sinne sinfull sinne sins of all sorts committing things forbidden and omitting things commanded So that I cannot but confesse against my selfe I am wholly not only sinfull but a lump of sin it selfe a puddle of putrifaction a sinke of vncleannes a gulfe of grosse impieties and a carcasse of most filthie leprosie full of spirituall rottennesse vnworthy the light of the Sunne to lighten my corporall eyes to see to do euill not worthy to breathe in the ayre to speake euill nor worthie to partake of the ordinary food of men to strengthen my flesh the more to sinne nor worthie to consort with humane societie to make them sinfull by my sin Oh wretch that I am how haue I plunged my selfe into thy heauie displeasure how haue I lost thy loue who louest righteousnes and hatest iniquitie Oh wretch that I am how haue I runne without right reason to my ruine rashly Lord I am vnfainedly sorie for my sinnes and I long to be reconciled vnto thee lest I goe to my graue with griefe lest from the graue I should come into iudgement with horror and be inforced to heare that fearefull and finall sentence of reprobatiō pronounced against 〈◊〉 neuer to be reuoked indure torments neuer to be eased Oh Lor 〈…〉 mercifull and louing remember I am but dust forget not how orignall sinne seazed vpon me before I had sence or power to commit actuall sin call to minde that I was conceiued and borne in sinne and brought corruption in my flesh frō my mothers wombe which I could not preuent And although it be the rule of thy seuere Justice to lay the guilt of parents vpō their children yet let thy mercies which are aboue thy Judgemēts shew themselues now when else there is no hope Amen Lord increase my faith and forgiue my sinnes Another shorter prayer for forgiuenesse of sinnes O Heauenly father thy promises are many faithfull and comfortable Thou wilt not the death of a sinner but desirest rather that he should repent and liue If thou then desirest rather that I liue then perish giue me a repenting hart renue a right spirit within me reforme me and I shall be reformed for in me Lord there is no goodnes no power and as little will to doe good but a will and power to do euill only Let therefore thy grace worke effectually in me a new heart a new minde new affections holy and sanctified So shall sin become lothsome vnto me which I haue loued and holines of life shal be sweet vnto me which I haue neglected thy Commandements that I haue transgressed I shall indeuour to fulfill thy patience which I haue abused I wil answere with more filiall obediēce The curses then that I haue deserued shal be turnd into blessings and I shall frame the residue of my life in better actions I shall abandon as deceiuing vanities those sinnes wherin I haue delited and shal shun the baits wherwith Satan hath allured me to sin and whereunto I consented by the vanity of mine vnregenerate affections Oh pardon pardon my sins good Father in Iesus Christ fill my hart with the liuely apprehension of thy mercies speake peace vnto my sad and sorrowfull soule reuiue my dead distracted thoughts plunged in despaire cast thine ey◠vpon Christ thy beloued in him 〈◊〉 louing eye vpon me who without him am a cast-away Heare him 〈◊〉 mediator for me heare me a sinner for his sake and pardon me for thy mercies sake Take me now Lord out of the dungeon of feare wherin I haue bin long a captiue sold vnder sin Set me now free from the danger of death and hell Let Satan flie and fall before my face Let sin haue no more power ouer me receiue me into thy fauour assure me of full and free remission of my sinnes in Christ worke true peace in my conscience The sting of death being broken the feare of the iudgement to come may be turned into a liuely assurance of saluation that white I liue here I may euermore feele the liuely worke of thy holy Spirit in me Make the residue of my dayes the dayes of vnfained mourning for my former offences and of a most vpright and righteous conuersation to come and let faith euermore preuaile against all future temptations that I may finish the course of my life in that peace which proceedeth of perfect loue which loue bringeth forth filiall obedience vnto thee which obedience is more acceptable in thy fight then the sacrifices of bullocks and goates Accept me now good Father in Iesus Christ into thy fauour remit my sinnes number me amongst thine elect and seale me vp in thy mercies against the day of my finall visitation Heare me O Lord and let thy holy Spirit guide mee euer vnto that day through Christ my Sauiour my Mediator my Strength and my redeemer Amen O Lord increase my faith and pardon my sinnes A MOTIVE TO A Prayer for a godly and holy life and for power of resisting Satan and sinne THe course of euery mans life declar's what kind of man he is whether carnal or spiritual for as the tree is knowne by his fruit so is euery man known of men by his life conuersation And it is much to be lamented that men though carnally minded will iustifie themselues