should cause us to set aside all other considerations Now in this case of Prayer here is considerable nay assured and unspeakable Benefits mentioned before arising from thence to our Bodies and our Souls The prosperity the Health the Riches the Honours Blessings and the very breath of the former with all other Temporal things relating to its good are in the Hands and at the disposal of our God they proceed from his Bounty and are commonly obtain'd by our zealous Prayer for God an unchangeable Truth hath promised in his holy Word to have a special regard to the Prayer of the Destitute to hear the groaning of the Prisoner to loose them that are appointed to Death That he will cause him that asketh to receive he that seeketh from him his Necessities shall find them in due time That he will grant whatsoever we ask in Christ's name That he will hear the Prayers of all Flesh and perform their desires That he will open the Treasuries of his Mercies to such as call upon his Name and grant them their requests In a word God promiseth that he will freely bestow upon us all those earthly advantages which Men so highly esteem and stand in need of in consideration of our devout and Constant Prayer together with the more lasting and more excellent Riches of the Soul Psalm 102.17 Luke 11.9 John 14.13 Psal 65.2 Jer. 29.12 and Jer. 33.3 Zech. 13.9 If some prophane Varlets that contemn God and Religion and neglect this Duty nevertheless seem to be so happy as to be loaden with these Temporal Blessings they enjoy them not with that deliciousness and content as a praying Soul That which to the latter is a real Benefit proves a present Curse to the former and an aggravation and the fâ—wel of their Vices Neither can they find that sweetness in good which naturally it yields and a good Christian tastes partly because the fears and apprehensiens which commonly attend upon a disorderly behaviour with the gripings of an awaken'd Conscience sour and poison all the Mercies of Heaven and partly because the secret Curse that accompanies the Wicked in the neglect of their Duty to God changes the very nature of the greatest Blessings Let therefore the Care Diligence and Frugality of our Fore-fathers make never so much provision for us Let God's Providence put into our hands a plentiful Estate Honours Power and Authority as soon as we are born Prayer is as needful in such a Condition as if we were daily to expect the continual Supplies of God's Bounty to entertain our beings as if we had no such assurance of a livelihood in the World Humane Greatness if not supported and animated by Goodness and Piety is like those unweildy Bodies the sooner brought to ruine for want of Vital Spirits required to keep them in motion and preserve them from the encroachings of the Diseases unto which their grossness and fatness are inclinable Worldly promotion can never be well maintain'd and continued but by that Providence from whence it first proceeds Reason as well as Religion obligeth us to seek from God's mercy the preservation of those Stores of good things which he hath bountifully bestowed upon us seeing that without it they must needs decay and shrink away to nothing Think not thy self O Man less indebted to thy God because he hath given thee by whole Sale all the Riches of the Earth which he distributes to others but by retail and that therefore thou dependest not so much upon his Power and needest not so much his continual assistance as others of the lowest rank of Men. Sooner may the Moon and glittering Stars yield their light and comfortable Influences without the Aspect of the Sun sooner may the Earth bring forth its variety of Creatures without the Celestial Globes than that Man tho' never so Rich and Powerful should subsist without his God When therefore Solomon the wisest of all the Kings of Israel built the famous Temple of Jerusalem he placed the King's Bed-Chamber near to God's Sanctuary and caused a door to lead into it whereof the Key was transmitted with the Crown and Scepter of Israel and always in the King's possession that this might mind him of his dependency upon his God and to seek from him those Blessings and the protection that he continually wanted in that lofty Station of Honour If therefore our Subsistance the preservation of our Estates in the highest degree of Power and the continual assistance of our God needful in the greatest abundance proceed from his bountiful hand and are obtainable by and promised to our Prayers should not this oblige us to draw near with Humility to the Throne of God's Grace to offer up this cheap Sacrifice always ready and at hand so acceptable to our good God I confess he is acquainted with our indigencies and his infinite knowledge needs not be informed of the things that we want in the World for he knows our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking He understands our most bosom thoughts He sees and foresees what is most useful both for our Souls and Bodies Tho' this