Thanksgiving O merciful Father after all thy mecies to me in the whole course of my life my soul hath this day further seen and tasted how good the Lord is in many significations of mercie and loving kindness to me I bless thee O Lord for the great work of mercie in Iesus Christ For that I have a time to repent me of those sins for which I might even now have been suffering in an eternal punishment I praise thee that I am not roating in a torment languishing in a disease pining in a prison nor a poor vagrant nor a disconsolate captive But on the contrary O my Lord thou hast given me a residence a protâ—ction a plenty a sound mind an healthful body and liberty But most especially that thou hast offered me sweet testimonies of thy present grace and a blessed hope of future glory Now O my Lord for every of these and for all other the blessed evidences of thy love and goodness to me I do from my soul acknowledg thy mercie and bless praise and magnity thy great and glorious Name for ever and ever And O Lord keep me this night under the same protection and let the mercy of my God so preserve me that neither sin nor danger may make me miserable through the might of Iesus Christ my ever blessed Saviour Amen Vse the same intercession that is set for the Morning Service THE Largest Forme FOR Private Exercise Morning PRAYER When thou addressest thy self to thy morning service first frame thy mind to meditate of the glorious excellencies and presence of God and worship him in this or the like manner Our Father which art c. O Most glorious and incomprehensible Lord God of heaven and earth whose immense essence and infinite perfections no tongue can express nor heart conceive Before whose Dreadful Majesty the holy Angels vaile their faces and the glorified Spirits cast their crowns Thou O Lord art only worthy to receive Glory Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Therefore being sensible of my miserable nothing poverty and dependency and admiring thy absolute and infinite excellencies do throw my self my soul and body at the foot of thy Majesty and do adore and worship thy divine presence acknowledging that blessing honour and power is due unto thee for ever and ever Amen A Confession O Lord my God who art a God of purity and holiness and hatest the wayes of iniquity Though thou hast sentenced sin to a wages of death and an eternal punishment and hast declared a dislike of all wicked persons and their performances yet O Lord wretch that I am I have not ceased to do evill in thy sight and to depart from all thy holy wayes For I have yeelded my self too much to satisfy the vanity of my corrupt mind and my unholy lusts not considering their inconsistencie with the Kingdom of Christ I have inclined my affections desires and designes too much to present enjoyments and suffered my heart to be betrayed by them to a forgetfulness or thee and departure from thee O Lord I have either altogether omitted the duties of thy service and worship or performed them too loosely and subordinately or with too much hypocrisie or confidence in them I confesse I have every way lived unanswerably to the infinite mercies and strict commandments of the Gospel too much neglecting the great salvation and the excellencies of the peace of Christ O Lord my God when I consider the iniquities I have committed in my mind with evill thoughts in my tongue in sinfull words and how much all parts and faculties have concurred as instruments of sin how I have offended against the motions of thy Spirit and my own purposes against all thy lawes and all thy providences in all my actions and employments and in every part of my life my sins become an heavy burthen too heavy for me to bear Here open thy soul to God in particulars so that for them and all other my sins I have justly deserved thy wrath and indignation to afflict me in this life with signal punishments and in the life to come with eternall torments Petition for Pardon But O Lord my God give me a true and sincere repentance such as thou shalt please to accept in Christ O teach mine eyes to weep my heart to break my soul to mourn for all my sins O let my understanding alwayes perceive and be convinced of their filthinesse and deadliness even as when thou beholdest sinnes to punish them or as when thou requiredst the blood of my Saviour to satisfie thy justice for them Lord help me to purpose against them and truly to depart from them as if the shame and unprofitablenesse the curse and the hell of them were alwayes before me And O Lord I beseech thee for thy tender mercies and bowels of compassion sake who canst not delight in the death of a sinner to pitty my poor soul lying under the burthen of my sins O my dear Iesus let these wounds of my soul be healed by thy stripes and the divine justice that I have offended be satisfied by thy dear sufferings And since thou hast paid a price for my sins and still intercedest for the pardon of them O deliver me from the guilt and burthen of them an unpeaceable conscience and a miserable eternity the just wages of them Through the merits of my dear Iesus my Lord and Saviour Amen Petition for Grace O my most gracious God I being sensible of my spiritual poverty and inabilitie to understand desire or think of the things of my peace without thy assistance do beseech thee in thy tender mercies not to leave my soule to the guidance of my sinful nature nor to give me over to my own vile affections but rather grant me power through thy holy Spirit to crucify my lusts and to deny my self in all things that are inconsistent with thee O strengthen me to encounter with the temptations of the world and let not the seeming satisfactions of any outward enjoyment betray my soul to forget thee or to decline my obedience to thee Lord grant me the compleat armour of thy grace that I may alwayes prevent the wiles of the devil and overcome the powers and rulers of darkness in their temptations Give me a disposedness in all parts and faculties of soul and body to exercise their offices in obedience to Christ Enlighten my understanding to mind heavenly things draw my will after thee and command all my affections to thee Fill me O Lord with every grace of the Gospel whose exercise thou requirest of me as a disciple of Christ O make me able to live godly to thee in all parts of thy worship righteously to men by the strict rules of justice and soberly to my self in all temperance and chastity Lord make me humble sincere meek patient and peaceable and give me strength to obey the whole will of Christ in all his
is thy goodnesse that I can still sing a song of praise for mercies when I might justly at this instant have been in sackcloth and ashes breaking my soule with sorrow for some great infelicity Especially my soul blesse the thee that my Redeemer liveth and that I still live capable of that redemption and have had another opportunity to sorrow for my sins in an hour of acceptance and am not desperately howling for them in a remediless eternity I praise thee for every portion of preventing and assisting grace for everie good thought desire and work I have done by the help of grace and for every comfort I have this day enjoyed They are thine O Lord thy Name be praised And now to the same protection that hath this day and all the dayes of my life preserved me I commit my soule and body and all that I have this night Lord cover me with the wings of thy power and fatherly mercies keep my soul in my integritie to thee and let me enjoy my natural rest as thy blessing free from all sad accidents and trouble through Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen Intercessions to be used both morning and evening which the supplicant may shorten by using an intercession of the lesser forms For the universal Church O Lord defend the borders and peace of thy whole Church from the invasion of the Turk and all other enemies abroad and from the great increases of Atheisme and ruining factions in its own bosom Direct all Christian Kings Princes and Magistrates to lay aside the interests of the world and to concurre sincerely to uphold the Kingdom of Christ Enlarge the borders of the Gospel that the nations that sit in darkness may see the great light of Christ and