Chapter 1: Adoration

Of the first part of prayer, which is, address to God, and adoration of him, with suitable acknowledgments, professions, and preparatory requests.

Our spirits being composed into a very: reverent, serious frame, our thoughts gathered in, and all that is within us, charged in the name of the great God, carefully to attend the solemn and awful service that lies before us, and to keep close to it, we must, with a fixed attention and application of mind, and an active, lively faith, set the Lord before us, see his eye upon us, and set ourselves in his special presence, presenting ourselves to him as living sacrifices, which we desire may be holy and acceptable, and a reasonable service ; Rom 12:1; and then bind these sacrifices with cords to the horns of the altar, Ps 118:27, in such thoughts as these

The heads

• Opening words
• 1. We must solemnly address ourselves to that infinitely great and glorious Being with whom we have to do, as those that are possessed with a full belief of his presence, and a holy awe and reverence of his Majesty ; which we may do in such expressions as these
• And we may thus distinguish ourselves from the worshippers of false gods.
• 2. We must reverently adore God, as a being transcendently bright and blessed, self-existent and self-sufficient, an infinite and eternal Spirit, who has all perfections in himself, and give him the glory of his titles and attributes.
• We must acknowledge his being to be unquestionable and past dispute.
• Yet we must own his nature to be incomprehensible.
• And his perfections to be matchless, and without comparison.
• And that he is infinitely above us and all other beings.
• Particularly in our adorations we must acknowledge
• 1. That he is an eternal God, immutable, without beginning of days, or end of life, or change of time.
• 2. That he is present in all places, and there is no place in which he is included, or out of which he is excluded.
• 3. That he hath a perfect knowledge of all persons and things, and sees them all, even that which is most secret, at one clear, certain, and unerring view.
• 4. That his wisdom is unsearchable, and the counsels and designs of it cannot be fathomed.
• 5. That his sovereignty is incontestable, and he is the owner and absolute Lord of all.
• 6. That his power is irresistible, and the operations of it cannot be controlled.
• 7. That he is a God of unspotted purity and perfect rectitude.
• 8. That he is just in the administration of his government ; and never did, nor ever will, do wrong to any of his creatures.
• Thy righteousness is as the great mountains
• 9. That his truth is inviolable, and the treasures of his goodness inexhaustible.
• Lastly, That when we have said all we can of the glorious perfections of the divine nature, we fall infinitely short of the merit of the subject.
• 3. We must give to God the praise of that splendor and glory wherein he is pleased to manifest himself in the upper world.
• 4. We must give glory to him as the Creator of the world, and the great Protector, Benefactor, and Ruler of the whole creation.
• 6. We must acknowledge our dependence upon God, and our obligations to him, as our Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor.
• 7. We must avouch this God to be our God, and own our relation to him, his dominion over us, and propriety in us.
• 8. We must acknowledge it an unspeakable favour, and an inestimable privilege, that we are not only admitted, but invited and encouraged to draw nigh to God in prayer.
• 9. We must express the sense we have of our own meanness and unworthiness to draw near to God, and speak to him.
• 10. We must humbly profess the desire of our hearts towards God, as our felicity and portion, and fountain of life and all good to us.
• 11. We must likewise profess our believing hope and confidence in God, and his all-sufficiency ; in his power, providence, and promise.
• 12. We must entreat God’s favourable acceptance of us, and our poor performances.
• 13. We must beg for the powerful assistance and influence of the blessed Spirit of grace in our prayers.
• 14. We must make the glory of God our highest end in all our prayers.
• 15. We must profess our entire reliance on . the Lord Jesus Christ alone for acceptance . with God, and come in his name.

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.