PRIVATE DEVOTIONS For several OCCASIONS ORDINARY And EXTRAORDINARY LONDON Printed for T. Garthwait at the little North Door of St. Pauls Church 1660. CHRISTIAN READER I Have for the help of thy Devotions set down some FORMS of PRIVATE PRAYER upon several occasions If it be thought an omission that there are none for Families I must answer for my self that it was not from any opinion that God is not as well to be worshipp'd in the Family as the Closet but because the Providence of God and the Church hath already furnish'd thee for that purpose infinitely beyond what my utmost care could do I mean the PUBLICK LITURGY or COMMON PRAYER which for all publick addresses to God and such are Family prayers are so excellent and useful that we may say of it as David did of Goliah's sword 1 Sam. 21. 9. There is none like it DIRECTIONS for the MORNING As soon as ever thou awakest in the morning lift up thy heart to God in this or the like short Prayer LORD as thou hast awaked my Body from sleep so by thy grace awaken my Soul from sin and make me so to walk before thee this day and all the rest of my life that when the last trumpet shall awake me out of my grave I may rise to the life immortal through Jesus Christ WHen thou hast thus begun suffer not without some urgent necessity any worldly thoughts to fil thy mind till thou hast also paid thy more solemn Devorions to Almighty God and therefore during the time thou art dressing thy self which should be no longer then common decency requires exercise thy mind in some spiritual thoughts as for example consider to what Temptations thy business or company that day are most like to lay thee open and arm thy self with Resolutions against them or again consider what Occasions of doing service to God or good to thy neighbour are that day most likely to present themselves and resolve to embrace them and also contrive how thou mayst improve them to the uttermost But especially it will be fit for thee to Examine whether there have any sin escaped thee since thy last nights examination If after these considerations any further leisure remain thou mayst profitably imploy it in meditating on the general Resurrection whereof our rising from our beds is a Representation and of that dreadful Judgement which shall follow it and then think with thy self in what preparation thou art for it and resolve to husband carefully every minute of thy time towards the fitting thee for that great account As soon as thou art ready retire to some private place and there offer up to God thy Morning Sacrifice of Praise and Prayer Prayers for the Morning At thy first kneeling down say O Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner LORD I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable to thee by Jesus Christ A Thanksgiving O Gracious Lord whose mercies endure for ever I thy unworthy servant who have so deeply tasted of them desire to render thee the tribute of my humblest praises for them In thee O Lord I live move and have my being thou first madest me to be and then that I might not be miserable but happy thou sendest thy Son out of thy bosome to Redeem me from the power of my sins by his Grace and from the punishment of them by his Blood and by both to bring me to his glory Thou hast by thy mercy caused me to be born within thy peculiar fold the Christian Church where I was early consecrated to thee in Baptisme and have been partaker of all those spiritual helps which might aid me to performe that Vow I there made to thee and when by my own wilfulness or negligence I have failed to do it yet thou in thy manifold mercies hast not forsaken me but hast graciously invited me to repentance afforded me all means both outward and inward for it and with much patience hast attended and not cut me off in the acts of those many damning sins I have committed as I have most justly deserved It is O Lord thy Restraining grace alone by which I have been keept back from any the greatest sins and it is thy Inciting and Assisting grace alone by which I have been enabled to do any the least good therefore not unto me not unto me but unto thy name be the praises For these and all other thy spiritual blessings my soul doth magnifie the Lord and all that is within me praise his holy Name I likewise Praise thee for those many outward Blessings I enjoy as health friends food and raiment the comforts as well as the necessaries of this life for those continual Protections of thy hand by which I and mine are kept from dangers and those gracious Deliverances thou hast often afforded out of such as have befallen me and for that mercy of thine whereby thou hast sweetned and allayed those Troubles thou hast not seen fit wholly to remove for thy particular Preservation of me this night and all other thy goodness towards me Lord grant that I may render thee not only the fruit of my lips but the obedience of my life that so these blessings here may be an earnest of those richer blessings thou hast prepared for those that love thee and that for his sake whom thou hast made the Author of Eternal Salvation to all that obey him even Jesus Christ A Confession O Righteous Lord who hatest iniquitie I thy sinful creature cast my self at thy feet acknowledging that I most justly deserve to be utterly abhorred and forsaken by thee for I have drunk iniquitie like water gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee daily committing those things thou forbiddest and leaving undone those things thou commandest