increase the same making thy glory the marke wherat to direct all my doings and thy word the rule to kéepe me within the compasse of thy will O Christ heare me O heare me sweet Sauiour which art the Well of life whereof whosoeuer tasteth hee shall neuer see Death Heare me O gracious Redéemer and let me féele inwardly the fruits of my faithfull prayer Amen A Prayer for Loue and Vnitie with all men To liue in loue all men among Giue grace O Christ to old and young LOrd Iesus thou Patterne of true and vnfeined loue yea of loue leading to life euerlasting without whom there can bee no loue or concord amōg men I beseech thee to heare the prayer of me thy poore seruant and that which I aske in spirit vouchsafe to giue me of thy free mercy And because loue is the fulfilling of the Law and the seale of saluation to the consciences of all Christians Furthermore for so much as thou hast commaunded vs to doe good to all men which cannot be vnlesse loue be the lampe to giue vs light I beséech thée to fill my heart with that loue yea to poure that loue abundantly into the hearts of all both old and yong that we may first and principally loue Almightie God the Father thée O Christ the Sonne and the holy Ghost with such a loue as is loath to turne the fauor of God into displeasure his gentlenesse into rigour his mercy into iudgement and his forbearance into vengeance Secondly to loue my Soueraigne Prince whom I am bound in conscience to obey to loue my superiors to loue mine equals to loue mine inferiors to loue mine enemies Finally to loue all and hate none that by this meanes I may dwel in God the Fountaine of loue who of méere loue for the saluation of the soule of man sent thee O my Sauiour into the world to suffer death vp on the crosse euen in the face of his enimies and persecutors Grant this O Christ to whom with the Father and the holie Ghost be all praise and glory for euermore Amen A Prayer for the hearing and true vnderstanding of the word of God To heare thy word and liue therein Vs to renew O Lord begin LIghten my heart O Lord GOD with the lampe of thy holy and blessed word which is the weapon of euery true Christian souldier and the sword of the spirit to cut off all the temptations of the Diuell the world and the flesh if it be vsed according to thy wil O Lord which art the giuer and author of the same And for so much O Lord as thy worde is the rule whereby wée are bound to direct all our doings and the square whereat to frame the whole course of our life I beséech thée to circumcise my heart that all carnall cogitations and thoughtes expelled and driuen out I may betake my selfe wholy vnto the reading hearing studying folowing of thy word which is the food of our soules the comfortable bread which killeth hunger and the pleasant drinke which quencheth thirst not the hunger thirst of the body against the which it hath pleased thée to prouide most healthfull remedies but the hunger and thirst of the soule which are no way else asswaged but by the vertue and heauenly working of thy word This word O Lord vouchsafe to make florish and fruitifie in vs that thereby wee may bée wonne to the worshipping of thée in true feare vnfained faith and perfect holinesse of life through Iesus Christ our Sauiour Amen A Praier to God for forgiuenesse of manifold and grieuous sinnes My heart vncleane Lord circumcise And make my soule thy sacrifice IN sinne O Lord was my conception in sinne my education in sinne the whole course of my life Nothing is cleane and vnspotted in mée nothing is sound nothing perfect nothing holy nothing sanctified I am full of sinne and iniquitie my thoughts desires are attainted with sinne my labours and handy works are defiled with wickednes my words and communications are tempered with the leauen of iniquity my hart is corrupt putrified there is nothing sound in me but all mine entrails are infected and poysoned with sin the high way to euerlasting shame death and condemnation O miserable wretch that I am to whom shall I run for succour To whom shall I make my sorrowes knowne Before whom shall I powre my plaintes Art not thou the Samaritane which with the oyle of mercie souplest my festered woundes Art not thou the good Sephearde which bringest home the straying Shéepe to the shéepefold Art not thou the good Captaine which fightest in defence of thy Souldiers O yes Lord thou art euen he and doubtlesse had not the oyle of thy mercy healed my filthy Botches had not thy hand fetcht me home to the flocke had not thy loue and grace ouer shadowed me in danger I had rotted in my filthinesse I had perished in my wandering and I had béen vtterly ouerthrowne in combate O Lord my God circumcise my heart and clense it from all euill thoughts deuises imaginations consentes to sinne Sanctifie my soule renew my spirit and garnish mée with the garment of regeneration that I may become a swéete smelling sacrifice before thée a sacrifice of acceptable incense a sacrifice of holines righteousnes so shall I prayse thée in the assemblie of the iust extoll thy glorious name among thy people Amen A Prayer for to be setled in the Truth Thy Truth send downe Lord from aboue And giue me grace the same to loue ACcording to thy louing kindnesse O Christ heare the praiers of thy seruant that request which Hope inboldeneth mee to make vouchsafe in mercy to grant And because the Deuill is the father of all falshood and lying and thou the fountaine of all truth and righteousnes as thou saiest of thy selfe I am the Way the Truth and the Life therefore I beseech thee O gracious God Sauiour to plant in me the Trueth without the which all entrance into heauenly ioy is stopt vp to banish out of my heart which by nature is a nest of wickednesse all maner of sinne resisting the Truth And for so much as Truth is a pearle of price and a Iewell of great value to the godly the ornament of the faythful and the treasure of the true Christian therefore I beséech thée O Christ giue me grace to thirst after truth to hunger after the taste of that heauenly foode that my desiring soule may be succoured my longing heart refreshed euen with the fulnes of the same And wheras by nature we are bōdslaues of sinne and by that meanes vtter enemies of truth we beseech thee notwithstanding to make vs partakers of mercy and not of iudgement remembring that thy death and bloodshed paid the price of redemption for all mankinde Thou God of truth heare my prayer and let the suite of me thy poore Seruant come before thy presence and that which I haue asked with
the Sonne and beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life and I will raise him vp at the last day Iohn 6.40 Verily verily I say vnto you hée that heareth my word and beléeueth in him that sent me hath euerlasting life and shall not come into condemnation but hath passed from death vnto life Iohn 5.24.25.26 The houre shall come in the which al that are in the graues shall heare his voyce and they shall come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Iohn 5.8.29 Search the Scriptures for in them yee thinke to haue eternal life Ioh. 5.39 If thou knewest the gift of God Christ ment himselfe who was sent of his Father to conuert the woman of Samaria and who is he that saith vnto thee Giue mee drinke thou wouldest haue asked of him and he would haue giuen thee Water of life which is the loue of God in his Sonne powred into our heartes by the holy Ghost vnto euerlasting life Iohn 4.10 Whosoeuer drinketh of the water that I shall giue him euen spirituall grace shal neuer be more a thirst shall neuer be dried vp destitute or forsaken but the water that I shall giue him shall be in him a well of water springing vp into euerlasting life Ioh. 4.14 Come ye blessed of my Father for our saluation commeth of the blessing and fauour of God inherite ye the kingdome prepared for you from the foundations of the world Note the certantie of our predestination to saluation Matth. 25.34 And these shall goe into euerlasting paine which followeth mens fantasies neglecting the will of God and his commandements and the righteous into life eternall Math. 25.46 And many of them that sléepe in the dust of the earth shall awake all shal rise at the generall resurrection some to euerlasting life some to shame and perpetuall contempt Dan. 12.2 And they shal come foorth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Iohn 5.29 For the Lambe Iesus Christ our Mediatour and Redeemer Which is in the midest of the throne being very God shall gouerne them lead them vnto the liuely Fountaines of waters Hee shall giue them euerlasting life Apo. 7.17 O Lord giue vs grace to beleeue this and to liue thereafter Amen The ten Commaundements of Almighty God called The two Tables of the Law The first Table 1. J am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other Gods but mee HEare O Israel The LORD our God is the onely Lord Thou shalt therefore loue the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soule and with all thy minde or thought and with all thy strength Marke 12.29.30 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him onely shalt thou serue Math. 4.10 Luk 4.14 I am the Lord thy God thou shalt haue none other Gods before my face God bindeth vs to serue him lonely without superstition or idolatry Deu. 5.6.7 I am the Lord your God ye shall keepe my Sabbathes and reuerence my Sanctuarie I am the Lord. Leuit. 26.1.2 Come let vs worship and fall downe before the Lord our maker We must wholly giue our selues to the seruice of GOD. Psa. 95.6 All the Gods of the people are Idols but the Lord made the Heauens Idols therefore or whatsoeuer made not the Heauens are not God Psal. 96.6 2. Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Jmage nor the liknesse of any thing that is in heauen aboue nor in the earth beneath nor in the water vnder the earth thou shalt not bow downe to them nor worship them For J the Lord thy God am a ielous God and visite the sinne of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me and shew mercy vnto thousands in them that loue me keepe my commaundements NO man hath séene God at any time the onely begotten Sonne of God which is in the bosome of the Father hee is most deare and straitly ioyned to his Father not onely in loue but also in nature and vnion hee hath deliuered him God was made visible as it were in Christ. Iohn 1.18 God is a Spirit and they that worshipe him must worship him in spirit and truth God being of a spirituall nature requireth aspirituall seruice and agreeable to his nature Ioh. 4.24 For somuch then as we are the generation of God we ought not to thinke that the Godhead is like vnto Gold or Siluer or Stone grauen by art and the inuention of man Act. 17.29 The worshipping of Idoles which ought not to be named in the beginning and the cause and the end of all euill Sapi. 14 26 The inuenting of Idols was the beginning of whoredome and the finding of them is the corruption of life Sapien. 