that we may derive from thee by this mystery grace to expel our sins to mortifie all our lusts to exterminate all concupiscence to crucifie all inordinate irregularities to produce in us humility and chastity and obedience and meekness of spirit and charity and let us not be harmed by the violence invasions of all our ghostly enemies and temporal disadvantages and give us grace and favour that we may not die in the commission of a sin without repentance nor without receiving the blessed Sacrament but that we may so live and die that we may at last rest in thy bosom and be embraced with the comprehensions of thy eternal Charity who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen Prayers preparatory to Death A Prayer for a Blessed Ending to be said in time of Health or Sickness O Blessed Jesu fountain of eternal Mercy the life of the soul and glorious Conquerour over Death and Sin I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this transitory life in vertue and holy exercises that when the day of my death shall come in the midst of all my pains I may feel the sweet refreshings of thy holy Spirit comforting my soul sustaining my infirmities and relieving all my spiritual necessities and grant that in the unity of the holy Catholick Church and in the integrity of Christian Faith with confidence and hope of thy mercy in great love towards thee in peace towards my neighbours and in charity with all the world I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vail of misery and go into that glorious Country where thou hast purchased an inheritance for us with the price of thy most precious blood and reignest in it gloriously in the unity of thy Father and ours of thy Holy Spirit and our ghostly Comforter ever one God world without end Amen All blessing and praise and honour be unto thee O blessed Redeemer and to thee I the banished and miserable Son of Adam do call for mercy and defence in this needful time of trouble to thee I sigh and cry in the valley of tears O dearest Advocate turn those thy merciful eyes towards me and shew me thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom where no tears or sighing or fears or sadness can approach Amen sweetest Jesu Amen A Prayer to be said in the beginning of Sickness O Lord my God who chastisest every one whom thou receivest and with thy fatherly correction smitest those whom thou consignest to the inheritance of Sons write my soul in the book of life and number me amongst thy chosen children whom thou hast smitten with the Rod of Sickness and by thy chastisements hast brought me into the lot of the Righteous Thou O blessed Jesus who art a helper in the needful time of trouble lay no more upon me than thou shalt enable me to bear and let thy gentle corrections in this life prevent the unsupportable stripes of thy vengeance in the life to come Smite me now that thou mayest spare me to all eternity and yet O blessed High Priest who art touched with a sense of our infirmities smite me friendly and reprove me with such a tenderness as thou bearest unto thy children to whom thou conveyest supplicatory comforts greaten not the pains of thy chastisements and in due time restore me to health and to thy solemn Assemblies again and to the joy of thy countenance Give me patience and humility and the grace of Repentance and an absolute dereliction of my self and resignation to thy pleasure and providence with a power to do thy Will in all things and then do what thou pleasest with me in health or sickness in life or death let me feel thy comforts refreshing my soul and let thy grace pardon all my sins grant this O heavenly Father for thy dear Sons sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer for a sick person in danger of Death O Lord Jesus Christ our health and our salvation our life our hope and our resurrection from the dead I resign my self up to thy holy will and pleasure either to life that I may live longer to thy service and my amendment or to death to the perpetual enjoyment of thy presence and of thy glory into thy hands I commend my spirit for I know O Lord that nothing can perish which is commited to thy mercy I believe help thou my unbelief I believe O Lord that I shall receive my body again at the resurrection of the Just I relinquish all care of that only I beg of thee mercy for my soul strengthen it with thy grace against all temptation let thy loving kindness defend it as with a shield against all violence and hostile assaults of Satan let the same mercy be my guard and defence which protected thy Martyrs crowning them with victory in the midst of flames horrid torments and most cruel deaths There is no help in me O Lord I cannot by my own strength or power give a minutes rest to my wearied body but my trust is in thy mercies and I call to mind to my unspeakable comfort that thou wert hungry and thirsty and wearied and whipt and crowned with thorns and mocked and crucified for me O let that mercy of thine which made thee suffer so much pardon me and save me let thy merits answer for my impieties let thy Righteousness cover my sins thy blood wash away my stains and thy comforts refresh my soul as my body grows weaker let thy grace be stronger let not my faith doubt nor my hope tremble nor my charity grow cold nor my soul be afrighted with the terrours of death but let the light of thy countenance enlighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death eternal and when my tongue fails let thy Spirit teach my heart with strong crying and groans that are unutterable O let not the enemy do me any violence but let thy holy mercies and thy Angels repel and defeat his malice and find that my soul may by thy strength triumph in the joys of eternity in the fruition of thee my life my joy my hope my exceeding great reward my Lord and and my Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen A Prayer for a dying person in or near the Agonies of Death MOst merciful and blessed Saviour have mercy upon the soul of this servant remember not his ignorance nor the sins of his youth nor age but according to thy great mercies remember him in the mercies and glories of thy Kingdom Thou O Lord hast opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers O let the everlasting gates be opened and receive his soul let the Angels who rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner triumph and be exalted in his deliverance and salvation Make him partaker of the benefits of thy holy Incarnation Life and Sanctity Passion and Death Resurrection and Ascension and all the Prayers of the Church that the Joy of the Elect and the Fruits of the blessed Communion of the
like the high way which through hardness and want of true understanding receives not the seed till the evil one cometh and catcheth it away nor the stony ground which heareth with joy for a time but falleth away as soon as persecution ariseth for the Gospels sake nor like the thorny ground which by the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches choaketh the Word which it heareth and maketh it altogether unfruitful but that like unto the good ground I may hear thy Word with an honest and a good heart understand it and keep it and bring forth fruit with patience in that measure that thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet for thy glory and mine everlasting comfort Open likewise I beseech thee O Lord the door of utterance unto thy faithful servant whom thou hast sent unto us to open our eyes that we may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that we may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among them which are sanctified by Faith in Christ and give me grace to submit my self to his Ministry as well when he terrifieth me with judgments as when he comforteth me with thy mercies and that I may have him in a singular love for his works sake because he watcheth for my soul as he that must give an account for the same unto his Master and give me grace to behave my self in the holy Congregation with comeliness and reverence as in thy presence and in the sight of thy holy Angels Keep me from drowsiness and sleepiness and from all wandring thoughts and worldly imaginations sanctifie my memory that it may be apt to receive and firm to remember those good and profitable doctrines which shall be taught unto us out of thy Word and that through the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may put the same lessons in practice for my directions in prosperity for my consolation in misery for the amendment of my life and the glory of thy Name and that this day which godless and prophane persons spend in their own lusts and pleasures I as an obedient servant of thine may make my chief delight to consecrate it to thy honour and glory not doing my own waies nor seeking mine own will nor speaking a vain word but that ceasing from the works of sin as well as from the work of my ordinary calling I may through thy blessing feel in my heart the beginning of that eternal Sabbath which with unspeakable joy glory I shall celebrate with thy Saints and Angels to thy praise and worship in thy heavenly Kingdom for evermore all which I humbly beg and crave at thy hands in the Name and Mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in that form of prayer which he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Private Evening Prayer for the Sabbath Day O Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabbath suffer me who am but dust and ashes to speak unto thy glorious Majesty I know that thou art a consuming fire I acknowledge that I am but wretched stubble my sins are in thy sight and Satan stands at my right hand to accuse me for them I come not to excuse but to judge my self worthy of all those judgments which thy justice might most justly inflict upon me a wretched creature for my sins and my transgressions the number of them is so great and the nature of them is so grievous that they make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more loathsom in thy sight I confess they make me so far from being worthy to be called thy Son that I am altogether unworthy to have the name of thy meanest servant and if thou shouldest but recompence me according to my deserts the Earth as weary of such a sinful burden should open her mouth and swallow me up like one of Dathans Family into the bottomless pit of Hell for if thou didst not spare the natural branches those Angels of glorious excellency but hurledst them down from thy heavenly habitation in the pains of hellish darkness to be kept unto damnation when they sinned but once against thy Majesty and didst expel our first Parents out of Paradise when they did but transgress one of thy Laws Alas what a vengeance may I expect who have not offended in one sin only but heaping sin upon sin without any true Repentance drinking in iniquity as it were water ever pouring in but never pouring out any filthiness and transgressed all thy Laws and Commandments yea this present day thou hast straightly commanded me to keep holy to thy praise and worship I have not so religiously kept and observed nor prepared my soul in that holiness and chastity of heart as was fit to meet thy blessed Majesty in the holy Assembly of thy Saints I have not attended to the Preaching of thy Word nor to the administration of thy Sacrament with that humility reverence and devotion that I should for though I was present at those exercises in my body yet Lord I was overtaken with much drowsiness that when I was awake my mind was so distracted and carried away with vain and worldly thoughts that my soul seemed to be absent and out of the Church I have not so duly as I should meditated with my self nor conferred with my Family upon those good instructions which I have heard and received out of thy holy Word by the publick Minister for default whereof Satan hath stollen the most part of those instructions out of my heart and I wretched creature have forgotten them as though they had never been heard and my family doth not thrive in knowledge and satisfaction under my government as they should though I know that many of my poor Brethren live in want and necessity some in pain and comfortless yet I have not remembred to relieve the one with my alms nor the other with my consolations but have feasted my self and satisfied mine own lust I have spent most part of the day in idle talk vain sports and exercises yea Lord I have c. here confess what faults thou hast done that day by omission or commission and then fetching a deep sigh from thy heart and for all these my sins my conscience cries guilty thy Laws condemns me and I am in thy hand to receive the sentence and curse that is due to the wilful breach of so holy a Commandment but what if I am by the Law condemned yet Lord thy Gospel assures me that thy mercy is above all thy works and that thy grace transcends thy Law and thy goodness delights there to raign where sinners do most abound In the multitude of the mercies and merits of Jesus Christ my Saviour I beseech thee O Lord who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart nor desirest the death of a penitent sinner to pardon and forgive unto me all these my sins and all the errours of that day and of my whole life and free my soul
