Daily devotions, or, The Christians morning and evening sacrifice digested into prayers and meditations, for every day in the week, and other occasions : with some short directions for a godly life / by John Colet ...

Prayers for Munday Morning.

O Lord my God and Heavenly Father, blessed be thy Name for ever: dispose my heart, open my lips, and give me thy Ho∣ly Spirit, &c.

A Psalm.

HElp me, O God of my Salvation, for the glory of thy Name; O deliver me, and be merciful unto my sin, for thy Names sake.

O remember not mine old sins, but have mercy upon me, and that soon: for I am come to great misery.

My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord, my heart and my flesh rejoyceth in the Living God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy House, they will be always praising thee.

Preserve thou my soul therefore O my God, and save thy servant that puts his trust in thee.

O comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul: For thou Lord art good and gracious, and

of great mercy unto all them that call up∣on thee.

And blessed is the man whose strength is in thee, and in whose heart are thy ways.

O Lord I have cryed day and night be∣fore thee, O let my Prayer enter into thy presence: incline thine ear to my calling.

And be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I will call daily upon thee, for thou dost wondrous things, thou art God alone.

O turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me, give thy strength unto thy ser∣vant, and help the son of thy handmaid.

Shew some good token upon me for good, that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed, because thou Lord hast holpen me, and comforted me.

O satisfie me with thy mercy, and that soon, so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life.

Shew thy servants thy work, and thy children thy Glory.

And the glorious Majesty of the Lord my God be upon me: prosper thou the work of my hands upon me, O prosper thou my handy work.

A Morning Prayer.

O Almighty God, and merciful Father, which gavest the children of Israel in charge, to offer a daily Morning and Even∣ing Sacrifice unto thee, that thereby they may glorifie and thank thee for the benefit of their protection both night and day; receive of me, O Lord, the calves of my lips which I lay upon thine Altar, being my morning Sacrifice of thanksgiving un∣to thee: I glorifie thee, O eternal God, for thou hast broken the bands wherewith I was tyed this night, by reason of the midst of darkness, and hast delivered me from the shadow of death, by bringing me safe and sound to the beginning of this day: wherefore I will praise thy Name, and mag∣nifie thee for ever. O Lord continue thy goodness towards me this day, and grant that all my Prayers and works may both begin and end in thee? vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep me this day without sin, and fill me in this present hour with thy favour and Grace, that all this day and ever I may rejoyce and delight in thy Praises: Grant merciful God that descending into my soul, I may reprehend and condemn mine own spots and vices within me:

deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, and save me from a deceitful tongue: keep me, O Lord, from the edge of the Sword, from sudden death, from the infectious pesti∣lence, from mortal sickness, and deadly vexation. O Almighty sanctifier, both within and without, keep me this day from danger of blood-thirsty men whose feet are swift to shed blood. For into thy hands this day and ever I commend my spirit: and that I may watch upon thee my Maker both night and day, beseeching thee to protect me in the day of my trou∣ble, that the Enemy have no advantage of me: and grant, O Lord, that if in thy ju∣stice for punishment of my sin, or of thy gracious favour for trial of my Faith, and exercise of my patience, thou suffer me to fall into any distress or danger: to give me I beseech thee a contented mind, to yield to thy good pleasure, and assured hope and belief, as all things are wrought to thy Glory, so they may work for the best un∣to me as one that loveth thee: Grant this, O most merciful Father; To whom with thy Son, and the Holy Ghost, be all Ho∣nour and Glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

A Prayer for forgiveness of Sins.

O God, the God of my Salvation, I do here acknowledge my sins unto thee, and mine iniquities I have not hid: Where∣fore, O my God, turn thy face towards me, and let thy loving mercy ever more and more extend unto me; for I am miserable, sinful, and poor, and I come unto thee the fountain of all help. Forgive my sins, wash me and I shall be whiter than snow: let me tast of thy old loving kindnesses that have been ever of old, ready to forgive, and to embrace them that turn from their evil ways, as appeareth by David, Peter, and many others, who repenting of their sins, found favour: Wherefore have mercy up∣on me, O God, have mercy upon me: & according to the multitude of thy com∣passions, do away mine iniquities: O cleanse me from my secret sins, and cover my known sins with the Righteousness of thy Son Jesus Christ: remove mine iniquities far away from thee, and be not angry with thy servant for ever: O enter not in∣to judgment with thy servant; for if no flesh before thee be justified, what shall be∣come of me who have so highly offended;