and make protestation of their hope that they shall be saued as well as he that walketh most sincerely before God and men And this out of a voluntarie ignorance and blindnesse in not knowing and truly distinguishing betweene the wayes of sanctitie and sinne the first leading to heauen and eternall life through grace and faith in Christ the other to hell and reprobation through our owne corruption by the obeying the will of Satan It is more then wonderfull to obserue the courses of carnall men who pretend that they are trauelling to that blessed New Ierusalem and yet take the direct way to Cursed Ierico they couet in conceit to ascend the holy hill of Sion and yet will not leaue that wicked Babylon They professe to liue after the Spirit but doe the workes of the Flesh. They would seeme to liue in Light but behold they are in Darknes not considering that he that liues after the flesh shall die yet how loth are carnall men to leaue the way that leadeth to destruction and how vnapt and vnwilling to walke in the way of life which is Christ in whom if we truely beleeue we walke in him if we truly walke in him we truely liue in him and that life is the summe and end of all our hope it is the marke whereat we ayme all our holy endeuours Let vs therefore determine with our selues and constantly resolue to walke before God and to be vpright Let vs make our supplications in his presence with our whole hearts And let vs duely consider our wayes what they haue beene And let vs now turne our feete vnto his testimonies Let vs strengthen and confirme our resolutions of a godly life by
to accompany one another in that most holy exercise And where one two or more prepare themselues to thee in diuine supplications assist them with thy holy Spirit that all for one and one for all may pray vnto thee in the name of our Redeemer That all our hearts may agree in so holy a harmony of praying one for another as thou mayest be pleased to blesse vs all with peace in Christ with plentie health and the vse of all necessaries for this life and grace to obtaine the glory to come for his sake who hath euer bene is and shall be our Mediatour our strength and our Redeemer Amen O Lord increase our faith A MOTIVE TO the confession of our sinnes to God and to stirre vs vp to pray for the remission of the same THE beginning of our saluation is the true confession and acknowledgement of our vnworthinesse and to aske pardon for our sinnes in a liuely faith in Christ Iesus For whose sake God faithfull and iust hath promised to forgiue vs So that we neede not to feare to confesse our sinnes seeing he that is faithfull and true hath made vs a promise to forgiue vs. And therefore saith the Wise man Be not ashamed to confesse thy sinnes especially vnto God in Christ our Mediatour who is not ignorant of our infirmities but knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth t 〈…〉 we are but dust he was tempted as 〈◊〉 are but resisted the tempter to teach vs to withstand the assaults of Sathan whom God permitteth to trie vs to the end that we may striue to preuaile and hauing sustained any foyle falling into any sinne that we might learne that wee haue an aduocate with the Father euen Iesus Christ t 〈…〉 righteous who is a propitiatioÌ„ for our 〈◊〉 Let vs not therefore be ashamed or afraid to confesse our sinnes to God for it is the first steppe to Repentance But men generally are more ashamed to confesse their sinnes that they haue committed then they are to commit them and more willingly doe they vndergoe the committing of sinne then wisely to represse or strongly to resist it the knowledge of our sinâ— and the confession of them is the chiefest token that we are in the way of saluation And nothing more witnesseth against vs then a purpose to hide our sins from God or to thinke he seeth vs not when in deed he not onely is priuie to all our outward actions but knoweth our very thoughts long before And therefore our pretence of conceiling our iniquities from him aggrauateth the sinne arguing that God is not an all-knowing God which implieth a denial of his omnipotence and commeth neere vnto the foole that sayth in his heart there is no God Let vs therefore be wise in searching out our sinnes which lurke vnder the cloude of our naturall blindnesse Let vs obserue whereunto wee are most inclinable what sin is our chiefest Dalilah our corrupt hearts Delite for howsoeuer men are subiect to many sinnes yet there is one aboue the rest a master sinne which though all other sinnes seeme to hide their heads when the stronger man the spirit of God beginneth to possesse the house of our soules yâ—â— that predominant sinne wil hardly be cleane thrust out And therefore are wee to bee wise as Serpents to obserue and preuent sin and innoceÌ„t as Doues to liue a godly life which can neuer be where sin of any sort beares the sway If wee confesse them God is faithfull and iust to forgiue them according to his promise which he hath also confirmed by many