43. Dr. Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden

43. Dr. Manton's Prayer at Covent-garden
O Lord God, all that we can do is nothing of ourselves, we can do nothing; Oh let us have the gracious Assistance of thy Spirit as this time; let thy love constrain us; say unto us, Thou art our Salvation. Do not say that we shall fill up the measure of our Iniquities, and there shall be no hope for us. O Lord, we are ashamed that we have waited so long in thine Ordonnances, and have got no more profit to our poor souls; but we have given up our hearts to the pleasures and vanities of this world, that are but for a season; even those that thou hast drawn out after thee, do not walk worthy of thee (anseerable to that blessed hope of future Happiness) in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, Jesus Christ is to many of us become a stumbling-blook, and a reck of offence while our hearts are caried out after the world with such strong affections Oh! when shall we carry ourselves so, as those that profess themselves to be secke's of a better life: We come into thy presense now for strength, do thou manifest thy self to us; thou hast promised to pour out thy Spirit upon all Flesh; Oh let it be unto us according to thy promise.
O Lord, our hearts naturally are averse to thee, so that of our selves we shall never be able to do anything that may be well-pleasing to thee; but do thou regulate us by thy blessed Spirit, that we may observe thy statutes and do them, and that thy Commands may not be grievous to us, that it may not be burdensom: for us to do the work of God; O Lord, when shall our hearts be made sound in thy statutes? we wait upon thee in the use of thine Ordinances, that we may have a new supply from thee, that at length we may come to see that thou art at work with us to save our soules; O help us to be followers of them, who with faith and patience do follow thee, & to do nothing unbecomming our holy Call: suffer us not to swerve from thy Commandments, but let us have a constant and earnest desire after thee.
Let the choicest of thy Mercies come down on our Sovereign Charles King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, let His heart be guided by thee, & let him always set the before his eyes that under the shadow of his Government, we may have Peace in all Godliness and honesty: Bless him in his Relations, in his Councils. Teach our Senators wisdom: Be with all thy Faithfull Magistrates and Ministers, let them be a terrour to evil doers, and an encouragement to them that do well. Be with us in the way of thy worship; we are here met together to hear and handle thy holy Word, Oh do thou command it to light upon all our hearts let it come in the evidence and demonstration of thy Spirit; and all for Christ his sake; for whom we bless thee: to him, with thee and thy holy Spirit. be Praise and Glory for evermore.