him for these thy great and unspeakable mercys we render thee most humble thanks from the bottom of our hearts beseeching thee still to continue thy gracious protection over him and to grant him a long and happy reign over us so we will give thee thanks for ever and will always be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Vpon the Twenty Nineth of May the Day of his Majesties Birth and happy Return NO voice more soft then Thunder can express Our present joy our past heaviness None can the largeness of this Joy set out Unless at once he make three Kingdomes shout O therefore let us jointly all proclaim The praise of this great Act due to the Name Of Him by whom Kings Reign and Oh that we Could make our souls Wing'd with Devotion flee To God on High in Thankfulness and Praise Who without Blood has Crown'd our King with Bays Brought from three conquered Nations which he Holds in Subjection but to keep them free From the hard Yoke of Bondage which of late So gaul'd our necks whilest that we called a State Was nought but mad-men sitting at the Helm T was a great Bedlam which is now a Realm But those bad times are past this day we were Even rescu'd from the Sword without a War Without a War Great Charles his Kingdomes wone Thus strait when God Will hav 't the thing is done O may we thankful be and sing his praise Who for our Cypress now has given us Bayes May we give God and Caesar all their due And always Peace and Loyalty Pursue A Thanksgiving for the 29th of May being the day of his Majesties Birth and happy Return O Lord God who by thy divine providence and goodness didst this day bring into the world and didst this day also bring Back and restore unto us and to his own just and undoubted right our most gracious Soveraign Lord thy Servant KING CHARLES preserve his life establish his throne we beseech thee be unto him a helmet of salvation against the face of his enemies and a strong tower of defence in the time of trouble Let his reign be prospeâ—ous and his days many and let him so duly serve thee on earth that he may hereafter everlastingly reign with thee in heaven and let us thine unworthy servants make an oblation of our selves unto thee vowing all holy obedience in thought word and work unto thy divine Majesty promising in thee and for thee all loyall and dutiful Allegiance to thine anointed servant and to his heirs after him whom we beseech thee to bless with all encrease of grace honour and happiness And together with him bless the whole Royal Family with the dew of thy heavenly Spirit that they ever trusting in thy goodness protected by thy power and Crowned with thy gracious and endless favour may continue before thee in health peace joy and honour a long and happy life upon earth and after death obtain everlasting life and glory in the Kingdome of Heaven by the merits and mediation of Christ Jesus our Saviour who with the Father The â—Pestilence 〈◊〉 1665 and the holy Spirit liveth and reigneth for ever world without end Amen Vpon the Dreadful Pestilence in 1665. ON the great City of this Sinful Land London with Wealth and Folk abounding and With sin the cause of woe too God first pour'd The brim full Vial of his wrath and showr'd His ireful Judgments There his Angel drew The sword of Vengeance and that people slew At first by Tens which soon to Hundreds come Then Thousands weekly sent to their long home The frighted Citizens begin to fly From house and habitation lest they dye A wrathful day a dismal time wherein Thousands receive the wages of their sin Now might you see Red Crosses there great store And Lord have Mercy upon many a door The Knells of death continually do ring And that same doleful sound of Buryers Bring Your dead out Mortal ears with Terror Pierce And now a Cart becomes too many a Hearse Now might you see all faces blackness gather The son lamenting for his dying Father The wife for her deceased husband crying And parents mourning for their Children dying And some who did in stately houses dwell Now gladly creep into a Country Cell And others wandering up and down the Fields No Town or Village them admittance yeilds Thus from the Rod of God poor sinners fly Not from their Crimes for which they smart and dye Had you your selves forsaken when at home You need not thus about the countrey rome Had you fled from your sins before as fast You need not from the Plague have made such hast There have been three great Plagues in London within these sixty years and how much greater this last was then the former may appear by this Comparison In the year 1625. Buried of all Diseases 54265 Whereof of the Plague 35417 In the year 1636. Buried of all Diseases 23359 Whereof of the Plague 10400 In the year 1665. Buried of all Diseases 97301 Whereof of the Plague 68586 A Prayer in time of Pestilence OMnipotent Lord thou sin revenging God who for disobedience didst threaten thine own people Israel to smite them in the knees and in the legs with a sore botch that could not be healed be pleased O thou great offended Lord in the bowels of thy compassion to let thine anger cease and to bow down thine ear to thy sorrowful servants we turn unto thee our weeping eyes our dejected countenances our wringing hands our bended Knees our mournful voices and our groaning hearts O Merciful God behold our tears and view our countenances and look upon our hands and strengthen our Knees and hearken to our voices and comfort our hearts Give us a fight of our sins O Lord which have thus provoked thee to enter into Judgment with thy Servants and make us more to loath and tremble at our wickedness then at these Messengers of death wean us from the love of sin from the consideration both of thy displeasure and our own mortality and speak peace and health unto our souls which do every moment expect our dissolution to come O Lord thou art a God who canst not abide to behold unrighteousness look not therefore with thy wrathful eye upon us who are full of sin and pollution but look upon thy Son and his righteousness or if thou wilt look upon us first cloth us with the righteousness of that immaculate Lamb and so shalt thou see us with love and delight and we shall behold thee with unspeakable joy Seal unto our souls the remission of our offences and then make us willing to resigne our bodies to thy disposing yet we know O Lord if thou dost but Speak the word we shall be made whole if thou say'st the Plague shall not come near our habitations we then know we shall be safe if it be thy blessed will O Lord let us praise thee in the