mine heart which should be an habitation for thy spirit is become a cage of unclean birds of foul and disordered affections and out of this abundance of the heart my mouth speaketh my hands act so that in thought word and deed I continually transgress against thee Here mention the greatest of thy sins Nay O Lord I have despised that goodness of thine which should lead me to Repentance hardning my heart against all those means thou hast used for my amendment And now Lord what can I expect from thee but judgement and fierie indignation that is indeed the due reward of my sins But O Lord there is mercie with thee that thou mayest be feared O fit me for that mercie by giving me a deep and heartie Repentance and then according to thy goodness let thy anger and thy wrath be turned away from me look upon me in thy Son my blessed Saviour and for the merit of his sufferings pardon all my sins And Lord I beseech thee by the power of thy grace so to renew and
purifie my heart that I may become a new creature utterly forsaking everie evil way and living in constant sincere universal obedience to thee all the rest of my dayes that behaving my self as a good and faithful servant I may by thy mercie at the last be received into the joy of my Lord Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake A Prayer for Grace O Most gracious God from whom everie good and perfect gift cometh I wretched creature that am not able of my self so much as to think a good thought beseech thee to work in me both to Will and Do according to thy good pleasure Inlighten my minde that I may know thee and let me not be barren or unfruitful in that knowledge Lord work in my heart a true Faith a purifying Hope and an unfeigned Love towards thee give me a full Trust on thee Zeal for thee Reverence of all things that relate to thee make me Fearful to offend thee Thankful for thy mercies Humble under thy corrections Devout in thy Service Sorrowful for my sins and grant that in all things I may behave my self so as befits a creature to his Creatour a servant to his Lord enable me likewise to perform that Dutie I owe to my self give me that Meekness Humilitie and Contentedness whereby I may alwayes possess my soul in Patience and Thankfulness make me Diligent in all my duties Watchful against all temptations perfectly pure and Temperate and so moderate in my most lawful enjoyments that they never become a snare to me make me also O Lord to be so affected towards my Neighbour that I never transgress that royal Law of thine of loving him as my self grant me exactly to perform all parts of Justice yielding to all whatsoever by any kinde of Right becomes their due and give me such bowels of Mercie and compassion that I may never fail to do all acts of Charitie to all men whether friends or enemies according to thy command and example Finally I beseech thee O Lord to sanctifie me throughout that my whole spirit and soul and bodie may be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glorie for ever Amen Intercession O Blessed Lord whose mercie is over all thy works I beseech thee to have mercie upon all men and grant that the precious ransom which was paid by thy Son for all may be effectual to the saving of all Give thy inlightning Grace to those that are in darkness and thy converting grace to those that are in sin look with thy tenderest compassions upon the Universal Church O be favourable and gracious unto Sion build thou the walls of Jerusalem unite all those that profess thy Name to thee by Puritie and Holiness and to each other by Brotherly love Have mercie on This desolate Church and sinful Nation thou hast moved the Land and divided it heal the sores thereof for it shaketh make us so truly to repent of those sins which have provoked thy Judgements that thou also may'st turn and repent and leave a blessing behinde thee Bless those whom thou hast appointed our governours whether in Church or State so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands that they may neither want will nor power to punish wickedness and vice and to maintain Gods true Religion and Vertue Have pitie O Lord on all that are in affliction be a Father to the fatherless and plead the cause of the Widow comfort the feeble-minded support the weak heal the sick relieve the needie defend the Oppressed administer to everie one according to their several necessities let thy blessings rest upon all that are near and dear to me and grant them whatsoever thou seest necessarie either to their bodies or their souls Here name thy nearest Relations Reward all those that have done me good and pardon all those that have done or wisht me evil and work in them and me all that good which may make us acceptable in thy sight through Jesus Christ For Preservation O Merciful God by whose bountie alone it is that I have this day added to my life I beseech thee so to guide me in it by thy grace that I may do nothing which may dishonour thee or wound my own soul but that I may diligently apply my self to do all such good works as thou hast prepared for me to walk in and Lord I beseech thee give thy Angels charge over me to keep me in all my wayes that no evil happen unto me nor any plague come nigh my dwelling but that I and mine may be safe under thy gracious protection through Jesus Christ O Lord pardon the wandrings and coldness of these petitions and deal with me not according either to my prayers or deserts but according to my needs and thine own rich mercies in Jesus