praiers and thankesgiuing accordingly for each of our particular and principall sins are as Satan that stood at Iehosuahs right hand that our praiers cannot go vp vnto the Lord. And of all others that euery one whose conscience doe accuse them of crueltie towards their brethren would take away that crying sin of oppression crying louder for vengeance then al the sins of the earth besides which brought the floud of waters when the earth was filled with crueltie and brought in the fierce Babylonian to oppresse and spoile the great men in Iudea and to make those goodlie houses desolate which had formerly been built by the oppressions and spoiling of the poore which makes the poore to sigh being wearie of their liues whose sighes the Lord must needes heare and auenge when man regardeth them not which will so shut vp the bowels of the Lords mercie and compassion that hee will shew vs no more mercie but reiect all our praiers because we would haue no mercie of the poore no though Noah Iob and Daniel were amongst vs that they should but saue their owne soules and so must needs bring a fearefull desolation vpon our sinfull nation vnlesse it be speedilie redressed besides the blasphemies of the Idolatrous enemies of the Church of God and their braggs of their workes of mercie and pitie thereby mouing the people to a discontentednes to dislike of the religion of the Lord as being the breeder and nourisher of all such cruel and vnmercifull dealing though euen in this same bloodie sin they be as deepe as any other Secondly that all would learne of our Sauiour to pray as he hath commanded I haue this consident hope that the weakest Christian amongst vs hauing a good heart although he haue neuer been able to vtter his requests to God for himselfe or Gods Church would in few weekes but following this poore direction learne to pray in feeling with much comfort those who want good hearts would by this practise obtaine them Thirdly that wee would all ioyne to pray according to the two first petitions for the Church of God our Prince and Realmes with true vnitie therein and against all the enemies of them for then vndoubtedly we should neither neede to feare the practises of the Popes Seminaries nor diuels nor yet all the enemies of the world but only stand still with Moses and see what the Lord would still do for vs. Happie shall they be whom the Lord singles out vnto this worke to be if it were but as one of Gedeons three hundred for the perpetuall preseruation of the Church of God and their countrey But for the rest although they scape the Beare yet a Lion shall teare them in peeces for being deliuered with Gods sâ—ruants from the temporal iudgement the eternall wrath of God doth certainly remaine for them Wherefore giue me leaue to speake a little further vnto your soules in this important businesse if I may awake but some of you You that spend your liues in pleasures will you not be perswaded to spend some houres in this heaueÌ„ly work to talke with God for the sauing your owne soules and the people of the Lord Oh that you knew the vnspeakable sweetenesse that heerein you should find whereas in your vaine pleasures what can you looke for but intolerable bitternes in the end will not all these increase the wrath against vs whereas the changing them into prayers with fasting and teares would be as the sacrifice of Noah wherein the Lord would certainly smell a sauor of rest and as the repentance of Niniuie that hee that had compassion on the poore ignorant heathen would much more cause his face to shine still more bright vpon vs whom he hath vouchsafed so long the profession of his name Know it for certaine as the Lord hath giuen any of you mo of his outward blessings with them more time meanes to serue him so hee lookes for so much more time at your hands to be spent in instant prayer then of any other of the earth and so must your account be Do not the popish sort that liue in your bosoms obserue besides your extreame irreligiousnes how you neuer vse to pray priuately or with any deuotion and are they not hereby hardened to like far better of their owne blind superstition wherein they spend so much time in praier How will you answere your God for the blood of so many soules as hereby perish If you could bee perswaded which you will one day feele either in this life or when it is vtterlie too late that these all other your sins wherein now is your felicitie will bee as so many swords to peirce your poore soules and so many diuels to torment you eternally and your repentance death altogether vncertaine you durst not let one minute passe but would fall into bitter mourning for all your sinnes and for your time so ill spent and bee warned by our Sauiour to begin to watch and pray that you might escape all these miseries that will certainly come vpon you You also that haue filled your houses with the spoiles of the poore the earth with their cries