OCCASIONAL ADDRESSES TO GOD
OF ADDRESSES TO GOD UPON PARTICULAR OCCASIONS, WHETHER DOMESTICK OR PUBLICK
T is made our duty, and prescribed as a remedy against disquieting care, that in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving we should make our requests known to
God. And it is part of the parrhesia, the boldness, the liberty of speech (so the word signifies) which is allowed us in our access to God, that we may be particular in opening our case, and seeking to Him for relief; that according as the sore and the grief is, accordingly the prayer and the supplication may be by any man, or by the people of Israel. Not that God needs to be particularly informed of our condition, He knows it better than we ourselves do, and our souls too in our adversity, but it is His will that we should thus acknowledge Him in all our ways, and wait upon Him for the direction of every step, not prescribing, but subscribing to infinite wisdom, humbly shewing Him our wants, burdens, and desires, and then referring ourselves to Him, to do for us as He thinks fit. Philippians 4:6. Hebrews 10:19. 2 Chronicles 6:29. Proverbs 3:6. Psalm 37:23.
We shall instance in some of the occasions of particular address to God, more or less usual, which may either be the principal matter of a whole prayer, or inserted in our other prayers, and in some cases that are more peculiar to ministers, or others, in common to them with masters of families and private Christians. As there may be something particular.
IN OUR MORNING PRAYERS
UR voice shalt thou now hear in the morning, in the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, and will look up; for our souls wait for thee, 0 Lord, more than
they that watch for the morning, yea more than they that watch for
the morning; and we will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning;
for thou hast been our defence. Psalm 5:3. Psalm 130:6. Psalm 59:16.
It is thou (0 God) that hast commanded the morning, and caused the day-spring to know its place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and it is turned as clay to the seal. Job 38:12, 13, 14.
The day is thine, the night also is thine, thou hast prepared the light and the sun. Psalm 74:16.
With the light of the morning let the day-spring from on high visit us, to give us the knowledge of salvation, through the tender mercy of our God; And let the Sun of righteousness arise upon our souls with healing under his wings; and our path be as the shining light, which shines more and more to the perfect day. Luke 1:78, 77. Malachi 4:2. Proverbs 4:18.
It is of thy mercy, 0 Lord, that we are not consumed, even because thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness: And if weeping sometimes endures for a night, joy comes in the morning. Lamentations 3:22, 23. Psalm 30:5.
We thank thee that we have laid us down, have had where to lay our head, and have not been wandering in deserts and mountains, in dens, and caves of the earth: And that we have slept, and have not been full of tossings to and fro till the dawning of the day, that wearisome nights are not appointed to us, and we are not saying at our lying down, When shall we arise, and the night be gone? But our bed comforts us, and our couch easeth our complaint: Thou givest us sleep as thou givest it to thy beloved. And that having laid us down and slept, we have waked again; Thou hast lightened our eyes, so that we have not slept the sleep of death. Matthew 8:20. Hebrews 11:38. Job 7:4, 3, 13. Psalm 127:2. Psalm 3:5. Psalm 13:3.
Thou hast preserved us from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and from the malice of the rulers of the darkness of this world, the roaring lion that goes about seeking to devour: He that keepeth Israel, and neither slumbers nor sleeps, has kept us, and so we have been safe. Psalm 91:6. Ephesians 6:12. 1 Peter 5:8. Psalm 121:4.
But we cannot say with thy servant David, that when we awake we are still with thee, or that our eyes have prevented the night watches, that we might meditate in thy word; but vain thoughts still lodge within us. O pardon our sins, and cause us to hear thy loving-kindness this morning, for in thee do we trust; cause us to know the way wherein we should walk, for we lift up our souls unto thee: Teach us to do thy will, for thou art our God, thy spirit is good, lead us into the way and land of uprightness. Psalm 139:18. Psalm 119:148. Jeremiah 4:14. Psalm 143:8, 10.
And now let the Lord preserve and keep us from all evil this day, yea let the Lord preserve our souls: Lord, preserve our going out, and coming in; Give thine angels charge concerning us, to bear us up in their hands, and keep us in all our ways. And give us grace to do the work of the day in its day, as the duty of the day requires. Psalm 121:7, 8. Psalm 91:11, 12. Ezra 3:4.
IN OUR EVENING PRAYERS
THOU, O God, makest the outgoings of the evening, as well as of the morning, to rejoice; for thereby thou callest us from our work and our labour, and biddest us rest a while. And now let our souls return to thee, and repose in thee as our rest, because thou hast dealt bountifully with us; so shall our sleep be sweet to us. Psalm 65:8. Psalm 104:23. Mark 6:31. Psalm 116:7. Jeremiah 31:26.
Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with his benefits, who hath this day preserved our going out and coming in: And now we have received from thee our daily bread, we pray, Father, forgive us our trespasses. Psalm 68:19. Psalm 121:8. Matthew 6:11, 12.
