sinnes both before and since our calling in the grave of CHRIST JESVS and hide them in his righteousnesse for evermore There is no helpe or comfort to be had either in Heaven or in Earth in Angels Saints or mortall men to our wounded consciences but onely in the spotlesse justice of thy deare Son Give assurance therefore we beseech thee to every one of our soules that his pretious bloud was shed for our sinnes in particular that wee may sensibly feele the forgivenesse of our sins and rejoyce in the hope of eternall life In His blessed name we give thee all possible thankes for those many mercies and comforts which thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us most unworthy wretches We thanke thee deare Father for our health wealth and liberty for our peace plenty and prosperity for our food and apparell for our preservation from our cradle to this howre and all the good meanes of these but more especially for the more speciall tokens of thy great love for these we have common with the reprobates and those which shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall be turn'd to hell and everlasting fire We thanke thee for chusing us before all worlds to be heires of Heaven and Citizens with thy Saints We thanke thee for confirming unto us our Election by our effectuall calling O happy be that blessed time when thy good Spirit put the first motions into our hearts to become thy children This is the blessing wee infinitely esteeme before al worldly comforts and wherein is the preciousnesse of all true joy and contentment O most loving and gracious Father we beseech thee goe forward with the worke of this our New-birth that thou hast begun in us and never take away thy hand unto the day of JESVS CHRIST Thou hast promised that whom thou hast loved once thou wilt love for ever and thou art without all shadow of change and sooner shall the mountaines bee cast into the Sea before one jot of thy gracious promise fall unto the ground or one title of thy Word be unaccomplisht Take from us therefore wee beseech thee all privy pride and hypocrisie all vanity and vaine-glory all dullnesse backwardnesse and security in thy service which hang so fast on which cleave so close unto our soules and fearefully hinder us in the course of godlinesse but above all things let us never fall backe againe into the grosse and horrible sinnes of our unregeneration Reveale unto us we beseech thee all our sinnes give us tender consciences and a continuall increase in spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding untill we come unto that happy strength by which the world is crucified unto us and wee unto the world and bee able to say out of the powerfull feeling of thy goodnesse upon our soules with thy blessed servant David GOD is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth bee mooved and though the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the same GOOD LORD bee mercifull with the bowells of thy Fatherly compassions unto thy Church and every member thereof Be gratious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible sins thereof And in the same looke downe we beseech thee with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon the excellent instrument of thy glory our most gracious Soveraigne Give him the spirit of zeale wisedome and governement that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Blesse all his Counsellors both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge the Nobility of this Land the Gentry all inferiour Magistrates all Judges and Justices of Peace those that are imployd in fighting thy battells either by Land or Sea Give to every one a spirit to his calling Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people that depend upon them and lastly the salvation and comfort of their owne soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich wee beseech thee with many graces of zeale faithfullnesse and sincerity the Ministers and Preachers of thy holy Word blesse their labours that some good may come of them increase their number place over every Congregation a faithfull and religious Watchman that may go in and out before thy people in soundnesse of doctrine and uprightnesse of conversation Touch the hearts of the many multitudes of this Land that at length they may turne unto thy truth and so be delivered out of the tyranny and power of Satan to the freedome of thy deare Son CHRIST JESVS our LORD Give successe good LORD and prosper all those which in their good purposes seeke the preferment of thy truth by good and lawfull meanes Blesse all them that thou hast joyned unto us with any bond of love kinred or acquaintance all those whose hearts thou hast stird up to doe us good any manner of waies and those also which wish and worke us evill if they belong unto thee Comfort O LORD with thy sweetest comforts all thy children which are vexed either in soule or body whether by Pestilence Famine Warre poverty imprisonment sicknesse or banishment trouble of conscience vexation of spirit disquietnesse of minde want of spirituall comfort or whatsoever kinde of affliction of body or mind thou dost try them with Give them in the meane time faith in thy promises and comfort in thy Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whether by life or by death as it shall be best to thy honour and glory and good of their owne soules But especially as we are bound at this time we humbly intreate thy loving kindnesse and tender mercies for our poore afflicted brethren and sisters here about us in London Oxford and many other places of this Land O LORD stay thy revenging hand Though wee bee but wormes and dust yet thou art our Creator and we the worke of thy hands Thou art our Father and wee thy children Thou art our Shepheard and we thy sheep Thou art our Redeemer and wee the people whom thou hast bought Thou art our GOD and we thine inheritance Forget not therefore O LORD to be gracious and shut not up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure turne thee againe at the last and bee gracious unto thy servants And grant wee beseech thee that these great judgements may effect and worke that for which they were sent even true humiliation and undissembled repentance that we all turning unto thee in truth and sincerity thou maist turne unto us with thy mercies and everlasting compassions And whereas we whom of thy great goodnesse thou hast thus long time spared are as deepe
turne thine indignation away from us It is a heavy judgement and horrible sicknesse which devoures now and eates up thy people in our chiefe City And is fearefully scattered in many places abroad It is called thine hand thy sword the stroake of thine Angell the snare of the Fowler the noysome Pestilence the terrour by night the arrow that flieth by day the destruction that wasteth by noone-day and walketh in the darknesse O Lord our God let us be humbled proportionably to the extraordinary terror of thy heavie hand Thou Lord art acquainted with the anguish of all hearts with the griefes and groanes the necessities and wants of all distressed ones And all those poore soules that are still afflicted under thy mighty hand with the grievous Pestilence in any part of this Kingdome lie in a most rufull comfortlesse and desolate state ordinarily they are destitute of all outward comforts they want the Physitions both of soule and body the presence and comforts of their friends neighbours and all those who are dearest unto them They are vexed with the rage of a horrible disease assaulted with the fearefull sight of all their sinnes the pangs of death and terrour of thy dreadfull Tribunall we humbly beseech thee most mercifull Lord to ease comfort succour and relieve them all farre above that which we can either thinke or speake in their behalfe Especially Holy Father we pray thee blesse every one of them with a right and holy use of this thine heavy hand upon them give them saving sorrow and true repentance the blood of thy Sonne pardon of all their sins perswasion of thy love peace of conscience patience to endure their great extremities and a full recompence of all their outward desolations with the sweete and inward consolations of thy blessed Spirit And so sanctifie good LORD this sore judgement to the whole Kingdome that we may all come from under thy visiting hand as gold out of the furnace refined from the drosse of our corruptions and filth of sin and so fitted and sanctified for the more sincere and glorious service of thy great Majesty unto our dying day O LORD our GOD thou beholdest now from Heaven