more and more to loath the world and desire to be loosed and to be with Christ and when that good hour and time shall come wherein thou hast determined to call for him out of this present life give him grace peacefully and joyfully to yield up his soul into thy merciful hands and do thou receive him unto thy mercy and let thy blessed Angels carry him into thy Kingdom make his last hour his best hour his last words his best words his last thoughts his best thoughts and when the sight of his eyes is gone and his tongue shall fail to do his office grant O Lord that his soul with Stephen may behold Jesus Christ in Heaven ready to receive him and that thy Spirit within him may make requests for him with sighs that cannot be expressed Teach us in him to read and see our own ends and mortality and therefore to be careful to prepare our selves for our last end and put our selves in readiness against the time that thou shalt call for us in the like manner Thus O Lord we recommend this our dear Brother or Sister thy sick servant unto thy eternal grace and mercy in that prayer which Christ our Saviour hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ thy love O heavenly Father thy comfort and consolation O holy Spirit be with us all and especially with this thy sick servant to the end and in the end Amen LEt them read often unto the sick some special Chapters of the holy Scriptures as the 14th and 19th chapters of Job the 34th chapter of Deuteronomy the two last chapters of Ioshua the 17th chapter of the first of Kings the 2d 4th and 12th chapter of the 2d of Kings the 38th 40th and 65th chapters of Isaiah the history of the passion of Christ the 8th chapter to the Romans the 15th chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians the 4th of the first to the Thessalonians the first of the second Epistle to the Corinthians the first and the last of St. James the 11th and the 12th to the Hebrews the first Epistle of Peter the three first and the three last chapters of the Revelations or some of these exhorting the sick to wait upon God by faith and patience till he send for him and praying the Lord to send them a joyful meeting in the Kingdom of Heaven and a blessed resurrection at the last day that then they may depart at their pleasure in the peace of God A Prayer in time of imminent Danger O Most merciful Father though my sins are many and grievous that I may rather expect the effects of thine anger than so great a deliverance as to deliver me from my present great danger yet O Lord since thy mercies are over all thy works and thou never failest to relieve all those who with humble and unfeigned repentance come to thee for succour it were to multiply not to diminish my transgressions to dispair of thy heavenly favours wherefore I humbly desire thy Divine Majesty that thou wilt not only forgive all my sins but also free me out of the hand of mine enemies and protect me from the malice of my cruel adversary but if thy wrath and my hainous sins and offences will not otherwise be satisfied than by suffering me to fall under my present afflictions thy will be done yet with humble importunity I do and shall never leave to implore the assistance of thy heavenly Spirit that my cause as I am thy distressed servant may not suffer through my weakness or want of courage O Lord so strengthen and enlighten all the faculties of my mind that with clearness I may shew forth and manfully endure this bloody tryal that so my sufferings may not only glorifie thee but likewise be a furtherance to my salvation hereafter grant this O heavenly Father for his sake who suffered for me even Jesus Christ the Righteous Amen A Prayer of Thanksgiving for any great Deliverance O God my God and Father thou hast strangely preserved and rescued me from all evil and for the glory of thine own Name thou hast diverted the Arrow that was directed against me what am I O Lord and what can I do or what have I done that thou shouldest do this for me I am O God a miserable sinner and I can do nothing without thy mighty grace and I have done nothing by my self but what I am ashamed of and I have received great mercies and miracles of providence I see O God that thy goodness is the cause and measure of all my hopes and all thy good and upon the confidence and greatness of that goodness I humbly beg of thy sacred Majesty to keep and defend me from all evil by thy wise providence to lead me into all good by the conduct of thy Divine Spirit and where I have done amiss give me pardon and where I have mistaken give me pity and where I have been injured give me thy favour and a gracious exchange that I may serve thee here with diligence and hereafter may rejoyce with thee and love thee as I desire to love thee and as thou deservest to be loved even with all the powers and degrees of passion of essence to eternal Ages in the inheritance of Jesus Christ whom I love for whom I will not refuse to die to whom with thee O gracious Father and the holy Spirit be all glory and honour love and obedience for ever and for ever Amen A Prayer wherewith to conclude all our Devotions ALmighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of all them that ask in thy Sons Name I beseech thee mercifully to encline thine ears unto me who have now made my prayers and supplications unto thee and grant that those things which I have faithfully asked in thy Sons Name according to thy Will may be effectually obtained to the relief of my necessity and to the setting forth of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Blessing THe Peace of God which passeth all understanding the blessing of God Almighty the Father Son and the Holy Ghost the Vertue of Christs blessed Cross and Passion be with me and all mine now and at the last hour Amen FINIS Here thou mayest confess thy particular sins
ingenious and free from sordid ends or servile flattery a modest gravity in my deportment affability a fair courteous demeanour towards all men austerity in condemning my own sins sweetness in fraternal correction and reprehending others mature judgment a chast body and a clean soul patience in suffering deliberation in my words and actions good counsels in all my purposes make me just in performing promises and in all my duties sedulous in my calling profitable to the Commonwealth a true Son of the Church and of a disposition meek and charitable towards all men Amen O Lord let thy grace be so present with me that though my body sleep yet my soul may for ever be watchful that I sleep not in sin or pretermit any opportunity of doing thee service Let the remembrance of thy goodness and glory be first and last with me and so unite my heart unto thee with habitual charity that all my actions and sayings may be directed to thy glory and every motion and inclination either of soul or body may in some capacity or other receive a blessing from thee and do thee service that whether I sleep or wake travel or rest eat or drink live or die I may alwaies feel the light of thy countenance shining so upon me that my labours may be easie my rest blessed my food sanctified and my whole life spent with so much sanctity and peace that scaping from the darkness of this world I may at last come to the land of everlasting rest in thy light to behold light and glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and ever more Another Prayer for the Evening VIsit we beseech thee O Lord this habitation with thy mercy and us thy servants with thy salvation and repel far from us all the snares of the enemy Let thy holy Angels dwell here to keep us in peace and safety and thy blessing be upon us for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen O Lord Jesus Christ the lively Image of thy Fathers mercy and glory the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee we offer and present to thee all our strength and powers of our souls and body and whatsoever we are or have to be preserved governed and possest by thee preserve us from all vitious vain and proud cogitations unchast affections from all those things which thou hatest grant us thy holy charity that we may love thee above all the world that we may with all sincerity of intention and zealous affections seek thee alone and in thee alone take our rest inseparably joyning our selves unto thee who art worthy to be beloved and adored of all thy creatures with lowest prostration and highest affection now and for ever more Amen O Father of mercies and God of all comfort let thy blessing be upon us and upon all the members of thy holy Church all health and safety both of body and soul assist us against all our enemies visible and invisible now and for ever more send us a quiet night and a holy death in the actual communion of the Catholick Church and in thy charity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. Now and in all dangers and afflictions of soul and body in the hour of death and in the day of Judgment save and deliver us O sweet Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen Short Prayers for several Occasions for the King O Lord our heavenly Father high and mighty King of Kings who in thy hands hast the heart of Kings and canst turn them as the Rivers of water send the light of thy countenance and abundance of blessings upon thy servant our Soveraign Lord King Charles make him as holy valiant and prosperous as King David wise and rich like Solomon zealous for the honour of thy Law and Temple as Josiah and give him all sorts of great assistances to enable him to serve thee to glorifie thy holy Name to protect thy Church to promote true Religion to overcome all his enemies to make glad all his people that he serving thee with all diligence and utmost of his endeavours his people may serve him with honour and obedience in thee and for thee according to thy blessed Word and Ordinance through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For the Queen O God of Heaven Father of all mercies have mercy upon our most gracious Queen unite her unto thee with the hands of faith and love preserve her to her lives end in thy favour and make her instrumental of glory to thy Name of refreshment to the Church of Joy to the all faithful people of this Kingdom and crown her with an eternal weight of glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For our Children O Father of Heaven God of all the creatures by whose providence mankind is increased I bless thy Name for bestowing on me that blessing of the righteous man the blessing of children Lord bless them with health with life and good understanding with fair opportunities and advantages of education society tutors and governours and above all with the graces of thy holy Spirit that they may live and be blessed under thy protection grow in grace and be in favour with God and man and at last make up the number of thine elect Children through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer of a Wife for her Husband O My God who hast graciously been pleased to call me to the holy state of Matrimony bless me in it with the grace of chastity with loyalty obedience and complacency to my husband and bless him with long life with healthful body with an understanding soul with abundance of thy graces which may make him to be and continue thy servant a true Son of the Church and a supporter and guide to his Wife a blessing and a comfort to his Children through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Of a Husband for his Wife O Merciful God who art a Father to us thy Children espouse to thy holy Church a Saviour and a Redeemer to all mankind have mercy upon thy Handmaid my Wife endow her with all the ornaments of thy heavenly grace make her to be holy and devout as Hester loving and amiable as Rachel fruitful as Leah that being filled with grace and benediction here she may be partaker of thy glory hereafter through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For safety in Childbirth O Blessed Jesu Son of the Eternal God who according to thy humility wert born of a holy Maid who conceived thee without sin and brought thee forth without pain have mercy upon me thy humble servant and as by thy blessing I have conceived so grant that by thy favourable assistance I may be safely delivered Lord grant me patience and strength and confidence in thee and send thy holy Angel to be my Guardian in the hour of my travel O shut not up my soul with sinners nor my life with them that go down to the
Name For I am weary of my groaning every night wash I my bed and water my Couch with my tears therefore haste thee to help me O Lord God of my salvation and they shall know how that this is thy hand and that thou Lord hast done it O Lord God my Helper and Redeemer have mercy upon me and all thy faithful people make haste and help us O God against all those that seek after our souls to do us mischief Make us to delight in thee to wait upon thy salvation to trust in thy mercies to rejoyce in thy excellencies and perfection that our feet being directed by thy guidance our weaknesses strengthened by thy power our sins pardoned by thy mercies and our souls justified by thy free grace we may alwaies give thee praise with the humble addresses of devotion and thanksgiving through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Collect. O God who hast prepared for them that love thee such good things as pass man's understanding pour into our hearts such love towards thee as pass man's understanding that we loving thee above all things may obtain thy promises which exceed all we can desire through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for the continuance of God's Favour to me even to my old Age and longing for a happy departure O Lord God foolish men are plagued for their offences and because of their wickedness so when they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble he delivered them out of their dIstress O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men A fruitful Land maketh he barren for the wickedness of them that dwell therein yet he satisfies the empty soul and filleth the hungry soul with goodness such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being fast bound in misery and Iron O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men O Lord how manifold are thy works in wisdom hast thou made them all The Earth is full of thy Riches O remember the marvellous works that he hath done his wonders and the judgments of his mouth O ye seed of Abraham his servant ye children of Jacob his chosen he hath been alway mindfull of his Covenant and Promise that he made to a thousand generations in the multitude of the sorrows that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshâ—d my soul for the Lord is my Refuge and my God is the strength of my confidence The Lord is a great God and King above all Gods O ye that love the Lord see that ye hate the thing that is evil The Lord preserveth the souls of his Saints he delivereth them from the hand of the ungodly Rejoyce in the Lord O ye righteous and give thanks in remembrance of his holiness O let me have understanding in the waies of godliness A froward heart shall depart from me I will not know a wicked person Mine eyes look upon such as be faithful in the Land that they may dwell with me Whoso leadeth a godly life shall be my servant There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight I shall soon destroy all the ungodly that are in the Land that I may root out all wicked doers O Lord God deliver me from among the wicked and save me for thy mercy sake and let not my wicked sins prevail against me Hear my prayers O Lord and let my cry come unto thee O Lord God my house of defence and my Castle who by thy mercies and loving Spirit hast taught me in thy waies from my first years until now thou hast brought me to great honour even the honour of being a Christian the honour of Adoption to be thy child and heir of thy glorious promises co-heirs with thy Son Jesus Christ and hast comforted me on every side with a continual stream of thy mercies and refreshments Give me thy grace that I may love thee and long for thee above all the things in this world As thou hast holpen me up ever since I was born so let thy mercy go along with me all the daies of my life Cast me not off in the time of Age. Give me grace that I may never cast thee off or thy Laws from me Let not thy grace and the great strength I derive from thy thee forsake me when my natural strength fails me but let my spirit grow upon the advantages of the flesh and begin to receive the happiness of Eternity by an absolute conquest over the weak and decaying body that after I have by thine Aid passed through the great troubles and adversities thou shewest unto all thy children in the world I may lye down in thy Righteousness and with thy favour that when thou bringest me out of the deep of the earth again I may have a joyful resurrection to the society of Saints and Angels and the full fruition of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen The Collect. O God who hast prepared for all them that love thee such good things that pass man's understanding pour into my heart such love towards thee that I loving thee above all things may obtain the promises which exceed all that I can desire through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer for obtaining of Christ's Kingdom HIde not thy face from me O Lord in the time of my trouble and encline thine ears unto me when I call O hear me and that right soon for thou art full of mercy and compassion long suffering and of great goodness thou art not alwaies chiding neither keepest thou thine anger for ever thou dost not deal with me after my sins nor rewardest thou me according to my wickedness for look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth so far hast thou set my sins from thee yea like as a Father pitieth his own Children even so the Lord is merciful to them that fear him for he knoweth whereof we be made he remembreth we are but dust and the merciful goodness of the Lord endureth for ever and ever to them that fear him and his Righteousness to his Childrens Children even upon such as keep his Covenant and think upon his Commandments to do them Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he hath great delight in his Commandments his seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the faithful shall be blessed riches and plentiousness shall be in his house his Righteousness endureth for ever Unto the godly there riseth up light in the darkness he is merciful loving and righteous A good man is merciful and lendeth and will guide his words with discretion for he shall never be moved and the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance for he will not be afraid of any evil tydings for his heart standeth fast and is stablished in the Lord and will not shrink