that the Iewes may be convinced to an acknowledgement of him Reduce all those to Christ that are departed from the faith bring into the way of truth all that have erred and are deceived and let all that profess the Name of Iesus agree in truth unitie and concord through Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen For the Churches of CRIST in these Nations O merciful Father bless the Churches planted in these Nations let them be precious in the eye of thy mercie and defend them with an especial protection Let them not have the reward of this peoples crying sins nor feel the effects of thy just deserved vengeance O disapppoint the designs of the enemies of their peace preserve a never-failing Ministerie to uphold thy wotship keep thine ordinances from contempt and though thine enemies have disturbed their peace and dishonoured their profession yet let them not have power totally to waste thy holy vineyard Let this poor people see their seducements that they may return from their follies and factions to serve thee with peace unitie and holy lives through the might of Iesus Christ Amen For the afflicted O most dear and gracious Lord who delightest in the exercises of mercie and art a strong tower for the distressed to flie unto I humbly beseech thee to give the comforts of thy countenance and ready help to all that are in distress and miserie Have mercie O Lord upon all that are now a dying assist their spirits in the difficulties of that hour Appear with comfort and peace to the soules that are oppressed with the heavie sense of their sins Raise up friends and supports for the desolate fatherless and diseonsolate widowes Pitie and help all prisoners captives and all that suffer banishment povertie and oppression hear their cries and help them Let these and all others that are in misery and heaviness find peace patience and contentmen in thee And grant that their light afflictions here through thy infinite mercies in Christ may be exchanged for an exceeding weight of glorie eternally hereafter for Iesus Christ his sake my Saviour Amen For Parents Look down O Lord with thy especial mercies upon my Parents and make them thy children by adoption and grace Accept of their repentance receive their prayers and assist them to do the will of Christ Comfort them in their ages and afflictions Teach them to number their daies and everie day to be providing for their departure in the peace of Christ Lord pardon all my acts of disobedience to them and give me an heart alwayes ready to honour obey and comfort them all their dayes through Iesus Christ my ever blessed Saviour Amen For Children O merciful Father as thou hast given me the blessing to have children born to me in the flesh so give them grace to be born to thee in the Spirit Make them true lovers of Thee and Religion and tender in the preservation of every circumstance of it Keep them in these common departures from the faith that they may not be seduced to errour and faction nor be betrayed by ill examples to prophaneness and Atheisme Let their estate in the world be neither too prosperous lest they forget thee nor too adverse lest they be discouraged let their educations and callings be honest and not subject to great temptations Lord make them just merciful sober and true followers of Christ in this world and partakers of his glories in the world to come through Iesus Christ my blessed Lord Amen Occasional PRAYERS A prayer to be used before the receiving the blessed Sacrament O Merciful Lord I being invited at this time to receive the blessed Sacrament to the performance of which I stand bound by my obedience to the Gospel and those many excellent ends for which it was ordained do humbly beseech thee to create in me a value esteem and desire of it proportionable to so great a blessing O make my soul hunger and thirst after my blessed Iesus and the excellent purposes of his death and passion which are communicated to me in that Sacrament Lord make me as willing to shew forth his death by this part of my Christian dutie as I would be to partake of the comfort of the same death to the salvation of my soul And then fit me with thy grace that I may be a worthy receiver of it Give me a beleeving penitent and charitable heart such as befits the entertainment of so great a guest especiallie give me grace to come with that reverence of soul and body that may signifie a discerning the Lords body And grant O Lord that the bread and wine that shall be blessed for me may spiritually become the communion of the Body and blood of Christ to the salvation of my soul through the same Iesus my blessed Saviour Amen In time of sicknesse Most merciful Father who hast pleased to visit me with sickness and to lay thine hand upon me make me to acknowledge my visitation to be an effect of thy particular and fatherly providence upon me that my soul may say thou of very faithfulness hast afflicted me Lord sanctifie it unto me and make me capable through thy grace of all those blessed ends which thou propoundest to thy self when thou correctest thy children
fourth part A Manual of Forms of Prayers And lastly considering of what consequence it is to Religion to have children rightly seasoned with pious principles I subjoyned for that end A short Catechisme to be taught to them In all which if I may be instrumental to any persons obtaining the ends designed if I may bring any soul to a right christian life by the first to a judicious and lively hope in Gods mercy by the second to the peace and communion of the Church by the third to frequent addresses to the throne of grace by the fourth and any little ones to be disciples of Christ by the fifth I shall not repent my self of my adventure nor want incouragement to subscribe my self A poor Workman in Gods Vineyard W. SMYTH A Catalogue of some Books Printed for and sold by Edw. Dod at the Gun in Ivie-Lane AN entire Commentary upon the whole Old Testament in 4. Vol. in Fol. wherein the diverse Translations and Expositions literal and mystical of all the most famous Commentators both Ancient and Modern are propounded examined and judged of for the more full satisfaction of the studious Reader in all things which compleateth the Authours Comment on the whole Bible a Work the like to which hath never yet been published in English by any man written by John Mayer Doctor in Divinity The Expiation of a Sinner in a Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrewes Fol. by T. L. D. D. a learnded and Reverend Divine The Justification of a sinner being the main argument of S. Pauls Epistle to the Galathians Fol. Written by the Authour of the Expiation of a sinner Thomae Lushingtonii Logica analytica de principiis Regulis usu Rationis Rectae 8o The Angell-Guardian proved by the light of Nature beames of Scripture and consent of many Ancient and Modern Writers untainted with Popery by Robert Dingley Master of Arts laâ—e Fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford 8o America or an exact description of the West-Indies especially of those Provinces under the dominion of Spain in which not only the Nature and Climate of the place with the Commodities it affordeth is fully described but also plain and full directâ—ons given for the right ordering of the same so as to fit them for the use of the Inhabitantâ— and also for transportation the like never yet published in English faithfully related by N. N. Gent. in 8o Natures Paradox or the Innocent Impostor a pleasant Polonian History translated out of French into English by Major John Wright 4o Poems Songs and Sonets written by Richard Lovelace Esq 8o The Life and death of Mr. Carter with other Tracts written by his son Mr. John Carter Minister of Gods Word in the City of Norwich 8o Directions for writing of true English by Richard Hodges in 8o The Reign of King Charles faithfully and impartially delivered and disposed into Annals by H. L. Esq Fol. Judgement and Mercy or the plague of Frogs Inflicted removed delivered in nine Sermons by that late Reverend and Learned Divine Mr. Josias Shute 4o A CATECHISM Containing the CONDITIONS OF THE GOSPEL AND DIRECTIONS to a HOLY LIFE In all Parts of GOSPEL-OBEDIENCE The particulars contained in the several Exercises In the