what hearts we bring now into thy glorious presence how full of deadnesse earthly-mindednesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to performe any holy duty with heavenly minds and spirituall affections we pray thee to stirre them up and quicken them by thy Holy Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in the use of all the Ordinances give every one of us spirituall ability and helpe from Heaven to goe through it with life and power effectually and pleasingly to thy great Majesty in the name of CHRIST An other Prayer for confession of sinne O Eternall GOD great and fearefull strong and mighty yet mercifull and gratious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin we poore wretches vilest creatures doe heere humbly cast downe our selves at the foot of thy great and glorious Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are most unworthy to come into thy presence or to call upon thy dreadfull and Holy Name For thou art a GOD of infinite Majesty and glory and dwellest in light that no man can attaine unto and we are vile wormes dust and ashes dwelling in houses of flesh and Tabernacles of clay wherein we can doe nothing but sin Thou art a consuming fire and we are even as stubble before thee ready to bee devoured by thy fierce wrath if thou shouldest deale with us as we have deserved Thou art a GOD of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity and we are encompassed and laden with all manner of pollutions and sinfullnesse Beside that bloudy rebellion with Adam in Paradise and cursed Leprosy of Originall sin which hath universally corrupted all the faculties and powers of body and soule filling them with all Hellish poyson confusion and pronenesse to ill The whole world hath beene worse for us since wee came into it There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth but so farre as in us lay we have polluted wronged dishonoured and abused it one way or other 1. We have villanously stroke at the Apple of thy pure eye Holy Father many and many a time with filthy thoughts abominable lusts and fearefull provocations we have pressed thy mercies even as a cart is pressed which is full of sheaves we have shamefully abused the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering leading us to repentance 2. We have dishonoured thy deare Sonne by despising him in his Ministery neglecting his many gratious invitations persecuting him in his members and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament 3. We have grieved thy good Spirit by putting backe his holy motions or smoothering them by worldlinesse lusts and earthly delights 4. We have vexed thy blessed Angels so much as in us lies besides many other waies even in this house of thine with unreverence drowsinesse sleepinesse and the like where they are beholding with delight the misteries revealed in the Gospell 5. We have wofully abused all thy creatures they should have ministred to us continuall matter of heavenly meditation upon thy greatnesse and goodnesse power and providence c. but our earthly minds have made no such holy use of them but wee have covetously and sensually abused them to our owne ends and carnall contentments 6. Even this Kingdome gratious Father wherein we have beene borne and bread and enjoyed many good things hath beene much worse for us For we have had our hands LORD thou knowest in pulling downe upon us this horrible sicknesse of the plague of Pestilence and other judgements both temporall and spirituall and without true and timely repentance are likely enough to hasten the destroying sword and besome of destruction to make an end of us 7. We have abused all thy fatherly corrections and chastisements laid upon us in love and for our good they should have brought forth in us the peaceable and glorious fruits of Righteousnesse but they have rather begot murmuring impatiency and discontentment 8. We have abused thy mercies which have beene heaped abundantly upon us above measure and without number even to increase our security and presumption and forgetfullnesse of the evill day 9. We have abused the most gracious and glorious day of visitation that ever any people enjoyed upon earth passing over it very unprofitably like sons and daughters of confusion not gathering any such stock and store of grace against our ending houre as we might plentifully have done 10. We have abused all thy blessed Ordinances those heavenly conduits of all spirituall blessings grace and comfort By our unpreparednesse before irreverence in the use of them fruitlesnesse and want of practise afterward 11. We have wretchedly abused our owne bodies and soules by abandoning them to the service of Satan and making all our members instruments of unrighteousnesse to sin Fearefully were they infected with Originall sin at first but we
direct we beseech thee and sanctifie all our courses that for a few and evill daies in this vale of teares wee may so store our selves with spirituall comfort with a sound heart with a strong faith and a good conscience that we may stand firme and sure at the day of our visitation and when upon our deaths bed we shall bee set upon by the weakenesse of our owne flesh the terrors of death the fearefullnes of the grave and the firiest darts of Satan we may comfortably passe thorow them all in the name and power of thy Son and be receiv'd with joyfulnes triumph into those sacred mansions which he hath already made ready in Heaven for all those that truly love and feare thee In his blessed name we powre out our soules in thankfullnesse for all those many blessings and comforts which thou hast vouchsafed us both upon our soules and bodies both for this life and a better For our health wealth and liberty our peace plenty and prosperity our food apparell and preservation from our infancy to this very hower and for all the good meanes of all these For the free passage of thy glorious Gospell now so many yeares amongst us But amongst all other temporall blessings of our times let us never forget nor we nor all our posterity for ever how it pleased thee in our daies miraculously to magnifie the glory of thy mercy in our wonderfull deliverance from the most secret bloody and fiery plot of the Gun-powder Treason that great astonishment of men and Angels All these outward comforts both publicke and particular are excellent and pretious yet they are such as wee have common with the reprobates and those that shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall bee turn'd to hell and everlasting fire Wee therefore more especially magnifie thy great name for the more speciall pledges and tokens of thy infinite love for that it hath pleased thee to confirme and seale unto us by our effectuall calling and the earnest of thy good Spirit our Election to eternall life from all eternity our particular Redemption from the powers of hell by the death of thy Sonne and an undoubted assurance of the joyes of Heaven in the world to come Increase in us good LORD wee beseech thee daily more and more this blessed assurance which we infinitely esteeme more deare then tenne thousand worlds by making us to grow in repentance and faith and spirituall wisedome and framing us to the obedience of thy Sonne in all knowledge love and obedience Furthermore gracious Father wee humbly intreate thee with the bowels of thy tenderest compassions to be mercifull unto thy whole Church and every member thereof Fence it mightily wee pray thee with the Spirit of truth knowledge and zeale and constancy that in these worst and last daies it may make a strong resistance against the great maine floods of Popery Schisme profanesse and Atheisme Be gracious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible and crying sinnes and the many fearefull provocations thereof In the same looke downe with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon our dread Soveraigne JAMES by thy grace King of great Brittaine France and Ireland Defender of the truly Catholike faith and in all causes and over all persons next and immediatly under thy Sonne CHRIST JESVS in all his Dominions supreme Governour O LORD as thou hast enlarg'd his royall heart even as the sand which is on the sea-shore for understanding learning and wisedome so wee beseech thee to continue unto him a proportionable measure of holinesse zeale and sanctification for the execution of that great place wherin thou hast set him and the enlargement of thy Kingdome here on earth Settle his crowne fast upon his head that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Vouchsafe all the