Sunday.....Christianity.....Pilgrim

On a few occasions I copied prayers from a book that I have used daily for quite some time. The book is The Valley Of Vision. It is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions edited by Arthur Bennett. It can be ordered from a Christian bookseller at www.cvbbs.com for $9.95 plus S&H, and also from Amazon. The isbn for the paperback is 0851512283. I want to add another prayer here, the reason being the attitude of whomever wrote it, an attitude that the church once had but is rare today. Some might think that this attitude is depressing or pessimistic and want no part in such thoughts. Others...might embrace it.

O Lord,
My every sense, member, faculty, affection, is a snare to me,
I can scarce open my eyes but I envy those above me,
or despise those below.
I covet honor and riches of the mighty,
am proud and unmerciful to the rags of others;
If I behold beauty it is a bait to lust,
or see deformity, it stirs up loathing and disdain;
How soon do slanders, vain jests, and wanton speeches creep into my heart!
Am I comely? what fuel for pride!
Am I deformed? what an occasion for repining!
Am I gifted? I lust after applause!
Am I unlearned? how I despise what I have not!
Am I in authority? how prone to abuse my trust,
make will my law, exclude others' enjoyments,
serve my own interests and policy!
Am I inferior? how much I grudge others' pre-eminence!
Am I rich? how exalted I become!
Thou knowest that all these are snares
by my corruptions,
and that my greatest snare is myself.
I bewail that my apprehensions are dull,
my thoughts mean,
my affections stupid,
my expressions low,
my life unbeseeming;
Yet what canst thou expect of dust but levity,
of corruption but defilement?
Keep me ever mindful of my natural state,
but let me not forget my heavenly title,
or the grace that can deal with every sin.

Italics mine.