arguings every impure lust and filthy desire all pride and envie all hypocrisie and lying all inordinate love of this world and base Covetousnesse all hardnesse of heart and unrelenting dispositions all peevishnesse and hasty anger all mindfulnesse of injuries and revengfulnesse all blasphemy and irreligion and every motion of soule and body which can withdraw us from thee and is against thy will and commandement II. Gracious Father give us perfect pardon for what is past and a perfect repentance of all our evills that for the time to come we may with pure spirits with broken and contrite hearts with sanctified lips and holy desires serve thee religiously walke humbly with our God converse justly and charitably with men and possesse our soules in patience and holinesse and our bodies in sanctification and honour through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The prayer of absolution to be said by the Minister alone according to his piety and discretion when he sees cause not frequently OUr Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus the great shepheard and Bishop of our soules that lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world who promised paradise to the repenting theife and gave pardon to the woman taken in adultery he pardon and forgive all your sins knowne and unknowne *** O Blessed Jesus in whatsoever thy servants as men bearing flesh about them and inhabiting this world or deceived by the Devil have sinn'd whether in word or deed whether in thought or desire whether by omission or commission let it be forgiven unto them by thy word and by thy spirit and for ever preserve thy servants from sinning against thee and from suffering thine eternal anger for thy promise sake and for thy glorious Names sake O Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen Then devoutly and distinctly say the Lords Prayer 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 trespas against us * And lead us not into temptation * But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Doxology GLory be to the Father of mercies the Father of Men and Angels the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be to the most holy and eternall sonne of God the Blessed Saviour and Redeemer of the World the Advocate of sinners the Prince of Peace the Head of the Church and the mighty Deliverer of all them that call upon him Glory be to the holy and Eternall spirit of God the Holy Ghost the comforter the sanctifying and life-giving Spirit All Glory and thankes all honour and power all love and obedience be to the Blessed and undivided Trinity one God Eternall The Heavens declare thy glory the Earth confesses thy providence the sea manifests thy power and every spirit and every understanding creature celebrates thy greatnesse for ever end ever * All glory and majesty all praises and dominion be unto thee O God Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Then arising from their knees let the Psalter be read in order as shall be judged convenient that is to say The ordinary portions for every day Morning and Evening prayers and Psalmes particularly chosen for speciall dayes of festivity or of Humiliation respectively After the Psalmes ending with Glory be to the Father c. Read a chapter in the old Testament The chapter out of the old Testament is to be read on Sundaies and Festivals and not omitted without great occasion but on ordinary daies it may suffice after the Psalmes immediately to reade the lesson out of the new Testament After which recite this Hymne to the honour of God saying the verses interchangeably * REjoyce in the Lord ye righteous for praise is comely for the Upright ¶ The word of the Lord is true and all his works are faithfull * He loveth righteousnesse and judgement the earth is full of the goodnesse of the Lord. ¶ By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth * He gathereth the waters of the Sea together as an heape he layeth up the depth in storehouses ¶ Let all the earth fear the Lord let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him * Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercie ¶ To deliver their soules from death and to keep them alive in the time of famine * Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of all ¶ Evill shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate * Incline not my heart to any evill thing to practise wicked works with Men that work iniquity and let me not eat of their dainties ¶ Cause me to heare thy loving kindenesse in the morning for in thee do I trust cause me to know the way wherein I should walke for I lift up my soule unto thee * Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the Land of uprightnesse ¶ Gather not my soule with sinners nor my life with bloody men * The poor man cried and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles ¶ O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him * O how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of Men. ¶ Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of Man Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavillion from the strife of tongues * O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithfull and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer ¶ Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your heart all you that hope in the Lord. Glory be to the Father c. Or this * SIng praises unto God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is the King of all the Earth sing ye praises with understanding ¶ God reigneth over the Nations God sitteth upon the throne of his holinesse * He is our refuge and strength a very present helpe in trouble ¶ Many O Lord our God are thy wonderfull workes which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are towards us They cannot be reckon'd in order * For God is my King of old working salvation in the midst of the Earth ¶ Thou didst cleave the fountaine and the floud thou driest up mighty rivers * The daye is thine the night also is thine thou hast prepared the light and the Sunne ¶ Thou hast set all the borders of the Earth thou hast made Summer and Winter * Give unto the Lord the glorie due unto his name worship
never heard and know what was never revealed below O grant that she may have aydes that her she never did neede even mighty assistances in proportion to her new and strang erstate that whatsoever is in the darkenesse or in the fire in the secret regions of wrath and the horrible places of torment and fearful exspectations may not afflict or affright the lambe of thy flock the price of thy bloud the child of thy kingdome and the portion of thine owne inheritance Amen V. O sweetest Jesu say unto this soule This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise say unto this foule Feare not for it is my Fathers pleasure to give thee a Kingdome Let this soule dwell in safe and pleasant regions and be supported with the hope of God comforted with a holy conscience rejoyce in a confirm'd pardon be recreated with the visitation of Angels and walke in white whithersoever the Lambe shall goe Amen VI. Give unto this decaying dying body a blessed and a glorious resurrection to this weary and afflicted this penitent and redeemed soule a portion in the blessed sentence of the right hand amongst the blessed children of thy Father who shall receive the Kingdome prepared for them from the beginning of the world Amen VII Remember O God the good things which by thy grace and by the aides of thy holy Spirit thy servant hath done in all his life and remember not his evil deedes which by the weakenesse of the flesh and the temptations of the Devil and the evil contingencies of this world have afflicted and humbled the soule of thy servant remember thy holy Son did die for these and thy holy Spirit was the cause of those and for whom thou hast given thy Son and to whom thou hast given thy Spirit give thy eternal pardon and thy eternal glories thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen After the soule is departed the Minister may say this prayer in behalfe of the living friends and relatives of the dead ALmighty God who governest all things in heaven and earth with infinite wisedome and infinite mercy and bringest good out of evil comfort out of sorrow and after a gentle visitation dost refresh thy children with the light of thy countenance with the blessings of thy providence with the returnes of thy grace and the