Consideration may seem to render our Prayers frivolous and not so needful as if God were ignorant of our Wants Yet Christ and his Holy Apostles require and advise us both by their Examples and Commands to lay open our Necessities in Prayer to our gracious God and Nature it self calls upon us to seek from him a supply to our daily Wants For we must not look upon Prayer as a simple information of our desires and estate but as an open acknowledgement of God's Liberality and Riches not as an increase to his knowledge which is in it self Infinite and can admit no augmentation but as a means appointed by his Wisdom to increase and augment our happiness Neither must we look upon Prayer as an obligation laid upon God to commiserate our poor Condition but as a nâ—â—hod to dispose and render us fit to receive the Mercies of Heaven and as that unto which God's promises of Earthly and Spiritual Blessings are annexed Which the divine Wisdom hath so much the more cause to encourage and we sinful Men to practice because it is the most agreeable to God's magnificence and unlimited Bounty and to Man's weakness and poverty Because it is the most excellent Armour to strengthen us against the assaults of worldly Casualties the safest shelter where we may retreat when pursued by Storms and Tempests The best Pourveyor to procure us all things needful for our maintenance and beings And because it is the readiest means to entertain and increase that familiarity with our God which must of necessity precede that Eternal Union and Communion with him which we shall enjoy in the Estate of Glory God will have us draw nearer to him by degrees and not leap from our vile Fellowship with Sin and the World into an immediate fruition of his unspeakable Bliss As there is a vast distance between these
to swallow therefore you may hear him desire that it may pass away and that he may be excused to drink it but immediately after he adds not my will but thy will be done The fulfilling of this will we must prefer to the things that we most passionately desire on Earth As it ought to be our chief aim it should be our most zealous request and most earnest petition to be placed at the close of all our Prayers which we offer up for these pleasant glorious and useful things on Earth that draw away too much of our Affections Likewise when we beg from God for the good things of this Life we must take heed of two other intentions or affections of our corrupt Nature that are able to render our requests most sinful and abominable in God's Presence The first may proceed from an unjust principle of Covetousness when the Soul is possessed with an insatiable spirit that craves more than is needful and forces it to desire what is not really ours to the prejudice of others or from ambition vain-glory and immoderate care of the World that may cause us to petition too passionately for its Vanities as it may proceed from some Lust that governs the Soul All these and other Principles of the like nature as they are irregular the Devotions that proceed from them can never be good for all our requests in such like Cases tend to procure to our selves those good things that we purpose to abuse in the satisfying of our unruly and base affections Such Prayers are Sacrifices of the Devil and not of God His Blessings never so mean are too good to be prostituted to our shameful Lusts We must not think to feed the Devil's Brats with the Milk and Mercies of Heaven It is an ungrateful Conversion indeed to convert that to God's dishonour that proceeds from his Bounty And it is the mark of a great indiscretion and want of Piety to seek from God the means to dishonour his holy Name and to employ the chief part of Religion for such a prophane and unworthy purpose The second Affection is a Spirit of Envy Anger Revenge and Hatred which if we discover in that part of God's Service where we are to implore his Bounty we cannot probably expect any great success or any favourable return we cannot expect that the God of Mercy and Love should be favourable to inhumanity and revenge that he will grant such Petitions as proceed from that affection which is direct contrary to his Divine Nature and Commands God must not nor will not be made the Executioner of our vengeance nor receive the Commissions from us to punish our wrongs Vengeance belongs to God it is a bold presumption to prescribe to his Wisdom either the method time or measure of inflicting iâ— upon the greatest Offendors Therefore let us always cast our selves upon him and his Justice with a disposition ready to forgive the greatest Enemies Let us leave all our wilful Interests entirely to the disposal of his Wisdom and not venture nor suffer our corrupt Nature to give him directions how and where to execute his wrath chiefly in that part of his Service where our Business is to intreat him to suspend the execution of his Justice from us justly due for our Offences committed against his continued goodness If he shews so