Sermons on Various Subjects Volume 1, Prayers
PRAYERS.
A PRAYER for one entruſted with the Education of Children.
O Deareſt JESU, who gathereſt thy Lambs into thy Boſom, and didſt ſolemnly command thy Servant Peter, to feed thy Lambs; grant I may ſhew that I love thee more than all Things, by doing as thou haſt commanded him.
LORD, who am I, or what is in me, that thou ſhould thus put Honour upon me, in making me any way inſtrumental to the preparing Souls for thee? O Saviour, I have ſinned againſt Heaven, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, much leſs to be employed in the Service of thy Children.
But ſince thou haſt been pleaſed in me to ſhew forth all thy Mercy, and haſt called me by thy good Providence to this bleſſed Work, grant that I may always remember, that the little Flock committed to my Charge, are bought with the Price of thy own moſt precious Blood. And let it therefore be my Meat and Drink, to feed them with the ſincere Milk of thy Word, that they may grow thereby.
To this End, I beſeech thee of thy free Grace, firſt to convert my own Soul, and cauſe me to become like a little Child myſelf, that from an experimental Knowledge of my own Corruptions, I may have my ſpiritual Senſes exerciſed, to diſcern the firſt Emotions of Evil that may at any Time ariſe in their Hearts.
O give me, I beſeech thee, a diſcerning Spirit, that I may ſearch, and try, and examine the different Tempers of their Sin-ſick Souls; and, like a ſkilful Phyſician, apply healing or corroſive Medicines, as their reſpective Maladies ſhall require.
Gracious JESU, let puniſhing be always my ſtrange Work; and, if it be poſſible, grant that they may be all drawn to their Duty, as I would be drawn myſelf, by the Cords of Love. And when I am obliged to correct them, grant it may not be to ſhew my Authority, or gratify a corrupt Paſſion, but purely out of the ſame Motive from which thou doſt correct us, to make them Partakers of thy Holineſs.
Oh! keep me, I beſeech thee, from being angry without a Cauſe: Permit me not raſhly to be provoked by the infirmities and Perverſeneſs of their Infant Years; but grant I may ſhew all Longſuffering towards them: And by exerciſing ſuch frequent Acts of Patience and Forbearance, grant, I myſelf may learn the Meekneſs and Gentleneſs of CHRIST.
O thou, who taughteſt thy Diſciples how to pray, pour down, I beſeech thee, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication into their Hearts, that at all Times, and in all Places they may both deſire and know how to call upon thee by diligent Prayer.
Father, into thy Hands I commend my own and their Spirits: Look down from Heaven, the Habitation of thy Holineſs, and bleſs them from thy holy Hill.
Keep them, oh keep them unſpotted from the World; grant they may fly youthful Luſts, and remember thee, their Creator, in the Days of their Youth. Train them, I beſeech thee, in the Way wherein they ſhould go; and when they are old, let them not depart from it.
O thou, who didſt ſanctify Jeremiah from the Womb, and calledſt young Samuel betimes, to wear a linnen Ephod before thee, Sanctify their whole Spirits, Souls and Bodies, and preſerve them blameleſs, till the ſecond Coming of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.
O thou, who didſt endue Solomon with Grace, to chuſe Wiſdom before Riches and Honour; incline their Hearts to make the ſame Choice of thee, their only Good; and may they always renounce & triumph over the Luſt of the Fleſh, the Luſt of the Eye, and the Pride of Life.
Finally, do thou, O bleſſed JESU, who at twelve Years old waſt found in the Temple, ſitting among the Doctors, both hearing and aſking them Queſtions, grant that theſe Children may love to tread the Courts of thy Houſe, and have their Ears opened betimes, to receive the Diſcipline of Wiſdom, that ſo, if it be thy good Pleaſure, to prolong the Time of their Pilgrimage here on Earth, they may ſhine as Lights in the World; or, if thou ſeeſt it beſt, to bring down their Strength in their Journey, and to ſhorten their Days, they may be early fitted by Purity of Heart, to ſing eternal Hallelujahs to thee, the Father, and the Holy Ghoſt, in the Kingdom of Heaven for ever.