graces of thy good Spirit unto his gracious Queene Plant the true feare of thy great Name in the Princely heart of his Sonne and let thy watchfull providence and thy loving mercies for ever rest upon all that royall family Inspire his Honourable Privie Counsell his Nobility Gentry and Magistracy with spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people which depend upon them and lastly the comfort of their own soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich we pray thee with thy best graces all the Reverend Bishops and Ministers of this Land Endew them plentifully with knowledge zeale sincerity and discretion that by their faithfullnesse and conscionable discharge of their duties the many multitudes in this Land that lie in darknesse ignorance profanesse Popery and Schisme may be brought to the knowledge of thy truth into a holy obedience to thy heavenly Gospell to their owne everlasting salvation Blesse and be mercifull to both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge Comfort all thy distressed children wheresoever or howsoever afflicted whither with Pestilence Warre Famine banishment sicknesse poverty imprisonment disquietnesse of minde vexation of conscience want of spirituall comfort or what other crosse or calamity soever it pleaseth thee to exercise them with Give them in the meane time a sure faith in thy promises and inward comfort in thy blessed Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whither by life or death as it shall be best for thy glory and the good of their owne soules Lastly gracious Father for this sacred businesse wee have now in hand wee humbly beseech thee to blesse and sanctifie unto us at this time the preaching and hearing of thy holy Word it is the ordinance of thy owne infinite wisedome it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the soules of men But unto us miserable wretches it hath beene many times thorow the barrennesse of our hearts the secret and deceitfull corruptions of our nature much sleepinesse and drowsinesse but as water spilt on the ground and even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the aire Forgive us deare Father all our former untowardnesse irreverence and unprofitablenes in these holy exercises and now at length before we goe downe into our graves into black and cruell habitations from whence we must never returne to praise thee upon earth let us feele thy divine finger working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word Let us have the sence of thine Omnipotency in conquering our corruptions and temptations that we being thorowly sanctified both in our soules and bodies forsaking all our knowne sinnes and labouring with sincerity to please thee in all things may have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting life Heare us c. A Morning
Prayer for a Familie O LORD our GOD we pray thee bee mercifull unto us stirre up we beseech thee our dull hearts out of a true sence of our sinnes and miseries and a lively faith in CHRIST JESVS and his pretious deservings to lift up our soules in prayers and praises unto thee O LORD how are we bound to magnifie thy great Name for all the loving kindnesse and great mercies vouchsafed us for preserving us this night past from the ills and dangers which no doubt have befallen many of our brethren as good by nature as our selves for refreshing our fraile bodies with quiet rest and sleepe and bringing us in health in strength and vigour of body to see the light of this day for that it hath pleased thee to reveale unto us the mysteries of godlinesse and some measure of saving truth which thou hast hid from many thousands of the greatest and wisest of the world For that thou hast preserv'd us from many fearefull transgressions and excesses of iniquity to which our corrupt nature would otherwise have led us For giving us the being of reasonable creatures and being borne in this blessed time and part of the world when and where thy glorious Gospell is on foot for the continuance of our health and strength of body for the usefullnesse and vigour of the powers of our soules and sences of which for abusing them we have deserv'd ere this to have beene fearefully deprived For our ingenuous and godly education for our Christian company and good counsell we have many times by thy mercies enjoyed For thy Word and Sacraments the glorious meanes of our conversion and continuance in grace For many gracious mercies by which thou hast laboured gently and fairely to draw us unto thee For those judgements which thou hast sent to humble us and to bring us to repentance For the inlarging of our time for storing our selves with Grace and comfort against the day of our visitation For our freedome from many miseries crosses and vexations which befall other our brethren better then our selves For that it hath pleased thee by thine everlasting decree out of thine owne boundlesse goodnesse and blessed pleasure to save us from many thousand others which perish everlastingly and to make us heires of endlesse happinesse as we are verily perswaded in the world to come For preventing and following us with thy saving graces O LORD we pray thee to open our eyes daily more and more to see and acknowledge these thy great and undeserved mercies upon us and to enlarge our hearts sincerely and feelingly to magnifie thy great Name for the same And as wee humbly intreate thee upon the knees of our soules for pardon and remission of all other sinnes so especially for our monstrous and harefull ingratitude for thy great and many mercies towards us most wicked and sinfull creatures We are ashamed and confounded that so much favour and mercy and long forbearance should bee extended to such rebellious and carnall wretches as we are For besides that naturall pollution we drew from the loines of our sinnefull parents wee have heapt up a great measure of actuall sinnes since we had the use and exercise of reason and power and ability to sinne O LORD our GOD wee humbly beseech thee to give us a full sight of them all and a true sence of thy great wrath indignation against them Let us have remorse and compunction in our hearts and consciences for them all in our affections a perfect hate and detestation of the least corruptions and infirmities And bee thou pleas'd gracious Father thorowly to purge and wash our soules with the precious blood of thy deare Sonne deliver us quite wee beseech thee from the guilt horrour and damnation due unto them And grant that hereafter wee may walke conscionably and carefully in all our waies that we suffer no more our poore soules to bee stained with these foule pollutions we have formerly delighted in Wee confesse and acknowledge to our shame and confusion that wee have many times vowed betwixt thee and our owne soules that wee would watch more carefully over our owne hearts least they should breed and nourish profane idle and wandering thoughts and imaginations over ourtalke least wee should offend with our tongue that wee would be more zealous and faithfull in the duties of our calling in sanctifying thy Sabbaths receiving thy Sacraments hearing thy Word in Christian conference company meditation and all other holy duties but alas all these good purposes have beene but as the morning dew we have even in short time broken our vowes growne cold againe dull and formall to the much greefe of thy good Spirit and discomfort of our owne soules Now LORD wee pray thee deale mercifully with us in this point forgive our many frailties and infirmities herein and at length thorowly sanctifie us draw our affections from the false glory and sinfull pleasures of this vaine world and fasten them there where true sound and lasting comfort is to be enjoyed Give us wise and understanding hearts that we may see and perceive those things that belong to thy glory and the salvation of our own soules and sanctified wills and holy affections to follow and pursue them with all earnestnesse zeale and fervency of spirit Let us even this day get some ground against Satan and forwardnesse in the course of Sanctification Let us store our selves with some new godly purposes and holy resolutions to doe thy will and keepe thy righteous commandements Fill our hearts daily more and more with all saving graces and the virtues of CHRIST JESVS Cause us perpetually to keepe in minde and consider that we are but as pilgrims and strangers here in this world that wee must shortly depart hence and never returne againe but presently come to judgement and receive an everlasting reward according to our workes Weaken wee beseech thee daily more and more the power of sinne in us let us feele it decay and loose its hold and haunt in us and strengthen in us the power of grace the new man and all spirituall comforts Neither pray wee for our selves onely but for all thy deare children fellow heires with us of everlasting happinesse in what part of the world soever they be LORD we pray thee to be continually present with them with all thy comforts and mercies let thy good Spirit leade them into all truth let the wings of thy providence and protection stretch over them all And such as yet lie in profanesse and under the shadow of death hasten their conversion reveale unto them the glorious comforts of grace and let the powers of darknesse hold them no longer LORD be mercifull unto this sinnefull Kingdome wherein we live and enter not into judgement with the horrible rebellions and fearefull abominations thereof Stay the rage of prophanesse that fearefully overflowes in all places to thy great dishonour and griefe of thy children Stop the crying sinnes of the time and recover thine
