Jacobs ladder, or, The devout souls ascention to Heaven, in prayers, thanksgivings, and praises in four parts ... : with graces and thanksgivings : illustrated with sculptures / by Jo. Hall.

A Prayer for a Family for Saturday Morning.

GRacious Lord God, thou art the great Creator of Heaven and Earth, we confess our selves un∣worthy to come into thy presence, or to speak a word before thee, wretched sinful Creatures that we are, full of all iniquity and unclean∣ness; and who can make that clean which is taken out of an unclean thing? the thoughts and imagina∣tions of our hearts are evil, and only evil, and that continually.

Yet, O Lord, seeing thou hast commanded us to call upon thee, and hast mercifully promised to be present with thy Children, to hear their prayers, and to grant their re∣quests, which they put up in faith, unto thee. O Lord, this doth give us boldness to come before thee,

and in confidence of thy goodness, that thou wilt make good the same promises unto us at this time, we here offer up unto thee this mor∣ning Sacrifice of praise and thanks∣giving, humbly acknowledging and confessing, from the bottom of our hearts, our manifold transgres∣sions and offences, which we have continually multiplied against thee, in thought, word, and deed, from the beginning of our dayes, unto this present time; we ac∣knowledge, O Lord, our Origi∣nal corruption, in the which we were at the first conceived, and born, and from which there hath sprung the most bitter, and un∣savoury fruit of sin, apostacy, and Rebellion, to the great dishonour of thy Name, and wounding of our poor souls and consciences, and the evil example of others, amongst whom we have lived; by the which, O God, we confess that we have justly deserved that thy Wrath and

indignation, should be poured out upon us, both in this life, and in the life to come.

And therefore, O God, we come not here before thee, in our own wor∣thiness, but in the worthiness, and mediation of Jesus Christ, beseech∣ing thy gracious goodness, for his sake, to forgive all our offences; our open sins, our secret sins, our sins of Presumption, sins against Knowledg, against Conscience, against thee, or against our Brethren, either in our younger years, or in the days of our knowledge; as we must needs con∣fess, that in many things we offend all, we beseech thee, O Lord, for Christ his sake, to forgive the same unto us, and perswade our Souls and Con∣sciences more and more, that thou art at peace with us, and that all our sins are done away in the blood of thy Son. And grant, O Lord, that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit, we may serve thee with more free∣dom of mind, and liberty of will, in

Righteousness, and true Holiness, un∣to the end of our days. And, good Lord, begin not only repentance, and true conversion in us, but of thy great mercy, perfect the same: O lead us forward more and more to perfecti∣on; increase in us the saving know∣ledge of thee, and of thy Son Jesus Christ.

And now, O Lord, we magnify, and praise thy Holy Name, for thy Blessings and Mercies bestowed up∣on us, both Spiritual and Temporal; for our Health, Peace, Food, Ray∣ment, and all the comforts of this life: O Lord let us make a right use of them, that we may not abuse them unto licentiousness, but let us be dai∣ly stirr'd up by them, to devote our selves unto thee, and thy service; we acknowledge thy goodness towards us, the night that is now past, free∣ing us from many imminent dang••rs, both of Soul and Body, and giving us sweet and comfortable rest, we beseech thee to be with us this day,

and bless us in all our lawful under∣takings, and keep us all the days of our lives, and teach us to walk, as Children of the light, that thy Name may be glorified by us, others may take good example, we our selves en∣joy the peace of a good Conscience, so that at the last we may come to reign with thee in Glory.

Bless the Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live, with the continu∣ance of our peace, and true Religion, bless all in Authority, especially the Kings most excellent Maiesty, our gracious Queen, James Duke of York and all the Royal Family. Bless the Nobility, Clergy and Gentry of this Nation; bless us all out of Sion from the highest to the lowest. Be mer∣ciful to all that are afflicted in body or mind or both; let it please thee, O Lord, to stay them, and support them in time of their distress, and g••v•• them a happy issue out of the same; as it shall seem good unto thee; and ••it us all for all times and condi∣tions

which thou shalt please to bring upon us. And thus, O Lord, we have commended our suits unto thee, humbly beseeching thee to pardon our infirmities in the performance of this present service, and since thou knowest our wants better than we our selves can express them unto thee, we pray thee to take notice of them, and minister unto us a gracious supply in thine own due time, even for Je∣sus Christ his sake; in whose Name we conclude these our weak and im∣perfect Prayers in that perfect form of Prayer which he himself hath fur∣ther taught us, saying,

Our Fa••h••r, &c.