Grant this, O Father, for thy Dear Son's Sake, CHRIST JESUS, our LORD, Amen, Amen.
A PRAYER for a Servant.
O Thou HIGH and LOFTY ONE, who inh…biteſt Eternity, yet art pleaſed to dwell with the humble Heart: O bleſſed JESU, who haſt made of one Blood all Nations under Heaven, with whom there is no Reſpect of Perſons, and who in the Days of thy I leſh didſt go down to heal a Centurion's ſick Servant; have Mercy, I beſeech thee, on me, even me alſo a poor Servant. Stretch forth the Right Hand of thy Power, to heal all the Diſeaſes of my Sin-ſick Soul, and enable me by thy Holy Spirit, faithfully to diſcharge the ſeveral Duties of that Vocation, whereto I am called by thee my GOD. Give me Grace, I moſt humbly beſeech thee, to obey my Maſter, according to the Fleſh, in all Things; not with Eye-ſervice, as a Man-pleaſer, but with Singleneſs of Heart, as unto CHRIST; knowing, that whatſoever any Man doeth, the ſame he ſhall receive of the LORD, whether he be bond or free.
Make my Obedience to my Maſter on Earth, like to that which the holy Angels pay thee in Heaven. When I am commanded to go, may I go; when I am required to come, may I come; whatſoever I am bid to do agreeable to thy Will, may I do it heartily, as unto the LORD, and not unto Men. But if at any Time, O LORD, thou ſhouldſt, to try what is in my Heart, permit me to be tempted to do any Wickedneſs, O do thou give me Grace, as thou didſt Joſeph, patiently to ſubmit to a Priſon and to Death itſelf, rather than ſin againſt thee, my GOD. Knowing that it is Thank worthy, if a Man for Conſcience towards GOD, endure Grief, ſuffering wrongfully. Enable me, O LORD, to ſhew good Fidelity in all Things committed to my Charge. Do thou, who bleſſedſt Abraham's Servant, when he went to take a Wife for his Maſter's Son, Iſaac; ſo bleſs me in all my Maſter's Buſineſs, that he may ſee, as Potiphar did, that the LORD maketh all that I do to proſper in my Hands.
Keep, O LORD, alſo the Door of my Lips, that I offend at no Time with my Tongue; let a falſe Tongue be far from me, and let me never lie unto my Maſter, as Gehazi did. O let no ſuch Unfaithfulneſs cleave unto me; left by being a Partaker with him in his Crime, … …rtake alſo in his Puniſhment. Bridle alſo my Tongue from ever anſwering again: May all Sullenneſs and Peeviſhneſs of Temper be put away from me, with all Paſſion: May I learn of thee, O Holy JESU, to be meek and lowly in Heart; O make me patient of Reproof, willing to be taught, and ſubject with all Fear and Godly Reverence, not only to the Good and Gentle, but alſo to the Froward. Or if ever, through the Weakneſs of the Fleſh, I ſhould offend in this Point, as Hagar did againſt Sarah, enable me, I beſeech thee, immediately to repent and to return again to my Obedience. Grant alſo, O LORD, I may behave holily and unblameably to my Fellow Servants: Let no corrupt Communication, nor fooliſh Talking, or Jeſting, which is not convenient, at any Time come out of my Mouth, but rather giving of Thanks; May our Converſation be always ſeaſoned with the Salt of thy Holy Word, and ſuch as may tend to the Edifying one another.