in the firmament for number we have broken thy Commandements we have prophaned thy Sabbaths we have dishonour thy name we have abused thy creatures we have neglected the day of our Visitation and turned thy grace into wantonness whereby we have most justly provoked thy wrath and everlasting displeasure we have wounded our own consciences weakned our assurance of salvation and greived thy good Spirit which sealeth us up unto the day of our redemption And now O Lord if thou shouldst deal with us after our deservings thou mightest pour upon us the deluge of thy wrath and sury to sweep us out of the land of the living into that place of torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels But thou hast revealed thy self to the sons of men to be the Lord the Lord Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering and of great Goodness who pardonest Sinnes and passest by the transgressions of thy people this is thy Name for ever and thy Memorial throughout all generations we beseech therefore for Jesus Christ his sake to be merciful unto us in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins that we have ever committed against thee Accept of his obedience for our disobedience of his righteousness for our unrighteousness of his Sufferings for all our sins wash them away in his blood nail them to his cross hide them in his wounds and bury them in his grave that they may never rise up for our confusion here or for our condemnation hereafter O Lord be unto us a Father of Mercy and a God of Consolation Speak peace unto our souls and consciences and say unto us that thou art the God of our salvation And give us grace for the time to come to dye dayly unto sin by vertue of thy sons death and to rise up to newness of life by the power of his resurrection wean our hearts and take off our affections from the things of this world which endure but for a season and raise them up unto those things which are at thy right hand for evermore enlighten the darkness of our understandings subdue the stubbornness of our wills rectify the disorder of our affections and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy will that at last we may become such as thou would'st have us to be Continue and enlarge thy blessings upon the Church and Land wherein we live upon the person and government of our King bless all the Royal Family together with his Majesties councel the Nobility Magistracy Clergy and Gentry of the land Be merciful to all those who are afflicted with any cross or calamity all our relations and acquaintance and all others whom we are bound to pray for O Lord accept our Thanksgiving this Evening for all the mercys and favours which thou hast afforded for our souls or bodies for this life or a better more especially that thou hast preserved us and our Family this day in health and happiness Now holy Father seeing the night is upon us and we are ready to take our rest in thy hands we commit our souls and bodies and all that we have beseeching thee who art the keeper of Israel that neither sleepest nor slumberest to take care of us for if thou protect us not Satan will devour us yea we shall sleep a prepetual sleep and never arise up to praise thee we praise thee therefore be good to us this night deâ—eâ—d us from danger refresh us with comfortable rest and raise us up to glorify thee in the duties of the day following that thou mayst still be our God and we may be thy people hear us and graciously answer us in these our requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and that for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taughts us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Saturday Morning GRacious Lord God thou art the great Creator of Heaven and Earth we confess our selves unworthy to come into thy presence or to speak a word before thee wretched sinful Creatures that we are full of all iniquity and uncleanness and who can make that clean which is taken out of an unclean thing the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts are evil and only evil and that continually Yet O Lord seeing thou hast commanded us to call upon thee and hast mercifully promised to be present with thy Children to hear their prayers and to grant their requests which they put up in faith unto thee O Lord this doth give us boldness to come before thee and in confidence of thy goodness that thou wilt make good the same promises unto us at this time we here offer up unto thee this morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving humbly acknowledging and confessing from the bottom of our hearts our manifold transgressions and offences which we have continually multiplied against thee in thought word and deed from the beginning of our dayes unto this present time we acknowledge O Lord our Original corruption in the which we were at the first conceived and born and from which there hath sprung the most bitter and unsavoury fruit of sin apostacy and Rebellion to the great dishonour of thy Name and wounding of our poor souls and consciences and the evil example of others amongst whom we have lived by the which O God we confess that we have justly deserved that thy Wrath and indignation should be poured out upon us both in this life and in the life to come And therefore O God we come not here before thee in our own worthiness but in the worthiness and mediation of Jesus Christ beseeching thy gracious goodness for his sake to forgive all our offences our open sins our secret sins our sins of Presumption sins against Knowledg against Conscience against thee or against our Brethren either in our younger years or in the days of our knowledge as we must needs confess that in many things we offend all we beseech thee O Lord for Christ his sake to forgive the same unto us and perswade our Souls and Consciences more and more that thou art at peace with us and that all our sins are done away in the blood of thy Son And grant O Lord that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit we may serve thee with more freedom of mind and liberty of will in Righteousness and true Holiness unto the end of our days And good Lord begin not only repentance and true conversion in us but of thy great mercy perfect the same O lead us forward more and more to perfection increase in us the saving knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ. And now O Lord we magnify and praise thy Holy Name for thy Blessings and Mercies bestowed upon us both Spiritual and Temporal for our Health Peace Food Rayment and all the comforts of this life O Lord let us make a right use of them that we may not