Christ in whose blessed Name and Words I conclude these my imperfect Prayers saying Our Father c. Directions for Night AT NIGHT when it draws towards the time of rest bethink thy self how thou hast passed the day examine thine own heart what sin either of Thought Word or Deed thou hast committed what opportunity of doing good thou hast omitted and whatsoever thou findest to accuse thy self of confess humbly and penitently to God renew thy purposes and resolutions of amendment and beg his pardon in Christ and this not slightly and only as of course but with all devout earnestness and heartiness as thou wouldest do if thou wert sure thy death were as near approaching as thy sleep which for ought thou knowest may be so indeed and therefore thou shouldest no more venture to sleep unreconciled to God then thou wouldest dare to die so In the next place consider what special and extraordinary mercies thou hast that day received as if thou hast had any great deliverance either in thy inward man from some dangerous temptations or in thy outward from any great and apparent danger and offer to God thy hearty and devout praise for the same or if nothing extraordinary have so happened and thou hast been kept even from the approach of danger thou hast not the less but the greater cause to magnifie God who hath by his protection so guarded thee that not so much as the fear of evil hath assaulted thee And therefore omit not to pay him the tribute of humble thankfulness as well for his usuall and daily preservations as his more extraordinary deliverances And above all endeavour still by the considerations of his mercies to have thy heart the more closely knit to him remembring that every favour received from him is a new engagement upon thee to love and obey him Prayers for Night O Holy blessed and glorious Trinity three persons and one God have mercy upon me a miserable sinner Lord I know not what to pray for as I ought O let thy Spirit help my infirmities and enable me to offer up a spiritual Sacrifice acceptable unto thee by
this end be thou graciously pleased to watch over me and defend me from all assaults of my spiritual enemies but especially deliver me from my self from the treacherie of my own heart which is too willing to yield it self a prey And where thou seest I am either by nature or custome most weak there do thou I beseech thee magnifie thy power in my preservation Here mention thy most dangerous temptations And Lord let my Saviours sufferings for my sins and the Vows I have now made against them never depart from my minde but let the remembrance of the one enable me to perform the other that I may never make truce with those lusts which nailed his hands pierced his side and made his soul heavie to the death But that having now anew listed my self under his banner I may fight manfully and follow the Captain of my Salvation even through a sea of blood Lord lift up my hands that hang down and my feeble knees that I faint not in this warfare O be thou my strength who am not able of my self to struggle with the slightest temptations How often have I turned my back in the day of battel how many of these Sacramental vows have I violated And Lord I have still the same unconstant deceitful heart to betray me to the breach of this O thou who art Yea and Amen in whom there is no shadow of change communicate to me I beseech thee such a stabilitie of mind that I may no more thus start aside like a broken bow but that having my heart whole with thee I may continue stedfast in thy Covenant that not one good purpose which thy Spirit hath raised in me this day may vanish as so many have formerly done but that they may bring forth fruit unto life eternal Grant this O merciful father through the merits and mediation of my Crucified Saviour A Prayer of Intercession to be used either before or after the receiving of the Sacrament O MOST gracious Lord who so tenderly lovedst mankind as to give thy dear Son out of thy Bosome to be a propitiation for the sins of the whole world grant that the effect of this Redemption may be as universal as the design of it that it may be to the salvation of all O let no person by impenitence and wilful sin forfeit his part in it but by the power of thy grace bring all even the most obstinate sinners to repentance Inlighten all that sit in darkness all Jews Turks Infidels and Hereticks take from them all blindness hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word and so fetch them home blessed Lord unto thy fold that they may be saved among the number of the true Israelites And for all those upon whom the Name of thy Son is called grant O Lord that their conversations may be such as becometh the Gospel of Christ that his Name be no longer blasphemed among the Heathens through us O Blessed Lord how long shall Christendom continue the vilest part of the world a sink of all those abominable pollutions which even Barbarians detest O let not our profession and our practise be alwayes at so wide a distance Let not the Disciples of the holy and Immaculate Jesus be of all others the most profane and impure Let not the subjects of the Prince of Peace be of all others the most contentious and bloodie but make us Christians in deed as well as in name that we may walk worthy of that Holy vocation wherewith we are called and may all with one minde and one mouth glorifie thee the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Have mercie on this languishing Church look down from Heaven