the crie of your sinnes is gone vp into the heauens that the Lord threatneth to be auenged forthwith Let the counsell of Daniel to Nabuchadnezar be acceptable vnto you if you will escape the decree that is comming forth against you Breake off your sins by righteousnes and your iniquities by mercie towards the poore Repent and make restitution while you may Cease to do euil learne to doe well seeke iudgement releeue the oppressed iudge the fatherlesse and defend the widow as the Lord bids you by his Prophet Then you may pray and your praiers shall be heard though your sins were as crimson that is most bloodie sins yet they shall be made white as snow If yee consent and obey yee shall eate the good things of the Land but if yee refuse and be rebellious ye shall be deuoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Your oppressioÌ„s which haue pressed downe the poore vnto the ground will one day crush you into the bottome of hell and will be a loade heauier then the whole earth vpon you that you would giue all the world if you had it to be disburdened of them and at your death the iudgement threatned vnto Iehoiakim shall surely light vpon you that none shall lament or mourne for you to say ah Lord ah his glorie but all shall reioyce that the earth is eased of you and your remembrance shall remaine most vile and loathsome to all posteritie as the memorie of other oppressors doth before And for you that would neuer spare so much as one houre from your worldly businesses to priuate praier when God opens your eyes to discerne the true profit hereof aboue the other that hitherto you haue been meerely of
thy displeasure together with all other signes therof shewed from heauen and earth as the arming of the dumbe creatures against vs both winds and waters so strangely and furiously in so many places threatning vtterly to sweepe vs away in our deadly securitie for the great ouerflow of all iniquitie euerie where cause this to work so mightilie that we may all bee presently awaked out of our deepest securitie and seek by al meanes to appease thy wrath Oh Lord diddest thou not before that most secret bloodie and fierie conspiracie warne vs all frō heauen as thou diddest Ierusalem before her last destruction by a fierie tent directly ouer our heads inclosing vs all with pillers of most horrible darknes pillers of fire and pillers of blood foreshewing vs as by that which followed wee may iustlie deeme that bloody darknesse and fiery destruction that was towards vs Did not the hearts of many of vs tremble in the beholding thereof and in fearing some grieuous iudgment that was to come causing vs to flie to thee to seeke to hide our selues vnder thy wings And did wee feare without iust cause Had it not been effected indeed and we all chiefely our dread Soueraigne with all our heads and rulers inclosed in the most darke fiery bloodie tent that euer the world heard of in that most vnnatural and accursed massacre if thou our gracious and most tender Father haddest not heard the prayers of thy poore children which both before and at that very instant were humbled before thee and so thought on vs in mercy And shall we now be senselesse still in these signes tokens still entring in vpon vs as fearefully as euer any of the ten plagues vpon the Egyptians making the whole land to tremble at the very report of them Saue and deliuer vs from that iudgement of all other the heauiest that euer fall vpō the heart of man and whereby not onely the Egytians were prepared for their finall ouerthrow in the sea but also thine owne people Israel both before the great captiuitie and also before the last and vtter desolation of that natiō so oft threatned by our Sauiour that by hearing we should heare not vnderstand and seeing we should see not perceiue but haue our hearts made more fat and senselesse by all the meanes sent to call vs to repentance lest wee should be conuerted and thou shouldest spare vs. Oh open our eies that we may see in what state we stand and how farre this iudgement hath seased vpon vs already Conuert vs we shall be conuerted and neuer let vs as those whom thou hast vtterly destroyed harden our selues against the euident tokens of thy wrath denying or making light of them much lesse to oppose our selues against thee thy word and seruants Preserue vs from the outragious ouerflowings of the multitude which thou mayest iustly arme against vs in their ignorance like the furious waues of the raging seas for lack of our care cōscience to see thē taught to knowe thee and thine ordinances and to feare thy great and mighty name Let not the flouds of iniquity swallow vs vp Aboue all neuer leaue vs in their hands whose very mercies are cruelties that they should blaspheme thy great name to say where is now their God but let vs still fall into thy hands and deale with vs as it pleaseth thee for with thee is mercy and when thou smitest vs yet thou