larger Catechisme THe Conditions of the Gospel 3 Of Faith 4 Of Repentance 11 Of Obedience 18 Publick worship 20 Sacraments Baptisme 21 Lords Supper 23 Sins against publick worship 29 Private worship 32 Sanctified affections 33 Private prayer 35 Private fasting 38 Recreations 40 Charity and Almes 41 Duelling 46 Christian justice 48 Duties of Magistrates and Subjects 49 Ministers and People 51 Duties of Family relations 52 Justice in dealâ—ng 54 Restitution 55 Vsury 57 Christian sobriety 58 of the mind 59 of the tongue 60 Chastity 61 Temperance 62 Drunkennesse 63 Satisfactions of doubts about the doctrine of Grace 65. ASsurance of grace and means to it 68 Whence rejection and reprobation 71 About Gods decrees 75 Comfort against infirmities 77 What Christ hath merited for us 79 Satisfactions about our Profession and Ministery 90. PRofession by new light of the Spirit examined 92 Profession by Scripture upon private interpretation examined 103 Profession from a plea of outward holinesse examined 110 The exceptions against the Ministery answered 114 The Calling of our Ministery proved to be lawfull 125 The present sufferings no argument against the truth of our Profession 132 Forms of Prayers 142 FIrst Form for a child 147 Second Form for a child of growth and for servants 150 Third Form for an ordinary shorter exercise 158 The largest form for private exercise 168 For the universal Church 185 For the Churches in these nations 186 For the afflicted 187 For Parents 189 For children 189 Before the Sacrament 191 In time of sicknesse 193 For a sick neighbour 196 For a woman with child 197 Before a Journey 198 At first entrance into the Church 199 An exercise for a great humiliation for sins 200 A Form for the Family offices morning and evening 211 The Lesser Catechisme for Children 229 THe Belief 232 Ten Commandements 234 Lords Prayer 239 The Reader is humbly desired before he reads these exercises with his pen to put out and interline according to this direction lest he loseth the sence of those places ERRATA PAge 3. line 3. read desertion p. 13. l. 25. r. deliberate p. 37. l. 9. r. guide p. 69. l. 21. put out by p. 78. l. 12. r. conscience p. 95. l. 5. r. profession p. 96. l. 19. r. great p. 98. l. 23. r. profession p. 104. l. 14. r. could l. 15. r. envious ends l. 25. r it is for but p. 106. l. 13. r. Jâ—gling p. 108. l. 21. r. grave p. 111. l. 3. r. smooth l. 15. r. ruining p. 113. l. 1. r. appeal l. 26. r. accidental p. 122. l. 1. r. condemn p. 123. l. 13. after of interline our p. 124. l. 3. r. Christian p. 126. l. 6. r. seal p. 128. l. 5. after profession interline without a Ministery p. 203. l. 8. r. duty l. 22. r. amendment p. 214. l. 8. r. godly p. 173. l. 15. after merits of interline thee p. 227. l. 21. after day past interline that THE CATECHISME For Direction of LIFE CAP. I. QUESTION VVHat is that most considerable thing thou canst propound to thy desires and about which thou shouldest chiefly exercise thy self all the days of thy life ANSWER How I may obtain eternal life Quest But forasmuch as no man can do any thing that may merit so great an happinesse Whence doest thou expect it to be obtained Ans. From no other cause but the free gift of God through his undeserved mercies in Jesus Christ for whose sake alone I am accepted to justification and salvation Quest What ground hast thou that God will vouchsafe so great a mercy to mankind Ans. His sure and infallible promises made to them every where in the Gospel and an honourable opinion of his goodness that as he hath
weaknesse or necessity to defraud or go beyond him in a negotiation not to advantage my self in any matter by anothers losse not to encroach upon the right or possesse the estate goods or livelyhood of another Quest It s true God is an avenger of all such But doth this justice prohibit the lawfull gain of them that live by commerce and trading Ans. No So they use no deceit in the commodity nor exact beyond the ordinary gain or rate allowed by the common consent of honest minds and that is proportionable to the ingagement of their stock pains and craft Quest But suppose a man through want of Gods grace and the true knowledge of his duty have injured any person against this rule of Gospel justice what doth then Religion oblige him to do Ans. To restore to him whatsoever he hath unjustly taken from him making him satisfaction for whatsoever losse he hath suffered by him to the utmost farthing and if he be not able to do it to desire it and expresse his willingnesse to do it if he were in capacity Quest What if the tumults and confusion of his affairs shall hinder him from the designment of the particular persons whom he hath wronged and if in what he knows the persons be dead and no heirs in being to whom he may restore What is then safe to be done Ans. To pay in his satisfaction to the great Chancery of heaven by relieving the poor and other acts of mercy and charity For the retaining of that unholy possession as it can never free his repentance to God from insyncerity so it shall become a continuall gravell to his contentment and a moth to consume his lawful injoyments to him and his posterity Quest But is this justice of the Gospel to be observed in satisfaction for noother injuries but such as are incident to trade and commerce Ans. Yes For if a man by himself or any other through his abetment consent or connivence have injured anothers honour or detracted from his credit or abilities that lives and subsists by his reputation or if any man shall wound lame or maim another or by any other such way disadvantage him he is bound in conscience by the law of Christian justice to give him satisfaction to the proportion of the wrong if the injured person remits it not Quest Is not interest or use for money lent to be accounted an unjust gain Ans. No there being a voluntary contract for it upon consideration of profit or at least of convenience to the borrower and there being no law of Christ or Moses to inhibit any such contract for it any otherwise than to prevent the oppression of the poore and an obligement to a free and charitable lending to them and to restrain the biting and serpentine usury of the rich The command of Christ to lend expecting nothing again as it was spoken by our Saviour onely in pursuance of the Doctrine of mercy so it may be transgressed in requiring the principal as well as the interest by unmercifully oppressing him that is unable to pay either If therefore a mans usury exceeds not the reasonable rate provided for by lawes as to the rich nor offends charity as to the poore it is safe as to justice CHAP. VI Quest HAving gone along with the commands of Christ in the two former branches of the third Condition which consisted in living godly and justly its requisite thou shoulst now inquire into the third part of that holinesse that concerns thy obedience to Christ which is as thou saidst to live soberly as to our selves In what therefore consists that sobriety which as a Christian thou oughtest to observe Ans. First in the sober use of my mind Secondly of my body Quest How mayest thou obey Christ in the sober use of thy mind Ans. In these two respects First not to mind high things that is not anxiously to aspire to heights in temporalls above my sphere nor to indulge lofty conceits of my own knowledge nor sollicitous thoughts of a great esteem for piety proudly lifting up my self above other humble and holy servants of God but to evidence a quiet and meek spirit in all professions and actions Quest What is the second respect in which consists the sobriety of thy mind Ans. Not to torture my mind with discontents in the state and condition God hath placed me whatsoever it is being humbly thankfull for the portion of blessings he hath allowed me and quieâ—ly sober and meek in all adversities judging them best for me because the merciful providence of my God hath ordered them unto me Quest What sobriety doth the Gospel oblige thee to observe as to the use of thy body Ans. It respects first the sober use of my tongue Secondly of my body as to chastity Thirdly as to Temperance Quest Great insobrieties being expressed in our discourses and a world of evil committed by the tongue What directions dost thou take as