A Prayer for a Penitent Sinner O Lord withdraw not thou thy loving mercies from me Let thy loving kindness O Lord and thy truth alway preserve me O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me from all my fear Make haste O Lord to help me As for me I am poor and needy but the Lord careth for me Thou art my Helper and Redeemer make no long tarrying O my God Hearken to my voice O Lord when I cry unto thee have mercy upon me and hear me O hide not thou thy face from me and cast not away thy servant in displeasure Thou hast been my succour leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation Consider my complaint O Lord for I am brought very low O deliver me from my persecutors for they are too strong for me Hear my prayer O Lord consider my desire hearken unto me for thy Truth and Righteousness sake and enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight no man living can be justified Hear me O Lord and that soon for my spirit waxeth faint Hide not thy face from me lest I be like to them that go down to the pit O let me hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust Shew thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my heart unto thee Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I fly unto thee to hide me Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God O let thy Spirit lead me forth into the Land of Righteousness Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake and for thy Righteousness sake bring my soul out of trouble O my God and all for Jesus Christ his sake my blessed Lord and Saviour Amen A Commemoration of God's frequent pardons and mercies to the penitent O Lord God full of mercy and pity who didst many times deliver thy people from their adversity when thou for their rebellion against thee and their inventions hadst given them into the hands of the Heathen Remember me O Lord according to the favour thou bearest unto thy people and visit me with thy salvation And though I have done amiss and dealt wickedly against thee and thy Covenant yet be pleased to help me for thy Name sake Make thy power to be known in the mighty deliverance and redemption of me from so many dangers and miseries wherewith thou hast delivered me Give me grace to believe thy word to obey thy counsel and to walk in thy Laws to relinquish my own sinful and vain desire to obey my Governours Ecclesiastical and Civil that I may not have the lot of Dathan and Abyram but at last may receive my portion in thine inheritance which thou hast prepared for thy chosen people giving thee thanks with thine inheritance for that thou hast turned from me thy wrathful indignation pittying me and saving me according to the multitude of thy mercies thy Name be blessed O Lord God everlastingly and world without end through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen A Prayer for Victory against our Enemies O Lord God whose mercy is greater than the Heavens and thy glory above all the Earth be thou exalted in thine own strength and magnify thy power and thy mercy in defending me and thy holy Church against all our enemies temporal and spiritual Forsake me not O God my strength and my defence for vain is the help of man Do thou strengthen me and go along with me and stand by me in the day of battel that I being defended and armed by thee may do acts great and good fighting thy battel and putting my confidence in thy Righteousness only and thy salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer for the Fear of the Lord for Gravity and the blessing of the Righteous O Lord God who art to be feared in the generations of the world teach me the fear of thy Name that I may fear to offend thee and that delighting in thy Commandments I may serve thee without fear of my enemies in holiness and righteousness all my daies Let thy Light arise upon the darkness of my understanding Let thy mercies and gentleness turn all the thoughts of unmercifulness in me and make me charitable of tender bowels earning with pity over the need of the poor Teach me to guide my words with discretion Make me never to be moved from my purposes of holy living Stablish my heart in thy love that in the day of restitution of all things thou mayest give the portion of the charitable the rewards of thy Right hand and when the wicked shall gnash with their teeth and consume away in a sad Eternity I may be satisfied with the Riches and plentiousness of thy house for ever through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer against my Adversaries and for Confidence in the True God O Lord God at whose presence the Earth trembles who worketh salvation and deliverance for thy Church in Ages thou hast done whatsoever pleaseth thee in Heaven and in Earth give me thy grace that in all my troubles I make thee my succour and defence and put my whole trust in thee only that I receiving thy mercies and the satisfaction of all my hopes from thy plentiousness and loving kindness I may give praise unto thy Name never ascribing unto my self any honour or the glory or thanks of any good action or prosperous success but to thee who art the Author and giver of all good things preserve me from all evil of soul and body from vain imaginations and making any thing to be my confidence besides thee my God that so thou mayest be mindful of me and bless me in all my waies and actions and when I die and go down into silence I may have my portion among the blessed of the Lord in the inheritance of thy Kingdom through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer O Thou Almighty Goodness the Father of the Fatherless the portion of the poor and protector of strangers cast thy gracious eyes upon a miserable sinner who with humility implores thy mercy When I look on my self I dare scarce be so bold as to lift up mine eyes unto thee When I think in what condition I am and what I have done it so confounds me that I can hardly think of any thing else it is the greatness of my misery alone that constrains me to the presumption of prostrating my self at thy feet the weight of which presseth me so much that it hath left me no more power than to expose my self before thee as an admirer of thy wondrous charity O my sins are wondrous great in which all comfort forsakes my soul. O thy terrours have consumed me how dreadful are they O the affliction and torment I endure what tongue can express it my soul is parch'd and dried up my spirits are consumed by the heat of thy displeasure may I not now beg one drop of comfort from thee O my God my
have not loved thee with my whole heart nor feared thee with all my soul nor served thee with all my might according to thy holy precepts nor loved my neighbour as my self Lord be merciful unto me a sinner I Have been an unprovident Steward of the good things thou hast given me I have loved them inordinately and sought after them greedily and unjustly dispenced them idly and parted with them unwillingly I have not been so charitable to the poor or so pitiful to the afflicted or so compassionate to the sick or so apt to succour and give supplies to the miseries of my neighbours as I ought but have too much minded things below not seting my affections upon Heaven and heavenly things but have been unlike thee in many things I have been unmerciful and unjust Lord be merciful unto me a sinner MIne Eyes O Lord have wandred after vanity beholding and looking after things unseemly without displeasure despising my neighbours prying into their faults but have been blind not seeing mine own sins and infinite irregularities Lord be merciful unto me a sinner I Have employed all my members and faculties both of soul and body in the waies of unrighteousness I have transgressed in all my relations and in all my actions and traverses of my whole life even when I might have had most confidence I find nothing but weakness and imperfection Lord be merciful unto me a sinner I Have broken my vows and purposes of obedience and holy life I have been inconstant to all good refractory to counsels disobedient to commands stubborn against admonition churlish and ungentle in my behaviour mindful and revengful of injuries forgetful of benefits seeking my own ends deceiving my own soul. Lord be merciful unto me a sinner MY secret sins O Lord are innumerable sins secret to my self through inadvertency forgetfulness wilful ignorance or stupid negligence secret to the world committed before thee only under the witness of mine own conscience I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horrour of their remembrance Lord be merciful unto me a sinner O Son of David blessed Redeemer Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me O Jesu be a Jesus unto me thou that savedst thy servant Peter that denied thee thrice thou that didst cast seven Devils out of Mary Magdalen and forgavest the woman taken in adultery and didst bear the converted Thief from the Cross to the joyes of Paradice have mercy upon me also for although I have massed together more sins than all these in conjunction yet not their sins nor mine nor the sins of all the world can equal thy glorious mercy which is as infinite and eternal as thy self I acknowledge O Lord that I am vile but yet redeemed with thy precious blood I am blind but thou art the Light of the world I am weak but thou art a strong Rock I have been dead in trespasses and sins but thou art my Resurrection and my Life thou O Lord lovest to shew mercy and the expressions of thy mercy the nearer they come to infinite the more proportionable they are to thy essence and like thy self Behold then O Lord a fit object for thy pity my sins are so great and many that to forgive all will be but an act of glorious mercy and all the praises which did accrew to thy Name by the forgiveness of David and Manesseh and St. Paul and the Adulteress and the Thief and the Publican will be multiplied to thy honour in the forgiveness of me so vile so unworthy a wretch that I have nothing to say for my self but that the greatness of my misery is a fit object for thy miraculous and infinite mercy Despise me not O Lord for I am thy Creature Despise me not for thou didst die for me Cast me not away in thine anger for thou comest to seek me and to save me Say unto my soul Thou art my salvation Let thy Holy Spirit lead me from the errours of my waies into the paths of Righteousness to great degrees of Repentance through all the parts of a holy life to a godly and a holy death grant this O blessed Jesus for thy mercy for thy pity sake Amen A penitential Prayer for the Morning with particular Confession of sins desiring God earnestly to free him from the guilt and punishment that is due unto him for his many and great sins and to give him grace to lead a new life O Eternal God most gracious and merciful Father look not upon me as I am in my self but look upon me in the face of Jesus Christ in him and through him be merciful unto me according to thy Word for I have done amiss and dealt wickedly I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son or numbred amongst the meanest of thy servants yet my sins are but the sins of a mortal man but thy mercy is the mercy of an Infinite God therefore have mercy on my sinful soul pardon and forgive me all my known and secret sins which in thought word and deed I have done and committed against thy Divine Majesty for it repenteth me of my evil deeds therefore O Lord have mercy upon me pardon and forgive the sins of my youth and age which are many and great namely the wicked sins of my pride anger dissimulation lying lust unjust dealing too much love of the world and the vanity thereof too little love of thee and thy Kingdom but empty and void of all spiritual grace be merciful unto me O Lord for these are the sins wherewith I have grieved thy Holy Spirit O Lord the remembrance of them is grievous unto me and the burthen of them is intollerable too heavy for me to bear therefore O Lord God be merciful to me according to thy tender compassion bury them all in the burial of Christ set the weight of thy mercy upon them so that they may never rise up in this world to shame me nor in the world to come to condemn me O Lord give me an assurance of the free pardon and forgiveness for these many sins that I may rejoyce in the greatness of thy mercy and magnify thy holy Name to all Eternity for the future give me greater measure of grace to serve honour and humbly obey thee with all the strength of my heart soul and body Mortifie and kill all vice in me that my life may express all faith in thee Mercifully hear the humble supplications of thy poor servant and grant me thy peace all my daies graciously pardon all mine infirmities and defend me from all dangers of soul and body this day and for ever more O Lord guide me in this world with thy counsel and after this bring me to thy glory O Lord bless all thine all the world over all mankind especially this sinful Land and Nation wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the sins of this
end everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Thanksgiving O Thou Father of mercy who art kind even to the unthankful I acknowledge my self to have abundantly experimented that gracious property of thine for notwithstanding my daily provocations against thee thou still heapest mercy and loving kindness upon me all my contemnings and despisings thy spiritual favours hath not yet made thee withdraw them but yet in the riches of thy goodness thou still continuest to me the offers of thy grace and life in thy Son and all my abuses of thy temporal blessings thou hast not punished with an utter depravation of them but still art pleased to afford me a liberal portion of them the sins of this day thou hast not repayed as justly thou mightest by sweeping me away with a swift destruction but hast spared me and preserved me according to the greatness of thy mercy here mention the particular mercies of this day What shall I render unto the Lord for all these benefits he hath done unto me Lord let this goodness of thine lead me to hearty repentance and grant that I may not only offer thee thanks and praise but may also order my conversation aright that so I may at the last see the salvation of God through Jesus Christ. Amen Here use the Prayer for grace and that Intercession appointed for the morning For Preservation O Blessed Lord keeper of Israel that neither slumberest nor sleepest be pleased in thy mercy to watch over me this night keep me by thy grace from the works of darkness and defend me by thy power from all dangers grant me moderate rest and sleep such as may fit me for the duties of the next day following and Lord make me ever mindful of that time when I shall lie down in the dust and I know neither the day nor the hour of my Master's coming grant me grace that I may alwaies fear thee and that I may never live in such a state as I shall fear to die but that whether I live I may live unto the Lord or whether I die I may die unto the Lord so that living and dying I may be thine through Jesus Christ. Amen Let thy Bed put thee in mind of thy grave and when thou lyest down say O Blessed Saviour who by thy precious death and burial didst take the sting of death and the power of the grave grant me the joyful fruits of that victory and be thou to me in life and death advantage I will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou O Lord only that makest me dwell in safety into thy hands I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed it O Lord thou God of Truth Collects for several Graces For Faith O Blessed Lord seeing without Faith it is impossible to please thee let thy Spirit I beseech thee work in me such a Faith as may be acceptable in thy sight even such as worketh by Love O let me not rest in a dead ineffectual Faith but grant that it may be such as may shew it self by my works that it may be that victorious Faith which may enable me to overcome the world and conform me to the Image of that Christ on whom I believe that so at the last I may receive the end of my Faith even the salvation of my soul by the same Jesus Christ. Amen For the Love of God O Holy and gracious Lord who art infinitely excellent in thy self and infinitely bountiful and compassionate towards me I beseech thee suffer not my heart to be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin but let the offers of thy Love make deep impressions on my soul. Lord thou art pleased to require my heart and thou only hast right to it O let me not be so sacriligiously unjust as to alienate any part of it but enable me to render it up whole and entire to thee but O my God thou seest it already usurped the world with its vanities hath seized it and like a strong man armed keeps possession O thou who art stronger come upon him and take this unworthy heart of mine as thine own spoil refine it with that purifying fire of thy Love that it may be a fit habitation for thy Spirit Lord if thou seest it be pleased to make me taste of those Joyes those ravishments of thy Love wherewith thy soul hath been so transported But if in this I know not what I ask if I may not chuse my place in thy Kingdom yet O Lord deny me not to drink of thy Cup let me have such a sincerity and degree of Love as may make me endure any thing for thy sake such a perfect Love as may cast out all fear and all sloth too that nothing may seem to me grievous to suffer or too difficult to do in obedience to thee that so expressing my love by keeping thy Commandments I may by thy mercy at last obtain that Crown of Glory which thou hast promised to those that love thee through Jesus Christ. Amen For Devotion in Prayer O Most gracious Lord God who not only permittest us miserable sinners and needy creatures to present our petitions to thee grant I beseech thee that the frequency of my prayer may be somewhat proportionable to those continual needs I have of thy mercy Lord I confess it is the greatest honour and greatest advantage thus to be allowed access to thee yet sottish and stupid is my prophane heart that it shuns or frustrates the opportunities of it My soul O Lord is possest with a spirit of infirmity it is bowed together and can in no wise lift up it self to thee O be thou pleased to cure this sad this miserable disease to raise and enliven this earthly drowsy heart that it may freely mount towards thee that I may set a true value on this most valuable priviledge and take delight in my approaching to thee and that my approaches may be with a reverence some way answerable to that awful Majesty I come before with an importunity and earnestness answerable to those pressing wants I have to be supplied and with such a fixed attention of mind as no wandring thoughts may interrupt that I may no more incur the guilt of drawing near to thee with my lips when my heart is far from thee or my prayers turned into sin but may so ask that I may receive seek that I may find knock that it may be open unto me that from praying to thee here I may be translated to the praising thee eternally in thy glory through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ. Amen For the Fear of God O Most glorious Majesty who only art High and to be feared possess my soul with a holy awe and reverence of thee that I may give thee the honour due to thy Name and may bear such a respect to all things which relate to thee that I may never prophane any holy thing or sacriligiously invade what thou hast set
yea thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever despise not then the work of thine own hands O God thou art my God early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and a dry Land where no water is Like as the Hart desireth the water-brooks so longeth my soul after thee O my God My soul is athirst for God even for the Living God When shall I come and appear before the presence of God How amiable are thy dwellings O Lord God of Hosts my soul hath a desire a longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord. My flesh and my heart rejoyceth in the Living God O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I flee away and be at rest O send out thy Light and thy Truth that they may lead me and bring me to thy Hill and to thy dwelling for one day in thy Court is better than a thousand elsewhere I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of wickedness I should utterly have fainted but that I believed verily to have seen the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying A Prayer at the Receiving of the Communion O Lord I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for my iniquities are increased over my head and my trespass is grown even unto Heaven I have wrought all these great provocations and that in the most provoking manner they have not been only single but repeated acts of sin for O Lord of all this black Catalogue of sin which I have now brought before thee how few are there which I have not often committed nay which are not become even habitual and accustomary to me and to this frequency I had added both a greediness and obstinacy in sinning turned into my course as a horse rusheth into the battel doing evil with both hands earnestly yea hating to be reformed and casting thy words behind me quenching the Spirit within me which testified against me to turn me from my evil waies frustrating all those outward means whether of judgment or of mercy which thou hast used to draw me to thy self Nay O Lord even my Repentances may be numbred amongst my greatest sins they have sometimes been feigned and hypocritical alwaies so slight and ineffectual they have brought forth no fruit to amendment of life but I have added the breach of resolutions and vows to all my former guilt Thus O Lord I am become out of measure sinful and since I have thus chosen death the lake and brimstone this O Lord is in justice to be the portion of my Cup to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion of face eternally but to thee O Lord God belongeth mercy redemption and forgiveness Though I have rebelled against thee O remember not my sins and offences but according to thy mercy think upon me O Lord for thy goodness Thou sendest thy Son to seek and to save that which was lost behold O Lord I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant and bring me back to the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul. Let thy Spirit work in me a hearty sense and detestation of all my abominations and true contrition of heart which thou hast promised not to despise and then be thou pleased to look on me to take away all my iniquity and receive me graciously and for his sake who hath nothing amiss be reconciled unto me wash away the guilt of my sin in his blood and subdue the power of them by his grace and grant O Lord that I may from this hour bid a final adiew unto all ungodliness and worldly lusts never once more cast a look towards Sodom or long after the flesh pots of Egypt but consecrate my self entirely unto thee to serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness all the daies of my life reckoning my self to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord and blessed Saviour Amen The 51 Psalm is fit to be read upon this Occasion Ejaculations O Lord of whom may I seek for succour but of thee who for my sins art justly displeased yet O Lord God most holy O Lord most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour deliver me not at my last hour into the bitter pains of eternal death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of my heart shut not thy merciful eyes upon my prayer but hear me O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judge Eternal suffer me not at my last hour for any pains of death to fall from the Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy child yet O Lord do not thou cast off the bowels and compassion of a Father but even as a Father pittieth his own children so be thou merciful unto me Lord the Prince of this world cometh oh let him have nothing in me but as he accuseth do thou absolve he laies many grievous things to my charge which he can too well prove I have nothing to say for my self do thou answer for me O Lord my God O Lord I am cloathed with filthy garments and Satan stands at my right hand to resist me O be thou pleased to rebuke him and pluck me as a brand out of the fire Cause mine iniquity to pass from me and cloath me with the Righteousness of thy Son Behold O Lord the Devil is coming towards me having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time O save and deliver me lest he devour my soul like a Lion and tear it in pieces while there is none to help O my God I know no unclean thing can enter into thy Kingdom and I am nothing but pollution My very Righteousnesses are as filthy raggs O wash me and make me white in the blood of the Lamb that so I may be fit to stand before thy Throne Lord the snares of death compass me about O let not the pains of Hell also take hold upon me but though I find trouble and heaviness O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul. O dear Jesus who hast bought me with the precious price of thine own blood challenge now thy purchase and let not the malice of Hell pluck me out of thine hand O blessed High Priest who art able to save them to the uttermost who come unto God by thee save me I beseech thee who have no hope but by thy merit and intercession O God I confess I have defaced that Image of thine thou didst imprint upon my soul yet oh thou faithful Creator have pity on thy creature O Jesu I have by many and grievous sins crucified thee afresh yet thou who prayest for thy persecutors intercede for me also and suffer me not O my Redeemer my soul the price
happiness in thy heavenly Kingdom In the mean time O Lord whilst it is thy blessed will and pleasure that I may continue to spend and end that small number and remnant of my daies that I may apply my heart to wisdom and as thou dost add daies to my life so I beseech thee to add repentance and amendment to my sinful daies that as I grow in years I may grow in grace and favour with thee and all thy people and to this end give unto me a supply of all those graces which thou knowest to be wanting in me and necessary for me with an increase of all those good gifts wherewith thou hast already endowed me that so I may be the better enabled to lead such a godly life and an honest conversation as that thy Name may thereby be glorified others may take good example by me and my soul may cheerfully feed on the peace of a good conscience and be more replenished with the Joy of the Holy Ghost And here O Lord according to my bounden duty I give the most humble and hearty thanks for all those blessings which of thy goodness thou hast bestowed upon me and namely for that thou hast of thy free grace and love according to thine eternal purpose elected me before the foundation of the world was laid unto salvation in Jesus Christ For that thou hast created me in thine own Image and hast begun to restore that in me which was lost in our First Parents For that thou hast effectually called me by the working of thy Holy Spirit in the Preaching of the Gospel and the Receiving of thy Sacrament to the knowledge of thy saving grace and obedience to thy blessed Will For that thou hast bought and redeemed me with the blood of thy only begotten Son from the torment of Hell and thraldom of Satan For that thou hast by Faith in Christ freely justified me who am by nature the child of wrath For that thou hast in good measure justified me by thy Holy Spirit and given me so large a time to repent together with the means of Repentance I thank thee likewise good Lord for my life health wealth liberty food rayment peace prosperity and plenty and for that thou hast preserved me this night from all perils and dangers of soul and body and hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day and as thou hast now awakened my body from sleep so I beseech thee to awaken my body from sin and carnal security and as thou hast caused the light of the day to shine in our bodily eyes so good Lord cause the light of thy Word and Holy Spirit to illuminate my understanding and give me grace as one of thy children of light to walk in all holy obedience before thy face this day and all the daies and time of my whole life and that I may endeavour to keep faith and a good conscience towards God and towards all men in all my thoughts words and dealings and so good Lord bless all studies and actions which I shall take in hand this day as that they may tend to thy glory the good of others and the comfort of my own soul and conscience in that day when I shall make my final request unto thee for them O my God keep thy servant that I do not evil unto any man this day and let it be thy blessed will not to suffer the Devil nor his wicked Angels nor any of his evil members or my malicious enemies to have any power to do me any hurt or harm this day but let the eyes of thy holy providence watch over me for good and not for evil and command thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety in my going out and my coming in as thou hast promised they should do about them that fear thy Name for into thy hands O Father I do here commend my soul and body my actions and all that ever I have to be