hast said As surely as I live I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he should Convert and Amend and Live Who hast also said Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee have mercy upon me for Jesus Christ his sake whom thou wouldest should be a peace-maker to the end that thou mightest shew thine exceeding great Wrath against sin and thine inestimable mercy towards Mankind sanctifie and illuminate my heart with thy holy Spirit O God the guide of my life forsake me not turn from me the filthiness of desire Turne mine Eyes away from beholding vanity strengthen me in thy wayes and grant that mine offences in this world overcome me not and I beseech thee O Lord with a most ardent affection that this day and ever thou wilt keep me and all mine and that thou wilt be unto me a Mighty Protector a firmament of strength a covering against heat a shadow at noon-tide a defence from falling an assister from offending a comforter of my soul an enlightner of my mind a giver of health and happiness in Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour To whom be all glory honour and power for ever Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Tuesday-Evening MOst mighty and most merciful Lord God by whose goodness I was created by whose Justice I am punished and by whose mercy I am saved I cast my self down before thee and lift up my hands unto thee at this present as my Evening-sacrifice but alas my conscience accuseth me the secret cogitations of my heart reprove me my fear checketh me the infinite number of my sins oppress me yea my miscarriages this day witness against me and exceedingly condemn me O Lord what am I that thou shouldest yet favour me and shew thy self so loving and bountiful a Father unto me why should'st thou so nourish me who am so unworthy a wretch with thy mercy and loving-kindness I know that it is for His sake in whom there is no guile and in whom there was found no evil that thou regardest me and imbracest me Pardon I beseech thee through Jesus Christ all my sins faults vices and offences and indue me with all holy vertues make me to live a godly life and to continue to the end in good works Take away all darkness from my mind that I may see thee by understanding thee and love thee by knowing thee And grant O Lord that I may so keep and govern and end my life that I may sleep in peace and rest in thee and so into thy hands I commend my self both soul and body this night and for ever Hide me I beseech thee under the shaddow of thy Wings that I may rest quietly void of all fear spiritual darkness danger and despair comfort me in all those things wherein I have been any way discouraged this day Preserve me to the end that sleep with rest and rest with quietness and quietness with everlastingness may receive me that having run the race of this life I may be made partaker of a better that so I may live and reign with thee for ever through Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Wednesday-Morning HOly Lord God the glorious face of the Sun which sheweth it self and casteth its beams over the whole World I take it for an argument and earnest of thy good will toward thy Children in the number of whom I account my self though the chief of Sinners and not worthy to loose the latchet of thy shooe for if we enjoy such benefits in this strange country together with thine Enemies then what joy and glory what excellent goodness shall we be made partakers of when we come to our heavenly country the blessed land of Canaan where we shall not see this earthly Sun but thou O Lord who art the Son of Righteousness will be continually before us And now O Lord I Praise thy blessed name for preserving me from the many dangers of the Night past and for bringing me safe to the beginning of this day As thou hast now wakened my Body from sleep so I beseech thee awaken my Soul from sin and carnal Security and as thou hast caused the Light of the day to shine in my bodily Eyes so good Lord cause the light of thy word and holy Spirit to illuminate my heart and give me grace as a Child of Light to walk in all holy obedience before thy face this day and grant me to endeavour to keep a good Conscience towards thee toward all men in all my thoughts words and dealings and to this end I commend my self and all my ways and actions together with all that do belong to me unto thy gracious direction and protection beseeching thee to keep both them and me from all evil and to give a blessing to my honest Labours and endeavours this day following and for evermore Amen Our Father c. A Prayer for Wednesday Evening O Most Mighty Lord God and most mercifull and loving Father in thy Son Jesus Christ I sinful Creature am bold to return unto thee all possible Praise and thanks for all thy great and manifold favours which thou in thy mercy hast from time to time vouchsafed unto me a sinful wretch who am full of sin and iniquity I beseech thee favourably to hear my imperfect prayers and to grant my requests and needful suits which I make unto thee at this time Forgive me I intreat thee good Father all the sins that I have committed from day to day against thy divine Majesty and suffer me not O Lord to offend thee any more hereafter that neither sin nor Satan nor any unruly passions may have dominion nor reign any longer in my mortal body for I confess I have herein done wickedly and have broken all thy commandments for which thou mightest in thy severe Justice punish me both in Soul and Body to eternal Death besides those sins which I have this day committed Forgive me O Lord all my sins past and blessed be thy name that thou hast kept me this day in my going out and in my returning home O Lord watch over me this night and be thou my defence and protection from all dangers casualties and troubles grant that I be not overcome with any fantasies and dreams or other Temptations but that I may fully set my mind upon thee love thee fear thee and rest in thee and thou O Lord waken me again in due time that I may behold the light of the next day to my comfort still preparing my heart and mind to thy service every day and my whole life time in truth and sincerity that when I have run the short race of this mortal life thou mayest be pleased to call me to be partaker of a better and so I may live and die and ever remain with thee in thy Heavenly Kingdom through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour in whose name I beg all these