examples Dauid Paul Peter Mary Magdaâ—ene The Publicane and m 〈…〉 liuely figured by the Prodigall sonne God is most rich in mercie and m 〈…〉 readie to forgiue as Dauid doth wâ—nes I will confesse saith he my sinne and mine vnrighteousness against my selfe and thou forgauest me the wickedness◠〈◊〉 my heart So readie is God to forg 〈…〉 as if we doe but truly purpose to confesse and repent he euen then receueth vs to mercie how much more 〈…〉 with a lowly contrite and brok 〈…〉 heart and an humble spirit we 〈◊〉 pardon in Iesus Christ the righte 〈…〉 shall we obtain fauour and find gr 〈…〉 If our sinnes be as red as scarlet 〈◊〉 will make them as white as snow 〈◊〉 vs therefore pray for remission of 〈◊〉 sinnes past and for power to resist 〈◊〉 â—ure temptations if there remaine 〈◊〉 vs any hope of saluation O Lord increase my faith A confession of sinnes with a prayer for pardon for the same O Great and most mercifull God maker of the heauens founder of the earth gouernor of the raging seas and Creator of all things visible and inuisible who all obey thee in their conditions Man the most glorious of all creatures excepted who rebelled as soone as he was created I the poorest and vnworthiest of creatures doe heere cast my selfe downe before thy mercies seat and with the poore sinning Publican humbly acknowledge mine iniquities who am a man of the seed of transgressing Adam in whom by whom and from whom the most deadly infection of originall sinnâ— is fallen vpon me which hath so polluted mine vnderstanding that I erre in iudging betweene good and euill So tainted my will that I runne after forbidden vanities so blinded mine affections that I loue what thou lothest and adhor what thou wouldest I should embrace and my hart is so defiled and corrupted that I lay vp in store as in a treasury within the bosome of my soule a huge masse of most lothsome sinnes whence ariseth as out of a stincking dunghill of detestable vncleannesse most vgly and abhorred transgressions and most desperate rebellions against theâ— more and more prouoking theâ— to indignation by my continuall offending thy lawes by contemning thy mercies by abusing thy long-suffering by despising thy most sacred word by not belieuing thy fatherly promises by not fearing thâ— terrible iudgements and by 〈◊〉 cursed and carelesse course of life whereby I haue defaced that diuine Image of puritie and sanctitie wherein I was first created 〈◊〉 thiâ—â— owne Image in Adam Infinite are my sinnes Lord and paâ— finding out oh clense me from my secret sinnes If thou Lord straitly maâ—kest what is done amisse who shall 〈◊〉 able to stand Lord turne away t 〈…〉 face from my sinnes put away 〈◊〉 transgressions out of thy remembrance consider not Lord mi 〈…〉 offences how readie I haue been to embrace those forbidden fruits of the flesh which being the sauour of death vnto death and how wilfully I haue reiected the fruits of the Spirit sauouring vnto life eternall It is too much Lord that I brought death into the world with my life but much more by adding actual to mine original transgression There is no part within me or without me free from deserued condemnation my hart is corrupted my tongue and lippes profane mine eyes blinded my hands defiled my feet polluted and all the members of my body stained with the filthines of
in Iesus Christ iâ— hope that thou wilt either restore me to happie health or in thy good time take me to thy more happ 〈…〉 kingdome and howsoeuer the will shall be make me patient in my greatest fits of paine and 〈◊〉 mitigate the extremitie of my disease that I be not driuen to bee sencelesse of my sinnes or forgetfull of thy promises through the violennce thereof nor lay more vpon me Lord then I shall be able to beare Another prayer to be said of a sicke man I Doâ— confesse vnto thee Oh father my sinnes for which I do acknowledge thou doest deseruedly afflict me I cannot beare nor vndergoe the stripes that I haue deserued at thy hands who knowing thy will haue not done according vnto the same but haue cast thy holy CommaÌ„dements and mine obedience vnto them behinde my backe what I should not haue done that I haue done and what I should haue done I haue not done O vnprofitable seruant that I haue bin yet cast me not away good father for I am the worke of thine owne hands as touching the framing of this my earthly tabernacle as for sinne it is of myselfe therein was I begotten and borne and thereby doe I daily offend thee and so much the more haue I sinned by how much I haue enioyed the health and strength of my bodie and the vse of my sences and I cannot but acknowledge Lord that it is good for-me thaâ— thou hast afflicted mee with this thy fatherly visitation giue me grace to accept it as a fauour of thine and the fruit of thy mercie for my renouation and reformatiâ—on and let not Satan suggest or perswade mee that it is in iudgement as the fruit of thine indignation to driue me to despaire of the sauing health The health of my bodie is a sweet