GOD. WE are all Publicans O LORD open the ears of thy favour unto our cry and have mercy upon us have mercy upon us we sin dayly but yet save us of pity save us O shew thy compassion upon me and let me not dye a Judas death let me never tune the doleful song of Cain but ingrave in my heart a full and lively faith in thee that never doubting of thy bounteous mercy I may with a free conscience set Satan at defiance and all his hellish band O merciful Lord hear this my cry and defend me with thy Grace against the power of Satan who roareth of cruelty and lurketh in every corner of malicious subtilty to tear me with the claws of his fury and merciless envy Defend me with faith against him O Lord lay the plaister of comfort to my wounded conscience and cover me with the wings of thy favour that I may live and die in thee and so be blessed for ever to whom O Father with thy dear Son and the Holy Ghost be all power for ever A Prayer to Jesus Christ O My Lord God and sweet Saviour Jesus Christ grant unto me most frail sinner and miserable wretch thy grace and mercy and that I may ever have present before the eyes of my soul thy most holy life and behaviour and that for my possibility and power I may in living and manners follow the same And grant me good Lord to profit grow and increase therein to such perfections as may be acceptable unto thee for the salvation of my soul lighten Lord and make clear and bright my heart with the glorious light of thy Grace that it may ever go before me follow me in all my acts so that by thy conduct and guiding I may accomplish fulfil all that may please thy goodness and utterly eschew and avoid the contrary and vouchsafe sweet Saviour so to order and direct all my cogitations and thoughts all my speech and words all my acts and deeds in thy Law and Commandments and in thy Monitions and Counsel and so take me good Lord unto thee that here in all things doing thy will I may by grace become one of thy saved souls to live with thee my Redeemer for ever Amen Prayers for Tuesday Night O Lord my God and Father blessed be thy Name for ever Dispose my heart and open my lips c. A Psalm MY GOD my GOD look upon me Why hast thou forsaken me and art so far from my health and from the words of my complaint O My GOD I cry unto thee in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night-season also I take no rest And yet thou continuest holy O Thou Worship of Israel Wherefore unto thee O LORD will I lift up my soul my GOD I have put my trust in thee O let me not be confounded neither let mine enemies triumph over me O remember not the sins and offences of my Youth but according to thy mercy think thou on me Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse me from my secret faults Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins lest they get the dominion over me so shall I be undesiled and innocent from the great offence Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my Strength and my Redeemer For thy Name sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great Look upon mine adversity and misery and forgive me all my sins Hearken unto my voice O Lord when I cry unto thee have mercy upon me and hear me O hide not thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Thou hast been my succour leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation I should utterly have fainted but that I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the Land of the Living Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God and I will give thanks unto thee for ever Glory c. A Prayer for the remission of sins O Most loving bountiful Father forasmuch as it is most meet right just and requisite that all flesh should praise magnifie and worship thee should without ceasing give thanks unto thee who only art the Creator and Maker of all things who of thine own mercy and goodness didst send down thine only begotten Son to take our nature upon him and to suffer death for our sins thereby to make a recompence for the offences which Man had committed against thee And all this thou didst of thine exceeding bounty and kindness without any desert of Mankind not being so much as by any one Prayer or yet treaty thereunto incited I being therefore O dear Father imboldened with such an inestimable benefit so freely given and bestowed do without any fear at this time appear before thy Divine Majesty prostrating my self before the seat of thy Mercy and with all humbleness of heart and mind do make this my Prayer unto thee despise me not O Lord being defiled with sin and iniquity be â—merciful unto me a sinner lighten the evil-sighted eyes of my mind open the stopped stopped ears of my heart that I may both see and hear understand that which thou teachest do always that thou commandest and that I be not only a hearer of thy Word but a practiser of the same in my life and conversation Save and defend me from all shame and reproach be thou my shield and buckler against all temptations cleanse my mind and thoughts from all uncleanness keep and preserve me from all danger both in body and soul and guide me with thy grace so to spend this my small short and transitory time in this world that I may be a member of Christ and partaker of thy eternal felicity to the which seeing that by mine own weakness I shall never be able to aspire I do here O Lord take hold of that promise of thine where thou hast said Come unto me all ye that labour and I will refresh you this is my hold-fast this is my anchor and sure stay for verily sweet Saviour when I look upon mine own frailness and behold how ready I am to offend then I quake for fear but as soon as I call to mind thy great love and Kindness and thou wilt not the death of a sinner and that in what day soever he doth heartily repent and call unto thee then thou wilt hear him then I am relieved then I am not a little comforted knowing surely that Thou wilt perform that which thou hast promised in faithful assurance whereof I now say unto thee Turn thou me O my GOD and I shall be turned be favourable unto me O Lord be favourable unto me thy servant and heal my soul which is wounded with sin for I do acknowledge mine iniquity and am heartily sorry for mine offences through which I have either in word or deed thought or any other
charity with thee and my Heavenly Bridegroom Christ Jesus to whom with the Father and the holy Ghost be ascribed all power and glory for ever and ever Amen Prayers for Thursday Morning O Lord my God and Heavenly Father blessed be thy Name for ever dispose my Heart open my Lips and give me thy Holy Spirit c. A Psalm SAve me O GOD for thy Names sake and avenge me in thy strength Hear my Prayer O God and hearken to the words of my mouth An offering of a free heart will I give thee and praise thy Name O Lord because it is so comfortable I will praise God because of his Word I have put my trust in God and will not fear what flesh can do unto me In Gods word will I rejoyce in the Lords word will I comfort me For thou hast delivered my soul from death and my feet from falling that I might walk before thee in the light of the Living Therefore will I call unto the most High God even unto the God that shall perform the cause which I have in hand He shall send from Heaven and save me from the reproof of him that would eat me up He verily is my strength and my Salvation he is my defence so that I shall not greatly fall For the greatness of his mercy reacheth to the Heavens and his truth unto the Clouds Wherefore my soul thirsteth for him my flesh also longeth after him in a dry and barren land where no water is Thus have I looked for thee in holiness that I might behold thy power and glory For thy loving kindness is better than the life it self my lips shall praise thee My soul shall be satisfied even as it were with marrow and fatness when my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips Because thou hast been mine helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce Glory be c. A Morning Prayer O Heavenly Father which like a diligent Watchman attendest always upon thy children whether they wake or sleep and mightily defendest them not only from Satan that old enemy of mankind but also from all other their adversaries so that through thy Godly power they be harmless preserved I most humbly thank thee that it hath pleased thy goodness so to take care of me thy unprofitable servant this night past that thou hast both safely kept me from all mine enemies and hast given me sweet sleep unto the comfort of my body I most entirely beseech thee merciful Father to shew the like goodness towards me this day in preâ—erving my body and Soul that mine enemies may have no power over me and that so likewise I may neither breath â—peak or do any thing that may be displeaâ—ing to thy Fatherly goodness dangerous â—o my soul or hurtful to my neighbour â—ut that all my enterprises may be agreeâ—ble to thy most blessed will which is always good and godly doing that that may always advance thy glory and â—nswer to my vocation that whensoâ—ver Thou shalt call me from this vale of misery I may be found the child not of darkness but of light and so for ever to reign with thee in glory who art the true and everlasting Light to whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost be all power and glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for true sorrow of heart for sin O Most merciful God and dear Father vouchsafe I beseech thee to look down with thy fatherly eyes of pity upon me most vile and wretched sinner which lye here prostrate in heart before the feet of thy bottomless mercy for I have sinned against the throne of thy glory and before thee O Father yet nevertheless forasmuch as thou art the God of all comfort and again desirest not the death of a sinner make me I pray thee by infusing thy precious oyl of comfort into my wounds that I may joyfully run with the lost son into the lap of thy pity for loâ— thou art my hope and trust in whom 〈◊〉 repose my self having in thee full confidence in faith yea and I most vile wretch do here accuse my self unto thee O Father in that I have so sore and grievously offended thy Almighty goodness in the committing of so many grievous and manifold offences I have not kept the least of thy most holy Commandments like as thy righteousness may require the same of me but in what manner soever I have offended against thy eternal Majesty whether it hath been by day or by night secretly or openly O merciful GOD I am sorry for it even from the bottom of my heart yea my soul mourneth that I am not a thousand times more sorry than I am and here in token of true repentance I do knock and strike my heart and say in bitterness of my heart and soul Lord GOD the Father have mercy Lord GOD the Son have mercy Lord GOD the Holy Ghost have mercy and spare me of thy infinite goodness now and for ever and let my heart have part of thy abundant grace so as I may change my sinful life and put off the old man with all concupiscence and that I may die unto the world and the world to me give my soul grace O my GOD to desire in thee only to rejoyce and repose my self and that I may utterly renounce and forsake the vain assistance of this World so that thou mayst find me ready with the good servant in the midnight of death which shall suddenly steal upon me like a thief ere I be aware wherefore be thou to me at that time O Lord a tower of strength a place of refuge and a defensible GOD namely against the face of the Devil who then will be ready to devour me and against desperation which then will be ready to grieve me let then thy comfort cleave fast to me thy mercy keep me and thy grace guide me fetch then again Lord GOD the Father that which thy puissant might hath shapen fetch then again Lord GOD the Son that which thou hast so wisely governed and bought with thy precious Blood take again thou Lord GOD the Holy Ghost that which thou hast kept and preserved so lovingly in this region of sin and vale of misery three persons and one GOD to whom be all glory and power for ever Amen A Prayer for Wisdom O Almighty and everlasting GOD it is thy gift that babes and men of base degree have the knowledge and understanding of thy will and men of profound learning deep study and worldly appearance often want the same It is thou which expellest darkness and givest light which takest away ignorance and plantest knowledge and wisdom denying the same to none that unfeignedly ask it at thy hands without the which nothing can be obtained which good is nor nothing avoided with the evil and that did Solomon very well consider who had a promise at thy hands that whatsoever he asked he should obtain vouchsafe therefore O Lord to send it
our contrition and repentance In affliction saith the Lord they will hear me Davids troubles made him pray Hezekiah's sickness made him weep and misery drew the Prodigal child home We have the Prophets examples and patterns of bearing afflictions patiently which though the punishment and shame is of sin God turns to be the subject of his honour and glory in saving a sinner that calls upon him in faith and true repentance to Heaven His chastisements are signs of his Fatherly love which though for the present seem grievous unto us afterward it bringeth quiet fruit of righteousness to those whom the Lord giveth grace to make a sanctified use of it for which he hath inflicted this sickness on you And know you certainly though your sins are many and grievous which you have committed by the temptation of the Devil yet upon your true repentance God hath promised to forgive the benefits of which are the escaping eternal death God's everlasting punishments and the attaining eternal salvation where sin abounds there grace much more abounds God calls all those that are heavy laden to refresh and ease them of all their trouble the Lord forsaketh no man till man forsaketh him Look not so much upon the greatness of thy sins as to the riches of his mercy and let thy soul be comforted in the All-sufficient atonement of the blood of Jesus Christ Let the wicked saith the Lord forsake his way the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto me and I will have mercy upon him and I will pardon him abundantly Let not your conscience be terrified at the remembrance of your transgressions for there is no sin bars a man from salvation but incredulity and impenitency Therefore lift up your hearts unto the Lord call unto him for mercy repent earnestly of your sins and have a lively considence in Christ's merits and doubt not but upon your humble contrition and sorrow for sin with sighs and tears the blood of a wounded soul God will receive your soul into everlasting happiness to live in eternal glory which he of his infinite mercy grant through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The sick saith O God the Father of Heaven have mercy upon me miserable sinner O God the Son Redeemer of the world have mercy upon me miserable sinner O God the Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son have mercy upon me miserable sinner c. By thine Agony and bloody sweat By thy Cross and Passion By thy precious Death and Burial By thy glorious Resurrection and Ascension and by the coming of the Holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us In all time of our tribulation In all time of our wealth in the hour of death and in the day of Judgment Good Lord deliver us I Humbly beseech thee O Father mercifully to look upon mine infirmities and for the glory of thy Names sake turn from me all those evils that I most righteously have deserved grant that in all my troubles I may put my whole trust and considence in thy mercy evermore serve thee if I live in holiness and pureness of living to thy honor glory through Jesus Christ our only Mediator and Advocate Amen The friends of the sick party shall exhort him to examine himself of his estate both towards God and towards man that so by the condemning of himself he may find mercy at the hands of God for Christ Jesus sake 1. Of the confession of his faith 2. Of his sins and offences both against God Almighty either publick or private or his Neighbor in word or deed 3. Of his considence and faith in Jesus Christ for the death and passion he suffered for all sinners 4 Advise the party to send for the Minister that he may pray with him for the Lord hath promised to hear the prayers of the Faithful for us and to forgive us our trespasses And that he may give him the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ the living Bread that came down from Heaven If any man eat of this Bread he shall live for ever the Bread that I give is my flesh which I will give for the life of the World for whosoever eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him at the last day Joh. 6. 