Will praise the Lord because he is good for his mercy endureth for ever by whom we live move and have our being our maintenance safety and preservation Now glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost I humbly pray thee vouchsafe unto mee thy most unworthy servant such grace and favour to knit my heart and soule fast to theee so that my sinnes nor my soules enemies the wicked world my owne corrupt flesh nor the malice of the Divell may not be able to pluck mee out of thy mercifull and powerfull hands but Lord assist me with thine owne blessed Spirit that I may daily continue and increase in all sincere and perfect love and obedience towards thy Majesty and in thy feare and favour and all other saving graces to have a good conscience before thee with true faith stedfast hope and perfect charity unto my lifes end Amen 31. A Prayer unto the Trinity for Saturday morning O Lord our God how excellent is thy Name in all the world for thou hast laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the workes of thy hands and thou didst create and dost governe dispose and rule the whole world with all things therein according to thy good pleasure O most divine and adored Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost three persons but one true eternall and everliving God to whom be all praise honour and glory as is right and due for ever Thou only by thy word and power didst make all things for thine owne glory especially mankinde after thine image in purity and holinesse to thine own service for by thy ptovidence and mercy commeth all good gifts and blessings unto us and also deliverances only from thee of those evills and dangers which sinne hath made us subject unto in falling from thee and our first integrity by the subtillty and malice of Sathan and our owne frailty yet of thine owne free grace thou didst elect a number by thee selected of thy chosen servants to inherit an eternall Kingdome with and through thy beloved Son whom thou didst ordain and send into the world at thine appointed time to be the redemption of all that beleeve in thee O God the Son our blessed Lord Jesus Christ it is written of thee that thou shouldest doe the will of God the Father who ordained thee to be our Redeemer and wert made of God unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and salvation with glorification hereafter Now deare Jesus who hast paid our ransome even the all-sufficient and acceptable sacrifice of thine own pretious bloud to wash away our sins who was lifted upon the crosse between heaven and earth to make an attonement betwixt God and man his heavy wrath and our grievous offences and so thou art become our Priest to offer up thy innocent selfe to cleanse us from our sinnes who art our Prophet to instruct and teach us and direct our waies aright to shew us the path of life and make the way plaine before our faces and by thy example to beare our crosse patiently and follow thee that art the way the truth and the life to lead us to eternall salvation also thou art our King to protect defend and reigne over us in mercy truth and righteousnesse till thine enemies be made thy footstoole and all that hate thee be destroyed before thee for God hath put all things in subjection under his feet then shalt thou judge the whole world in righteousnesse and equity and wilt bring thy servants to that eternall inheritance which thou hast by thy merits and sufferings so dearly purchased for us who wert borne unto us to be the joy and comfort of all people and the glory and salvation of all that truly beleeve and trust in thee our Saviour O God Holy Ghost the giver worker and sealer of all graces unto us by thee we are called to the knowledge of God and his saving truth sanctified to the performance of his will and Commandements certified by the holy Spirit of our salvation in Christ Jesus and by thee applied unto us to bee regenerated and borne againe by thy holy operation from sin to grace to thy glory and our endlesse felicity And thy Spirit also witnesseth to our spirits that we are the children of God and heires with Christ of the Kingdome of heaven to the eternall comfort of all thy servants being by thee also united to our blessed Christ and sealed to the day of redemption and continually assisting us to all goodnesse Now great and glorious Lord God Father Son and Holy Ghost thou hast plentifully powred downe thy manifold mercies and favours upon us and multiplied exceedingly thy blessings and benefits spirituall and temporall towards us before we had being in the world since we were borne and after death thou hast laid up an eternall weight of glory for all those to possesse that truly beleeve in thee which give me grace to doe for none hath or ever can deserve them Oh the abundant mercy bounty and goodnesse of our gracious God towards mortall mankinde who can declare the height and depth of Gods unspeakable love or be sufficiently thankfull to him for such unexpressible benefits but with David we may say Lord What is man that thou art mindefull of him Or what shall we render to thee for all thy mercies having in us no good at all but what we receive from thy selfe therefore Lord adde this further grace unto thy former favours by the assistance of thine owne Spirit to make us thy unworthy servants able rightly faithfully and constantly to feare love honour serve obey and praise thy most glorious Name while we live and for ever and ever Amen 32. A Prayer to God the Holy Ghost for Saturday night O God Holy Ghost the giver of