to wish well vnto them that haue done much good for me much more vnable to performe that good towards them that I would and ought Forasmuch therefore as I haue no power of my selfe giue mee at least a will that my inward destres may work with thee by the mediation of thy welbeloued Sonne to the obtaining of inward loue and filiall affection towards them and be able to expresse it in my coÌ„tinual faithfull prayers for them Deale with them mercifully O Lord heape vpon them thy blessings the peace of a good conscience plentie of diuine knowledge holy and religious hearts towards thee the continuall abundant supply of all necessaries health of bodie the strength and vse of their limbes ayde in whatsoeuer their neede defence from enemies and prosperity in all things Blesse them with all spirituall blessings and graces in heauenly things Let them heare thy word attentiuely let them beleeue it faithfully let them embrace it cheerefully let them practise it religiously and in a good conscience and let them taste of thy fauours and loue continually and seeke to please thee in all things truely giue them comfort I beseech thee in my well doing and of thâ— vertuous and religious conuersations of al their children friends â—llies and seruants Let not 〈◊〉 misbehauiour or vnseemely course of life procure their griefe or shame but grant that they liâ—iâ—â— long according to thy good pleasure in thy faith feare fauour 〈◊〉 loue they may so giue vp the 〈…〉 soules in peace into thy hands thâ—â— gauest them through Christ Jesâ—â— our Lord and our euerlasting Redeemer Amen Lord increase my faith A MOTIVE TO stirre vp Masters to a godly gouernment of their seruants and to pray for them AS there is areciprocal dutie between the husband the wife between the parents their children so is there likewise betweene masters and seruants In euery of these there is a superioritie and a power to command and Subiection mouing inferiours to obey It is a great priuiledge that masters haue ouer their seruants yet not such as some masters doe impose vpon their seruants for although they haue a libertie to gouerne and to command it is not so absolute but it hath it limitations and bounds for now as well seruants as masters beleeuing the promise are equally within the couenant And therefore seruants although bound to corporall masters as touching their bodily seruice are yet the Lords free men and so fellow-members of Christ with their beleeuing masters which maketh them brethren in the Lord whose feare should preuent too much seueritie in the master moue the seruant to the more obedience and faithfull seruice The strength of Israel said vnto me saith Samuel Thou shalt beare rule ouer men being iust and ruling in the feare of God Heere is the bound and limit of mans authoritie ouer them whom they gouerne Iustice and the feare of God whereby we are taught that masters are not to quarell with and threaten their seruants or afflict them without good cause they may not vniustly taxe them or correct them neither ought masters to conceile but teach them their trades and mysteries The feare of God imports a diuine office which the Masters owe vnto their seruants and that is to indeuour to make them the true members of the Church of Christ by godly education and counsell to vse the authoritie they haue ouer their seruants modestly and holily seeing that they in another respect haue a common Master which is in heauen who will iudge both the bond and the free the master the seruant without respect of the ones glory and the others basenes of the ones authoritie to command or the others seruitude and bondage and it is not commendable for masters too much to insult ouer their seruants or mistresses and sterne dames to tyrannize ouer their maydes who were begotten borne and brought forth in as glorious a maner as the proudest richest and most vaine-glorious master or dame whâ— haue but gotten as it were the start of their seruants by Gods permission who as we daily may see and obserue hurleth downe and confoundeth the most imperious and insolent masters and exalteth the humble and obedient seruants yee masters and dames threaten not nor abuse your seruaÌ„ts they are but lent you for your ease and seruice by their and your Father and Master for a time who will take an account of you how you haue gouerned them and of them how they haue serued and obeyed you and if you take astrict account of euery offence committed by your seruaÌ„t how think you that your Master which is in heauen should winck at or passe by your many transgressions against him as if there were a priuiledge for you to offend the God that made you men and women and made you masters and gouernours ouer men and women your gouernmeÌ„t being but only carnall and their seruice but corporall whereas your Master which is in heauen gouerneth spiritually and your seruice towards him ought to be holy and truely spirituall And thinke that if your seruants disobedience be offensiue vnto you what are your sins and rebellious courses of life vnto God your great Master which