14.12 Better therefore is the iust man that hath none Idols for he shall be farre from reproofe Baruc. 6.72 Confounded be all they that serue grauen Images that glory in Idols worship him all ye Gods Let all that is of estimation in the world fall downe before the Lord. Psal. 97.7 Thou shalt make thée no gods of Mettal Exo. 34.17 Babes keepe your selues from Idols From euery forme and fashion of thing which is set vp for any deuotion to worship God 1. Iohn 5.29 3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vaine for the Lord will not hold him guilt lesse that taketh his name in vaine YEe haue heard how it was said to them of old time Thou shalt not forsweare thy selfe but shalt performe thine othes to the Lord. But I say vnto you Sweare not at all neither by heauen all superfluous oathes are debaâ—red for it is the Throne of God nor yet by the Earth for it is his Footstoole neither by Hierusalem for it is the Citie of the great King Neither shalt thou sweare by thine head because thou canst not make one Haire white or blacke But let your communication be Yea yea Nay nay let simplicitie and truth be in your wordes and then ye shall not be so light ready to sweare For whatsoeuer is more then these commeth of euill when one speaketh otherwise then he thinketh in heart it commeth of an euill conscience and of the Diuell Matth. 5.33.34.35.36.37 This is the curse that goeth foorth ouer all the whole earth c. And euery one that sweareth he that transgresseth the first Table and serueth not God aright but abuseth Gods name shall be cut off as wel on this side as on that I will bring it foorth saith the Lord of Hoasts and it shal enter c. into the house of him that falsely sweareth by my name and it shal remaine in the middest of his house and shall consume it with the timber thereof stones thereof Zach. 4.3.4 Accustome not thy selfe to swearing for in it there are many falles neither take vp for a custome
that peace which bringeth blisse Their precious peace perpetuall is The authour of This peace is God Who for our sinnes with vs was od For as we know through Adams fall To God his wrath We were in thrall So that hereby this gaine we got Euen death for life ah hellish lot Our owne misdeedes deserueth death And God who giueth life and breath Suppressing peace became our foe And from the heauens aloft did throw His thunderbolts of fearefull threates And in his heate his sword he wheats Even warriour like to strike vs downe For man doth melt when God doth frowne Thus with the Lord we were at ods Ours was the smart the vengeance Gods Which whiles it did endure and last All hope of peace was gone and past Till he from heauen beholding vs With wrethednesse inclosed thus Prouided in this heauy case T' amend our state by his good grace This he vouchaft to bring to passe A wonderous work of his it was From mercie seate he sent his Sonne At whose corruption peace begunn God did ordaine that Christ should die Vpon a Crosse reard vp on hie By losse of life to purchase peace True Christian comfort to increase Among the Iewes betrayd he fell One of the twelue presumd to sell. For thirtie pence his Maisters life The losse whereof abolisht strife The Iewes did lay on him their hands His limbs and ioynts they bound with hands They scoft and mockt him too too bad Their wish and will on him they laid Vpon the Crosse he made his end His soule to God he did commend This sacrifice God highly pleasd And this his rigorous rage apeasd Heere reconcilement first began And peace was made twixt God and man The price of this most perfect peace Which Christian comfort doth increase Declares thereof the dignitie This peace remaynes immortally This peace confirmd twixt God and vs And true attonement sealed thus That through this Pipe of peace may spout And pleasantly in streames run out Such comfort as in thee doe dweâ—l Which are the fountaine and the well The Conduit and the liuely spring Of euery good and healthfull thing Thus Lord if thou vouchafe to worke Ingratitude which loues to lurke Whithin our heartes them to possesse Shall banisht be by thankfullnesse and we shall praise Iehouah then Grant this O God Amen Amen The Locke to this Conduit A Locke to this Conduit of right doth belong Prouided of purpose substantiall and strong Of this Locke t is needfull Christs sheepe to haue skill That opening this Conduit their hearts they might fill With true ioy and gladnesse with peace and with rest And all kind of comfort that we can request FIrst loue the Lord. who formed thee And like himselfe created thee Loue Iesus Christ who thee redeemd So precious he thy soule esteemd Loue him whose loue with losse of life Twixt God and vs cut of the strife Loue him aboue all earthly treasure And lone