Godly Private Prayers for Christian Families, Title page – Table of contents
Mr. EDWARD DERING, HIS Godly priuate Prayers for Chriſtian Families.
Whereunto is annexed, his briefe and neceſſary Catechiſme for Houſholders.
Marke 11.24. Whatſoeuer you deſire when you pray, beleeue th…t ye ſhall hauehave it, and it ſhall be giuen vntounto you.
…om. 10.13. Whoſoeu…r ſhall call vponupon the Name of the Lord, ſhall be ſaued.
LONDON, Printed by Iſaac Iaggard, 1624.
A PREFACE deſcribing the Glorious eſtate of the Saints on earth and the true Nature, and Right vſe of Prayer. To the excellent that are on earth, all things pertaining to life and glory through the ſpirit of Grace and Supplication.
Beloued in the Lord Ieſus,
AS the louelove of God hath heerein exceedingly abounded vntounto vsus, that we are called the Sons of God; ſo there is not a more pregnant Embleme of our Adoption to be his Children, then that wee cry Abba, Father; nor a more liuely pledge of our louelove vntounto God, then that we doe caſt our ſelues into the armes of his mercy, by faithfull prayer. Oh how much better is it to bee a doore-keeper in the Houſe of God, then to ſit on the Throne with Princes? How exceeding were the riches of Gods merciemercy towards vsus, that ſpared not his onelyonly Sonne vntounto death, to reſtore vsus from death, to life? That the Lord of Glory became a Seruant vntounto all, that hee might redeeme vsus from the bondage of ſinne, into tbe glorious liberty of the Sonnes of God? That life it ſelfe became death, that hee might deliuer vsus from death vntounto life: That he that knew no ſinne, but was perfect holineſſe it ſelfe, yet became ſinne for our ſakes, that we might be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. Surely, if Dauid thought it an high aduancement to bee the ſonne in law to an earthly & wicked King, How much more glorious is our aduancement, that we are become the adopted ſons of the Almighty, and Holyeſt God, who is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords? And if the Queene of Saba counted the ſeruants of Salomon happie, becauſe they enioyed his preſence and were partakers of the worldly and fading Comforts as abounded in his Court: Oh how much more happie is the condition of the Saints of God that do not only enioy the gracious preſence of God with open face, in whoſe fauour is Eternall life, but are thereby tranſlated into the ſame image, frō glory to glory, as by the Spirit of GOD, that ſo they may bee made meete partakers of that glorious inheritance with the Saints in light; euen that light which is immortall and vndefiled, which fadeth not? If to be rich in faith & good workes be the true and dureable treaſure which fayleth not; If the ioy of the Spirit be that which none can take away from vsus; If all earthly honor be as dung in compariſon of that inward glory wherewith the Kinges daughter is adorned; If theyr ſafety be impregnable, which hauehave a wall of fire to beguirt them, & therein walking most ſecure that hauehave the Lord of Hoſts to protect & guide them; then happy ſurely, and thrice happy is the condition of Gods Children, who hauehave God to bee their Portion, and may enioy durable riches, pure and euerlaſting Comfort, honor that neuer fadeth, and ſecurity without ſecuritie. For as our ſecurity in God makes vsus watchful ouer our owne waies, and iealous of our owne inability, ſo heereby are we daily cast vponupon the riches of Chriſt, and from him encreaſe and grow in grace. And as we grow in grace ſo do we attaine to, and proſper more and more in peace of conſcience, and thereby abound with ioy in the holy Ghoſt. And the more we are filled with ioy and peace in beleeuing, the more do we glorify our God in cheerfull obedience, and ſo as members are more intirely intereſſed in the glorie of our head, approaching heereby neerer to the life of Glory, the more wee triumph ouer all our oppoſitions, and are more throughly abaſed and excluded of all glorying in our ſelues, that ſo dooing all things to the glory of our God, we may be aduanced by him in abaſing our ſel…es, and weaned from all carnall & fading glorie, that we may bee fitted for the glory of the life to come. And what can now hinder vsus heerefrom, whereto all things ſhall further? No trouble can do it, ſeeing it prepares thereto: No, not ſinne ſhall hinder, becauſe it is not imputed; but rather auailes to the imputation of righteouſneſſe, that ſo the ſting of ſinne may be remoued. It is not life can doe it, becauſe we are dead vntounto ſinne; neither ſhall death auaile hereunto, ſeeing we are aliue vntounto GOD. Much leſſe may Angels hinder, becauſe they are miniſtring ſpirits for our good, to keepe vsus in all our waies: Nor Principalities can preuaile, becauſe