subscribing with their blood Lord grant we nere may sin away The mercies of this Gospel day The Persecution in the time of Q. Mary and the carriage of the Papists in it is thus described by the excellent Bp. Jewel YOu have saith he imprisoned your brethren you have stript them naked you have scourged them with rods you have burnt their hands and arms with flaming torches you have famished them you have drowned them you have summon'd them being dead to appear before you out of their graves you have ript up their buried carkases burnt them and thrown them out upon dunghils you took a poor babe falling from its mothers womb and in a most cruel and inhumane manner threw it into the fire By all which several ways and means the Martyrs in all parts of the Kingdom in the 5 years reign of Q. Mary amounted to the number of 277. persons of all sorts and ages for there perished by these flames 5 Bishops 21 Divines 8 Gentlemen 84 Artificers 100 Husbandmen servants and labourers 26 Wives 20 Widdows 9 Virgins 2 boys and 2 infants one springing out of his mothers womb as she was burning at the stake and most unmercifully flung it into the fire at the very birth 64 more in those furious times were persecuted in their faith whereof 7 were whipt 16 perish'd in prison 12 buried in dunghils and many more lay in captivity condemned who were happily delivered by the glorious entrance of Queen Elizabeth A Thanksgiving for the return of the Gospel and our deliverance from Popish Superstition and Tyranny O Most glorious most merciful and gracius Lord God we cannot but remember thy mercies to us and to our Fathers of old when thou wast pleased to deliver this Nation from the spiritual Aegyptian bondage which we were under in the Mariâ—n days when our Fathers were in the condition of those Worthies of old who were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection who wandred about in sheep-skins and goat-skins being destitute afflicted tormented in desarts in mountains in dens and caves of the Earth and the sound of the Turtle was not heard in the land This O Lord was our miserable condition under that Romish Tyranny under which we groaned but thou our most merciful Father in the midst of judgment didst remember mercy and didst bring back our captivity as the rivers in the South thou broughtest thy servant Queen Elizabeth from prison to reign and with her did the glorious Sun of thy Gospel arise upon these late dark lands and the word of the Lord went throughout the Nation thou quenchest those flames that destroyed so many of thy blessed Saints and servants and didst at once restore to us religion peace plenty and Victory over all our and thine enemies O what shall we render unto the Lord for all these his great benefits to us a most unworthy wicked and sinful people let us render unto him the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and let our lives and conversations so shew forth his praise that we may never provoke the Lord to remove his candlestick from us and once more to scourge us with the thorns and bryars of Popish Tyranny from which his grace and goodness hath so wonderfully delivered us and all this we ask through the merits and mercies of thy blessed Son our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen The prayer of King Edward the sixth called Englands Josiah against Popery LOrd God deliver me out of this miserable and wretched life and take me among thy chosen howbeit not my will but thy will be done Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Lord thou knowest how happy it were for me to be with thee yet for thy Chosens sake send me life and health that I may truly serve thâ—e O my God bless thy people and save thine Inheritance O Lord God save thy chosen people of England O my Lord God defend this Realm from Papistâ—y and maintain thy true Religion that I and my people may praise thy holy name Vpon the Spanish Invasion in that remarkable year 1588. intended to reduce this Nation to Popery and slavery by the so called invincible Armada Poor Englands ruin is design'd The Pope and Spain have both combind Both have infallibly decreed In Eighty Eight England must bleed A vast Armada Spain prepares The cost and toyl of many years An hundred fifty Sail and more Come thundring from the Spanish shoar The Pope to make up the bravado Stiles it the invincible Armado Whose vast and numerous Hulls contain The Treasure and the strenght of Spain Full twenty thousand Souldiers And to encrease our woes and fears Fetters and chains they did prepare The marks of slavery we must wear Religion Laws and Liberties All were designed a Sacrifice To Romish Tyranny and we Most wretched slaves design'd to be Our Queen with watchful eyes surveys Th' approaching storm and soon doth raise Two Royal Armies to withstand The bold Invaders of our Land A Royal Fleet too she provides But God himself the cause decides The Lord of Hosts soon made them see There 's none Invincible but He. He with a breath of wind doth blast Designs so mighty and so vast That all might see that none but He An Vniversal King can be In the year of our Lord 1588. and in the one and thirtieth year of the most glorious reign of Q. Elizabeth Philip the second King of Spain set forth this mighty fleet the Spaniards themselves being so amazed at the vastness of it that they named it the Invincible Armada it being the best furnished with men amunition and all manner of provision of any that ever the Ocean saw consisting of a hundred and fifty tall ships in which were twenty thousand Souldiers and the D. of Parma was designed to bring out of Flanders fifty thousand more to join with them it had also eight thousand six hundred mariners two thousand and eighty gally-slaves two thousand six hundred and thirty great Ordnance besides boats and tenders of all sorts with provisions the Pope also contributed a million of gold to this design All these were to be landed at the Thames mouth that by seizing on the head they might the more easily command the body of the Kingdom The Queen had prepared a double guard one for the land and another for the sea that by land was divided into two Armies the one consisting of two and twenty thousand foot and a thousand horse commanded by the Earl of Leicester whose camp was at â—â—lbury where the Queen with a masculine spirit came and took a view of her Army and riding about through the ranks of armed men drawn up on both sides her with a Leaders trunche on in her hand sometimes with a martial pace another while 〈◊〉 liâ—e a woman it is incredible how mâ—ch 〈…〉 ragâ—d the heart of hâ— Captaâ—ns and Souldiers by her presence and peech to them The guard by sea consisted of one hundred and forty