seeth your sinnes in secret and will reward them openly Make the case of your corporall seruants disobedience vnto you your case of disobedieÌ„ce to God and consider whether you could be content that euery sinne you haue committed should haue it due reward would it not be a terror vnto you and make you lesse furious and lesse bitter vnto your seruants for euery trifle in committing of a fault or omitting some small dutie to be done I mooue not this to defend or incourage euill and disobedient seruants but to aduise masters and women commanders to vse Christian counsell to their seruants and to gouerne them in the feare of God according to the rule of religion and let none of them thinke it a needlesse a superfluous or a base dutie for masters and gouernours to pray for their seruants and such as are vnder their commaund But let them know it is a duety required of and performed by all godly masters and dames that God may be pleased to make them honest religious and fit for the businesse wherein they vse them to make them dutifull and obedient fearing God so shall such masters and gouernours be blessed for such godly religious seruants sakes vnder whose hands all that they doe shall prosper And to this purpose I haue framed a forme of prayer which or some other to the like purpose such Masters and Dames may vse as desire the meanes to haue good and gracious seruants and whosoeuer scorneth or neglecteth the means is worthy to be crossed by their crooked behauiour and a more excellent meane there is not then godly counsell and diuine prayer to keepe them in obedience A prayer to be said of masters for their seruants not vnfit to bee vsed of all that haue command ouer others GRacious Father who
gouernest all thy creatures by the power and prouidence making many and great differences in the estates of humane creatures as some to gouerne as Kings som◠to obey as subiects some masters and some seruants I acknowledge thy great goodnes in that thou hast made me though a subiect to thine Anointed as a King to command in 〈…〉 ine owne family and hast giuen mee seruants to whom I say Goe and they goe Come and they attend Giue me wisedome to command nothing but what may be◠lawfull expedient and necessarie tending euermore to thy glorie and giue vnto all that are vnder my command obedience vnto knowledge of and willingnes to accomplish all things that shall concerne their duties and my necessarie seruice Let thy holy Spirit be vpon them to teach them and to direct them in all their endeuours Let them striue in a godly emulation one to exceed another in wel doing that they may truely and religiously performe whatsoeuer is fit and consonant to their places functions for it is neither the skill nor the desire nor the seruice done can succeed either to my priuate profit to the good of others or to thy glorie without thy speciall direction and blessing Blesse me therefore in right commanding and blesse my seruants in rightly performing what in thy feare and reuerence to thy Maiestie they shall attempt Giue vs all vnderstanding hearts not according to the high points of humane knowledge only But especially according to the right rules of Christian religion Make mee apt able and willing to instruct and direct them in the principles of diuine knowledge that a spirituall blessing may euer accompany their corporall callings and giue me patience to forbeare their infirmities in committing offences against me for I cannot but confesse that thou art to me a Master whome I haue and doe more often and more egregiously offen◠by my many sinnes then any or all my seruants can trespasse against me Giue mee therefore a feeling heart O Lord that I may make vse of my seruāts offences against me in recounting mine own transgressions against thee And as thou hast euer bin patient towards mee in forbearing to punish me according to my disobedience so I may beare with my seruants weaknes not maliciously offēding me Guide thē by thy holy Spirit in all truth make them though my seruants in respect of their corporall seruice to me thy sonnes and daughters by their spirituall seruing of thee and grant that we all may conioyne in one true obedience to serue thee hearing thy word attentiuely and praying vnto thee continually and faithfully that both thy spirituall blessings and corporall comforts in Jesus Christ may alwaies abound amongst vs and that we may prosper together in all truth peace plentie godly loue and happines making no spirituall though there seeme some worldly difference betweene the gouernor the gouerned knowing that thou hast no respect of persons but the Lord seruant the bond and free the outwardly glorious and base fearing thee are equally accepted with thee Lord increase our faith A MOTIVE TO stirre vp seruants to obey and pray for ablenes to serue their Masters and gouernours truely and to profit in their callings ALthough it seeme a harsh and vnsauourie seruitude and a base condition to be a seruant it is not as it is commonly taken vnlesse to be the seruants of Sinne and of Satan but to be a Christian