much favour to us he expects that we should do the like to such as have offended us and deserved our displeasure Our Prayers therefore must not be Imprecations and Curses all Gall and bitterness must be cast away and separated from this Sacrifice to the God of Heaven as the Gaul of the Heathen Victims was when they offered them up to the superior Gods I confess that self preservation God's glory common justice and the safety of our Friends of the Church and Publick may oblige us to petition Heaven for the disappointment of the unjust designs of Wicked Men tho' it be to their utter overthrow David in his Divine Psalms affords us many Examples to this purpose Pour out thy Wrath upon the Ideathen saith he that have not known thee and upon the Kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name Psal 79.6 Let them be blotted out of the Pook of the Living and not be written with the Righteous Psal 69.28 Consume them in thy Wrath consume them that they may not be and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the Earth Selah Psal 59.13 These and such like Prayers have an intent chiefly to prevent the future Mischiefs which the Malice of God's Enemies and of his Church was likely to draw upon his Servants They are intended to disarm them and take from them the ability or power which they would infallibly abuse oft to God's dishonour and the Prejudice of God's People and innocent Persons They are intended to Petition God that he would be pleased to vindicate his own Cause and declare his Justice in the punishment of vile Contemners of his Power and Authority For such intents as these we may sometimes beseech God to send down his Judgments upon our Enemies as well as his Mercies but out of a meer Principle of Revenge or of an implacable hatred to desire the ruin of any that we disaffect is to concern God too much in our frivolous quarrels and to cause him to withhold the favours which otherwise he might be willing to grant us For with the same measure that we mete it shall be measured to us again Let therefore Men be never so much alienated from us and separated in judgments designs or Interests let them purpose never so much our Ruin if they be Christians or but Men that Christian disposition which Christ our Saviour recommends to us both by his Commands and Example teacheth us to pray for their amendment and the prosperity of their Souls and Bodies so that it may be without any notable prejudice to God his Church the publick or our private happiness The Sacrifices of an implacable Spirit will never find acceptance at the Throne of Grace That good Saviour that prayed for his Murderers teacheth us to suppress the sense of all personal Wrongs and not suffer our displeasures to be vented in our Addresses to God In this particular as well as in the former Nature will speak when it is oppressed and complain for the Evils that burden us it will petition for help and justice when it is grieved and I cannot think but that this natural motion may be allowable if it be kept within the bounds of Christian Charity and be accompanied with a disposition ready to forgive the Injuries received in case of amendment and our Enemies become fit Objects of our Mercy and Forgiveness But in such Cases we must take heed that we suffer not our Resentment of former wrongs to speak too loud in Prayer and that we desire not from God that which neither becomes God's Wisdom to grant nor our modesty and Christian Charity to ask
Neighbours are in want Hast thou sent this plenty for me alone Is it not that I should praise thee in the use of so much as is needful for my self and Attendants and that I should distribute the rest to such as are in need I will imitate this thy Liberality my good God and be a faithful Steward of these inferior Mercies But this Food of my Body minds me of that of my Soul I have another more Spiritual and Divine Being that I must feed and cloath Gracious God forget not that Immortal and better part of my self but nourish it with Wisdom and Truth that I may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of thee my God Remove not the Candlestick of thy Gospel from us suffer not Schism and Idolatry to prevail and smother thy true Religion in their horrid Abominations but let Truth and Innocency overcome at last maugre the furious attempts of Men and Devils feed this precious Soul with that Bread which comes down from Heaven increase in me all Virtue and Goodness and preserve both my Soul and Body to thine Eternal Kingdom Amen Another Prayer before meat for a Child GOOD God bless me and these Creatures that we are to receive that in a moderate use of them we may be enabled to serve and glorifie thee on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Useful Meditations AND PRAYERS Upon GOD and his DIVINE ATTRIBUTES A Meditation and Prayer upon the Incomprehensible Being and Presence of God O Adorable Majesty Being of Beings Creator and Supporter of this Great World How wonderful must be