1. We must acknowledge the great reason we have to lie very low before God, and to be ashamed of ourselves when we come into his presence, and to be afraid of his wrath, having made ourselves both odious to his holiness, and obnoxious to his justice.

O our God, we are ashamed, and blush to lift up our faces before thee, our God; for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up into the heavens. Ezra 9:6.

To us belong shame and confusion of face, because we have sinned against thee. Dan 9:8.

Behold we are vile, what shall we answer thee ? we will lay our hand upon our mouth, and put our mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope, crying with the convicted leper under the law, Unclean, unclean. Job 40:4. Lam 3:29. Lev 13:45.

Thou puttest no trust in thy saints, and the. heavens are not clean in thy sight; how much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water. Job 15:15–16

When our eyes have seen the king, the Lord of hosts, we have reason to cry out, Woe unto us, for we are undone. Isa 6:5. Dominion and fear are with thee; thou makest lea in thy high places: there is not any number of thine armies, and upon whom doth not thy light arise ? How then can man be justified with God, or how can he be clean, that is born of a woman? Job 25:2–4.

Thou, even thou, art to be feared, and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? Even thou, our God, art a consuming fire, and who knows the power of thine anger? Ps 76:7. Heb 12:29. Ps 90:11.

If we justify ourselves, our own mouth shall condemn us; if we say we are perfect, that also shall prove us perverse; for if thou contend with us, we are not able to answer thee for one of a thousand. Job 9:3, 20.

If we knew nothing by ourselves, yet were we not thereby justified, for he that judgeth us is the Lord, who is greater than our hearts and knows all things. But we ourselves know that we have sinned, Father, against heaven, and before thee, and are no more worthy to be called thy children. 1 Cor 4:4. John 4:42 Luke 15:21.

We must take hold of the great encouragement God hath… ›

Pray now: a guided prayer in six parts, with the next heads each day.

Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.