the enemy haue none aduantage of him Nor the wicked once approch to hurt him Be vnto him O Lord a strong tower From the face of his enemy Grant that hee may dye the death of the righteous And be made partaker of thine inheritance Receiue his soule O Lord into thy holy hands And place it with thy Saints in heauen Lord heare our prayers And let our cry come vnto thee A pithy Prayer for a Patient being pained with Sicknes IT is thou O Lord onely to whom all power and praise belongeth It is thou that raignest in heauen in glorie in earth in mercy in hel in iudgment It is thy voice O Lord whereunto both the seas and windes are obedient It is thy name O Lord God of Hosts that maketh all the Diuels in hell to tremble and quake and they can doe nothing without thy permission Thou bringest downe to hell and raisest vp againe Thou pluckest downe the mighty from their Throne and exaltest the humble and meeke Thou makest both poore and rich strong weake Thou sendest sicknes and restorest health againe in thy good time Thou giuest life and takest it away at thy pleasure O Lord whose maiestie and might no creature is able to withstand neither in heauen earth or vnder the earth Thou that hast made the Sea and the dry land and all things therein contained Thou that knowest our weaknesse and what metall wee bee made of haue regard vnto the workmanship of thy hands Pierce the heauens O Lord and giue eare vnto our prayers which with sorrowfull hearts trickling teares bowed knees and vnfained lips we powre out before thy presence We acknowledge O Lord our owne frailetie and vnworthinesse and how that all men liuing are but vanitie euen as the grasse in the field which to day flourisheth and to morrow withereth away as the smoke in the furnace the bubble in the water or the could that swiftly passeth away and is no more seene So soone also fedeth away our time and our yeeres come to an end Thou onely O Lord knowest the number of our dayes and appointest vs our bounds which we cannot passe We confesse O most mercifull God that wee haue sinned against heauen and against thee and are no more worthy to be called thy children no nor to tread vpon the earth or to haue the light of the Sunne to shine vpon vs but rather to bee burned with fire drowned in the waters swallowed vp of the earth ouerwhelmed with mountaines or deuoured with wilde beasts fowles of the ayre Our transgressions and sinnes are so great so grieuous and many in number wherewithall wee haue and doe dayly offend thy Maiestie both in thought word and deed that our weake consciences being loden and burthened with the remembrance of them are afraid to approch into thy presence for feare of thy wrath and iust iudgement Yet O Lord forsomuch as thy mercy is aboue all thy workes and because thou art a gentle pitifull God long-suffering and full of compassion and wouldest not the death of a sinner but rather that hee conuert and liue We are therefore the bolder not of our selues but in the name of thy deare Son Iesus Christ with whom thou art well pleased to call vpon thee for mercy and comfort That it would please thee of thy gracious goodnes to forgiue and blot out of thy remembrance all our sinnes and wickednes and neuer hereafter to impute them vnto vs. Regard not good Lord our deserts which is death and damnation but be mindfull of thy louing promises in Iesus Christ our Sauiour who in all temptations of the Diuell the World and the Flesh is our onely Rocke and sure stay and defence and neuer shrinketh from those which be wrapped in woe and misery Comfort O Lord this thy Seruant vpon whom thou hast laid the scourge of sicknes and rod of visitation as a sure token and pledge of thy loue and fatherly good wil towards him for whom thou louest those thou correctest not to destruction but to amendment and saluation Thou hast promised that wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in thy name thou wilt grant their requests We therefore thy humble seruants here assembled according to thy blessed commandement doe cry and call vpon thee with feruant hearts to be mercifull to this thine afflicted creature that it would please thee eyther to release his smart and pain in thy good time and so to restore him to his former health or else to grant him aboundantly the graces of thy holy Spirit that with patience and meeke mind he may abide such tryall as it shall please thy godly Maiestie to lay vpon him That neither the tyrannie of Satan griefe of sicknes loue of the world terrour of hell infirmitie of the flesh remembrance of sinne or feare of death withdraw him from thee and thy sweet promises in his Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ who came not for the iust but to call sinners to repentance So guide him good