Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Prayers · Prayer 7
A forme of Prayer dayly to bee vſed of all faithfull Chriſtians, in their houſes, or elſwhere.
ALmighty God, and mercifull Father, in and thorough Ieſus Chriſt our Lord; in whom, and by whom, we truſt that thou art our God and Father; we moſt humbly heere proſtrate our ſelues before the Throne of thy Maieſtie, beſeeching thee firſt (good Father, and God) to pardon all our ſinnes, which wee confeſſe and acknowledge againſt our ſelues, b…ſeeching thy gracious Spirit, to worke in vsus the knowledge of them daily more and more, that thereby we may co…e vnt… true Repentance for them; & together therewith, vntounto the knowledge of the heighth, bredth, depth, and fulneſſe, in all ſorts of thy grace and merciemercy, whereby through Ieſus Chriſt thou haſt forgotten them, and remoued them as farre from vsus, as the Eaſt is from the Weſt. And, althogh we know by them too well (good Lord) that wee hauehave, as much as in vsus lay & lyeth, laboured to prouoke thine anger againſt vsus: heaping ſinne vponupon ſinne, and multiplying offences and tranſgreſſions againſt thy high grace and Maieſty, breaking thy holy word & Commandements: yet thou (O Lord) haſt not beene as Man, nor thy affections as the affections of the Sonnes of men, but haſt continued gracious and mercifull, and bountiful vntounto vsus, in pardoning our ſinnes, and daily renewing in vsus with the morning, thy graces diuers and manifold.
Therefore we beſeech thee moſt mercifull Father, ſo to giuegive vsus thy holy Spirit, that wee prouoke thee no more, that thou riſe not againſt vsus to deſtroy vsus as we hauehave deſerued: for we hauehave bene, & are dry as ſtubble, and yet thou haſt not diſperſed and conſumed vsus, we hauehave beene vnfruitfull, and thou haſt not cut vsus downe: yea Lord, we hauehave brought forth wild and ſower Fruite, corrupt, and deteſtable, and yet thou letteſt thy raine to fall, and Sun to ſhine vponupon vsus.
Make vsus therefore wee beſeech thee ſorry as becometh thy Children, for that wee hauehave diſobeyed thee, ſo mercifull and louing a Father, and frame vsus daily, and faſhion vsus to the likeneſſe of thy wel beloued Sonne, Ieſus Chriſt our Lord: that in knowledge and true holineſſe, wee may glorifie thee before the world, and by the fruits of godlineſſe and righteouſneſſe, be aſſured and made certaine of thy holy Spirit, and of the louelove wherewith thou loueſt vsus. Make vsus thankfull deere Father, for the infinite & vnſpeakeable benefites of our election to life and euerlaſting glory before all time and for our creation, redemption, and ſanctification, in time to bring thy glorious counſell to paſſe.
Worke in vsus certaine faith, and aſſured hope in thy promiſes, the true feare of thy Maieſty, perfect hate and deteſtation of all diſordered and ſinfull affections. Worke in vsus eternal louelove of thy trueth and Goſpell, ſincere affection and louelove towards thy Children, and amongſt our ſelues patience, knowledge, vertue, louelove, compaſsion, with all graces of thy kingdome, that in all on behauiour, thou O God mayeſt be glorified in vsus. Alſo wee beſeech thee moſt mercifull Father, for the benefites of this life. That as thou art not onelyonly the God of our ſpirites and ſoules, but alſo of our bodies: ſo it would pleaſe thee, notwithſtanding our ſinnes, to grant vsus thy bleſſings of health, peace, and maintenance, of which (by thy gracious prouidence) ſome of vsus doe feele the want, and ſome of vsus hauehave for long time enioyed and vſed the ſame; that together with them, wee may hauehave thy Spirit to inſtruct vsus, as well in the wants, as in the true & lawfull vſe of them: that wee may more earneſtly and ſeriouſly ſtudy and labour in theſe vocations wherein thou haſt ſet vsus, through thy great mercy, to the promoting and increaſing of thy Kingdome, to the benefite and comfort of thy Children. And wee pray not onelyonly for our ſelues, but beſeech thee make vsus earneſt and feruent in prayer vntounto thy Maieſty, euen for others alſo, yea, for all men: that as thou art the Creator of all, ſo thou wouldeſt mercifully regard them, and continue thy gracious goodneſſe & mercy, in adminſtring & ordering the world, ſo that by no Tyrants nor wicked men, that order which thou haſt eſtabliſhed be ouerthrown: but the ſpring and harueſt, the raine & fruitefull times, and the ioy which thou ſheweſt and giueſt by them, may prouoke all men continually to feare and louelove thee; yea, to ſeeke thee and finde thee. That not in thoſe outward bleſsings alone, but much more in thy Spirit, they wh…me thou haſt there-unto ordayned, may reioyce in thy Fatherly goodneſſe by Ieſus Chriſt. And that to this end, it may pleaſe thee to poure out thy graces vppon men, that they may bee inſtructed and framed meete inſtrtments, for the calling of all ſuch as thou haſt appointed to bee of thy Church.