51. 5. Advise him to call to mind what injury or wrong he hath done to any man in word or deed that he may like good Zacheus make satisfaction where he hath injuriously fraudulently taken and detained from any man by oppression or deceit his goods or money for without restitution there can be no Repentance and if no Repentance no expectation of salvation 6. Advise him also to set his house in order for death will not be long in coming and that the covenant of the grace is not revealed to any And to make a judicious distribution of his estate not forgetting the poor The sick saith 1. I believe in God the Father Almighty c. 2. I am fully perswaded and undoubtedly in my conscience believe and do confess and acknowledge before God and you here present that every Point and Article of this my belief is true and necessary to Salvation 3. I acknowledge that I have been a grievous sinner offending my God many ways both in thought word and deed and am guilty of the breach of all his Commandments deserving for the same his heavy wrath and indignation against me I am sorrowful and mourn in my soul for them trusting that the Lord for Jesus Christ his sake who sitteth at the right hand of God making intercession for my sin will have mercy upon me and grant me forgiveness for the same and after this life ended receive me to his eternal habitation 4. I confidently believe that Jesus Christ is the only Mediator and Saviour of all mankind and that I shall be saved by the only merits of his precious Death and Passion which he suffered on the Cross for my Salvation denying all meritorious works of my own and that there is no name under Heaven whereby I may be saved but in the name of Jesus Christ 5. I do from my heart freely forgive all the World all those that have any way wronged injured or offended me by word or deed as I desire to be forgiven of God And I desire likewise all men whom I have often offended by committing any unjust unconscionable or uncharitable act or deed to forgive me being sorry for what I did to their prejudice or hurt O Lord I beseech thee hear my Prayer and spare me which do confess my sins that I whose conscience by sin is accused by thy merciful pardon may be absolved through Jesus Christ Amen O Lord my Redeemer have mercy upon me and receive my Spirit A Prayer to be said by those that visit the Sick O most mighty and eternal God which hast compassion on all men and hatest nothing that thou hast made mercifully we
things thou art God alone O turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thy handmaid Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me O satisfie me with thy mercy and that soon so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life Shew thy servants thy work and thy children thy Glory And the glorious Majesty of the Lord my God be upon me prosper thou the work of my hands upon me O prosper thou my handy work A Morning Prayer O Almighty God and merciful Father which gavest the children of Israel in charge to offer a daily Morning and Evening Sacrifice unto thee that thereby they may glorifie and thank thee for the benefit of their protection both night and day receive of me O Lord the calves of my lips which I lay upon thine Altar being my morning Sacrifice of thanksgiving unto thee I glorifie thee O eternal God for thou hast broken the bands wherewith I was tyed this night by reason of the midst of darkness and hast delivered me from the shadow of death by bringing me safe and sound to the beginning of this day wherefore I will praise thy Name and magnifie thee for ever O Lord continue thy goodness towards me this day and grant that all my Prayers and works may both begin and end in thee vouchsafe O Lord to keep me this day without sin and fill me in this present hour with thy favour and Grace that all this day and ever I may rejoyce and delight in thy Praises Grant merciful God that descending into my soul I may reprehend and condemn mine own spots and vices within me deliver me O Lord from lying lips and save me from a deceitful tongue keep me O Lord from the edge of the Sword from sudden death from the infectious pestilence from mortal sickness and deadly vexation O Almighty sanctifier both within and without keep me this day from danger of blood-thirsty men whose feet are swift to shed blood For into thy hands this day and ever I commend my spirit and that I may watch upon thee my Maker both night and day beseeching thee to protect me in the day of my trouble that the Enemy have no advantage of me and grant O Lord that if in thy justice for punishment of my sin or of thy gracious favour for trial of my Faith and exercise of my patience thou suffer me to fall into any distress or danger to give me I beseech thee a contented mind to yield to thy good pleasure and assured hope and belief as all things are wrought to thy Glory so they may work for the best unto me as one that loveth thee Grant this O most merciful Father To whom with thy Son and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for forgiveness of Sins O God the God of my Salvation I do here acknowledge my sins unto thee and mine iniquities I have not hid Wherefore O my God turn thy face towards me and let thy loving mercy ever more and more extend unto me for I am miserable sinful and poor and I come unto thee the fountain of all help Forgive my sins wash me and I shall be whiter than snow let me tast of thy old loving kindnesses that have been ever of old ready to forgive and to embrace them that turn from their evil ways as appeareth by David Peter and many others who repenting of their sins found favour Wherefore have mercy upon me O God have mercy upon me according to the multitude of thy compassions do away mine iniquities O cleanse me from my secret sins and cover my known sins with the Righteousness of thy Son Jesus Christ remove mine iniquities far away from thee and be not angry with thy servant for ever O enter not into judgment with thy servant for if no flesh before thee be justified what shall become of me who have so highly offended Lord my God full of mercy and pity I appeal unto thee I flee unto thee I rest upon thee leave thy displeasure against me and how weak soever and unable I am to stand in thy presence yet let thy spirit of strength hold me up and say unto me Fear not for my Grace is sufficient for thee I take upon thy love I rest upon thy favour in Christ reject me not though there be no good in me Pour down that absolute good thing even thy Grace and let it direct to amendment of life Thou hast said that thou art well-pleased in Christ thy Son in him be thou also pleased with me and receive me again into thy love through his merits by whom every sinner receiveth free access unto thee and although I for my part most loving Lord am a vessel full of many faults and enormities yet dear Father have mercy upon me and cast me not from thy presence but rather endue me again with a new Spirit and a lively feeling of thy Will and an ableness to do hereafter that I may fill up the residue of my days in sincerity holiness and righteousness and in the due service of thee that from henceforth instead of straying from thee I may dwell and be shrowded under the shadow of thy wings and that instead of sin which hath miscarried me I may embrace Piety Godliness and true Zeal and instead of ignorance whereby I have so long gone astray I may take hold of thy saving truth that it may be a lanthorn unto my seet and a light unto my paths that I may rest safe in thee through a lively faith that never decayeth and here I wait for thy loving kindness and mercy O Lord promised in Christ in whom I am bold with deep sighs of heart to cry and say Lord forgive mine offences cover my sins and lay not my former evils to my charge And for the better performance of this my duty unto thee from henceforth good Lord quench all the corrupt motions of my mind striving with thy divine pleasure that being thus inwardly renewed in my mind reformed in my conversation I may serve thee with gladness through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all glory and honour for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for knowledge to do the will of God O Lord God and Heavenly Father the God of all wisdom and understanding I acknowledge that by thy just sentence in that general corruption which I have drawn from Adams Ioins I am deprived of all spiritual wisdom and knowledge of thee and thy will and that there is nothing in man but blockish and beastly ignorance such as springeth from infidelity and is most contrary to thy will There is none that understandeth there is none that seeketh God O Lord have mercy upon me most miserable and vile wretch and open mine eyes that I
it obedient unto thee From suddain and unprovided death good Lord deliver me by the virtue of thy most excellent and glorious Divinity by the virtue of thine incarnation and by the merits of thy passion and resurrection grant me these supplications which I have made to thee And by thy own and only mediation purchase for me a gracious life and a blessed ending and after my bodily death give me everlasting life with endless bliss that I may reign with thee for ever and ever in the world to come Amen A Prayer for the attaining of a free and quiet mind O Most gracious merciful God keep me I beseech thee from the cares of â—his world that I be never too much inâ—angled therein by reason of the manifold â—hings which this body needeth nor taken with the vain delight of that which doth hurt the soul nor finally broken and overthrown with sorrow I say not from those things which the vain world doth greedily hunt after but from those miseries which suppress the mind of thy servant by a common and penal course of mortality and so withdraw me that I cannot enter into by the freedom of thy Spirit O my God which art sweetness unspeakable make all fleshly joy which withdraweth me from the love of eternal things to be grievous and odious unto me Let not flesh and blood O my God let not flesh and blood overcome me Let not the World and the vain glory thereof deceive me nor Satan with his subtilty supplant me Give me strength to resist patience to endure and constancy to persevere unto the end Grant me for the comfort of thy Word the most comfortable Oyntment of the Holy Ghost And for the lust of the flesh pour on me the love of thy Name The very meat drink and apparel with other things necessary for the nourishment of the body are even burthensome to a fervent spirit But grant O Lord that I may use those things moderately and never be snared with an over-greedy desire of them All things are now to be rejected for their nature would decay Again to covet superfluous and every pleasing thing thy sacred Commandments do forbid for the flesh would insult over the spirit Wherefore between those things let thy hand direct me O Lord and teach me to do nothing out of measure Grant this O most merciful Father to whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost be all Honour and Glory Amen A Prayer for Hope O Eternal Father the author and giver of all Hope and Comfort I beseech thee to fill me with all joy and peace in believing that I may abound in hope through the Power of the Holy Ghost â—nd above hope in hope believing â—ay never doubt of thy Promises but in sure confidence of heart apply to my self â—he remission of my sins and believe veriâ—y that I please thee in Jesus Christ and â—oking in a certain and strong hope for â—e salvation of my soul in the life to â—â—me And albeit the helps and happiâ—ess of this present world appear not unâ— me yet I beseech thee O Lord let me â—â—â—â—tain a stedfast hope among all the terâ—rs of conscience and never suffer the same to be taken away from me by any snare of Satan O thou only begotten Son of God which hast loved me and given me everlasting comfort in hope through grace Comfort my heart and establish my heart in every word and good work that I stick not uncertain neither be tossed between hope and fear but may hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of hope unto the end And assist me O my God and Father I beseeh thee that in all the ways of temptation and troubles in this world I may patiently depend on thee looking for corporal deliverance according to thy will And though the same come not as I wish but be kept from me for a season yet let me never doubt of thine aid and deliverance but hope that coming it will come And I beseech thee O Lord to grant me thy grace that having this hope I may purge my self from all offensive things to thee and serve thee my loving God through Jesus Christ mâ— Lord and Saviour for ever Amen A Prayer against the Power of Satan O Lord my GOD how do we daily pass the limits of thy will We sin at least seven times a day and pledge Mother Eva in the dregs of nature This is the frailty of the flesh and this is the weakness of all Adam's issue A miserable case O Lord unless in thy mercy thou wilt wrap us and cover us with the white rayment of thy Grace that we being thine may never despair for any brunt of stormâ—ng Satan be it never so perillous O â—ord save me in thy mercy behold me â—ave pity and compassion upon me and â—ark not my steps that are crooked but â—ast the eye of thy favour upon thy Son Christ who was content to suffer the â—leeding pains of the Cross to satisfie thy â—rath and to deliver us from the sting of â—hellish conscience Wherefore I beseech â—ee O Lord and most dear Saviour not 〈◊〉 observe mine iniquities but to wash â—e from the guiltiness of sin in the â—â—ood 〈◊〉 thy mercies and so to save me that â—â—ing dead in iniquity and yet saved 〈◊〉 thine infinite pity I may give 〈◊〉 glory unto thee and sing with Our â—other the Church that Salvation belongeth unto thee O Lord to whom be praise and glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for the desire of a Godly Life O My Lord God how happy were I if I might never hereafter in thought word or deed commit the thing that should displease thy Divine Majesty That life is the longing of my soul and the substance of my wish and the effect of my desire my heart coveteth to see that blessed time and my joys then should be such as no mortal man can tell Truly Lord to know thee with the Son and the Holy Ghost is the true perfection of eternal life the end of all blessedness and the summ of all delights No eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor hath it pressed into the depth of any mans understanding to value the inestimable charity delectation and pleasure of the same felicity when we shall behold the Majesty of God face to face And verily most glorious God I have reposed this hope in my heart and do assure my self through faith in thee that these eyes wherewith I read these lines shall see that Glory and this flesh wherewith I am cloathed in corruption and nouâ—led in mortality shall be a member of that immortal Kingdom Unto the which Lord at thy appointed pleasure bring me to whom with the Son and the Holy Ghost be all Power and Glory for ever and for ever Amen An Evening Prayer O Omnipotent and eternal God Father Son and Holy Ghost three in Persons and one in Substance and from everlasting I extol thy sacred Majesty I praise thy unspeakable