to thy holy â—arriage towards God in the sober use thereof Ans. To avoid all discourses against piety and mixing Religion or Scripture in any vain merâ—iments andiall discourses against charity as slandering detracting judging censuring or whatso-ever tends to the lessening of another To avoid all boasting and glorying of our own worth and abilities or insulting over another mans infirmities to avoid all lying dissâ—mbling foolish jesting and superfluity of talking All which are very inconsistent with the strict sobriety of a Christians carriage and conversation Quest In the next place what is the command of the Gospel for the sober use of thy body as to chastity Ans. Not to defile my body which is the temple of the Holy Ghost in the time of my virginity with any impurity and in my mâ—trimoniall estate to keep my bed undefiled knowing that Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Quest But are onely the very acts of uncleannesse forbidden by the Gospel of Christ Ans. No A l wanton looks also with lust are accounted Adultery much more all unchast discourses and immodest actions all chamâ—ering wantonnesse and lasciviousnesse are sins against this Gospel holinesse Quâ—st What sobriety doth the Gospel oblige men to as to temperance Answ. Such as concern the temperate use of eating and drinking Quest What is thy duty and Christian temperance as to eating Ans. To make conscience of all immoderate eating with desigue of pleasure or giving fuell to lusts of all unreasonable choicenesse for varieties and delicacies to the suâ—fetting my body and unfitting me for the holy exercises to God and the offices of my calling Quest How is the holinesse of the Gospel preserved as to sobriety in drinking Ans. Not only not to be drunk with wine and strong liquours but also not to drink
such as were first disobedient to him And this way of God is most conspicuous in his dealing with his people the Jewes to whom those places in the question chiefly referre For his severity upon them was only unto such that first fell from him They had a day of mercy which they despised after which it was just with God to make it a time of hardening and excluding them from mercy Which when God shall so do what art thou O man that thou shouldst question his justice or reply against him who hath power as a Potter over his clay to make some vessells to honour and some to dishonour when some accept others reject and despise his grace Therefore Gods wayes are â—â—equal That this truth may yet be fully signified we argue that the stony and other unprofitable grounds wanted not their seed the unfruitful tree had its husbandry manuring and long forbearance before it was sentenced to be cut down The refusing guests at the great Supper had their invitation To conclude Ierusalem had a day of visitation in which they neglected the things of their peace before the fearful sentence was past that they should be hid from their eyes From all which it followes that to want grace to be hardened to be a vessel of dishonour can be no arguments to suspect God will deny such grace and sufficient spiritual assistancies but rather motives to beware of the abuse and neglect of grace when it is offered lest we forfeit our peace by neglecting the day of mercy Quest But further may I not fear to be shut out from grace and all hopes of salvation by a fatal and irrevocable reprobation from eternity the necessary consequence of an irrespective decree for the salvation of some Ans. I know some places of Scripture have administred occasion of endless dispute wherein men have waded as in the dark into an abyss of doubts of unfathomed depth and by their passionate disceptations even to uncharitablenesse about that which I am confident is no further revealed then what may make it necessary to be acknowledged a mystery and to put reason to a trial to submit to that which it could never comprehend by any enquiries have made conclusions about the point which in naturâ rei will have and must hinder and put a barre against a lively undertaking the purposes of strict Gospel-obediencence and weaken the applications of Gods grace in pressing endeavours to work out salvation by the performance of the conditions of the holy Covenant Therefore passing by the enumerations of the differing opinions of the divines both of the Romish and Protestant faith laying aside all examination of such secluse secrecies of God and all unnecessary disputes about them I set up my rest in this one thing that I am comfortably confident that whatsoever Gods election and predestination is it doth not contradict his promises of mercy nor his end of giving Christ unto the world both which by the universal scope of the Gospel are general and conditional And it is the doctrine of the Church of England in the end of the seventeenth Article that we must receive Gods promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy Scripture and in our doings that will of God is to be followed whiâ—h we have expressely declared unto us in the Word of God Quest Another scruple yet occurres that if salvation through Christ shall be given to them only that perform the conditions when I consider the weakness of my faith the defects of my repentance and my innumerable failings in every part of the performancies of holy living I find nothing but arguments of discouragement and little hopes of being accepted to salvation How may I satisfy my soul in such a discomfort Ans. Though as it is evident that the faith repentance and holinesse of Gods best servants have ever been and shall ever be defective and imperfect they being unable through their corruptions perfectly to perform those Gospel-conditions yet is God pleased to accept of their faithfull and sincere endeavour to fulfill them For the state of Grace doth not necessarily suppose a soule exempt from all sin but from the reigning power rule and dominion of it and a safe condition towards God is not to be accounted by a freedome from all sinning who then could appeare before God and the reflections of his own concience with comfort but is to be collected by observation that the spiritual part hath the greatest predominancy in the thoughts affections designes and actions and that the lusts and carnall part are lesse and every day lessening by the power of the predominant grace In which estate the failings and defects being suddenly retracted and the soule humbled for them are unquestionably pardoned through the blessed plea and advocation of Christs precious merits and his never ceasing intercession Quest Now because you have mentioned such an hope of pardon by the merits of Christ I conceive it will tend much to thy satisfaction in the first attempt and in the whole course of obeying the Gospel rightly to understand what Christ hath merited for thee that thy soul may know what comforts to rejoyce in for what mercies to blesse God and what duties stand on thy account to be performed What therefore hath Christ as a Mediatour and Redeemer merited for thee Ans. A new Covenant of Grace whereby man being at present enmity with God might be reconciled to him and being in a lost estate might be recovered and redeemed to life and salvation Now the whole work of Redemption may be represented in these five effects of his death and mediation Quest What is the first Ans. Christ hath by his universal passion especially by his death and price of his blood satisfied and attoned the justice of God for the sins of the world to become effectual to the justification and salvation of as many as shall by faith accept of him upon his own terms receive his grace and sincerely perform the conditions of the Covenant Quest What is the second Ans. Christ hath merited that those conditions should not be like the lawes imposed upon the Iewes numerous troublesome full of business and attendance to shadowie rites and ceremonies but should become a light burden an easie and pleasant yoke and that his Commandements should not be grievous but should become approveable to right reason and acts in themselves of the greatest prudence and most conducible to the peace and felicity of all societies and persons Quest You see here a most blessed progresse of mercy to mankind first a dreadful justice satisfied which the sacrifice of worlds could never have done by the suffering of him that was both God and Man then secondly a condition propounded in a law which man could not but have given himself had God allowed him a capacity to have chosen one whereby to