guided and protected by thee being assured that whatsoever thou takest into thy custody cannot suffer or take any hurt or harm and if I at any time this day shall through frailty forget thee yet Lord I beseech thee do thou in mercy remember me And I pray not alone for my self unto thee O Father but I beseech thee also be merciful unto thy whole Church and chosen people wheresoever they live upon the face of the whole Earth defend them from the rage and tyranny of the Devil the World and Antichrist give thy Gospel a free and a joyful passage through the world for the conversion of those who belong to thine Election and Kingdom Bless the Church and Kingdoms wherein we live with the continuance of peace and true Religion and Justice Defend our gracious King Charles from all his enemies and grant him a long life in health and all happiness to raign over us Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the rest of the Royal Family increase in them all heroical and spiritual graces which may make them fit for those places for which thou ordainedst them direct all the Nobility Bishops and Magistrates of this Kingdom and Commonwealth govern thou them that they may govern the Commons in true Religion Justice Obedience and Tranquility Be merciful unto all the people that fear thee and call upon thy Name and comfort as many among them as lie sick or are comfortless in body or mind especially be favourable to all such as suffer any trouble or persecution for the testimony of the Truth and holy Gospel and give them a gracious deliverance out of all their troubles which way it shall seem best to thy wisdom for the glory of thy Name the farther inlarging of the Truth and the more ample increase of their comfort and consolation Hasten thy coming O blessed Saviour and end these sinful daies and give me grace that like a wise Virgin I may be prepared with Oil in my Lamp to meet thee the sweetest Bridegroom of my soul at thy coming whether it be by the day of death or the day of judgment and then Lord Jesus come quickly even Lord Jesus come when thou wilt these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful and necessary both for my soul and my body this day and for ever I humbly beg and crave at thy hands O Father giving thee thy praise and glory in that absolute form of prayer which Christ himself hath taught me to say unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name c. Another Shorter Morning Prayer O Most gracious God and merciful Father I thine unworthy servant do acknowledge that as I have been born in sin so I have lived in iniquity and broken every one of thy commandments in thought word and deed following the desires of my own will and lusts of my flesh not caring to be governed by thy holy Word and Spirit therefore I have
justly deserved all shame and misery in this life and everlasting condemnation in Hell fire if that thou shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice and my deserts Wherefore O heavenly Father I humbly beseech thee for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake and for the merits of that bloody death and passion which I believe he hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive me all my sins and deliver me from the Hell and vengeance which is due unto me for them and send thy holy Spirit into my heart which may assure me that thou art my Father and that I am thy child and that thou lovest me with an unchangeable love and let thy good Spirit lead me into all truth and crucifie in me more and more carnal lusts that my sin may more and more die in me and that I may serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness all the daies of my life and when this mortal life is ended I may through thy mercy in Christ be made partaker of thine everlasting glory in thy heavenly Kingdom And here O Lord from the bottom of my heart I humbly thank thee for all thy blessings bestowed upon my soul and body for electing me in thy Love for redeeming me by thy Son sanctifying me by thy Spirit and preserving me from my youth up until this present day and hour by thy gracious providence I thank thee more especially for that thou hast defended me this night past from all danger and hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day and now good Lord I beseech thee keep me this day from all peril and danger and from all evil that may hurt me and from falling into all sin that should offend thee set thy fear before mine eyes and let thy holy Spirit so rule my heart that all that I shall think do or speak this day may tend to thy glory the good of others and the peace of my own conscience and to this end I commend my self and all my waies and actions together with all that do belong unto me unto thy gracious protection this day praying thee to keep both thine and me from all evil and to give a blessing to all our honest labours and endeavours defend thy whole Church from the tyranny of this world and of Antichrist preserve our gracious King from all conspiracy and treason grant him a long reign in health and happiness over us Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the rest of the Royal Family endue them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all those graces and gifts which thou knowest necessary for their places Be favourable to all those that fear thee and call upon thy Name and tremble at thy judgments Comfort all those that are sick or any way comfortless O Lord keep me in a continual readiness by faith and repentance for my last end that whether I live or die I may be found thine own to thine eternal glory and my everlasting salvation through Jesus Christ my only Saviour in whose blessed Name I beg these mercies at thy hands and give unto thee thy praise and glory in that prayer which he hath sanctified with his own lips saying Our Father c. A Prayer for the Evening O most gracious and loving Father who art about my bed and knowest my lying down and my rising up and art near unto all that call upon thee in Truth and sincerity I a wretched sinner do humbly beseech thee to look upon me with the eyes of mercy and not to behold me as I am in my self for then thou shalt see but an unclean and defiled creature conceived in sin and living in iniquity so that I am ashamed to lift up my eyes unto thee knowing how grievously I have sinned against Heaven and before thee for O Lord I have transgressed all thy Commandments and Righteous Laws not through negligence and infirmity but oftentimes through wilful presumption contrary to my knowledge and the motions of thy holy Spirit reclaiming me from them so that I have wounded my conscience and grieved thy holy Spirit by whom thou hast sealed me to the day of Redemption Thou hast consecrated my soul and body to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost I wretched sinner have defiled both with all manner of pollution and uncleanness mine eyes in taking pleasure to behold vanities that I am ashamed to lift up my eyes unto thee mine ears in hearing impure and unclean speeches my tongue in evil speaking my hands are so full of impurity that I am ashamed to lift them up unto thee and my feet have carried me after mine own waies my understanding and reasonings which are so quick in all earthly matters are only blind and stupid when I come to meditate or discourse of spiritual and heavenly things my memory which should be a treasury of all goodness is not so apt to remember any thing as those things that are vile and vain yea Lord by woful experience I find that naturally all the imaginations of the thoughts of my heart are only evil altogether and continually for these my sins are more in number than the hairs of my head and they have grown over me like a loathsom leprosie from the crown of my head to the soal of my feet there remains no part which they have not infected they make me seem vile in mine own eyes how much more abominable must I appear in thy sight the custom of sinning hath almost taken away the conscience of sin and pull'd upon me such dulness of sense and hardness of heart that thy judgments denounced against my sins by the faithful Preachers of thy Word do not terrifie me to return unto thee with unfeigned repentance and if thou Lord shouldest but deal with me according to thy Justice and my deserts I should utterly be confounded and condemned but seeing that of thine own mercy thou hast spared me so long and still waitest for my repentance I humbly beseech thee for the blood death and passions sake which Jesus Christ hath suffered for me that thou wouldest pardon and forgive me all my sins and mine offences and open unto me that ever-streaming fountain of the blood of Christ which thou hast promised to open under the New Testament to the penitent of the house of David that all my sins and uncleanness may be so bathed in his blood buried in his death and hid in his wounds that they never more be seen to shame me in this life nor to condemn me in the world to come before the judgment seat of God And for as much O Lord as thou knowest that it is not in man to turn his own heart unless thou first give him grace to convert And seeing it is as easie with thee to make me righteous and holy as to suffer me to be such O my God give me grace to do what thou hast commanded then
command what thou wilt and thou shalt find me willing to do what thou commandest and to observe thy blessed Will in all things to this end give unto me thy Holy Spirit which thou hast promised to give to the worlds end unto all thine elect people and let the same Holy Spirit purge my heart from the dross of my natural corruption heal my soul and body that they may become the Temple of the Holy Ghost to serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness all the daies of my life that when by the direction and assistance of thy Holy Spirit I shall finish my course in this short and transitory life I may cheerfully leave this world and resign my soul into thy fatherly hands in assured confidence of enjoying everlasting life with thee in thy heavenly Kingdom which thou hast prepared for thine Elect Saints who love the Lord Jesus and expect his appearing In the mean while O Father I beseech thee let thy Holy Spirit work in me such a serious repentance as that I may with tears lament my sins past with grief of heart be humbled for my sins present and with all my endeavours resist the like filthy sins for the time to come and let the same Holy Spirit keep me in the Unity of the Church lead me in the Truth of thy Word and preserve me that I may never swerve from the same to Popery or any other error or false Worship and let thy Spirit open mine eyes more and more to see the wondrous things of thy Law and open my lips that my mouth may set forth thy praise increase in me those good gifts with which thou hast already endowed me of thy mercy and give unto me a penitent spirit and a chaste heart a contented mind pure affections a wise behaviour and all other graces which thou seest necessary for me to govern my heart in thy fear and to guide all my life in thy favour that whether I live or die I may live and die unto thee who art my God and my Redeemer And here O Lord according as I am bound I render unto thee from the Altar of my humblest heart all possible thanks and praise for all those blessings and benefits which graciously and plentifully thou hast bestowed upon my soul and body for this life and that which is to come namely for my Election Creation Redemption Justification Sanctification and Preservation from my childhood until this present day and hour and for the firm hope which thou hast given me of my Glorification Likewise for my Life Liberty Food and Rayment a competent estate for the maintenance of this present life and prosperity more especially for that thou hast defended me this day now past from all peril and dangers both of body and soul furnishing me with all necessary good things that I stand in need of and as thou hast ordained the day for man to travel in and the night for him to take his rest so I beseech thee to sanctifie unto me this nights rest and sleep that I may be the better disposed to serve thee in all honesty and godliness and that I may enjoy the same as thy sweet blessing and benefit that so dull and wearied a body of mine being refreshed with moderate rest and sleep I may be the better enabled to work before thee doing all such good works as thou hast provided for me and when it shall please thee by thy divine providence to awaken me the next morning do thou O Lord who art the keeper of Israel who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over me in thy holy providence to protect me from all dangers so that neither the evil Angels of Satan nor any wicked enemy may have any power to do me any harm or evil and to this end give a charge unto thy holy Angels that they at thy appointment may pitch their tents round about me for my defence and safety as thou hast promised they should do about them that fear thy Name and knowing that thy Name is a strong Tower of defence unto all those that trust therein I here recommend my self and all that belongs unto me unto thy holy protection and custody if it be thy blessed will to call for me in my sleep O Lord for Christ his sake have mercy upon me and receive my soul unto thy heavenly Kingdom and if it be thy blessed pleasure to add more daies to my life add more amendment unto my daies and wean my mind from the love of the world and the vanity thereof and cause me more and more to settle my conversation on Heaven and heavenly things and perfect daily in me that good work which thou hast begun to the glory of thy Name and the salvation of my sinful soul. O Lord I beseech thee likewise save and defend from all evil and danger thy whole Church our gracious King Charles and grant him a long and prosperous Raign over us Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family endue them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless the Nobility Magistrates and Ministers of these Churches and Kingdoms each of them with those graces and benefits which are expedient for their places and callings and be thou O Lord a comfort and a consolation to all thy people whom thou hast thought meet to visit with any kind of sickness cross or poverty or calamity Hasten O Father the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ make me ever mindful of my last end and of the reckoning that I am to make unto thee therein and in the mean while carefully so to follow Christ in the generation during this life as that with Christ I may have a portion in the resurrection of Christ when this mortal life is ended These graces and all other blessings which thou O Father knowest to be required and necessary for me I humbly beg and crave at thy hands in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son and in that form of Prayer which he himself hath taught me to say Our Father which art in Heaven c. Another Short Evening Prayer O Eternal God and heavenly Father if I were not taught and assured by the promises of thy Gospel and the example of Peter Mary Magdalen the Publican the Prodigal Child and many other penitent sinners that thou art so full of compassion and so ready to forgive the greatest sinners who are heaviest laden with sin at what time soever they return unto thee with penitent hearts lamenting their sins and imploring thy grace I should despair for my own sins and be utterly discouraged from presuming to come into thy presence considering the hardness of my heart and the unruliness of my affection and the uncleanness of my conversation by means whereof I have transgressed all thy holy Laws and Commandments and deserved thy Curse which might cause my body to be smitten with some fearful disease my soul to languish with the