pitiest vs euer in wrath remembring mercie Though our prouocations be more hainous then we are able to expresse yet Lord heare the crie of thy seruants and let them stil preuaile with thee to stay thy hand Hast thou not sayd it and manie a time made it good euen vnto this very day that the innocent should deliuer the Iland doest thou not call for vs thy poore seruants to stand vp with Moses in the breach to stay thy fierce wrath because thou art a God of mercie and wouldest not destroy thy people most declaring the riches of thy grace in pardoning and sauing whole nations at the praiers of a few of thy poore seruants and giuing the wicked for their ransome Therfore oh good Lord we whom thou doest call to be thy remembrancers knowing that thou art still the same good God to thine as thou wast to Moses Abraham and Samuel and being assured that through thy Son we are as deare vnto thee as the apple of thine owne eie that thou canst denie vs nothing which we beg in his name which may make for thine owne glorie and good of thy people do humbly intreate thee to glorifie thy mercy that it may shine to all the world in pardoning the sinne of our Land turning the harts of all sorts speedily vnto thee to meete thee with an intreatie of peace but make all the vnplacable enemies of thy Church to feele thy hand and those chiefly who haue as Balaam and the Midianites caused vs with their wiles to prouoke thee to so fierce a wrath wherein we haue bin so oft and so lately almost vtterly consumed through our backslidings and rebellions against thee Get thy selfe glory vpon them as vpon Pharo in the heart of the sea that when thou hast deliuered vs ouerthrowne them as sundry times thou hast begunne and promised to accomplish we may sing the song of Moses thy seruant and all ages keepe a remembrāce of thine endlesse mercy Let euery one of vs be afraide of defacing or obscuring any part of thy glory and much more of seeking vainly our owne glory especially of robbing thy Maiestie by taking any part of thine honour to our selues as Herod being proud of thy gifts whereunto our sinfull natures are strongly inclined But aboue all keepe vs frō dishonoring thee by our euil example amongst the wicked and vngodly to cause them to blaspheme that glorious truth which we professe Make vs to account it our greatest honour to honor thee and the greatest dishonour and euill that euer can befall vs so much as in shewe to dishonour thee Strengthen vs to walke so vprightly that others seeing our good workes may glorifie thee our heauenly father and that we may stop the mouthes of all the wicked bearing their reproch as a crowne vpon our heads So inflame our harts with a zeale of thy glory that our righteous soules may be vexed from day to day for all the abominations whereby thou art dishonored by Atheists Papists and all sorts of godlesse men And let vs be so farre off from dishonoring thee by being ashamed with Peter of thee and thy religion or any part thereof where we ought to professe it that in all places we may shewe it forth with all wisdome and boldnesse as that which is our chiefest glory gracing it with a holy conuersation that our Lord Sauiour may
you may vse the helpe of the rules for direction and comfort in our examination pag. 13. All which with the graces we haue obtained in the Law and promises wee are assured of in the Gospell must needes cause the simplest to send forth most sweete prayers and thankesgiuings vnto the Lord. And so much for you that are desirous to pray Now to you that droope and faint vnder your seuerall troubles and temptations not knowing what to doe the Lord hath here shewed you plainly what you should doe Learne of Eliphas in Iob Acquaint your selues with your God search your sins by the true triall Make peace with him then you may lift vp your face to God make your prayer vnto him and he will heare you And his light shall shine vpon your waies When others are cast downe you shall be lift vp and God will saue the humble person Therfore continue in prayer wrastling with him let him not go before he haue blessed you hee will certainly doe it Proue and see Onely waite vpon the Lord in the way of righteousnes vntill hee send you comfort vsing all holy and warrantable meanes to helpe herein to serue his diuine and fatherly prouidence but bee afraid of so much as euer thinking of any indirect course as to do but the least euil to obtaine neuer so great a good and much more of rebelling against the Lord or his anointed and that authoritie which he hath set ouer you lest aboue all other your miseries you bring vpon you the terrors of an accusing conscience and procure vnto your selues most certaine wâ—e and endlesse damnation And thus much also for you that faint in your trials If you desire further aduice looke the watch pag. 127. You that are afraid to pray vsing the Lords praier as a praier because you cannot comprehend the