Lord by thy blessed Spirit in his great and last iourney that passing quietly all troubles of this transitorie world and this painefull pilgrimage once ended he may safely by thy mighty power bee conducted to the Hauen of continuall quietnes and rest which is the Kingdom of Heauen there reigne with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the holy company of Angels and Saints in perpetuall ioy and safety which thou hast prepared and promised for all thine elect children and faithfull seruants from the beginning of the world Grant this O heauenly Father which wee haue prayed for in the behalfe of this thy poore and pensiue prisoner and all other things necessarie for our saluation and thy glory through our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ In whose holy name wee beseech thee from the bottome of our hearts saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. A comfortable Prayer against desperation O God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ continue thy goodnes towards vs vnworthy wretches which do heere with contrite hearts and bowed knees appeale vnto the height of thy mercy Beseeching thee O Father â—o to remember the contempt and iniury thou hast receiued at our hands but pardon our passed faults and accept the pitifull Passion of thy deare Sonne in full satisfaction of our transgression Let his precious bloud wipe away and wash all our filthines Let his wounds heale the sores of our sinnes and let the holy oblation of himselfe present our prayers acceptable and blamelesse before thy Maiestie Let no sinne bee so great and grieuous in our eyes that it plucke away hope of pardon No offence so ponderous that it may be â—â—le to ouercome thy goodnes All haue sinned and haue neede of thy mercy which thou offerest aboundantly to euery one that faithfully asketh the same of thee Our wickednes O Lord cannot exceed thy merits The greater the sinner is on whom thou bestowest thy compassion so much the greater is thy glory And therefore
accord came down from the seate of his Maiesty in the highest heauens into the vile and stinking bowels of the earth where he for my sake and all his elect did not abhorre to take flesh of the pure Virgin Mary and became man and in the same flesh suffered most bitter paine and torment being condemned by an earthly iudge to the most shamefull death of the Crosse and so was buried and descended into Hell rising againe for our iustification and ascending into heauen for our glorification and to open vs the gate of saluation which before was barred and fast shut vp against vs. And my beliefe is that as before hee came as a Lambe in humilitie and mercie to seeke and saue sinners So hee shall come againe as a Lyon in the end of the world in great glory Maiesty Mat. 25. 31 accompanied with Angels and heauenly Souldiers as a righteous Iudge of the quicke and dead separating the Sheep from the Goates adiudging the one as hirelings of Hell and the other as inheritors of Heauen And this among many others is a singular comfort to me to know assuredly that no other shall bee my iudge but he that is the Sauiour of my soule and suffered for my sinnes So that in all my perplexitie perill and danger I set this Iesus a Sauiour before mine eyes as a shield a buckler and sure wall between me and my spirituall soe the Diuel and all his tyranny assuring my selfe by this confidence that neither he by his cruelty nor all the Armie of hell can euer hurt or harme me or any of Gods Elect. Thirdly I beleeue in God the holy Ghost the third Person in Trinitie who by his grace louingly preserueth and sanctifieth mee and all the Elect people of God who dayly gouerneth and directeth mee in all my wayes and godly actions who sealeth vp my saluation by the stedfast hope that I haue in Christ Iesus assuring me inwardly that all his benefits are mine and by that meanes maketh me apply the same to the comfort of my soule who also mortifieth sinne in me who openeth and expoundeth vnto mee the diuine mysteries of God and moueth me to leade a godly life This is that blessed wind which bloweth where it listeth euen the Spirit of God which of carnall maketh vs spirituall of cruell meeke of malicious charitable of couetous liberall of dissolute temperate of foolish wise of earthly heauenly of the bondslaues of Satan the deare sonnes of GOD whereby wee may boldly cry Abba Father I beleeue that this holy Ghost is the earnest penny here on earth of my saluation in heauen and that hee will neuer forsake mee no not in the houre of death and my greatest danger but that hee will comfort me continually in all woe and temptations so that although I bee tryed by the touchstone of affliction grieued with extreme paine of bodie or torinented with inward vexation of minde yet I shall not be ouercome neither shall my crosse be greater then I shal be able to beare and endure For I know assuredly that this holy Ghost wil mercifully preserue me both in body and soule vnto the comming of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to iudgment at the dreadfull day of doome and there present me holy and without blame before his Throne of grace although of my selfe vnworthy yet this sweet Comforter Rom. 8. 