all graces and and my gracious sanctifier comforter and preserver thou knowest my infirmities my inclination to all evill and backwardnesse to any goodnesse vouchsafe Lord to sanctifie mee thy poore sinfull servant in soule body and spirit throughout to thy true feare intire love and right faithfull and constant service all my time to come And be pleased Lord by thy grace to enlighten my dull soule and understanding with the sound knowledge sincere love and stedfast beleefe of thy saving truth and keepe me ever constant therein And vouchsafe deare Lord to inrich me thy poore unworthy servant with the infinite treasure of that heavenly wisdome from above which waiteth about thy Throne that may teach me thy holy will and what is good and acceptable unto thee and inable me with grace to doe it that so I may discerne between good and evill and make me shunne and hate that which is evill and follow and cleave unto that which is good and to withdraw my love from this vaine world and fix my affections upon thee my God and on heavenly things that are above that my chiefe treasure may be settled there in heaven and my heart also and so I shall first seek to obtaine that
and soule to seek after thee and thy Kingdome with the righteousnesse thereof and then I shall obtain the end of my faith and hope even thy glory and my owne salvation through thee only dear Jesus my blessed Lord and alone Saviour To whom with God the Father and the Holy Ghost three Persons one eternall God and glorious Trinity be rendred as is due all praise honour and glory for ever and ever Amen 20. The conclusion to this booke A short Prayer so to performe our duties here towards God that we may obtaine heaven hereafter OH most mercifull Lord God thou knowest my unaptnesse to any good I humbly pray thee to give me thy poor unworthy servant grace so truly to feare thee as not to offend thee so constantly to beleeve in thee and confidently to relye upon all thy gracious promises in all my troubles and necessities and so entirely and sincerely to love and honour thee above all things that nothing in this world may withdraw my minde from thee nor any vaine hopes or earthly desires make mee neglect my service to thee but that I may daily study and strive rightly and carefully to obey thee my Lord at all times diligently to seek thee and know thy will and faithfully to serve and please thee as I ought to doe as long as I live For thou O God the Father lovedst us first and sent thy deare Son out of thy bosome to redeeme us and our sweet Saviour Jesus in his love gave himselfe and laid downe his owne life to save us from eternall death greater love cannot bee found then for one to dye for a friend but thou Lord diedst for thine enemies much more having now reconciled us to the father and to thy selfe I trust being united to thee also by the Holy Ghost by sanctification and true faith wrought in me by that blessed Spirit I shall obtaine mercy through the merits and sufferings of my deare Jesus to live with thee in heaven hereafter to glorifie the great Name of God the eternall Father Son and Holy Ghost to whom bee all praise and honour for ever and let heaven and earth Saints and Angells and all creatures give glory to him for evermore Amen Here is one Prayer more which I joyne to these because it concerned one of my daughters to whom this Booke belonged though it was lately penned upon a very strange accident 21. A thanksgiving to Almighty God for his most mercifull preservation of my noble kinswoman the Lady Eliz. Feelding and of my owne daughter the Lady Eliz. Cornwalleis from drowning under the Bridge and was long under water and one worthy Gentlewoman in the company could not bee recovered This may serve upon any such fearfull accident MOst Mighty God Creator of heaven and earth and the only disposer of all things therein thou art the defender and protecter of all thy children and servants and the gracious preserver of all those that depend upon thee thy power ruleth both by sea and land and thy all-guiding providence directeth all things in the world according to thy own high will and good pleasure and for the good of all them that trust in thee Whereof thou hast given many and mee the unworthiest of thy servants an especiall testimony of thy infinite mercy towards my deare daughter and kinswoman in that great and miraculous deliverance lately of them in the dreadfull danger of sudden death by drowning in the Thames for thou didst mercifully provide and take care to save their lives when they were past sense to take care of themselves or to call upon thee for helpe yet beyond all hope thou didst bring them backe from the gates of death praised for ever be thy most glorious Name and let neither us nor any of our generation forget this thy great mercy Now Lord make us duly to acknowledge all thy benefits and let us not passe them out of our mindes without true thankfulnesse for all thy favours continually vouchsafed unto us undeserved for all which we poor creatures have nothing to returne to thee but devout love faithfull service and carefull obedience with the humble sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving which by thy assistance I will performe towards thee with a gratefull heart so long as I live and for ever Amen 22. A Petition of the Author for herselfe O Lord as Paul said he would readily performe the duty in his charge that lay upon him lest while he preached to save others himself should become a cast-away so dearest Lord I having taken pains to compose many