And after strict search made under the Parliament house about midnight the very night before the Parliament was to set at the door of the entrance of the cellar was found one Guy Fauks clothed and booted he was apprehended and then removing some billets that were laid to prevent discovery they found the serpents nest stored with thirty six barrels of pouder and searching the Villain there was found about him a dark lanthorn three matches and other instruments for blowing up the pouder And thus was this horrible plot discovered and we saved and the Conspirators received their deserved punishment Those that were first in the Treat son were Robert Catesby Thomas Piercy Tho. Winter Robert Winter John Wright Chr. Wright Guy Fauks Gentlemen and Bates Catesbies Man Persons made acquainted with and promoters of it were Sr. Everard Digby Ambrose Roohwook Esq Francis Wesham Esq Robert Kegs John Grant Gent. A Thanksgiving for the fifth of November for Gods miraculous deliverance of this Land King and people from that horrid Gunpowder Treason 1605. O Our gracious Lord God who is like unto thee or who can strive beyond thy admittance hath any thing been done or attempted but what thou knowest of Yea thou seest all things savest all thine and wilt not let a hair of their heads perish O then who is like unto thee for thou art ever gracious and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness O come then let us worship and fall down and kneel before the Lord our maker for never any people had more occasion ministred unto them than this people of great Britain and Ireland yea all that belong to this Monarchy to praise the great God of Majesty Power Might and Dominion who did deliver us out of thraldome when nothing was wanting for making this Sacrilegious Parracide a pattern of mischief and a crime without example they would have joyned the destruction of the body to the head so as all at one Thunderclap should have been sent to Heaven together the King our Head the Queen our fertile Mother and those young and hopeful Olive plants yea not only theirs but also ours our honourable and worthy Senators yea the whole representative body of the Land without distinction of degree or Age yea even the stones and walls should have felt their fury and the Hall of Justice the house of Parliament the Church used for the Corronation of our Kings the Monuments of our former Princes the Crown and other Royalties all the Records as well of Parliaments as of every mans particular right with a great number of Charters and such like should all have been comprehended under that fearful Chaos and the remaining trophies of the eternal glory of our former Princes should have all been cousumed together and so not only we but the memory of us and ours should have been extinguished in an instant how can we therefore sufficiently magnify and praise thy great mercy who didst thus preserve us when we were so near destruction Therefore consider our dangerous estate we come unto thee O thou great and mighty Judge in trembling and in fear humbly beseeching thee not to heap upon us thy deserved vengeance but let thy tender kindness and love thou bearest to Christ thy dear Son our gracious Lord and Redeemer cover our iniquities for whose sake do thou pardon us and have compassion The Martyrdâ—me of King Charles on us to whom with thy self and thy blessed Spirit be given all prays honour and glory of us and all our posterity after us from this time forth and for evermore Amen Vpon the Martyrdome of King Charles the first January 30th 1648. An Epitaph STay Passenger Behold and see The widdowed grave of Majesty Why tremblest thou her 's that will make The most stupid Soul to shake Here lies entomb'd the Sacred dust Of Peace and Piety Right and Just The Blood O start thou not to hear Of a blest King 'twixt hope and fear Shed and hurried hence to be The miracle of Misery The Law-giver amongst his own Sentenc'd by a Law unknown Voted Monarchy to death By the course Plebian breath The Soveraign of all command Suffering by a common Hand A Prince to make the Odium more Matryr'd at his very Dore. â—â—The Head cut off Oh death to see 't In obedience to the Feet And that by Justice you may know If thou hast Faith to think it so Wee 'l stir no further then this Sacr'd Clay But let it slumber till the Judgment Day Of all the Kings on earth it s not denyed Here lies the first that for Religion Dyâ—d A Prayer for the 30th of January being the day of the Martyrdome of King Charles the First 1648. O Blessed Lord God who by thy wisdome not only guidest and orderest all things most sutable to thine own Justice but also performest thy pleasure in such manner that we cannot but acknowledg thee to be righteous in all thy ways and holy in all thy works We thy sinful people fall down before thee confessing that thy Judgments were right in permitting wicked men this day to Imbâ—ue their hands in the Blood of thine Anointed we having drawn down the same upon our selves by the great and long provocation of our sins against thee for which we do therefore here humble our selves before thee imploring thy mercy for the pardon of them all and that thou wouldest deliver this Nation from blood guiltiness that of this day especially and turn from us and our Posterity all those Judgments which we by our sins have deserved And now O Lord thou whose righteousness is like the strong mountains and thy Judgments like the great deep and who by the Martyrdom of thine Anointed our Soveraign this day hast taught us that neither the greatest Kings nor the best of men are more secure from violent then from natural death Teach us also hereby so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom and grant that neither the splendour of any thing that is great nor the conceit of any thing that is good in us may any way withdraw our eyes from looking upon our selves as sinful dust and ashes but that according to the example of this thy blessed Martyr we may press forward toward the price of the high calling that is before us in faith and patience humility and meekness mortification and self-denial charity and constant perseverance unto the end and we desire to bless thee O Lord that thou didst not leave us for ever as sheep without a shephard but by thy gracious providence didst miraculously preserve the undoubted Heir of his Crown our most gracious Soveraign KING CHARLES the Second from his bloody enemies hiding him under the shadow of thy wings until their Tyranny was overpast and bringing him back in thy good appointed time to sit in peace upon the throne of his Father The Kings 〈◊〉 Returne and to excercise that authority over us which of thy Special grace thou hast committed unto