the source of all these visible Wonders How glorious the chief Lord of so large an Empire and of so many differing sorts of Creatures that fill all the Elements and every Corner We are sensible of thine infinite Presence yet can conceive no shape nor being like thy Divine Majesty The Pictures of all thy Perfections are scattered and represented in every thing that is made and thou hast left an impression of thy Wisdom and Power in every part of this large World yet none can represent thee O great God as thou art We see fell and are perfectly sensible of thy Divine Footsteps left upon every Creature yet our weak apprehensions cannot entertain any Idea that may answer thy Greatness O Spirit of Spirits how is it possible that so weak a Creature as I am who can understand nothing but by the Ministry of these weak Senses should be able to comprehend the infinite and incomprehensible God whose glorious Presence dazles the Eyes and surpasses the Understandings of the perfectest and noblest Creatures that are above O my God fill my Soul with an holy dread of thy greatness and Power Suffer me not to receive any base impression or filly Imagination of thy Divine Being and as thou art Incomprehensible let me not presume to form in my mind any Image nor to have before mine Eyes any Picture with a design to represent thee Let thine Universal Presence be always present with me but in such a manner as I may not be guilty of Spiritual Idolatry or of harbouring any mean thought of thy Glory O merciful God thou requirest these Services from us poor Creatures and hast promised thine assistance to us in time of need put therefore my Soul into an Holy Temper fit for thine acceptance and let these Ejaculations and Emissions of my Heart and Mind proceed from an Humility and Fear of thy presence that they may not be unworthy of thy Grace and Favour And the nearer I approach unto thy Mercy-Seat vouchsafe to look upon the necessities of my Soul and Body and grant me those Requests that thou O my God in thine infinite Wisdom knowest most needful for me for the sake and by the mediation of my Great Saviour whose intercession for me I humbly implore Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon the Immutability of our Great God O Unchangeable Being the Author of all these changeable things that appear before our Eyes Thou art that immutable God upon whom we may safely depend Every thing that thou hast made directs our Eyes and Contemplations to thee as the surest foundation of all our hopes and expectations and the nearer the Creatures have the Honour to approach thy glorious Throne the more they are fixed and secured by their Rights of Creation from all Unconstancy and Mutability This wide World and all Sublunary things are unsetled and rowling from one State to another tumbled and tossed changed by many Accidents so that we cannot rest nor settle our expectations upon them But the Heavenly Globes continue since their first make unchangeable through so many Revolutions of Ages tho' they also for the sin of Man shall suffer an alteration by thine overruling Power But those Spiritual Beings that inhabit beyond and above our Prospect are yet less subject to mutation all their Perfections proceed from thine overflowing abundance Thou only O my God art the Creator and Benefactor of their Immortal Natures They are all subject to some weakness and are circumscribed and limited but thou alone art the unlimited and unchangeable God always enjoying an happiness never to be obscured or lessened by the most violent endeavours of all thine Enemies Thou art always continuing in that Glorious state that nothing can possibly Eclipse Thou art immutable in thy self immutable in thy Designs and Resolutions immutable in thy Promises and Truth and immutable in all thy Divine Perfections O my God give me grace that I may settle upon thee my Faith and hope and rest upon thee alone for all my present and future advantages I have no other Rock to build upon but thy Power and Mercy no other Truth to trust to but thy revealed Word O that I may embrace it with that immutable Resolution that may admit of nothing contrary to the same that my Soul may be fixed only upon thee my good God and look with contempt upon all other Objects Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon the Eternity of God O Eternal and Everlasting God before the Heavens and the Earth before the Sun and all the rest of the Luminaries that are above had a Being thou didst subsist of thy self in a full enjoyment of an unchangeable Felicity From all Eternity to all Eternity thou art the same glorious and Incomprehensible Being who never fails them that seek thee in Spirit and in Truth Let the World change and alter and the Generations of Creatures succeed one another in their appointed times Let all inferior things rowle and pass away Let them have their beginnings their growth perfections and decay thou art the same and Eternal God who never had any beginning nor never can have any end Thou alone art that independent Majesty upon whom all other things lean and from whom they expect the Supplies and Recruits to their decaying and failing Natures Thou art the first Source and Spring of all Motion and Power O my God thou hast granted to my Soul and Spirit