even so truly through faith we perceive in the body and blood Sacramentally presented the very taste of eternal life For the worthy receiving of this Sacrament these four things are very considerable 1. Preparation or Examination 2. Faith 3. Repentance 4. Thanksgiving 1. Preparation consisteth in self-examination and in an act of the soul reflecting upon it self in a general survey of our spiritual state in grace comparing our present condition which we find in our selves with the word of God by which will quickly appear what good we should have done and the evil we should not have done S. Paul's admonition is that before the receiving of this holy Sacrament there should be a strict examination Let a man examine himself and so let him eat and drink of this Cup. 1 Cor. 11. For he that drinketh unworthily drinketh his own damnation Therefore certainly great is the danger to us if premeditation precedes not this great undertaking Thus saith the Lord Consider your ways Hag. 1. 5. Consider well what you go about for this duty is no perfunctory imployment no exercise by the bye but such a work as ought to be done exactly seriously with deep meditation and study recollecting in privacy and calling to question all thy actions past the omission of good duties and the doing of evil sweeping as it were all the corners of thy heart and view thy self in the glass of God's Law by which quickly will appear thy great and many sins of all kinds whatsoever as want of love and fear of God abusing his mercies and blessings neglect of works of charity piety and justice offending thy God by blaspheming cursing and customary passion Intemperance by gluttony and drunkenness lust and uncharitable desires hatred malice back-biting and all manner of evil imaginations these are they that defile thy soul and except we do as the Prophet commands us Isaia 1. 16. Wash us make us clean put away the evil of our doings before the Lord's eyes and cease to do evil we shall at the last be rewarded with them that had not on the wedding garment Therefore laying aside all carnal security and self-dissimulation Commune with thy self and be still Psal 4. Search thy soul enquire of thy conscience and rip up thy bosome sins and confess them to the Lord in deep sorrow and contrition of heart imploring his mercy stedfastly purposing by his blessed assistance to lead a new life Accuse thy self and say with the Prodigal in the Gospel Good Father I have sinned I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies it is thy mercy I am not consumed And with Mary Magdalene cast thy self down at the feet of Jesus and wash them with tears in tokens of thy sorrow and signs of thy love and be truly sorrowful for so often offending so precious so merciful a God as our God the greatness of whose love can't be measured whose mercy hath no bounds Therefore O my soul contemplate of the great goodness of our good God which hath this day sent salvation to thy soul and calleth thee to this great feast to be partaker of the precious body and blood of Jesus Christ being prepared by humble repentance to receive in faith and joy thy blessed Redeemer giving thanks always to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ whose mercy is everlasting whose truth endureth from generation to generation 2. Faith which is a certain knowledge with an assured confidence kindled in our heart by the Holy Ghost being assuredly resolved that the free remission of all our sins everlasting righteousness and life eternal is given unto us through the mercies and goodness of Almighty God for the alone merits of Jesus Christ For by Grace are ye saved through Faith and not of your selves it is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ Rom. 13. 24. For as by one man's disobedience all were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5. 3. Repentance which is a godly sorrow for sin wrought in the heart by the supernatural grace of the Holy Ghost turning from all our evil ways unto God is meekness and humility of spirit Circumcise therefore the fore-skin of your hearts and be no more stiff-necked Deut. 10. 16. Wash thy heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4. 14. Return ye now every one from his evil ways and make your doings good Jer. 18. 11. Let us search and try our ways and turn again unto the Lord Lam. 3. 4. Return again unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine own iniquities Hos 14. 1. Draw nigh to God clanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4. 8. 4. Thanksgiving praising God the Lord for all his benefits and mercies especially for sending his only Son Jesus Christ to die for the remission of all our sins and always to be mindful of the greatness of his goodness and the unworthiness of our deserts Worthy is the Lamb that was stain to receive power riches wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing Rev. 5. 12. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praises unto my God while I have a being Psal 104. Accept I beseech thee the free-will-offering of my mouth O Lord Psal 11. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name Heb. 13. 15. An humble confession before the Sacrament O Most mighty God and merciful Father which according to the multitude of thy mercies dost put away the sins of those which truly repent and remembrest them no more open O Lord I beseech thee the eyes of thy mercy upon me thy most unworthy servant who in heart earnestly desireth pardon and forgiveness of all my sins and offences the number of which exceeds the ordinary expectation of mercy and such they are as cannot bear any conformity with excuse the total sum whereof is the breach of all thy Commandments both in thought word and deed thy blessings and benefits I have abused thy judgments and punishments not feared the means of my own salvation utterly neglected and most grievously by my wickedness have I provoked thy wrath and indignation against me my life that was appointed for the service of thee the living God hath been for the most part spent in the service of the Devil in the desires and sinful lusts of the flesh my doings have been evil my desires and thoughts wicked and so detestable hath the whole course of my life been that my soul trembleth to look up to Heaven for fear of thy displeasure shouldest thou therefore O Lord be extream to mark what is done amiss and take vengeance for my sins I were as dust before the face of the wind and in justice might be swept away
into us the breath of life and assigned times and length of our life in this world which thou continuest according to thy good pleasure and if thou withdrawest thy hand we soon perish and are returned to dust whence we were taken we will therefore shew forth thy power in the Evening and magnifie thy goodness for saving us this day from dangers and from our birth in the whole course of our lives hitherto preserving us for thou art a God of patience pity and much forgiveness shewing mercy unto thousands and blotting out all our offences O Lord we pray thee set not before thine eyes the horrible confusion uncleanness and wickedness of our hearts being replenished with loathsome darkness of ignorance errours doubtings and distrust yea our vile hearts have been turned away from thee and all the powers of our souls and bodies are filthily defiled and weakened with wickedness only we cry aloud unto thee favourably to consider the troubles and sorrows of our hearts to strengthen our infirmities and to pardon our most horrible offences for we are wounded and weak and cannot be holpen but only through thy exceeding great mercy There is no health in our flesh because of thy displeasure neither is there any peace or rest in our souls by reason of our sin yet hear thou us O Lord for thy Holy name-sake for Jesus Christ his sake pardon and forgive us all our sins that we have committed against thee this day and grant us thy grace that we may amend our lives and unseignedly serve thee in the several duties of our Callings to thy glory and the comfort of our own Souls remit our punishments restore us to thy wonted favour and receive us into thy most gratious protection and keep us this night and evermore that the Devil may have no power over us nor the sin of wickedness may be able to hurt us Whether we sleep or wake live or die we are always thine thou art our Creator and Redeemer guard us about with the Armies of thy Holy Angels in our habitations expel and remove far away from us wicked Spirits our mortal enemies and graciously protect us from our persecutors which lay snares to subdue us Do thou O God assist us that we may peaceably sleep and rest in thee hide us in thy Tabernacle from the strife of all men and we will fear no evil for thou that keepest us dost neither slumber nor sleep thy rod and thy staff do always comfort and defend us Let thy mercy O God prevent and follow us all the days of our lives that we may dwell in thy House of defence in longness of daies praising thee evermore Father Son and Holy Ghost one true gratious and everlasting God ruling and reigning world without end Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed c. Lighten our darkness we beseech thee O Lord and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night for the love of thy only Son our Lord and Saviour JESUS CHRIST Let thy mighty hand and out-stretched Arm O Lord be still our defence thy mercy and loving kindness in Jesus Christ thy dear Son our Salvation thy true and holy word our instruction thy Grace and holy Spirit our comfort and consolation to the end and in the end So be it Amen The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. A TABLE OF THE PRAYERS Contained in this BOOK VIZ. COmfortable Prayers for Sunday Morning pag. 1. A Confession to God 8. A devout Prayer to Jesus Christ 10. A Prayer to the Holy Ghost 12. A Prayer for Sunday Night 17. A Prayer for Grace 23. A Prayer not to distrust the Mercies of God 25. An Evening Prayer 28. Prayers for Monday Morning 30. A Prayer for forgiveness of sin 34. A Prayer to be restored to God's favour 40. Prayers for Monday Night 43. A Prayer against the power of Satan 53. A Prayer for the desire of a godly life 54. An Evening Prayer 55. Prayers for Tuesday Morning 57. A Prayer of true Repentance and to be purged of sin 62. A Prayer for the aid of God's Holy Spirit 64. A Prayer to acknowledge God in his works 66. Prayers for Tuesday Night 70. A Prayer for the remission of Sins 72. A Prayer setting out the power of God's Grace 75. A Prayer for a competent Living 78. An Evening Prayer 82. Prayers for Wednesday Morning 84. A Morning Prayer 86. A Prayer for Patience 89. A Prayer for Humility 92. A Prayer for God's fear 93. A Prayer for Wednesday Night 99. A Prayer for Mortification 101. A Prayer against desperation 104. A Prayer for the power of God's Spirit to abide in us 106. A Prayer to be mindful of Death 110. A Prayer for an happy departure out of this Life 112. An Evening Prayer 115. Prayers for Thursday Morning 117. A Prayer for Wisdom 122. A Prayer for Charity 127. A Prayer to God to bless our Endeavours 130. A Prayer to live uprightly in our Calling 131. Prayers for Thursday Night 135. A Prayer against evil Imaginations 146. An Evening Prayer 147. Prayers for Friday Morning 149. A Prayer of thanksgiving for the passion of Christ 156. A Prayer for mercy for our offences 159. Prayers for Friday Night 163. A Prayer for redress of a sinful Life 168. A Prayer for continual remembrance of our end 170. A Prayer to Jesuss Christ for Heavenly Comfort 173. An Evening Prayer 177. Prayers for Saturday Morning 178. A Prayer to obtain the Kingdom of Heaven 186. A Prayer for Saturday Night 188. A Prayer for a Blessed and Godly Life 190. A Prayer for defence against our Enemies 194. A Prayer for the opening the Eyes of our Understanding 197. A Prayer for perseverance in Prayer 200. An Evening Prayer 201. Short directions for Receiving the Blessed Sacrament of Christs Blessed Body and Blood 202. An humble Confession before the Receiving of the Sacrament 208. A Prayer before the Receiving of the Sacrament 211. A Psalm before the Sacrament 214. A Thanksgiving after the Receiving the Sacrament 218. A Psalm of thanksgiving 219. A Prayer for the Sick 223. Directions for the Sick 240. A Morning Prayer for a private Family 258. An Evening Prayer for a private Family 266. FINIS