seruant to a Christian master according to the flesh is to be Gods free-man according to the Spirit all creatures are seruants and seruiceable vnto man Why then should not one man be seruiceable vnto another We cannot be all masters but seruants we are all either vnto God in well doing and in a holy execution and performance of his commandements to the world or to Satan A seruant is nothing else but an agent or instrument to bee commanded by a more eminent person one whom he obeyeth whether it be to God as vnto our Father and preseruer vnto sinne and Satan our seducers to the world as our deceiuer to our vaine affections our betrayers or vnto man our fellow member of that bodie the Church whereof Christ is the head A Christian and beleeuing seruāt may be in the house and doe seruice to an Infidell and an Idolater as Iacob to Laban and Ioseph to Potipher who in their corporall seruice to man performed spirituall seruice to God who requireth obedience in seruants to their masters in all things not with eye-seruice as men-pleasers but in singlenesse of heart cheerefully and hartily fearing God as doing their seruice to God not vnto men so shall they that are bond seruants vnto men be made the Lords free-men and this freedome the Lord doth not onely not preuent but further their submission and obedience vnto their masters according to the flesh Saint Peter commandeth seruants to obey their masters with all feare not in a seruile slauish feare but a feare accompanied with godly loue which loue bindeth the conseience of all godly seruants to deale in all things honestly and carefully for their masters best aduantage not only when he is present but when he is absent to be true and faithfull diligent and vigilant imbracing direction and accepting reproofe with patience And because these vertues are not of nature but of grace It behoueth seruants to bee humble petitioners vnto God that he wil blesse their labours and endeuours to giue them vnderstanding hearts and abilitie of bodie and dexteritie of wit to apprehend and performe their duties both towards God the high and heauenly Master of all to their masters in the earth and for their owne good in learning apprehending and performing the trade mysterie and function whereunto they are called And for their better instruction it behoueth them to giue heede to the word of truth to frequent the place where the Word is preached and to indeuour to practise the same in all sinceritie And to this effect the Prayer following serueth A Prayer fit to be vsed of seruants GRacious Lord louing Father I acknowledge my selfe vnworthy to bee called thy seruant much lesse thy childe by reason of my great weaknes and manifold sinnes turne thy louing countenance towards mee againe O Lord and although I bee a seruant and subiect to the command and authoritie of another according to the flesh as deseruing bondage by reason of my too much seruing of Satan Make me yet free in thee and of the seruant of man make me thy sonne Let thy grace so gouerne mine affections that I be not seduced by the suggestion of Satan nor by my carnall and corrupt affections from that subiection and sincere seruice which I owe vnto my corporall master and commander in thee In thee gracious Lord without whose mercies and grace no seruice can be performed nor any true dutie done I am dull I am ignorant I am vnapt of my selfe to euery good worke but from thee proceedeth the perfection both of
Motiue to a Prayer to be said after the receiuing of the Lords Supper 73 A Prayer to bee said after the receiuing of the holy Communion 76 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of any man in any kind of trouble 80 A generall Meditation or Prayer in whatsoeuer trouble or crosse 84 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said in pouerty and want of this lifes necessaries 88 A Prayer to bee said in pouertie and want of this lifes necessaries 91 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of such as are in prison 96 A Prayer to be sayd of one in prison for what cause soeuer changing the words according to the occasion here set down 100 If for debt say thus 103 If for matter for which life or member is 〈◊〉 danger say thus 104 If vpon vniust occasion say thus 105 If for the testimony of thy faith in Jesus say thus 106 A Motiue to a Prayer that we may be alwayes ready to die and to be so prepared as we may not feare death 109 A Prayer to be often vsed that we may 〈◊〉 liue at we need neuer feare to die 〈◊〉 to be often vsed of all men especially iâ— sickenesse 111 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of one in his sicknes or in any disease or defect of his sences or limbes fit to be read of or vnto the sick diseased person 117 A Prayer to be said of one that is sicke or diseased 122 Another Prayer to be said of a sicke man 125 Meditations vpon the sicke mans recouerie of his health 128 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of such as visite a sicke friend or brother 130 A Prayer to be said for a sicke man or woman of his or her friends