an immortal Nature to continue for ever as thy self and I am going apace to this boundless Eternity and as I am thine Image and Creature O that I may live with thee for ever cast me not away into endless Torments make me an Eternal Monument of thy Mercy and goodness receive me into thine everlasting Rest for Jesus Christ his sake Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon God's Almighty Power O Dreadful Majesty of Heaven where-ever I cast my Eyes thy Power shines before me clearer than the Sun at Noon-day In the make of this great Fabrick of the World and in the disposal and continuance of all the several Parts how visibly doth thine extraordinary Power appear the Heavens and all the Elements are Witnesses and Trumpeters of thy glorious Power which nothing can oppose or stop The Devils that are revolted from thee do yet own and are subject to thine Omnipotency they are held fast in Chains and are so restrained by thine Almighty Hand that they cannot possibly move without thy permission When I cast mine Eyes upon the Seas and consider the vastness and fury of the Waves When I look up to Heaven and see the many glorious and large Globes of Light some settleed and fixed others rowling in their several Spheres O my God how wonderfully doth thy Power appear to me in all these things And as thou art the only Original of all Virtue and Power I have reason to conclude that all Creatures together cannot stop thine hand and that there is nothing impossible with thee as thou hast been able to Create all things thou art able to govern and rule their unruliness and greatest Fury to the setting forth of thy Glory and whatsoever thou hast promised thou wilt surely perform and art fully able to accomplish O Almighty Creator give me a real sense of thy Power that I may stand in awe of it that I may trust upon it in time of need that I may believe in thy Word and Promises that my Soul may rest and rely upon thee alone and never doubt of thy Protection and of thy Power to save me Amen A Meditation and Prayer upon the Wisdom of God and his infinite Knowledge O Infinite Being thy Wisdom is answerable to thine Almighty Power and hath the same Creatures to manifest and set it forth Wherever I see the one I must needs take notice of the other that is obvious to every Eye in the disposition of all things that are made in their fashion and composition in their Inclinations and tendencies in the design and purpose of their Creation in their mutual Correspondencies and Government and in the Laws and Rules that they observe Is there any of so dull an apprehension that cannot observe a more than ordinary Wisdom in all these particulars Can we see the Sun Moon and Stars observe their appointed and annual Motions and Stations without variation and not think upon thy Wisdom O Almighty God who hast stretched forth the Heavens like a Curtain and rulest over all Well may I cry out with the Blessed David in admiration of all these Blessed Wonders In Wisdom hast thou made them all But what need have I to look at such a distance for the Foot-steps and Evidences of Divine Wisdom In my Body and Soul and in every Member wherein the Great World is Epitomized and the Incomprehensible Attributes of the Unity and Trinity shadowed out here are wonderful and surprising expressions of thy Wisdom that I carry about me Wherefore O my God hast thou opened mine Eyes and bestowed upon me an understanding Nature to observe all these things but that I should meditate and admire thy great Wisdom that shines before me brighter than the Sun O Eternal Wisdom of Heaven as I am thine Image grant me a share of this Wisdom imprint in my Soul such Habits of Wisdom and Knowledge that I may fear and admire thy Divine Majesty and the rather because thine all-seeing Eye is every where to take notice of my behaviour and actions There is no darkness nor shadow of Death where Iniquity may hide or retreat from thy Knowledge All things are naked and open before thee thou hast a perfect insight into all the Inclinations of my Heart and Soul and fore-seest what shall happen in this great World with the several Causes O wonderful Knowledge that comprehends the Sparrows in the Market and the Lillies of the Field and the meanest Beings that owe all to thee a subsistence O wonderful Wisdom and Knowledge that extends it self over all the parts of this great Fabrick and nothing is exempted from the benefits that are procured thereby Give me O my God such an understanding of this infinite Knowledge and of thine All seeing Eye that I may stand in awe of thy Divine Presence that I may fear to displease thee that my Soul may be always in such a disposition as becomes a