne in thee (O bleſſed Sauiour) who was humble, lowly, curteous, gentle, mercifull, pittifull, full of compaſſion, and all goodneſſe, not diſdaining the vileſt perſon, or loathſomeſt Lazer that euer liued, if hee faithfully beleeued in thee. Thou humbledſt thy ſelfe, that we might bee exalted: thou becameſt poore, to make vsus rich: thou cameſt downe to the earth to liue in humility, that we might be exalted to liue in felicity.
Thou waſt poore in eſtate, meane in attire, and baſe in all things before the world, in reſpect of thy humanity: but before thy heauenly Father, in reſpect of thy Deity, moſt magnificall and glorious. And therefore not without cauſe, thou biddeſt vsus learne of thee, ſaying, Learne of me, for I am humble & lowly, & your Soules ſhall liue. Thou ouerthroweſt the proud in their owne imagination, and giueſt grace to the humble, yea thou ſo much abhorreſt pride, that thou iudgeſt them to eternall damnation that offend therein.
If wee would conſider with our ſelues our owne miſery, wee ſhould hauehave no cauſe to riſe vp into pride. For in reſpect of our bodies, are wee any thing elſe then vile dung and aſhes? And in reſpect of our ſoules, til they be regenerate by the Spirit of God, are they not bondſlaues to Sathan, receptacles to fiendes, and ſubiect to euerlaſting damnation? What hauehave wee now that we hauehave not receiued? Or whereof may we be proud? Wherefore (O my God) I beſeech thee who art the true mirrour of all humility, giuegive me the ſpirit of meeknes, humbleneſſe, and lowlineſſe of heart, and keepe me from all filthy pride & arrogancy of body or mind, that I neuer lift vp my ſelfe into pride againſt thee, or thinke of my ſelfe aboue that which I am of my ſelfe, but that I caſting downe my ſelfe, and diſtruſting mine owne worthineſſe, may be by thee aduanced to eternall glory. Grant that thoſe things which thou gaueſt me for neceſſities ſake onelyonly (as thou diddſt my apparell to hide my ſhame withall) may neuer bee abuſed of mee as inſtruments of wickedneſſe. And thoſe things which thou gaueſt me to praiſe and glorifie thee withall, as thou diddeſt my heart, my tongue, & mouth, I neuer abuſe to thy diſhonour. And as it may pleaſe thee to indue mee with this true humility of mind towards thee, ſo I beſeech thee to giuegive me the true humility of body and mind towards my brethren alſo, that I be not puft vp, nor aduance my ſelfe aboue them, diſdaining or contemning them, though otherwiſe neuer ſo meane or contemptible before the world.
And whenſoeuer the Enemie aſſaulteth me to ſtirre mee vp to pride, I beſeech thee, whoſe power is incomprehenſible, to ſtrengthen mee to with-ſtand his temptations, and ſet before the eies of my minde, the examples of thy Iudgement inflicted vponupon the children of pride in all ages, as namely, how thou threweſt downe Lucifer a bright Angel in heauen into hell fire, how thou condemneſt Adam and all his poſterity. How thou deſtroyedſt Nymrod that huge Giant, Goliah that fierce monſter, Nabuchadnezar that ambitious & bloody tyrant, Herod that arrogant miſcreant, and many others, who through the ſinne of pride rebelled againſt thee, and may by theſe examples bee terrified from committing that great & heynous ſinne againſt thee: that I humbling my ſelfe in this world, after the conſummatiō of this life, may bee exalted in the kingdome of heauen, there to raigne with thee for euer and euer, Amen.
A Prayer againſt Gluttony and drunkenneſſe.