even in the truth of thy Salvation Psal 69. 14. Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse me from my secret faults Psal 19. Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Psal 51. Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved Rom. 10. 3. Hearty Thanksgiving Thanksgiving is an humble joyful acknowledgment and expression of our thanks unto Almighty God for any mercy or blessing received or promised and for preservation and deliverance from any calamity danger or distress with denial of our own merits of the least of these and a magnifying of the greatness and goodness of GOD unto us in and through Jesus Christ Give thanks unto the Lord and call upon his Name Psal 105. Whatsoever ye do in word or deed do all in the Name of the Lord JESUS giving thanks to God the Father and by him Col. 3. 17. My mouth shall daily speak of thy Righteousness and Salvation for I know no end thereof Psal 71. 13. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness and declare the wonders he doth for the children of men that they would offer unto him the Sacrifice of thanksgiving Psal 107. O Lord thou art my God I will exalt thee I will praise thy Name for thou hast done wonderful things Isa 25. 1. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits he hath done unto me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the LORD Psal 116. MOST Comfortable Prayers FOR Sunday Morning O Lord my God and heavenly Father blessed be thy Name for ever dispose my heart open my lips and give me thy Holy Spirit to a true acknowledgment of all my sins that my prayers may be heard of thee in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Psalm HEar me when I call O God of my Righteousness for thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble Have mercy upon me and hearken unto my Prayer My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord early in the Morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee Therefore O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my bones are vexed Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake For in death no man remembreth thee and who will give thee thanks in the pit Wherefore away from me all ye thâ—â— work vanity for the Lord hath heard thâ— voice of my complaint The Lord hath heard my petition the Lord will receive my prayer For why my righteous God tryeth tâ—â— very heart and reins And my help cometh of God which preserveth them that are true of heart Therefore will I give thanks unto theâ— O Lord with my whole heart and I wâ—â—â— speak of all thy marvellous works I will be glad and rejoyce in thee yâ—â— my Songs and praise will I make of thâ—â— O thou most Highest For God is a Righteous Judge strong and patient and God is provoked every day If a man will not turn he hath bent his Bow and will whet his Sword and make it ready Morning Prayer MOst mighty and gracious God which hast brought me out of the Nights darkness into the light of thy Truth to see the light of thy Love that I may rejoyce in the day of my visitation and Salvation whereby the day spring from on high hath visited me and in the day of Salvation thou wilt succour me This day make me hear thy voice and not harden my heart through unbelief or deceitfulness of sin but that by Faith I may enter into thy promised rest give grace unto me O Lord and to all thy people to walk warily diligently and dutifully in my vocation to do such good works wherewithal thou mayest be well pleased and that walking in thy ways I may work out my salvation with fear and trembling and that all my meditations thoughts words and works may tend to the edifying of my Christian Brethren the discharge of my duty the consolation of my conscience and the glorifying of thy most holy Name which art my God my guide my saviour and defender to whom be all Praise and Glory Power Might Dominion and Majesty now and for ever Amen Morning Prayer I Yield thee humble and hearty thanks O heavenly Father in thy Son Jesus Christ for thy innumerable benefits poured upon my Soul and Body and that thou hast kept me this night past from many evils both Spiritual and Corporal and of thy great mercy dost offer and give unto me time and space to repent and amend my life so as I might live henceforth not as I will but as thou wilt and as my body doth draw continually nearer and nearer to the end the grave I mean so my soul might approach unto his end that is Heaven and not Hell for in one state we stand not still but either we are nearer the happy state of Life or else the unhappy condition of Death Eternal Wherefore O my dear Father I beseech thee to be merciful unto me and as of thy goodness thou givest me time to repent so of the same thy goodness in Christ I humbly beseech thee to give me thy gracious gift of true holy perfect and perpetual repentance that I may more and more lament my former sinful life trusting unseignedly in the rich mercies of thee my God through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ for the pardon of all my sins And grant O Lord I beseech thee that I may unseignedly purpose and effectually labour to amend my life this day and so long as I have to live to the praise of thy Name and the good example of others And forasmuch as thou knowest my weakness my ignorance and great untowardness to carry any cross or affliction that Thou wilt of thy merciful goodness so temper and order all things towards me this day and ever that I be never tempted or proved further than I shall be able to bear but so to help me in the same as may be most for thy Glory and my comfort And although O God thy Goodness Mercy and Truth to Mankind in all thy Works doth abundantly appear yet herein chiefly Thou declarest thy self to be most favourable merciful and gracious that not suffering us to walk in darkness ignorance and blindness Thou hast given us thy most holy and blessed Word to be a lanthorn to our feet to lighten our steps in the path-way of everlasting Life lest we should walk in the shadow of death In which thy most blessed and sacred Word thou hast finally and perfectly set forth unto mankind so much of thy glorious Majesty as was expedient for us to know and not only
that but hast herein also fully exprest thy most holy and blessed Will whatsoever is necessary for the Salvation of Mankind to be known to bring him to life everlasting Give me grace most merciful Father that for so high a treasure left among us I may be thankful reverently embrace accept and esteem of the same as the most precious jewel in Earth and be therein confirmed most strongly that all things therein contained be most undoubtedly true not by any mortal Man but by the most Holy Spirit in Man penned and written to the comfort and behoof of Man And that I may most humbly lowly and with most high Reverence submit my self thereunto as becometh thy eternal Majesty and the Word proceeding from thy most blessed mouth that I may with reverence and obedience read hear and occupy my self in the same to the comfort of my soul and the increase of thy Glory Lighten my understanding most dear Father with thy most holy Spirit that I may learn clearly conceive and understand the things therein contained which no mortal man can conceive save those that have learned of thee and whom thou by thy holy Spirit dost lighten and instruct Guide me dear Father with thy most holy Spirit that having the true understanding of the mysteries therein contained I may be fully established and confirmed in the true knowledge of thee my dear Father and of thy beloved Son my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and in conscience throughly perswaded that I have my full perfect salvation and life everlasting in him and through his atonement made by his death and passion That I do not vainly abuse the knowledge of thy most sacred word to satisfie vain curiosity or brag of knowledge but only to the relieving of my hungry and wounded conscience to the loosing of my fettered soul and the appeasing of my sorrowful heart that I may to the end of my life walk in sincerity before thee my heavenly Father in the comforts of thy dear Son my Saviour upholden still by the merciful power of the holy Ghost to thine everlasting praise and glory for ever Amen A Confession to God the Father O Lord my God I confess unto Thee that my heart is unclean that I am of polluted lips wallowing in the dung and stinking in the rottenness of mine own sin so that I may justly tremble to appear before thy glorious presence much more to present unto thee thy pure praises out of my defiled mouth but who except thou O Lord can make me clean and what is pure which thou hast not purged Therefore O Father of life O Lord of Light with all the Forces of my Soul I do beseech thee to help me thy servant whom of thy mercy thou hast created cleanse my filthiness lighten my darkness inflame my coldness quicken my dulness awake my drowsiness revive my deadness repair the ruins of my Soul enlarge the frame of the understanding thereof cleanse it from all earthly corruption garnish it with thy heavenly graces that it may be conveniently both sit and furnished to receive Thee that thou maist make thine entry possess that which is thine own both by Creation and also by Redemption and that as thou art exalted above all Creatures so above all creatures I may honour thee and praise thee not with that affection wherewith my weakness is able either to do or to desire but with that perfection wherewith in duty I should and wherewith thy Saints and Angels indeed do for what worthy praise can I give unto thee by whose goodness I was created by whose mercy I was redeemed by whose power I am preserved and by whose grace I look to be glorified when I was not thou didst make me when I was lost and forlorn thou camest down and tookest mortality upon thee to redeem me these and many other benefits have I received some in hand and some in hope although through my own sinful demeanour I have almost both let go my hold and lost my hope therefore O Lord I most humbly beseech thee save thy servant save one of thy Members though poor and feeble save I say a part of thy self be as great in pardoning those that are submitted unto thee as in punishing those that are rebellious pour upon my heart the sweet streams of thy mercies confirm my life settle my faith settle me in a right and upright course and continue me in the same even unto the end grant this O Father through thy dear Son Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever and ever Amen A Devout Prayer to Jesus Christ O Most sweet Saviour and merciful Redeemer Jesus Christ the Son of God who although thou art High yet art thou most humble and as thou art Omnipotent so art thou most meek and as thou art most Mighty so art thou most merciful to thee O Christ the giver of all Felicity the Father of Heaven hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth Thou art the true Pastor of our Souls thou art our Messias thou casteth off none that sue unto thee but as thou hast taken away the hand-writing that was against us and hast fastned it to the Cross so art thou ready to impart the merits of thy Passion to all such as write true repentance of their sins call upon thee faithfully wherefore my sweet Saviour I most faithfully unfeignedly acknowledge the benefits that thou hast bestow'd upon me stedfastly believe that thou being an immaculate Lamb in whose mouth was never found guile didst suffer most cruel torments at the hands of sinners for the love of us most wretched sinners for the which cause I most heartily beseech thee and most humbly pray thee to accept me into the number of them whom thou wilt receive to mercy and favour and although I of my self be most unworthy thereof yet thy merits can make me worthy to them I fly craving that I may be so armed and defended by them that I may subdue the World the Flesh the Devil even as thou hast gloriously conquered Sin Death and Hell Thou seest O my Saviour how I am daily and hourly beset with these three enemies and so hardly besieged of them that without thy help I can by no means escape but that I must needs be a prey unto one of them strengthen me therefore O Lord that neither the one with carnal Lust neither the other with delectable pleasures nor Satan with all his craft and subtil devices get the dominion over me thou hast bought me thou hast paid for me save keep and defend me be always ready at the voice of my crying pour into me thy grace patiently to abide thy divine pleasure in all things make me both at this present and all the days of my life to have in my mind and profoundly to root in my heart the mysteries of thy painful passion and so to be filled with remembrance thereof
shalt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption Thou shalt shew me the paths of life in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore O hold thou up my goings in thy paths that my foot-steps slip not So shall he hear me out of his holy Temple and my complaint shall come before him it shall enter even into his ears He shall send down from the height to fetch me and shall take me out of many waters Thou shalt also light my candle the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light The Lord liveth and blessed be my strong helper and blessed be the God of my Salvation Glory be to the Father c. A Confession to God O Lord my God and everlasting Father I do acknowledge and confess before thy High and Glorious Majesty that I was bred and born in sin and corruption and that since my birth I have not ceased nor do cease daily to transgress thy holy commandments in respect whereof I cannot escape ruine and destruction according to thy rightful justice yet notwithstanding forasmuch as I am sorry that I have offended thee my Lord and God and do condemn both my self and my sin receive me to mercy and as it hath pleased thee to love us even when we were thine enemies and for assurance thereof to give unto us thine only and well-beloved Son to be a Mediator and Advocate between thee and us promising us to obtain whatsoever we shall ask of thee in his Name vouchsafe O most loving God and dear Father to pardon and forgive me in his Name and for his sake and not only to cleanse my heart from all vanity and uncleanness but also to govern and guide me by thy holy Spirit in all my ways that I may live according to thy holy heavenly Will all the days of my life to the glory of thy Name through the same thy well-beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be praise and glory for ever Amen A Prayer against the temptations and malice of Satan O Heavenly Father and eternal God unto thee do we cry Protect and strengthen us O Lord against the temptations of Satan which is the sworn and extream enemy to our Salvation a slanderer and our accuser who rageth and rangeth in a deadly hatred against thy Flock and by all means seeketh the destruction of all mankind divers and sundry ways laying snares to intrap us and our Souls preying for any occasion whereby he may allure us unto shameful offending for as many corporal affections as be in man so many occasions doth he take to tempt us and thereby to wound us He layeth snares to take us in wealth in poverty in pleasure and in the inticements of the flesh in anguish of mind in ambition and desire of glory in the wearisomness of our calling and inferiour condition in cares both for the back and the belly and in lust of revenge night and day whether we sleep or wake he is always about to devour us that our senses may be corrupted from the simplicity that we owe unto Christ even as the Serpent deceived Eve by his subtilty Therefore O thou Son of God which art the blessed seed bruising the head of the Serpent bring and bruise this mine enemy Satan under thy feet Thou my chief Champion which of thine own accord enteredst into temptation that so thou mightest as it were hand to hand wrestle with this mine enemy and purchase a triumph for me by thy victory hold him fast bound that he exercise not his cruelty upon me as he desireth but make me partaker of thy victory that even as thou hast in thy body overcome Satan so utterly suppress him in me thy unworthy servant And I beseech thee O Lord to give