my countenance and my God Thou hast created me by thy power redeemed me by thy Christ sanctified me by thy Spirit and preserved me by thy watchful providence through the whole course of my life Lord I praise thee for the safety of my soul and body this day that thy grace hath kept me from grosse sins and thy protection from sad accidents O keep me this night by the covert of the same fatherly goodness through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen Let the intercession be the same that was used for the morning Service Now I commend this office as the fittest to be taught to servants in families and to be used by children before they come to mens and womens estate THE Third Form This third office I have here inserted for the benefit of those who usually accustoming themselves to the next and largest formes shall sometime be necessitated to shorten their service and may be ordinarily used by those who are not yet come up to so great designs of zeal for longer formes Morning PRAYER Our Father which art in c. Confession of sin O Lord God Almighty the God of all Glory Majesty and Power and the fountain of mercies I confesse I am unworthy to appear before thy holy presence having sinned against heaven and before thee and in thought word and deed continually rebelled against thee I have too much followed my lusts and desires and have not endeavoured to bring under my affections to the yoak of Christ I have loved the vanities of the world but too much undervalued thy Kingdom and promises I have not been so sincere and frequent in thy services so diligent in my calling so just and merciful in my carriage to others nor so sober and temperate in the use of my mind body and thy blessings as the strict holinesse of the Gospel hath required of me here make confession of particulars For which I stand here guilty of the breach of thy righteous commandments and lie lyable to the effects of thy wrath and displeasure Prayer for Pardon and Grace But O thou preserver of men for thine own compassion sake and for thy Iesus sake pity the troubles of a burthened soul and pardon all those sins I have committed against thee Let the blood of Christ satisfy thy justice and his intercession obtain thy mercy for a peace and reconciliation with thee that my sins may not separate from thy grace here nor thy glory hereafter And O Lord strenthen my weak soul with the graces of thy Spirit that I may hereafter overcome all the temptations of the devil the world and the flesh and may lead a new and holy life before thee Turn the stream of my affections to thee and take possession of my soul that all my thoughts words and actions may be subject to the law of Christ And having kept the faith and finished my conversation in holines I may at last through thy mercies in Christ obtain the crown of eternal glory Amen The Thanksgiving O merciful and Gracious Lord as I acknowledge my dependence upon thee for every part of my being so I desire to bless thy holy Name for all thy mercies to me especially for the redemption of my soul by the blood of thy Son and for the portion of thy grace that thou hast given me I praise thee O Lord for all temporall blessings as my health provision of food and rayment friends understanding senses and limbs and that I enjoy any thing that I have seen any others to want Blessed be thy Name for the safety of my soul and body this night past O keep me under the shadow of thy wings this day that I may fall into no sad accidents nor dangers and so defend me with thy grace that I may do nothing that may displease thee or that may occasion sin in others or give offence to the holy profession of Christ for his merits sake who is my blessed Jesus Amen Intercession Lord defend thy universall Church from all enemies persecutions and factions Preserve thy Churches in these nations restore them to their former peace and keep them from the dangers of their own divisions and enmities Grant that Magistrates and Ministers may concurre to the upholding thy truth and worship in this needful time Blesse my Parents children and all my near relationss with all spiritual blessings in Christ and all temporall comforts Relieve and comfort all that are in distresse all prisoners captives sick and poor persons distressed widowes and friendless children with every oppressed and sorrowful soul Convert the impenitent confirm the weak turn into the way of truth all that have erred and forgive and bless all mine enemies Lord hear these my prayers and grant me my requests for the mediation of Jesus Christ my Saviour to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be given all Glory Honour and Praise this day and for evermore Amen Evening PRAYER Our Father which c. O Most infinite Majesty and gracious Father in mercy thou hast added another day to my age O wretch that I am I have added many sins to my former score How often O Lord have I this day forgotten my obedience to thee How many vain thoughts hath my mind harboured How many vain and impertinent words hath my mouth uttered With how many passions have I been transported beyond the bounds of Religion How many sinful acts have I committed How many opportunities of doing good have I omitted wherein I might have glorified thy Name And whereas thou hast given it me as another day of grace to be getting oyle for my lamp and to be working out my salvation O unhappy Creature I have rather gone back upon the accounts of the Spirit Trifling away that precious time in my indulgencies to my carnal affections or pursuits of worldly advantages neglecting the great prize of Christ and treasures of eternity So that had I but the sins of this day to answer for at the barre of thy divine justice O Lord I might justly suffer thy wrath to all eternity O what hath my soul to plead for the sins of my whole life if the sins of this one day may confound me For Pardon and Grace And now Lord where is my hope truly my hope is even in thee who though thou art justly displeased with me for my sins yet hath thy Iesus fully satisfied thy justice for them and by the dear price of his blood purchased at thy hand forgiveness of them O my dear Lord I beseech thee therefore shut not up the bowels of thy compassion from me nor deny me the benefit of the death and passion of my Saviour Lord let his wounds heal me his blood cleanse me his death reconcile me to thy divine Majesty for ever And grant that in the residue of my dayes I may wholly conforme to the Kingdom of Christ that I may have peace of conscience here a comfortable death and a blessed eternitie through the merits of Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen
Let my bodily distemper cure my soules infirmities and that I may learn thereby to hate sin and fear thee to see the vanity of worldly dependencies and to flie unto thee as the only refuge Lord let not the vanities of my health and prosperity be now laid to my charge but accept of my repentance and sorrow for them and grant me a peace and reconciliation with thee through the blood of Christ In my straits let me look up to thee with comfort as to a gracious Father O do not appear to me in terrour as a dreadful Iudge Lord I am thy servant do with me as it pleaseth thee yet for thy mercies sake lay no more upon me then what thou seest necessarily to conduce to the salvation of my soul If it pleaseth thee that I survive this affliction O let me live answerably to thy gracious intention in chastising me and to all those my holy purposes and promises made unto thee in this my visitation that these light afflictions may be advantages to me to the obtaining the exceeding weight of Glory Through my dear Saviour and Mediatour Iesus Christ Amen If the sicknesse appear dangerous then adde this Prayer O Lord my God in whom alone is the power of life and death and who precisely knowest the number of my daies be pleased to go along with me in mercie to my last hour And if it be thy pleasure to order this sickness to end in my