comforts of thy holy Spirit have mercy upon this family and returne to them all with thy loving kindnesse exchanging their present sorrow into the advantages of holinesse and blessing Be thou now and ever what thou gloriest in a Father of the Fatherlesse a Husband to the Widow a God of comfort to them that mourn◠in secret Grant that thy servant may not weepe as men without hope nor murmure at thy dispensation nor complaine of any thing but themselves nor desire any thing but that thy will be done nor doe any thing but what is agreeable to thy holy word and commandement and grant that when thou smitest any of us it may increase thy feare in us and when thou doest good to any of us in smiting or forbearing in chastising or comforting it may increase thy love in us and let thy holy Spirit so prevail over all our wills and understandings our affections and the outward man our interests and our hopes that we may live in this world pleasing to thee and may goe out of this world with the peace of a holy conscience and may have a joyful resurrection in the last day to a participation of the glories of God thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Blessing THE Lord blesse you and keepe you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace The blessing of God Almighty the Father Son and holy Ghost be amongst you and abide with you and be your portion for ever and ever Amen Prayers and devotions to be us'd at the Burial of the Dead The Minister before the Corps entring at the Church doore may begin with one or more of these sentences A Good name is better then precious ointment and the day of death then the day of ones birth It is better to goe to the house of mourning then to goe to the house of feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart I am the resurrection and the life saith the Lord He that beleiveth in me yea though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and beleiveth in me shall not die for ever It is appointed to all men once to die and after death comes judgement I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleepe that we sorrow not even as others without hope For if we beleive that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleepe in Jesus will God bring with him After the Corps is set downe in the body of the Church let Morning or Evening prayer be read according to the time of the day with this difference onely Instead of the usual Psalmes Read Psalme 39. Psalme 49. Psalme 90. For the first lesson read Job 14. or 19. After the first lesson read Psalme 88. For the second lesson read 1 Corinth 15. from verse 12 to the end After the second lesson read Nunc dimittis * LOrd now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word ¶ For mine eyes have seen thy salvation * Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people ¶ To be a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. After the usual prayers are done then the Corps carried being to the grave the Minister shall read this lesson Ecclesiastes 12. REmember now thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth while the evil daies come not nor the yeers draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them While the sun or the light or the moon or the stars be not darkned nor the clouds return after the rain In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the windows be darkned And the doors shall be shut in the streets when the sound of the grinding is low and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high and feares shall be in the way and the almond-tree shall flourish and the grashopper shall be a burden and desire shall fail because man goeth to his long home and the mourners go about the streets Or ever the silver cord be loosed or the golden bowle be broken or the pitcher be broken at the fountain or the wheel broken at the cistern Then shall the dust retrun
sanctifie all the events of thy providence and the changes of our life that we may for ever love and for ever fear thee and all things may worke together for our Good unto thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The blessing The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communication of the holy spirit of God be with us and with all our Relatives and with all the servants of God this day and for evermore Amen The end of Morning Prayer EVENING PRAYER Throughout the YEARE EVENING PRAYER Throughout the YEARE Say one or more of these Sentences O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed because they have for saken the Lord the fountaine of living waters O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us have mercy upon us for thy names sake for our backslidings are many we have sinned against thee Seeke the Lord while he may be found call upon him when he is neer There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the remnant of the transgression of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercie Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to renew the heart of them that are contrite After which adde this short exhortation I Beseech you that are present to joyne with me in a humble confession of sins to Almighty God casting your selves downe with all humility before the throne of Grace The Confession I. ALmighty God powerfull and mercifull thou art a jealous God against persevering sinners but a gracious father to the penitent let thy mercifull eares be opened to the petitions of thy servants who with sorrow and shame confesse their sins unto thee II. We have loved the world not thee we have obeyed the desires of our owne hearts not thy holy lawes and Commandements we have often left our dutie undone but cease not to please our senses and to feed greedily upon vanity thou hast commanded us to love our brethren and instead of loving them we have slandered and reproached injured and tempted them envied their good and rejoyced in their calamity III. O Blessed God we are asham'd when we rememberd our owne follies our violent passions our peevishnesse and pride our vaine thoughts and unprofitable words our uncharitable and uselesse conversation we spend our daies in idlenesse and folly our nights in the images and causes of death and though our sins are so many that we cannot number them yet we so little apprehend our owne dangers that we neither leave them utterly nor heartily deplore them IV. But O God thou God of pity and compassion have mercy upon us For thou art our Father mercifull and gracious and thou hast revealed to mankind an infinite mercy in Jesus Christ. For his sake be pleased to give us repentance and to give us pardon and grant that our soules being wash'd in the blood of the holy Lambe and the Baptisme of repentance we may live a gracious a holy and a blessed life in all godlinesse and honesty and sobriety and may die in the love of God in the charity of our neighbours in the Communion of the Church and in a sure and certaine hope of life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The prayer of Absolution to be said by the Minister alone according to his piety and discretion when he sees cause OUr Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus the great Shepherd and Bishop of our soules that lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world who promised Paradise to the repenting theife and gave pardon to the woman taken in adultery he pardon and forgive all your sins knowne and unknowne *** O Blessed Jesus in whatsoever thy servants as men bearing flesh about them and inhabiting this world or deceived by the Devill have sinn'd whether in word or deed whether in thought or desire whether by omission or commission let it be forgiven unto them by thy word and by thy spirit and for ever preserve thy servants from sinning against thee and from suffering thine eternall anger for thy promise sake and for thy glorious Names sake O Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Amen Then devoutly and distinctly say the Lords Prayer 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 trespasse against us* And lead us not into temptation* But deliver us from evill For thine is the Kingdome the power and the Glory for ever Amen The Doxology GLory be to the Father of mercies the Father of Men and Angels the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory be to the most holy and eternall sonne of God the Blessed Saviour and Redeemer of the World the Advocate of sinners the