Creature and a Servant of so Holy so Powerful and such an All-seeing Majesty Amen A Meditation and Prayer UPON THE Goodness of God Manifested in Nature and Providence O Universal Goodness that opens thy Hand to all things that have a Being and furnishest so many Sorts of Creatures out of thine overslowing abundance with so much sweetness and variety of Pleasures How full must be the Stores out of which so many Millions are continually supplyed From what overflowing Ocean of Delight and Joy proceed so many Streams that yield a sufficiency to all and yet there is an overplus left for more O wonderful Goodness that knowest how to supply every Creature with that which is most suitable to its Appetite and Nature and givest a contentment to the several species according to their Capacities and Tempers Through how many differing Channels does this inexhaustible Goodness convey to us the necessaries and conveniencies of Life Man of all sublunary subsistencies seems to be the chief Favourite of the Divine Goodness other things and Creatures have their short allowances in comparison of Man It is upon him that thou dost heap the Riches and Satisfactions of the Earth It is to him thou hast granted thy most signal Favours It is in his Bosom that thou dost empty all varieties of sweetness and Earthly Comforts without any regard to his deservings O Impartial and disinterested Goodness that expects no returns but such as may give thee the Glory and us the Benefit and may be a means to sanctifie and increase our Blessings How ready should we be to comply with this inexpressible Goodness and answer the Expressions of thy Favours with such easie cheap and profitable returns Should we be backward to acknowledge that which every moment we may be sensible of and when the bare acknowledgment will produce unto us fresh Recruits and greater tokens of Love from thine unwearied Bounty O let me never forget thy goodness my good God expressed and experienced in my Creation thy Providence in making me a rational Creature and giving me an immortal Soul with
upon these lower Vanities O Lord as our Treasure is in Heaven let there be the end of all our desires and the centre of all our Actions Gracious God we pray thee not only for our selves but for the whole Catholick Church and for that part of it planted in these three Nations O! let not our Enemies triumph over us but watch over and preserve thy Son from all the Conspiracies of the Devil and his Agents Reunite our Divisions and make us all of one Heart and of one Mind Preserve the King and Queen's Majesty in Health Peace and Prosperity Give his Counsellors Wisdom his Army Victory and all his Subjects Happiness and Plenty Take into thy Protection all our Kindred and Friends defend their Bodies from dangers and their Souls from Schism and Error Be merciful to all Men as thou hast Created Mankind for Happiness discover to them the Means appointed by thy Wisdom to bring them thither and give them Grace to embrace the gracious offers of thy Providence All these Mercies and others which thou knowest most needful for our well-being here and our Glorious Being hereafter we humbly beg by the Merits and powerful intercession of thy Christ and our Saviour who hath taught us thus to Pray OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from all Evil. For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen THe Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the Loveof God the Father and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen A Morning Prayer for a single Person ALmighty God by whose Gracious Providence I am yet alive and escaped out of all the dangers and difficulties of this mortal life by whose merciful Protection I have been preserved the last Night from all Corporal and Spiritual Enemies I adore thy Divine Mercy and Goodness so visibly expressed in every moment of my life I praise thy Holy Name for this and all other favours received from thy Wisdom and Power I glorifie thine infinite Majesty and acknowledge thee O! my God to be the Author of my Preservation as well as of my Being of my self I am not able to resist the least danger or Enemy were it not for thy watchful Eye and Power I had been long ago in my Grave but thy goodness hath yet spared me notwithstanding my unworthiness and the many Provocations of my Life O Merciful Father thy Blessings have been heaped upon me in abundance though I have returned thee for them all nothing but ingratitude and Sin when I make a Reslexion upon my self and thy liberality upon my past behaviour and thy manifold Blessings bestowed upon me from day to day I cannot but wonder at the infiniteness of thy Mercy which could not yet be exhausted nor discouraged by my unthankfulness but let the Sense of thy Love to me change and alter the temper of my Soul the resolution of my Mind and the Actions of my Life suffer me not to presume upon these outward Expressions of thine Affection to me but let them inflame my Soul with a