death Lord make that the entrance to a blessed life Help me in all my natural and spiritual distresses let neither my paines nor my sins make me impatient or unconfident Lord let not my faith in Christ nor hope of thy mercie faile in the bitter hour O let the light of thy countenance break through the terrours of death to comfort me and let thy Spirit assist me when my strength faileth me Grant O Lord that my death be neither very tormenting nor uncomelie and when my soul shall depart O receive me into the resting place of thy glorie for Iesus sake my only Saviour and Redeemer When thou hearest any of thy neighbours to be very weak in sickness Pray for him in this manner O blessed Lord and fountain of mercies I humbly beseech thee to look with thy tender compassions upon thy servant A. B. Give him faith to depend upon thee patience to submit unto thee and thy Spirit to comfort him in whatsoever afflictions thou shalt lay upon him Accept of his repentance and final preparation for the peace of his soul in Christ accept of his addresses to the throne of Grace hear and help when he calls upon thee Make his bed in the time of his sickness and provide for him all things needful in his distress both for soul and body If it be thy will raise him up to his former health but with an ingagement upon his Spirit to live answerable to thy mercies and deliverances and if it be thy will to take him out of this life O assist his Spirit in the terrours of a dying hour and receive his soul into the armes of thy mercy through Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour Amen A Prayer to be used by a woman great with child O Lord God who hast blest my womb with conception for which I praise thy providence and with that conception hast made me a partaker of the sorrow common to my sex for the sin of my first mother grant me a part in the promised seed of a woman my Lord Iesus who came to bruise the head of the Serpent And though he hath not delivered me from the trouble and miseries of my body yet O Lord give me deliverance by him from the sin of my soul Lord keep me from sad accidents and from an untimely birth Give my childe a perfect shape and fitted for right senses and a good understanding Grant it a naturall birth and me patience for the pain and a prepared soul for the perill of it when it shall be borne grant me a safe recovery my childe a timely Baptisme that it may afterward make profession of the faith of Christ and through thy grace may lead an holy life Through the same Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer to be used before and in a journey Almighty and merciful Father who with thine eye of Providence that runneth through the world beholdest me wheresoever I am in all my wayes and actions who leddest thy people through the wildernesse by a marvelous guidance and didst direct with safety the Wise men by a Starre to our blessed Saviour Defend me in this my journey from all kinds of dangers from all temptations to sin and forgetfulness of thee from the hands of evill men and all sad accidents whatsoever Blesse my design and all my relations that I have left behinde me grant that I may go in safety and return in peace through the might and mediation of Christ my Saviour Amen A short Prayer to be used by all at their entrance into the Congregation And I desire it may be taught to children as a means to oblige them to a mindfulnesse of Gods service MOst dreadful Majesty who hast promised thy presence with them that are most met in thy Name give me grace to serve thee reverently as in thy presence and to perform my duty in thy worship acceptably to thy Glory Through Jesus Christ Amen An Exercise of Humiliation to assist humble penitents upon days of their private fasting and for a due examination of themselves before the receiving of the blessed SACRAMENT A PSALM O Lord rebuke me not in thine indignation neither chasten me in thy displeasure For thou art a God that hast no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evill dwell with thee Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that work vanity Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodnesse according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sins For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Against thee only have I sinned and done this evill in thy sight that thou mightest be justified in thy saying and clear when thou judgest My misdeeds prevail against me O be thou merciful unto my sinnes I will therefore confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sinne Turn thy face away from my sins and put out all my misdeeds For thy Names sake O Lord be merciful to my sin for it is great For my wickednesses are gone over my head and are like a fore burthen too heavy for me to bear Withdraw not thou thy mercie from me let thy loving kindness and thy truth alwayes preserve me O Lord let it be thy pleasure to deliver me make haste O Lord to help me Haste thee to help me O Lord God of my salvation The confession of sins I. O Lord God Judge of all men and actions I am a miserable
and wretched creature made so by my great rebellions against thee and departures from thee having all the daies of my life multiplied my transgressions before thee I humbly confess I have too much inclined my will to the bent of my sinful nature and corrupt desires too often satisfying my sensual appetite in forbidden enoyments And when the inward voice of thy Spirit hath checkt me and thy grace impowered me to contend with my unlawful desires I have suffered my carnal part to prevail against thy Grace and my duto to Christ here call thy self to particular observations of thy actions So that Lord thou mightest in justice have left me upon the account of a carnall estate which is death and enmitie against thee and cannot please thee But O Lord be merciful unto me and pittie my soul for thy blessed Iesus sake And let that degree of spiritualitie that is in me though very weak and imperfect upon my present sorrow and promise of future amendmen be reckoned for a state of Grace Son-ship and peace with thee for my blessed Saviours sake Amen II. Lord I am miserable and wretched for I have too much embraced this present world the love of which is inconsistent with all love to and from thee I have ingaged too many thoughts and cares and too strong designes for temporall things I have had too great a fondness for the honours pleasures profits and friends of this world here bewaile thy miscarriages herein So that in justice thou mayest cast me off as having too much of the world in me for Christs Kingdome But Lord be merciful unto me and accept of my weak and imperfect attempts to despise the world and to lay it aside and my present sorrowes for my present miscarriages that I may through thy mercies in Christ be accounted one though of the least and lowest of Christs Kingdom of Grace here and may have my portion of his Kingdome of Glory hereafter Amen III. Lord I am miserable and wretched for I have in some part of my life contracted and lived in many habits of sin as of c. here account before God the remembrance of them whereby I have been sold under sin and in a state of death and enmity to thee subject to every lust and prostitute to every temptation But Lord be merciful unto me and through thy infinite mercy let me stand in the account of a New man and under a free pardon of such sinful habits as if they had never been and that I may now appear washed sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of my God Amen IV. Lord I am miserable and wretched for besides my sad state of habitual wickednesse I have multiplied an innumerable number of actuall transgressions which surpasse the number of the starres and are an heavy burthen too heavie for me to bear If I measure my sins by my time here mention the years of thy pilgrimage Lord I confesse that in every day that I have lived I have heaped sin upon sin iniquity upon iniquity If by thy laws Lord I acknowledg there is no one precept of Christ that I have not transgressed having sinned against all the Commandments that concern my living godly to God justly to men and soberly to my self here account by the rules of life in the preceding larger Catechisme