unto me thy whole Armour that I may like a right good Souldier resist in the evil day and vanquish this my strong enemy gird me with the truth put upon me the breast-plate of Righteousness and let me be shod and prepared for the Gospel of peace and above all things give me the shield of Faith which can extinguish all the fiery darts of wicked spirits bestow upon me the Helmet of salvation with the sword of the Spirit and the Word of God that through thee I may encounter valiantly and gloriously attain the Victory And Holy Spirit Almighty GOD comfort thou and strengthen my mind against so divers conflicts of Satan which beset me by many snares and especially then most of all when I seek deliverance by other means than by thy word revealed and grant that leaving thy Word delivered unto me I look not after new revelations or violent ravishings but may resist the Devil by thy word and power during my whole life O dear Father to whom it is more easie to do all things than for me to think any good thing Do thou but speak a word and thy deadly sick servant my soul shalâ— be made whole Help O Lord for thâ— great mercies sake for thy truth sake and for thy dear Son Jesus Christs sake and let thy strength suffice against my weakness and thy holy Spirit against my sinful Flesh and old man Thou art faithful O Father who hast promised that I shall not be tempted further than thou wilt make me a ble to bear Give now therefore thy gracâ— and strength unto thy servant that I maâ— with a strong faith in thine infallible Trutâ— and promised mercy vanquish and subdâ—â—â— whatsoever rebelleth against thy most blessed will preserve and keep holy my soul and body and let them not be defiled and made a dungeon of wicked Spirits through delectation in sin Shall now alas the Devil the World or the Flesh pluck from thee that thing that presently cryeth to thee with assured trust in thy promised help Nay Father but grant that I may by thy mighty Power turn all their crafts deceits and raging assaults unto the increase of my faith and that by experience of thy fatherly assistance in this my present temptation I may with assured hope and trust in thy ready help and comfort overcome my sad enemies hereafter in like assaults and praise thy holy Name for the Victory through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all power praise and glory for ever World without end Amen A Prayer for grace to do the will of GOD. O Most bountiful Father extend thy favour towards me and let it be with me and labour with me unto the end and give me thy grace to wish to covet such things as may be grateful to thee and acceptable in thy sight let thy will be mine and let me always follow thine and agree therewith Grant that I may like that which thou dost and never like or mislike any thing but that which thou dost like or mislike Assist me O Lord to crucifie my self to all worldly things set me free from wicked affections of the
thou wilt vouchsafe to grant me my petitions which at this time I have asked at thy hands so shall I serve thee here in the Kingdom of Grace and hereafter in thy Kingdom of Glory where I beseech thee O Lord that I may have a place to dwell with thee eternally which livest with God the Father and the Holy Ghost everlastingly to whom be praise and Glory for ever and ever Amen Prayers for Munday Night O Lord my God and Father blessed be thy Name for ever dispose my heart and open my lips c. A Psalm MY Song shall be of mercy and judgment Unto thee O Lord will I sing O let me have understanding in the way of Godliness When wilt thou come unto me I will walk in my house with a perfect heart I will take no wicked thing in hand I hate the sins of unfaithfulness there shall no such cleave unto me Hear my Prayer O Lord and let my crying come unto thee Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble incline thine Ears unto me when I call O hear me and that right soon My days are gone like a shadow and I am withered like grass But thou O Lord endurest for ever and thy remembrance throughout all Generations And I said O my God take me not away in the midst of mine age As for thy years they endure throughout all Generations Praise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his Holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thine infirmity Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness He will not always be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever For look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the earth so great is his mercy also towards them that fear him Glory be to the Father c. Confession to God the Father O Lord Almighty the God of our Father and Lord of Mercy which hast made Heaven and Earth with all their Ornaments which hast bound the Sea by the word of thy Commandment which hast shut up the deep and seal'd it by thy terrible and Glorious Name whom all do â—ear and tremble before thy Power for the Majesty of thy Glory cannot be born and thy angry threatnings towards sinners is â—mportable but thy merciful promises are unmeasurable and unsearchable for Thou art the Lord God most High above all the Earth long suffering and most merciful and sorry for the malice of men and thou O Lord according to thy great Goodness and of thine infinite Mercies hast appointed repentance unto sinners that they might be saved Therefore thou O Lord that art the God of the just hast not appointed repentance to those which stand to justify themselves in thy sight but thou hast appointed repentance unto me that am a sinner for I have sinned O Lord I have sinned above the number of the sands of the Sea my transgressions O Lord my transgressions are multiplied and are exceeding many so as I am not worthy to behold or lift up mine eyes unto the Heavens for the multitude of my unrighteousness I have provoked thine anger O Lord and done evil before thee in committing abominations and multiplying of offences Now therefore I bow the knees of my heart beseeching thee for Grace I have sinned O Lord I have sinned and I acknowledge my wickedness desiring thee by Prayer to forgive me O Lord forgive me destroy me not with mine iniquities neither do thou always remember mine evils to punish them but save me that am unworthy according to thy great mercies And I most humbly beseech thee O Lord not to suffer my soul to perish which Thou hast bought so dearly with thy most precious Blood make me poor in Spirit and low of Heart submitting me wholly into thy hands so as my desire and my delight may be always to thy will and pleasure which is always good and godly and grant my poor soul rest in thee for thou hast said They shall never be confounded that put their trust in thee which trust good Lord grant me never to forsake for any vain trust temptation or tribulation that may happen to vex my soul but grant me thy holy Spirit to comfort and defend me from all things that should procure thy displeasure Thou that art in Trinity one God and Lord over all give ear to my Prayer and pardon all my sins so shall I praise thee for ever and ever all the days of my life through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be glory for ever Amen A Prayer to Jesus Christ O Jesus thou Son of God have mercy upon me and forgive the great offences which I have done in the sight of thee this day and give me grace O Lord for the love of thee to despise sin and worldly vanity O Jesus help me to overcome the temptations of sin and the maâ—ice of my spiritual enemy and strengthen my soul and body to exercise the works of virtue whereby I may come to thy everlasting joy and felicity Grant me a â—ast purpose O merciful Jesus to amend my life and to remove the sins of my youth far from me Jesus lighten me with Ghostly Wisdom for to know thy goodness and those things which are most acceptable unto thee and give me grace to give good and profitable example that none may be hurt by me make me to proceed from virtue to virtue until I be grown a perfect man in thee Let me not return to those sins which by my confession have accused me and with sorrow have oppressed me The horrible sentence of endless death the terrible judgment of damnation thy wrath ire and indignation merciful Lord let never fall upon me Jesus give me grace to fly evil company and when I come among them I beseech thee to preserve me that no occasion of sin overcome me keep my mouth O Lord from slanderous speaking lying false witness bearing cursing swearing uncharitable chiding dissolute laughing and words of vanity O sweet Jesus make me perseverant in the blessed service of Thee in holy Exercises and vertuous Meditations Lord keep my Soul and Body and make me to slay all sinful delectation and patiently to suffer injuries and rebukes in following thine own most Holy and blessed Example Provide good Lord that life for me which thou knowest most for thine honour and my comfortable stay in thee Jesus grant me specially in the time of Prayer to fix my mind on thee and thou to remember my wretchedness The blood that ran from thy blessed heart wash my soul from all sin and iniquity and purchase to me thy grace faithfaithfully to serve thee O my Lord God my might my life my light lead me and feed me in this mortality and at the hour of death when I shall be accused before thee have mercy upon me break my froward heart and make
JESUS Saviour of the world whose mercy cometh unto us like a stream who art my eternal happiness I do from the botto mof my heart beseech thee to increase establish hope and strengthen patience within me for this certainly is true that one little drop of thy sacred Blood shed for us is of more power to save us than all our enormous sins to condemn us wherefore O sweet Saviour look upon me with the eyes of mercy as thou lookedst back upon Peter in the Hall of the High-Priests Palace after he had both renounced thee and cursed himself O God the holy Ghost be thou present with me in mine extream need when the Devill will accuse me and my conscience bear witness against me when I shall be environed with horrible danger and temptations and all things set themselves against me Strengthen my heart at that time O comfortable Spirit with the Zeal of thy Testimony that undoubtedly I may believe the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the flesh and everlasting life which shall be given to all believers O blessed Trinity and eternal God of one essence give grace that in every combate especilly at the point of death being mindful of thy Covenant made with me in Baptism and of thy most comfortable promise annexed which is that all that believe and are baptised shall be saved I may never doubt either of thy merciful good will towards me or of the free remission and forgiveness of my sins but by often remembrance of this Sign and Covenant I may daily more and more be confirmed in faith and hope of eternal happiness and here O holy Trinity lift up my sorrowful heart and pour upon me the wholsome comfort of thy Heavenly bliss and at the point of death refresh me with the sweet light of thy chearful countenance that with exceeding joy I may desire to depart and come to thy heavenly house where Thou livest and reignest as my eternal GOD and Father for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for the Power of GOD's Spirit to abide in us O Omnipotent and eternal GOD and Father which comfortest such as be sorrowful and who givest all good gifts thou of thy free favour and love hast willed us in all our affairs and necessities and as often as we stand in need of any of thy blessings or feel our selves burdened with any kind of tribulation or affliction either of body or mind to call upon thee in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ and thou wilt grant what we want most humbly I beseech thee to send down upon my dark understanding the bright beams of thy most holy Spirit to lighten me and to direct me in all my supplications and prayers and especially at this time O Lord for that thou knowest my weakness and ignorance to be such as I am altogether unable to frame my requests according to thy will or to seek that which is for mine own souls health wherefore I most humbly beseech thee O Lord in the Name of him thy Son to address and prepare my heart to the true understanding and unfeigned calling on thy Name for such things as thy wisdom shall think most expedient for me both to the obtaining of thy heavenly Kingdom which is before all things to be sought for and for temporal blessings best known to thee which in respect of my ignorance my dulness my corruption my weakness and the guilt of mine own conscience I cannot crave in such due and faithful manner as I ought and therefore most dear Father I here beseech thee in the Name of thy Son Christ that thou wilt aiâ— me with thy holy Spirit in my prayers that being of my self dull I may be made Zealous and whereas I am of my self cold I may be thereby made fervent and faithful that my Prayers be not as a smoke which vanisheth or as the wind which passeth away being only in the lips and not firm in the heart let it be effectual and an acceptable sacrifice sweet and pleasing in thy sight and that nothing pass the bounds of thy unfeigned lips that which may beseem a single heart always sounding thine honour and setting forth of thy most glorious praise let thy holy Spirit O Lord come unto me let it continue with me work and prevail effectually in me unto the end that I may both at this time begin and for evermore continue as thou will est I should namely in Faith that I fall not into any temptation in hope that I may constantly look for and faithfully attain unto perfect understanding of thy will and ableness in all things to fulfil the same make me also good Lord fervent in love that I may freely and unfeignedly even from my very heart forgive and forgot all injuries wrongs and evil doings of such as by any means have offended me with hearty prayer for their amendment that I approaching unto the Throne of thy mercy in a pure and single heart may heartily as well for all others as for my self for things necessary both for my soul and body make my humble petitions unto thee and in thy good time tast that most sweet fruit of my humble desires according unto thy will so shall I shew forth thy praise and give glory to thy Name for ever and ever world without end Amen A Prayer for the victory against sin O LORD there is no Victory without Fighting nor any Crown without Victory give me therefore power O Lord that fighting valiantly I may be crowned gloriously in Heaven with thee to live for ever minister strength unto me that I may over-master mine enemies and give me the spirit of patience that continuing unto the end I may be found and taken as a faithful Souldier of thy Son Jesus Christ and so be blessed let me not faint in fear but let me fight in a lively saith which over-matcheth all the whole world plant me a natural branch by the power of thy holy Word in the Vine Jesus and make me able to endure every crack let no canker of sin eat me let no worm of a guilty conscience gnaw me let no blast of the world overcome me but stay me up with thy mighty hand and be ever at my elbow that I may be crowned though I be crossed and saved though now soused in extream misery in this is all my hope for surely of my self I am but a vapour a worm I am born of a woman in sin a sinful child by nature and to my power wage battel with Satan against my self to my utter undoing O Lord unless thou regenerate me and assist me with thy Spirit always to resist him which do O gracious God I beseech thee for thy great mercy to whom be all power and glory for ever Amen A Prayer to be mindful of death O GOD in whose hands consisteth the life of all mankind for thy Son Christ's sake vouchsafe to give me grace to set before mine eyes as a most certain mark whereto