owne glory out of the hands of thy creatures whosoever they be Glorifie thine owne selfe and refresh and cheere up thy children Prosper thy Gospell amongst us grant it a free and comfortable passage send it where it is not keepe and prosper it where it is let thy blessings ever follow it and thy mighty power uphold it Oppose thy selfe against them that oppose against it and let them know that it is thine owne glory that is in hand and that they set themselves against the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth Disburden thy Church wee pray thee of all ignorant factious and scandalous Ministers and plant in their roomes men of care and conscience sensible of the great charge they have undertaken truly fearing thee and holding it their greatest comfort in this world to save the soules of men Blesse we pray thee our Prince and people Magistrates and Ministers all degrees and estates from the highest to the lowest Sanctifie and furnish every one of them with all needfull graces fit both for the faithfull discharge of those particular places wherein thou hast set them and that they may doe thee the best and utmost service they can possibly Direct and guide with the Spirit of wisedome all his Counsellors that they may chiefly and principally advise those things which may make for the advancement of thy glory and comfort of thy children Be mercifull to all Christian Families to this familie here present continue thy grace and mercy upon it and let thy loving kindnesse and comforts of salvation never depart from it Remember in mercy and love all mourners in Sion Comfort all those that are any waies afflicted binde up the broken and contrite heart with thy sweetest comforts Give strength and life of grace to those that are babes in CHRIST recover those that are fallen preserve those that stand uphold those that are declining continue all in their first love c. and increase in every one of them daily more and more christian resolution zeale and forwardnesse that they may glorifie thee in all their courses farre more then ever they have done heretofore Lastly we pray thee be mercifull to all those whom thou hast made in more speciall manner the instruments of thy goodnesse and favour unto us all that thou hast bound unto us with any bond of nature of friendship or any way made deare unto us Those who remember us in their prayers or commend themselves to our most unworthy supplications LORD we pray thee bee mercifull unto them let the light of thy countenance shine upon them put Religion thy feare and love every day more and more into their hearts and soules and let the comforts of godlinesse ever rest upon them And grant that wee may all with one minde heart and soule love feare reverence and glorifie thy great Name that so after a few daies spent religiously in this vaine and wretched world wee may live and raigne with thee everlastingly in the glorious and endlesse pleasures of the life to come Heare us c. Another Morning Prayer O LORD we beseech thee gratiously to accept this our Morning sacrifice of prayers and thankes-giving that we poore wretches offer unto thee the GOD of all glory and Majesty LORD take from us all dullnesse of heart all wicked and wandring thoughts put into our soules the spirit of prayer with affection zeale and fervency that wee may rightly and reverently call upon thy great and glorious Name O Eternall GOD most mighty and most fearefull which dwellest in the highest Heavens and with thy wise providence directest all things â—o an excellent end Thou which art to the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and consuming fire but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence and their everlasting reward We the unworthiest of all thy creatures though the most noble by Creation for they in their kindes and severall conditions doe thee honour and service but wee whom thou hast plac'd in this world for a more excellent glorifying of thee have not onely made our selves more vile then the basest creatures and more sencelesse in thy service then the beasts that perish but have even conspir'd with Hell Satan and all the powers of darknesse to blaspheme and dishonour thy great Name to profane thy Sabbaths to breake all thy holy Lawes and Commandements Wee O LORD thus wretched and unworthy are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence for our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasses are growen up unto the heaven and so grievous are they that if thou shouldest require but the least of them at our hands Satan would chalenge us for his and we should never see thy face againe nor the Heavens nor the Earth nor all the goodnesse which thou hast prepared for man The thoughts of our hearts rise up in judgement against us for whereas they should be meditating of thy mercies and goodnesse of honouring thee in our vocations whereas they should be knit fast unto thy blessed Word O LORD they are for the most part idle wicked entising and full of the corruption of our raging concupiscence The vanity of our talke condemneth us for whereas our words should be spent in defending thy honour and truth in reprehending the horrible sinnes of those amongst whom wee live in giving grace to those that heare us they are for the most part full of profanesse worldlinesse and lying The wickednesse of our deeds cry continually for vengeance and curses upon us for besides our many and grosse sins even our best actions are fearefully infected with privy pride and hypocrisie whereas they should wholy and principally bee directed to thy honour and glory they are fouly stained and corrupted with by-respects of credit pleasure or profit In hearing thy blessed Word which wee should count the very crowne and garland of all our delights we feele in our selves great want of due preparation reverent attention meditation and practise In our prayers that inestimable comfort of a regenerate soule wee are grievously vexed with dullnesse wearinesse and by-thoughts In all other good duties of obedience to thy holy Commandements we want that courage zeale and spirituall wisdome which those excellent mercies thou hast vouchsafed us require at our hands O LORD for thy great mercies sake forgive us these great sinnes When we looke upon the vilenesse of our soules by reason of these many transgressions we see nothing before our eyes but thy heavy wrath and everlasting curse the torments of hell and endlesse confusion but yet herein standeth our comfort wee know that to them which truly thirst after thy kingdome which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST which faithfully desire to serve thee in sincerity though they bee encompassed with many weakenesses Thou art a Father of infinite mercies and everlasting compassions and wilt passe by many infirmities of thy deare children Wee humbly therefore beseech thee most gracious Father to bury all our