the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glorie where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards us Are they restrained Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquitie for ever but though our backslidings are many and we have grievously rebelled yet according to all thy goodness let thy anger thy furie be turned away cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuarie which is desolate for the Lords sake and so separate between us and our sins that they may no longer separate between us and our God Save and defend all Christian Kings Princes Governours especially those to whom we owe subjection plead thou their cause O Lord against those that strive with them fight thou against those that fight against them so guide assist them in the discharge of that office whereunto thou hast appointed them that under them we may lead quiet and peaceable life in all godliness honestie Bless them that wait at thine Altar open thou their lips that their mouth may shew forth thy praise O let not the lights of the world be put under bushels but place them in their Candlesticks that they may give light to all that are in the house Let not Jeroboams Priests profane thy Service but let the seed of Aaron still minister before thee And O thou Father of mercies and God of all comfort succour and relieve all that are in affliction and deliver the out-cast and poor help them to right that suffer wrong let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee and according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die grant ease to those that are in pain supplies to those that suffer want give to all presumptuous sinners a sense of their sins and to all despairing a sight of thy mercies and do thou O Lord for every one above what they can ask or think Forgive my enemies persecuters and flanderers and turn their hearts Pour down thy blessings on all my friends and benefactors all who have commended themselves to my Prayers Here thou may est name particular persons And grant O merciful Father that through this blood of the Cross we may all be presented pure and unblameable and unreproveable in thy sight that so we may be admitted into that place of puritie where no unclean thing can enter there to sing eternal praises to Father Son and Holie Ghost for ever A Prayer in times of common Persecution O BLESSED Saviour who hast made the Cross the badge of thy Disciples enable me I beseech thee willingly and chearfully to embrace it thou seest O Lord I am fallen into dayes wherein he that departeth from evil maketh himself a Prey O make me so readily to expose all my outward concernments when my obedience to thee requireth it that what falls as a Prey to men may by thee be accepted as a Sacrifice to God Lord preserve me so by thy grace that I never suffer as an evil doer and then O Lord if it be my lot to suffer as a Christian let me not be ashamed but rejoyce that I am counted worthy to suffer for thy Name O thou who for my sake enduredst the cross and dispisedst the shame let the example of that love
thoughts of them Therefore let those be early dispatched that they may not disturb thee at last A Prayer for a sick person O Merciful and Righteous Lord the God of health and of sickness of life and of death I most unfeignedly acknowledge that my great abuse of those manie dayes of strength and welfare which thou hast afforded me hath most justly deserved thy present visitation I desire O Lord humbly to accept of this punishment of mine iniquitie and to bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him And O thou merciful Father who designest not the ruine but the amendment of those whom thou scourgest I beseech thee by thy grace so to sanctifie this correction of thine to me that this sickness of my bodie may be a means of health to my soul make me diligent to search my heart and do thou O Lord enable me to discover everie accursed thing how closely soever concealed there that by the removal thereof I may make way for the removal of this punishment Heal my soul O Lord which hath sinned against thee and then if it be thy blessed will heal my bodie also restore the voice of joy and health unto my dwelling that I may live to praise thee and to bring forth fruits of repentance But if in thy wisdome thou hast otherwise disposed if thou hast determined that this sickness shall be unto death I beseech thee to fit and prepare me for it give me that sincere and earnest repentance to which thou hast promised mercie and pardon wean my heart from the world and all its fading vanities and make me to gasp and pant after those more excellent and durable joys which are at thy right hand for ever Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me and in all the pains of my bodie in all the agonies of my spirit let thy comforts refresh my soul and enable me patiently to wait till my change come And grant O Lord that when my earthly house of this Tabernacle is dissolved I may have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens And that for his sake who by his precious blood hath purchased it for me even Jesus Christ A Thanks giving for Recovery O Gracious Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh in whose hand my time is I praise and magnifie thee that thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption and restored me to health again it is thou alone O Lord that hast preserved my life from destruction thou hast chastened and corrected me but thou hast