Divine Mercies

For his birthday, my dad got the book Valley of Vision, which is a collection of Puritan prayers. This is one of the prayers from the book that he shared on his blog that I thought was well-worth posting here also.

Thou Eternal God,

Thine is surpassing greatness, unspeakable goodness, super-abundant grace;
I can as soon count the sands of ocean’s ‘lip’ as number thy favors towards me;
I know but a part, but that part exceeds all praise.

I thank thee for personal mercies, a measure of health, preservation of body, comforts of house and home, sufficiency of food and clothing, continuance of mental powers, my family, their mutual help and support, the delights of domestic harmony and peace, the seats now filled that might have been vacant, my country, church, Bible, Faith.

But, O, how I morn my sin, ingratitude, vileness, the days that add to my guilt, the scenes that witness my offending tongue; All things in heaven earth, around, within, without, condemn me – the sun which sees my misdeeds, the darkness which is light to thee, the cruel accuser who justly charges me, the good angels who have been provoked to leave me, thy countenance which scans my secret sins, thy righteous law, thy holy Word, my sin-soiled conscience, my private and public life, my neighbors, myself – all write dark things against me.

I deny them not, frame no excuse, but confess, ‘Father, I have sinned’; Yet still I live, and fly repenting to thy outstretched arms; Thou wilt not cast me off, for Jesus brings me near, thou wilt not condemn me, for he died in my stead, thou wilt not mark my mountains of sin, for he leveled all, and his beauty covers my deformities.

O my God, I bid farewell to sin by clinging to his cross, hiding in his wounds, and sheltering in his side.

- The Valley of Vision – Puritan Prayers and Devotions