O Lord, my Lord, for my being, life, reason,
for nurture, protection, guidance,
for education, civil rights, religion,
for Thy gifts of grace, nature, worldly good,
for redemption, regeneration, instruction,
for my call, recall, yea, many calls besides;
for Thy forbearance, longsuffering,
long longsuffering toward me,
many seasons, many years, even until now;
for all good things received, successes granted me, good deeds done;
for the use of things present, for Thy promise, and my hope of the enjoyment of good things to come;
for my parents honest and good,
teachers kind,
benefactors never to be forgotten,
fellow-ministers who are of one mind,
hearers thoughtful,
friends sincere,
domestics faithful;
for all who have advantaged me by writings, sermons, conversations, prayers, examples, rebukes, injuries;
for all these, and all others which I know, which I know not,
open, hidden,
remembered, forgotten,
done when I wished, when I wished not,
I confess to Thee and will confess,
I bless Thee and will bless,
I give thanks to Thee and will give thanks,
all the days of my life.
Who am I, or what is my father's house,
that Thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?
What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?
for all things in which He hath spared and borne with me until now?
Holy, holy, holy,
Thou art worthy,
O Lord and our God, the Holy One,
to receive glory, honour, and power:
for Thou hast created all things,
and for Thy pleasure they are and were created.
(a prayer of Lancelot Andrewes, from
Lancelot Andrewes and His Private Devotions; photo of Southwark Cathedral by markhillary via everystockphoto.com)