land of the living cleanse us from our sin and take away our iniquities and then we need not question but thou wilt take away thy hand from off us Hear us O Lord for our selves and also for thy distressed people and hear them for us and hear thy Christ for us all that to him and thee and thy blessed Spirit we may render as is most due all praise and glory and Thanksgiving and obedience for evermore Amen Vpon the Lamentable fire in London begun Sept. 2. 1666. O Let us ne'r forget that dreadful day That in sad ruins did our City lay When as that blazing and prodigious Fire Without remorse or pitty did conspire To lay it all in ashes which to some Did represent the dreadful day of doom When all the world with fire consum'd shall be And time shall give place to eternity Those mighty flames that were our Conquering foes Were far too great for Mortals to oppose The furious Flames ride on with full carreer London in Flames And no repulse do either feel or fear Fling down strong structures both of stone and wood And proudly scorn their power should be withstood Th' fire marches on roars murmurs rends and raves Burying in ruins Sepulchers and Graves And with a perverse envious mind is bent Not to leave standing one fair Monument That angry Majesty which in the year Six hundred sixty five by death did clear So many Thousands by the Pestilence And from their habitations sent them thence In sixty six a woe as great did make And did the Houses from the dwellers take So this most ancient City ruined fell And scarce can any story parallel In any Age or Country Town or Nation So sudden and so great a Devastation As in three fatal days to ruinate To spoil consume destroy depopulate A Place so Famous so renouned for Glory That 't was the Mirrour both of Age and Story THis lamentable Fire began Sept. 2. 1666. about one a clock in the morning in a Bakers house in Puddâ—ng-Lane near Fish-street Hill London which raged extreamly being blown with a strong North-East wind so that despising all means used for its extinguishing it spread far and wide sometimes with and against the Wind and so continued for the space of near four days till it had burnt down thirteen thousand two hundred houses which stood upon 337 acres of ground within the walls and 63 acres and 3 rod without besides 89 Parish Churches the most spacioâ—s Cathedral of St. Paul six consecrated Chappels the Royal Exchange the great Guild-Hall the Custom-house many magnificent Halls of Companys several principal City-gates and other publick Edifices which was accompanied with the loss of vast quantities of rich household-stuff and goods of all sorts but especially of 4 or 5 sorts of commodities viz. Books of which alone were lost near the value of 150 thousand pounds Tobacco Sugar Wines and Plumbs being heavy goods so that the whole loss is computed by an ingenious person to be nine millions and nine hundred thousand pounds and yet by Gods providence not above six or eight persons were burnt in this vast Incendy A Prayer for Septemb. 2d the begining of that lamentable fire in London 1666. HOly Lord God we must confess thou hast found out the iniquity of thy servants and hast discovered our nakedness and pollution in a vengeance suited and answerable to our grievous crying sin our pride oppression and fulness of bread had made us like unto Sodom and thou hast afflicted us like Gomorrha we would not be reclaimed by thy exemplary punishments upon others or our selves and therefore thou hast made us a terror and an astonishment to all that are round about us yet O Lord we must needs acknowledge that thou art just in all that is come upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly yet consider O Lord we are thy people though a rebellious and unthanâ—ful people suffer us therefore to implore thy pitty and the sounding of thy bowels and for thy names sake and mercies sake incline thine ear to us and save us and above all we beseech thee leave us not to our selves but by what method soever it shall please thee to reduce us though to this cup of trembling thou shalt add more and more grievous afflictions by any the severest course subdue us unto thy self and make us see the things belonging to our peace before they be hid from our eyes that being duly humbled under thy mighty hand we may be capable of being relieved and exalted in thy due time And now we bless and magnify thy name O Lord for that wonderful mercy thou hast vouchsafed us in the midst of thy just and dreadful judgments It is of thy goodness that we are not consumed that when we had proâ—oked thee to give us all up to utter ruin and desolation and thy hand was stretched out to execute thy whole displeasure upon us yet thou hast preserved a remnant and pluck'd us as a brand out of the fire that we should not utterly periâ—h in our sins add we beseeeh thee one mercy more to all that thou hast hitherto so unsuccesfully cast away upon us and by thy convincing Spirit awaken our sleepy Consciences soften and melt our hard hearts that being humbled by thy chastisements we may by thy goodness be led to repentance and sin no more lest a worse thing come unto us therefore let us faithfully improve this respite and relief with all its precious advantages and opportunities to a thankful humble and profitable walking before thee that so thy name may be glorified the Gospel credited and our Souls saved in the day of the Lord. Grant this O Father for Jesus Christ his sake our only Mediator and Redeemer Amen Vpon a Sea-fight MEthinks I see the swelling billows boyl Heat by the fire that doth from guns recoil The roaring guns which pierce the parting Air With terror we on land far distant hear They shake the massy Earth Thunder like Houses windows into trembling strike And each broad-side which strikes my ear I think Now a brave shipwith braver men dothsink Enraged mortals striving to outvy Thundring and Lightning in the lofty sky Bloud from the reeking decks into the Main Pours down like water in a showr of rain Discolouring the Ocean by its fall As if t would turn it to a Red sea all Fire ships set all on flames make a show As subterranean fires were from below Broke through the waves and one would think no doubt Fire strove to drink up sea sea to put out The fire and men by their contentious action Put all the Elements into distraction Now on the deck some shriek with painful wounds And others sinking are in deadly swounds Here a Commander falls the opponents hollow The souldiers soon in death their Leader follow Here from torn shoulder flyes an arm and there From shatterd thigh a leg the bullets tear Here flies a head off one