blessing vnto me yet thou knowest Lord what a spurre it is to forbidden vanities And sicknes as it is in it selfe is most grieuous and lothsome yet being seasoned with thy inward grace a sweet remedie against the killing disease of sinne Oh show it downe Lord into my distressed soule the sweet showres of thy sanctifying Spirit that I may hee sanctified throughout so shall my sicke and weake bodie bee richly and sweetly comforted in this comfortlesse condition which were it not supported by thy fauour loue could not but faint al the powers both of my soule bodie faile within me Oh speak coÌ„fortable things Lord vnto thy diseased seruant extend a fatherly helping hand to make my bed in my sicknes Thou art the Physitian of our soules bodies I am sicke in both cure me Lord in both my sicke soule hath need of the bloud of the Lambe to refresh it and to clense it from spirituall leprosse and my body Lord lieth at the foot-stoole of thy mercy and as thou by thy word didst make me in the beginning so by thy word canst thou reuiue me that am neere both spiritually corporally dead If thou in thy wisedome thinke that this my infirmity be more profitable vnto me then health or death more coÌ„uenient for me theÌ„ life performe thine owne good pleasure towards me only make me inwardly and outwardly ready that I setting both the houses of my soule and bodie in order through Christ I may recommend both into thy most sacred and sauing disposition Grant this Oh Father for Iesus Christ thy beare Sonnes sake who liueth and raigneth with thee in the heauens with whome and in whom grant Lord that I may liue and after this life raigne for euermore Amen O Lord increase my faith euermore Meditations vpon the sicke mans recouerie of his health I Will prayse thee O Lord with all my heart and I will magnifie thy name for euer for many are thy mercies towards me for thou hast deliuered my soule from the lowest graue Therefore now as thâ—â— hast renued my outward health renue my inward obedience Rectifie my iudgement make true peace in my conscience blesse my sences purifie my affections order my memorie increase and con 〈…〉 e my loue of thee who hast shewâ—â— me more mercies and fauours then my tongue can expresse O my soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within thee praise his holy name my soule praise thou the Lord and forget not all his benefits which forgiueth all thy sinnes and healeth all thine infirmities which hath redeemed thy life from the graue crowned thee with mercie and louing kindnesse which filleth thy mouth with good things and renueth thine age as an Eagle Thou Lord are full of compassion and mercie slow to anger and of great goodnesse thou wilt not alway childe neither keepest thou thine anger for euer Thou hast not dealt with mee according to my sinnes nor rewarded mee according to mine iniquities As a father hath compassion on his sonne so hast thou compassion on them that feare thee I will praise thee O Lord among the people I will sing vnto thee in the congregation of the Saints for thy mercie is great aboue the Heauens and thy truth reacheth vnto the cloudes Thou knowâ—st whereof I am made Thou remembrest that I am but dust Let my soule therefore liue and it shall prayse thee Lord increase my faith and confirme it ouermore in Christ Iesus Amen A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said of such as visite a sicke friend or brother MAn that is borne of a â—â—man hath but a short time to liue and is full of miserie Therefore is euery man subiect to sicknes and death To bewaile therefore the sickenesse or death of our dearest friends beyond that which is â—it is much to be reproued because it argueth a kinde of discontent that God should visite vs in the visitation of our friends children or dearest parents We must therefore auoid two extreameâ— â—â—â—st that we sorrow not as doe the Heathen that haue no hope of a future better life Secondly wee must beware wee follow not the steps of Ieroboam who â—ought help at the hands of Baal-zebuâ— for his sonne And as did Ahaziah in his owne sicknesse we must rather enter into an holy consideration that God in whatsoeuer he layeth vpon our selues or vpon them we loue as our selues it is for his owne glory and therefore to be praised of vs both for ours the good of those our friends whom he afflicteth if we beleeue his promises that all things shall worke together for the good of them that loue him The best office then and the most Christian duety that a Father can performe for and in the behalfe of his sicke childe or one deare friend or brother for another is first to admonish him that sinnes cause sicknesse and to moue him to repent them that euery man is borne to die and therefore to perswade him to prepare himselfe for another condition not to flatter him as too many doe as that they seenâ— cause why he should feare death at this time they seeme rather to assure him