Endue us all with that Charity, which hideth a Multitude of Sins; and if ever, O LORD, thy Glory ſhould call me to bring up an …ll Report to my Maſter againſt any of my Fellow Servants, which I beſeech thee, of thine Mercies, I may never have Occaſion to do; grant it may be done with Gentleneſs and Compaſſion, not to inſinuate myſelf into my Maſter's Favour, but to prevent them ſinning againſt thee, and thereby ruining their own Souls. Keep us, we beſeech thee, from ſtriving among ourſelves, as Abraham's and Lot's Herdſmen did, about any of the Concerns of this Life; but grant we may be always provoking each other to Love and to good Works. Preſerve us, we beſeech thee, from envying one another, either the Favour of …ur Maſter, or any Bleſſing whatſoever. Let us not ſeek our own, but each our Brother's Welfare, as Members of the ſame Body, as Diſciples of the ſame LORD; when one of us ſuffers, let all of us ſuffer; when one of us rejoices, let all of us rejoice with him: Make us Pitiful and Tender-hearted to each other, and if at any Time we ſhould have a Quarrel, enable us. O LORD, immediately to forgive one another, even as thou GOD for CHRIST's Sake, haſt forgiven us.
Finally, O LORD, endue us with a deep Humility, that we may in Brotherly Love prefer one another, and in Lowlineſs of Mind each of us eſteem his Brother better than himſelf. O hear all our Prayers for our Maſter, and grant that he and his Houſhold may faithfully ſerve thee our LORD. O make him as devout as Cornelius, and us, like the Soldiers that waited upon him, devout alſo. That thus adorning thy Holy Goſpel in all Things, we may at thy ſecond Coming to judge the World, be rewarded according as we have improved the different Talents which we have received from thee, O glorious Redeemer, who liveſt and reigneſt with the Father and the Holy Ghoſt, ever one GOD, World without End. Amen, Amen.
A PRAYER for one under Spiritual Deſertion.
O Ever bleſſed and moſt compaſſionate Redeemer, who waſt in all Things tempted like as we are, Sin only excepted—O thou Lover of Souls, who in the Days of thy Fleſh didſt offer up ſtrong Cries and Tears, and waſt heard in that thou fearedſt—O thou Reſtorer of Mankind, who waſt in ſuch an Agony in the Garden, that thou ſweateſt great Drops of Blood, falling to the Ground.—O thou Almighty High Prieſt, who, when thro' the eternal Spirit thou waſt about to make thy Soul an Offering for Sin, hadſt thy own Divinity withdrawn from thee, and didſt cry ou… in the Bitterneſs of thy Soul, My GOD, my GOD, why haſt thou forſaken me.—O thou, who now fitteſt at the Right Hand of the Father, continually to make Interceſſion for us. Look down, I beſeech thee, upon me, thy unworthy Servant.—For thou haſt turned away thy Face and lo! I am troubled.—Thou haſt taken off my Chariot-Wheels, and I drive heavily.—Thou haſt permitted a Cloud to overſhadow me, and an horrible Darkneſs, Fearfulneſs and Dread, to overwhelm me, ſo that my Soul would be exceeding ſorrowful, even unto Death, did I not believe thou wouldſt yet turn again, and viſit me.
Father, if it be poſſible, let this Cup paſs from me; but if my Soul cannot be made perfect, unleſs I drink it, thy Holy, thy Bleſſed Will be done.
Lo here I am! Deal with me as it ſeemeth good in thy Sight.—Only let thy Grace be ſufficient for me; and in the midſt of my Agony ſend down, I beſeech thee, an Angel from Heaven to ſtrengthen me.
LORD, thou knoweſt that Satan has deſired to have me, that he may ſift me as Wheat; O grant that my Faith fail not.
Suffer, O ſuffer him not to get an Advantage over me, for thou art not ignorant of his Devices.—O let him not ſo prevail againſt me, as to make me entertain hard Thoughts of thee my moſt loving Maſter, and compaſſionate Redeemer: For I know thou of very Faithfulneſs haſt cauſed me thus to be troubled;—And doſt afflict me for no other Reaſon, but to make me Partaker of thy Holineſs.