sincere Love for thee my God and with a fervent zeal for thy Glory Suffer me not to be overcome by the powerful temptations of the World nor to be drawn aside by the allurements of Sin I am so sensible Lord of the weakness of my own Nature as not to trust upon my strength which hath so often yielded to wicked enticements assist me therefore my God with thy Divine and Holy Spirit defeat the Devil's Power disappoint all his malicious purposes and lead me through this wicked World in thy Faith and Fear Continue also thy Protection to my weak Body preserve me from all dangers and Enemies defend me from all Bloody and Cruel Souls that I may live here below in the Service of my Generation and in glorifying thee my Creator Bless me in the Works of my Calling give me a contented Mind satisfied with the Events of thy Providence that I may not complain of any thing that shall happen contrary to my desire and expectation and a full resignation to thy Will and Pleasure Suffer not my Soul to be too much in love with my self nor with any thing here below that I may avoid the pernicious Vices of Pride self-conceitedness Covetousness Ambition Lust and Vanity which in these latter days possess Mens Minds and hurry them into the Labyrinths that lead to Hell and Damnation O Lord I resign my self into thy hands I desire to depend upon thee to be govern'd by thee and to live for thee Enlighten therefore my Understanding with thy sacred Truth sanctisie my Will and Affections with thy Blessed Spirit and the longer I live let me draw nearer to thy likeness Strengthen my Soul with an assurance upon thy Love and Protection and pacifie all the disorders of my Passions that whatsoever inconveniency I meet with in my conversation here below I may enjoy a quiet and peaceable Temper of Spirit which is so acceptable in thy sight in Prosperity and Adversity in Sickness and in Health grant me an equality of Mind not pust up with the one nor cast down with the other but give me Grace that bearing willingly my Cross after Christ my Saviour I may press forward towards that Immortal Reward which thou hast prepared for them that love and fear thee In whatsoever condition thy Providence shall be pleased to bring me give me I beseech thee a disposition suitable to it that in following the Holy Example of my Glorious Redeemer and imitating his Goodness Piety Charity Patience in suffering Holiness and other Vertues I may glorifie thy Name on Earth grace the Profession of thy true Religion and prepare my self for Eternity for that purpose grant that I may employ all my Talents in those good uses for which they are designed that when I shall render up my accounts to thee I may not be ashamed of my Actions O let my mind be fixed upon that terrible day that I may live in expectation of it and order my Soul and Body ready for my dissolution I humbly beseech thy Divine Majesty to be gracious not only to my self but also to all my Relations receive into thy Favour and Protection all those that are committed to my Care or that are near or dear unto me in Blood and Affinity preserve their Souls from the Vices and Infection of the times and their Lives from dangers and Enemies and give them all Grace to serve and Glorifie thee their God on Earth Send thy Blessings upon the Societies and Kingdom unto which I belong forgive our National sins suspend thy judgments that we have deserved and if in thy Wisdom thou thinkest fit to chastise us destroy us not utterly set
the Times make me truly constant and faithful in the Professionof that Holy Religion unto which I am called Give me a right Understanding of its divine Precepts and grace to practise them in my Life Let thy Word be my Rule thy Truth my guide thy Spirit my Comforter and thy Glory my Reward Preserve me I beseech thee my good God from the Evils unto which I am subject and let my Soul and Body be precious in thy Sight especially this Night into which I am entring let the Merciful Eye of thy Providence preserve me during its mournful shadows from all Spiritual and Temporal Enemies Let thy Holy Angels guard and protect me and bring me safe to the next day to behold and admire the Wonders of thy Creation and Providence in the World Make me useful in my Generation bless all my undertakings and endeavours in my Calling that I may by it advance thy Glory and do good both to my self and others And because our natural Poverty is such that without thee and a continual supply from thy Bounty we cannot possibly subsist gracious God send me all things needful for my Soul and Body let me not depend too much upon the plentiful Provision of these earthly things already made for me but as thou art the Life and Soul of all thy Creatures and without thy Blessing our greatest plenty of good things is altogether unprofitable let the expectation of this Blessing incourage me to depend wholly upon thy favour and stir up my industry in the duties of my Calling and in the service of my Country Bless all my Relations