Prayers for the use of others under my care to further them in the constant performance of this duty of prayer which being rightly used will draw many blessings from thee Almighty God I most humbly beseech thee to heare and receive their supplications that call upon thee by these Prayers So Gracious Lord suffer not me to neglect my duty and daily service herein towards thy Majesty but make me carefully rightly and reverently to offer up due praises and prayers daily unto thee in a faithfull and acceptable manner all the daies of my life And give me thy poor servant the assistance of thy grace and holy Spirit to reform all my waies before thee to suppresse and overcome the corruption of my heart the vanity of my mind and to forsake and abandon the love of this vile world with all the deceitfull vanities thereof and to cast off those great superfluous cares and desires after the things of this mutable life which passe away like a shadow or dream Wise Solomon that had the plenty and triall of all things under the Sun tells us what it will prove only vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit Wherefore let me learne with Paul in what estate soever I am therewith to be content and to submit with humble patience to thy pleasure in all things thou sendest who knowest what is best and fittest for me and keep me for repining and despairing in thy chastisements for thou canst heale as well as wound when thou pleasest Therefore I will dedicate my heart and soule and all my endeavours unto thy faithfull service striving to make my calling and election sure by looking after thee my God thy Kingdome and thy righteousnesse which is the only thing needfull This grace grant unto mee O God for Jesus Christs sake Amen The end of the first Book BOOK II. THis Book I began to write at my house at Barking in Essex where I retired my selfe in solitarinesse after the death of my worthy and dear husband Sir Thomas Richardson Knight Lord chiefe Justice of the Kings Bench who dyed at Candlemas 1634. Where shortly after I finished these Prayers following for my owne private use being the fittest imployment for my time who was then in so much heavinesse I call this Book a weekly exercise of Prayer either for a private person or in their owne family To which there are added some other necessary Prayers very
the grave hell and Sathan and didst willingly lay down thine owne life for us which no man could take from thee that wee might live by faith through thee and also thou hadst power to take it up againe and didst rise from the grave the third day for our justification and to vanish all our spirituall enemies and lastly thou our Lord didst gloriously ascend into heaven there to take possession and make intercession for us unto thy heavenly Father with whom thou dost reigne in heaven for ever whither thou dost graciously and daily draw to thee all those that truly beleeve in thee there to live hereafter with thee of which number deare Lord in the fulnesse of thy mercies make me one Now I further humbly pray thee sweet Jesus the Saviour of all that trust in thee that thou wilt have mercy on mee to forgive and pardon all my sinnes and offences past and present both originall and actuall of omission and commission of infirmity or presumption whatsoever I stand guilty of before theee and even those secret sinnes that none but thy All-seeing eyes and my owne conscience can testifie against mee which is more then a thousand witnesses I humbly pray thee to cast them all behinde thy backe into the pit of oblivion never to come in remembrance with thee and wash all my faults out of thy sight with that blessed streame of thine owne most pretious bloud which thou didst so plentifully shed for us in thy most bitter passion O blessed Lord let not all these thy mercies and benefits which thou hast done and purchased for mankinde be fruitlesse or in vaine towards mee thy poore unworthy servant whose confidence is only in thee that thou wilt make mee a happy partaker of all thy great benefits and favours And sweet Iesus grant through thy mercies merits and infinit sufferings that my transgressions may never bee laid to my charge for there is no other name under heaven but thine only blessed Iesus our righteous Lord by which we can be saved To thee bee rendred as is due all honour praise thanks and glory for ever and ever Concluding my petition with that perfect Prayer which thy selfe hast taught us saying Our Father which art in heaven c. 28. A Prayer for Friday night to God the Sonne our blessed Saviour I Will love thee dearly O Lord my strength for thou art my helper my refuge and the lifter up of my head and I will praise thy name so long as I have breath O Lord Christ by whom was fulfilled the Law and the Prophets and in thee all the promises of God are Yea and Amen to the glory of God the Father and the comfort of all thy servants thou art that pure and innocent Lambe of God that was killed and is alive to thee was given all power honour and glory who liveth and raigneth for ever in heaven and earth of whose Kingdome there is no end to thee Lord bee all possible praise and thanks for ever This is my only Lord and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous who died for our sinnes and rose againe for our justification and art our Advocate in heaven so that whatsoever we shall ask the Father in thy name according to thy will if we beleeve we shall obtaine it for thy sake who art the beloved Son of God in whom only hee is well pleased My deare God have