meaning of it in so few words and for that the multitude abuse it accept my earnest endeuour to knit our hearts in one both by assisting you that you may haue the summe of the chiefe heads euer in fresh memorie as before your faces and that those who abuse it without vnderstanding may learne a more holy vse thereof If yet you say that you cannot so comprehend the full meaning of it and all things contained in it the like you may say as I take it of euery seuerall petition thereof and so we should vse none of them in our prayers at all For you beloued that sometimes were feruent in prayer but now are cold and heauie or altogether fallen asleepe I say not vnto you awake Behold froÌ„ whence you are fallen and the danger wherein your selues and the Church of God stand continually seeing our experience teacheth vs that there is but a haire bredth betweene vs and death especially if euer the Lord should leaue his anointed our Iosiah the breath of our nostrils for one minute into the enemies hand But only â— put you in mind of the speech of our Sauiour to his drowsie Disciples Sleepe hencefâ—â—th take your rest I beseech the Lord that I may neuer see that day But what meane all our prodigious signes and aboue all the worst that almost all are fallen asleepe in the midst of such inueterate and deadly malice with all sorts of grieuous sins increased to the vttermost to prouoke the Lord after so many bloodie practises and terrible forewarnings giuen so oft and gratiously to preuent the fierce wrath of the Lord with such sudden and insolent ouer flewings some of them in the middest and highest part of the Land where the people were altogether secure as not hauing the least thought of any danger by water which together with the former principally of the raging seas all must needs acknowledge to bee the finger of God If our sinnes had been so increased in the daies of popish blindnes they had been nothing in respect but now in such a glorious light wherin all of vs haue been conuiâ—ced so many waies and subscribed in our hearts to the truth of God and also doe generally still iustifie the good waies of God and yet for most part set our selues to trample all vnder our feete hating or scorning all that so walke how gratious dutifull and blamelesse soeuer they bee this must needs make our sins vnmeasurablie sinfull and aboue the sins of all other people And you that imagine you pray and are accepted of the Lord and yet liue in your vnmerciful oppression or any other such haynous sin may it not well be demaunded of you as the Lord doth of the people before the Captiuitie Will you sweare lie dissemble oppresse build your houses with blood commit adulterie drinke the blood of soules and all other euil and yet crie the temple of the Lord we are the seruants of the Lord and call vpon his name Will the Lord take a wicked man by the hand Can the hypocrite call on God in the day of his aduersitie No no you deceiue your own soules vntill you haue made peace with God by vnfained repentance and by Zacheus restitution peace with men Nay although you coÌ„mit not halfe these sins but liue in any one of them or any other like hath not the Lord saide you shall surely die for it What good then can your prayers doe when the Lord turnes away his eare as froÌ„ that which is abominable and will laugh at your destruction because you would not first harken vnto him to turne from your euill waies while he stretched forth his hands vnto you Therefore vnto you my deere brethren of all sorts and degrees who haue continued with our Sauiour hitherto in watching prayers and teares and yet at length begin with Moses to faint with long holding vp your hands or are in danger thereof I vnfainedly desire of the Lord that I may bee as Aaron or Hur to helpe to confirme your weake hands and wearie knees Let not your hearts faint The Lord our God is with vs while we are with him Let vs continue wrastling and weeping and become so much more instant and importunate as the sins dangers increase vrging him euer with his owne glorie the pride of his enemies and their blasphemies if euer they should preuaile together with his gratious promises loue and former mercies both to all his owne people in all ages and especially towards our selues declared hitherto in all our peace prosperitie miraculous deliuerances with continuance of the Gospell beyond all expectation Oh that all in the Land fearing the Lord and the tokens of his displeasure had hearts to performe but these three duties to his heauenlie Maiestie First that euerie one of vs would but learne to know our owne speciall faults and wants by carefull meditation in the law together with the sins and wants of the Church and Land and so to consider each night how we preuaile in reforming our selues and then frame our