15 16. doth of his especiall grace beare witnes with my spirit and conscience and that in most comfortable manner that I am of the number of those which shall be saued and that I shall stand in the last day on the right hand of Christ and heare that cheerefull sentence to my great ioy and comfort Come ye blessed of my Father Mat. 25. 34 possesse the Kingdome prepared for you from the beginning of the world You haue beene long Pilgrims on earth but now you shal bee Citizens in heauen you haue mourned a long time but now you shall laugh for euer I will wipe away all teares from your eyes Enter at last now that the heate of the day is past into your Masters ioy All these three persons before rehearsed I beleeue to bee one God in essence whose seate is in the heauens aboue and whose footstoole is the earth beneath Vnto whom all the Powers Angels and Saints in heauen are subiect and doe their dayly seruice in setting forth his praises casting downe their crownes at his foote and ascribing all honour and glory to the crowned King that sitteth vpon the Throne and reigneth for euermore and also to the Lambe his beloued sonne and our Sauiour God grant that wee may doe him like seruice here on earth Fourthly and finally I doe beleeue the holy Catholike Church which is Gods Elect people or the Congregation of the faithfull and is called the Kingdome of Christ Iesus Of this Kingdome Christ Apoc. 21. onely is Prince of this body Christ onely is Head and of this Spouse Christ onely is the Bridegroome This Church is called the Temple of the Holy Ghost a spirituall House a holy Nation a Royall Priesthood the Citizens of Heauen the Pillar of Truth the Arke of Noah the Cōmunion of Saints Agreeing at this day in all points of Scripture Faith and Religion with the Primitiue Church of God Firmely holding and boldly confessing one God one Faith one Baptisme one Lord and Sauiour of all Iesus Christ being the sheepe of Gods pasture to whom belongeth one fould and one Shepheard which here on earth is called the militant Church and in Heauen the triumphant Church of God Out of which Arke all perish and out of which Church there is no saluation but whosoeuer is not found therein he is without all doubt damned Of this Catholike Church of God I beleeue and am fully resolued that I am a member and that GOD hath a care of me and will preserue mee safe vntill I haue the fruition of his heauenly Ierusalem This Church is knit together and vnited by faith through the operation of the Holy Ghost as members of one bodie This Church hath the pure Word of God truely and sincerely preached and the Sacraments duely and faithfully administred among them These sheep heare the voice of the true Shepheard Christ Iesus and hee knoweth them and Ioh. 10. 3. they follow him and hee will giue vnto them eternall life and they shall neuer perish neither shall any plucke them out of his hand nay the gates of Mat. 16. 18 hell shall not preuaile nor ouercome this Church They which bee of this Church shall haue remission of their sinnes continuall peace and ioy They shall shine and glister as the Stars of Heauen they shall bee clad with white garments and follow the Lambe whithersoeuer he goeth they shall haue golden crownes clapped on their heads and shall see God face to face and haue fellowship with his Saints who continually sing praifes to the eternall King which was and is and is to come
Christ we shall also reigne with him Art thou desirous to liue for euer and to reigne with Christ in eternall glory Then arme thy selfe with patience to suffer aduersitie heere on earth that thou maist haue place in Heauen Take counsell of Saint Paul who saith Let vs by Heb. 12. 1 2. patience runne in the race which is set before vs looking to Iesus the Captaine and finisher of our Faith which for the ioy that was set before him suffered the Crosse contemned the shame and sitteth on the right hand of the Throne of God Behold heere a reward after the race a crowne after the conflict The consideration whereof moued all the Martyrs and holy men of GOD to beare Christs Crosse were it neuer so grieuous and heauy for the time to suffer mocks stripes bands rackings famine imprisonments and death and so must we doe the whole course of our life heere on earth sheweth the same Troubles try our patience and tame the flesh lest wee should bee condemned with the wicked world and therefore wee begin our life with teares before we be able to speake we leade it in sorrow care and we part from it with great griefe or otherwise wee should put too much confidence in our quiet estate as Dauid testifieth I Psal 30. 