40. Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane

40. Mr. Nalton's Prayer at Foster-lane
Eternal, most Mighty, and most glorious Lord God, thou art God alone, and besides thee there is no Saviour or helper: our strength stands in thy Name, who hast made both Heaven and Earth: of our selves we are able to do nothing that is pleasing in thy sight; we can pollute thy Name, but we cannot honour thy Name; we can run away from thee, but we cannot run unto thee, unless thou dost powerfully draw us by the holy spirit. We can grieve thy spirit, but we cannot grieve for grieving of thy spirit.
Oh let thy strength be manifested in our weakness; look upon us with the favour thou bearest to thy children. Enter not into judgment with thy servants, for we cannot answer thee one of a thousand, not one thought of a thousand thoughts, not one word of a thousand words most of our actions have been reproveable, and the best of our services have been unprofitable: our omissions, commissions and presumptions have been multiplyed intolerably. Oh! how often have we take your Name in vain, while we have been confessing our sins: how often ha•• we run from confessing our sins, to the committing of sins? and from committing sins, to the confessing sin again, as if we had but mocked thy sacred Majesty. Though we know thy Favour is better than life, we have parted with it upon easie terms. Oh the pride and stubbornnesse that is in our hearts: All the mercies thou hast bestowed upon us, have not melted us into tears for our unkindnesse; and all those blows that have fallen upon our backs, have not beat folly out of our hearts. We have been unprofitable all our days; some have done thee more service in one year, than we in all our time: We have forgotten thee in the day of prosperity, and sung a lullaby to our own Souls: Oh that we could speak these things with broken and bleeding hearts! But as in the time of our ignorance we could sin without reluctancy, so now we can sin without repentance. Oh that thou wouldst smite the rock, that there might flow out tears.
We can do nothing by way of expiation, if we would weep out our eyes; nothing but the blood of Christ can take away our guilt. O that there might be a spring of that blood upon our souls at this time! Oh that that blood may at this time bring a report of love, and a message of mercy to us!
Do we beg any more than thou hast promised? Oh hast not thou accepted of that satisfaction that Christ hath made in his own person? If we had suffered the torments of Hell, it could not have made that satisfaction that Christ hath made. Give us the witness of thy spirit and thy. Love and we will say we have enough: give us hearts of flesh; crush the head of the serpent in our souls. O Lord Christ, thou camest into the world to destroy the works of the Devil in our hearts and to build up the Kingdom of the spirit in us. Oh when shall we see the old man decay in us, and the new man to live more and more!
O be wisdom to guide us and Righteousness to cleanse us from guilt, and redemption to deliver us from the wages of sin: let us be nothing in ourselves, that we may be all in thee our saviour; Oh honour us so far, that we may honour thee We pray thee strengthen our weak saith, quiet our consciences, we would not live a day longer, than that we may honour thee: tread Satan under our feet, fit us for our places and imployments; let not our conditions be so low, but that our hearts may be lower: we are posting to death; Oh let sin die before, we die: let us know our names are written in the Book of Life, before thou take away our life.
Look upon thy servant, our dread Sovereign, Charles, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King; oh enrich his Royal heart with all those saving graces of thy Spirit, in order unto a wise and happy Government of these Kingdoms. Look upon his Royal Consort, his Royal relations. the Lords of his Privy Council, and make them blessings to this Nation. oh, sanctifie thy good word; oh, give thy gracious assistance to us, both in speaking and hearing: let us hear it as that word by which we must be judged, that we may be convinced by it, and say, it is the power of God to salvation to every soul of us. Let our meeting be for the better to all of us, that we may be built up in the most holy Faith; and let us know we have not sought thy face in vain for Jesus Christ his sake, our dear Saviour, for whom we bless thy Majesty, to whom with thee and thy Spirit be praise for ever. Amen.