If I measure my sins by the exercises of all the faculties and parts of my soul and body I confesse O Lord that all of them in their several offices have been made instruments of unrighteousnesse here account the miscarriage of every faculty sense and member For all which O Lord I have deserved thou shouldest blot me out of the book of life and deliver me up to a state of death and reprobation But Lord be merciful unto me and accept of my hearty sorrow for these my sins my purpose against them and sincere endeavour to forsake them that I may be accounted capable of the grace of the Gospel and pardon in Christ Amen V. Lord I am miserable and wretched for thou hast required an uncessant course of service to thy self both publick and private in constant prayer praises and worship and a pure intention to glorifie thy Name in all of them But I have either altogether omitted them or have bin very slight and imperfect in the perrformance of them or have corrupted them with the mixture of many mean ends and designes acconnt thy failings herein Lord thou hast obliged me to abound in righteousness and every good work and to do good to all men to my highest capacity But I have neglected the opportunities and have often changed them into pleasures and worldly satisfactions confesse thy particular omissions Lord thou hast required of me diligence in my calling and a just peaceable and charitable conversation with all men But I have not been so watchful as I should have been in the use of my time nor so careful in my words and actions of doing to all men as I would they should do to me here charge thy soul with thy failings herein And now O Lord my God if none shall enter into thy Kingdom but those that keep thy Commandements where shall I appear that am justly chargeable with all these omissions But O Lord be merciful unto me and for Jesus sake pardon to my soul these great neglects of my duty to thee and graciously accept of my former weak and imperfect endeavours to perform them my present sorrow and future amendment to the comfort and peace of my soul Amen VI For O Lord my God I have no hope but in thy mercy and in my blessed Jesus in whom thou hast promised pardon to all sincere penitents and entered Covenant with us to be merciful to our unrighteousnesse and our sins to remember our iniquities no more O Lord make good this thy gracious promise to my sinful soul for my dear Jesus sake forgive unto me all these sins of which I have pleaded guilty before thee and all other my secret and unremembred transgressions And O merciful Father furnish my soul with thy divine Spirit which may according to thy promise write thy holy lawes in my mind and in my heart Strengthen me in the inner Man that I may crucifie all my lusts and overcome all the deceits and temptations of the world and the devill Lord turn the stream of my affections to things above and make mee diligently pursue them Give me grace to hate and forsake every sin as death and hell that in the whole course of my remaining life I may deny ungodlinesse and all worldly lusts and live soberly righteously and godly in this present world through Jesus Christ my onely Saviour and Redeemer Amen Lord have mercy upon me Christ have mercy upon me Lord have mercy upon me Our Father which art in heaven c. A Form for the Services of God in a FAMILY Morning PRAYER Our Father which art c.
Confession O Lord our God who art infinite in thy glories and perfections incomprehensible in thy power and Majesty before the brightnesse of whose holy presence the Angels vail their faces and at the foot of whose Majesty the gloâ—ified Spirits cast their crownes How much more unworthy are we poor sinful dust and ashes to appear in the presence of so holy a God whom we have so heinously offended in thought word and deed through the whole course of our lives For O Lord we confess that though thou hast declared how displeasing all sin is in thy sight and hast manifested thy displeasure by the fearful punishments of wicked men yet miserable wretches that we are what little regard have we had to fulfill thy will or to depart from the ways of sin We have still suffered our base lusts too much to prevail upon us and the pleasures profits of the world to surprize and carry away our hearts And when we have found our selves industrious and exact in the pursuit of worldly things how faint and imperfect have we been in doing the work of Christ So that shouldest thou O Lord condemn us for these our sins and for the breach of all thy holy laws in our loose and vain thoughts in our sinful words uttered in passions merriments and other impertinent discourses and in all our actions against piety justice charity and sobriety how justly mightest thou execute thy displeasure against us and make this day a day of vengeance to us to deprive us of all present comforts and to scal us up to everlasting torments Petition for pardon of sins and grace But O must gracious preserver of men who hast not appointed us for wrath nor wouldest that any should perish but that all should come to Repentance Create in us O Lord by thy holy Spirit a true and sincere repentance speedily and faithfully to turn from all our evill wayes And do thou fully forgive us the sins we have committed even for thy fatherly mercies sake even for thy Jesus sake who hath satisfied thy justice for them O Lord we beseech thee to deliver us from the burthen and guilt of them from thy vengeance and the sad effects of them in temporal and eternal punishments And now O Lord we humbly acknowledge that we are unable to do any thing of our selves that may please thee without the assistance of thy grace and thy Christ strengthening us O blessed Lord give us thy grace O dear Jesus afford us thy strength that we may be able to perform to thee all our duties as thy disciples and yeeld obedience to all thy Commandments Raise up our thoughts desires and designes unto thee secure our affections to heavenly things and let our souls stand alwayes ingaged to do the will of Christ Lord help us to watch over our selves that neither the lust of the flesh the love of the world nor the temptation of the devil may take us off from our love to thee desire of thee nor faithful obedience to thee and that we may ever hereafter live a podly righteous and sober life to the Glory of thy Name the present and eternal peace of our soules through the precious merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour Here I desire that the Master of the family or who is concerned in the performance of the service for the family would here interpose some of Davids Psalmes and if he think fit a Chapter also in a judicious order And after either or both let the whole company joyn in one profession of the faith sayng I beleeve in God the Father Almighty c. After which let this short Petition be used as was taught in the former private Form O Lord preserve our soules in this faith let us not depart from it through any temptations Give us grace constantly to continue in the profession of it all the days of our life Through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen But when the employments of the Family be such as there is not time for these interpositions then go on directly to the Thanksgiving O Blessed Lord God the giver of all goodnesse and the fountain of Comfort who art pleased to engage a particular providence to the governing and disposing of every creature we humbly acknowledge our necessary dependence upon thee and that every comfort we enjoy is but what we have received from thee O what shall we render unto the Lord for those innumerable mercies we have received in all parts of our lives We blesse thee for the summe of all metcies the redemption of our soules by the blood of Christ and for the particular work of thy grace upon us We praise thee for all thy temporal blessings our health plenty peace that thou hast kept us this night past from all troubles and sad accidents and that we are here together in a condition to blesse thee in an universal safety this morning when justly for out sins we might have set down in ashes bewayling some great infelicity And since O Lord thou hast put our soules and bodies and all that we have in thine own hand to