mans brains are dasht Full in the next mans face his bowels pasht On his next neighbour a third is found Groaning his Soul out in a wide-mouth'd wound There bullets fierce drive a heart out which dies To mortals rage a bloody Sacrifice Good Lord how will Heaven quietly hold those Souls who just now wert here such deadly Foes A Prayer in the Time of War ALmighty Lord God Thou art he only which givest victory to thee it is all one to save by many or by few thou canst make one to chase a thousand thou canst cause the hearts even of the most valiant to melt their hands to be weak their minds to faint and their knees to fall a way like Water if thou fight for us we cannot miscarry if thou favour us not we must needs be discomfited O be gracious unto us and be on our side now that men are risen up against us Go out O Lord with our Navys and Armies give wisdom and courage to our Captains gird them with strength unto the battel be with our Sea-men and Souldiers teaching their hands to war and their fingers to fight Assist their consultations prosper their policies crown their enterprizes with good success which are undertaken for the common good and comfort of the State Doubtless O Lord we deserved thine anger and our Sins do cry aloud in thine ears for vengeance it were but just with thee it thou shouldst make us a prey and spoil unto our enemies but O gracious God let us now fall into thy hands for thy mercies are great and let us not fall into the hands of men let it appear that thou art in the midst of us and that we shall not be moved that thou wilt help us and that very early and in thy due time set thou peace in our borders and make strong the bars of our Gates especially let the Gospel of thy Son sound yet louder among us that by it many Souls may be gathered unto thee So we thy people and the sheep of thy pasture shall praise thee for ever and from generation to generation we will set forth thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen A Prayer in time of Prosperity HEavenly Father Lord of plenty thou who hast created the world by thy power and continuest thy love in thy providence and protection to thee do I render thanks for my plenty and to thee do I offer the service of my store what I have is thine for the Earth is thine and all that therein is the Compass of the World and they that dwell therein it is thou only that givest a blessing to the fruits of the Land to the Corn to the Wine and to the Oyl It is thou only that commandest thy blessing in the store-houses and in all that thy servants do set their hands unto Lord make me one of thy faithful servants that what thou hast sent me may be a Testimony of thy love and not of thy hatred make me allways to magnify thee in the time of plenty and not to be high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in thee the living God who givest me all things richly to enjoy O suffer me not to treasure up the deceitful riches of this sinful world as thereby forgeting to be rich toward thee but as from thy bounty I receive these temporal blessings so in thy mercy make me abound in grace that allways having Sufficiency in all things I may abound to every good work In this my prosperity prepare me for adversity if it shall please thee at any time to send it unto me give me a sence of the afflictions of many of thy saints and distressed servants and enlarge my heart that I may be ready and forward to contribute to their necessities make me to shew mercy with cheerfulness and to possess with thankfulness what thou sendest unto me that I may neither â—orget thee in thy poor members nor deny thee to be the giver let me never stop mine ears at the cries of the distressed who beg for relief in the name oâ— thy self Thou Christ who wert rich didst for my sake become poor that so through thy poverty thou mightest make me rich Lord make me as willing to the poor for thy sake always considering that the Vanities of the earth are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed Make me labour for heavenly riches and for the ornament of the hidden man in the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in thy sight of great price make me O heavenly Father rich in thy self rich unto liberality rich in good works and in faith make me to buy of thee gold tryed in the fire that I may be rich and white rayment that I may be clothed that the shame of my nakedness may not appear let me always remember that great account which one day I must render to thee the Lord of Heaven earth that so I may serve thee here with my substance in my body and in my Soul with zeal and devotion and hereafter be received to thine everlasting glory through the merits of thy Son in thy bosom Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen A Prayer in time of adversity FAther of pitty and Lord of comfort thou that hearest the cry of the afflicted look down in mercy on a distressed Sinner thy hand O God is heavy upon me for thou hast taken from me what I called mine by reason that I did not call it thine O Lord thou knowest my bleeding heart my sorrowful eyes and my mourning tears thou seest how poor I am and what miseries I suffer I am a scorn to my neighbours and a derision to those that are round about me my life is become a burden unto me because thou hast deprived me of the comforts thereof my lovers and my acquaintance stand looking upon my misery and my â—insmen stand asar off Lord if it be thy pleasure thus to humble me let it be thy goodness to give me patience to endure it the pride of my heart my forgetfulness of thee in the time of plenty did cry aloud for thy severest punishments now O now I feel thy just displeasure and groan under the burden and weight thereof yet thou O Lord canst ease me thou canst restore me hear Lord and have mercy Lord be thou my helper suffer me no more to rely upon the arm of flesh or to put my trust in uncertain riches but make me forever to depend upon thy bounty forgive me O Father the sins which I have committed when I lived in prosperity for I am sensible that they are a cause why at this time thou hidest thy face from me and causest me to be troubled O give me a sight and sence of the greatness of them and true contrition and sorrow for them that so though the world forsake me I may yet find favour