provided for me all things necessary for which thine inestimable love I cannot sufficiently praise thee O Lord forgive mine offences which this day 〈◊〉 have committed and done against thy Almighty Majesty pardon them O God for Jesus Christ his sake and vouchsafe me thy grace to amend my life and to return â—nfeignedly to the serving of thee And â—orasmuch as I cannot continue without â—hy continual protection vouchsafe to exâ—end the same unto me thy wretched creaâ—ure this night that I may quietly take my rest which thou hast appointed for â—he refreshing of my wearied and weak â—ody And further I beseech thee O Lord to guard and defend me that nothing hurt me keep me also good Lord from sudden and unprovided death and preserve me by the watch of thy holy Angel that I may take my rest this night in thee until the morning and then give my self to the fulfilling of my duty and the discharge of my vocation and the doing of thy will unto my lives end for which thy favour I humbly beseech thee and for all things else necessary for me and for all other whom thou hast commanded us to pray for and namely for all such as are in any kind of affliction in body or mind for the testimony of thy truth that thou wilt strengthen them and thy whole Church in pure Religion and here O Lord I beseech thee to embrace me with the arms of thy mercy vouchsafe to receive me into the bosom of thy love shadow me with thy wings that I may safely take my rest in thee this night in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ in whose Name I refer me wholly to thy loving protection beseeching thee that when this life shall end my last sleep being come I may take my everlasting rest with thee in thy eternal Kingdom for the which Kingdom I do heartily beseech thee of thine inestimable goodness both of my self and all other thy dear servants that we may attain the same for the glory of thy holy Name and our endless comfort through the merits of thy dearly beloved Son our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ Amen Prayers for Friday Morning O Lord God and heavenly Father blessed be thy Name for ever Dispose my heart open my lips and give me thy holy Spirit c. A Psalm MY soul truly waiteth still upon God for of him cometh my salvation In God is my help and my glory the rock of my might and in God is my trust I called upon him with my mouth and gave him praise with my tongue For thou O Lord God art the thing that I long for thou art my hope even from my youth Through thee have I been holpen up even since I was born thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be always of thee Wherefore praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer nor turned his mercy from me O let my mouth be filled with thy praise that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long Cast me not away in time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth me My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation for I know no end thereof I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteousness only For thou O God hast taught me from my youth up until now therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works Thy righteousness O God is very high and great things are they that thou hast done O God who is like unto thee O what troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me and yet didst thou turn and refresh me yea broughtest me from the depth of the earth again Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness O God which art the holy One of Israel My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long for there is no end thereof Glory c. A Morning Prayer O Lord the glorious face of the Sun which sheweth it self and casteth its beams over the whole world I take it for an argument and earnest peny of thy good will toward thy children in the number of whom I account my self though chief of sinners and not worthy to loose the latchet of thy shooe for if we enjoy such a benefit in this strange country together with thine enemies then what joyous sights what store of thy goodness shall we reap in our natural country the blisful Land of Canaan where we shall not see this worldly Sun but thee even thee good Lord face to face the Son of thy glory and only Star of Majesty Such joys O Lord shall we have in the beholding of thee as neither the eye hath seen nor ear hath heard nor heart ever conceived such joys I say as pass the reach not only of man but also of Angels to esteem blessed are the door-keepers of this house of joy where thou O Lord the Son of righteousness dost most clearly spread forth the beams of thy divine power Oh how long shall I live in this prison how long shall I journey in this body of sin wherefore O God of comfort and Father of mercy I do not doubt but that as I wander in this field of vanity so thou wilt recal me by the light of thy Gospel to thine house there to dwell and reign for ever Amen An humble Confession to Almighty God O Most mighty God and merciful Father I present my self before thy Majesty defiled with the filthiness of many and most grievous sins whereof I do confess I am not able to answer thee one of a thousand if thou O Lord shouldest enter into judgment with me for in sin was I born and therefore am guilty of original corruption and in sin have I lived and continued and therefore stand guilty of actual transgression which hath broken forth upon me in thought word and deed from time to time continually even unto this present hour wherefore I humbly crave thy mercy and the grace of forgiveness in Jesus Christ for therein I confess O Lord standeth the only hope of my comfort and salvation And forasmuch as it hath pleased thee to give thine own Son to be a slain sacrifie for our sins and to offer the grace of reconciliation by preaching the Gospel to all them that repent and believe the same good Lord I beseech thee vouchsafe to make me of that blessed number work true repentance in my heart increase my faith and give me grace to bring forth the fruits thereof that so it may appear that I have not received thy grace in vain and for this purpose good Lord I beseech thee bless the Ministers of thy Word and give them grace to speak it as it ought to be spoken and give thy people grace to hear it attentively to believe it stedfastly and to follow it obediently that so serving thee faithfully in this life we may live and reign with thee for ever in the life to
come Amen A Prayer for the increase of Faith O Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by thy Word we are taught to love thee fear thee and serve thee and in true godliness and sincerity of life is the only way and means to continue thy love and favor towards us without the which we cannot but perish and that belief and confidence in thy Son Jesus Christ is the only means of our redemption and atonement with thee and the only hold of our salvation whereof we cannot be sufficiently assured without thy special gift of faith which is the anchor whereto the cable of our salvation is fastened which being broken the hope of our salvation cannot but decay and be of none effect vouchsafe therefore O most merciful God to plant one spark of true faith in my heart and that it may grow to such perfection that I may know thee perfectly love thee duly fear thee and unseignedly acknowledge Jesus Christ to be sent into this wretched world to save us miserable sinners O Lord grant me to take such hold of his Death and Passion Resurrection and Ascension that by his Death I may have pardon and by his Re surrection rise to righteousness and by his Ascension ascend with him to thy celestial glory and finally attribute the cause and means of my salvation to proceed only of his Passion increase this faith in me good Lord daily more and more that it may grow by the working of thy holy Spirit to full perfection accompanied with good works and godly behaviour without the which I confess that faith cannot be withhold not from me good Lord that singular gift of thine which is the stay of my happiness and the want thereof a most certain token of my perdition no good thing is wanting to him on whom thou vouchsafest to bestow this gift to him all things are light and in him remaineth no darkness at all banish most sweet Lord therefore all misbelief all wavering and doubting out of my heart and plant instead thereof unfeigned faith that applying the same to every affliction both of body and mind I may vanquish and overcome Satan withstand the delights of this world and suppress the corruptible motions of the flesh and enjoy at thy good pleasure health of body and soundness of mind and all things requisite for me A most precious jewel is faith for thou hast said that whosoever heareth the Word and believeth in Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent shall have everlasting life then on the contrary he that believeth not is in danger of everlasting death O Lord increase my faith wherein I may believe in that thy Son and take hold of all his promises who said that whosoever believeth in him shall want no manner of thing that is good Lord I believe help my unbelief and give me faith yea but as a grain of mustard-feed and I shall be able to remove Satan out of his desired habitation and to expel him and his ministers and walk no longer according to the will of the flesh but casting away the works of darkness enjoy the pure light of the Gospel and persevere and abide therein without fainting in any tribulation or vexation of spirit going forward in hope in fear in love and unfeigned zeal towards thee and obtain at thy merciful hands whatsoever is necessary in this life and after this life ended enjoy thy celestial inheritance which grant me for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake to whom be all honour c. A Prayer or Thanksgiving for the Passion of Christ O Lord Jesus Christ God and man we thank thee for that of thy only and free mercy without any works or worthiness at all of ours thou hast redeemed us miserable sinners through thy most innocent and holy Passion O sweet Jesus how bitter and great were thy pains how horrible and cruel thy punishment how grievous and lamentable thine afflictions how bloody thy wounds thy dolours how divers and thy death how shameful which thou suffered for us O how inestimable was thy love that moved thee to endure such and so great torments to reconcile us to thy Father in the Mount of Olives through our infinite sins lighting upon thee thou didst sweat contrary to our nature blood that the drops like blood trickled upon the earth and so after a marvellous manner blood came out of thee being expelled by the resolutions of the Spirits nature being broken and languishing by reason of thine intolerable sorrows and torments and thy Disciples being fled thou wast and also didst most voluntarily commit thy self into the hands of most cruel Jews which brought thee most rigorously bound without compassion fromthe presence of one corrupt Judge unto another more cruel where thou wast most unjustly condemned thy blessed body was so mangled that even an Ethnick pitying the same uttered these words Behold the man Finally for our enormous offences thou wast afflicted with a most odious kind of death and so in the extremity of pain thou didst give up the Ghost commending the same unto thy Father in wonderful patience that so by thy torments having quitted us from all guiltiness as well of fault as of punishment we might be healed to this end thou didst bear the burden of our sins upon the wood of the Cross that thou mightest recover the peace of souls and obtain the true righteousness for as many as believe in thee wherefore O Jesus Christ thou Son of the living God for these torments and all other thy passions I will honour and praise thee for ever beseeching thee most humbly that thy passions may work and take effect in me and that always being mindful of the same I may rejoyce therein and make it a comfort for my self against all the temptations of Satan and the fear of sin and the Law and that thy Cross may be an example unto me that walking in thy steps I render not rebuke but for rebuke may imitate thy long-suffering praying for such as persecute and offend me and finally that I may so think upon and celebrate the cause of thy death that the consideration thereof may utterly extinguish all the flames of unlawful concupiscence and bury the inticements of the flesh and nourish the love of vertue within me that so being wholly dead unto sin I may live unto righteousness and serve thee which barest our sins in thy body upon the Cross which livest and reignest with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Ghost one God for ever Amen A Prayer for mercy for our offences O Lord I am a grievous sinner I have passed and broken the banks of thy Commandments from the womb to this day I have with the Pirate Satan sailed in the ship of iniquity so that I may say with Paul I am chief of all sinners This must I needs confess to thee thou God of Justice and this worm of conscience biteth me what then good Lord shall the worm devour me