thē whose mercies are crueltie to cause them to blaspheme but let vs still fall into thy hāds who pitiest vs whē thou smitest vs and in wrath remembrest mercie Though our sinnes be haynous to anger thee yet let the cry of thy seruants still preuaile Hast thou not saide it that the innocent shall deliuer the Iland and dost thou not cal vs to stand vp in y e breach because thou wouldest not destroy vs Hast thou not beene wont to pardon whole natiōs at the prayers of a few of thy seruants Therefore we thy remembrācers knowing that thou art still the same as to thy seruāts in former time and wee as deare vnto thee and that thou cāst denie vs nothing which we beg in thy Sonnes name according to thy will for our good doe humblie intreate thee to glorifie thy mercie in pardoning our sin and turning vs speedilie vnto thee but make thine enemies to feele thy hand those chiefely who haue as Balaam caused vs to prouoke thee so grieuously that we haue been so oft in so fearefull danger by our backslidings and rebelliōs Get thy selfe glory vpō thē as vpon Pharaoh that whē thou hast deliuered vs and ouerthrowne thē as fundrie times thou hast begun wee may sing praises and euer keep a remembrāce of thy mercie Let vs bee afraid of obscuring any part of thy glorie and much more of seeking our own honour or taking any part of thine honour to our selues being proud of thy gifts But aboue all keep vs from dishonoring thee by our sinfull liues amongst the wicked to cause them to blaspheme Let this bee our honor to honour thee and contrarily our greatest dishonor Strēgthen vs to walk so vprightly that others seeing our good workes may glorifie thee and wee may weare the reproch of the wicked as a crowne So kindle the zeale of thy glorie in our harts that we may bee grieued continually for all the dishonors done vnto thee And that insteede of being ashamed of thee or any part of thy truth we may euer professe it with all holie wisedome and boldnesse as our chiefest glory that our Sauiour may acknowledge vs before thee in the presēce of men Angels to be the heires of thy kingdom whē he will denie all other as those whom hee neuer knew to their endlesse confusion Thy kingdome come And whereas thou oh Father art chiefly glorified in the increase of thine owne people which obey thy word amongst whom onelie thou raignest and especiallie when thou causest thy religion people to prosper against all the power of hell Grant thy Gospell whereby thou conquerest rulest to be sincerelie preached euery where and make it so powerful that it may destroy the kingdome of Satā Antichrist gather all thine vnto thee that so thou mayest hasten thy glorious kingdome And to this end raise vp Kings and Queenes to nourish vs with the word of life preserue vs from the rage of all our cruel enemies especially that bloody Antichrist and for those that are such already make thē ten times more accounting this their greatest dignitie to haue the bringing vp of y e heires of thy kingdome committed vnto them And as it hath pleased thee to settle this kingdome in so great peace amongst vs deliuering vs frō that blood thirstie whore of Babylon to cōtinue the same beyond all former expectation vnder our dread Soueraigne so indue him with such an abūdant portiō of thy Spirit according to that high dignitie laide vpon him and with such tender affections towards thy children that in token of true thankfulnes for all his dominions chiefelie the wōderfull deliuerances of his Maiestie his and of all vs thy people principally by him hee may set himselfe with Iehosaphat and Ezechiah other worthie Kings of Iuda to inlarge thy king dome promote thy pure religion destroying al vngodlines and to procure each way the good of vs thy poor childrē cōmitted to him that al we being still more loyallie affected as toward our most happie nursing father vnder thee as al the good people were towards Dauid may euer sound foorth thy praises for him and pray earnestlie for his preseruation of our Queene with all their royal progenie that his kingdome may bee established vntill Christ shall come to resigne vp this earthly scepter and raigne with thee eternally Giue all our Rulers y e same heart y t they may be as the hāds of thine annointed in euery place for this purpose And as thou hast ordained chiefely to finish thy kingdome by the preaching of thy Gospell which thou did dest first spread by thy holy Apostles subduing the world therby so wee pray thee to send foorth such powerful preachers into euerie congregation which may not cease to admonish euerie one with teares framing thēselues by all holy meanes to win all afraid of the least offence which might hinder the saluation of anie one Awaken at length all sorts of vncōscionable ministers drūkē with y e blood of their people that remēbring the crie of Abels blood they may be thinke themselues in time what to answere when Christ shall come and either giue thē repentance care for their peoples saluation or free them frō thē and cōmit thē to such by whō they may bee brought into