44. Dr. Anesley's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate

44. Dr. Anesley's Prayer at Giles-Cripplegate
Holy and great God of Heaven and Earth, such his the condescention of thy Grace, that thou art pleased to manifest thy special presense to thy poor creatures, though thou hatest sin with a perfect hatred, yet thou lovest sinners with an infinite Love; though thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, yet thou art pleased to manifest thy Love to sinners that approach to thy service O Lord, when shall we admire enough thy Grace and Love, how thou art pleased to communicate thy self to a poor man. Dear Father, raise and fix our hearts, help us to mind the business that we come about, and to deal very faithfully with our own souls in the matters of eternal moment. Oh that we could pray so, that our prayers through grace might be returned upon us with a blessing. O that we could wait upon thee, to hear thy Word as the Oracles of God; let us hear what Christ will discover to us for our spiritual benefit: Lord grant that our souls may know what it is to be in the Spirit in the Lords day: Dear Father thou canst deal with such hearts as ours for the curing of them, we pray thee do it; we must needs acknowledge, hadst not thou laid help upon one that is mighty, that is able to save to the uttermost, we must have perished to all eternity, for we do not know any upon the earth more vile then ourselves: The very agravations of our sins, to render us monstrously abominable; the means of grace we have afforded us, the stirrings of thy spirit in us, the patience and goodness of God towards us, makes it a wonder that our hearts do remain so blockish. But dear Lord, we do find by experience, that our immortal souls are much debased; all the faculties of our souls are out of tune; our understandings are so dark, our conceptions of God are so low, our consciences are so benum'd, that the stirrings of them are scarce discerned or perceived; our affections are spent upon the creature, that we cannot gather them up again; our wills are perverse, our memories are apt to retain the dross, and let out all that is good: we pray thee for Christs sake, make an experiment upon our souls, what thou canst do, what sinners Christ can save; what corruptions the spirit of God can subdue in our souls; teach all our hearts, do not stand behind the wall and look through the latice; do so much as may leave us without excuse; but good Lord put thy hand in at the hole of the door, and let thy fingers drop honey upon the handle of the Lock. And, oh; set open these everlasting Doors, that the King of glory may enter in: Subdue us entirely to thy self; do not ask our wills, whether we be willing or no, but make us willing: do not ask us what we would have but give us what thou knowst is good for us. Dear Lord, we pray thee deliver us from sin according to thy hatred of it, and pour out thy grace upon us, according to thy love of grace, that our souls may be refreshed that we may find thy thoughts are above ours, as high as heaven is above the earth. Dear Father, it is thy promise, that those that wait upon thee, shall renew their strengths we have no might; the Devil bastles us, our own hearts are treacherous to us: The world intices us to sin against. God: oh! deliver us from all these enemies & especially from the plagues of our own hearts, that we may perfect holiness in the fear of God: give us spiritual blessings, whatsoever thou givest us, or whatsoever thou deniest us; thou knowest thou art rather willing to give us spiritual blessings, than any other mercies; and we want spiritual mercies most; Oh, oh give us spiritual Mercies, that we may say, This is the way of God in his Sanctuary: Where grace is not wrought, work it; where it is begun, increase it. Dear father, convince those that are not yet convinced: Make thy word a quickning word, an ingrafted word, to the saving of our souls; help us to hear as for our lives & as those that long after God. Hear Prayers for the King, bless him in his Royal Relations, and grant under him, we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty. Bless the Magistrates, and help them to remember, that causes one day must be heard over again. Help thy Ministers to keep close to thee in ways that are well pleasing. Be with us at this time. Lord, assist the meanest of thy servants, let our souls now find that thou dost magnifie thy word above all thy Name; do us good, receive us, quicken us, that we may live in heaven upon earth, that we may know what it is to be filled with the fulness of God, and know the heighth; breadth, depth, and length of thy love, that passeth knowledge. Communicate thy self to us as thou usest to do to thy people; let us feel thy presense; let us not think of anything, but the business, we are about; let us with singleness of heart, set ourselves to mind the concernment of our immortal souls; and all we beg for Christ his sake, who hath taught us thus to pray. Our Father, &c.