mercy upon me a most grievous sinner to pardon all my offences past in soule or body of ignorance or wilfulnesse of frailty neglect contempt or wicked stubbornesse bury them all sweet Jesus in thy grave and cleanse them from before thine eyes with thy most pretious bloud which thou didst of thine owne accord and infinite love shed for us to free us from eternall death which by our sinnes are due therefore gracious Lord grant through thy merits and manifold sufferings that my iniquities may never be able to appeare before thee against me either to accuse or condemne me neither in this life at my death nor in the great and last judgement but in that dreadfull day Lord by all thy mercies I beseech thee shew thy self my loving Saviour to passe by cover all my misdeeds with thy righteousnesse that so I may escape thy just wrath which my transgressions have deserved Now deare Iesus while I live here make me thy unworthy servant wholly thine to be thy faithfull and constant disciple and so to love thee as to keep thy Commandements which are not grievous but in obeying them there is great reward and let me so follow thee here as to bee lowly and meek to forsake my selfe and the world and to take up all my crosses with patience and strive to goe after thy steps though I be farre unable to drinke of that heavy and bitter cup of Gods wrath of which thou so deeply tastedst who art the propitiation for our sinnes to deliver us from that fearfull condemnation due unto us my offences Lord I confesse did adde unto that weighty burden of Gods heavy displeasure and our grievous sinnes which thou didst beare upon the crosse for all true beleevers who shall passe from death to life eternall which thy sufferings O Christ hath purchased for us whereby I the unworthiest of thy servants doe also hope to follow thee hereafter from the grave to heaven at the resurrection of the just that according to thy will declared before thy death all that are thine shall bee with thee even where thou art to enjoy all blisse and happinesse in thine owne love by thy unmerited mercies we shall bee made partakers with thee of thy heavenly Kingdome of glory there to serve and praise thy glorious Name who art most worthy world without end Amen 29. The conclusion for Friday night LOrd Iesus vouchsafe to receive me this night into thy gracious protection both in life and death And deare Lord I humbly pray thee to inlighten me with thy grace rightly and faithfully to serve and obey thee in all true devotion and with due submission to thy holy will in all things so long as I live and now Lord I am in health laid downe in my bed by thy loving permission hoping to take quiet rest and sleep which I beseech thee to give me and also I trust by thy mercie to a wake in thy grace and favour to the morning light againe because thou gracious Lord dost only me sustaine and wilt in safety thy poore servant keep who doe most humbly commend and commit my selfe my soule and body my children and grand-children and all I have to thee from whom I have received all the good I doe enjoy for thou hast shewed great mercies unto me for which I blesse and praise thy holy Name beseeching thee to give me grace never to forget thy benefits but to continue Lord thy true and faithfull servant unto my death and for ever Amen 30. A Prayer to the blessed Trinity at first waking for Saturday morning I
and with all my minde setting my affections not on things that are below but upon heavenly treasures that are above which are permanent and fade not where my sweet Saviour who dyed for mee on earth now liveth and reigneth with thee in heaven for ever and maketh intercession for mee there that by thy assistance I may continually study and strive carefully and willingly to performe all duties towards thee in obeying thy Commandements with an upright and perfect heart before thee and in all true charity being ready to doe good to others as thou commandest and to love my neighbour as my selfe even my enemies for thy sake Most mercifull Lord who knowest our fraile and wretched natures and desirest the conversion not the confusion of poor miserable sinners thou sweet Jesus camest to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance such as I am and to save that which was lost Oh let not my poore soule be lost which cost thee thy deare pretious bloud to save but Lord make mee by true faith lay hold of my redemption by thee and all other thy workes of mercy and though I have grievously offended in thy sight yet I beseech thee with-hold not thy favour from me thy poor sinfull servant but give me the grace of unfeigned sorrow and repentance with a true contrite spirit and a broken heart for all my sinnes committed before thee from the greatest to the least wherein I have displeased thee by thought desire word or deed hating judging and condemning my selfe for so offending thee my Lord God and most earnestly and humbly crave thy assistance that I may now happily returne to thee with a penitent and grieved heart from whom I have so unhappily gone astray by a vaine corrupt mind and sinfull soule whereby I hope in thy great mercy to escape thy just wrath and condemnation due to my grievous offences and may also obtaine thy gracious pardon for all my passed misdeeds with the assistance of thy holy Spirit which I most humbly crave to amend my former faults and to reforme my wayes the rest of my life in all things according to thy blessed will Now lastly O gracious Lord our righteousnesse my sure hope and heavenly Father the fountaine