death of sin my good name to be traduced with some scandalous reproaches and make my self liable to all manner of crosses and casualties And I confess Lord that thy mercy is the cause I have not been long ago consumed and confounded But O my God as thy mercy only stayed thy judgments from falling upon me hitherto so I humbly beseech thee in the bowels of thy mercy in Jesus Christ in whom only thou art well pleased that thou wilt not deal with me according to my deserts but that thou wouldest freely and fully remit unto me all my sins and my transgressions and that thou wouldest wash them clean from me with the vertue of that precious blood which thy Son Jesus Christ hath shed for me for he alone is my Physician and his blood only is the medicine that can heal my sickness and is the true brazen Serpent that can cure that poison wherewith the fiery serpents of my sins have stung and poisoned my sick and wounded soul and give me I beseech thee thine holy Spirit which may assure me of mine Adoption and that may confirm my Faith increase my Repentance inlighten my Understanding purifie my Heart and rectifie my Will and Affection and so sanctifie me throughout that my whole Body and Soul and Spirit may be kept unblamable until the glorious coming of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. And now O Lord I give unto thee most humble and hearty thanks and praise for that thou hast this day preserved me from all harm and dangers notwithstanding all my sins and evil deserts and I beseech thee likewise to defend me this night from the roaring Lion which night and day seeketh to devour me Watch thou O Lord over me this night to keep me from his temptations and tyranny and let thy mercy shield me from his unspeakable rage and malice and to this end I commit my self into thy hands and almighty protection beseeching thee O my Lord and my God not to suffer Satan or any of his evil members to have power to do me any hurt or harm this night and grant good Lord that whether I sleep or wake live or die I may sleep wake live or die unto thee and to the glory of thy Name and the salvation of my soul. Lord bless and defend all thy chosen people every where Grant our gracious Soveraign long life and a happy Raign over us Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family together with all our Magistrates and Ministers comfort them who are in misery need or sickness or under any kind of Cross or Calamity give me grace to be one of those wise Virgins which may have my heart prepared like a Lamp furnished with the Oil of Faith and Light of good works to meet the Lord Jesus the sweet Bridegroom of my soul at his second and sudden coming in glory grant this good Father for Jesus Christ his sake my only Saviour Redeedeemer and Mediator in whose blessed Name and in whose own words I call upon thee as he hath taught me Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Morning Prayer for a Family O Lord our God and heavenly Father who art the only Creator of Heaven and of Earth and all therein contained we confess that we are unworthy to appear in thy sight and presence considering our manifold sins and offences which we have committed against Heaven and before thee and how that we have been born in sin and do daily break thy holy Laws and Commandments contrary to our knowledge and consciences albeit we know thou art our Creator who hast made us our Redeemer who hast bought us with the blood of thy only begotten Son and our Comforter who bestowest upon us all the good and holy graces which we enjoy in our souls and in our bodies and if thou shouldest but deal with us as our wickedness and unthankfulness have deserved what other thing might we O Lord expect from thee but shame and confusion in this life and in the world to come wrath and everlasting condemnation yet O Lord in the obedience of thy Commandments and in the confidence which we have in thy unspeakable and endless mercy in thy Son and our Saviour Jesus Christ the Righteous we thy poor servants appealing from thy Throne of Justice to thy Throne of Crace whose mercy reigneth to pardon abounding sin do from the bottom of our hearts most humbly beseech thee to remit and forgive unto us all our sins and our offences and misdeeds that by the vertue of the precious blood of Jesus Christ thy innocent Lamb which he so abundantly shed upon the Cross to take away the sins of the world all our sins both original and actual may be so cleansed and washed from us that they may never be laid to our charge nor ever have power to rise up in judgment against us and we beseech thee good Father for Christ his death and passion sake that thou wilt not suffer to fall upon us that fearful curse and vengeance which thy Law hath threatned and our sins have justly deserved And for as much O Lord as we are taught by thy Word that no Idolaters Adulterers covetous men contentious persons drunkards gluttons and such inordinate livers shall inherit the Kingdom of God pour the grace of thy Holy Spirit into our hearts whereby we may see the filthiness of our sins and abhor them and may be more and more stirred up to live in newness of life and love of thy Majesty so we may daily increase in the obedience of thy words and in conscionable care of keeping thy Commandments And now O Lord I render unto thee most hearty thanks for that thou hast elected redeemed called justified us in good measure in this life and given us an assured hope that thou wilt glorifie us in thy heavenly Kingdom when this mortal life is ended Likewise we thank thee for our life health wealth liberty prosperity and peace especially O Lord for the continuance of thy holy Gospel amongst us and for sparing us so long and granting us so gracious a time of repentance Also we praise thee for all other thy mercies bestowed upon us more especially for preserving us this night past and from all dangers that might have befallen our souls or bodies and seeing thou hast now brought us safe to the beginning of this day we beseech thee protect and direct us in the same Bless and defend us in our going out and in our coming in this day and ever more shield us O Lord from the temptations of the Devil and grant us the custody of thy holy Angels to defend and direct us in all our waies and to this end we recommend our selves and all those that belong unto us and are abroad from us unto thy hands and almighty tuition Lord defend them from all evil prosper them with all graces and fill them with thy goodness Preserve us likewise this day from falling
into any gross sins especially those whereunto our natures are most prone set a watch before the door of our lips that we offend not thy Divine Majesty by any rash or false oaths or by any leud or lying speeches give unto us patient minds pure and chast hearts and all other graces of thy Spirit which thou knowest to be needful for us that we may be the better enabled to serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our life and seeing that all mens labours are in vain without thy blessing bless every one of us in our several places and callings direct thou the works of our hands upon us even prosper thou our handy-works for except thou guide us with thy grace our endeavours can have no good success and provide for us all things which thou O Father knowest to be needful for every one of us in our souls and bodies this day and grant that we may pass through the pilgrimage of this short life that our hearts being not settled upon any transitory things which we meet with in the way our souls may every day be more and more ravished with the love of our home and thine everlasting Kingdom Defend likewise O Lord thy universal Church and every particular member thereof especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and tranquility of these Churches and Kingdoms wherein we live preserve from all evil and dangers our most gracious King Charles endue his Royal heart with more and more grace wisdom and understanding and grant that his daies may be long prosperous and happy Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family multiply their daies with bliss and felicity and afterwards crown them with everlasting joy and glory Bless all our Ministers and Magistrates with all graces needful for their places govern thou them that they may govern us in peace godliness and true Religion and of thy mercy O Lord comfort all our Brethren that are distressed sick or comfortless especially those who are afflicted either with an evil conscience because they have sinned against thy Word or for a good conscience because they will not sin against the Truth make the first to know that not one drop of the blood of Christ was a drop of vengeance but all drops of grace powerful to procure pardon upon repentance for the greatest sins of the chiefest sinners in the world and for the other let not O Lord thy long sufferance either too much discourage them or too much incourage their enemies but grant them patience in suffering and a gracious and speedy deliverance which may stand best with thy glory and their comfort and give every one of us grace to be alwaies mindful of his last end and to be alwaies prepared with faith and repentance as with a weding garment against the time thou shalt call for us out of this sinful world and that in the mean while we may in all things and above all things seek thy glory that when this mortal life is ended we may then be made partakers of Immortality and Life eternal in thy heavenly Kingdom these and all other graces and blessings which thou O heavenly Father seest to be necessary for us and for thy whole Church we humbly beg and crave at thy hands concluding this our imperfect prayer in that most perfect form of prayer which Christ himself hath taught us saying Our Father which art in Heaven c. Evening Prayer for a Family O Eternal God and most merciful Father we thine unworthy servants here assembled do cast down our selves at the foosttool of thy grace acknowledging our selves that we inherit our Fathers corruption in thought word and deed transgressing thy holy Commandments so that in us naturally there dwelleth nothing that is good for our hearts are full of secret pride anger impatience dissembling lying lust vanity prophaneness distrust too much love of our selves too little love of thee and thy Kingdom but full of enmity and void of love patience and every spiritual grace if thou therefore shouldest enter into judgment with us and search out our natural corruptions and observe all the cursed fruit and effects that we have derived from thence Satan might justly challenge us for his own and we could not expect any from thy Majesty but thy wrath and our condemnation which we have long ago deserved But good Father for Jesus Christ his sake who is thy dear Son in whom only thou art well pleased and for the merits of that bitter death and passion which we believe he hath suffered for us have mercy upon us and free us from the shame and confusion which is due unto us for them that they may never seize upon us to our confusion in this life or to condemnation in the world which is to come And for as much as thou hast created us to serve thee as all other creatures to serve us so we humbly beseech thee inspire thy Holy Spirit into our hearts that by his illumination and effectual working we may have the inward sight and feeling of our sins and natural corruptions and that we may not be blinded in them through custom as the Reprobate are but that we may more and more loath them and be heartily grieved for them endeavouring by the use of all good means to overcome them and get out of them O let us feel the power of Christ's death killing sin in our mortal bodies and the vertue of his Resurrection raising up our souls to newness of life convert our hearts subdue our affections regenerate our minds purifie our natures and suffer us not to be drowned in the streams of those filthy vices and sinful pleasures wherewith thousands are carried headlong to eternal destruction but daily frame us more and more to the likeness of thy Son Jesus Christ that in Righteousness and true Holiness we may so serve and glorifie thee that living in thy fear and dying in thy favour we may in thy appointed time attain to the blessed Resurrection of the Just unto eternal life in the mean while O Lord increase our faith in the sweet promises of the Gospel and our repentance from dead works the assurance of our hopes in thy promises our fear of thy Name the hatred of all our sins and our love unto thy children especially whom we see to stand in need of our help and comfort that so by the fruit of piety and a righteous life we may be assured that thy Holy Spirit doth dwell in us and that we are thy children by grace and adoption and grant us good Father the continuance of health peace and maintenance and all other outward good things so far forth as thy Divine Wisdom shall think meet to be requisite and necessary for every one And here O Lord according to our bounden duty we confess that thou hast been exceeding merciful unto us all in things of this life but infinitely more merciful in the things of