the Kingdomes are the Lords, and ſo ouerſeers to the Saints: It is not powers ſhall hinder, ſeeing all power is giuen to our Head; and ſo in him we are able to doe all things: Neither things preſent ſhould ought auaile hereto, becauſe we liue by Faith, & not by ſight, and ſo can lay vp a good Foundation by them ag…inſt the life to come. Neither ſhall things to come hinder vsus, which are alreadie ours by Faith, whereby wee apprehend them, though yet we enioy them not, and ſo in patience wait for them; and ſo by continuance in wel-doing, make ready for thē. And how ſhal height hinder vsus who hauehave the Higheſt to bee our hope, whom lowlineſſe aduanceth, and highneſſe abaſeth? Can depth preuent vsus, vvhen our Head is aboue water, nay aboue the higheſt Heauens, whether he will draw vsus vp all after him, out of the deepeſt ſnares? No, no, it is not hell can hinder vsus ſeeing it is deſtroyed, nor Satan ſhall preuaile, for ſeeing we hauehave the ſhield of Faith to reſiſt him, hee will flye from vsus
Behold the wonderfull and glorious priuiledges of the ſons of God! And by this wee know, that we hauehave this glorious vnion and fellowſhip with God, euen by his Spirit that hee hath giuen vsus. And hereby we know effectually, that the Spirit dwelleth in vsus euen by this bleſſed libertie and boldnes in preſſing to the throne of Grace, crying Abba, Father, with all Son-like importunity; and challenging his promiſe in Christ Ieſus. Thus by the Spirit, wee know our Adoption, and by the Spirit of Prayer, we pleade the ſame. And can we be denied when the Spirite helpes our Infirmities, and knovves our Wants? Shall wee not preuaile aboue whatſoeuer wee can aske or thinke, ſeeing our Sauiour is our Aduocate to make interceſſion for vsus, who knowes what is beſt for vsus, who heares before we aske, and askes that we may be heard?
Behold here the ground and neceſsitie of Prayer. If the Spirit be in vsus, we ſhall pray in the Spirit; and if we pray in the libertie of the Spirit, wee are ſet at liberty thereby, euen the libertie of the Sonnes of GOD. OnelyOnly be we wiſe to try the Spirit by the Spirit, that ſo vvee may not offer the ſacrifice of Fooles.
1. It is the Spirit of knowledge, and ſo wee must pray in knowledge.
2. It is the Spirit of Chriſt that is in vsus, and ſo wee must pray in the Name of Christ by the Spirit.
3. It is the Spirit of Faith, and ſo wee must pray in Faith without doubting.
4. And it is the Spirit of Patience, and ſo we muſt waite in Prayer.
5. It is the Spirit of Wiſedome, teaching vsus what to pray for, & ſo we muſt pray in wiſedom for ſuch things as be most ſoueraigne and neceſſary. For ſpirituall graces abſolutely, for temporall with condition.
6 It is the Spirit of Humility, teaching vsus to denie our owne wiſedome, and not rest in our owne righteouſneſſe, and ſo to ſubmit to the will of God, as not to faint in our labour, although we faile in our particular deſire.
7 It is the Spirit of Perſeuerance, and ſo we muſt pray continually, and perſeuere therein with all thankfulneſſe.
8 It is a quickning & powrfull Spirit, working mightily in vsus, and ſo wee muſt pray in all zeale and feruency of the Spirit, becauſe if they bee feruent, they ſhall preuaile.
9. It is the holy and bleſſed Spirit, and therefore whoſoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord must depart from Iniquity; if we regard iniquity in our harts the Lord will not heare our prayers.
Thus may we pray in the Spirit. Neither may ſuch preſcript forme of Prayer preiudice or ſtint the ſame. But we muſt be carefull of the ſenſe of our particular wants, and apprehenſion of Gods fauour in Ieſus Chriſt, to powre out our hearts vntounto our GOD, who is onelyonly priuy hereunto, and loueth trueth in the inward parts: ſo ſhall the words of our mouths be acceptable vntounto him, whether wee ſpeake by the mediate direction of holy men, who are inſpired by the holy Ghoſt, or immediately by the inſpiration of the holie and bleſſed Spirit.
1 Being wiſe in either to auoyd formality, cuſtomaries, & ſuperſtition, as if the thing how ſoeuer done, would preuaile.
2 Labouring ſtill to quicken vppe our hearts in the louelove of Chriſt, that ſo we may continue with all patience and perſeuerance therein.
3 Vſing carefully to ſearch and prepare our hearts, vvhen we come before the Lord.
4 Preparing our hearts by holy Meditation of the Maieſty, power, and goodnes of God, to quicken our faith, and confound carnall Wiſedome.
5 Renewing our Vowes and Couenants with the Lord, when ſoeuer wee looke to ſpeede well from him.
6 And yet not building any further in the iſſue vppon our God, then may ſtand vvith his good pleaſure for our cheefest good in his Time and Manner, which ſhall be fitteſt for vsus.