not given me over unto death O let this life which thou hast thus graciously spared be wholly consecrated to thee Behold O Lord I am by thy mercie made whole O make me strictly careful to sin no more lest a worse thing come unto me Lord let not this reprieve thou hast now given me make me secure as thinking that my Lord delayeth his coming but grant me I beseech thee to make a right use of this long suffering of thine and so to imploy everie minute of that time thou shalt allow me that when thou shalt appear I may have confidence and not be ashamed before thee at thy coming Lord I have found by this approach towards death how dreadful a thing it is to be taken unprepared O let it be a perpetual admonition to me to watch for my Masters coming And when the pleasures of sin shall present themselves to entice me O make me to remember how bitter they will be at the last O Lord hear me and as thou hast in much mercie afforded me time so grant me also grace to work out my own salvation to provide oile in my lamp that when the Bridegroom cometh I may go with him to the marriage Grant this I beseech thee for thy dear Sons sake A Prayer at the approach of Death O Eternal and everliving God who first breathedst into man the breath of life and when thou takest away that breath he dies and is turned again to his dust look with compassion on me thy poor crature who am now drawing near the gates of death and which is infinitely more terrible the bar of Judgement Lord my own heart condemns me and thou art infinitely greater then my heart and knowest all things The sins I know and remember fill me with horrour but there are also multitudes of others which I either observed not at the time or have since carelesly forgot which are all present to thee Thou settest my misdeeds before thee and my secret sins in the light of thy countenance and to what a mountainous heap must the minutely provocations of so manie years arise How shall one so ungodly stand in thy Judgement or such a sinner in the Congregation of the Righteous And to adde yet more to my terrour my verie repentance I fear will not abide the trial my frequent relapses heretofore have sufficiently witnessed the unsinceritie of my past resolutions And then O Lord what can secure me that my present dislikes of my sins are not rather the effects of my amazing danger then of any real change And O Lord I know thou art not mocked nor wilt accept of any thing that is not perfectly sincere O Lord when I consider this fearfulness and trembling comes upon me and an horrible dread overwhelmeth me my flesh trembleth for fear of thee and my heart is wounded within me But O Lord one deep calleth upon another the depth of my miserie upon the depth of thy mercie Lord save now or I perish eternally O thou who willest not that any should perish but that all should come to repentance bring me I beseech thee though thus late to a sincere Repentance such as thou wilt accept who triest the heart Create in me O God a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me Lord one day is with thee as a thousand years O let thy mightie spirit work in me now in this my last day whatsoever thou seest wanting to fit me for thy mercie and acceptation Give me a perfect and entire hatred of my sins and enable me to present thee with that sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart which thou hast promised not to despise that by this I may be made capable of that atonement which thy dear Son hath by the more excellent oblation of himself made for all repenting sinners He is the propitiation for our sins he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was o him O heal me by his stripes and let the cry of his blood drown the clamour of my sins I am indeed a childe of wrath but he is the Son of thy love for his sake spare me O Lord spare thy creature whom he hath redeemed with his most precious blood and be not angrie with me for ever In his wounds O Lord I take Sanctuarie O let not
thy vengeance pursue me to this Citie of refuge my soul hangeth upon him O let me not perish with a Jesus with a Saviour in my arms But by his Agonie and bloodie sweat by his Cross and Passion by all that he did and suffered for sinners good Lord deliver me deliver me I beseech thee from the wages of my sins thy wrath and everlasting damnation in this time of my tribulation in the hour of death and in the day of Judgement Hear me O Lord hear me and do not now repay my former neglects of thy calls by refusing to answer me in this time of my greatest need Lord there is but a step between me and death O let not my sun go down upon thy wrath but seal my pardon before I go hence and be no more seen Thy loving kindness is better then the life it self O let me have that in exchange and I shall most gladly lay down this mortal life Lord thou knowest all my desire and my groaning is not hid from thee deal thou with me O Lord according to thy Name for sweet is thy mercie take away the sting of death the guilt of my sins and then though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil I will lay me down in peace and Lord when I awake up let me be satisfied with thy presence in thy glorie Grant this merciful God for his sake who is both the Redeemer and Mediatour of sinners even Jesus Christ PSALMS PVT me not to rebuke O Lord in thine anger neither chasten me in thy heavie displeasure There is no health in my flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sins For my wickednesses have gone