and Parents more especially here name such as are in Affliction grant them long life health and happiness preserve the King's Majesty all my Governours and Teachers inable them all in their places to glorifie thee their God and do good to this Nation and People Defend us all from our Enemies at home and abroad and suffer them not to triumph over us but continue in our days Peace Truth Justice Plenty and Prosperity These and all other Mercies I humbly Beg for Christ Jesus his sake my only Saviour and Mediator who taught us thus to pray OUR Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdome come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from all Evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen LEt thy grace thy Truth and Goodness be with me preserve and keep me now and for evermore Amen Prayers before Meal SEnd down thy Blessing good God upon these thy Creatures that we are now to be partakers of inable them to feed our Bodies and recruit our weakness and strengthen us to serve and glorifie thee on Earth that we may receive from thee the Rewards of thy Servants in Heaven This we beg for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Another Prayer before meat GRacious God we see by these fresh Expressions of thy Bounty that thou art never weary to load us with thy good things Sanctifie them unto us at this present time and us to thy Service through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen A Profitable Meditation at the sight of a Table spread or covered with Food for our Bodies HOw often have I tasted and felt the goodness of my God! He is that full Ocean of Mercy and Sweetness from whence these Streams proceed by various dispensations and Methods He is that bottomless Fountain that never will be exhausted Here here are tokens of his Love to us and care of our preservation before our Eyes These Creatures are sent to mend the daily breaches of this outward Tabernacle to recruit our Mortal Weaknesses with a fresh supply to corroborate the decaying strength of Nature with new Spirits We see by experience that these Bodies that God hath made he is careful to maintain and by the Influence of the Heavens and the Fruitfulness of the Earth to furnish with all their Wants O wonderful Providence How full and plentiful are thy Stores that so great a share is appointed for me How rich is that Bounty that when all my Fellow Creatures so many Millions in Number are provided vouchsafes me so great a Lot and large Portion He can never want that entertains a good Correspondency with the great Purveyor of Mankind whilst the Avenues and Conveyances are open O shut not up thy mercy from us for let my Estate be never so great and the Provision for my Body be never so large alas these poor senseless Creatures cannot benefit me without thy Blessing accompanies them these morsels may as soon choak as feed me without that invisible Vertue which thou alone canst send along with them I humbly crave it at thy good hands my good God let not my Sins sower or poison these thy Mercies let me not trust too much upon these outward assistances of Life and Health but as by thy daily proceedings thou hast taught me to depend chiefly upon thy Liberality let me look up to and expect from thee daily food and nourishment grant me a thankful Heart never to forget so great a goodness But the sweetness that I am going to relish minds me of the sweetness of that Bounty from whence it proceeds and of the greatness of thy Divine Wisdom that hath baited all necessary actions of our Life with a natural delight and pleasure How ravishing must the Fountain of Goodness be seeing these drops conveyed unto us at such a distance are so pleasing to our Palats God that now entertains my Being so far from his immediate presence intends one day to draw me nearer to himself to live with him for ever then the Divine Goodness shall refresh and comfort me without the cold assistance of inferior things then the smiles of God's Countenance shall be conveyed to us not by Reflections and at second hands but more immediately we shall then see as we are seen and solace our selves during the numberless Ages of an Eternity in the presence of this good God where we shall want neither Food nor Raiment but these corrupt Bodies shall be freed from all the slavery of the Elements and dependency upon them for we shall depend upon our God alone and him only shall we serve For this Corruption must put on Incorruption and this Mortal must put on Immortality O that I might have always in mind that final end of Mankind and use these thy Comforts but not abuse them by excess and gluttony These Bodies which thou hast so wonderfully made and preserves with such care are of that Excellency and designed for those Noble and Divine purposes that they must not be disgrac'd nor polluted with Vice These Creatures thou hast appointed for our Refreshment not for the dishonour or ruine of our Bodies If our Tables overflow how many of our poor