And we will lie us down and sleep; for thou, Lord, makest us to dwell in safety: Make a hedge of protection (we pray thee) about us and about our house, and about all that we have round about. Let the angels of God encamp round about us to deliver us; that we may lie down, and none may make us afraid. Psalm 4:8. Job 1:10. Psalm 34:7. Job 11:19.
Into thy hands we commit our spirits; that in slumberings upon the bed, our ears may be opened, and instruction sealed; And let the Lord give us counsel, and let our reins instruct us in the night season: Visit us in the night and try us, and enable us to commune with our own hearts upon our bed. Psalm 31:5. Job 33:15, 16. Psalm 16:7. Psalm 17:3. Psalm 4:4.
Give us to remember thee upon our bed, and to meditate upon thee in the night watches, with the saints that are joyful in glory, and that sing aloud upon their beds. Psalm 63:6. Psalm 149:5.
IN CRAVING A BLESSING BEFORE MEAT
THOU, O Lord, givest food to all flesh, for thy mercy endures for ever. The eyes of all wait on thee; but especially thou givest meat to them that fear thee,
being ever mindful of thy covenant. Psalm 136:25. Psalm 145:15. Psalm 111:5.
Thou art our life, and the length of our days, the God that hast fed us all our life long unto this day: Thou givest us all things richly to enjoy, though we serve thee but poorly. Thou hast not only given us every green herb, and the fruits of the trees to be to us for meat, but every moving thing that liveth even as the green herb. Deuteronomy 30:20. Genesis 48:15. 1 Timothy 6:17. Genesis 1:29. Genesis 9:3.
And blessed be God that now under the gospel we are taught to call nothing common or unclean, and that it is not that which goes into the man that defiles the man, but that every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused; for God hath created it to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. Acts 10:14, 15. Matthew 15:11. 1 Timothy 4:4, 3.
We acknowledge we are not worthy of the least crumb that falls from the table of thy providence: Thou mightest justly take away from us the stay of bread, and the stay of water, and make us to eat our bread by weight, and to drink our water by measure, and with astonishment; because when we have been fed to the full, we have forgotten God our Maker. But let our sins be pardoned, we pray thee, that our table may not become a snare before us, nor that be made a trap, which should have been for our welfare. Matthew 15:27. Isaiah 3:1. Ezekiel 4:16. Deuteronomy 32:15. Hosea 8:14. Psalm 69:22.
We know that every thing is sanctified by the word of God and prayer; and that man lives not by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; and therefore, according to our Master's example, we look up to heaven, and pray for a blessing upon our food, Abundantly bless our provision. 1 Timothy 4:5. Matthew 4:4. Matthew 14:19. Psalm 132:15.
Lord, grant that we may not feed ourselves without fear, that we may not make a god of our belly, that our hearts may never be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkenness, but that whether we eat or drink, or whatever we do, we may do all to the glory of God. Jude 12. Philippians 3:19. Luke 21:34. 1 Corinthians 10:31.
IN RETURNING THANKS AFTER OUR MEAT
NOW we have eaten and are full, we bless thee for the good land thou hast given us. Thou preparest a table for us in the presence of our enemies, thou anointest our head, and our cup runs over. Deuteronomy 8:10. Psalm 23:5.
Thou, Lord, art the portion of our inheritance and of our cup, thou maintainest our lot, so that we have reason to say, The lines are fallen to us in pleasant places, and we have a goodly heritage. Psalm 16:5, 6.
Especially we bless thee for the bread of life,which came down from heaven, which was given for the life of the world, Lord, evermore give us that bread; and wisdom to labour less for the meat which perisheth, and more for that which endures to everlasting life. John 6:33, 34, 27.
The Lord give food to the hungry, and send portions to them for whom nothing is prepared. Psalm 146:7.
Let us be of those blessed ones that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God, that shall eat of the hidden manna. Luke 14:15. Revelation 2:17.
WHEN WE ARE GOING A JOURNEY
LORD, keep us in the way that we go, and let no evil thing befall us: Let us have a prosperous journey by the will of God, and with thy favour let us be compassed where-ever we go as with a shield. Genesis 28:20. Psalm 91:10. Romans 1:10. Psalm 5:12.
Let us walk in our way safely, and let not our foot stumble, or dash against a stone. Proverbs 3:23. Psalm 91:12.
Direct our way in every thing, and enable us to order all our affairs with discretion, and the Lord send us good speed, and shew kindness to us. 1 Thessalonians 3:11. Psalm 112:5. Genesis 24:12.
And the Lord watch between us when we are absent the one from the other. Genesis 31:49.
WHEN WE RETURN FROM A JOURNEY
BLESSED be the Lord God of Abraham, who hath not left us destitute of his mercy and his truth. Genesis
24:27.
All our bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee, for thou keepest all our bones. Psalm 35:10. Psalm 34:20.
It is God that girdeth us with strength, and maketh our way perfect. Psalm