Prince of Peace the Head of the Church and the mighty Deliverer of all them that call upon him Glory be to the holy and Eternall spirit of God the Holy Ghost the comforter the sanctifying and life-giving Spirit All Glory and thankes all honour and power all love and obedience be to the Blessed and undivided Trinity one God Eternall The Heavens declare thy glory the Earth confesses thy providence the sea manifests thy power and every spirit and every understanding creature celebrates thy greatnesse for ever and ever* All glory and majesty all praises and dominion be unto thee O God Father Son and Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Then arising from their knees let the Psalme's be said in order unlesse some extraordinary occasion doe intervene in which case let Psalmes be selected according to the occasion or as is afterwards described concluding with Glory be to the Father c. Then read upon all Sundaies and Festivals of the yeare a chapter in the old Testament either in order or by choice After the lesson recite this Hymne * I Will remember the workes of the Lord surely I will remember the wonders of old I will meditate of allthy workes and talke of thy doings ¶ Thy way O God is in the sanctuary who is so great a God as our God * Thou art the God that doest wonders thou hast declared thy strength among the people ¶ Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry * For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he powreth out of the same
behold the beautie of the Lord and to visit his Temple ¶ For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me and set me upon a rock * Therefore will I offer in the Tabernacle sacrifices of joy I will sing and speake praises unto the Lord. ¶ The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid * Examine O Lord and prove me try my reines and my heart ¶ For thy loving-kindnesse is before my eyes and I will walk in thy truth * I have not sate with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers ¶ I will wash my hands in innocency and so will I compasse thine altar O Lord. * That I may publish with the voice of thanks-giving and tell of all thy wondrous workes ¶ O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him * Look at the generations of old and see did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded or did any abide in his fear and was forsaken or whom did he ever despise that called upon him ¶ For the Lord is full of compassion and mercie longsuffering and very pitiful and forgiveth sins and saveth in time of affliction * Ye therefore that fear the Lord beleive him and your reward shall not faile ¶ They that fear the Lord will seek that which is well pleasing unto him and they that love him shall be filled with the law * They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts humble their souls in his sight ¶ For as his Majesty is even so is his mercy * What shall I render unto the Lord for all the benefits which he hath done unto me ¶ I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. * Returne unto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee ¶ I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call upon the Name of the Lord. * The Lord hath been mindfull of us and he will blesse us he will bless them that fear the Lord both small and great ¶ Blessed be the name of our God from this time forth for evermore Praise the Lord. Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Then shall the Minister with a loud voice pronounce this Commination THus saith the Lord Jesus I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end the first and the last Blessed are they that doe his commandement that they may have right to the tree of life and may enter in through the gates into the City For without are Dogs and Sorcerers Whoremongers and Murderers The Idolaters and the Filthy the Fearful and the Unbeleiving the Hypocrite and the Liars the Drunkards and the Envious the hinderers of Gods word and the Slanderers of their neighbours the Swearers and the Covetous the Impenitent and the Uncharitable shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone And behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his worke shall be I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie unto you these things in the Churches I am the root and off-spring of David and the bright morning-star And the Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever wil let him take the water of life freely BUt first cleanse your hands and purifie your hearts repent you truly of all your sins past retaine no affection to any thing that displeases God Resolve against all sin strive against all pray against all watch against all and so shall ye be meet partakers of this holy table But if any of you here present live in any knowne sin of which ye have not truly repented and which you doe not mean presently and utterly to forsake In the name of Jesus Christ I pronounce every such person to be unworthy of these holy mysteries and that he cannot receive them but to his condemnation Judge therefore your selves brethren that ye be not judged of the Lord for it is a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of the living God and who is able to dwell with the everlasting burning But if any of you after this severe admonition shall presume to approach these sacred mysteries with an impure and disobedient heart let him know that he pollutes the blood of the everlasting Covenant he eates and drinkes damnation to himselfe not discerning the Lords Body I have given you warning I have discharged my duty ALl you who truly repent you of your sins and are in love and charity with your neighbours and intend to lead a holy life in all godlinesse and sobriety and honesty draw neer and take these holy mysteries to your comfort first make your humble confession of sins to God and meekly beg his pardon for what is past and his grace for the time to come The Confession to be said by all kneeling ALmighty God we miserable sinners doe humbly confesse and are truly sorrowfull for our many and great our innumerable and intolerable crimes of which our consciences doe accuse us by night and by day and by which we have provoked thy severest wrath and indignation against us We have broken all thy righteous lawes and commandements by word or by deed by vaine thoughts or sinfull desires we have sinn'd against thee in all our relations in all places and at all times we can neither reckon their number nor bear their burden nor suffer thy anger which we have deserved But thou O Lord God art merciful and gracious have mercy upon us Pardon us for all the evils we have done Judge us not for all the good we have omitted Take not thy favour from us but delight thou to sanctifie us and save us and work in us to will and to doe of thy good pleasure all our duty that being sanctified by thy Spirit and delivered from our sins we may serve thee in a religious and a holy conversation thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then the Minister rising up shall pronounce Absolution in the form described at Morning Prayer OUr Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus the great Shepheard and Bishop of our Souls that Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world who promised Paradise to the repenting Theef and gave pardon to the woman taken in Adultery he pardon and forgive all your sins known and unknown *** O Blessed Jesus in whatsoever thy servants as men bearing flesh about them and inhabiting this world or deceived by the Devil have sinned whether in word or deed whether in thought or desire whether by omission or commission let it be forgiven unto them by thy word and by thy Spirit and for ever preserve thy servants from sinning against thee and from suffering thine