shall this snake of conscience sting me to death What good Lord is the stream of thy mercy stopped are the rivers of thy grace dryed up dost thou not call me saying Come unto me Yea good Lord and therefore despair I will not it is not thy will that any sinner should perish and thou hast not only said but sworn it that thou wilt not the death of a sinner but rather his conversion and life Behold therefore dear Father I come unto thee being a grievous offender in hope of pardon in the Name of thy Son who by his own testimony came into this world to save sinners he was content to blot out that obligation which Satan had against me by the floud of his most precious blood which issued out of his glorious side In this pool he hath washed away the leprosie of sin were it never so desperate O Lord and gracious God I have wasted my days in vanity I have from time to time trodden under my feet the pearls of Christian profession even from the womb have I been a rebellious traitor to thy Majesty a friend to this world to godliness an enemy But now O Lord I cry unto thee forgive me forgive me Now I come unto thee therefore cover me with the wings of thy mercy that I perish not good Lord accept thy Sons merits for a satisfaction for my sins drown them in the stream of thy mercy and cast them behind thee for ever good Lord I beseech thee Oh sweet Lord look upon me with thy most precious and piteous eye lest that be destroyed which thou of thy great goodness hast made and Christ thy Son of inestimable love and infinite charity hath redeemed through his bitter passion This is the total sum unto thee of all my suit O Lord mercy mercy O Father of mercy mercy is the thing that I beg have mercy and pity upon me be thou my shepherd to defend me my Castle of defence to save me against the power of the Devil thou hast store of mercy for them that ask it Therefore O Lord for the wounds of thy dear Son have mercy upon me let not sin sting me to death but lay to my fore soul the salve of thy mercy grant this O dear Father of thy merciful compassion to whom be all glory for ever and for ever world without end Amen A fruitful Prayer to God the Father O Lord my God wherein is my hope fixed in this life or what is my greatest comfort of all things that are any where under the cope of heaven but only thou my Lord and God whose mercy is infinite when was it with me well if thou wert absent or ill if thou wert present doubtless I would rather chuse to be poor for thee than rich without thee and rather to be with thee a pilgrim on earth than without thee to possess Heaven where thou art there is joy and peace of conscience where thou art not there is woe and destruction thou alone art the thing I desire and there is none can assist me in my troubles but thou alone O God thou art my hope thou art my confidence thou art my comforter in all things most faithfully all men seek their own but thou desirest nought but my welfare and turnest all things for me to good therefore in thee my Lord and God I place all my confidence on thee I do lay all my calamities and troubles for without thee whatsoever I behold is as frail and transitory For neither can friends profit nor strong men help nor wise men counsel well nor learned books comfort nor riches save nor secret place hide unless thou be present to help strengthen comfort instruct and keep for whatsoever seems to belong to the attainment of peace and felicity without thee is nothing and bringeth indeed no felicity at all so that thou art the chiefest end and perfection of life and that in thee to trust above all things is the chiefest comfort of thy servant O my God and Father of mercy bless make my soul holy with celestial happiness that it may be thy sacred habitation and temple purged from all filthiness O Lord according to the greatness of thy mercy look upon me and hear the supplications of thy poor servant living far off a banished man in a savage country Protect and keep the soul of thy servant among so many dangers of this mortal life and bring me by the conduction of thy savour into the country of eternal glory through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all honour power and glory for ever and ever Amen Prayers for Friday Night O Lord my God and Father blessed be thy Name for ever Dispose my heart open my lips and give c. A Psalm WIth my whole heart have I sought thee O let me not go wrong out of thy commandments Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Stablish thy word in thy servant that I may fear thee and turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity and quicken thou me in thy way So shall I always keep thy law yea for ever and ever Yea at midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments O let thy merciful kindness be my comfort according to thy word unto thy servant And let thy loving mercies come unto me that I may live for thy law is my delight My soul hath longed for thy salvation and I have a good hope because of thy word O how sweet are thy words unto my throat yea sweeter than honey unto my mouth Through thy commandments I get understanding therefore I hate all wicked ways Order my steps in thy word so shall no wickedness have dominion over me O let my soul live and it shall praise thee and thy judgments shall help me I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost O seek thy servant that I do not forget thy commandments Glory be to the Father c. A Prayer for the suppressing of corrupt affections O My God and most loving Father I do acknowledge that I have most highly offended thy sacred Majesty by my gross and most filthy life and have provoked thee to anger by my abominable wickedness wherefore O Lord be merciful unto me and pardon me this great wickedness look not upon me good Father with the eyes of Justice neither do thou draw against me the sword of Judgment for then how shall I that am but dust and ashes stand in thy sight when thy wrathful indignation cometh forth as a whirlwind and thy heavy displeasure as a mighty tempest seeing the earth trembleth the depths are discovered and the very Heavens are shaken when thou art angry Exercise not therefore good Lord thy fury against me that am but as chaff before
Death overwhelm me nor my sleep in the night alter my thoughts and understanding when I should take rest but grant me a good and quiet sleep going unto my Bed which representeth my Grave that rising in the Morning to render due praise and thanks unto thee my Protector I may likewise at the Day of Judgment rise as one of thy chosen Children upon thy right hand into Heaven where I may sing praises unto thy holy and blessed Name for ever Prayers for Saturday Morning O Lord my God and Father blessed be thy Name for ever Dispose my heart open my lips and give me thy holy Spirit c. A Psalm WHom have 〈◊〉 in Heaven but thee O Lord and there is none upon Earth that I desire in comparison of thee My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For 〈◊〉 they that forsake thee shall perish and thou wilt destroy them that commit fornication against thee But it is good for me to hold me fast by God and to put my trust in my Lord God and to speak of all his works For God is King of old the help that is done upon Earth he doth it himself Wherefore I will cry unto God with my Voice even unto God will I cry with my voice and he shall hearken unto me When I am in heaviness I will think upon God when my heart is vexed I will complain I have considered the days of old and the years that are past I call to remembrance my Song and in the night I commune with mine own heart and search out my spirits Will the Lord absent himself for ever and will he be no more intreated Is his mercy clean gone for ever and is his promise come utterly to an end for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious and will he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure And I sald it is mine own infirmity but I will remember the years of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord and call to mind the wonders of old time I will think of all thy works and my thinking shall be of thy doings Glory c. A Morning Prayer O Almighty Protector and Keeper both of the Souls and Bodies of the faithful I yield thee humble and hearty thanks for defending me and saving me this night past and all the rest of my life hitherto from sudden death and from all other perils and dangers whereunto my Soul and weak Body are subject to fall and wherewith I am so beset that had I not been preserved by thee it could not otherwise have been but my body had perished and my Soul been carried into everlasting perdition But most sweet Lord my succour and defence who hath continual regard of the safety of thy servants and never suffer est them to be overcome with any kind of danger vouchsafe to forgive me whatsoever I have committed and done against thy Divine Majesty either sleeping or waking this night or at any time secretly or openly heretofore by reason of the corruption which remaineth in me and grant that as I have by thy protection passed this night so I may enjoy at thy merciful hands whatsoever thy Fatherly Providence shall think meet and convenient for me and so in hope of thy loving kindness and mercy go forward this day and all my life in perfect love unfeigned zeal and continual obedience to thy most blessed will that so continuing unto the end I may receive the reward of thy Coelestial Kingdom which thy Son Jesus hath purchased for all true Believers in thee in number of whom sweet Lord for the mercies of him thy Son make me that I with them and they with me may continually sing laud and praise unto the Trinity eternally Amen A Confession to God for sin MOst gracious God and loving Father in Jesus Christ I confess mine unrighteousness which maketh me unworthy to come before thee not only in regard of mine original corruption which I traduced from disobedient Adam but in regard of my continual sins and actual evils which I daily commit against thee whereby I cannot but be offensive unto thee and ever loathsome in thy sacred Eyes but alas such is mine estate that being considered as it is in and of my self that I can bring forth no better fruits than the Tree of Adam's disobedience whose roots as they are sin so bear they sin in me and consequently procure death and destruction but dear Father as by Adam sin entred and took hold of himself and of all his Posterity so by thy Son Jesus Christ we are all justified by our adoption into his righteousness of thy free love if we take hold of thy promises in him and become obedient unto thee and therefore dear Father howsoever our corruptions as they are in us of our selves have bewrapped us in bondage to sin and death so let thy Sons merits be unto us a sufficient ransom for our Everlasting liberty not only to come freely to the Throne of grace but in the end to obtain the joys eternally with him in Heaven who liveth and raigneth with thee and the holy Spirit for ever World without end Amen A Prayer for the true worship of God O Most gracious God and loving Father establish my heart and mind in the true Worship of thy Divine Majesty make me to believe thy holy and sacred Gospel wherein I am daily and hourly instructed to love fear honour and obey thee to hate sin and iniquity to renounce all superstitious Ceremonies whereby thy worship is defaced thy glory prophaned and thy honour greatly diminished Give me grace to hate sin and to renounce the vanities and wanton pleasures of this wicked World and finally give me power from above to withstand Satan the Prince of darkness and all his damnable Ministers who by divers temptations provokes and allures us from godly purity and perfect integrity which passeth only from Christ Jesus to us who is the fulness of our perfection and holiness to all kind of evil impiety and uncleanness by means whereof thy glory is greatly prophaned and of a set purpose contemned make me O Lord I beseech thee by the power of a fruitful faith to resist and bridle the conconcupiscence of my flesh in such sort that my Soul may triumph with Victory and continue constant in worshiping thee from whom passeth the fulness of my joy prepare my heart and mind to spread forth the glory of thy Name keep my tongue from all filthy talk and uncomely gesture lest by the exercises of such sin I contemn thy worship and provoke thee to displeasure against me set thou a watch before the gates of my mouth that my lips may by grace be made open to sound forth thy praise and glory be merciful to mine offences think thou not on my unrighteousness but open thy clemency forgive thou freely and pardon graciously all my sins make me faithful in Christ Jesus
for Jesus Christ's sake to deal with me and them according to thy mercy and loving kindness and not after our deserts be thou merciful unto me and evermore mightily defend me unto my lives end conducting me uprightly in all my ways for the glory of thy holy Name to whom with thy Son and the Holy Ghost be all honour power and glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for the opening of the eyes of our understanding O Sweet Jesus lighten me with the brightness of eternal light and drive all darkness as it were from the mansion house of my soul suppress the wandring thoughts and break in pieces these violent temptations fight thou my God for my defence and vanquish those evil beasts to wit the intieing desires of the flesh that by thy power I may get peace and sing out thy praises in the holy Court of my soul send thy light and truth which may lighten the earth for I am rude earth good for nought until thou enlighten me pour out thy favour from above and replenish my soul with thy heavenly grace O Lord lift up my mind which is pressed down through the weight of sin and stir up the same wholly to the desire of heavenly and celestial things that having tasted the sweetness of supernatural happiness it may greatly grieve me even to think of this world take me O Lord or rather pluck me from all momentany pleasures of earthly and vain things and joyn me unto thee by an indissoluble band of good will for thou alone dost suffice thy friend and without thee all things are vain and of no price in my heart to whom O my Lord God be all glory for ever Amen A Godly Meditation or Prayer O Lord my God I altogether unhappy and comfortless have grievously offended thee how often have I trespassed against thee and how often have I deserved thy displeasure and yet how seldom hast thou punished me how often hast thou been good and merciful unto me how often have I promised and vowed amendment and how little and seldom have I performed it I dare not lift up mine eyes towards heaven because I have sinned against it and in earth I cannot look for refuge because I have been a slanderer and a shame unto it what then shall I despair no for God is merciful and a good Saviour he doth visit them that live in darkness and is a chearful light to them that sit in the shadow of death he willeth us to forgive our brother though he offend seven times yea and infinitely and is more merciful than any man can be return thee therefore unto thy Lord God pray unto him humbly for grace and continue thee to bewail thy sins past because he that loveth thee provoketh thee daily with his gifts to love him and will not leave till he have made perfect his work begun and brought his mercy to full effect in thee what natural cause beginneth his work and leaveth it in the half way imperfect and as by natural order and right course things do proced and increase by little and little from the less to the more even so doth God first dispose us to his mercy and then increasing his goodness daily bestoweth on us in the end the treasure of his grace the inheritance of everlasting joys yea very love worketh in natural causes to bring forth their effects to perfection which if it be so in creatures what will the Creator do which is love it self and infinite goodness he will withdraw thee from thy sins and make thee clean and pure and finally bless thee with eternal life O Lord I come unto thee humbly waiting for thy mercy thou art my hope and help according to thy great goodness and mercy in Jesus Christ have mercy on me now and for evermore Amen A Prayer for perseverance in Prayer O Lord my God according to thy Commandment in mine afflictions and necessities I seek to thee for succour by continual Prayer and calling upon thy Name therefore most dear Father strengthen me by thy holy spirit that I may still persevere in Prayer and with longing