Give me, O give me, the Shield of Faith, and enable me to repel all the fiery blaſphemous Thoughts, that the wicked one ſhall at any Time dart into my Mind.—Let me drive them off as carefully as Abraham did the Birds that came to devour his Sacrifice.—And oh! Let him never tempt me to think, thou wilt impute them to me for Sin.
LORD, thou only knoweſt the preſent Dryneſs and Barrenneſs of my Soul, and how liable I am to be tempted to fret againſt thee, O LORD, and to ſeek Pleaſure in the Creature, when I can find no ſenſible Satisfaction in thee, my great Redeemer, who art GOD, bleſſed forever.
But, I beſeech thee, keep my Soul quiet and compoſed, and for thy Mercy's Sake enable me only to take Pleaſure in thee, and to ſit down ſolitary in the Bitterneſs of my Soul, and patiently wait till I can draw Comfort from thee, the Fountain of living Waters, rather than hew out to myſelf broken Ciſterns, that will hold no Water.
Never, never let me fall out with any of thy Ordinances, or think, I do not pleaſe thee in my holy Duties, becauſe I have no inward ſenſible Pleaſure in them myſelf.
Enable me to walk by Faith and not by Sight, and to ſeek thee in the Uſe of all appointed Means, though it be ſorrowing; being aſſured that after three Days I ſhall find thee in the Temple; of that thou wilt make thyſelf known unto me, by breaking of Bread, or in ſome other Way.
LORD, I believe, help thou my Unbelief, that I am now talking with thee as certainly, as Mary was, when thou didſt converſe with her at the Sepulchre; tho' ſhe knew it not.—In thy due Time reveal thyſelf again to me, as thou didſt to her; and let me hear the Voice of my Beloved.
Thou haſt promiſed, thou wilt not ſuffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear, but wilt with the Temptation make a Way for us to eſcape, that we may be able to bear it.—Fulfil, O Lord, this thy Promiſe—And after I have ſuffered a while, ſtrengthen, ſtabliſh, ſettle, and viſit me, as thou didſt thy Servant Abraham when he returned from the Slaughter of the five Kings.
LORD, lift thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon me; reſtore to me the Joy of thy Salvation; and when my Heart is duly prepared, and humbled by theſe inward Trials, grant me a feelin… Poſſeſſion of thee, my GOD, for the Sake of thy dear Son, JESUS CHRIST, our LORD, Amen. Amen.
A PRAYER for one under the Diſpleaſure of Relations, for being Religious.
BLeſſed LORD, who haſt commanded us to call upon thee in Time of Trouble, and thou wilt deliver us; and haſt always ſhewn thyſelf to be a GOD, hearing Prayer, mighty and willing to ſave; hear me now, I pray thee, when I call upon thee; for Trouble is at Hand.
Thou ſeeſt, O LORD, how many of my Brethren, according to the Fleſh, perſecute me for thy Name's Sake; ſo that I muſt renounce them, or decline openly profeſſing thee before Men.
But GOD forbid I ſhould love Father or Mother, Brethren or Siſters, more than thee, and thereby prove myſelf not worthy of thee. No! I have long ſince given thee my Soul and my Body; ſo lo! I now freely give thee my Friends alſo.
For I now find by Experience, that as it was formerly, ſo it is now.—They that are born after the Fleſh, do perſecute thoſe that are born after the Spirit.—That thou cameſt not to ſend Peace on Earth, but a Sword.—And that, unleſs a Man forſake all that he hath, he cannot be thy Diſciple.
Lo! I come to perform this Part of thy Will, O my GOD; being aſſured that whoſoever forſaketh Father or Mother, Brethren or Siſters, Houſes o… Lands for thy Sake, or the Goſpel, ſhall receive a hundredfold in this preſent Life, with Perſecution, and in the World to come Life everlaſting.
I truſt, O LORD, it is for thy Sake alone that I now make an Offering of the Favour of my Friends to thee; for thou knoweſt, O LORD, how continually they cry out, Spare thyſelf; tho' I am doing no more than thy holy Word ſtrictly requires me to do.
