Joseph Alleine: Piercing Heaven – Puritan’s Prayers

O my God and my Father, I accept you with all humble thankfulness, and I am bold to take hold of you.

O my King and my God, I subject my soul and all its powers to you.

O my glory, in you I will boast all day long.

O my rock, on you I will build all my confidence and my hopes.

O staff of my life and strength of my heart, the life of my joys and the joy of my life, I will sit and sing under your shadow and glory in your holy name.

Mine is the kingdom, the glory, and the victory. The whole Trinity is mine, all the persons in the Godhead. And look, here is the evidence—the writings which guarantee it forever.

O my God, I lay my hand on my mouth; I confess the charge of my unworthiness. My guilt and shame are such that I cannot cover them, but you can and do.

You have thrown a cloak over my nakedness, and have promised that my transgressions will not be mentioned, and that you will multiply pardons.

And will I dig up what you have buried, and frighten myself with the ghosts that infidelity has raised? Is it presumption to take the pardon that you offer, or to receive and claim you as mine when it is only what you have promised?

I would not have dared to claim any title or privilege, without your permission. I would think it was devilish pride to claim any part of you, or kinship to you, unless you showed me the way.

O my God, I see you have been at work with my soul. I find the prints; I see the footsteps. Surely this is the finger of God. I am your servant, O Lord. Truly, I am your servant. And my soul says, “You are my Lord.”

It must be so. Would you ever put your mark on another’s goods? Or would God disown his own workmanship? My name is written in heaven.

You have written your name on my heart, so I cannot question that you have my name on your heart. I have chosen you, O Lord, as my happiness and heritage, and therefore I am sure you have chosen me. For I could not have loved you, unless you loved me first.

Amen.