afflicted and needy Supply all my wants and confer upon me all necessary blessings O be reconciled unto me in the blood of thy Son that I may â—ere depend upon thy fatherly protection and may hereafter be received into thy heavenly Kingdom there to reign with thee world without end through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour in whose blessed name and words I conclude my imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taught me Our Father c. The Prayer of a Marriner MOst glorious and eternal God whose power and wisdome is infinite and whose dominion is without end thou canst order and dispose of thy poor creatures to thy own praise and to their souls comfort Be pleased to look down from heaven the habitation of thy dwelling place and take notice of the broken requests of a poor worm in thy presence that is not worthy to take thy name into his lips Lord I may well say What is man that thou art mindful of him or the son of man that thou shouldst visit him that thou shouldst compass him about with loving kindness as with a garment The divine Architecture of this goodly fabrick of heaven and earth raysed out of nothing to this admirable perfection is beyond the apprehension of poor sinful dust and ashes but to behold thy glorious works upon the deep waters is much more admirable these declare thy glorious power O blessed Lord vouchsafe thy presence with a poor sinful creature in this undertaking that I may praise thee in the vast Ocean be a preserve from the danger of the Sea and prosper what is lawfully undertaken but especially preserve me from the danger of sin Oh let the gales of thy gracious spirit blow my soul at last to its desired harbour Oh thou that carriest the winds in thy fist so take care of me that the waves of the sea or of worldly desires may not swallow me up and return me home in safety that I may bless the land of the living and in the congregation of thy people and all this and whatsoever else is needful I aske for the sake of Jesus Christ my Lord to whom with the holy Spirit of grace be glory and honour now and ever Ameâ— The Thanksgiving of a Mariner after a prosperous voyage EVerlasting God the powerful preserver of men there are no bounds to be set to thy bounty for besides the great work of thy Creation thy continued Preservations and wonderful works of Providence declare thee to be a God of mighty power so also of wisdom goodness justice and truth oh never to be enough magnified is thy mercy for the continuance of thy favours thou never leavest nor forsakest those that put their trust in thee Oh holy Lord what shall I render unto thee that so aboundest in love and mercy in the deep the Lord hath been seen and every morning thou preventest me with thy loving kindness and though sin hath abounded yet thy grace hath superabounded Thou dost fulfil the desires of them that fear thee oh now as thou hast given me a new life and delivered me from the dangers and terrors of the deep waters so be graciously pleased to give me a thankful heart let there be found in me hungring and thirsting after righteousness that I may be brought home at last to that land of promised blessedness Good Lord do this and what else thou seest needful for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake our Lord in whose most holy name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer to be used by all Christians O Almighty everlasting God and most gracious and dear loving Father I beseech thee for Jesus Christ his sake thy most dear and only Son to have mercy pitty and compassion upon a most vile wretched and miserable sinner whose innumerable offâ—nces both old and new are grievous and great by which I have justly deserved thy grievous wrath and everlasting damnation But now good Lord I do only appeal to thy great mercy which far surmounteth all thy works and thou hast promised in thy holy Word yea and sworn as truly as thou livest that thou desirest not the death of a sinner but ratheâ— that he should repent and live O gracious Lord I do confess that I am a great and grievous Sinner yet O Lord let me not perish nor suffer that everlasting death of my Soul which I have so deeply deserved but make me a vessel of thy great mercy that I may live and praise thy name amongst thy chosen Children for ever O let not my great sins separate me from the sight of thy holy Majesty but let thy great power and mercy be magnified in me as it was in David and Peter and Mary Magdalen and the Thief upon the cross O Lord I put my whole trust and confidence in thee who hast taken away the sins of the World who camest not to condemn the World but to save it that none which truly believe in thee should perish but should have everlasting life who camest noâ— to call the righteous but sinners to repentance O gracious God give me true hearty earnest and unseigned repentance that I may from the very bottom of my heart continually lament my manifold sins and wickednesses and so assist me with thy grace that I may never trespass against thy divine Majesty any more but that I may gladly serve thee in true holiness and righteousness all the days of my life Guide me O Lord by thy holy Spirit in all my ways works words and thoughts that I may gloriâ—y thy holy name which livest and reignest for ever through Jesus Christ my blessed Lord and Saviour in whose name and words I further pray Our Father c. A Prayer of a sick person FAithful Creator and preserver of all men look down I beseech thee upon thy poor servant who is punisht and afflicted in body with the smart of my pain and sickness and who is also troubled with the fear of thy heavy displeasuâ—e for my many sins and iniquities wherewith I have provoked thy holy Majesty in the time of my health I confess that of very faithfulness and goodness to me thou hast laid this scourge upon me to the end that by the stripes of my fleâ—h my spirit might be healed and saved in the day of the Lord Jesus I valued not the benefit of health as I should have done and therefore thou hast made me sensible of it by the want of it in my prosperity I remembred not the afflictions of my brethren and therefore thou hast afflicted me like unto them I was in a kind of spiritual lethargy till thou didst awake me with the strâ—â—ke of thy hand and because I know that it is good for me to be thus disciplined by thee I humble my self under thy mighty hand kiss this thy rod which I trust through thy grace shall make my Soul appear fair beautiful in thine eyes Comfort O Lord my fainting spirit and strengthen my