But do thou, O Bleſſed Saviour, who ſaidſt unto Peter, Get thee behind me Satan, enable me to ſtop my Ears to their falſe Inſinuations, charm they never ſo ſweetly; for they ſavour not the Things that be of God, but the Things that be of Men; and unleſs, O LORD, thou doſt help, they will be an Offence unto me, and cauſe me to deny the LORD that bought me.
Far be it from me, O LORD, to be ſurprized, becauſe of thoſe Offences; for thou haſt long ſince denounced Woe againſt the World becauſe of Offences; and I find, it is needful for my Soul, that ſuch Offences ſhould come, to try what is in my Heart; and to try whether I love thee in Deed and in Truth.
Bleſſed therefore, forever bleſſed be thy holy Name, that I am accounted worthy to ſuffer for thy Name's Sake. O let me rejoice, and be exceeding glad, that my Reward ſhall be great in Heaven.
O let me never regard any of their Threatnings; for when my Father and Mother forſaketh me, thou, O LORD, I am aſſured, wilt take me up.
Take me, O take me into the Arms of thy Mercy; for henceforward know I no Man after the Fleſh. And whoſoever doth the Will of my Father, the ſame ſhall be my Brother, and Siſter, and Mother.
I know, O LORD, I know, that this will expoſe me to the Deriſion and Perſecution of thoſe that are round about me.
But do thou, who didſt ſeek for the poor Beggar, after he was caſt out by the Jewiſh Council, and didſt reveal thyſelf unto him, reveal thyſelf to me alſo, when my Name is caſt out as Evil by my Friends and the World.—Though they curſe, yet bleſs thou me, O LORD; and enable me, I moſt humbly beſeech thee, to pray for them, even when they moſt deſpitefully uſe me, and perſecute me; Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
It is owing, O LORD, to thy free Mercy alone, that I have in any Meaſure been enlightned to know thee and the Power of thy Reſurrection. O let the ſame Grace be ſufficient for them alſo, and make thy Almighty Power to be known in their Converſion.
Thou didſt once, O bleſſed Saviour, magnify thy Goodneſs in turning thy Servant Paul, from being a bitter Perſecutor, to be a zealous Preacher of thy Goſpel; and madeſt the trembling Jailor cry out, even to thoſe whoſe Feet he had hurt in the Stocks, Sirs, what ſhall I do to be ſaved?
Look down therefore, I beſeech thee, in Pity and Compaſſion, on thoſe of my own Houſhold; and after I am converted myſelf, make me, or ſome other, inſtrumental, to ſtrengthen theſe my weak Brethren; that tho' we are now divided amongſt ourſelves, two againſt three, and three againſt two, yet we may at laſt, all with one Heart and one Mouth, glorify thee, O LORD; that thou mayſt come and abide with us, and love us as thou didſt Lazarus, Mary, and her Siſter Martha. Grant this, O Saviour, for thy infinite Merits Sake. Amen and Amen.
A PRAYER for one deſiring to be awakened to on Experience of the New-Birth.
BLeſſed JESUS, thou haſt told us in thy Goſpel, that unleſs a Man be born again of the Spirit, and his Righteouſneſs exceed the outward Righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, he cannot in any wiſe enter into the Kingdom of GOD. Grant me therefore, I beſeech thee, this true Circumciſion of the Heart; and ſend down thy bleſſed Spirit to work in me that inward Holineſs which alone can make me meet to partake of the Heavenly Inheritance with the Saints in Light.
Create in me, I beſeech thee, a new Heart, and renew a right Spirit within me. For of whom ſhall I ſeek for Succour but of thee, O LORD, with whom alone this is poſſible? LORD if thou wilt thou canſt make me whole. O ſay unto my Soul, as thou didſt once unto the poor Leper▪ I will, be thou renewed. Have Compaſſion on me, O LORD, as thou once hadſt unto blind Bartimeus, who ſat by the Way-ſide begging.