he shal recouer and liue with them which kinde of comfort is rather iniurious then friendly for what if the partie thus idlely secured perish without repentance These kindes of comforters haue little cause to imagine they haue performed a Christian dutie in this their visitation of their sick friend whom they seemed to loue much bewailing his sicknes and yet content to send him away with the heauie burden of his sinnes A second Christian duty is to pray for the sicke either in priuate or in publike assemblies of and with such as are present with the sick person wherein also the sicke person may conioyne either in the whole prayer by an inward lifting vp of his repenting and faithful heart to God in a holy meditation of what they pray or to conclude with them all Amen The prayer of the faithfull auaileth much if it be feruent The Lord by this meanes will strengthen him vpon his bed raise him to health or translate him in his good time To visite the sicke is an action most acceptable to God Yee haue visited me saith Christ when I was sicke therefore c 〈…〉 yee blessed c. Them that comfort the afflicted God will comfort He is the Father of mercies and comforteth vs 〈◊〉 all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any aff 〈…〉 by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God O Lord increase my faith A Prayer to be said for a sicke man or woman of his or her friendes that visite them O Most gracious Lord God who hast made all things preseruest euen the meanest of them by thy prouidence a sparrow lighteth not on the ground without thee Much lesse can any thing befall man but by thy will and determinate counsell So that we doe acknowledge that thou visitest this thy seruant here at this present languishing and that the present infirmity wherewith he is afflicted is of theesent to humble him for his sinnes Let it please thee O Lord to behold him in mercy and lay not vpon him too great a weight of thy dispeasure knowing that man in his greatest strength is weake how much more feeble being crushed as it were in â—eeces by the violence of thy visitation mitigate if it please thee the extremitie of his sicknesse and giue him patience to beare this thy light and louing correction And for that sinne is the cause of all troubles and tribulations Remoue Lord the guilt of all his offences through the merits of Iesus Christ and moderate his punishmeÌ„t though in iustice the most iust man is worthy of more stripes then he is able to beare yet thou refusest no truely repenting sinner bee his sins as reâ— as scarlet thou hast promised to make them as white as snow through the blood of Iesus Christ the sauing Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world Touch the hart of this thy seruant with a liuely feeling of his sinnes and a full assurance of thy mercy in forgiuing them That hee being really reunited vnto thee through an â—ufained faith in Christ may â—ouze vp his fainting soule vnto thee and by thee that howsoeuer his corporall weakenesse may argue the heauy displeasure towards him thy holy Spirit may yet work such peace in his conscienc through the assurance that his sins are freely forgiuen him that hee may take this thy visitation as a fatherly correction and louing chastisement for his former offences And that if thou be pleased to restore him to health it may worke in him a true renouation reformation of the rest of his life heare haue mercy vpon him O Lord haue mercy vpon him and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all his offences Looke fauourably vpon him cure him if it please thee restore him to health if it may stand with thy glory and his good But thou knowest Lord whether sickenesse or health bee most expedient for him whereof both he and wee are ignorant And therefore wee recommend him vnto thy fatherly disposition beseeching thee to confirme his hope assure him so of thy mercie that hee may imbrace life or death at thy pleasure and willingly to vndergoe this affliction knowing that all the tribulations which man can beare in this life are not worthy of the glory which thou hast prepared for them that loue thy second comming whâ—â— thou wilt giue to euery man according to his workes And therfore Lord turne his heart from the loue and vanities of this life vnto thâ— loue of the ioyes to come And 〈◊〉 him no longer set his heart and affections vpon this world or thâ— things in the world but onely and altogether vpon heauen and heauenly things That when the moment of time shall be wherein thâ—â— shalt determine the separation 〈◊〉 his soule from the bodie let 〈◊〉 the common enemie of our saluâ—tion preuent him But let thy sanctifying spirit possesse all thâ— powers of his soule that with holy alacritie and cheerefulnesse he may commend his spirit into thy hands and be thou pleased to reâ—â—iue him as one of thine adopted children into that celestial inheritance by the merits of Christ And in the meane time while hee shall rest here either in health or sickenesse be euer present with him for whose bodily recouery and