thy Majesty that she walking humbly and devoutly before thee piously and dutifully to her Relatives doing justice and giving good example to those with whom she shall converse may find the rewards of holiness and the eternal mercies of God in the day of thy glorious appearing O Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Amen Then shall be added this form of blessing THE Lord bless you and keep you The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you The Lord lift up the light of his Countenance upon you and give you peace The blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost be amongst you and abide with you and be your portion for ever and ever Amen A Prayer to be said immediately after the Womans delivery either by the Priest or by any other in attendance O Almighty Lord and Father who healest every sickness and every disease and art ever gracious and alwaies present to the prayers of them who in the day of trouble call upon thy holy Name thou hast given delivery to this thy servant and made her the mother of a living child still be pleased to continue and renew thy loving kindness unto her keep her from all violent accidents and intolerable pains from colds and feavers defend her by the custody of thy holy Angels of light from all impresses of the powers of darkness give her rest and â—eep a quiet spirit and an easie â—ody Confidence in thee and a daily sense of thy â—â—ercies a speedy restitution of health and strength and a thankful heart to praise thee in the Congregation of Saints and to serve thee with an increasing and a persevering duty all the daies of her life thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then if there be time and fitted circumstances adde this prayer for the Child O Eternal God who hast promised to be a Father to a thousand generations of them that love and fear thee be pleased to bless this child who is newly come into a sad and most sinful world O God preserve his life and give him the grace and Sacrament of Baptismal regeneration doe thou receive him and enable him to receive thee that he may have power to become the child of God keep him or her from the spirits that walk at noon and from the evil Spirits of the night from all charms and inchantments from suddain death and violent accidents give unto him a gracious heart and an excellent understanding a ready and unloosed tongue a healthful and a useful body and a wise soul that he may serve thee and advance thy glory in this world and may increase the number of thy Saints and servants in the kingdome of our Lord Jesus Amen To God the Father of our Lord Jesus To the eternal son of God the son of man To the Spirit of the Father and the Son Be all honour and glory praise and thanksgiving love and obedience now and for evermore Amen A prayer to be said by a new married wife entring into a family I. O Eternal God the Father of wisedom and mercy thou hast been my guide and my defence all my daies thou didst take me from my mothers womb and didst conduct me thorough the varieties of my life with much mercy and the issues of a loving and wise providence I bless thy name O Lord for all thy dispensations thou hast done all things with infinite goodness and infinite wisedome thou hast kept me from the effects of thy wrath and the evils of my own infirmities thou didst defend me from evils by the guard of Angels and didst lead me into good by the conduct of thy holy Spirit Thou hast alwaies heard my prayer ever being more ready to bless me then I to ask it thou hast said unto me I will never leave thee nor forsake thee be therefore graciously pleased to hear the prayer of thy hand-maid that I may have the aids of an excellent providence and a mighty grace to doe my duty in all my relations in all varieties and changes of the world until my great change shall come II. GIve thy blessing to thy servant my dear husband give him a long life and a confirmed health encircle him with blessings adorne him with thy grace nourish him with content refresh him with a perpetual succession of comforts let the light of thy Countenance be upon him in all his actions and the accidents of his life and grant that he may still more and more increase in the love and fear of thy holy name that despising the things of this world he may hunger and thirst after the things of God and of religion and may have his portion in the gathering together of the Saints in the kingdome of grace and glory III. BLess me even me O my Father and grant that I may in all things doe my duty to thee my God give me a perfect command over all my passions and affections that they being subject to my will and my will guided by reason and my reason by religion I may never suffer any undecency or violent transport but may pass thorough all the accidents of my life with meekness and a sober spirit with patience and charity with prudence and holiness O be pleased to give thy servant a right judgement in all things that I may not be amazed at trifles nor discomposed by every contrariety of accidents nor passionate for the things of the world nor discontent if thou shouldest smite me but that I may with an even and a quiet spirit doe my duty and comply with every variety of thy providence and obey my husband and be amiable in his eyes and useful and careful for his children ever desiring to approve my self to thee in a holy and hearty obedience in piety and devotion in patience and humility in chastity and purity in all holiness of conversation and doe thou give thy holy and blessed Spirit to guide and teach me all my daies that I may overcome all my infirmities and comply with and bear the infirmities of others and charitably pardon their errors and fairly expound their actions and wisely perceive their intentions and with a Christian ingenuity deport my self in all things giving offence to none but doing good to all I can that I may receive pardon from thee for all my sins and a pity for all my infirmities and thy blessing upon all my actions and a sanctification of all my intentions and when my life is done I may have the peace of God and the testimony of a holy Conscience to accompany me to my grave and to consign me to a holy and a blessed resurrection to partake of the inheritance which thou hast provided for thy saints and servants Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake our dearest Lord and Saviour Amen For a fruitful Womb. I. O Most gracious and eternal God Father and Lord of all the creatures thou didst sanctifie marriage in the state of Innocence in the dwellings of paradise didst
I may instruct them with diligence and meekness govern them with prudence and holiness provide for them useful imployments and competent provisions of life and comfort leading them in the paths of religion and justice by example and precepts of holiness never provoking them to wrath never indulging them in their follies never conniving at an unworthy action and that all my children may be thine O preserve them in thy favour or take them away from hence while they are If thou pleasest let them live to a full age but secure to them a full measure of piety and holiness thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen II. TO this end give them grace to obey their Parents that doing the duty they may receive the promise preserve them from sin and shame from youthful follies and youthful crimes Sanctifie them thoroughout in their bodies and souls and spirits that their thoughts may be pure and holy not displeasing or misbecomming the eye of him who is the searcher of hearts let their words be true prudent and ingenuous seasoned with grace and apt to minister grace unto the hearers let all their actions in their whole life be such as becommeth the servants of Jesus holy and useful that they may not be burdens to the publick or to their family but pleasing thee and doing good to others they may increase in the love of God and in favour with men and may have the portion of the meek and humble in this world and of the pure and merciful in the world to come thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The VViddows Prayer I. O Eternal God most Gracious Lord and my most merciful Father thou art my refuge and my hope my sanctuary and my rock my guardian and protector all my daies I have offended thee and thou hast smitten me I have deserved very much evil and thou hast corrected me with the gentle visitation of a Fathers rod and though thy hand is heavy and thy rod presseth me sore by reason of my own weakness and infirmities yet when I consider how little I suffer in respect of what I have deserved I cannot but adore thy goodness and delight in thy mercies and run for help and comfort support and conduct from that hand which smites me O my God give me patience under thy afflicting hand for my impatience I feare hath provoked thee to anger and hath doubled my owne calamity and since my duty is my proper cure and will make thy hand easy and thy anger little give thy servant a quiet and a râ—signed a humble and a meeke spirit that I may not become my owne tormenter and