with loue most kindly measure Loue thou his Saints and holy ones As of his Church the liuely stones Whose head is he his members they Who hates his Saints doe him betray· Loue thou Gods word his Gospell heare Therein of life are riuers cleare It is the pearle whereby was wrought A wonder worthy dayly thought loue vnto all thy neighbours beare And let thy loue shine euery where To all and some to friend and foe To them that seeke thine ouerthrow Loue all hate none to christ commaunds Herein the Law consistes and standes Loue Strangers well no gaudge them beare Remembring once we strangers were Though Denizons now by Gods good grace His loue restord vs to this place Loue vertuous life and goodnesse seeke And like to Christ learne to be meeke Loue lowlinesse and spit at pride Gods spirit in such will not abide Loue to forgiue and to forbeare This is a signe of Christian feare Thy brothers fault though worthy blame Dissemble thou and hide his shame Thus armd with loue thou mayst be hold Sinne Satan Death our enimies old Shall not haue power to doe thee harme God is thy helpe he is thine arme This is the Locke which thou and I And euery one before we die Ought set vpon our hearts and mindes Where treasure lie of sundry kindes Which Locke if we doe seeke to haue It is not Death nor yet the graue Thou shalt abridge our heauenly blisse In Christ our Conduit kept it is Of all therefore this is the summe If to this Conduit we will comme And thence fetch comfort at our need This is if we to pray proceed And aske of God the things we want Beseeching him the same to graunt For Iesus sake his onely Sonne By loue this worke must be begonne Which if we haue then sure we may Before the Lord approch and pray For otherwise all that we doe Is sinne and death belonges thereto This locke of loue O graunt vs then Sweet Sauiour Christ. Amen Amen The Key to this Conduit A Key to this Conduit of Comfort pertaines Whose vse and due seruice whosoeuer disdaines Aloofe from this Conduit them selues let them keepe Christ is not their Shepheard nor they of his Sheepe This Key therefore learne we to vse and possesse Our Shepheard Christ Iesus then may we confesse FIrst â—now thy selfe but flesh and blood Nay nay but art thou halfe so good Know rather this thou art but dust From Earth thou camst to Earth thou must Know thine estate by Adams fall Exild from life to death in thrall To sinne a slaue to Hell a pray Know this and cast all pride away Knowst thou thy selfe a blast of winde And hearst about a lofty winde Knowst thou thy state to be but nought Thy life a threed but slightly wrought And settest vp the Peacocks plume As though nothing should thee consume This knowledge but fond and vaine A better knowledge doth remaine A knowledge which from God proceedes This knowledge guides our thoughtes and deedes This knowledge shewes as in a Glasse That sinne in vs had brought to passe Eternall death and endlesse paine In Hell where damned soules remaine· This knowledge learnes vs likewise this That albeit we did amisse And kindled Gods consuming ire Yet Christ his blood hath quencht that fire So that this knowledge marked well May be supposed to excell All earthly things which passe away As Flowers in hâ—ate of Summers day This knowledge leades vs to the Lord And makes our willes with his t' accord Know God aright know Christ his sonne Know thou the thing he will haue done Know him that made the heauen and earth Aâ—d fed thee since thy day of birth Know him that giâ—es thee in thy need Conuenient Victuals thee to feed Know him in Christ his Sonne first â—orne The sauiour of our soules forlorne Know God the Father onely wise Know him in heart with faythfull eyes Know him whom heauen and earth obey Whose word ordain'd both night and day The world and all that is therein Are lessons where
passions of death I may lay fast hold vpon Iesus Christ my Sauiour hoping in him to liue who by his death purchased euerlasting life for all the faythfull O heare my prayer O God and let my cry come vnto thee for Iesus sake vnto whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all laude honour and prayse for euermore Amen A Prayer to leade our liues according to the law and will of God Giue me O Lord a mind and will To loue thy Law and it fulfill LOuing Lord and most mercifull Father thou that art righteous in thy workes iust in thy iudgements faithfull in thy words true in thy promises make me I heartily beseech thee alwayes plyant like Waxe both in mind and will to loue thy Law and to liue after the same Giue my heart the cleere light of true Christian knowledge that I hauing the eies of my soule broad waking may discerne betweene light and darknesse Christ and Beliall God and the Diuell Hell and Heauen the Flesh and the Spirit Guide thou O Lord all my goings by thy grace that all my thoughtes may rest vpon thée Gouerne thou my will and all mine affections that they may keepe within the limits of thy holie Law and Commaundements that all my endeauour may be directed to the accomplishment and fulfilling of thy Statutes and Ordinances so farre foorth as my weaknesse can wade through the rough waues of this most wicked world let thy spirit lead me to doe those things that please thy