6. said in my prosperitie I shall neuer bee mooued And therefore lest wee should bee too proud in our prosperitie the Lord oftentimes bridleth our appetites by losses and crosses and so sheweth his loue by afflicting vs for our good As for example if for Gods cause or his Truth we be shriuen of all our riches heere on earth our portion shall bee the greater in Heauen If wee bee thrust out of our houses or offices we shall bee receiued into the Family of God If we be contemned among men wee shall be highly esteemed with God If we be cast downe in the world our seates shal be the higher in Gods Kingdome If we be murthered and so lose our life this shall bee a meanes to bring vs to eternall life For if there were no griefe in pouertie no torment in sicknes no sorrow in slander nor horrour in death what tryall could there be of Gods people None at all Therefore in our greatest extremitie let vs say Fiat voluntas Domini that is The wil of the Lord be fulfilled in mee come life come death come sicknes come health come prosperitie or aduersitie And let that man neuer boast himselfe to be an Abel whom the malice of Cain hath not afflicted Nor a Iacob whom an Esau hath not hated nor a faithfull Mardocheus whom a spitefull Haman hath not slandered nor a Paul whom a Nero hath not persecuted nor a Christian whom a Iudas hath not betrayed Where the good are there must of necessitie be some bad to try them The Wheate is tryed by the Fanne the Iron by the file and the gold by the fire euen so is a Christian knowne by affliction and being so tryed he cannot lose his reward It is great in heauen and not for gotten on earth For we see dayly that ioy followeth sorrow life death glory miserty and prosperitie pouertie Patient Iob had his substance doubled The holy Patriarks Prophets and Martyrs of Christ which suffered sundry sorrowes heere on earth are now crowned Kings in Heauen And so shall we if we runne their race for many runne but it is the wrong way that leadeth to destruction But wee must so runne that wee 1. Cor. 9. 24. may obtaine and in the end get the wager The Merchant resuseth no perill by Sea the Husbandman no labour by Land the Captaine no wound in warres and they doe it for a temporall reward How much more ought wee patiently to indure any losse of goods torment of body or griefe of minde for euerlasting life and heauenly ioy The Wise man considering this affirmeth that the day of death is better Eccl. 7 3. then the day of birth Saint Paul was of the same minde when he said I desire Phil. 1. 23. to be loosed to be with Christ which is best of al for then shall Christ our Sauiour wipe away all teares Apoc. 4. 21 from our eyes and sorrow from our hearts We shall neede to suffer no more our troubles are at an end Neither shall there bee any more death neither griefe neither crying neither paine Our paines here haue endured but a time the pleasures there shall be perpetuall What is he therefore in the vniuersall world but would willingly hazard life and liuing yea and yeeld his soule to God his body to the blocke and his flesh to the fire for such celestiall ioyes as are prepared for those that fight Gods battell heere on earth Therefore my deare Brethren to conclude Let vs runne our race and passe our painefull pilgrimage in this transitorie world so godly and patiently by the example of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles that in the end of the course when death shall shut vp the eyes of our bodies we may with a firme faith and good conscience say with Saint Paul I have fought a 2. Tim. 4. good fight I haue finished my course I haue kept the Faith For henceforth there is laid vp for me a crowne of righteousnes which the Lord a righteous Iudge shall giue me at that day and not to me onely but to all them that loue his appearing Then in the end of our race we shall haue rest and ioy yea perfect complete and full ioy Ioy aboue vs ioy beneath vs ioy before vs ioy behinde vs ioy on our right hand ioy on our left hand ioy within vs ioy without vs and ioy on euery side vs. Vnto the which ioy he vouchsafe to bring vs which dearely hath bought it for vs not with siluer and gold for it cost a great price but with the sheading of his precious bloud euen Iesus Christ the righteous vnto whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one euerlasting iust and mercifull God be all honour power and glory both now and euer Amen A generall and