my sin may not be my owne punishment II. O My gracious Lord doe to me what seemeth good in thy owne eyes I am like clay in the hands of the potter and what am I that I should repine against the acts of thy providence and dispensation Behold O God thy Hand-maid is but a worme before thee shall dust and ashes repine against God Thou art just and righteous in all thy wayes and though thou hast afflicted mee sore yet blessed be thy holy Name I have not lost my hope and I can yet pray and I will trust in thee though I die onely be thou pleased to let this thy heavy hand efforme in me the effects of grace and conforme me to the likenesse of the holy Jesus my dearest Saviour that I may so beare the Crosse that I may never displease him nor dishonour the excellent name of a Christian by which I am called III. I Am O my God by the meanes of thy heavy hand not onely under the discipline of a Child but have also obtained a new title to thy especial providence and protection for thou art the patron of the poore the helper of the friendlesse the father of the fatherlesse and the defender of the widowes and if these be the effects of thy anger and that when thou smitest us thy verystrokes are healing and thy displeasure is medicinal what shall thy servant expect will be the effect of thy pardon and loving kindnesse but yet O my Lord helpe me in my duty and though I have failed in all my relations hitherto by my impatience and murmure by my carelesse comportment and undutifull behaviour towards thee yet now let my sad state of Widdowhood be a state of holinesse and repentance of devotion and a severe religion Let me recollect my years in bitternesse and my soule in sorrow for my sins let me have no affections for the things of this world but let my hope and all my joy my desires and my conversation be in heaven and all my imployment and care be how I may enjoy thee in holy and spiritual unions and adherencies IV. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps I have often resolved to live innocently and I have often broken all my holy purposes and I cannot of my self thinke one good thought as of my self but my sufficiency is of thee thou art my strength O preserve thy servant in my single state of Widdowhood that I may never have any thought of change till the day of my great change shall come be thou O God a covering of the eyes unto thy hand-maid let me have no loves but thine no affections but for thy service and since thou hast broken in pieces that holy band of conjugal society which thy holy ordinance did tye between my deare Lord and Husband and thy handmaid give me thy grace dearly to preserve his memory to retaine the impresses and remembrances of that affection and to entertaine no new ones but wholly imploy my time my estate and all my powers in bringing up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord in making fair and fitting provisions for them in giving them good example in bearing the burthen of the Lord sweetly in prayers and fastings in almes and piety in reading and meditating in spirituall and Sacramental Communions that when the worke of my life is done I may find pardon and favour and acceptance at the hands of my Lord and a portion among thy saints and servants If there be children of both sexes let the following portion be added V. O My God now thy servant hath taken upon me to speake to my Lord let not my Lord be angry not reject the prayer of his servant interceding and praying for my children the pledges of my deare Lord and Husband preserve them O God in the strictest duty and services to thy self O be thou their God and father let thy providence be their portion thy service their imployment thy Angels their guards keepe them so by thy preventing and restraining grace that they may not by their owne sins provoke thee to anger and jealousy and let not the sins of their forefathers be visited upon them in thy anger and displeasure thou lovest to shew mercy and thou delightest in the
a manner as much as by an essence yet there is in it nothing of duty and obligation and therefore it is the most unreasonable thing in the world to make any of these things to be a question of Religion 33. I shall therefore press these things no further but note that since all Liturgy is and ever was either prose or verse or both and the Liturgy of the Church of England as well as most others is of the last sort I consider that whatsoever is in her devotions besides the Lessons Epistles and Gospels the body of which is no other thing then was the famous Lectionarium of S. Jerome is a compliance with these two dictates of the Apostle for Liturgy the which one for verse the other for prose in 1 Psalms and 2 Hymns and 3 Spiritual songs for verse for prose 4 deprecations and 5 prayers and 6 intercessions and 7 giving of thanks will warrant and commend as so many parts of duty all the portions of the English Liturgy 34. If it were worth the pains it were very easy to enumerate the Authors and especially the occasions and time when the most minute passages such I mean as are known by distinct appellatives came into the Church that so it may appear our Liturgy is as ancient and primitive in every part as it is pious and unblameable and long before the Church got such a beam in one of her eyes which was endevoured to be cast out at the reformation But it will not be amiss to observe that very many of them were inserted as Antidotes and deleteries to the worst of heresies as I have discours'd already such was that clause through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the holy Spirit ever one God and some other phrases parallel were put in in defiance of the Macedonians and all the species of the Antitrinitarians and used by S. Ambrose in Millain S. Austin in Africa and Idacius Clarus in Spain and in imitation of so pious precedents the Church of England hath inserted divers clauses into her Offices 35. There was a great instance in the administration of the blessed Sacrament For upon the change of certain clauses in the Liturgy upon the instance of Martin Bucer instead of the bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for you preserve your body and soul unto everlasting life was substituted this take and eat this in remembrance c. and it was done lest the people accustomed to the opinion of Transubstantiation and the appendant practices should retain the same doctrine upon intimation of the first clause But in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths reign when certain persons of the Zuinglian opinion would have abused the Church with Sacramentary doctrine and pretended the Church of England had declared for it in the second clause of 1552 the wisdome of the Church thought it expedient to joyn both the clauses the first lest the Church should be suspected to be of the Sacramentary opiâ—ion the latter lest she should be mistaken as a Patroness of Transubstantiation And both these with so much temper and sweetness that by her care she rather prevented all mistakes then by any positive declaration in her prayers engaged her self upon either side that she might pray to God without strife and contention with her brethren For the Church of England had never known how to follow the names of men but to call Christ onely her Lord and Master 36. But from the inserting of these and the like clauses which hath been done in all ages according to several opportunities and necessities I shall observe this advantage which is in many but is also very signally in the English Liturgy we are thereby enabled and advantaged in the meditation of those mysteries de quibus festivatur in sacris as the Casuists love to speak which upon solemn days we are bound to meditate and make to be the matter and occasion of our address to God for the offices are so ordered that the most indifferent and careless cannot but be reminded of the mystery in every Anniversary which if they be summ'd up will make an excellent Creed and then let any man consider what a rare advantage it will be to the belief of such propositions when the very design of the Holy-day teaches the hard handed Artizan the name and meaning of an article and yet the most forward and religious cannot be abused with any semblances of superstition The life and death of the Saints which is very precious in the eyes of God is so remembred by his humble and afflicted handmaid the Church of England that by giving him thanks and praise