“O God of the spirits of all flesh, who dwellest in the high and holy place, with humble reverence we bow before thee, and with a filial confidence in thy mercy, and mutual love unto each other, we would look up to thee as to our God and Father, who with the most amazing grace and condescension art ready to attend unto the supplications of thy children from thy throne in heaven: we adore thee as possessed of infinite perfections; and as our first concern is for thy glory, we offer it as our first request,
May thy name he every where sanctified; may thy perfections be displayed through all the world, and be regarded with the highest veneration! And, that the honour of thy Majesty may be thus exalted,
May thy kingdom come which thou hast promised to establish under the Messiah; may thy victorious grace be universally triumphant over all thine enemies, and thy people be willing in the day of thy power! And, as an evidence of its efficacy on the hearts of men,
May thy holy will be done, as it is constantly in heaven, so likewise upon earth; and be as cheerfully submitted to, as fully acquiesced in, and readily obeyed in all things, as it is possible for us in this imperfect state to imitate those heavenly spirits who delight in doing thy commandments, and hearkening to the voice of thy word!
During our continuance here on earth we would not be solicitous to seek great things for ourselves, but humbly beg that thou wouldst give us day by day our daily bread, and wouldst supply us, as our wants return upon us, with such a competent provision of the necessaries of life as may enable us to serve thee acceptably, and to attend without distraction and uneasiness to the performance of our duty.
And, though the guilt of our iniquities might justly separate between thee and us, and withhold good things from us, we earnestly entreat thee to extend thy mercy to us, and to forgive us all our sins; for even we, the bowels of whose mercy cannot be compared with thine, are willing to forgive every one that is indebted to us, and desire to pardon all that have injured us:
and, to prevent us for the time to come from falling into sin, bring us not into circumstances that will expose us to the danger of temptation, nor suffer us to be tempted above what we are able to bear; but keep us by thy grace from all iniquity, and rescue us from the power of the evil one, that he may never triumph in our fall, and we may finally be saved from all the ruinous effects of sin.”
Edward Godwin