a better life therefore we do here from our very souls render unto thee most humble and hearty thanks from our very souls for all thy blessings and benefits bestowed upon our souls and our bodies acknowledging thee to be that Father of Light from whom we have received all those good and perfect gifts and unto thee alone for them we ascribe to be due all glory honour might majesty and praise both now and for ever more But more especially we praise thy Divine Majesty for that thou hast defended us this day past from all perils and dangers so that none of those Judgments which our sins have deserved have fallen upon any one of us Good Lord forgive us the sins which this day we have committed against thy Divine Majesty or our Brethren and for Christ his sake be reconciled unto us for them and we humbly beseech thee likewise of thine infinite goodness to defend and protect us this night and all that belong unto us from all perils and dangers of fire robbery terrours of evil Angels or any other fear which for our sins might justly have fallen upon us and that we may be safe under the shadow of thy wings and to this end and purpose we here recommend our bodies and souls and all that we have unto thine Almighty Protection Lord bless and defend both us and them from all evil whilst we sleep do thou O Father who never slumberest nor sleepest watch over thy children and give a charge to thy holy Angels to pitch their tents round about our houses and dwellings this night to guard us from all dangers that sleeping with thee we may the next morning be awakened by thee and so being refreshed with moderate sleep we may be the fitter to set forth thy glory in the conscionable duties of our callings and we beseech thee O Lord to be merciful likewise to thy whole Church and to continue the tranquility of these Kingdoms wherein we live turning from us those plagues which the crying sins of this Nation do cry aloud for O Lord preserve the principal member thereof our most gracious King Charles endue his Royal heart with grace wisdom and understanding and grant that his daies may be many prosperous vertuous and happy cloath his enemies with shame but upon his head let his Crown flourish Bless our gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family endow them with thy grace and defend them from all evil Bless all our Magistrates and Ministers with all those graces and gifts necessary for their places govern thou them that they may govern us in peace godliness and true Religion Bless all that fear thee and call upon thy Name all our Christian Brethren and Sisters that suffer sickness or any other affliction or misery especially those who do any where suffer persecution for the testimony of thy holy Gospel grant them patience to bear thy Cross and deliverance when and which way it shall seem best to thy Divine Wisdom and Lord suffer us never to forget our last end and those reckonings which then we must render unto thee in health and prosperity make us mindful of sickness and of the evil day that is behind that these things may not overtake us as a snare but that we may in some good measure like wise Virgins be found prepared for the coming of Christ the sweet Bridegroom of our souls And now O Lord most holy and just we confess there is no cause why thou who art so much displeased with sin shouldest hear the prayers of sinners but for his sake who suffered for sin and sinned not in the only mediation therefore of thine eternal Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour we humbly beg these and all other graces which thou knowest to be needful for us and for thy whole Church shutting up these our imperfect requests in that most holy prayer which Christ himself hath taught us to say unto thee Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath Day O Most High O Eternal God all whose works are glorious all whose thoughts are very deep there can be no better thing than to praise thy Name and declare thy loving kindness in the morning on thy holy and blessed Sabbath day for it is thy Will and Commandment that we should sanctifie this day in thy service and praise him and in the thankful remembrance of the Creation of the world by the power of thy Word so of the Redemption of mankind by the death of thy Son thine O Lord I confess is greatness and power and glory and victory and praise for all that is in Heaven and Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou excellest as head over all both riches and honour come of thee and thou raignest over all and in thine hand is power and strength and in thine hand it is to make great and to give grace unto all now therefore O my God I praise thy glorious Name that whereas I wretched sinner having so many waies provoked thy Majesty to anger and displeasure thou notwithstanding of thy favour and goodness passing by prophaneness and infirmities hast vouchsafed O heavenly Father to add this Sabbath again to the number of my daies and vouchsafe O heavenly Father for the merits of Jesus Christ thy Son whose glorious Resurrection thy whole Church celebrateth this day to pardon and forgive me all my sins and misdeeds especially O Lord cleanse my soul from those filthy sins which my corrupt nature is most prone unto with the blood of thy most pure and undefiled Lamb and let thy Holy Spirit more and more subdue my corruptions that I may be renewed after thine own Image to serve thee in Righteousness and true Holiness all the daies of our life and as of thy mercy thou hast brought me safe to the beginning of this day so I beseech thee to make it a day of Reconciliation betwixt my sinful soul and thy Divine Majesty give me grace to make it a day of Repentance unto thee that thy goodness may seal it to be a day of pardon unto me and that I may remember that the keeping holy of this is a commandment which thine own finger hath written that on this day I might meditate on thy glorious works of our Creation and Redemption and learn how to keep all the rest of thy holy Laws and Commandments and when anon I shall with the rest of the holy Assembly appear before thy presence to offer unto thee our morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto thy servant oh let not my sins stand as a cloud to stop my prayers from ascending unto thee or keep back thy grace from descending by thy Word into my heart I know O Lord and tremble to think that three parts of the good seed falls upon bad ground O let not my heart be
from that curse and judgment which is due unto me for them Thou that didst justifie the contrite Publican for four words of confession and receivedst the prodigal Child when he had spent all the stock of grace into favour upon his repentance pardon all my sins likewise O Lord and suffer me not to perish for my transgressions O spare me for thy mercy sake and receive me unto favour again Wilt thou O Lord reject me who hast received all Publicans and sinners that upon repentance sued unto thee for grace Shall I alone be excluded from thy mercy far be it from me to think so for thou art the same God of mercy unto me that thou wast unto them and thy compassion never fails wherefore O Lord deal not with me after my merits but according to thy great mercy execute not thy severe justice against me a sinner but execute thy long-sufferance in forbearing thine own creature I have nothing to present unto thee for a satisfaction but only those bloody wounds bitter death and passion which thy blessed Son my only Saviour hath suffered for me him in whom only thou art well pleased I offer up unto thee for all my sins wherewith thou art displeased he my Mediator the request of whose blood speaking better things than that of Abel thy mercy can never gainsay illuminate my understanding and sanctifie my heart with thy holy Spirit that it may bring to my remembrance all those good and profitable lessons which this day or at any other time hath been taught unto me out of thy holy Word that I may remember them thy Commandments to keep them thy Judgments to avoid them and thy sweet promises to rely upon them in time of misery and distress and now O Lord I resign my self to thy most holy Will O receive me into thy favour and so draw me by thy grace unto thy self that I may as well be thine by Love and Implantation as by Calling and Creation and give me grace so to keep holy thy Sabbath in this life as that when this life is ended I may with all thy Saints and Angels celebrate an eternal rest of joy and praise to the honour of thy most holy Name in thy heavenly Kingdom for ever more Amen Devotions for several Occasions In the Name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Morning Prayer O Eternal Son of Righteousness who camest from the bosom of the Father to enlighten the darkness of the world I praise thy Name that thou hast preserved me from the danger of this night and hast continued to me still the opportunities of serving thee and advancing my hopes of a blessed eternity let thy mercies shine brightly upon me and dissipate the clouds and darknesses of my spirit and understanding rectifie my affections and purifie my will and all my actions that whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day or in my whole life my words and purposes my thoughts and all my intentions may be sanctified and be acceptable to thy Divine Majesty Amen Grant that my understanding may know thee my heart may love thee and all my faculties and powers may give thee due obedience and serve thee preserve me this day from all sin and danger from all violences and snares of mine enemies visible or invisible let thy holy fear be as a bridle to my distemperatures and thy love so enkindle and actuate all my endeavours that no pleasures or allurements of the world may draw me from thy service nor any difficulty or temptation may be my hinderance let the profound humility and innocence of my blessed Saviour keep from me all pride and haughtiness of mind all self-love and vain-glory all obstinacy and disobedience all fraudulency and hurtful dissimulation and let the graces of the Holy Ghost take such absolute possession and seisure of my soul and all his faculties that I may bring down and east out the spirit of uncleanness and intemperance of malice and envy idleness and disdain that I may never despise any of thy creatures but my self that so being little in my own fight I may be great in thine Amen An Evening Prayer In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Our Father which art in Heaven c. O Lord God who art the light and splendor of souls in the brightness of thy countenance is eternal day that knows no night in thy arms and in thy protection is all quietness tranquility and everlasting repose while the darkness covers the face of the earth receive my body and soul into thy custody let not the spirits of darkness come near my dwelling neither suffer my fancy to be abused with the illusions of the night Lord I am thy servant and the sheep of thy pasture let not the Devil who goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour abuse my body or make a prey of my soul but defend me from all those calamities which I have deserved and protect my soul that it consent not to any work of darkness lest mine enemy say he hath prevailed over me or do mischief to a soul redeemed with thy most precious blood Amen Pardon and forgive me all the sins and offences of my youth and age the errours of mine understanding the inordination of mine affections the irregularity of all my actions and particularly of whatsoever I have transgressed this day in thought word or deed Lord let not thy wrath arise for although I have deserved the extremest pressure of thine indignation yet remember my infirmity and how thou hast sent thy Son to reveal thy infinite mercy to us and convey pardon and salvation to the penitent I beseech thee also to accept the heartiest devotion and humble acknowledgment of a thankful heart for all thy blessings and preservation of me this day for unless thy providence and grace had been my defence and guide I had committed more and more grievous sins against thee and had been swallowed up by thy just wrath and severest judgments mercy sweet Jesus Amen Grant unto thy servant true humility great contrition a tender conscience and obedient heart an understanding alwaies busied in honest and pious thoughts a wiling tractable heart and ever prone to do good affections even and moderate a watchful custody over my senses that by those windows sin may never enter in nor death by sin make me to watch over my tongue and keep the door of my lips that no corrupt or unseemly communication proceed out of my mouth that I may never slander calumniate or detract from the reputation of my neighbour that I be not busie in the faults of others but careful to correct my own being gentle and merciful to others severe towards my self that I may speak much of thy praises and what I can for the edification of my Brethren Amen Give me a soul watchful in the service of Religion constant in holy purposes
of my natural corruption and as thou dost add daies to my life so good Lord I beseech thee to add repentance to my daies that when I have past this mortal life I may be partaker of thy heavenly Kingdom through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer and Confession in and for the time of Affliction ALmighty and most merciful Father it is only thy goodness that admits of my imperfect prayers and the knowledge that thy mercies are infinite which can give me any hope of thy acceptance or granting them for it is my bounden and necessary duty to confess my sins freely unto thee and of all men living I have need of and most reason so to do no man living hath been so much obliged by thee for that degree of knowledge which thou hast given me adding likewise the guilt of my transgression for it is through failing and imperfection that I have so many waies provoked thy gracious Majesty to wrath and indignation against me but with shame and grief I confess that I have done amiss and dealt wickedly that therein I followed the perswasion of worldly wisdom forsaking the dictates of a right informed conscience wherefore O Lord I have no excuse to make no hope left but in the multitude of thy mercies for I know my repentance is weak and my prayers are faulty grant therefore O most merciful Father so to strengthen my repentance and amend my prayers that thou mayest clear the way for thine own mercies to which O let thy Justice at last give place putting a speedy end to my deserved afflictions In the mean time give me patience to endure constancy against temptations and a discerning spirit to chuse what is best for thy glory and my comfort and the good of others grant this O most merciful Father for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake our only Saviour Amen A Prayer in time of Captivity O Powerful and Eternal God to whom nothing is so great that it may resist or so small that it is contemned look upon my miseries with the eye of mercy and let thy infinite power vouchsafe to limit out some proportion of deliverance unto me as to thee shall seem most convenient let not injury O Lord triumph over me and let my falls by thy hand be corrected and make not my unjust enemies the Ministers of thy Justice but yet my God if in thy wisdom this be the aptest castisement for my inexcusable transgressions if this ungrateful bondage be fittest for my over high desires if the pride of my not enough humble heart be to be thus broken O Lord I yield to thy Will chearfully embracing what sorrow thou wilt have me suffer only thus much let me crave of thee Let my craving O Lord be acceptable unto thee since it even proceeds from thee that by goodness which is thy self thou will suffer some beam of thy Majesty so to shine in my heart that I who acknowledge it my noblest title to be thy creature may still in my greatest affliction depend confidently on thee let calamity be the exercise but not the overthrow of my vertue O let not their prevailing power be to my destruction and if it be thy will that they more and more vex me with punishment yet O Lord never let their wickedness have such a hand but that I may still carry a pure mind and a stedfast resolution ever to serve thee without fear or presumption yet with that humble confidence which may best please thee so that at the last I may come to thy eternal Kingdom through the merits of thy Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen A Prayer to be said for the Sick by them that visit him O Merciful Father who art the Lord and giver of life to whom belongeth the issues of death we thy children here assembled do acknowledge that in respect of our manifold sins we are not worthy to ask any blessing for our selves at thy hands much less to become suiters to thy Divine Majesty in the behalf of others yet because thou hast promised that the prayers of the righteous shall avail much with thee in the obedience therefore of thy commandment and in confidence of thy gracious promise we are bold to become humble suiters to thy Divine Majesty in the behalf of this our dear Brother or