That theſe builders may be cunning and expert. That theſe Gardiners, may bee wiſe to plant & water, with iudgement and diſcretion; that theſe Stewards of thy myſteries, may ſo behaue themſelues in thy Church, that they knowing how and wherewith to feede thy houſe, the glory & beauty thereof may appeare in the eies of all the world, which thou haſt before ſo long time promiſed, and which to ſee the eyes dazell & faint with looking for. And although wee know well, O Lord, that the cauſe of all miſerable diſorders, deformities, and breaches nowe adaies, is in our ſelues, which ſhutte vp thine hand, & (as it were) bind thine armes from reaching them out vntounto vsus, for our ſaluation and comfort, yet let the Lord ariſe and be mercifull vntounto Sion, & hauehave pitty on the ruines thereof. For the time is come, our owne Country and people are before our eies continually, whoſe ſinne and diſorder, whoſe Ignorance and ſtubbrnoeſſe, whoſe negligence and contempt of thy word, thou haſt now long time puniſhed, withdrawing thy hand from doing them good. For by thy iuſt iudgment now many yeares, thou haſt plagued them, and vsus, with idle, prophane, vnlearned, and vnskilfull Paſtors: Guiders thou haſt giuen them, but to their ruine: Feeders, but of themſelues, not of thy flocke: Teachers and Doctors, who hauehave mouthes but ſpeake not, eyes but ſee not, neither hauehave they Iudgement to inſtruct thy people, nor wiſedome, how to goe out and in before them; and that which is moſt fearefull, thy good hand is not wi…h thoſe Prophets which are amongeſt them, who do ſowe indeed, but the earth giueth not her encreaſe. They water, but thy plants riſe not in any number. They feede, but thy flocke is poore, not fat nor beautifull. O let the Lord forget the ſinnes of his people. Why hath hee bound them vppon his hand to looke vppon them for euer? Why hath he ſet them day and night in the ſight of his countenance? Wee confeſſe and acknowledge againſt our ſelues, O Lord, all our ſinnes, we iudge and condemne our ſelues, yea wee teſtifie againſt our ſelues, that we hauehave deſerued that euen thoſe ſparkes of thy fire and heauenly light which are amongſt vsus, ſhold bee quenched and put out, that the ſmoake of thy glory which is ſtill in thy Church amongſt vsus, ſhould riſe vp and vaniſh away from amongſt vsus as the dew of the morning; that the ſame building which as yet ſtandeth, were to bee throwne downe, that the Lord ſhold mount vppon his Chariot, and flee from vsus. But ſhall the Lord deale with his people by waight and meaſure? ſhall hee vſe iudgement, and not mercy? ſhall our Father forget his Children, although we prouoke him? ſhall not the ſighes & grones of them that bewayle Syon, come before him & enter into his eares? O Lord, let the iudgement …nd ſeuerity which we hauehave deſerued, bee ſtayed: let Chariots and Horſes bee looſed, let the Armies of the Lord bee diſcharged, and let the Lord vngird himſelfe, and forgette his counſell, and turne and bee mercifull & gracious vntounto them acknowledge and confeſſe their ſinnes. Let the Angels that bee the deſtroyers, goe from before thy face, to ouerthrow and caſt downe all that ſtandeth to hinder thy glory, and to maintaine ſinne and Ignorance, Pride, and Vanity. That thy good Angels may follow, to mete out and deſcribe all thinges that pertayne to the building of thy Temple. Let them lay to it