obediēce to the lawes of thy kingdome that thou alone maiest raigne as Lord amongst them Antichrist being cast out vtterly with al things whereby hee hath kept any of thy people vnder his slauerie or seekes to pull them into Babylon Deface oh Lord all the prints of his Idolatrie and cut off all hopes of euer building vp Babel againe And seeing the chiefe glorie and safetie of thy kingdom is in the vnity of thy subiects take away good Lord all causes of contentions Confound all the plots of cursed Balaam who knowing that no kingdome diuided can stād seeks to rend thy Church in peeces the easier to preuaile against it when thou art also departed from it as euer Satan hath beene wont Graunt y t we may buy this peace with the losse of all except thy fauor that al sorts seeing our holie agreemēt may ioyne themselues vnto vs and come into the bosome of thy Church And moreouer sith thou wilt haue euery one to helpe to build vp thy kingdome and to saue others by bringing them therunto graunt vs more care not onely for our charges committed to vs but for euerie one tied vnto vs by any special bond that wee may take euery first occasion for gaining them vnto thee by all holy meanes Let vs not rest before they be safe And that wee may preuaile the more giue vs oh Lord a sweet feeling what a blessed thing it is to be of thy kingdome partakers of thy glorie euen to be Kings Priests vnto thee and what happines there is in liuing such a holy conuersation how wretched the state of all other people is being bōdslaues of Saran and
our first parents cast out of their happie estate accursed in themselues and all their posteritie euen al vs vntill wee obtaine deliuerance by laying hold of our Lord and Sauiour Make vs able yet more plainely to behold the same not only in the generall destruction of the olde world turning Sodom into ashes preparing hell for an euerlasting punishment to all vnbeleeuers and impenitent sinners but also in thy seueritie against thine owne children as in cutting off Moses onelie for that hee did not sanctifie thee at the waters of strif that he could not enter into Canaan after hee had led thy people forty yeers and now brought them to the borders of it And besides the heauy punishmeÌ„t of Dauid and his house all his life long and the fearefull iudgemeÌ„ts on many of thine owne faithful seruaÌ„ts Teach vs to coÌ„ceiue aright of the vilenesse and danger of sin hereby that the least sinne of thine elect could neuer haue bin ransomed but by the sacrifice of thine owne deare Sonne and how thou diddest powre out vpon him the ful viols of thy wrath to cause him to crie my God vvhy hast thou forsaken mee Giue vs a continuall meditation hereof and of the innumerable euils which euerie sinne brings on thine owne children vnlesse they bee preuented by speedy repentance especially depriuing vs of all true comfort and power in praier so long as wee remaine therein without repeÌ„taÌ„ce besides y e losse of many extraordinary fauours Shew vs withal how our sinnes increased being committed not onely against thy glorious Maiestie but also against our high calling and all thine abuÌ„dant mercies with so strong means to restrain vs besides so many vowes and promises of amendment that after pardon formerly obtained and sealed vnto vs. Grants vs some sight also of the multitude of our sins not onely in breaking thy Commandements in thought word or deed but euen in omitting anie part therof or doing it without all our heart besides the sin of our first parents whereof wee are all guiltie and the corruption of our sinful natures whereby wee are so infected with sin that wee are inclined vnto euil coÌ„tinaully vnable to thinke anie thing but that which is sinfull so little moued by thy iudgemeÌ„ts or mercies to make anie right vse therof Giue vs such a liuelie sense hereof of our daily frailties inâ—rmities noysome lustes flowing from this lothsome sinke that in the feeling of this bondage of our corruption wee may euer sigh desiring to be deliuered therefrom Set before our faces also the grieuous sins of our youth much more those which we haue committed since our high calling contrarie to our consciences and whereby wee haue dishonored thee to the reproach of thy Gospel griefe of thy seruants or hindering the saluation of any soule that by al these we beholding the infinitenes of our debt and our great misery therby that we may runne continually to the fountaine of thy Sonnes blood which is open to all the house of Israel for sin vncleannesse crying Wash me thorowlie from my sin purge and purifie me And yet that the vgelie view of them may not vtterly dismay vs as though we could not be purged froÌ„ them comfort vs in the infinite worth merit of thy Sonnes blood which is al-sufficient to cleanse vs thorowly although wee had al the sins of the world vpon vs so long as wee can crie to be washed therin But yet seing thou admittest none to this