A guide to the Holy City, or, Directions and helps to an holy life containing rules of religious advice, with prayers in sundry cases, and estates ... / by Iohn Reading ...

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Title
A guide to the Holy City, or, Directions and helps to an holy life containing rules of religious advice, with prayers in sundry cases, and estates ... / by Iohn Reading ...
Author
Reading, John, 1588-1667.
Publication
Oxford :: Printed for Thom. Robinson and Rich. Davis,
1651.
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Subject terms
Piety -- Early works to 1800.
Cite this Item
"A guide to the Holy City, or, Directions and helps to an holy life containing rules of religious advice, with prayers in sundry cases, and estates ... / by Iohn Reading ..." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A58208.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 7, 2024.

Pages

A private Prayer before the receiving of the Lords Supper.

MOst gratious Lord God, Father of mercy and truth, Who dwel∣lest in that light which none can attaine unto, yet vouch∣safest to prepare the hearts of thy servants here on earth, to help their infirmities, and to heare their petitions: prepare my heart, teach mee to pray, encline thine eare unto mee, and have mercy up∣on mee: O Lord thou art a just, and a severe Judge; how shall I then (vile and unworthy wretch) appeare this day before thee in the courts of thyne house? I came into this world a child of wrath & disobedience, naked and destitute of all goodnesse; but thou O Lord my Redeemer▪ hast bestowed the seale of thy righteousnesse upon mee in my Baptisme, thou hast called mee to the knowledge of thy go∣spel, thou hast given me the earnest of my redemption, by the spirit of

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regeneration: Lord establish now the thing which thou hast free∣ly wrought in mee: and as thou hast this day invited mee to thy table, and the communion of the body and blood of thy holy Sonne Jesus Christ, so Lord bestow the wedding garment on mee, that I may appeare before thee cloathed in his righteousnesse, whom thou madest an offering for sinne, that in him wee might become righ∣teous before thee.

Lord what is man that thou so regardest him? and who among the sonnes of men, hath more cause to praise thy mercies then wretched I? thy mercy hath long spared me, thou hast taken me out of the power of darknesse, & kingdome of Satan: thou hast given me the glorious freedome of the children of light what shall I rendër the Lord for all his benefitts towards me? I will call upon the name of the Lord; I will declare his mercies, I will take the cup of salva∣tion, and pay my vowes: all is to little which I have to give thee: O Lord thou hast in my creation given me my selfe in my redempti∣on thou hast restored me to my selfe: therfore now accept againe thyne owne gift: Lord let me be wholy thyne: And beeing now to appeare before thee whith a sacrifice of praise I pray thee for Iesus Christ his sake, prepare the alter, purge me with Hysope, create a cleane heart within me, renue a right spirit: sprinkle the doore of my soule with the blood of the Lambe of God, which taketh away the sinnes of the world, that the destroyer may not enter: send into my soule that heavenly fire of love to thy sacred Majestie and charity to all men, which may assure mee of thy acceptance of me, and my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving: clens out of mee all the old leaven of sinne and maliciousnesse: open my understan∣ding, increase my faith, that I may see and know the assurance of my sinnes remission in the seale of eternall life which by thy mercies I am now to receive.

Thou hast taught mee O Lord, that my blessed Saviour, in the night that he was betrayed, made this holy testament: wherein as he tooke flesh and blood of us, that he might dye for us, so hee be∣queathed his body and blood to us, that wee might live in him, and left this Sacrament, as a faithfull pledge of his love, to remember us of his dying for us till he come againe: O Lord I know thou art the life, and truth, and wouldst not leave thy Church any ef∣fectlesse earnest of their salvation: Lord Jesus therefore be pre∣sent

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with my spirit, worke powerfully on thine owne ordinance, that it may indeed seale up my salvation in my soule, with that con∣constant assurance, that the gates of hell may never prevaile a∣gainst it▪ that no terrour of conscience, nor any delusions of Sa∣tan may be able to overthrow it: but that I may with a lively faith, lay hold on all thy merits: that I may find therein an in∣ward peace, in confidence of my sinnes remission, reconciliation with my God, sound joy in the Holy Ghost my comforter, sanctifi∣ed will and affections, purity of life, and holy obedience, which hath the testimony of a good conscience, to be a sweet comfort both in life and death, assuring me that I have fought a good fight with entire faith, and therefore shall enjoy the crown of righteousnesse, which the Lord the righteous Judge, shall at that day give to all them, that love his appearing: Grant this, O Lord, and whatever else thou knowest to be needfull for me, for Jesus Christ his sake: who with thee and the holy spirit, liveth and raigneth, ever one God, world without end.

AMEN.
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