Milk for Babes, Prayer 1
An houſhold Prayer for the Morning.
O Thou moſt mighty Creator, Preſeruer and Sauiour of our ſoules and bodies, we heere acknowledge to thy Glory, that it is onelyonly through thy Power and MercieMercy, we hauehave enioyed the reſt, and eſcaped the dangers of the night paſt: for, wee confeſſe wee hauehave deſerued, that the darkeneſſe of Death ſhould hauehave ſeazed on vsus, and giuen vsus vp into the hands of eternall darkeneſſe, becauſe wee hauehave ſpent our liues in the deedes of darkeneſſe: Bleſſed therefore bee thy holy Name, for that thou haſt not delt with vsus according to our deſeruings. And now we humble our ſelues before thee, and pray thée on the knees of our hearts, that as thou haſt deliuered vsus from the darkeneſſe of the Night, ſo thou wouldeſt deliuer our ſoules from the ſpirituall darkeneſſe of Sinne, Error, Superſtition and Prophaneneſſe, that ſo we may neuer come within the daunger of eternall darkeneſſe: And as thou haſt reſtored to vsus the light of this life, ſo good LORD vouchſafe to enlighten our hearts with the better light of thy heauenly truth, and holy Grace: that as the light of this world ſufficiently ſhewes vsus our way, and directs our ſteppes and actions of the body: ſo the Spirit and Grace of Chriſt Ieſus, ſhining in our ſoules, may ſhew vsus the way to walke in, leade vsus in the way euerlaſting, and guide our féete in the way of peace. And thou moſt mercifull God, who haſt giuen our bodies reſt and ſléepe, we beſéech thée in thy greater merciemercy, giuegive reſt to our ſoules, and ſweete peace vntounto our conſciences this day, and all our dayes: and thou that haſt deliuered vsus from the perils of the night, ſaue vsus from the ſinnes of this day, and deliuer vsus from the farre greater dangers, which our ſinnes may pull vponupon vsus.
O Lord wee goe into the world, and can hardly hauehave to doe with it, but the contagion of ſinne, will catch hold of vsus, Lord teach vsus with heauenly wiſdome, to ſée and auoide the ſame: arme vsus with heauenly courage, to breake through the ſnares which ſinne and Sathan, and the wicked world ſhall lay in our way. And thou that art the God of bleſſing, vouchſafe to bleſſe vsus this day in our ſoules and bodies, in the vſe of both our callings, generall as wee are Chriſtians, and members of thy Church, and perſonall, as wee are members of this common-wealth: In our perſonall callings Lord enable vsus to louelove our Neighbour as our ſelues, and to doe to eueryevery one as wee would hauehave them doe to vsus: and giuegive vsus a conſcionable care of ſuch duties as belong vntounto vsus, make vsus faithfull, laborious and diligent in the diſcharge of them, yet ſuffer vsus not ſo farre to be carried away with the cares of the world, and the labour of our callings, as that we ſhould neglect the duties of Pietie and godlineſſe, commaunded vntounto vsus in our generall calling; but teach vsus gracious GOD, to ioyne the practice of theſe both together, and neuer to ſeparate them whilſt wee liue in the world, but that in the one wee may labour faithfully to ſerue our brethren, and in the other, zealouſly to ſerue and glorifie thée our God; That thus wee may with cheereful hearts, and good conſciences, ſpend our dayes, and waite for our conſummation in Heauen, when our dayes on earth ſhall be accompliſhed: And when theſe dayes and nights, which now eat vp our liues, ſhall hauehave an end, wee may then eſcape the euerlaſting night, and enioy the bleſſed fruition of that bright and ouer-ſhining Day in thy Kingdome, where all our cares and cumbers, our toyles and troubles, our wrongs and oppreſſions ſhall hauehave an end, where all teares ſhall bee wiped from our eyes, and where with thee, the bleſſed God, the Father, the Sonne, the Holy-Ghoſt, and with Ieſus Chriſt, in our owne fleſh, and with all the Holy Angels, and the Saints gone before vsus, wee ſhall receiue the reward of our labours, the iſſue of our hope, the end of our faith, and ſaluation of our ſoules, through the bleſſed and glorious merits of our onelyonly Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt, in whoſe moſt holy Name we recommend to thy mercy, thy whole Church: and theſe eſpecially, whereof thou haſt made vsus members and beſéech thée for thy ſpeciall bleſſing vponupon our gratious Soueraigne the King, the Queene, the Prince, the Prince and Princes Palatine: This whole State and all whom thou haſt ſet ouer vsus in Church or commonwealth: vponupon the Miniſtery, with our Vniuerſities, the Magiſtracie, with the Iudges, and Innes of Court, vponupon our brethren in Virginia, and Sommers Iſlands, and all that helpe to beare thy name vntounto the Gentiles: whoſe conuerſion Lord we beſéech thée haſten as alſo the reſtoration of the Iewes, thy ancient and beloued people. As for the Turke and Pope and all the known enemies of thy Grace and Glorie, conuert them Lord if they belong to thee, elſe remooue them out of the way, and let them goe to their owne place. Remember all thy Children afflicted in minde or diſtreſſed in bodie, and all thoſe whom we ought peculiarly to pray for: Lord bleſſe them and vsus, and heare vsus for them, and them for vsus: and Chriſt Ieſus our glorious Mediatour for vsus all: In whoſe Name we offer to thy Maieſtie our ſoules and bodies, and this our poore Morning ſacrifice, in that moſt holy and perfect prayer that hee hath left vsus.
OVr Father which art in Heauen, hallowed bee thy Name: Thy Kingdome come: Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heauen: GiueGive vsus this day our dayly Bread: And forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes, as we forgiue them that treſpaſſe againſt vsus: And leade vsus not into temptation: But deliuer vsus from euill: For thine is the Kingdome, the Power, and the Glory, for euer and euer. AMEN.
THe grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the louelove of GOD our Father, and the comfortable fellowſhip of God the Holy-Ghoſt, &c.