7 Comforting our ſelues rather in the ſenſe of that diuine aſsistance, quickening our requests, and continuing powrefully therein, then in any preſent ſenſible iſſue concerning our ſelues: that ſtill wee may hauehave to reioyce in our God, and not in our ſelues.
8 And ſo quieting our harts that we hauehave done the vvill of our GOD, that the vvill of God may bee done in vsus, to the ſatisfying of our beſt deſires in that manner and meaſure, as beſt pleaſeth him for our maine and principall good. Thus may we preuaile in Prayer.
And to this end mayest thou make vſe of theſe helpes, rather as Directions to informe thee aright in the matter and order of Prayer; thē any ſtrict bounds to confine thee to the letter therof Wiſhing thee in the feare of God, ſo to make vſe thereof, as to make them rather meanes to ſtir vp the Spirit in thee, then to ſtint or preſcribe the ſame. Which thou ſhalt do, if that thou doſt ſeriouſly meditate on each particular Model before thou vſe the ſame to informe thine vnderstanding, & kindle thine affections to the louelove therof: & then ſo vſe the Forme as not to reſt heerein, but rather to propound it as a patterne for thy better direction in the like, and ſo to ſample it as neere as thou maiſt, or rather euen to put life vntounto it, and better the ſame.
And ſo the Lord giuegive thee vnderstanding in all things, in whom I reſt.
Tho: Cooper.
¶ A Table of all the ſeuerall Prayers contained in this Booke.
A Briefe Prayer vponupon the Lords prayer. 64
Another Prayer more at large vponupon the Lords prayer. 76
A Confeſſion of ſins with Faith and repentance. 101
A prayer for the proſperous eſtate of the whole Church. 110
Morning prayer for priuate houſes and Families. 125
Euening prayer for the ſame. 135
A forme of prayer daily to bee vſed of all faithfull Chriſtians in their houſes, or elſewhere. 144
A ſpeciall Morning Prayer for the Sabbath. 184
Euening prayer for the Sabath. 205
A Prayer to be ſaid before the hearing or reading of the holy Scriptures. 222
A Thankeſgiuing after the hearing or reading of the word of God. 230
A Prayer before the receiuing of the Sacrament. 236
A Prayer to be ſaid after the receiuing of the Sacrament. 238
A Prayer for conſtant perſeuerance in praying, when wee are dull to prayer. 240
A Prayer for all times. 245
A prayer for all eſtates. 250
A Prayer to bee confirmed in the knowledge of God. 255
A Prayer for the obtaining of ſauing Faith. 258
A Prayer to feele in heart spirituall comfort, and the liuely ſence of our Adoption by Faith. 274
A Prayer againſt doubting, whereby to ſtrengthen a weake Faith, and to perſeuere therein. 278
… Prayer for obtaining of Triall, and cheriſhing of the holy Spirit of God. 302
A Prayer for obtaining of a liuely Hope. 322
A prayer for the obtaining and encreaſe of LoueLove. 330
A prayer to obtaine and preſeru… the feare of God, that we may b… kept conſtant thereby in holineſſ… to the end. 3…
A prayer for the obtaining of grac… and wiſedome. 34…
A prayer to walke faithfully an… fruitfully in our Ciuill and perſonal Callings. 35…
A prayer before the taking of Iourney. 36…
A Thankeſgiuing for good ſucce… therein. 3…
A Prayer for a Woman in Tr… uaile. 3…
A Thankeſgiuing after ſafe De… uerance. 3…
A prayer for thoſe that aſsiſt a tr… uailing woman. 3…
A Thankeſgiuing for their g… ſucceſſe. 3…
A prayer for ſuch as in this w… bee very rich. 391
A prayer for ſuch as be poore and needy. 395
A prayer to obtaine grace of God, againſt the aſſaults of the world, the fleſh, and the diuell. 397
A Thankeſgiuing after bleſſings obtained, to acknowledge them as from God. 409
A prayer for patience in Tribulation, and that God may be glorified thereby. 412
A prayer for Mortification & holineſſe. 417
A prayer for the feeling of the ſinne of Hypocriſie, that we may direct our life according to the preſcript rule of the Word. 424
A prayer againſt the ſecret venim and great daunger of prosperitie. 431
A prayer againſt Whoredome and Vncleanneſſe. 439
A prayer againſt Couetouſneſſe and Ambition. 443
A prayer againſt vſuall and common Swearing. 446
A Prayer againſt Pride. 449
A prayer againſt Gluttonie and Drunkenneſſe. 455
A prayer againſt Idleneſſe and Sloth. 460
A prayer againſt Infidelity & diſpaire, neceſſarie for a troubled and wounded Conſcience. 464
The END of the Table.