hee shall prepare his firiest darts to wound our soules to death O then let the light of thy heavenly countenance shine upon us O then let thy blessed Spirit comfort us with his sweetest comforts let the fresh bleeding wounds of our deare Saviour appeare gracious and effectuall to our distressed soules Blesse good LORD protect and defend thy Church wandring farre and wide over the face of the whole earth Let thy mighty hand and stretched out arme encompasse it let thy Omnipotency bee a brazen wall about it leade it we beseech thee into all truth concord and sincerity save it from all schismes errors and heresies mightily fence it from bloody Tyrants hellish Atheists and mercilesse Polititians Comfort we beseech thee all those that bee comfortlesse and distressed with sorrow need sicknesse imprisonment banishment slanderous tongues or any other crosse or calamity Especially good LORD speake comfortably unto them in whose soules are the arrowes of thine indignation and the venome thereof drinkes up their spirit those that groane under the burthen of a vexed conscience and those that suffer persecution for the testimony of thy truth LORD give them faith patience and constancy to abide their triall and a joyfull issue to all their temptations And as at this time we are bound wee humbly intreate thy tender mercies and loving kindnesse for all those in this Land that thou hast heavily visited with the Plague of Pestilence For CHRIST JESUS sake if it be thy blessed pleasure command thy Angell to cease from striking put up the sword of judgement which in great wrath and indignation thou hast drawne out against them And LORD in the meane time give them joy and comfort in thy holy Spirit that howsoever they be strangely and fearefully tormented in their body in this life yet they may be assured of eternall happinesse in the life to come And teach we beseech thee both them and us by thy holy Spirit to take a right view of all our sins the true causes of thy wrathfull displeasure and faithfully to repent for the same And so much the rather O LORD because the reprobate and such as thou forsakest cannot praise thee nor call upon thy Name but the broken heart the sorrowfull mind and a conscience hungring after righteousness shall ever set forth thy praise and glory Lastly most loving Father we beseech thee take us into thy defence and protection this night let thy carefull providence watch over us let thy blessed Angels pitch about us preserve us from all perills and dangers from all the assaults of Satan from vaine idle and wicked dreames Grant unto our bodies comfortable rest and quiet sleepe but let our soules continually watch for the comming of our Saviour in the clouds to end these last and worst daies Amen even so come LORD JESVS that we with thee and the rest of thy Elect may joyfully and triumphantly ascend unto the heavenly Jerusalem there to enjoy fullnesse of joy and pleasures at thy right hand for evermore Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer before a Sermon O LORD prepare our dull and unprepared hearts with feare and humility to enter the presence of thy great and glorious Majesty O Most gracious God our loving and mercifull Father in CHRIST JESVS We thy poore and sinfull servants most humbly beseech thee at this time to blesse and sanctifie unto us the hearing of thy holy Word it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the soules of men But unto us miserable wretches and full of pollution it hath beene many times through the barrennesse of our hearts the secret and deceitfull corruptions of our nature but even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the ayre and as water spilt upon the ground Whereas it might be unto some being humbly and reverently received as a two edged sword that would enter through even unto the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joynts and the marrow that would breake in peeces their hard hearts and strike their conscience with terrour and remorse for their sinnes a necessary step to regeneration And whereas it might be unto others a pretious restorative to repaire the ruines of their conscience and to put life into their dead zeale and affections graciously to enforme them in all the parts of their callings it is but even as a witnesse of our coldnesse sencelessenesse and unthankefullnesse registred in the booke of our conscience against the day of our visitation LORD wee beseech thee out of thy tender compassions to forgive us all our former untowardnesse irreverence and unprofitablenesse in these holy exercises And now at length before wee goe downe into our graves into black and cruell habitations from whence wee must never returne to praise thee upon earth let us feele thy divine power working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word let us have a sence of thy Omnipotency in in conquering our corruptions and temptations let thy powerfull Spirit stirre up our hearts and quicken our affections to embrace the power of religion and true godlinesse that so being freed from sinne by the blood of CHRIST and forsaking all our knowne sinnes and labouring sincerely to please thee in all things wee may have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting happinesse A Prayer before Sermon MOst mercifull Father we humbly beseech thee to give every one of us grace to let these things sink deeply into our hearts Blesse we beseech thee our wills and affections with sanctified desires to entertaine them our memories with faithfullnesse to retaine them our mindes with serious meditations to digest them our hearts with fervency and prayer for thy blessings upon them our lives with practise and piety to profit by them LORD we see clearely that all our pleasures shall die and perish that our honours shall be laid in the dust that our gold and silver shall canker and the rust of of them shall be a witnesse against us at the last day that outward performances of religious duties without inward sanctification shall have their portion with Hypocrites in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstrone Where then shall appeare the lyar the swearer the drunkard the profaner of the Sabbath the uncleane person the proud the idle the malicious the carelesse in his calling even without timely and sound repentance in the bottomelesse pit of the lowest hell O then we beseech thee gracious Father to vouchsafe us in time wise and understanding hearts the spirit of judgement to discerne betweene the short span of this miserable life and the length and breadth of eternity Let us now at length make a through and deepe search into the state of our soules and consciences and if wee find that we be not yet possest of that inward sincerity and true happinesse let us for ever hereafter with greatest fervency earnestnesse and contention of spirit hunger and thirst labour and
brightnesse of thy Heavenly Kingdome and in this weake tabernacle of small continuance we may know the dwelling place which wee shall have for ever in the resurrection of the just Thou that hast the issues of death in thy hand I beseech thee in mercy set before mine eyes alwaies the remembrance of thy judgement seate and my last end whereby I may be daily stirred up to consider in what great danger I stand through the horrible punishments due unto my sins Set before us the shortnesse of our owne life the vanity of all things we enjoy the excellent waight of glory prepared for all those that love thee the plagues of the wicked that great account we must make at our death that great and terrible day that having these things in our sight wee may not put our hands to any iniquity O LORD at this time goe out with the Armies of thy Saints and that fight thy battells in the whole Christian world Pardon we pray thee and passe by all their and our sinnes Helpe us to repent to renew covenant with thee and to feare before thee that they may more cheerefully couragiously and successively defend their righteous cause But infatuate we beseech thee the counsells and strike faintnesse into the heart of al them that lift their hearts or swords against the kingdome of Jesus Christ. And now find out and call to account the blasphemies idolatries cruelties and insolencies of thine and our adversaries and all the blood of the Martyrs of JESVS CHRIST which they have spilt as water upon the ground And if they will not returne unto thee returne it now O LORD GOD of recompences into their bosomes in fury and in jealousie Make them like a wheele c. Psal. 83. 