LORD, thou knoweſt all Things, thou knoweſt what I would have thee to do.—Grant, LORD, that I may receive my Sight.—For I am conceived and born in Sin, my whole Head is ſick, my whole Heart is faint, from the Crown of my Head to the Sole of my Feet I am full of Wounds and Bruiſes, and putrifying Sores. And yet I ſee not. O awaken me, tho' it be with Thunder, to a ſenſible Feeling of the Corruptions of my fallen Nature? and for the Mercies Sake ſuffer me no longer to ſit in Darkneſs, and the Shadow of Death.
O prick me, prick me to the Hear… … down a Ray of that all-quickening Light … ſtruck thy Servant Saul to the Ground … make me cry out with the trembling … What ſhall I do to be ſaved?
LORD, behold I pray; and bluſh, and a… confounded that I never prayed on this wiſe before.
But I have looked upon myſelf as rich, not conſidering that I was poor and blind, and naked. I have truſted to my own Righteouſneſs.—I flattered myſelf I was whole, and therefore blindly thought I had no Need of thee, O great Phyſician of Souls, to heal my Sickneſs.
But being now convinced by thy free Mercy that my own Righteouſneſs is as filthy Rags, and that he is only a true Chriſtian who is one inwardly; behold, with ſtrong Cryings and Tears, and Groanings that cannot be uttered, I beſeech thee viſit me with thy free Spirit, and ſay unto theſe dry Bones, Live.
I confeſs, O LORD, that thy Grace is thy own, and that thy Spirit bloweth where he liſte…. And waſt thou to deal with me after my Deſe… and reward me according to my Wickedneſs, … had long ſince been given over to a reprobate Mind, and had my Conſcience ſeared as with a red hot Iron.
But, O LORD, ſince by ſparing me ſo long thou haſt ſhewn that thou wouldſt not the Death of a Sinner.—And ſince thou haſt promiſed that thou wilt give thy holy Spirit to thoſe that aſk it, I hope thy Goodneſs and Long-ſuffering is intended to lead me to Repentance, and that thou wilt not turn away thy Face from me.
Thou ſeeſt, O LORD, thou ſeeſt, that with the utmoſt Earneſtneſs and Humility of Soul, I aſk thy holy Spirit of thee; and am reſolved in Confidence of thy Promiſe, who canſt not lie, to ſeek and knock till I find a Door of Mercy opened unto me.
LORD ſave me, or I periſh; viſit, O viſit me with thy Salvation.—Lighten my Eyes, that I ſleep not in Death.—O let me no longer continue a Stranger to myſelf,—But quicken me, quicken me with thy free Spirit, that I may know myſelf even as I am known.
Behold here I am. Let me do and ſuffer what ſeemeth Good in thy Sight, only renew me by thy Spirit in my Mind, and make me a Partaker of thy Divine Nature.—So ſhall I praiſe thee all the Days of my Life, and give thee Thanks forever in the Glories of thy Kingdom, O moſt adorable Redeemer; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghoſt, be aſcribed all Honour and Praiſe, both now and forevermore. Amen.
A PRAYER for one newly awakened to a Senſe of the Divine Life.
O Almighty and everlaſting Father, who in the beginning ſpake and it was done, ſaying, Let there be Light and there was Light.—O moſt adorable Redeemer, who when Adam had eaten the forbidden Fruit waſt revealed as the Seed of the Woman, and didſt in the Fulneſs of Time, die an accurſed Death to ſave us from the Guilt and Power of our Sins, and thereby break the Serpent's Head.—O bleſſed and …ternal Spirit, who didſt once move upon the Face of the great Deep, who didſt overſhadow the bleſſed Virgin, who didſt deſcend on the Son of GOD at his Baptiſm, and didſt come down after his Aſcenſion in fiery Tongues upon the Heads of each of his Apoſtles.—O holy bleſſed and glorious Trinity, three Perſons and one GOD, by whoſe Conſultation we were firſt made, and into whoſe Name we have been again baptized—Accept my humble and hearty Sacrifice of Praiſe and Thankſgiving for calling me out of Darkneſs into thy marvellous Light; for quickening me when dead in Treſpaſſes and …, and moving upon the Face of my polluted and diſordered Soul.
