Milk for Babes, Prayer 2
A houſhold Prayer for the Euening.
MOſt Mighty Lord GOD, and mercifull Father, the day is thine, and the night is thine, thou haſt created the Light and the Sunne, and cals for darkeneſſe at thy pleaſure: bleſſed for euer be thou, who giues vsus the reſt of the night, and comforts of the day: And now wee confeſſe to thy glory, O Lord, that euen for the ſinnes of this day, if thou ſhouldeſt call vsus to account, we were not able to abide it, for wee hauehave ſinned againſt thée this day, both in Omiſſion of good, and in doing of euill, both towards thée, and towards our brethren, we hauehave not dealt with others, as we would hauehave them deale with vsus, we hauehave taken vnlawfull libertie to our ſelues, in thoughts, words and déeds, we hauehave abuſed thy good creatures to gluttony, drunkenneſſe, wantonneſſe, or exceſſe, we hauehave delt either negligently or vnfaithfully in our callings: and all this, O Lord, and much more, becauſe wee hauehave not ſet thée before our eyes, nor nouriſhed thy feare in our hearts. To vsus therefore in iuſtice, belongs nothing but ſhame and confuſion. For thou art a righteous and a powerful God, and we confeſſe there is good cauſe, that thy iuſtice ſhould condemne vsus, and thy power confound vsus; HaueHave merciemercy therefore vponupon vsus O mercifull Father, euen for thy Sonne our Lord Ieſus Chriſts ſake, forgiue vsus all that is paſt, and remember that hee came into the world, to ſaue ſinners: we hauehave ſinned, O Lord, and hauehave need of thy mercy: O Lord, ſhew thy merciemercy vponupon vsus, and grant vsus thy ſaluation: And ſéeing thy promiſes are effectuall to none, but them that beléeue, O LORD, increaſe our Faith in thée, and in all the ſweete promiſes of thy Word, let vsus take hold of them, beleeue them, and reſt vponupon them in life and death. And foraſmuch as pardon is not giuen but to the penitent, O LORD worke in vsus true repentance for all our ſinnes paſt. Let vsus ſorrow more for ſinning againſt thee, then for all the wants and miſeries, croſſes and loſſes of this world: And Lord make vsus new creatures, worke in vsus reformation and amendemnt of life, and eueryevery day wee liue, let vsus grow in grace and ſpirituall ſtrength, that as wee are daylie elder, ſo wee may be better, and the nearer wee draw to our ends, grant Lord, wee may draw the neerer to thee, and to euerlaſting happineſſe with thee in Chriſt Ieſus. And now being reconciled to thee our God, giuegive vsus leaue to call for a bleſſing vponupon vsus and our labours in our callings this day, for without thee O Lord all is in vaine, though wee riſe earely and goe late to bed, and eate the bread of carefulneſſe: Bleſſe vsus therefore moſt bleſſed God, and all the workes of our hands, Lord reward what is well done, and pardon what is amiſſe, giuegive vsus alſo good Lord hearts humbled vnderunder thy Iudgements, thankefull for thy mercies and contented in our places with the portion thy prouidence aſſignes vntounto vsus, and teach vsus to waite on thee and on thy good prouidence in all our needes and neceſſities of ſoule and body. And let nothing of this world trouble our hearts, O Lord our God, but let vsus hauehave grace to beleeue that thou who haſt giuen Ieſus Chriſt to ſaue vsus, canſt deny vsus nothing: thus good Lord let vsus liue the life of Faith, whilſt we are héere, that after this life ended, we may receiue the end of our Faith, the ſaluation of our ſoules, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. In whoſe Name and mediation wee recommend to thy merciemercy, thy whole Church, and all whom we any way ought to pray for, as well as if wee had named them particularly: for thou knoweſt them all O Lord, better then wee, and what they néede for ſoule and body, Lord bee mercifull; to them and bleſſe them, as our ſelues, make vsus partakers of their prayers, and them of ours, and let thy protection be ouer them and vsus, and al ours this night following, giuing vsus the reſt and ſléepe thou knoweſt néedfull for theſe poore and vile bodies, and thereby enabling vsus to the duties and burdens, which the day following ſhall bring vponupon vsus. Heare vsus for our ſelues good Lord, and for all thine, and for eueryevery one of vsus in this family, from the higheſt to the loweſt, (for with thée is no reſpect of perſons) and anſwere vsus in theſe, and all other good bleſſings, which thou knoweſt good for vsus, and make vsus truely thankefull for thy many good bleſſings, this day, and all our dayes, beſtowed on vsus, euen for the merites and blood-ſhedding of Ieſus Chriſt. To whom bleſſed Father, with thee, and the Holy Spirit of Grace, our onelyonly and Eternall God, bee praiſe and glory, now and euermore. Amen.
THe Grace of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, the louelove of God our Father, and the comfortable fellowſhip of God the Holy-Ghoſt, bee with all Gods children, and vsus in this family, in our ſoules and bodies, this night, and euermore. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · William Crashaw, Milk for Babes (1618)