fruitfull Prayer for all Christians to bee reuerently said at all times Morning Euening Night or Day O God our Maker thou most mighty and holy IEHOVAH in thy name and to thine honour and glory we begin continue and end these our Prayers And we offer this our dutifull seruice vnto thy diuine Maiestie as to our Soueraigne Lord and mighty Creator of Heauen and Earth and of all things therein contained O sweet Lord Iesus Christ wee offer vnto thee our selues body and soule and all the powers parts thereof within vs and without for by right they are all thine because thou hast dearely bought and paid for the same with the peerelesse price of thy precious bloud And wee most humbly beseech thee O holy Ghost our Comforter to giue vs grace and strength to doe thy will in all things and to offer these
thou reioycest more at the finding of one lost sheepe which hath long gone astray then ouer ninety and nine iust persons which neede no repentance Thou art ready to meet and embrace with the armes of thy mercy the Prodigall Sonne when he turneth homewards towards thee repenting his former folly and humbly crauing thy mercy Therefore there is nothing better for man then continually to consider thy great loue and fidelitie towards him and contrariwise his owne infidelitie and ingratitude towards thee for the Diuel is so enuious towards thy seruants that hee omitteth no time in tempting them yea euen then when they are about to repent and bewaile their sins he causeth them to doubt of their saluation to wauer in faith and cloggeth their consciences with the curse of the Law and equitie of Gods iustice in punishing their sinne that thereby they might neuer be at quietnes or rest in themselues but straight fall into the dungeon of desperation It is thou onely O Lord that canst heale their diseases ease their burthen cure their wounds and refresh their hungry spirits Wherfore if at any time the Diuell mooue vs to doubt or despaire of Gods goodnes and grace yet let vs not faint in faith or be hollow-hearted but rather bee bold in the bowels of Iesus Christ and with a sure confidence approch vnto the Mercy-Seat of God the Father who accepteth the satisfaction of his Son and alloweth the same to be a full ransome for all our sinnes and by this meanes we may finde fauour at the hands of our heauenly Father Many examples wee haue to perswade vs herein The Woman of Canaan cryed and her Daughter was cured The Centurion beleeued and his Seruant was made whole The Father prayed and his Sonne was clenfed of the foule spirit The Apostles cryed out Helpe Lord for wee perish and straightway they were deliuered Christ perceiued but the Faith of the people and he said to the sicke of the Palsie Be of good cheere my sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee The Mother and her companions doe but weepe and her sonne is raised from death to life Martha and Mary did but mourne and Lazarus was reuiued Mary the sinner sheadeth teares and hee said vnto her Thy sinnes be forgiuen thee A poore blinde man cryed out O Son of Dauid haue mercy on me and he receiued his sight The Thiefe hanging on the Crosse said but onely Lord remember me and Christ answered This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise O singular Faith of sinners what man hath at any time cried Iesu haue mercy on mee but forthwith hee hath found fauour obtained grace A sure faith procureth any thing at Gods hands but he that mistrusteth the Physician hindreth his owne health Our Sauiour Christ hath opened vnto vs the gate of his goodnes therefore let not vs runne headlong to the dungeon of desperation the dunghill of the Diuell Hee hath stretched out his hand to vs therefore let not vs turne away our face from him He hath opened vnto vs the Kingdome of Heauen therefore let not vs haste to destruction nor creepe to the lake of vnhappinesse but let vs by these examples of Gods graces to others acknowledge the mercies of God to bee many and maruellous towards man For whose cause doth the Sun shine by day the Moone and the Starres by night but for man For whose sake doth the Lord water the earth with deaw drops and showres of raine but for man Why blowe the Windes Why runne the Riuers Why spread the Springs Why budde the Trees Why growe the fruits of the earth And why increase the fishes of the seas but for the vse of man He is King and Lord of all creatures vnder the cope of heauen There is nothing that God hath not made subiect to man onely hee would that man should bee obedient vnto him Yet many times our mercifull God sendeth vs aduersitie eyther to cleere vs of our transgressions or to feare vs from sinne or to minister occasion of well-doing Thus was Abraham tryed So was Iob proued with many miseries Thus is euery