diuine maiestie that at the last day whē thou shalt sit vpon the Raine bowe treading the Cloudes of the skies vnder thy féete and compassed round about with legions of Angels Cherubim and Seraphim armies of Saintes and holy Martyres I may be receiued into the number of the elect and enter into possession of that inheritaunce which neither Gold nor Siluer but the precious Blood of thy beloued Sonne my swéete Sauiour Iesus Christ bought and purchased Grant this most mercifull Father for thy mercies sake which are vnmeasurable and for thy kindnesse sake which is vnsearchable and for thy tender loue sake which is vnspeakable Amen A Prayer to keepe our tongue from speaking ill From an ill tongue Lord make me cleane To great and small good fayrh to meane ALmighty God which canst not away with a double heart and to whom an euill tongue is fowle dishonour giue me grace I beséech thée to speake nothing but that which is true right and iust not hurting any with my tōgue which thou hast giuen mee to doe all men good and to vse as an instrument for the sounding foorth of thy prayse and glory And be cause a lying and an euill Tongue draweth the soul into death and destruction put backe I beséech thée from my lippes all guilefull speaches all deceitfull communications and al lying wordes Moreouer because thou O Lord art truth it selfe and therefore delightest in truth innocencie giue me grace alwayes to enure my tongue vnto truth abhorring all such talke as may offende thy diuine Maiestie and diminish the honour due vnto thy holy name Let thy sanctifying Spirit take charge ouer my heart that I may doe good vnto all and hurt vnto none vttering that with tongue which I meane in heart purposing as well in déede as in word nothing but good fayth true christianitie Grant this O God for Iesus Christs sake Amen A Prayer to fast and pray aright To Fast aright teach vs the way O Sauiour Christ we humbly pray MOst bountifull Iesu most sweet Iesu most louing Iesu which by thine example diddest teach vs to Faste aright not after the painted fashon of Pharisies and Hypocrites but according to the plaine manner of vnfeigned Christians I heartily humbly beséech thée to giue me grace to exercise my selfe in godly Fasting Prayer that the man of sinne may be subdued and brought vnder that my heart may be cleansed from all sinne and vnrighteousnesse that my thoughtes and cogitations may be scoured from corruption and filthinesse that my wordes may not smell of Heathenish vnholinesse wickednesse that my déedes may not be leauened with beastly wantonnesse but that the course of my whole life may be seasoned with the sauorie salt of sanctification that whatsoeuer I thinke whatsoeuer I say or whatsoeuer I do it may carry with it some signe of the true Fast namely the fast from sin vnto which fast whosoeuer apply themselues they are sure to be thy children and are builded vpon a stedfast hope to inherite that place of endlesse happinesse which thou boughtest with thy precious blod This fasting I beseech thee O sweete Sauiour giue me grace to exercise so shall my sinfull flesh bee kept in awe as a seruant and my Spirit shall beare rule ouer it and kéepe it in subiection This O Christ and whatsoeuer else is necessary vouchsafe of thy goodnesse to grant vnto me thy poore creature who aske it euen in zealous and hearty prayer Amen A Prayer against wilfull sins and snares of Satan From wilfull sinne Lord saue vs That Satan may not haue vs. Be vnto vs a brasen wale most mercifull Father against all the assaults of sinne specially preserue vs from wilfull offences and from transgressing of very malice which is a wheting of thy wrath against vs and a kindling of our owne confusion without hope of mercy at thy heauenly hands O Lord let vs not be so farre estranged from obedience as of set purpose to runne into contempt of thy glorious name let not our hearts become so flintie as to be void of all feeling of sorrow for sinne yea as to be emboldened to heape sinne vpon sinne to our vtter shame We know this is Satans séeking we are assured this is the Diuels drift we cannot be ignorant that this is Belsebubs intent therby to haue vs wiped in thy wrath out of the Booke of life and so he to haue full sway ouer vs as children of condemnation But thou O Lord art mercifull thou art gratious thou art carefull ouer vs defend vs therefore from all sinn and chiefely from the sin of wilfulnes and malice for the honour of thy name Amen A Prayer for the feare of the Lord and loue of his word Increase in me O Lord thy feare That to thy word I may giue eare ETernall God omnipotent Creatour whose word layd the foundation of the whole world furnished the same with all things behoofefull for the maintenance of man wee humbly beseech thee increase in vs a louing feare of thee and thy word that whatsoeuer we are inioyned and commanded to doe therein wee may rather neglect life lands goods all precious possessions then to leaue it vndone knowing that by hearing thy word wee vnderstand thy will which who so kéepeth they are assured in spirit to be thy faithfull seruants So fill vs therefore O God with this godlie feare that we stopping our eares and waxing dull against all worldly vanities may bee rauished