Sister whom thou hast visited with the chastisement of thy own fatherly hand we could gladly wish the restauration of his health and a longer continuance of his life and Christian-fellowship amongst us but for as much as it appeareth as far as we can discern that thou hast appointed by this visitation to call for him out of this mortal life we submit our wills to thy blessed will and humbly entreat thee for Jesus Christ his sake and the merits of his bitter death and passion which he hath suffered for him that thou wouldest pardon and forgive unto him all his sins as well that wherein he was conceived and born as also the offences and transgressions which ever since to this day and hour he hath committed in thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty cast them behind thy back remove them as far from thy presence as the East is from the West blot them out of the book of thy remembrance lay them not to his charge wash them away with the blood of Christ that they may never be more seen and deliver him from all the Judgments which are due unto him for all his sins that they may never trouble his conscience nor rise in judgment against his soul and impute unto him the Righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby he may appear righteous in thy sight and in his extremity at this time we beseech thee look down from Heaven upon him with those eyes of grace and compassion wherewith thou art wont to look upon thy children in their affliction and misery pity thy wounded servant like the good Samaritan for here is a sick soul that needeth the help of such a heavenly Physician O Lord increase his faith that he may believe that Christ died for him and that his blood cleanseth all his sins and either asswage his pain or else increase his patience to endure thy blessed will and pleasure in all things And good Lord lay no more upon him than thou wilt enable him to bear heave him up unto thy self with those sighs and groans that cannot be expressed make him now to see what is the hope of his calling and what is the exceeding greatness of thy mercy and power towards them that believe in thee and in his weakness O Lord shew thou thy strength defend him against the suggestions and temptations of the Devil who as in all his life-time will now in his weakness seek to assail him and to devour him oh save his soul and reprove Satan and command thy holy Angels to be about him and aid him and chase away all evil and malignant spirits far from him make him
scattereth abroad all the ungodly My mouth shall speak the praises of the Lord and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name The Lord looseth men out of prison The Lord giveth sight to the blind The Lord helpeth them that are fallen The Lord careth for the Righteous The Lord careth for the strangers he defendeth the fatherless and the widow as for the way of the ungodly he turneth it upside down he healeth those that are broken in heart he giveth medicine to heal their sickness he telleth the number of the Stars and calleth them all by their name Great is our God and great is his power yea his wisdom is infinite O Lord God of my salvation who for my sake was wounded and didst die and lie in the grave but yet alone of all that ever died wert free among the dead and by thine own power didst rise again with victory and triumph have mercy upon thy servant for thine indignation lieth hard upon me thou hast vexed me with all thy storms my soul is full of trouble by reason of my sins and my life draweth nigh to the grave O restore unto me thy favour and let me not go down into the dark nor my life into the place where all things are forgotten but let me shew forth thy loving kindness amongst thy Redeemed ones in the Land of the Living for the Living the Living they shall praise thee and confess the holiness and the marvelousness of thy holy Name O hide not thou thy face from me but give me health of body and restore and preserve me in the Life of Righteousness and so bless me with opportunities of doing thee service that I may redeem the time past and by thy grace may grow rich in good works alwaies abounding in the work of the Lord that when thou shall demand my soul to be rendered up into thy hands my soul may not approve of thee nor suffer thy terrours but may feel an eternity of blessing in the Resurrection of the Just through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen The Collect. ALmighty and everlasting God who art alwaies more ready to hear than I to pray and art wont to give more than I either desire or deserve pour down upon me the abundance of thy mercy forgiving me those things whereof my conscience is afraid and give me those good things which I am not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son my Lord. Amen A Meditation for Death and a Prayer preparatory to it THE Lord is with them that fear him and put their trust in his mercy for the Lord hath pleasure in his people and helpeth the meek hearted The Lord of Hosts can do all things there is nothing too hard for him therefore let every thing that hath a mouth praise the Lord. Open my mouth O my God that I may set forth thy praise Hear my voice O Lord according to thy loving kindness quicken me as thou art wont Be thou nigh at hand O Lord for all thy Commandments are true I call with my whole heart hear me O Lord and I will keep thy Statutes yea even upon thee do I call and I shall keep thy Testimonies O consider mine adversity and deliver me Avenge thou my cause and deliver me and quicken me according to thy Word for great is thy mercy O eternal God whose being was before the mountains were brought forth before the Earth and the World was made even from everlasting World without end Have mercy upon me weak and impotent poor servant of thine the child of man who fades away suddenly like the grass remove my misdeeds far from before thee and my secret sins from the sight of thy countenance Be not angry with me neither consume me in thy displeasure Teach me to number all the daies of my life and to reckon on still to the day of death that when my daies are gone and my years are brought to an end like a tale that is told thou mayest turn unto me at the last and be gracious unto me in the free pardon of all my sins in restraining the power and malice of all my Ghostly enemies in giving me opportunity of all spiritual assistances and advantages that my lamp being trimmed and burning bright with charity and devotion I may enter into the Bridechamber there for ever to behold the glorious Majesty of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen The Collect. A Almighty and mercifull God of whose only gift it cometh that thy people do unto thee return laudable service grant I beseech thee that I may so faithfully serve thee in this life that I may not finally fail to attain thy heavenly promises through the merit of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer for Protection in all Dangers O Lord quicken me as thou art wont and hide not thy face from me in time of distress As for lyes I hate and abhor them but thy Law do I love Consider O Lord how I love thy Commandments O quicken me according to thy loving kindness for I am glad of thy Word as one that findeth great spoils Great is the peace that they have which love thy Law and are not offended at it Lord I have looked for thy saving health and done after thy Commandments O let my complaint come before thee O Lord give me understanding according to thy Word and let my supplication come before thee and deliver me according to thy Word Let thine hand help me for I have chosen thy Commandments I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant for I do not forget thy Commandments When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord and he helped me Deliver my soul O Lord from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue O Lord God my hope and my strong hold have mercy upon me and defend me under the shadow of thy wing that I trusting under thy defence may by thy faithfulness and truth be defended and covered as with a shield and buckler Give thy Angels charge concerning me and my habitation that I may be preserved and kept in all my waies and that no evil happen unto me no plague come nigh my dwelling no terrours of the night no arrows of thy vengeance by day may disturb my peace or safety Let thy ministring Spirits bear me in their hands and keep me from precepice from fracture of bones from dislocations noisom or sharp diseases stupidity and deformity that I may tread under my feet all the snares of the roaring Lion and the great Dragon the Devil who seek my bodily and ghostly heart do thou O Lord set thy love upon me and deliver me from all my troubles and put an end to all my discontents which I suffer of them that hate me without a cause and at the end of my daies shew me thy salvation and satisfie me with long life even of a blessed eternity in this heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ my
Lord and Saviour Amen The Collect. Keep I beseech thee O Lord thy Church with thy perpetual mercy and because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall keep me and all thy people ever by thy help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer for the Protection of the godly and a Meditation of the great Works of God in the destruction of the wicked I Will lift up mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help my help cometh even from the Lord which made Heaven and Earth Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord himself is my defence upon my right hand The Lord shall preserve me from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep my soul. The Lord shall preserve my going out and my coming 〈◊〉 from this time forth and for ever more unto thee I lift up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the Heavens have mercy upon me for I am utterly despised yet my help standeth in the Name of the Lord which hath made Heaven and Earth They that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the Mount Sion which may not be removed but standeth fast for ever Do well O Lord unto those that be good and true of heart and reform what is amiss in me for thy mercy sake O let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint If thou Lord wilt be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it for there is mercy with thee therefore thou shalt be feared O Lord God thou art the highest for evermore thy works are glorious and thy thoughts are very deep make my heart and tongue loud instruments of thy praises that I may tell of thy mercy in the morning and of thy truth in the night season that I may rejoyce in giving thee thanks for the operations of thy hand all the daies and nights of my whole life Let thy merciful kindness descend evermore upon the righteous that they may flourish like a Palm Tree being continually watered with the dew of temporal and spiritual blessings and may bring forth fruit of a holy conversation and grant that thy servant being planted in the house of God and firmly fixt in the blessed communion of Saints may flourish in the Courts of thy house and in thy Ecclesiastical Temple to all Eternity O let not my portion be amongst the ungodly and unrighteous Make me not to communicate in their wickedness so much as by consent or approbation that I may never perish and be destroyed in the furiousness of thine anger which thou treasurest up against the day of vengeance and righteous Judgment even the day of the appearing of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen The Collect. ALmighty and merciful God of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do give unto thee all true and laudable service grant I beseech thee that I may faithfully serve thee in this life that I fail not faithfully to attain thy heavenly promise through the merits of Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A Prayer that God would preserve his Church against the storm and flood of Persecution I Looked for the Lord my soul doth wait for him in his Word is my trust therefore keep me O Lord and thy whole Church from the hands of the ungodly Preserve me from the wicked men which are purposed to overthrow my going sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor and innocent and maintain the cause of the helpless Lord I call upon thee haste thee to help me and consider my voice when I cry unto thee Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense and the lifting up of my hands be as an evening Sacrifice Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips O let me hear thy loving kindness in the morning for in thee is my trust Shew me the way that I should walk in for I lift my soul unto thee Deliver me O Lord from the evil man and preserve me from the wicked man that seeketh to overthrow my going O Lord God Judge of all the World to whom vengeance belongeth and execution of Righteous Judgment have mercy upon us Chasten us with thy gentleness and fatherly correction when we sin against thee Teach us thy Law Be our refuge and confidence in trouble and give patience in time of adversity that in the multitude of sorrows thy comforts may refresh us thy mercies may relieve us thy grace may pardon and confirm us that our feet slip not and our souls be not put to silence have pity upon all distressed and miserable people Do justice upon all that murther the Widow that put the fatherless to death that grind the face of the poor Fail not thy people O Lord and forsake not thine inheritance but destroy the devises of all them that imagine evil as a Law and are confederate against the Righteous to condemn the innocent to discountenance Religion to disadvantage thy worship and service that in the day of eternal vengeance when thou shalt reward the proud after their deserving and the pit be digged by the ungodly we may have the lot of thine inheritance and raign in the fellowship of Saints who give honour and praise to thee O Lord God Almighty world without end Amen The Collect. Keep I beseech thee O Lord thy Church with thy perpetual mercy and because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Invitation to the Worship of God and a Prayer for Obedience to his Will O Great God the Lord our Maker who art a King above all Gods give me the graces of humility and holy Religion that I may worthily praise and worship thy glories and perfections infinitely I am the Sheep of thy Pasture let thy mercies lead me and feed me and refresh my soul with the Divine nutriment of thy Word and Sacraments I am the sheep of thy hands do thou guide me that I may never go astray or if I do bring me home into the Sheepfold of the great Shepherd that I hearing his voice may not harden my heart neither tempting thy mercies nor provoking thy wrath but my heart being preserved from errors and my waies from obliquity and crookedness I may at last enter into thy eternal rest through the merits and guidance of my great Shepherd Jesus Christ my Mediatour and Redeemer Amen The Collect. O Lord I beseech thee let thy continual pity cleanse and defend thy Church and because it cannot continue in safety without thy succour preserve it ever more by thy help and goodness through Jesus Christ. Amen Adoration and magnifying the Glories of God O Lord God in whose Sanctuary is power and honour before whose