13. Thou hast promised ever to helpe thy people in the needfull time of trouble even now LORD is the season for thy succour And therefore we pray thee for JESVS CHRIST his sake to stirre up thy selfe like a man of warre against all those boisterous and railing Rabsakees that band and combine themselves to put out the glory of Israels or any of thine anointed And give us LORD in the meane time pittifull compassionate and fellow-feeling hearts over the wofull calamities and miseries of thy people in these parts that we may powre out our hearts more fervently unto thee and give thee no rest untill for thine owne names sake thou become glorious in giving deliverance and victory unto thy poore humble servants that trust in thee alone and call upon thy name O LORD of Hosts GOD of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very GOD alone over all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the Heavens and the Earth Encline thine eares O LORD and heare Open thine eyes O LORD and see the blasphemies and bloody desolations which thine and our enemies have cruelly brought upon thine owne people O LORD put on the garments of thy just indignation for clothing O LORD tread downe our enemies in thy wrath and make them drunken in thine indignation and bring downe their strength to the earth O LORD we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthy rags and wee all do fade as a leafe and our iniquities like the winde have taken us away Rise up O LORD and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee Returne O LORD to the many thousands of Israel Numb 10. 35. Let thy people eate up the Nations their enemies and bruise their bones and shoote them through with their arrowes Numb 24. 8. That in our songs of praise and solemne thankes giving hereafter thy whole Church may joyfully sing and say It was not our owne arme or our own sword O Lord God of Hoasts that did save us but thy right hand and thy holy arme and the light of thy countenance because thou didst favour them Psal. 44. 3. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us deale with us according to thy Name for our rebellions are many we have sinned against thee O thou hope and holy one of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why art thou as a stranger in the Land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night c. Ier. 14. 9. See Daniels Prayer Dan. 9. 4. c. O Lord God destroy not the people of thine inheritance O Lord our God thou art God of gods and Lord of lords a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no persons nor taketh reward c. Deut. 10. 17. c. with all reverence and lowlinesse of spirit we acknowledge adore and onely rely upon thy greatnesse thy mighty hand and stretched out arme Deut. 11. 2. And finally we most humbly thanke thee for that it hath pleased thee to keepe us this day and all the daies and times of our lives beseeching thee that thou wouldest receive us this night into thy holy keeping that we may have quiet rest not of bodies alone but of our bodies also resting from all those things that are contrary to thy most holy will attending whilst thou raisest us up in the morning to doe all those things that thou hast appointed us Grant that we laying our bodies downe to rest may be thereby put in mind of our long rest of death that as we do now lay downe our bodies in bed so we may be thereby admonished that hereafter they shall bee laid downe in the grave to be consumed to dust earth and ashes from whence they were taken that we having this before our eyes may bee stirred up in mind warily to walke in this our pilgrimage not knowing when the time shall be of our departure but alwaies to be found ready with our lamps of pure faith clearely burning that we may be accepted to meere the Bridegroome when our Saviour shall call us to judgement at the last day LORD we deserve that thou shouldst leave us to the vilenesse of our owne hearts and to the corruptions we nourish in them and sith wee have so often neglected and abused those good meanes which thou hast ordained for our comfort and salvation wee even deserve that thou shouldest take them quite from us or turne them to be curses unto us we deserve that thou shouldest say to the ignorant be ignorant still to the filthy be filthy still to the malicious be malicious still c. till we have fild up the measure of our iniquiries so that at length thou mightest have a full stroke at our destruction c. The Preachers Prayer GRant that thy Word may bee delivered according to the true meaning of thy Word as it is left unto us by thy holy Prophets and Apostles that it may be divided with conscience wisdome and discretion with all plainenesse and evidence to the capacity of those that are most simple amongst us And blesse we beseech thee our conceptions and memories that we conceive a right use of those things that shall be delivered
and retaine them in our mindes with full purpose of heart to put them in practise c. O LORD bee mercifull unto us pardon and forgive us all our sinnes our many abuses of thy great benefits and mercies especially of thy holy Word passe by we beseech thee our many infirmities and weaknesses Sanctifie unto us at this time our hearing reading and conferring of thy sacred Word Blesse our conceptions and memories that we may rightly conceive it and reteine it in our minds with full purpose of heart to practise it in our lives and conversations Range into order our worldly and wandring thoughts that we may with reverence and attention receive it meditate of it and lay it close unto our hearts that so by thy good blessing wee may bring forth much and good fruit A thankesgiving for the Kings returne out of Spaine and a prayer for his prosperitie ANd as we are specially and extraordinarily bound at this time wee humbly and heartily thanke thee for the safe and comfortable returne of our gracious Prince CHARLES It hath beene from thy great mercy and goodnesse that thou hast gone in and out before him and walkt by him in his most dangerous journey and kept him in all his waies That thou hast beene a brazen wall and fiery pillar about him both by Land and Sea and preserv'd him from every hurtfull snare both of soule and body and broughtst him with peace and comfort againe unto his Fathers house Blessed and bountifull LORD GOD we heartily praise and magnifie we humbly admire and adore the length and breadth and height and depth of thy free grace and love therein to thy Church and Gospell and all that are true of heart Enlarge our hearts we pray thee with all heartinesse and truth to blesse thy great and holy Name the fountaine of all blisse the author of all our good the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being both naturall spirituall and eternall And good LORD goe on with that glorious and happy worke of blessing him still so settle and establish the feare of thy great Name and truth of our blessed Religion in his Princely heart that he may stand therein like Mount Sion and never be removed So guide and direct by thine own mercifull hand all those great affaires which any waies concerne him and with wisdome from the brest of the everlasting counsell of the LORD JESVS that hee may hereafter prove a glorious and renowned Instrument for the advancement of the Gospel of JESVS CHRIST that the heavenly lampe of thy blessed truth may shine faire and pure upon us all our daies and afterwards upon our children and childrens children to the worlds end and the comming of JESVS CHRIST the second time A Prayer for wholesome and seasonable weather STay thy wrath most gratious Father wee humbly intreate thee in this heavie judgement that is growing upon us by this unseasonable weather Thou hast richly loaden and crowned the earth with abundance of thy goodnesse and bounty Add this mercy we pray thee to give a convenient season season to gather it in comfortably We confesse and acknowledge before thee we farre rather deserve that thou shouldst raine downe fire and brimstone upon our heads for our many horrible sinnes that great one the contempt of thy Word which makes us worse then Sodomites then that thou shouldest answer us in this our desire But wee beseech thee in mercy make us first sensible of thy just displeasure to be humbled to the heart root to part from all our evill waies and to seeke thy face and favour extraordinarily and then returne unto us in thy wonted compassion and love In visitation of the sicke WE confesse unto thee mercifull LORD GOD that out of the consideration of our owne many pollutions and imperfections and the glorious purity of thy holy nature wee finde and feele our selves most unworthy and very fearefull to speake unto thy Majesty either for our selves or others yet because it hath pleased thee to give us a commandement and charge to performe this duty of praying one for another and having a gracious promise annexed of prevailing with thee if our prayers be faithfull and fervent We are bold here upon the knees of our soules with all the instancy and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly to intreate thy favour and mercy for thy servant our deare Christian Brother that lies here amongst us upon his bed of sicknesse under thy visiting hand Oh blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee for thy CHRIST his sake thy holy Names sake thy infinite mercies sake thy covenant sake to looke downe from Heaven upon him with the eye and affection of tender-heartednesse love Let the loving countenance and cheerefull face of JESVS CHRIST shine comfortably upon him let the powerfull presence of thy sanctifying spirit possesse his heart wholy with all the graces of salvation and blessings of Heaven let the word of thy grace put quickning life and sanctifying power into his soule that it may be rais'd from earth and sin to rest and peace in the bosome of thy compassions Deale with him we pray thee as thou usest to deale with those whom thou fashions and frames for the joyes and pleasures of the life to come Sanctifie O LORD unto him this present sicknesse let it by thy blessings upon it breake and plow up his heart soundly and thorowly to search and to try his waies that so out of the abundance of his feeling he may powre out a most plentifull and sincere confession of his sinnes before thee and groanes and sighs and desires unutterable for pardon and remission of them all in the blood of thy Sonne Let it we pray thee beget and bring forth in him those blessed effects and happy ends which in such cases thou art wont to worke upon the soules of holy men and women Let him upon this occasion bee truly humbled under thy mighty hand with sight of his owne vilenesse frailty and sinfull miseries that from thence may spring in him an unfained and longing desire after CHRIST and comforts of salvation Let him shake off all carnall security dependance or confidence upon the arme of flesh or upon any glory and vanity in this life Let his repentance upon this occasion be performed unto thee with more sincerity universality and thorownesse then ever heretofore A Prayer when any drawes neere unto death O Mercifull LORD GOD upon the knees of our soules and from the ground and bottome of our hearts we humbly beseech thee that wherein soever Satan hath any waies blinded him or his own heart deceived him or how farre soever the image of CHRIST hath beene defaced and decayed in him All his omissions of good duties all his defects and wants in faith repentance prayer obedience c. or whatsoever I say wee most humbly beseech thee to forgive and pardon them all for the passions sake of thine onely Sonne Whatsoever at
have made them much more sinfull by our actuall transgressions ever since we have added a great deale of folly in respect of the mystery of CHRIST every way LORD thou knowest we are become exceeding sinfull We humbly intreate thee in the name of the LORD JESVS to illighten our mindes and open our eyes to see the length and breadth the height and depth of this our sinfull misery for which thou mightest justly bring upon us all the curses in thy booke and all the torments in hell and in the meane time plague us with giving us over to more hardnesse of heart blindnesse of minde deadnesse of conscience slavery under our lusts a reprobate sence and to be finally sealed up with the spirit of slumber against the day of vengeance which are farre worse then all the plagues of Egypt 1. Thou mightest Holy Father even thine owne selfe for our many dishonours and disobedience against thee draw that sword against us that would eate flesh and drinke blood suffer that wrath to be kindled in thy bosome against us which would burne unto the bottome of Hell come against us as a Beare robbed of her whelps and rent the caule of our hearts and teare us in peeces like a Lyon when there is none to helpe 2. Thine owne deare Sonne might for ever deny us his pretious bloud to wash away the least staine from our sinfull soules 3. Thy Holy Spirit might never more put any motion into our hearts 4. Thy blessed Angels might take no more charge over us or be ministring spirits unto us for our good but leave us as a prey to that roaring Lyon and his damned Angels 5. All the Creatures might come justly armed against us with their severall stings and rage to make an end of us for rebelling against thee their Creator 6. This Kingdome wherein we live might justly fall into the mouth of some horrible confusion and we inwrapt in the miseries and desolations thereof 7. All crosses afflictions and thine angry visitations upon us might be unto us the very beginnings of Hellish paines 8. Thy many mercies unto us which should leade us unto repentance might onely serve to far us against the day of slaughter 9. The day of our gratious visitation might end and the Sun set upon the Prophets 10. All thy blessed Ordinances might bee unto us the savour of death unto death 11. Our bodies and soules might bee most justly cast into the bottome of Hell there to be tormented with the damned for ever and ever O LORD our GOD we humbly beseech thee for the LORD JESUS his sake let a serious consideration of this our sinfullnesse and cursednesse breake our stony hearts into peeces make them burst and bleed within us and good LORD our GOD we being thus sincerely humbled let us get faster hold upon the LORD JESVS with a sound and fruitfull faith then heretofore by a stedfast looking upon him and all his sufferings and satisfactions from his comming from thy bosome untill his returning unto thy right hand againe by survaying all the promises of of life sealed with his blood by cleaving to his sweetest name which is to forgive iniquity transgression and sin and resting our selves with a thankfull and joyfull acknowledgement upon that blessed mystery of his free grace which reacheth from everlasting to everlasting c. A Thankesgiving MOst mighty and most glorious Lord God of Heaven and Earth our light and life our Sun and shield the strength of our hearts and our portion forever Thou art the Author of all our good the fountaine of all our blisse the well-spring of immortality and life wherein we live and move and have our being even our naturall spirituall and eternall being And therefore to thy great and glorious Majesty we render from the bottome of our hearts all possible praise and thankesgiving for all those glorious mercies and richest favours which thou from time to time hast abundantly and plentifully vouchsafed unto us most rebellious unthankfull and undeserving wretches We thanke thee for the well-head and first fountaine of them all thy love towards us and of all our good every way even the good pleasure of thine own good will thy free grace and that mercy that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting We thanke thee for putting us into this world in the best and blessed part and time thereof We might have beene borne and lived in the time of the flood and so beene drown'd and damn'd or within the compasse of that almost foure thousand yeares betweene the Creation and the comming of CHRIST out of the partition wall and so have had no meanes or ordinary possibility of salvation But have lived and dyed in cursed Paganisme and Heathenish Idolatry we might have lived in that darke and damned mid-night and have beene choakt with the doctrine of divels wee might have lived at this time of the world but amongst Turks Pagans Infidels where wee should never have heard savingly of JESVS CHRIST It 's thy infinite mercy wee have beene borne and bread and brought up in this happy time of the world and blessed corner of the Earth this illightned Goshan where we have enjoyed or might have enjoyed the glorious Gospell of our blessed GOD with such purity power and peace We thank thee blessed GOD for making us reasonable Creatures capable of grace and immortality Thou mightest have let us lie for ever in that abhorred state of being nothing and wee should never have dishonoured thee Thou mightest have made us of those Angels that are become wicked spirits and then we had beene irrecoverably lost Thou mightest have made us Toads or Tygers vermine or any vild thing and we should never have prooved such Traytors and rebells against thee as we have beene O LORD we praise thee that thou hast made us of thy noblest Creatures and given us understandings like the Angels of GOD so that if we be not cursedly cruell to our owne soules they may be saved everlastingly by the meanes that we enjoy We blesse thee Holy Father for thy Fatherly care of us being yet in our mothers wombe wonderfully and fearefully made For that miraculous mercy in bringing us into this world and giving us leave to see this light For thy gratious watching over us while wee hung upon our mothers breasts since that time for thy mercifull continuance to us of our life health liberty outward meanes the use of our wits limbs senses for all the good wee have had by good yoake-fellowes good Parents good children good servants good neighbours good governours or any of thy good creatures for every step we have made upon this Earth every bit of bread we have put into our mouthes for every draught of aire we have drawne into these fraile bodies and blessings more then heart can thinke or tongue tell and which we can neither possibly remember or expresse Above all we of this place are bound to praise thy goodnesse most mercifull GOD for that most