hiâ— soules saluation O Lord hearâ— our prayers and let our cry come vnto thee Amen O Lord increase his and our faith for euermore A MOTIVE TO A Prayer before a man bâ—gin his Iourney HEe that well considereth the casualties of this life and hath but the least measure of vnderstanding and of the feare of God cannot attempt the least enterprise of the body but will forecast diuers daÌ„gers incident in euery action much more taking a Iourney on horse or foot being subiect to so many misfortunes and crosses as he maketh steppes in his wayes It is not rare to heare of one breaking his legge another his arme a third bruzing his body a fourth comming to vntimely death by falling off or from his horse nay the slip of the foote hath many wayes occasioned death besides hazard of meeting with and suffâ—ring danger by the ministers of Sathan and by malignant men laying wait to doe mischiefe Our bodies being thuâ— daily and vniuersally beset with perill requireth watchfulnesse in our wayes and walkings But it is not in our power wisdome to preuent the least crosse much lesse able are we to defend our selues as of our selues froÌ„ the hidden and sudden misfortunes of this lifes casualties And therefore had we neede to leaue our owne selfe wisedome and prouidence though not our Christian care and betake vâ— to the holy protection of the Holy one of Israel who guided Iacob in his Iourney towards Laban and the seruant of Abraham iourneying for a wife for Isack But they prayed for good successe So must euery faithfull man if he hope of the like Otherwise as the Lyon mette the Prophet and sâ—ue him So can God rayse
promise they may be assured of timely deliueraÌ„ce in the instant of their greatest danger Some trust in chariots and some in horses but let vs remember the name of the Lord our God A Prayer to be vsed in the time of warre O God of hoasts wee beseeth thee looke downe vpon vs thy people oppressed and afflicted with the fearefull visitation of the sword wherwith thou threatnest to punish vs for our disobedience Thou art the God of peace send peace if it please thee and if they will not bee appeased breake the swords of thine and the Kings and thy Churches enemies shiuer their speares in sunder confound their counsels distract their league dissipate and disperse their companies stop their furie frustrate their hopes strike terror in their hearts weaken their armes take from them the staffe of bread and stand thou in the defence of thine Anointed incourage his heart and the hearts of all his subiects to shew themselues faithfull in thee girâ— thou their victorious swords vpon their loynes Manage thou their battels and giue them the victorie Giue them such successe as Iehosh aphat had against his enemies by thee Confound the enemie as thou didst Sennacheribs souldiers do vnto them as thou didst vnto Pharaoh and to his hoast Prosper them that fight for thy truth as thou didst Dauid against the Philistims and let thine Anointed take vp the triumphant song of Dauid The Lord hath diuided mine enemies asunder as water is diuided Goe out before our Captaines as thou didst before Deborah and Barak giue vs vi 〈…〉 ie as vnto them for it consisteth in thy power and prouidence not in Goliahs strength nor in Achitophels counsell nor in multitudes but in thee alone and therefore in thee do we trust let vs neuer be confounded It is sinne wee confesse that stirreth vp these calamities against vs giue vs repenting hearts and reformed spirits Let vs lift vp pure hands with vndefiled hearts as Moses did vnto thee and prosper Let our enemies fly before vs as before Iosuah and let their strong holâ—â— be as the wals of cursed Iericho hurle them downe and let them neuer bee built againe to trouble the peace of thy Church Thou art the author of peace extend thy peace ouer her like a floud Lord lift thou vp thy countenance vpon vs and giue vs thy peace in Christ. Amen Lord increase my faith A MOTIVE TO A Prayer in the time of famine or dearth FAmine is the most grieuous plague that can befall man in this life for the want of foode causeth the bodie to pine and consume it pincheth the very entrails of al creatures brutish and humane without respect In so much as to appease this greedie monster as it may be termed men are inforced to feed on things most lothsome and vnwholesome instead of things salutarie and good There may be a Dearth without Famine but neuer Famine without a Dearth for to appease the violent furie of hunger men will giue their greatest Jewels and in the times of much necessitie hunger is of so homely a condition as where in the time of abuÌ„dance it scorned base and homely meats she scornes not now the basest nor the vilest things Famine is a Tyrant Dearth but a theefe the one fauours neither poore nor rich but oppresseth all without respect of person age or sexe the other is parciall stealeth from the poore and giueth to the rich it pineth the needie and filleth the wealthie and therefore is Dearth vncharitable