Lord my God, full of mercy and pity, I appeal unto thee, I flee unto thee, I rest upon thee: leave thy displeasure against me; and how weak soever and unable I am to stand in thy presence, yet let thy spirit of strength hold me up, and say un∣to me, Fear not, for my Grace is suffici∣ent for thee. I take upon thy love, I rest upon thy favour in Christ, reject me not, though there be no good in me: Pour down that absolute good thing, even thy Grace, and let it direct to amendment of life. Thou hast said, that thou art well∣pleased in Christ thy Son, in him be thou also pleased with me, and receive me again into thy love, through his merits, by whom every sinner receiveth free access unto thee: and although I for my part, most loving Lord, am a vessel full of many faults and enormities; yet dear Father have mercy upon me, and cast me not from thy pre∣sence, but rather endue me again with a new Spirit, and a lively feeling of thy Will, and an ableness to do hereafter, that I may fill up the residue of my days in sin∣cerity, holiness, and righteousness, and in the due service of thee; that from hence∣forth, instead of straying from thee, I may dwell and be shrowded under the sha∣dow of thy wings: and that instead of sin

which hath miscarried me, I may embrace Piety, Godliness, and true Zeal: and in∣stead of ignorance, whereby I have so long gone astray, I may take hold of thy saving truth, that it may be a lanthorn unto my seet, and a light unto my paths, that I may rest safe in thee through a lively faith that never decayeth: and here I wait for thy lo∣ving kindness and mercy, O Lord, promi∣sed in Christ, in whom I am bold with deep sighs of heart, to cry, and say, Lord forgive mine offences, cover my sins, and lay not my former evils to my charge: And for the better performance of this my duty un¦to thee, from henceforth (good Lord) quench all the corrupt motions of my mind, striving with thy divine pleasure; that be∣ing thus inwardly renewed in my mind, & reformed in my conversation, I may serve thee with gladness, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour, to whom be all glo∣ry and honour for ever and ever.

Amen.

A Prayer for knowledge to do the will of God.

O Lord God and Heavenly Father, the God of all wisdom, and understand∣ing, I acknowledge, that by thy just sentence in that general corruption, which I have drawn from Adams Ioins, I am deprived of

all spiritual wisdom, and knowledge of thee and thy will, and that there is nothing in man, but blockish and beastly ignorance, such as springeth from infidelity, and is most contrary to thy will: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seek∣eth God: O Lord have mercy upon me, most miserable and vile wretch, and open mine eyes that I may see the mysteries of thy profound and excellent truth; increase, O Lord, all holy desires in me, to attain the knowledge of thy will; let my whole delight be in it to meditate therein day and night, that it may be more precious unto me than Gold and Silver, many times fined. Further, howsoever thy graces and gifts, O Lord, are to be acknowledged in men; yet because thy good pleasure is so, that all men should carry the scars of ignorance and infirmity: draw in my whole delight, I beseech thee, and kindle all my affecti∣ons, to the love of thy Law and Testi∣monies, and to those Scriptures that were written and indited by thine own self, and thy spirit; for those, good Lord, con∣tain thy whole will in that everlasting Covenant that thou hast stricken with thy Saints: This O Lord, is that well spring of wisdom and grace that shall make us wise before thee, howsoever the world

condemn it of madness and folly: Teach thou me, O Lord, and I shall be taught: open thou mine eyes that I may see the excellent things of thy Law: reform my heart, that self-love and vain-glory may be quite vanquished and slain in me, that I may only set before mine eyes thy glory: O gracious God, spoil this power of Satan in me, that by thy means thy good gifts of knowledge and wisdom be not abused against thee, thy Gospel and Glory; that I be not carried through emulation, spite, or envy of any mans credit, or gifts, to set my self against thy truth; but give me true humility, that above all things I may re∣joyce in the advancement and praise of thy Name, whether it be with my honour or shame, with my peace or trouble, with good report or evil report: I know, O Lord, that true wisdom is from thee alone, and that thou hast so ordained thy servants in so gracious a dispensation of thy gifts, that they who have the greatest need of theirs that are the least; the greatest Master∣builders, of them that are but labourers, & basket-bearers in thy Church: The unity of thy Spirit, and the bond of Peace, knit us fast together, and hold us in to reve∣rence each other, and to be at one in thy work: O knit our hearts together, that we

may all seek thee to thy eternal Praise; to whom only belongeth Renown, Glory and Honour, for ever, &c.

A fruitful Prayer to God.