fountaine but only them that come in true fainth and vnfaied repentance for all their sins resoluing to liue a new life and crying after this fountain Make vs able in the sense of our vilenes by nature and our particular sins to mourn bitterly when wee looke at thy Son whoÌ„ we haue pearced thereby and so to hate sinne that we may be afraid of euer defiling our selues againe sinning against that precious blood Helpe vs to trie our repeÌ„tance faith to bee such as are sound haue beene wrought in vs by the preaching of the Gospel do coÌ„tinually increase which are the certaine euidences thereof GraÌ„t vs grace to iudge our selues daily y t we may not be iudged of thee Remember vs also we intreate thee againe for our sinfull Land though euen the earth bee corrupt the crie of the sinnes exceeding great yet let the cry of vs thy childreÌ„ in euery corner preuaile against y e crie of the sinnes that thy mercie may bee magnified in all the world As vvee for giue c. And as thou hast taught vs to pray onely so to be forgiueÌ„ as we forgiue others assuring vs that if we do forgiue wee shall bee forgiuen and otherwise we shall neuer bee forgiuen Change our malicious and proud hearts that although we hate y e sins and company of the wicked and reioice in the execution of thy righteous iudgmeÌ„ts and pray daily for the confounding of al the wicked practises and deuises of the enemies of thy Church that yet wee may seeke the saluation of al sorts and for them that are our enemies but vpon priuate respects giue vs grace to pray earnestly for theÌ„ that they may repent obtaine mercie And that wee may seeke to pacifie them by offering them full satisfaction and doing them any good so far as may staÌ„d with their saluation the credit of the Gospell to heape coales vpon their heads either to gaine them or leaue them more without excuse and to seale vp to our selues a ful remission of all our sins therby Leade vs not into temptation And seing our deadly enemy seekes hourely to tempt vs to sin to dishonour thee and become his vassals y t thou mightest leaue vs in his hand to execute his malice vpon vs and bring vpon vs al the euils which follow sinne wherupon our Sauiour hath taught vs to pray Leade vs not into temptation Open our eies good Father to see our continual danger and first for the multitude of damned spirits ranging vp and downe as roaring Lions to deuour vs. Teach vs to know that they are able to bring vs to as fearful sins as euer were committed to destroy vs vtterlie in a moment with all that wee haue if thou giue them leaue Acquaint vs with their subtâ—lties in fitting their temptations to our particular estates and dispositioÌ„s which they know by dogging vs euer taking their aduantages to solicite vs to those sinnes whereby they haue most preuailed against vs formerly or against other thy seruants and how they are wont also to draw vs on by degrees as first to yeelde to some smaller matters which are accounted no sinnes or to thrust our selues carelessely or with our warrant into the danger and occasions of temptation neglecting the calling laid vpon vs as Dauid to lie on his bed in the afternoones insteede of looking to the affaires of his kingdome Make vs able to consider how they haue all the baites of the world both the
so thy sharpe corrections laid vpon all other thy dearest seruants registred in thy booke Lord teach vs yet more rightly to cōceaue the vilenesse of sin by this one thing chiefely that the least sinne of thine elect could neuer haue bin ransommed but by the vnspeakeable torments of thine owne beloued Sonne the Lord of glory taking our nature to become a sacrifice to appease thy wrath and to satisfie thy Iustice how thou didst poure out vpon him the full viols of thy wrath to cause him to sweate drops of blood to cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Giue vs thy children some true sense heereof and withal this grace to keepe a cōtinuall remembrance of the innumerable euils which euery sinne brings euen vpon vs thine owne children in our soules or bodies goods name or friends vnlesse wee preuent them by speedy and vnfained repētance especially how thereby we are left wholly destitute of thy protection prouidence and depriued of all comfort and power in prayer so long as we remaine therein and also of many extraordinary experiments of thy bounty which otherwise wee should find Make vs able in some sort to comprehend the greatnesse of sin by the infinitnesse of thy glorious Maiestie against whom each sinne is committed how our sinnes are increased heereby also that they are committed against our high calling to be Christians and heires of thy Kingdome with such abundant mercies both ordinarie and extraordinarie and so many and strong meanes to restraine vs besides sundry vowes and couenants renewed and that after mercy obtained and pardon formerly sealed vpon our promise of amendment Open our