vnreasonable and vnconscionable vncharitable in not giuing to the poore vnreasonable in not obseruing where most need is vnconscionable in withholding from the poore and giuing to the rich but they are both the instruments of Gods heauie displeasure for sinne and therefore not bee preuented or relieued without true repentance and faithfull prayer God hath promised that such as seekâ— him with a faithfull heart shall want no maner of thing that is good and in the time of dearth they shall haue enough Woâ— bee vnto them that in the time of dearth keepe in their corne and other victuals to inhaunce the prices that grinde the facts of the poore they shall be numbred among the wicked and their names shall be written among those that haue no loue but the faithfull shal feed and be satisfied and the little that the righteous hath shall be better more comfortable vnto him then the great abundance of the vngodly Therfore in the time of this kinde of visitation it behoueth all men to pray vnto God whose power is able to doe wonderfull things to make a cup of cold water and a morsell of bread to giue strength whereupon to walke fortie dayes as Eliah did and to increase the small portion that we haue and to make it powerfull to nourish vs as to the widow of Sarepthah Trust thou therefore in the Lord be doing good and thou shalt be fed assuredly They shall not bee confounded in the perillous time that trust in the Lord but in the dayes of famine they shall haue enough A Prayer in the time of Famine and Dearth O Great and powerfull mercifull and louing Father in Jesus Christ who hast made man to serue thee and all creatures to serue maÌ„ Look down wee beseech thee vpon vs now in the time of distresse want of necessaries to sustaine our mortal bodies Thou knowest whereof we are made remember that we are but dust and our liues are sustained by those thy creatures that thou hast created for our vse which thou hast now so diminished and decreased as the staffe of our sustinance is broken and we waxe faint vnder the burthen of thy heauie displeasure It is our sinnes Lord that haue drawne downe this fearefull visitation vpon vs which we are not able to beare And therefore as thou art gracious merciful powerfull and prouident forgiue vs our sinnes in thy mercie in Christ. Releeue vs by thy power for his sake and prouide for vs in thy prouidence call to minde thy mercies of old wherein thou relieuedst not only our faithfull Fathers but such as were strangers also vnto thy Couenant the Aegyptians to whom thou diddest send Ioseph to prouide for the Famine to come a speciall worke of thy wonderfull prouideÌ„ce Come now vnto vs Lord coâ—â— now vnto vs increase our small store and blesse it as thou diddest the oyle and meale of Eliahs h 〈…〉 faile vs not nor forsake vs in the 〈…〉 e of our greatest need leaue vs not in our distresse Thou haddest compassion Lord vpon foure thousand which were to depart from thee and diddest feede them when they had nothing to eate and thou gauest them sufficient with seuen loaâ—es â—as also fiue thousand with fiue loâ—â—es and a few fishes all men suffised and many fragments remained Why therefore should we feare or despaire of thy prouidence seeing thou canst feed so many with so little shew of outward meanes and as thou canst releeue with little in quantitie so
continuall prayer otherwise what good we determine to day will be repented to morrow and we through our weaknes shall fall againe contrarie to our godly resolutions Our supplications to God for his assistance and strengthening of our resolued reformation must be continuall because our spirituall aduersaries are continually working to seduce vs out of the way of a sanctified life A ship as soone as her sailes are hoised feeles the winde and begins to make way if then there be no skilfull pilote at the helme to steere shee either rusheth vpon some rocke or driues the contrarie course So are mens affections swayed with the good or euill spirit Needs there not therefore a wise consultation of all the sences of the inner and outer man how to steere the affections aright which as the sailes are to the ship so are they vnto the minde for being once hoised they carrie the desires as the sailes the hull and if it want right reason to steere it it neuer can shape the course of godlines Let vs therefore pray that we may be able to manage the ship of our affections to the port of true obedience in a sincere course of life And happie is that man that truly determines constantly continues faithfully prayeth and wisely considers the course of his life and euer remembreth his end A Prayer for a godly life and to resist sinne and Sathan O God my God in Iesus Christ maker and creator of all things gouernour of heauen and earth preseruer of our soules and bodies the giuer of life light The framer disposer of all right and religious hearts The perfecter and finisher of our faith In by whom are all things and without whom nothing can haue any being Much