desires patiently wait for thee O Lord being assured that although it appear not as yet thou art always present with me and heardest my complaint and wilt when thou seest thy time declare thy self manifestly in renewing my heart with spiritual joy stir up O Lord I beseech thee my sluggish nature to call upon thee continually appointing thee neither the time nor the means of my deliverance but leaving all to thy good will and pleasure I may in the mean time never cease by continual Prayer to call for thy merciful deliverance and when thou shalt mercifully take upon thee to deliver me I may then fully with my whole heart acknowledge thy goodness towards me and that it never slip out of my heart but that I may continue thankful for the same all the days of my life whereby thy glory in me may be declared and my soul relieved though Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour Amen An Evening Prayer O My Lord God and merciful Father I humbly beseech thee in Jesus Christ that thou wilt vouchsafe to hide and bury all my sins and transgressions whatsoever from my infancy unto this present time I have committed and done against thy divine Majesty O Lord be thou my light in darkness then shall my light be as clear as the day O heavenly Father bless me O blessed Son keep me O Holy Ghost three Persons and one God deliver me this night from all sin and evill that may be hurtful to my soul and body that so with confidence to thee I may lay me down to rest and none make me afraid because thou art my Protector O holy Spirit at my last gasp be thou my light yea when my strength faileth my sight departeth mine ears wax deaf and my mouth dumb and when all my senses for sake me then give me some sense of eternal life that I may taste in this mortal body the beginning of thine everlasting comfort and at my departure out of this world I may behold by faith thy divine presence and so sleep quietly to eternal life through Jesus Christ thine only Son my Saviour to whom be all honour and glory for ever Amen Short Directions before the Receiving of Christ's Holy Sacrament His Blessed Body and Blood SAcraments should of all men be admired and honoured not so much respecting the service which we do unto God in receiving them as the dignity of the sacred and secret gift we thereby receive from God They are the visible signs of invisible graces which indeed is the very end these heavenly Mysteries were instituted for They are the powerful instruments of God to eternal life for as our natural life consisteth of the union of the body and soul so our life supernatural in the union of the soul with God His flesh is meat his blood is drink not by surmised imagination but truly
as he is in the light we have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin Eph. 5. 1 2. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear Children and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Eph. 5. Ye were sometimes darkness but now are ye light in the Lord. See then ye walk circumspectly redeeming time because the daies are evill Jude 25. To the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever Amen Prayers for the Sick REmember not Lord our offences nor the offences of our Forefathers neither take thou vengeance of our sins but spare us good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with us for ever Spare us good Lord. O Lord I beseech thee favourably to hear the prayers of thy servant that I which am rightly punished for my offences may by thy goodness be mercifully delivered for the glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth world without end Amen ALmighty and everlasting God in whose hand consists the life of all mankind which correctest those whom thou receivest mercifully I beseech thee to hear my complaint and despise not the prayer that I make now in the time of my trouble in the vexation of my spirit and the anguish of my soul I remember thee and cry unto thee for mercy O thou that hast created and made me of nothing and redeemed me from the bondage of sin death and everlasting destruction by the most precious blood of Jesus Christ shed upon the Cross for the ransom of all my sins Have mercy upon me O Lord have mercy upon me bow down thine ear unto my cry and cast me not away in thine anger though for my wickedness I have deserved thy wrath and heavy displeasure against me And now for my transgressions in thy indignation thou hast stricken me with grievous sickness and I begin to fall as leaves beaten with a vehement wind yet are thy punishments less than my deservings But of thy mercy and goodness O Lord correct me not to death but to amendment of life for thine own sake for thy holy Names sake for Christ Jesus sake be merciful unto my sin for it is very great and there is no rest in my bones by reason of my transgression Spare thy Servant O God which confesseth his sins pour thy sanctifying Grace into my heart and work thereby true and immediate repentance and restore me again to thy favour according to thy gracious promise in Jesus Christ Let thy merciful providence so govern all this sickness that I never fall into utter dakness ignorance of thee or inconsideration of my self let the faintness of my spirit and the condemnation of my self be overcome with thy irresistable light thou God of all consolation grant that I may be mindful of the great account that I have to make at the day of Judgment and that I may bear in mind the image of that which is to be faithful the end of misery and the beginning of all happiness but to the secure and careless the beginning of eternal pain Strengthen my faith accept my repentant tears speak peace to my soul and conscience and say thou art my salvation My grace is sufficient for thee then shall my heart rejoyce and my soul shall be right glad desiring to be dissolved and be at peace that after this my bodily death I may enjoy the eternal fruition of thy heavenly presence Let me not O Father in this my trial be stricken with fear of condemnation or distrust thy promises but in sure confidence of heart apply to my self the remission of my sins that at the last gasp by faith in Jesus Christ I may have a taste of eternal salvation let not death if thou please to send it be terrible or bitter unto me but when it cometh I may with joy receive the same and having escaped the hardness of temptation and the peril of Satan I may triumph like a Conqueror and behold the power and presence of thy holy spirit let my last words be those which thy Son did utter upon the Cross saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when my speech is taken from me hear the groanings of my heart and the desire of my soul that thy servant may depart in peace through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be all Praise Power Might Majesty and Dominion now and for ever Amen The Sick saith Job 14. 1. MAn that is born of a Woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery he cometh up and is cut down like a flower He fleeth as it were a shadow and never continueth in one state In midst of life we are dying of whom shall we seek for succour and comfort but of thee O Lord God our Maker A Psalm 1. IN thee O Lord have I trusted let me never be confounded but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness incline thine ear to me and save me 2. O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure 3. Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord â—eal me for my bones are vexed 4. Turn thee O Lord and deliver my soul O save me for thy mercies sake for in death no man remembreth thee and who shall give thee thanks in the pit 5. Consider and hear me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death shew me thy marvellous loving kindness thou art the Saviour of them that put their trust in thee 6. Thou hast been my succour leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation look upon my affliction and pain and forgive all my sins 7. O remember not my old sins but have mercy upon me and that soon for I am come to great misery 8. Preserve thou my soul therefore O my God and save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee 9. O comfort the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul 10. O turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thy handmaid 11. Shew some good token upon me for good that they which hate me may see it and be ashamed because thou Lord hast holpen me and comforted me 12. O satisfie me with thy mercy and that soon so shall I rejoyce and be glad all the days of my life 13. I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it melteth in the midst of my bowels 14. Help me O God of my salvation for the glory of thy Name O deliver me and be merciful unto my sin for
Mercy thy Divine Truth I magnifie for that of thy fatherly goodness thou hast graciously heard me at this time giving me a penitent heart modesty to utter the same Therefore will I praise thee for this and all other thy goodness this evening and going to rest I will give thee thanks because thou hast kept me this day of thine only Mercy without any merit of mine from all danger both in soul and body O Christ and King of Glory I beseech thee bless and defend me this night let my rest be in thee and grant me thy grace that neither much sleep overwhelm me nor Satan invade me nor the flesh betray me unto him Let mine eyes sleep but let my heart wake O Lord lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death lest the subtil tempter overtake me and I sleep a continual and perpetual sleep and awake no more For thou art my everlasting helper Keep me as the apple of thine eye hide me under the shadow of thy sacred wings O LORD that neither ugly visions nor horrible dreams nor sights nor monstrous apparitions trouble me in the dark In thy name O JESUS will I go to rest this night give sleep unto mine eyes and slumber to mine eye-lids compass me about and raise me again to the joyful sight of to-morrow light and after this my miserable life bring me to the beholding of eternal happiness that in thy light I may see light and evermore praise thee for ever Amen Prayers for Tuesday Morning O Lord my God and heavenly Father blessed be thy Name for ever Dispose my heart open my lips and give me thy holy Spirit c. A Psalm O God my heart is ready my heart is ready O Lord I will sing and give praise with the best member I have I will sing and give thanks unto thee Lord among the People and I will sing Praises unto thee among the Nations For thy Mercies are greater than the Heavens and thy truth reacheth unto the Clouds Set up thy self therefore O GOD above the Heavens and thy Glory above all the Earth That thy beloved may be delivered Let thy right hand save me and hear thou me O help me against mine enemy for vain is the help of man Through God I shall do great acts and it is he that shall tread down mine enemies And deal thou with me O Lord God according to thy Name for sweet is thy mercy Then will I give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart secretly among the Faithful and in the Congregation The works of the Lord are great sought out of all them that have pleasure therein His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour and his righteousness endureth for ever The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works that they ought to be had in remembrance The works of his hands are verity and judgment all his Commandments are true He sent Redemption unto his people he hath commanded his Covenant for ever holy and reverent is his Name The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom a good understanding have all they that do thereafter the praise of it endureth for ever Glory be to c. A Morning Prayer BLessed be my Lord God which doth wondrous things and blessed be the Name of his Majesty for evermore which hath set the Sun to lighten the day and ordained the Moon and the Stars to govern the night O most high God which by thy unspeakable wisdom hast distinguished the day from the night and hast so decreed that while the World shall last this course of times and days shall never have end so that man in the night may rest and in the day labour until the evening for these and all other thy benefits I praise thy Name and give thanks unto thee for thy great Glory O God the guider of my life forsake me not turn from me the filthinâ—ss of desire remove from my heart all concupiscence and take from thy servant too over-bold a stomach suffer me not to run beadlong into riotousness let not unlawful love overcome me and give not thy servant over into an impudent mind Turn mine eyes that they behold no vanity strengthen me in thy way and grant that mine offences in this World overcome me not And I beseech thee O Lord with a most aâ—dent affection that this day and ever thou wilt keep me and all mine and that thou wilt be unto me a mighty Protector firmament of strength a covering against heat a shadow at Noon-tide a defence from falling an assister from offending a comforter of my Soul a lightner of my mind a giver of health and happiness in Christ JESUS my Lord and Saviour to whom be all glory honour and power for ever and ever Amen A Confession to GOD. O LORD I am unworthy thy Comfort or any spiritual consolation by reason of my sins that which I deserve is punishment because I have so often offended thee and in so many things so grievously sinned And yet O gracious and merciful GOD who wilt not that thy works should perish to declare the richness of thy goodness upon the vessels of thy mercy far beyond the manner of men But what have I done O Lord that thou shouldst impart upon me any spiritual comfort at all truly I have done no good but always have been prone unto sin and slow to repent and this is so true if I should deny it that thou wilt find me guilty and no man durst stand up to excuse me and therefore O most dear Father I do confess that I am worthy all reproach and contempt and most unworthy to live among thy Sons and Servants yea and because it is true I will yet confess against my wickedness that so the sooner I may obtain mercy at thy hands But what shall I wretch that I am say being full of all manner of shame and infamy What shall I say Nothing but this I have sinned Lord I have sinned take mercy upon me forgive me suffer me yet a while to bewail my wretchedness before I pass over into the Land of promise covered with the shadow of death for what dost thou else of a guilty and miserable man require but that he afflict and humble himself for his sins from a true repentance and humbling of the mind ariseth hope of Pardon the troubled conscience is relieved the favour of God which was lost is recovered and man is preserved from the vengeance to come and with a holy kiss both God and the sorrowful soul do meet together With the which work of true repentance endue me Good Lord that I may do thy sacred Will in this life and in the end enjoy everlasting happiness in the World to come through Jesus Christ my Saviour to whom be all glory power and might for ever and ever Amen A Prayer for true Repentance to be purged of sin O Lord my God what do I daily but wander in the field