dispose of as it pleaseth thee O keep them gracious God according to thy tender mercies from every evil to which sin and a miserable nature have exposed them every moment O keep our soules that we may not be surprised nor overpowered by any temptation to sin against thee this day Lord give us wisdom to balance every action by its concernment to us at our dying hour and enable us to be doing something that may make out account comfortable at the great day of Christ Draw our affections nearer to heavenly things and increase in us a greater care diligence and earnestnesse in doing the will of Christ that we may this day live acceptably to thee and after a constant perseverance in well-doing to our lives end we may obtain a portion in thy eternall glories through thy free grace and undeserved mercy in Iesus Christ Amen The intercession O most merciful Father thou hast tyed us by the charity of the Gospel to pray for all men O be merciful to the Nations that sit in darkness and to thy ancient people the Iewes let the Sun of righteousness with healing in his wings rise upon them that they may see acknowledge the things of their peace in Christ Preserve thy universal Church from all the enemies of the faith of Christ and from the sad effects of its own differencies and distractions Protect these Churches from their present dangers and great distempers every where Bless O Lord our Parents children friendr and relations Comfort all in affliction and trouble Bring them into the way of truth that are in errour forgive and bless all our enemies Gather us altogether to the resting place of thy Glory through the merits of Iesus Christ our Saviour Amen THe Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen
commaudments That having run the race that is set before me I may obtain through thy undeserved mercie in Christ the perfect peace of thy presence for evermore Amen The Thanksgiving O Lord of Glory and Power whose eye of providence runneth through the world to guide govern and provide for all things in whom alone I live move and have my being and from whom I have received whatsoever comfort I enjoy O Lord my soul acknowledgeth thou hast done gracious things for me and hast given me a large portion of thy fatherly mercies every way I blesse thee that when thou formedst me in my mothers womb I received no signal defect in body or mind and that thou hast since kept them both from all fearful changes and deformities And that when the sentence of death was upon me in the common fall of Mankinde Lord thou gavest me thy dear Son to redeem my soul to a possibility of life I thank thee for every grace and good work that may evidence thy Spirit in me and for that I have not committed every grosse wickednesse to which nature and temptation have made me subject I praise thy Name O Lord for all the comforts I enjoy that concern this life my health peace liberty friends and livelihood and for the safety of my soul and body this night under the protection of thy sweet providence Keep me this day by the same fatherly goodnesse secure me from all sad accidents that attend upon my frail estate and most especially keep me from all offences to thy divine Majesty O let no temptation prevaile upon me nor let my soul give way to any occasion of evill Give me grace to perform to thee all that thou hast commanded me and all the good thou hast put in my power O let me so live this day as if this night following were to be my last sleep and to morrow the last judgement Through the might of Jesus Christ my Saviour Amen The intercâ—ssions are put after the evening prayer being to be used both after morning and evening exercises Evening PRAYER The addresse to God by way of worship in the morning Prayer the supplicant if he please may now use also Our Father which art in heaven c. The Confession MOst glorious Lord God that inhabitest eternity and art cloathed with Majesty and power I that am but dust and ashes and thy poor creature desire to fall low at the footstool of thy Glories magnifying thine excellencies and acknowledging my unworthiness to lift up mine eyes to heaven against which I have sinned or to appeal to those mercies which I have so much neglected and abused For Lord when I consider my self I am nothing but a masse of corruption and sin to which I have made all the faculties of my soul and members of my body which were created for good works and thy glory to become instrumental And all those excellent lawes which thou hast set before me to be the rule of my obedience I have both lightly regarded and wilfully transgressed in the whole course of my life Such O Lord as concern thy self and thy immediate worship I have either altogether omitted or carelesly perform'd in my dealings with men I have not so strictly as I should observed that rule of Christ to do to all men as I would they should do unto me neither have I been so carefull to observe the holy lawes of Christ concerning my self as I should in a temperate chaste and sober conversation And as I have contracted a heavie burthen upon my soul by the sinfulnesse of my whole life so have I this day in particular added much to my former wretched account For I have not restrained my thoughts from vain imaginations nor set a strict watch before the door of my lips to prevent sinful and impertinent discourses Lord I have been too dull remiss in thy service too negligent in the duties of my calling too carelesse of the opportunities of doing good to others And though thou hast given me this day as another day of grace yet I have made in it little ot no progress in the way of my salvation that shouldest thou deal with me according to the carriage of my soul this day before thee thou mightest justly deny me another day of mercie and leave me to my selfe and to the said wages of my sins for evermore For Pardon But O Lord my God whose mercies are over all thy works and hast graciously promised to forgive and to accept a poor penitent soul returning to thee in sorrow and true repentance have mercie upon me have mercie upon me O hide not thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in thy displeasure Remember not my sins and offences but think thou upon me according to thy great goodnesse And though I come to thee with a weak faith and an imperfect sorrow even with such a repentance as ought to be repented of yet Lord accept of me for I come in the plea of my Saviours blood that satisfied thy justice for all my sins Deny me not therefore O Lord the benefits of his blessed death and passion let my soul have a portion in the rich price of that blood by which I may have peace and reconciliation with thee my God for evermore Amen For Grace O merciful Father in the humble sense of my own insufficiencie not only not to do but not to think of any thing in concernment to my salvation without thy grace I do humbly beseech thee in thy tender compassions to help me with thy divine assistance that I may be able to live conformably to the example of Christ and the strict holinesse of the Gospel O convince my judgement that there is no peace nor profit in the wayes of sin and incline my will and ingage all my affections to the pursuit of spirituall things as the chiefest good Let not O Lord my carnal lusts and affections nor any thing that is desirable in the vaine world nor the policie of the devil deceive my soul to neglect my dutie to Christ or the things of my eternal peace Lord make me sincere and exemplarie in thy worship and service diligent in my calling and just in all my actions make me charitable to my power to all that want me and strictly sober chaste and temperate in my self and in the use of all thy creatures Lord help me to be such as I may please thee in all thy wayes and as I may comfortably appeare before thee when I come to death or judgement Through the might of Iesus Christ my blessed Saviour Amen Thanksgiving O Glorious Lord who art my good God and gracious Father thou hast from time to time given me large expressions of thy love and goodnesse even when for my rebellions against thee and forgetfulnes of thee I might before this time have been cast off from thy protection and made a spectacle of thy justice to others in some signal punishments O Lord how great