of all goodnesse in whom is all mercy and compassion from thee only we receive all good gifts and graces for thou hearest the prayers and to thee shall all flesh come who understandest our wants before we aske and knowest our wretched natures and disabilities to all goodnesse so that thy grace only must worke both the will and the deed of all that is good in us and then of thine owne mercie accept the same through the merits and mediation of our Saviour Jesus so doubling thy favours towards us miserable mortall creatures whose hearts are vile and false unto our selves and to thee also and our thoughts are only evill continually Therefore sweet Jesus the mirrour of mercie vouchsafe to heare and helpe me to call and draw me to thy selfe and knit fast my heart and soule unto thy true feare devout love and faithfull service for ever that so by thy selfe I may be inabled to run willingly and joyfully after thee rightly and readily to performe all duties towards thee and keep all thy Commandements constantly Oh gracious Lord Holy Ghost our blessed preserver comforter and sanctifier soften thou my hardened heart by thy grace and inlighten my dull and sinfull soule with all the powers thereof my understanding memory will and affection with all saving graces especially as the chiefe means to gaine the rest vouchsafe to inspire me with thy true spirit of grace and prayer rightly humbly fervently and faithfully to call daily on thy sacred Name and to worship thee in spirit and truth even as thou requirest to be served that so by thy favour I may obtaine grace power and strength to banish all wandring thoughts and to vanquish and resist all wicked hindrances cast in by the divell or his agents the world and mine owne corruptions which distract and disturbe my serious and devout attendance of both soule and body in rightly performing this duâ—y of prayer unto my Lord God whereby I may be duly thankfull for all thy benefits and mercies already bestowed on me and mine and also to begge and obtaine the gracious countenance of all thy blessings spirituall and temporall in whatsoever thou seest necessary for this present life and that which is to come but more especially in giving me all saving graces which may fit prepare and further me here for thy heavenly Kingdome hereafter To which my Saviour and Redeemer bring me by all the merits and sufferings and in the fulnesse of thy mercies I humbly beseech thee dear Jesus Amen Amen 1. A sorrowfull widowes prayer and petition unto the gracious protector and defender of widowes and father of the fatherlesse which I composed shortly after the death of my dear husband And this may also serve any other upon the like occasion ALmighty God and most gracious Lord who art full of pity and goodnesse vouchsafe to heare assist and accept the humble devotion and supplication of me thy poore unworthy servant in Jesus Christ thy deare Son Most mighty God whose mercies are above all thy great works and whose power and divine providence directeth and disposeth all things to the best for those that doe love and depend upon thee Thou hast ever been pleased to shew mercie unto me thy poore handmaid the most sinfull of all thy servants and hast taken care of mee even from my mothers wombe and vouchsafed me many benefits and blessings and delivering mee out of very great crosses and troubles still holding me up by thy gracious hand from sinking in the midst of a sea of sorrowes and like a most loving Father in my divers change of fortunes hast at all times provided for me and mine beyond our deserts or the worlds expectation having in thy mercifull goodnesse made me see with comfort all my children who were left destitute now by thy provident provision and blessing well setled for this life All which by thy infinite favours Lord make me ever thankfully to acknowledge and grant that I and all mine may serve obey praise and glorifie thy great and blessed Name for ever and ever And as thou Lord hast stretched forth thy hand of bounty to supply all my worldly wants so dear God vouchsafe more especially to extend thy gracious care over my soule to prevent and keep me from sin and indue me with all spirituall graces so that my whole life and waies may ever be serviceable and acceptable to thy heavenly Majesty And now O Lord since it hath been thy will and pleasure to take away and call to thy selfe my deare husband out of this transitory life before me and to bereave me of him who was my chiefe comfort in this world I humbly beseech thee vouchsafe to take me into thy care and give me grace to choose with
pray and say with confidence Come Lord Jesus come quickly for into thy hands I most humbly commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth and vouchsafe thou even to my last breath alwaies to say unto my soule thou art my God and my salvation for ever Amen 4. A Prayer in sicknesse with expectation of death OH heavenly Father who hast been my gracious God before I had being and my mercifull guide from my youth be pleased especially now at the houre and point of my death which I shall shortly expect to be mercifull O God unto me a miserable sinner to pardon for Jesus sake all my sinnes and iniquities that I have committed formerly and vouchsafe to heale and save my wretched soule that hath infinitly offended thee and strengthen my weaknesse with thy power and supply all graces wanting in me by thy mercie and defend me from all my spirituall adversaries who will endeavour my destruction if they can but let them not prevaile