Thou haſt promiſed, O LORD, that th…n wilt not quench the ſmoaking Flax, or break the bruiſed Reed. And thou haſt told us, that thy holy Spirit ſhould be in us, as a Well of Water ſpringing up unto eternal Life. Finiſh therefore, I beſeech thee, the good Work begun in my Soul, and now thou haſt called me, never let me lye down again.
Thou ſeeſt, O LORD, the good Seed ſown in my Heart is yet but as a very ſmall Grain of Muſtard Seed.—O continue to water with the Dew of thy heavenly Bleſſing what thy own Right-Hand hath planted, and it ſhall become a great Tree.
Thou haſt touched the Eye of my Mind by thy Divine Power, and I ſee Men as Trees walking. Let thy holy Spirit by his bleſſed Influences more and more remove the remaining Scales, till I at length ſee all Things clearly.
With Shame and Confuſion of Face, O LORD, I confeſs I am unworthy of this and all other thy Mercies. For I have long ſince done Deſpite to the Spirit of Grace, crucified the Son of God afreſh, and put him to open Shame. But do thou, who art rich in Mercy to all that call upon thee, in Faithfulneſs, forgive me what is paſt, and grant I may from henceforward work out my Salvation with Fear and Trembling, ſince thou haſt ſo graciouſly wrought in me both to will and to do after thy good Pleaſure.
I know, O LORD, that now thou haſt begun to deliver me out of my natural and wo…ſe t…an Egyptian Bondage. I muſt expect to paſs through a barren and dry Wilderneſs, that there are Lions in the Way, that the Sons of Anak are to be grappled with before I attain to the true Sabbath of the Soul.
But thou, Angel of the everlaſting …, who ſenteſt thy miniſtring Spirits to reſcue righteous Lot, who leddeſt thy Sheep by the Hands of Moſes and Aaron; and didſt appear in a Viſion to Ananias, commanding him to go and lay his Hands upon thy Servant Soul. Send me alway a faithful and experienced …, who may lead me by the Hand, and keep … from lingring in my ſpiritual Sodom, by his prudent Directions under thee, and preſerve me from the Snares and Fury of my ſpiritual Adverſaries, which otherwiſe may overtake and deſtroy my Soul.
O make me teachable like a little Child.—Convert my Soul and bring it low.—Grant I may be willing to learn what Things I ought to do, and alſo may have Power faithfully to fulfil the ſame.
Strengthen me, I beſeech thee, by the holy Spirit, to cut off a Right Hand, to pluck out a Right Eye, lay aſide every Weight, eſpecially the Sin that doth moſt eaſily beſet me;—to forſake Father and Mother, Brethren and Siſters, yea, and my own Life alſo, rather than not be thy Diſciple.
O ſuffer me not to deceive my own Soul by a partial Reformation.—Search me and try me, and examine my Heart, and let no ſecret unmortified Luſt or Paſſion ever keep me from Life everlaſting.
LORD, I am not my own. Thou haſt bough me with the Price of thy Son's moſt precious Blood.
Thou haſt often required, and lo! I now give thee my Heart, to the beſt of my Knowledge, without ſecretly keeping back the leaſt Part. For whom have I in Heaven but thee, and what is there on Earth that I can deſire in Compariſon of thee!
O mould me into thy own moſt bleſſed Image, my LORD and my GOD. Fill me with thy Grace here, fit me for thy Glory hereafter. Even ſo, LORD JESUS. Amen and Amen.
The End of the Second Volume.
End of the text · George Whitefield, Sermons on Various Subjects Volume 1 (1740)