that visite them 133 A Motiue to a Prayer before a man begin his iourney 137 A Prayer before a man begin his iourney or attempt any waighty corporall action 140 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said after the returne from a Iourney or comming to the Inne or place of rest 143 A Thankesgiuing after the returne from a Iourney or comming safe to a place of rest 145 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said before a Sermon 147 A Prayer to be said before the hearing of Sermon 152 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said after a Sermon heard 156 A Prayer to be said after the hearing of a Sermon 160 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said against malicious aduersaries 163 A Prayer against enemies 168 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of euery true Christian for the Ministers and Preachers of the word of God 172 A Prayer to bee said for the Ministers of Gods word 176 A Motiue to a Prayer for the Church Vniuersall 178. A Prayer for the Vniuersall Church and for euery member of the same â—it to be often said of euery true Christian. 182 Another Prayer for the Vniuersall Church in the time of affliction or persecution 186 Another short Prayer for the prosperity of the Church and gouernment thereof 190 A Motiue to a Prayer to bee said for the Kings Maiestie 192 A Prayer and Thanksgiuing for the Kings Maiestie to be often vsed of euery good subiect 196 A short Thanksgiuing and Prayer for the Kings preseruation 201 A most pithy and patheticall Prayer for the King and ouerthrow of Antichristian religion and enemies of the truth 203 A Motiue to a Prayer to be vsed of such as are of the Kings Maiesties priuy Counsell 207 A Prayer not vnfit to be sometimes vsed of a Counsellour of Estate as he hath opportunity 210 Another short effectuall Prayer to bee said of a priuy Counsellour fit to be said before consulation 213 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of euery good subiect for the good successe of the Counsell Royall 215 A Prayer to be vsed of euery good subiect for the Kings Counsell of Estate 218 A short Prayer for the Counsell Royall 221 A Motiue to a Prayer to be vsed of â—udges and superiour Magistrates that haue power and authority to heare and determine causes between man and man which Motiue is fit to bee often read and considered of them 223 A Prayer to be vsed of Iudges and Magistrates 227 A Motiue to be vsed of Christians for Iudges and superiour Magistrates 230 A Prayer for Iudges and superiour Magistrates to be vsed of all good and Christian subiects and especially of them that haue causes depending before Iudges and Magistrates 233 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of a man or woman vnmarried intending to marry 237 A Prayer to bee said of a man or woman vnmarried intending to marry 241 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of married folkes 245 A Prayer to be said of married folkes either priuatly or mutually together 249 A Motiue to Parents to stirre them vp to instruct pray for their childreÌ„ 252 A Prayer fit for Parents to make vnto God in the behalfe of their childreÌ„ 255 A Motiue to a Prayer to be vsed by children for their Parents 260 A Prayer fit for children to vse for then Parents 263 A Motiue to stirre vp Masters to a godâ—y gouernment of their seruants and to pray for them 267 A Prayer to be said of Masters for their seruants not vnfit to be vsed of all that haue command ouer others 272 A Motiue to stirre vp seruants to obey and pray for ablenes to serue their Masters and Gouernours truely to profit in their callings 275 A Prayer fit to be vsed of seruants 278 A Motiue to a Prayer to be vsed of Artificers and Handicraftsmen 281 A Prayer for Tradesmen Handicraftsmen and Artificers 283 A Motiue to stirre vp Husbandmen and Plough-men to Prayer vnto God 286 A Prayer fit to bee vsed of Husbandmen not vnfit for all men whatsoeuer 290 A Motiue to a Prayer to bee vsed in time of and to preuent any of these three seuerall common calamities that may happen vpon a people namely of Warre of Famine and of the Pestilence 294. A Prayer to God to be vsed in the time of Peace to preuent warre in Plenty to preuent Famine and in the time of Health to preuent the Pestilence fit also to be vsed in the time of Warre Famine and the Pestilence also 301 A Motiue to a short Prayer to be vsed in the time of warre 305 A Prayer to be vsed in the time of War 306 A Motiue to a Prayer in the time of Famine or Dearth 309 A Prayer in the time of Famine and Dearth 311 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said in the time of the Pestilence 315 A Prayer to be said in the time of any mortality Pestilence or infectious sickenesse 318 A Motiue to a Prayer to stirre vp Souldiers to liue in the feare and seruice of God 322 A Prayer to be vsed of Souldiers 326 A Motiue to a Prayer to be said of such as trauaile by Sea 330 A Prayer to be said of such as haue occasion to trauaile by Sea 334 A Prayer before meat 339 A thanksgiuing after meat ibid. FINIS