A Short Prayer for Families
Most glorious, ever-Hving God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, infinite in Thy power, wisdom and goodness 1 Thou art the Author of all the world, the Redeemer of lost mankind, and the Sanctifier of Thine elect! Thou hast
46 Insb’uctions for a Holy Life.
made us living, reasonable souls, placed awhile on earth in flesh, to seek and know and love and serve Thee, which we should have done with all our soul and might. For we and all things are Thine own and Thou art more to us than all the world. This should have been the greatest business care and pleasure of our lives. We were bound to it by Thy Law and invited by Thy love and mercy and the promise of a reward in heaven. And in our baptism we were devoted to this Christian life of faith and holiness, by a solemn covenant and vow. But with grief and shame we do confess that we have been too unfaithful to that covenant and too much neglected the Lord our Father, our Saviour and our Sanctifier, to whom we were devoted. And have too much served the flesh and the world and the devil which we renounced. We have added to our original sin, the guilt of unthankfulness for a Saviour and resisting the Spirit and grace that should have renewed, governed and saved us. We have spent much of our lives in fleshly and worldly vanity and wilfully neglected the greatest work of making a sure preparation for death and judgment and our endless state. In a custom of sinning we have hardened our hearts against Thy Word and warnings and the reproofs of thy ministers and of our consciences that have oft told us of our sin and danger and called us to repent. And now O Lord! our convinced souls confess that we deserve to be forsaken by Thee and left to our own lust and folly and to the deceits of Satan and unto endless misery. But seeing Thou hast given a Saviour to lost man and a pardoning covenant through the merits of Christ, promising forgiveness and salvation to every true, penitent, believer, we thankfully accept Thy offered mercy and penitently bewail our sin and cast our miserable souls upon Thy grace and the sacrifice, merits and intercession of our Redeemer.
Forgive all the sins of our hearts and lives; and as a reconciled Father take us as Thy adopted children in
Christ. O give us Thy renewing Spirit to be in us a powerful and constant author of holy light and love and life, to fit us for all our duty and for communion with Thee and for everlasting life. And to dwell in us as Thy witness and seal of our adoption. Let Him be better to our souls than our souls are to our bodies, teaching us Thy word and will, and bringing all our love and will to a joyful compliance with Thy will and quickening our dull and drowsy hearts to a holy and heavenly conversation. Let Him turn all our sinful pleasures and desires unto the delightful love of Thee and of Thy ways and servants. Save us from the great sins of selfishness pride and worldliness, and give us self-denial, humility and a heavenly mind, that while we are on earth, our hearts m.ay be in heaven, where we hope to live in Thy joyful love and praise, with Christ and all His holy ones for ever. Let us never forget that this life is short and that the life to come is endless: that our souls are precious and our bodies vile and must shortly turn to rottenness and dust: that sin is odious and temptation dangerous and judgment dreadful to unprepared, guilty souls: and that to them a Saviour and His grace and Spirit there is no salvation. Cause us to live as we would die, and let no temptation, company or business, draw us to forget our God and our everlasting state.
Lord bless the world, and specially these kingdoms, with wise, godly, just and peaceable princes and inferior judges and magistrates; and guide, protect and perfect them for the common good and the promoting of godliness and suppressing of sin. And bless all Churches with able, godly, faithful Pastors, that are zealous lovers of God and goodness and the people’s souls. And save the nations and churches from oppressing tyrants and deceivers, and from malignant enemies to serious piety. And cause subjects to live in just obedience and in love and peace. Bless Families with wise, religious governors, who will care-
48 I?istriictio?is for a Holy Life.
fully instruct their children and servants and restrain them from sin and keep them from temptation. Teach children and servants to fear God and honour and obey their governors.
O our Father which art in heaven, let Thy name be hallowed: Let Thy kingdom come: Let Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread: Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us: Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory for ever. Amen.
Before Meat, Most gracious God, who hast given us Christ and with Him all that is necessary to life and godliness: we thankfully take this our food as the gift of Thy bounty, procured by Mis merits. Bless it to the nourishment and strength of our frail bodies to fit us for Thy cheerful service. And save us from the abuse of Thy mercies by gluttony, drunkenness, idleness and sinful fleshly lusts, for the sake of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Lord. Amen.
After Meat,
Most merciful Father, accept of our thanks for these and all Thy mercies: and give us yet more thankful hearts. O give us more of the great mercies proper to Thy children, even Thy sanctifying and comforting Spirit, assurance of Thy love through Christ and a treasure and a heart and conversation in heaven. And bring and keep us in a constant readiness for a safe and comfortable ’ death: for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.