BLeſſed Lord, as thou haſt created man after thy owne ſimilitude and likeneſſe, and haſt giuen him a perfect body like vntounto thy Sonne Ieſus Chriſt; ſo thou haſt ordained and prouided for him ordinary meanes, as meate, drinke, fleſh, fiſh, hearbes, oyles, wines, & what not, to keepe and ſuſtaine the ſame. And haſt commanded theſe thy creatures to bee moderately taken, to the ſuſtentation of the body, with praiſe and thankſgiuing to thee, accurſing them to hell, who by abuſing, not lawfully vſing theſe thy bl…ſſings, make them inſtruments of ſinne, and ſo conſequently of damnation to themſelues. GiueGive me grace I beſeech thee that I may neuer abuſe thy giftes through gluttony, drunkenneſſe, riot, or exceſſe, but that I liuing in all godly temperance and ſobriety, may bee thankfull vntounto thee for them, and alſo vſe them for my neceſſity. Knowing that our meates without thy bleſſing, cannot nouriſh the body, but deſtroy it rather, as experience daily teacheth. Make me (O Lord) to loath and deteſt this horrible vice ſo much the more in reſpect of the filthynes of the ſame, for beſides that, it transformeth man into the Image of a beaſt, or rather maketh him worſe then a beaſt (for they neither eate nor drinke, without meaſure) it alſo blindeth his eies of reaſon, that he ſeeth not the wickedneſſe that hee committeth. And therefore Lot being drunke, perceiued not his inceſtuous fact committed with his two Daughters. The Iſraelites ſwelling in gluttony and drunkenneſſe, perceiued not their grieuous ſinne of Idolatry which they fell into. The rich glutton, drunken with the aboundance of all things, perceiued not his contempt of the poore, nor yet their great want: and therefore thou in thy great wrath tookeſt him away from the face of the earth. By theſe and the like exampes of thy Iudgements (grant O heauenly Father) that I being admoniſhed, may bee carefull and ſtudious, neuer to bee culpable in this filthy vice, leaſt in thy wrath thou depriue mee of the vſe of thy creatures in this life, and in the world to come, giuegive mee my portion with the wicked in the lake that burneth with fire and brimſtone, that neuer ſhall be quenched.
This is the reward thou threatneſt in thy holy word, to all drunkards, gluttons, and ryotous perſons, ſaying by the mouth of the Apoſtle; neither whoremongers, adulterers, gluttons, drunkards, nor ſuch like, ſhall euer enter into the kingdome of heauen. Wherefore moſt deere Father, I beſeech thee to deliuer me in mercy, that I neuer bee ſtayned therewith, but may alwayes vſe thy giftes to thy glory, the releefe of mine owne neceſſities, and the helpe & comfort of others that doe want the ſame. And grant, that I ſeeking after not onelyonly this corporal food which periſheth, but alſo that ſweet Ambroſia and heauenly Nectar, the word of life, which neuer decayeth, may after the end of this life, hauehave the full fruition thereof, to my eternall comfort: and for euer laude and praiſe thy bleſſed name, through Ieſus Chriſt our Sauiour and Redeemer, Amen.
A Prayer againſt idleneſſe and ſloth.
MOſt holy Fath…r, after thou haddeſt created man, thou placedſt him in paradiſe, commanding him for the avoyding of idleneſſe, to dreſſe and manure the ſame. And afterward being caſt out of paradiſe for the ſinne of tranſgreſſion, and ſent into the world, thou enioyneſt him in the ſweat of his face to eate his bread, to the end he ſhould not at any hand be idle, and ſo miniſter occaſion to the enemie to inuade him: for man being idle and inclined to ſloath, the diuell he beſiegeth vsus with a thouſand of temptations, our fleſh luſteth to euill, & our minds are inflamed to all kinde of wickedneſſe. Wherefore moſt mercifull Father, I moſt heartily beſeech thee, that duting the ſhort courſe of my life in this world, I may be alwaies godly occupied, and vertuouſly exerciſed in the affayers of this life, and in all manner of good workes before thee, that my enemies the Diuell, the World, nor the Fleſh, preuaile not againſt me. And conſidering that I muſt render account of all my actions whatſoeuer, and of eueryevery minute of an houre, or iotte of time lent mee in this life, I beſeech thee giuegive me grace to ſpend my time in ſuch godly actions, as may pleaſe thee, & not in idlenes, ſloath, or in any wanton, lewd, laſciuious, or wicked exerciſe, that being found faithfull and vigilant in my calling, when the day of Tribulation commeth, when eueryevery man ſhall be rewarded according to his deeds, I may obtaine euerlaſting life. And as it may pleaſe thee to keepe my body from idlenes & ſloath, ſo vouchſafe I beſeech thee, to exerciſe my ſoule in godly contemplations and vertuous Meditations of thee, and of thy holy and bleſſed word: together with the heauenly ioyes and beatitudes prepared for all thoſe that vnfeignedly long for thy comming. In the practiſing whereof, make mee to louelove nothing but thee, to honor and obey thee, to feare, dread, and reuerence thee, and to deſire and couet nothing but thee, that I dwelling with thee in minde onelyonly during this life, may after the diſſolution of this earthly tabernacle, dwell with thee both in body and ſoule, world without end, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord and onelyonly Sauiour, to whome with thee, and thy holy Spirit, bee all praiſe and glory, now and for euermore, Amen.