lesse corrupt man haue any existence in life though be seeme to liue in the body except thou liue in him for our life which is our saluation and our glory and our crowne is hidde with thee in Christ. Such is thy mercy towards vs as thou vouchsafest to shew vs our blessed being with thee in the heauens in this our mortalitie in part as in a glasse lest wee should faint in our trials powre downâ— O Lord a full and large measure of thy sauing grace into my heart that I apprehending in part the sweetnesse of the life to come may frame my selfe to that course of life heere as may assure me of that which is to come Abandon and abolish the darkenes of mine vnderstanding and giue me the light of true iudgement that I may warily watchfully wisely foresee obserue shun the subtill baytes and allurements of sinne and Sathan giue me grace to walk in the way of life leaue not the powerfull power of Satan nor the poysoning sting of death in me Settle mine affections vpon the hid treasures of thy loue guide garde me with thy sauing power instruct me in the way of true wisedome Adorne me with all thy spirituall graces and diuine vertues sow in me the seedes of sanctity water me with the dew of thy holy Spirit purifie and cleanse my heart rectifie mine affections blesse my godly enterprises and holy endeauours frame all the parts powers faculties and sences of my soule and bodie that they may all meete in the loue of thee and euery one performe his office according to the greatnesse of thy name Let my heart harbour holy thoughts let my will euer be framed after thy word let mine vnderstanding bee manifested by righteousnesse and a sanctified life let my memorie neuer let â—â—ipthe good things thou hast done for my soule Let my handes be purely clensed from pollution my tongue from prophanation mine eyes from the gilt of concupiscence my feer from following vanitie and all the parts of my body from the least appearance of 〈◊〉 That I being thus clensed and reformed I may walke euer in thy faith liue euer in thy feare and at the last yeeld my body to the graue in thy fauour where the power and sting of death shall faile of further pursuing me and there shall I leaue that sinning part vntill it shall bee made a shining part with my soule by the brightnesse glory of thy presence in the heauens Thy goodnesse and mercy shewed vnto sinners in this life leadeth the seriously penitent and truely faithfull to the consideration of their present weakenesse wants and imperfections and to the contemplation of their future fulnesse of ioy comfort and euer-continuing consolation O stirre vp in me a liuely hunger and thirst for spirituall graces in this life where we are pressed downe with a mighty masse of corruption and compassed about with a darke cloud of errors Insomuch as I a man begotten conceiued and borne in sinne can neuer be able to stand vnder the burden of the one or to comprehend thee my Light and my saluation through the other How then Lord shall I be able to walke in thee who art the true way vnderstand thee the sauing trueth or attaine vnto thee being eternall life Therefore Lord vouchsafe to inlarge my heart in all godly forwardnesse to proceede from knowledge to knowledge from faith to faith from one diuine grace to another vntill I attaine to full perfection in Christ in whom all our holy indenours be euermore blessed sinne euermore weakened and all goodnesse euermore increased But many are the blockes which Sathan layeth and couereth them with the vayle of pleasure and profite which make many to stumble and fall Many ministers hee vseth to snare vs and many miseries and mischiefes hee plotreth and practiseth against vs to dismay vs from following of thee but hee hath not so many agents to allure or terrifie vs as thou Lord hast meanes to preuent the one and to defend vs in the other Plead thou therefore my cause and defend me against that spirituall enemie that fighteth against me leaue me not in his power shorten the extent of his chaine breake his teeth that he may haue no power to seize vpon me weaken the poyson of his inchantments that he pollute in me neither the will nor the deede That I may leade my life vnspotted in the world and that all mine actions and indeauours may prosper that sinne that hangeth on so fast may be cast off And giue me a sound knowledge of thy good pleasure that I may truely determine to shake cleane off the vnprofitable workes of darkenesse and be truly clothed with the holy robes of righteousnesse and sanctity That I may be euer able and ready to pray vnto thee obtaine at thy hands the direction to liue vprightly in thy sight and that I may euer consider mine owne weakenesse and imperfections to the end I may indeauour to keepe a good conscience in all mine actions for as our sences and the members of our bodie are many and euery one subiect to sundry infirmities and temptations and euery of our actions open to diuers infections and pollutions So Lord I beseech thee to blesse all