47. Mr. Waltons Prayer in Walbrook

47. Mr. Waltons Prayer in Walbrook
O Lord God, all our springs are in thee, it is good for us to draw nigh to thee through Jesus Christ; thou art all fulness, thou art the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him our Father, thou art our light; thou givest us these blessed opportunities of enjoying communion with thy self, God blessed forever.
These mercies are forfeited mercies we have abused the blessings of thy House; we have grieved thy blessed Spirit; therefore it is just with thee to deprive us of these comforts, and to make us know the worth of these mercies by the want of them.
Lord, we desire to judge ourselves, that we may not be condemned with the world: Righteous art thou, O Lord, and just in all thy judgements: we confess we are unworthy to have any converse with so holy a God: we are polluted dust and ashes not worthy to tread thy Courts, and it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed; how often have we pluckt fruit from the forbidden tree! we have sinned presumptuously against the clearest Light, and the dearest love: alwayes have we sinned; thy footsteps have dropt fatness, thou hast shewen mercy to us, but the better thou hast been to us, the worse we have been to thee; thou hast loaded us with thy mercies and we have wearied thee with our sins, when we look into our selves, Oh the poyson of our natures, whatever the Leper did touch, was unclean. Thus do we by our spiritual Leprosie infect our holy things; our prayers had need have pardon, and our tears had need have the blood of sprinkling to wash them: how vain are our vows! how sensual are our affections! we confess we are untuned and unstrung for every holy Action; we are never out of tune to sin, but alwayes out of tune to pray: we give the world our male affections and our strong desires: we should use this world as if we used it not, and alwayes we pray, as if we prayed not; and serve thee, as if we served thee not: there is not that reverence, nor that devotion, nor that activeness of faith that there should be Lord, if thou wouldst say that thou wouldst pardon all our sins to this time, only judge us for this prayer, wo unto us; what breathings of unbelief and hypocrisie is there now, when we approach unto thee! we pray thee pardon us for Christs sake. Who can tell how oft he doth offend? we can as well reckon the drops of the Ocean, as number our sins; we have filled the number of the Nations sins, but we have not filled thy bottle with our tears: This is that that doth exceedingly aggravate our sins, that we cannot mourn for sin; we can grieve for our losses, but we cannot mourn for our unkindnesses we have crucified the Lord of life; sin hath not only defiled us, but hardned us: nothing can melt us but the love of Christ, nothing can soften us but the blood of Christ: O with-hold not thy mercies from us, O help us to eat the Passeover with bitter herbs. let us look on Christ, & weep over him; let us look on a broken Christ with broken hearts, and on a bleeding Christ with bleeding hearts let us mourn for our dis-ingenuity, that we should grieve that God that is always doing us good. Oh! humble us for our unkindnesse, and for Christs sake blot out our transgressions; they are more than we can number, not more than God can pardon.
Though we have lost the duty of children, thou hast not lost the goodness of a Father: Let us be held forth as patterns of mercy, so shall we trumpet forth thy praise to all Eternity. Whatever afflictions thou layest upon our bodies, let not our sins be unpardoned, let not sin and affliction be together upon us; let their be peace in Heaven, and peace in the Court of Conscience: We have found this part of thy Word true. In the world we shall have troubles; let us find the other part true, in Jesus Christ we shall have peace. Oh let peace and holiness go together: make us new Creatures, that we may be glorious Creatures: Without Faith Christ will not profit us; when we can call nothing in the world ours, let us call Christ ours.
Lord, draw thine Image every day more lively upon us, a more lively hope, and a more inflamed love to Christ; let us have a spirit of courage and resolution; keep us from the fallacies of our own hearts; keep us from the defilements of the times; make us pure in heart, that we may see God that we may have Gospel spirits, humble spirits; meek spirits: as Christ did take our flesh, let us partake of his Spirit. Why dost thou imbitter the brest of the Creature to us, but that we should finde the sweetness of the Promises? There is as much in the Promises as ever; let us live upon God, let us cast anchor in Heaven, and we shall never sink.
Shower down thy blessings (even the choicest of them) upon the head and heart of our dread Sovereign Charles, by thy appointment, of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith; let him see wherein his cheifest interest lies; let him count those his best subjects, that are Christ's subjects: Bless him and his Royal Consort, in his Royal Relations, the Lords of his Privy Council; let them be a terror to evil doers, and incouragers of those that do well.
Bless all thy Ordinances to us, make them to be fulness of life to every one before thee: we are come this day to partake of them. Oh pour in Wine and oil into our souls, let us be a watered garden; let this blessed Sacrament be a poyson to our lust, and nourishment for our Grace. Hear us; be our God, follow us with mercy, crown us with acceptance and all for Christ his sake, whom not seeing, we love in whom believing, we rejoyce; to Christ, with thee and thy holy Spirit, be Glory, Honour, and Praise, now and forever, Amen.