over my head and are a sore burden too heavie for me to bear My wounds stinck and are corrupt through my foolishness Therefore is my spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate My sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number then the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me But thou O Lord God art full of compassion and mercy long-suffering plenteous in goodness and truth Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery If thou Lord shouldst be extream to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it O remember not the sins and offences of my youth but according to thy mercy think thou upon me for thy goodness Look upon my adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin Hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble O haste thee and hear me Out of the deep do I call unto thee Lord hear my voice Turn thee O Lord and deliver my Soul O save me for thy mercies sake O go not from me for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to help I stretch forth my hands unto thee my Soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land Draw nigh unto my soul and save it O deliver me because of my enemies For my Soul is full of trouble and my life draweth nigh unto hell Save me from the Lions mouth hear me from among the horns of the Vnicorns O set me up upon a rock that is higher then I for thou art my hope and a strong Tower for me against the enemy Why art thou so heavy O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me Put thy trust in God for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance The Lord shall make good his loving kindness towards me yea thy mercy O Lord endureth for ever despise not then the work of thine own hands O GOD thou art my God early will I seek thee My Soul thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and drie land where no water is Like as the heart desireth the water brooks so longeth my Soul after thee O God My Soul is athirst for God even for the living God when shall I come to appear before the presence of God How amiable are thy dwellings O Lord of Hosts My Soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the Courts of the Lord my flesh and my heart rejoyce in the living God O that I had wings like a Dove for then would I fly away and be at rest O send out thy light and thy truth that they may lead me and bring me unto thy holy Hill and to thy dwelling For one day in thy Courts is better then a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God then to dwell in the tents of wickedness I should utterly have fainted but that I believed verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living Thou art my helper and my redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying EJACVLATIONS O LORD of whom may I seek for succour but of thee who for my sins art justly displeased Yet O Lord God most Holy O Lord most Mighty O Holy and most Merciful Saviour deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of my heart shut not up thy merciful eyes to my prayer but hear me O Lord most Holy O God most Mighty O Holy and Merciful Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternall suffer me not at my last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy child yet O Lord do not thou cast off the bowels and compassions of a Father but even as a father pitieth his own children so be thou merciful unto me Lord the prince of this world cometh O let him have nothing in me but as he accuseth do thou absolve he layes many and grievous things to my charge which he can too well prove I have nothing to say for my self do thou answer for me O Lord my God O Lord I am cloathed with filthy garments and Satan stands at my right hand to resist me O be thou pleased to rebuke him and pluck me as a brand out of the fire cause mine iniquities to pass from me and cloath me with the righteousness of thy Son Behold O God the Divel is coming towards me having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time O save and deliver me lest he devour my soul like a Lion and tear it in pieces while there is none to help O my God I know that no unclean thing can enter into thy Kingdom and I am nothing but pollution my very righteousness are as filthy rags O wash me and make me white in the blood of the Lamb that so I may be fit to stand before thy Throne Lord the snares of death compass me round about O let not the pains of hell also take hold upon me but though I find trouble and heaviness yet O Lord I beseech thee
sliden back by a perpetual backsliding no man repenteth him of his wickedness or saith what have I done 'T is true indeed we fear the rod we dread everie suffering so that we are ready to buy it off with the foulest sin but we fear not him that hath appointed it but by a wretched obstinacy harden our necks against thee and refuse to return now O God what balm is there in Gilead that can cure us who when thou wouldest heal us will not be healed we know thou hast pronounced that there is no peace to the wicked and how shall we then pray for peace that still retain our wickedness This this O Lord is our sorest disease O give us Medicines to heal this sickness heal our souls and then we know thou canst soon heal our Land Lord thou hast long spoken by thy Word to our ears by thy Judgements even to all our senses but unless thou speak by thy Spirit to our hearts all other Calls will still be uneffectual O send out this voice and that a mightie voice such