PRAYERS COMMONLY CALLED LYDLEY'S PRAYERS, WITH CERTAIN GODLY ADDITIONS. Before thou prayest, forgive, if thou hast anything against any man, and remember that thou comest not to God with a double heart, but lift up your hands without wrath or doubting. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, I, thy poor creature and work of thy hands, acknowledge and confess unto thee my manifold sins and offences, which I from my youth up unto this time have grievously committed against thee in thought, word, and deed; and am now taught and moved by thy word and grace to be heartily sorry for the same, desiring thee, for the precious blood-shedding of Jesus Christ thy dear Son our Lord, to have mercy upon me, and forgive me all those mine offences according to thy great mercy and promise, which hast said, At what time soever a sinner doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance®. O Lord, I acknowledge and confess that I was born in sin, and conceived in wickedness, and am by nature a child of wrath; for in my flesh dwelleth no good thing, and of myself I am not able to think a good thought, much less do that thou in thy law requirest of me to be done, which hast said, Cursed is he that continueth not in all things that are written in the law to do them 1. Again, thy law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under 6 Ezek. xviii. 7 Ps. li. 10 Gal. iii. 8 Ephes. ii. sin'. Therefore, O Lord, I call unto thee for grace (which hast said, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you,) to prevent and draw my will to all goodness for none can come to thee except he be drawn; and except we be born from above, we cannot see the kingdom of God3. Assist me, therefore, and guide me with thy holy Spirit from time to time: draw me and I shall run after thee*, and give me strength and ableness through Christ our Lord to accomplish and fulfil the same. Deliver me from the spirit of pride, vain-glory, haughtiness of mind, presumption, self-love; and make me poor in spirit, humble, meek, gentle, and low in mine own sight, that I lift not up myself above my brethren, but esteem myself to be as a servant to all men to do them good, after the example of Christ, who came not to be ministered unto, but to minister; who also hath said, Blessed are the poor in spirit: again, Thou resistest the proud, but givest grace to the humble". Give me thy grace, O Lord, that whensoever I be overtaken with any kind of sin and wickedness, either in thought, word, or deed, or that I feel mine own infirmity and weakness, I may immediately with hearty repentance return to thee again, and not to lie still in the security of sin'. Take from me my stony, unbelieving, blind, doubtful, unfaithful, and unthankful heart, and give me an heart of flesh, to bow and incline to thy will. My carnal, secure, and impenitent heart take away from me, and give me an heart to fear, love, and obey thee. Write thy law in my heart, 1 Rom. vii. 5 Matt. v. 2 Matt. vii. 3 John iii. vi. 4 Cant. i. grave it in my mind, that I may believe, trust, and live in thee for ever. Take from me the wicked spirit of suspicion, envy, evil jealousy, vain surmisings, murmuring, and grudging or backbiting of any, especially such as be in authority, and ministers of thy word. O Lord, keep me from all wrath, malice, and hastiness, all respect of persons in the faith, all lying, evil words, contention, flattering, dissimulation, hypocrisy, blasphemy, and vain swearing by the name of God, his works, or creatures; from all lightness, idle words, and all unstableness of heart. O Lord, deliver thou my heart from all filthiness both of the flesh and spirit, from all unclean thoughts and unlawful desires, evil concupiscence and lusts of the body. Take from me also covetousness and inordinate care of riches, all deceit and guile in my calling and office, all idleness and sloth, and give me not over unto an unshamefaced and obstinate mind. Make me able and contented with patience to bear all occasions of offence, when they be offered or given me, and not to recompense evil for evil; and suffer me not, good Lord, to give occasions of evil to any man, and if I do, make me willing to confess my fault and to amend it. Give me thy grace, that I never envy any good man's love or woman's, because they do either love God and his people more than I, or else that they be beloved of him or his more than I. Make me to rejoice in other men's gifts, and not to envy them, because they be better than mine; but rather to give thanks for them with all my heart, desiring that they may be increased in them and in me. O Lord, take from me a careful heart in all worldly things, and grant that neither poverty oppress me and drive me to despair or falsehood, neither wealth and prosperity lift me up to forget thee or myself; but that in prosperity I may be thankful, and in adversity patient and humble. Lord, make me merry without lightness, sad without mistrust, sober without dulness, fearing thee without desperation, trusting in thee without presumption. Grant me, O God, a tender, loving, and merciful heart toward my brethren; long-suffering and patience to bear all things well that thy providence shall see meet to lay upon me. Regenerate my heart with the Spirit of grace daily more and more; give me an inward taste and feeling of thy favour and mercy towards me in Christ Jesu our Lord, that I may know thee to be my God and Father, and myself to be thy child for evermore. Lord, increase this my faith in thee and in Christ thy Son my Redeemer; increase and confirm my hope in thy promises touching my salvation. O God, make perfect my love toward thee and to my Redeemer and Justifier: give me a true and unfeigned love to all virtue and godliness, and to all thy chosen people wheresoever they be dispersed throughout all the world: increase in me strength and victory against all temptations and assaults of the flesh, the world, and the devil, that according to thy promise I be never further proved or tempted than thou wilt give me strength to overcome'. Give me grace to keep a good conscience; give me a pure heart and mind, and renew a right spi 1 1 Cor. x. rit within me. Give me also a right understanding of thy holy word, that I may never swerve from the true sense and meaning thereof, and that my chief felicity may be in the same, in hearing, reading, talking, watching, praying, fasting, mortifying, and subduing mine own will and members. O Lord, I offer up myself wholly with all my crooked and corrupt nature, so much as it is in will and works, unto thy mercy, to be corrected and reformed at thine own will and pleasure. Rule and confirm our hearts with thy Spirit, O Lord; lighten and guide us always with the light of thy holy gospel; govern and preserve thy church, and defend those realms and cities that give succour and harborough to thy people; make us all diligent and happy in the works of our vocation; take into thy custody for ever our souls and bodies, our lives, and all that ever we have. Be gracious and favourable, O Lord, to all men, and even to our very enemies, and according to thy good will and purpose forgive them their sins. Convert unto thy truth all those whom thou hast appointed in Jesus Christ to salvation. Be merciful, O Lord, to all our brethren and sisters that suffer any kind of persecution or affliction, whether in mind or in body, especially such as suffer for thy name and gospel: give them patience, constancy, and stedfast hope, till thou send them full and good deliverance of all their troubles. Be gracious to all those whom thou hast coupled and linked to us in love and friendship, whose hearts thou hast moved to pray for us, to wish us good, to succour and help us in our necessity: grant us all thy blessing and holy Spirit, to |