the ſquare and plummet, and let all thy people ſtand and ſhowte and ſing glory, at the laying of this foundation. Let thy Spirit guide all thoſe good Lord, that in feare and reuerence before thee, walke in their vocation. In the Vniuerſities and in all parts of the Realme, yea, of the earth, looking & labouring for this worke, & encreaſe the little mumber, as the thouſands of Ephraim, & the tenne thouſands of Manaſſes, and thoſe that laugh at, and hinder, & drawe backe this worke, let them bee aſhamed and confounded, and all thy maruelous bleſſiings be ſhewed in the ſucceſſe thereof. But let them hauehave no force nor ſtrength to hinder it: ſo ſhall Iacob reioyce in thy mercy, and Iſrael in thy euerlaſting truth. So ſhall our eies ſee thy glory, O Lord, and wee ſing perpetually to thy prayſe. So ſhall Ieſus Chriſt delight in the beauty of his Church, and his people bee a people meete to ſerue him, decked and adorned with his guifts, labouring and ſtudying to pleaſe him, that in them his louelove may reſt. To this end, good Lord, ſhew thy mercy vppon all Princes and Magiſtrates of the earth, that belong to thy election: turning the hearts of all thoſe that hitherto hauehave not knowne thy truth, but lent their power and might to Sathan and Antichriſt, to perſecute thy people, to the great diſhonor of thy name. That yet now at the laſt, they may b…e brought home into thy ſheepfold, and in ſtead of perſecutors, become Nurſe-fathers, and Nurſe-mothers to thy Church. But eſpecially, wee moſt humbly beſeech thee for all ſuch Princes and Magiſtrates, as hauehave receiued thy truth. And namely, for our deare Soueraigne Lord, the Kings Maieſty, whome thou haſt placed ouer vsus in this Realme, & for his moſt honorable Counſel, and all Magiſtrates therein, that thou wouldſt augment the graces of thy holy Spirite in him, and in them: eſpecially, the ſpirit of wiſedome, counſel, and power: that hee and they may goe forwarde in the worke of the building vp of thy Church, in all obedience to thy will, ſpeedily, and conſtantly, and perſeuerantly, that thy people the Sheepe of thy paſtours, whome thou haſt committed to him and their gouernment, may godly and peaceably liue and dye to thee, & with them and for them, glorifie thy moſt holy name for euer and euer. We beſeech thee alſo good Lord our God, for all our Bretheren whereſoeuer, that thoſe which are in thy Church in peace and ſafety, may proſper and goe for, ward, and ſtand in thy truth for euer, that thy goodneſſe may bee aſſured vntounto them-and that thou wouldſt keepe their place, and maintaine their cauſe, againſt all that labour to trouble them. And for ſuch as doe yet labour vnderunder tyranny and affliction, whoſe ſufferings thou knoweſt, O Lord, better then we can declare: It may pleaſe thee to breake the rodde of their oppreſſours, to quench the fire of their aduerſaries, & to lighten, or rather cleane take away that burthen, that they ſo preſſe them withall; that they together with vsus, may ioyne in thy Congregation, and feede ſafely. So that there may bee none to ſcar vsus. Let thy Spirit of comfort poſſeſſe our hearts, that all trouble may ſeeme leſſe then thy trueth and glory, & ſo lighten our eies, that in our darkneſſe we may hauehave ſuch ſight of thy glory, and of Ieſus Chriſt, who is in that high Mountaine where hee is now ſo glorious, that our griefes may bee ſwallowed vp.