ALmighty and Eternal God, my Crea∣tor and lover, I praise, adore, and bless Thee; for that in my offences and un∣gratefulness, thou hast so mencifully and leisurably forborn and suffered me to live even to this hour, whereunto thou by thy benefits hast brought me, giving an∣to me thy wretched servant, life and neces∣saries thereunto belonging, appointing An∣gels to be my keepers. O my good God, who knoweth whether till evening my life shall be prolonged, or what death is ap∣pointed for me: O merciful God and Hea∣venly Father, grant that I may with hearty repentance truly repent my sins, and in∣wardly bewail that ever I offended thy Godly Majesty: suffer not my soul to de∣part this body, before it be (through thy mercy) perfectly reconciled unto thee by grace, & bedeck'd with thy merits and ver∣tues: O merciful Saviour, if these things I desire, stand with thy Pleasure and Will, grant them I beseech thee, although I be not worthy to be heard: And in thy mercy, grant that by the merits of thy passion, I

may be purged from all my sins; and that at the hour of my death, I may be stricken with true and vehement contrition, and being knit with thee in perfect charity, I may immediately fleet unto thee my sweet Redeemer, safely from all damnation, de∣siring this one thing at thy hands, that thou wilt remember my fragility, unwor∣thiness, unstableness, and miseries, toge∣ther with thine own goodness and most charitable mercy, praying thee never to forsake me, or leave me, but that thou wilt always possess and govern me, accord∣ing to thy will; to whom be all glory, for ever and ever.

Amen.

A Prayer to be restored to Gods Favour.

O Almighty and everlasting God, and Father, which hast made Heaven and Earth, and all things therein con∣tained! O incomprehensible unity! O al∣ways to be worshipped most blessed Trini∣ty! I humbly beseech thee, and pray thee, by the assumption and crucified huma∣nity of our Lord Jesus Christ, that thou wouldest drive from me all kind of wickedness and sin, creating in me a clean heart, and a right spirit: O Lord Jesus, I beseech thy goodness, for the ex∣ceeding

great love which drew thee out of thy fathers bosom, in the womb of thy ho∣ly Virgin, and for the assumption of mans nature, wherein it pleased thee to save me, and to deliver me from eternal death; That thou wouldst draw me out of my self un∣to thee my Lord God: And grant that this my love may recover again to me, thy grace to increase and make perfect in me that which is wanting, to raise up in me that is fallen, to restore to me that which I have lost, and to quicken in me that which is dead and should live: That so I may become conformable unto thee in all my life and conversation, Thou dwelling in me, and I in thee, my heart being suppled with thy grace, and settled in thy Faith for ever: O my God, loose and set at liberty my Spirit from all inferiour things; govern my Soul, and so work, that both in soul and body I may be holy, and live to thy Glory, world without end.

Amen.

A Prayer to Christ to rest in his Love.

O My most loving Saviour, I have chosen thee, I wish and look for thee, I run to meet thee, & I do renounce all things that are not of thee; whatsoever thou wilt I will,

and whatsoever thou wilt not, I forsake & utterly detest in my heart: and whatsoever shall hereafter happen unto me contrary to this present choice of my mind, not to im∣pute the same unto me, but according to this choice of my soul judge me. For all things which I ought not to do, I utterly forsake them; and if at any time hereaf∣ter, I shall chance by any sinister occasion, to agree to any thing that may be a cause to withdraw thy mercy from me, I do now at this present hour utterly detest them: And here, O my sweet Saviour and Re∣deemer, if it please thee, or stand with thy Glory, grant I beseeeh thee in this my pre∣sent life, that I may be delivered and pre∣served from all offences wherein I have of∣fended, and from all the pains whereunto deservedly I ought to come after my death; and that thou wilt with the hands of thy mercy immediately after this life receive my soul into everlasting joy and felicity, there to raign with thee for ever.

Amen.

A Prayer to God to grant our Petitions.

O Christ, which art the strength of the weak, & the salvation of all believers, and an aider of the oppressed, yea, our life and safe-guard in the peril of death, I be∣seech

thee, that pitying mine Afflictions, thou wilt vouchsafe to grant me my peti∣tions, which at this time I have asked at thy hands; so shall I serve thee here in the Kingdom of Grace, and hereafter in thy Kingdom of Glory, where I beseech thee, O Lord, that I may have a place to dwell with thee eternally, which livest with God the Father, and the Holy Ghost everlastingly; to whom be praise and Glo∣ry for ever and ever.

Amen.