one which liueth godly in Christ Iesus tryed in this world with sundry afflictions as the gold in the fire for whom the Lord loueth those he chasteneth Therefore wee beseech thee O Lord assist vs by thy might and mercy that we may patiently beare all trouble neede pouertie sicknes slander hatred imprisonment griefe and anguish of minde temptations of our deadly Enemy losse of lands and worldly wealth and all other calamities and discommodities Looke not on vs or our sins O Lord but behold thy Little one which was borne for vs He was wounded for our offences and by his stripes wee are healed Hee gaue his body to be beaten his cheekes to be striken for vs finners He turned not away his face from them that scorned him spit vpon him Looke O Lord vpon all the parts of his body from the crowne of his head to the sole of his foote and no paine shall bee found like vnto his paine Behold O blessed Lord the holy head of thy deare Sonne crowned with sharp Thornes the bloud running downe on his goodly visage Behold his tender body how it is scourged his naked brest is stricken beaten his bloudy side is thrust thorow with a speare his heart panteth his sinewes bee stretched forth his christall eyes dazell and lose their sight his princely face is wan and pale his pleasant tongue is enflamed with paine his inward parts waxe dry and starke his armes both blue and blacke his bones sore his comely legges be feeble and weake and the streames of bloud gush out of his side downe to the ground O Lord of mercy and God of comfort let all these sufferings of thine only and deare beloued Son pacifie thy wrath and be a sufficient recompence for all our misdemeanour towards thy Maiesty defend vs outwardly by thy might and cheere vs inwardly by thy holy Spirit that we may both in body soule glorifie thy Name feare thy might and loue thy mercy and hereafter walke in thy wayes so long as the breath is in our bodies And after that receiue vs body and soule into the heauenly Kingdome for the tender Death and Passion of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour power and praise world without end Amen An effectuall Prayer for those which be Lunatike or possessed with any euill Spirit O Most mighty mercifull God the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ the Prince of power and the God of all comfort and consolation our strong Rocke our sure refuge and defence against the damnable and dangerous assaults of our enemies both bodily and ghostly which hast commanded vs in our greatest perils and necessities to flye vnto thee for safety and boldly to call vpon thee for our deliuery which also by thy diuine power and vnsearchable wisedome hast made heauen and earth
humbly beseech thee to deale with vs in mercy stay thy hand and bid thine Angell cease from punishing Looke with a cheerefull countenance vpon thy people Blesse vs O heauenly Father within and without Be thou our guard thy Word our guide thy Spirit our comfort and thy Sonne our Sauiour Stay by vs continually hold vs vp by thy right hand strongly and direct vs by thy counsell wisely So shall we be inwardly comforted though the world conspire Satan rore the wicked rise vp against vs yea though the earth bee moued the pillars of heauen shake the Sea rage plagues fall all creatures frowne Yet shall not wee eyther feare tremble or bee dismayed with any boisterous blast of aduersitie so long as we trust in thee leane to thee serue thee and rest vpon thee as our strong Rocke for thou art mighty in the heate of iudgement and yet mercifull in the middest of miseries Haue pitie therefore vpon vs most miserable sinners mitigate thy fury asswage our pain release our smart and pardon our passed faults Wee confesse O deare Father that wee of our selues are the cause of our owne woe and prouokers of this thy plague and grieuous punishmēt which is fallen vpon vs most worthily Yea our owne detestable deeds committed against thy sacred will our obstinate pride in time of plenty our securitie in time of health our vnthankefulnes towards thy goodnes in time of prosperitie our contempt of thy Word dayly read and preached vnto vs did threaten long before this thy rodde and scourge of sicknes or some greater iudgement Our continuall transgressions as our Idlenes Wantonnesse Whoredome Drunkennesse Gaming Swearing Swilling Slandering Stealing Fighting Quarrelling Polling Pilling Vsurie Extortion and Oppression of the poore our Bribery Couetousnes Defrauding of the Widdow and Fatherlesse with a huge heape moe of such like vices haue beene the causes of this our miserie and smart which now wee feele to our torment and griefe and haue mooued thee the holy One of Israel to powre out the fearefull cup of thy wrath and vengeance vpon vs which thy