be a Sun shield unto it and crowne it with al the comforts of Heaven as thou hast promised then seale unto it for ever the sure mercies of David the salvations of the life to come And I beseech thee also to be so loving and mercifull to my longing spirit so tender-hearted and kinde to my trembling heart that I may feele in my conscience the sprinkling of the blood of thy Son for the appeasing of it that my poore soule may sensibly know what great things thou hast done for it and that thou art reconciled unto it for ever in Christ Jesus Above all things fill my heart with the joyfull feeling of thy mercies in the pardon of my sins that so my quieted soule may sweetly sleepe and solace it selfe everlastingly in that peace which passeth all understanding and in the bosome of thy compassions And for the time to come I pray thee to help me more and more to renew increase my repeÌ„tance to better inlarge my obedience and put to thine owne holy hand to strengthen every grace thou hast given me O Lord my God I could never yet get neere that hand hatred over my sins as I have infinitely desired I beseech thee now at length let mee feele thy speciall comfortable power mightily assisting me in this holy businesse The sins of my youth have beene most hatefull execrable and abominable both to God and man nay and I have been guilty of many horrible villanies which have beene only knowne to thy All-seeing eye and mine owne corrupt conscience I pray thee blessed Lord for thy Christ his sake to worke in my heart godly sorrow true loathing sound repentance and humiliation for them all in some good measure answerable and proportionable to their heighnousnesse and excesse Oh grant mee that happinesse that I may look back upon all those fowle pollutions and sinfull vanities of my unregenerate time without either sensuall delight or slavish horror even with a sincere hatred and heavie mourning Let me see them without any despairefull feare being assured they are done away with the blood of thy Son as though they had never been without any secret delight lest I renew and multiply their guilt grievousnes upon my poore soule which they have too fearefully wounded already And Lord I pray thee also put quickning life power and feeling into my heart and affections in the performance of every holy duty which is the very heart and soule of a pleasing sacrifice and service unto thee Increase in me an holy feare reverence respect to all thy Commandements Cause and continue in me a sincere universall and constant obedience unto them all that not from any slavish feare private end or by-respect but for conscience sake a soule-like feare of thee and love of thy glory And if at any time as it is ordinary with Gods children it shall please thee to exercise me with any crosse disgrace slander discouÌ„tenance losse of goods disease of body terror of soule or the like I pray thee ever sweeten sanctifie them unto mee by thy blessing grant that I may ever obediently with all peace of heart patience of spirit submit to thy will wisedome therein being fully assured that to me which am in Christ the sting curse and poyson of them is most certainely pulled out by the Passion of thy Son And resting ever upon thy sweet pretious promises that thou having given me Christ Jesus will never deny me any truly needfull and and comfortable thing while the world stands And that all things even the rage of Satan the malice of men the miseries of this life nay even the sins of my soule in an holy sence by thy blessings shall turne unto my everlasting good Add I pray thee daily more and more strength and life and new degrees unto all these graces which it hath pleased thee in some measure to plant in my soule of thy owne free mercy and for the mediation of thy Son Increase my knowledge in the great mystery of grace my reliance and trust in thee as one most powerfull mercifull and true my hope and patient expectation of thy presence and assistance in all things that are to come my love of thee thy Word thy children and all things that belong unto thee my zeale courage for thy glory and truth good causes and good men feare of thy great name humblenesse and lowlinesse of minde The Spirit and power of Prayer Patience and contentednesse in all troubles and trials c. or what other holy virtue thou hast in great mercy vouchsafed unto me Grant I pray thee and give me grace to imploy and improove them all to the utmost for the best advantage in procuring thee glory good unto thy Church and comfort unto mine owne soule Blesse I pray thee and be mercifull to all creatures and to the whole world Draw if it be thy blessed pleasure Turks Infidels Jewes to the light and acknowledgement of thy saving truth and the salvation of their soules Blesse our King specially and principally and all his Dominions Roote out of them wee pray thee all ignorance profanesse popery pride oppressions and all the workes of the divell Purge we humbly and earnestly beseech thee this Church and Kingdome wherein wee live and that mightily and speedily from all disorders sedition faction corruptions which any way dishonour thy Majesty vex thy children or hinder a free and glorious passage of the Gospell of thy Sonne Blesse the people committed to my charge my owne Family my friends my goods house cattell and all things that any waies belong unto mee Remember I beseech thee with speciall love and tender-heartednesse all thy deare children whersoever they be especially those who desire my prayers for them and have made the troubles of their soules knowne unto me I pray thee for thy Christ his sake let them fare the better for the poore prayers of thy weake and unworthy servant Gratious Lord I praise and magnifie from the ground and bottome of my heart thy glorious name and the sweetnesse of thy mercy for that golden chaine of comfortable providence which thy mercifull hand hath linkt together for my good ever since I was borne Thou gavest mee a most loving and kinde Father a very skillfull and learned Schoole-master worthy and ingenuous education c. Thou preservedst me mightily and almost miraculously from mayming or suddaine death Thou followedst mee bountifully with thy favours at the University and didst infinitely above all hope and expectation raise up variety of meanes from time to time for my maintenance there c. Thou broughtst me at length fairely easily and uncorruptly into this place and pastorall charge I now injoy Thou hast given me out of thine own free immediate mercy a deare and loving Wife incomparably the fittest for me that could have beene found upon the face of the whole earth But above all the comforts which thou hast brought unto my poore soule by my Booke have beene most unspeakeable and glorious Blessed for ever be thy glorious name therefore c. In a word I am verily perswaded there was never wretch upon earth that receiv'd so many mercies favours and comforts from thee and return'd so little thankefullnesse service and obedience unto thee O Lord my God forgive I pray thee the infinite disproportion of thine immeasurable bountifullnesse to me and my most weake imperfect and sinfull obedience service unto thee O forgive it forgive it for Christ Jesus his sake c. FINIS 1 Sam. 13. â—4 Acts 13. â—2 Juxta cor â—â—um q. d. Qui praeceptum divini consiâ—â—â— exequiâ—ur virtute devotionis Greg. Mag. Expos lib. 5. in 1 Reg. Cap. 13. Devotio est pius humilia affectus in DEVM humilis ex conscientia infirmitatis pro priae pius ex consideratione divinae clementiae Aug de Spir. Anima Cap 50. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dixit Arist. Rhet lib. 3 cap. 2. â—lloigne quâ— divinitùs ad Altare venerit deinceps custodito omnia erant accendenda quae in tabernaculo accendi oportebaÌ„t Aug. Quest. Super Levit. lib. 3. â— 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX Oratio pro pauâ—ere Tremel â—un Iâ—te Psalmus in principio vocem Prophetae continet ex persona peccatoris Hier. Quod slenâ—es dicaâ—â—s nos qui pro peccatis 〈◊〉 his verâ—iculis â—doâ—emur Arnob.