God may be honoured the Church instructed by the proposition of their example and we give testimony of the honour and love we owe and pay unto Religion by the pious veneration and esteem of those holy and beatified persons 37. Certain it is that there is no part of Religion as it is a distinct vertue and is to be exercised by interiour acts and forms of worship but is in the offices of the Church of England For if the soul desires to be humbled she hath provided forms of Confession to God before his Church if she will rejoyce and give God thanks for particular blessings there are forms of thanksgiving described and added by the Kings authority upon the Conference at Hampton-Court which are all the publick solemne and foreseen occasions for which by Law and order provision could be made if she will commend to God the publick and private necessities of the Church and single persons the whole body of Collects and devotions supplies that abundantly if her devotion be high and pregnant and prepared to fervency and importunity of congress with God the Letanies are an admirable pattern of devotion full of circumstances proportionable for a quick and an earnest spirit when the revolution of the Anniversary calls on us to perform our duty of special meditation and thankfulness to God for the glorious benefits of Christs Incarnation Nativity Passion Resurrection and Ascension blessings which doe as well deserve a day of thanksgiving as any other temporal advantage though it be the pleasure of a victory then we have the offices of Christmass the Annunciation Easter and Ascension if we delight to remember those holy persons whose bodies rest in the bed of peace and whose souls are deposited in the hands of Christ till the day of restitution of all things we may by the Collects and days of Anniversary festivity not onely remember but also imitate them too in our lives if we will make that use of the proportions of Scripture allotted for the festival which the Church intends to which if we adde the advantages of the whole Psalter which is an intire body of devotion by it self and hath in it forms to exercise all graces by way of internal act and spiritual intention there is not any ghostly advantage which the most
there by any such thing as regeneration by the Ministery of the word and begetting in Christ and Fathers and Sons after the common faith as the expressions of the Apostle make us to beleeve certain it is the blessings of Religion doe descend most properly from our spiritual Fathers and with most plentiful emanation And this hath been the Religion of all the world to derive very much of their blessings by the Priests particular and signal ministration Melchisedech blessed Abraham Isaac blessed Jacob and Moses and Aaron blessed the people So that here is benediction from a Prince from a Father from the Aaronical Priest from Melchisedech of whose order is the Christian in whose Law it is a sanction that in grea◠needs especially the Elders of the Church be sent for and let them pray over him that is distressed That is the great remedy for the great necessity And it was ever much valued in the Church insomuch that Nectarius would by no means take investiture of his Patriarchal Sea until he had obtained the benediction of Diodorus the Bishop of Cilicia Eudoxia the Empress brought her son Theodosius to S. Chrysostome for his blessing and S. Austin and all his company received it of Innocentius Bishop of Carthage It was so solemne in all marriages that the marrying of persons was called Benediction So it was in the fourth Councel of Carthage Sponsus sponsa cùm benedicendi sunt à Sacerdote c. benedicendi for married ... And in all Church Offices it was so solemne that by a Decree of the Councel of Agatho A. D. 380. it was decreed ante benedictionem Sacerdotis populus egredi non praesumat By the way onely here is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for two parts of the English Liturgy For the benediction in the Office of marriage by the authority of the Councel of Carthage and for concluding the Office of Communion with the Priests or Bishops benediction by warrant of the Councel of Agatho which Decrees having been derived into the practice of the universal Church for very many ages is in no hand to be undervalued lest we become like Esau and we miss it when we most need it For my own particular I shall still press on to receive the benediction of holy Church till at last I shall hear a Venite benedicti and that I be reckoned amongst those blessed souls who come to God by the ministeries of his own appointment and will not venture upon that neglect against which the piety and wisdome of all Religions in the world infinitely doe prescribe 44. Now the advantages of confidence which I have upon the forms of benediction in the Common Prayer-book are therefore considerable because God himself prescribed a set form of blessing the people appointing it to be done not in the Priests extempore but in an established form of words and because as the authority of a prescript form is from God so that this form may be also highly warranted the solemne blessing at the end of the Communion is in the very words of S. Paul 45. For the forms of Absolution in the Liturgy though I shall not enter into consideration of the Question concerning the quality of the Priests power which is certainly a very great ministery yet I shall observe the rare temper and proportion which the Church of England uses in commensurating the forms of Absolution to the degrees of preparation and necessity At the beginning of the Morning and Evening Prayer after a general Confession usually recited before the devotion is high and pregnant whose parts like fire enkindle one another there is a form of Absolution in general declarative and by way of proposition In the Office of the Communion because there are more acts of piety and repentance previous and presupposed there the Churches form of Absolution is optative and by way of intercession But in the Visitation of the sick when it is supposed and enjoyned that the penitent shall disburthen himself of all the clamorous loads upon his conscience the Church prescribes a medicinal form by way of delegate authority that the parts of justification may answer to the parts of good life For as the penitent proceeds so does the Church pardon and repentance being terms of relation they grow up together till they be compleat this the Church with greatest wisdom supposes to be at the end of our life grace by that time having all its growth that it will have here therefore then also the pardon of sins is of another nature then it ever was before if being now more actual and compleat whereas before it was in fieri in the beginnings and smaller increases and upon more accidents apt to be made imperfect and revocable So that the Church of England in these manners of dispensing the power of the Keys does cut off all disputings and impertinent wranglings whether the Priests power were Judicial or declarative for possibly it is both and it is optative too and something else yet for it is an emanation from all the parts of his Ministery and he never absolves but he preaches or prays or administers a Sacrament for this power of remission is a transcendent passing through all the parts of the Priestly Offices For the keys of the Kingdome of heaven are the promises the threatnings of the Scripture and the prayers of the Church and the Word and the Sacraments and all these are to be dispensed by the Priest and these keys are committed to his Ministery and by the operation of them all he opens and shuts heaven gates ministerially and therefore S. Paul calls it verbum reconciliationis and says it is dispensed by Ministers as by Embassadors or Delegates and therefore it is an excellent temper of the Church so to prescribe her forms of Absolution as to shew them to be results of the whole Priestly Office of Preaching of dispensing Sacraments of spiritual Cure and authoritative deprecation And the benefit which pious and well disposed persons receive by these publick Ministeries as it lies ready formed in our blessed Saviours promise erit solutum in coelis so men will then truly understand when they are taught to value every instrument of grace or comfort by the exigence of a present need as in a sadness of spirit in an unquiet conscience in the arrest of death 46. I shall not need to procure advantages to the reputation of the Common Prayer by considering the imperfections of whatsoever hath been offered in its stead but yet a 1 form of worship composed to the dishonour of the Reformation accusing it of darkness and intolerable inconvenience 2 a direction without a rule 3 a rule without restraint 4 a prescription leaving an indifferency to a possibility of licentiousness 5 an office without any injunction of external acts of worship not prescribing so much as kneeling 6 an office that onely once names reverence but forbids it in the ordinary instance and enjoyns it in