iustice doth craue and wee dayly deserue Neuerthelesse deare Father of mercie though wee haue through our sinnes shewed our selues enemies vnto thee and vessels of thy wrath and vnworthy to pray vnto thee with our lying lips and polluted mouthes much lesse to obtain our suites at thy hands Yet most mercifull Father we beseech thee be fauourable vnto vs in shewing thy mercy vnto vs that are miserable For if thou O Lord doest strictly marke what is done amisse among men and wilt retaine our iniquitie O Lord who shall then be able to abide it or to stand in thy sight Verily no flesh no not the iustest man that liueth this day vpon the face of the earth Therefore O Lord wee returne to thee with our hearts and come home with the Prodigall Sonne although late at night repenting the rude race wee haue runned and being heartily sorrie for the lewd life we haue led we prostrate our selues and fall downe flat to the ground before the Throne of thy Grace beseeching thee as our tender and pitifull Father to embrace vs with the armes of mercy and compassion to turne away thy face from our lothsome sinnes and blot out of thy remembrance our former offences Reuiue O Lord our sorrowfull penitent spirits after the time of our try all comfort our carefull and contrite hearts for giue vs our trespasses Turne to vs in thy mercy which returne to thee from sinne direct our wayes hereafter in the workes of thy commandements increase our Faith and make these thy iudgements and grieuous plagues which thou hast worthily inflicted vpon vs for our wickednes be a caueat and warning blow vnto vs hereafter that wee neuer fall againe to our former folly nor heape vpon our owne heads thy wrath and vengeance lest a worse thing happen vnto vs but that this our chasticement may worke in our mindes true and vnfained repentance So that when thy heauenly hand shall slake from the execution of thy iust iudgement when thy wrath is appeased and wee safely deliuered acquitted and discharged of this misery wherein we are now wrapped we may indeed amend that which is amisse in vs tread Satan vnder our feet contemne the world mortifie the lusts of the flesh crucifie the whole body of sinne and as new-borne Babes shew our selues hereafter more thankefull for thy benefits powred vpon vs in most plentifull manner as for our health wealth tranquillitie and libertie the preaching of thy Gospell the true knowledge of thy will reuealed in thy Word the outward peace of our bodies and the inward comfort of our soules All which graces with many moe wee haue enioyed a long time in more ample manner then any other People or Nation vnder heauen O Lord wee humbly beseech thee continue thy good blessings towards vs thine vnworthy vnthankefull seruants grant that thy holy Name may be so glorified hereafter in all our thoughts words and workes during this transitorie life that in the end when thou hast wrought thy will with vs we may raigne with thee and al the holy company of heauen in the life euerlasting Grant also deare Father relaxation and release of thy plagues and punishments vnto this thine afflicted towne of and to all other countries townes houses and people which be in the like calamity and distresse for the loue and precious Passion of Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour in whose blessed name wee bow the knees both of our soules and bodies and humbly prostrate our selues heere before the Throne of thy glorious Maiesty praying vnto thee as he hath taught vs and saying Our Father which art in Heauen c. The third Dutie of the Pastor THe third thing pertaining to a good Pastor is his godly counsell or admonition as for example Good Brother you must now in this time of Gods visitation call to minde your former life The more vicious and faultie you haue beene the deeper you ought to sigh and grone in spirit for your offences and whereinsoeuer you haue displeased God consider that amendment of life to come and repentance for your sinnes past is the way and meanes to become friends with him and to be at peace in your owne conscience But this repentance may not bee in mouth outwardly but inwardly in simplicitie of heart continually detesting that which is euill and ardently louing that which is good and acceptable to God And so though vnworthy of your selfe you may be accepted of God by faith in his beloued Sonne with whom the Father is well pleased but with vs and our vnrighteousnes he cannot bee but highly displeased it is good therefore to acknowledge and confesse your sinne to God and to submit your selfe to his Maiestie by true conuersion and sorrow of heart with an inward griefe and lothing of those sinnes which before you tooke pleasure in and crauing of mercy and pardon at his hands whom you haue