blind eies to haue some sight also of the multitude of our sinnes how they are more in number then the starres of heauen seeing they are euery breach of thy diuine will reuealed vnto vs in thy law and Gospell and that not only in thought word or deede but euen in omitting of any part thereof or doing it without all our hart and all our strength besides the sinne of our first parents whereby we are all the children of wrath and vnder thy curse and also besides the corruption of our sinfull natures receiued from thence whereupon wee are so wholy inclined vnto euill that all the thoughts of our harts are onely euill continually so as we cannot of our selues so much as thinke much lesse will any thing but that which is sinfull and hence also the hardnesse of our harts that we are so little moued either at the hearing of so many iudgements or the inioying of so many mercies to make any right vse of them Vouchsafe vs such a liuely and continuall sense heereof together with a feeling of our daily slips wants frailties infirmities imperfections noisome lustes issuing from this filthy puddle of originall corruption in vs that we may bee wearie of this body of sinne groning vnder the bondage of this our corruption sighing to bee deliuered from it Shewe vs also our most grieuous sinnes not onely of our youth and ignorāce but those much more which we haue committed since thou hast called vs by thy grace vnto so high a dignitie conuinced our consciences chiefely our open and scandalous sinnes whereby wee haue most dishonored thee causing thy Gospell to bee euill spoken of grieued thy children or any way hindred the saluation of others that by all these we may see vvhat debters we are how vnable to pay the least part but to lie in hell for euermore that we may crie continually with Dauid Lord forgiue vs our sinnes and blot out all our offences wash vs thorowly purge and clense vs thus running euery moment to the fountaine of thy Sons blood which is open to all the house of Israel for all sinnes vncleannesse And yet withal that we may not be vtterly ouerwhelmed by the vgly view of the multitud or lothsomenesse of our sinnes as though they could not bee pardoned nor we purged from thē comfort vs in this that thy Sonnes blood is of infinite merit and all sufficient to wash vs from all our sinnes though they were the most haynous sinnes that euer were cōmitted yea although we had all the sinnes of the world vpon vs so long as in a true feeling of them we cā desire to be washed therein But because wee are all very ready to deceiue our selues imagining that we are washen when we remaine still in our filthines seeing thou neither callest nor admitst of any to this fountaine but them that come in true repentance for all their sinnes fully purposing amendment and in a liuely faith in thy sweete promises desiring to grow therein Oh grant vs grace truely to see our particular sinnes and the vilenesse of them and make vs able in the sight of them and the sense of our estate and danger by them to mourne bitterly for them looking at thy Sonne whom wee haue pierced thereby and so to hate and abhorre them that being once purged in this Lauer we may bee euer afraid of defiling our selues againe or of sinning against that pretious blood Helpe vs to trie both our repentance and faith by the holy rule which thou hast giuen vs in thy law and Gospell that we may know them to be such as will abide the triall and not hypocriticall and which also haue bin first wrought in vs by the powerfull preaching of thy Gospell and doe continually increase and grow which are the infallible euidences y t they are sound and sincere Giue vs harts to be daily examining and iudging our selues that we may escape thy iudgement We intreate thee also againe for our sinfull Realmes to pardon all the fearefull prouocations thereof and to be pacified at the instant prayers of thy faithfull seruants crying vnto thee in all places by the blood of thy Sonne which speakes better things then the blood of Abel Let that cry still preuaile against the cry of the sinnes that thy mercie may bee magnified in all the world As we forgiue them that trespasse against vs. And whereas thou oh holy and gratious Father hast taught vs euer to pray to be forgiuen as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs telling vs plainely that if wee forgiue others for thy cause thou wilt also forgiue vs and contrarily that if we will not forgiue others we shall neuer bee forgiuen Change good Lord the wickednesse of our sinfull hearts which are most strongly bent to malice and reuenge that howsoeuer wee hate the sins and company of the wicked and whatsoeuer else is in them whereby they dishonour thee or shew themselues to bee thine enemies and although we also reioyce in the execution of thy righteous iudgements whereby thou gettest thy selfe glory vpon the proud enemies of thy Church and do also pray daily for