Penitential Letanies The Psalter or Psalms of David after the Kings Translations with Arguments newly fitted to the design and sense of every Psalm An Advertisement to them that shall use these PRAYERS BEcause no prayers are the more pleasing to God for being long and they are oftentimes displeasing even to good men if they be very long and yet on the other side if the devotion be long it is the better and if that be lasting it ought to be supplied with materials like gummes to the Altar of incense and fuel for the holy fires he that collected these devotions did design to serve the advantages both of length and shortness that the most devout may be fitted and the most secular and imployed may not be wearied 1. Therefore although every thing is set down at length that the trouble of references and turnings back might be avoided and therefore seem longer then they are and the Hymnes are sometimes double that the variety might be more apt to please and to instruct and the Offices are made full that upon the more solemne days when people come with a greater and more active devotion and greater leisure their time and their piety might be imployed yet on other days there is but one Lesson appointed and one Hymne to follow it 2. The prayers are divided into smaller portions that with ease any of them may be omitted by persons whose occasions force them from their attendance on longer Offices besides that there are two forms of Morning and Evening Prayer the one shorter the other longer 3. In the beginning of Morning and Evening Prayer some of the devotions which are set down are desired and intended to be used but seldome not onely to avoid tediousness but for other reasons very obvious that the Ministers more solemn power and office might not be less regarded by being daily and consequently very often without just dispositions offered I mean it concerning the form of Absolution The Confession may be shortned as there is cause by making use onely of some of the sections and leaving out the other 4. If upon Communion days the morning Prayer and the Communion Office be not read at one time but the morning Prayer be read at seven or eight of the clock in the morning and the Communion office at the time of celebration or if it be convenient that they be both together if then the Sermon be in the afternoon the length will be very tolerable 5. These Prayers being intended onely as a charitable ministery to them who are not permitted to use those which were appointed formerly there is no necessity upon any one and he may use as much or as little as he please and therefore no man will have cause to complain of length or shortness ☞ For the Offices themselves I pray God bless them to all those ends whither they are designed and to which in their own nature they can minister And as I humbly recommend them to Gods blessing so I doe submit them to the judgement of my afflicted Mother the Church of England and particularly to the censure of my spiritual Superiours and I desire that these Prayers may no longer be used in any publick place then my L ds the B ps upon prudent enquiries and grave considerations shall perceive them apt to minister to Gods glory and useful to the present or future necessities of the Sons and Daughters of the Church of England MORNING PRAYER Throughout the YEARE Say one or more of these Sentences HE that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walke in his lawes which he hath set before us by his servants the prophets Dan. 9. 10. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1. 8 9. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise â—sal 51. 17. Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit For why will ye die I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth saith the Lord God Wherefore turne your selves and live ye Ezek. 18. 31 32. After which say Draw nigh therefore unto God and he will draw nigh unto you Cleanse your hands and purifie your hearts Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and make a confession of your sins unto him with a hearty sorrow and a humble hope begging for pardon at the throne of Grace Let us pray The Confession I. O Almighty God Great Lord of Heaven and Earth we miserable sinners with fear and shame cast our selves downe before thee humbly confessing our manifold sins and unsufferable wickednesses by which we have deserved thy wrath and that we should be separated from the sweetest comforts of thy presence for ever II. We confesse O Great God we have sinned against thee by knowledge and by ignorance by folly and by surprize by word and deed by anger and desires by night and by day in private and in publick by the lusts of the flesh and the vanity and pride of our spirits our sins of omission are infinite and the sins of our tongue cannot be numbred O God thy words and lawes are holy and thy judgements are terrible but we have broken all thy righteous lawes and commandements and we have great cause to be afraid of thy severest judgements and where shall we appeare when thou art angry with us III. But thou shalt answer for us O Lord our God Thou art our Judge but thou art our Redeemer we have sin'd but thou O Blessed Jesus art our Advocate Have mercy upon us have mercy upon us most miserable sinners Enter not into judgement with us least we die let not thine anger arise least we be consumed but spare us gracious Lord spare thy servants whom thou hast redeem'd with thy most precious blood O reserve not evil in store for us against the day of vengeance but shew thy goodnesse in us and let thy mercies be magnified upon us deliver us O Lord from the power of sin and preserve us from the punishments of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Deprecation to be used upon solemn daies or at the discretion of him that ministers I. O Lord our God whose power is infinite whose glory is supreme whose mercie is without measure whose goodnesse is unspeakeable despise not thy returning servants who earnestly beg for pardon and to be reconciled to thee sanctify O God our bodies and soules search out our spirits and cast out all iniquity from within us all weak principles and false
the Lord in the beautie of Holinesse ¶ The voice of the Lord is upon the waters the God of glory thundreth the Lord is upon many waters * The voice of the Lord is powerfull the voice of the Lord is full of Majesty ¶ The voice of the Lord maketh the hindes to calve and discovereth the forests and in his temple doth every man speake of his glory * Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in Heart ¶ For this God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide unto death Glory be to the Father c. Then read a lesson out of one of the four Gospells or the Acts of the Holy Apostles in order or by choice upon extraordinary occasions After which recite one of these following Psalmes * THe mighty God even the Lord hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going downe thereof ¶ Out of Sion the perfection of beauty God hath shined * Our God shall come and shall not keep silence a fire shall devour before him and it shall be very tempestuous round about him ¶ He shall call to the heavens from above to the Earth that he may Judge his people * And the heavens shall declare his righteousnesse for God is Judge himselfe ¶ His Name shall endure for ever his name shall be continued as long as the Sun and men shall be blessed in him all Nations shall call him blessed * Blessed be the Lord God the God of Israel who onely doth wondrous things ¶ And blessed be his Glorious Name for ever and let the whole Earth be filled with his glory Amen Amen Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Or this to be said especially on Communion daies Psalme 23. * THe Lord is my Shepherd I shal not want ¶ He maketh me to lie down in Green pasture he leadeth me beside the still waters * He