as may awake us out of this Lechargie Thou that didst call Lazarus out of the grave O be pleased to call us who are Dead yea putrified in trespasses and sins and make us to awake to righteousness And though O Lord our frequent resistences even of those inward Calls have justly provoked thee to give us up to the Lusts of our own heart yet O thou boundless Ocean of mercie who art good not only beyond what we can deserve but what we can wish do not withdraw the influence of thy grace and take not thy holy spirit from us Thou wert found of those that sought thee not O let that act of mercie be repeated to us who are so desperately yet so insensibly Sick that we cannot so much as look after the Physitian and by how much our case is the more dangerous so much the more soveraigne Remedies do thou apply Lord help us and consider not so much our unworthiness of thy aid as our irremediable ruine if we want it save Lord or we perish eternally To this end dispense to us in our temporal Interest what thou seest may best secure our Spiritual if a greater degree of outward Miserie will tend to the curing our inward Lord spare not thy Rod but strike yet more sharply Cast out this Devil though with never so much Foaming tearing But if thou seest that some Return of mercie may be most likely to melt us O be pleased so far to condescend to our wretchedness as to afford us that and whether by thy sharper or gentler methods bring us home to thy self And then O Lord we know thy hand is not shortned that it cannot save when thou hast delivered us from our sins thou canst and wilt deliver us from our troubles O shew us thy mercie and grant us thy salvation that being redeemed both in our bodies and spirits we may glorifie thee in both in a chearful obedience and praise the Name of our God that hath dealt wonderfully with us through Jesus Christ our Lord A Prayer for This Church O Thou great God of recompences who turnest a Fruitful land into Barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein thou hast most justly executed that Fatal Sentence on this Church which having once been the perfection of Beautie the joy of the whole earth is now become a Scorn and derision to all that are round about her O Lord what could have been done to thy Vineyard that thou hast not done in it and since it hath brought forth nothing but wilde Grapes it is perfectly just with thee to take away the hedge thereof and let it be eaten up But O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us yet do thou it for thy Names sake for our backslidings are many we have sinned against thee O the hope of Israel the Saviour thereof in time of trouble why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarrie for a night Why shouldst thou be as a man astonied as a mightie man that cannot save Yet thou O Lord art in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not deprive us of what outward enjoyment thou pleasest take from us the opportunities of our luxurie and it may be a mercie but O take not from us the means of our Reformation for that is the most direful expression of thy wrath And though we have hated the Light because our deeds were evil yet O Lord do not by withdrawing it condemn us to walk on still in darkness but let it continue to shine till it have guided our feet into the way of peace O Lord arise stir up thy strength and come and help us and deliver not the soul of thy Turtle Dove this disconsolate Church unto the multitude of the Enemie but help her O God and that right early But if O Lord our rebellions have so provoked thee that the Ark must wander in the Wilderness till all this murmuring Generation be consumed yet let not that perish with us but bring it at last into a Canaan and let our more innocent Posterity see that which in thy just judgement thou deniest to us In the mean time let us not cease to bewail that Desolation our sins have wrought to think upon the stones of Sion and pitie to see her in the dust nor ever be ashamed or afraid to own her in her lowest and most persecuted Condition but esteem the Reproach of Christ greater riches then the Treasures of Aegypt and so approve our constancie to this our afflicted Mother that her blessed Lord and Head may own us with mercie when he shall come in the glory of thee his Father with the holy Angels Grant this merciful Lord for the same Jesus Christ his sake A Prayer for the Peace of the Church LORD Jesus Christ which of thine Almightiness madest all creatures both visible and invisible which of thy godly wisdome governest and settest all things in most goodly order which of thine unspeakable goodness keepest defendest and furtherest all things which of thy deep mercy restorest the decayed renewest the fallen raisest the dead vouchsafe we pray thee at last to cast down thy countenance upon thy well beloved Spouse the Church but let it be that amiable and merciful countenance wherewith thou pacifiest all things in Heaven in earth and whatsoever is above Heaven and under the earth vonchsafe to cast upon us those tender and pitiful eyes with which thou didst once behold Peter that great Shepherd of thy Church and forthwith he remembred himself and repented with which eyes thou once didst view the scattered Multitude and wert moved with compassion that for lack of a good Shepherd they wandred as sheep dispersed and strayed asunder Thou seest O good Shepherd what sundrie sorts of Wolves have broken into thy sheep-cotes So that if it were possible the very perfect