Saints,

My wife bought me the complete works of Matthew Henry for my birthday (November 1st), and today I came across this prayer in Volume II, written for children to learn from. This is how Puritan childen prayed, beloved, and it was models like these that they learnt from. I was so touched, so astonished that I typed it out to share with SI. You will notice the absolute impregnation of scripture. O that our youth were taught to pray like this today:


"O God, thou art my God, early will I seek thee. Thou art my God, and I will praise thee; my Father's God, and I will extol thee. Who is a God like unto thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee. When my flesh and my heart fail, thou art the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Thou madest me for thyself, to show forth thy praise.

But I am a sinner. I was shapen in inquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. God be merciful to me a sinner. O deliver me from the wrath to come, through Christ Jesus, who died for me, and rose again. Lord, give me a new nature. Let Jesus Christ be formed in my soul, that to me to live may be Christ, and to die may be gain. Lord, I was in my baptism given up to thee; receive me graciously, and love me freely. Lord Jesus, thou hast encouraged little children to come to thee, and hast said, that of such is the kingdom of God. I come to thee. O make me a faithful subject of thy kingdom, take me up in thy arms, put thy hands upon me and bless me.

O give me grace to redeem me from all iniquity, and particularly from the vanity which childhood and youth are subject to. Lord, give me a wise and understanding heart, that I may know and do thy will in everything, and may in nothing sin against thee. Lord, grant that from my childhood I may know the Holy Scriptures, and continue in the good things that I have learnt. Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me thy law graciously. Lord, be thou a Father to me, teach me, and guide me, provide for me, and protect me, and bless me, even me, O my Father. Bless all my relations: father, mother, brothers, sisters, and give me grace to do my duty to them in everything.

Lord, prepare me for death, and give me wisely to consider my latter end. O Lord, I thank thee for all thy mercies to me: for life and health, food and raiment, and for my education, for my creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and the hope of glory. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift; blessed be God for Jesus Christ. None but Christ, none but Christ for me.
Now to God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that great name into which I was baptized, be honor and glory, dominion and praise, for ever and ever. Amen."

- Matthew Henry, 1702

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Paul Frederick West