against me and Lord Jesus be not farre from me neither forsake me in a time when so much trouble and danger is about me but in the multitude of thy mercy Lord pray for mee that my faith faile not and stretch forth thy hand to save me as thou didst to Peter lest I perish Now O God give me such sound and unfaigned repentance as may obtaine from thee remission of all my sinnes with true faith to lay hold of all thy gracious promises and a right and a stedfast hope in all thy mercies but chiefly indue me with devout and perfect love toward thy Majesty which may make me faithfully and constantly thine to serve and obey thy holy will in all things with Christian charity towards all my brethren but Lord if it be thy will give mee knowledge of my death when it is neare that I may faithfully pray unto thee and call on thy most blessed Name with my last breath and may joyfully and willingly yeeld up and commend my spirit backe to thee my Lord who gave it unto me And deare Lord prevent and remove all evill hindrances in my way to heavenly happinesse that through Christ Jesus my Saviour I may bee received amongst thy children and servants and admitted into the presence of thy Majesty O heavenly Father there to enjoy eternall felicity with thee in heaven when this life is ended by death But if thou shouldest please at this time to continue and prolong my daies upon earth Lord so long as I live teach me by thy grace so to number my daies that I may apply my heart to wisdome and godlinesse and holinesse of life seeking to redeem my lost time past which I have mispent by daily repentance and amendment of life striving to make my calling and election sure by a holy and good conversation the rest of my time to come that by thy mercy and merits of my Saviour Jesus I may be freed of my trespasses and heavy account with thee before I dye and may escape thy just and great wrath which is due for my manifold transgressions Now Lord Jesus I willingly submit my selfe to thy good pleasure to dispose of me as thou seest best but I most humbly beg of thee when my last and appointed hour is come that I shall enter into my long sleep of death and goe to lye downe in the dust deare Lord give me a happy departure out of this life that I may dye in thee O Lord to rest in peace and safety and may be raised up by thee at the last day to grace and glory that thou receiving mee into thy mercy and favour I may live and remain with thee in eternall happinesse to glorifie thy blessed Name and sing hallelujah amongst thy Saints for ever and ever Amen 5. A Prayer unto the Lord of mercy in the time of sicknesse to be fitted for death and assisted in that dreadfull houre against all temptations to gaine a blessed passage out of this world at Gods appointed time O Great and mercifull God who reignest and disposest of all things in heaven and in the whole world as it pleaseth thee and understandest all the passage here below on earth be it never so secret and by thy mercie and power dost work all things to the best for those that love and depend upon thee for thou art full of goodnesse patience and long-suffering towards us poore weak and fraile creatures and thy abounding mercy doth exceed all other thy great workes in pardoning sinners but beyond all other thy favours towards us thy infinite love to mankinde did most appeare in sending thine owne dear Son into the world to save sinners by thy grace that all that beleeve in him might be saved without which thy mercie what hope comfort or helpe were there left unto us miserable sinfull creatures for the just man falleth seven times a day but the wicked much more and if the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear such as I am Therefore I come and cry and pray unto thee who only canst relieve me in all humility contrition and confession of my manifold transgressions and in the blessed Name of thy dear beloved Son my only Saviour I do beg and beseech thee O Father full of compassion not to enter into judgement with me nor to remember what I have done amisse but to consider what thy Christ hath done and suffered for mee and looking on mee through him have mercy and pity upon me a most grievous sinner I know too well how justly thou maiest condemne me but Lord to save a poore sinner by thy grace is farre greater honour and glory unto thee And gracious God who of thine owne meer mercy didst give us thy most deare Son to be our reconciliation and redemption whē we were thine enemies much more being reconciled and having performed all things for us thou canst deny us no good thing that wee aske in his beloved Name Therefore O God for Christ innocent sake vouchsafe to be reconciled unto me thy most unworthy sinfull servant and cast all my offences into his grave where my Saviour paid the last part of my ransome and by his power rising againe the third day from death he conquered and overcame all my soules enemies sin death hell and Sathan and deare Lord with his pretious bloudshed upon the crosse wash my soule cleane before it appeare in thy presence and take away all my iniquities out of thy sight never to come in remembrance before thee so that Christ may be unto me both in life and death an advantage And now most deare God my life and time here is only in thy hand and pleasure and thou hast cast me upon the bed of sicknesse from which I know not whether I shall recover or rise any more while I live in this world therefore I most humbly pray thee sweet Jesus never to leave or forsake me but stand thou alwaies in mercy by me and