restoreth my soule he leadeth me in the paths of righteousnesse for his Names sake ¶ Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me * Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oyle my cup runneth over ¶ Surely goodnesse and mercy shall follow me all the daies of my life and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever Glory be to the Father c. Then say the Apostles Creed or the Nicene creed if it be a great festival of the Church I Believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth * And in Jesus Christ his onely son our Lord * which was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary * suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried * He descended into hell * The third day he rose againe from the dead * He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty * From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the Dead * I believe in the holy Ghost * The holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints * the forgivenesse of sins * the resurrection of the body * and the life everlasting Amen The Nicene Creed to be said upon the great Solemnities of the yeare I Beleive in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God begotten of his Father before all worlds God of God Light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom al things were made who for us men for our salvation came downe from heaven and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and the third day he rose againe according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father And he shall come againe with glory to judge both the quick the dead whose kingdome shall have no end And I beleive in the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Son who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified whospake by the Prophets And I believe one Catholique and Apostolique Church I acknowledge one Baptisme for the remission of sins And I looke for the resurrection of the Dead and the life of the world to come Amen After the Creed Minister The Lord be with you People And with thy Spirit Let us 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 trespasse against us * And lead us not into temptation * But deliver us from evill For thine is the Kingdome the power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen I. O Great King of heaven and earth the Lord and patron of all ages receive thy servants approaching to the throne of grace in the Name of Jesus Christ give unto every one of us what is best for us cast out all evill from within us work in us a fulnesse of holinesse of wisedome and spiritual understanding that we increasing in the knowledge of God may be fruitfull in every Good worke through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The collect for the morning II. O Almighty Father great God of all the world who dwellest in the light to which no man can approach in thy presence there is no night in the light of thy countenance there is perpetuall day We thy servants whom thou hast preserved this night who blesse and glorifie thee this day who live by thy power who desire to walk by thy lawes to be blessed by thy providence to be defended by thy Almighty hand humbly pray unto thee that this day and all the daies of our lives may be holy and peaceable send thy holy spirit the spirit of peace to be the guide of our waie the guard of our soules and bodies Grant that all the chances and accidents of this day may be healthfull to our bodies and profitable to our soules and that we may spend the remaining portion of our life in blessing and peace and holinesse Make thou the latter end of our daies to be Christian without shame without torment and when we shall appeare before thy dreadfull seat of Judgement grant that we may not be confounded but may stand upright in the congregation of the Saints acquitted by the death of Christ justified by his resurrection pardon'd by his sentence saved by his mercy that we may rejoyce in his salvation and sing thy praises for ever and ever
Amen A prayer against temptations III. O God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ thy Name is great thy essence is infinite thy goodnesse is eternal and thy power hath no limit thou art the God and Lord of all Blessed for evermore Looke downe in mercie and compassion from thy dwelling heare our prayers and supplications and deliver us from all temptations of the world the flesh and the Devill Take not thy grace from us let us never want thy helpe in our needs nor thy comfort in the day of our danger and calamity Never try us beyond our strengths nor afflict us beyond our Patience nor smite us but with a Fathers rod * We have no strengths of our owne thou art our confidence our rock and our strong salvation Save us O God from the miseries of this world and never let us suffer the intolerable calamities of the next Rescue us from the evils we have done and preserve us from the evils we have deserved that we living before thee with clean hearts and undefiled bodies and sanctified spirits may at the day of Judgement be presented pure and spotlesse by the blood of the lamb that we may sing eternall Allelujahs in heavenly places to the honour of God our Saviour who hath redeemed our soules from death our eyes from tears and our feet from falling Grant this in the richnesse of thy mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall be added upon all Sundaies and Festivals of the yeare this following prayer and upon other daies as opportunitie is to be had all or some portions The prayers for kings c. and the state Ecclesiastical are never to be omitted but on ordinary daies it may suffice to recite them omitting so much of either as is included in the Columnes * The prayer of intercession for all states of Men and Women in the Catholick Church I. SAve us defend and keep us in thy fear and love O thou God of mercy and grace Give unto us the light of thy countenance pardon of our sins health of our body sanctification of our spirits peace from heaven and salvation of our soules in the day of our Lord Jesus Amen For the Catholick Church II. HEar our praiers for thy holy Church Catholick which thou hast redeemed with thy blood sealed and sanctified with thy spirit Extirpate all heresies and false doctrines unite all her divisions let her be prosperous under thy favour and the protection of Kings and Princes and the whole secular arme that she may daily celebrate thy Name with strict obedience and pure spiritual sacrifices that she may be accepted and prevaile in her daily and nightly prayers and that the gates of hell may never prevaile against her let her live in the spirit and reigne in thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For the supreme power III. WE pray unto thee O great King of Heaven and earth for all Christian Kings Princes Governours and states Crowne them with justice and peace and with the love of God and the love of their people * let holinesse be the ornament of their heads invest them with the armour of righteousnesse and let the anointing from above make them Sacred and venerable wise and holy * that being servants of the King of Kings friends of religion Ministers of justice and patrons of the poor they may at last inherit a portion in the Kingdome of our Lord Jesus For the state Ecclesiastical IV. REmember all them that doe the Lords worke in the ministery and conduct of soules Give them great gifts and great holinesse * that wisely and charitably diligently and zealously prudently and acceptably they may be guides to the blind comforters to the sad and weary that they may strengthen the weake and confirme the strong separate the vile from the precious boldly rebuke sinne patiently suffer for the truth and be exemplary in their lives * that in all their actions and sermons in their discipline and ministrations they may advance the good of soules and the honour of our Lord Jesus Amen For all orders and states of men c. V. O Blessed God who art rich in mercie and compassion take care of all states of Men and Women in the Christian Church the Nobility and Gentry Magistrates and Judges Advocates and Physicians Merchants and Artificers Husbandmen and Tradesmen the Labourers and the Hirelings give them grace in their several callings to glorifie thee and to keep a good conscience both towards God and towards Man that they may find eternal comfort in the glorious day of our Lord Jesus For the miserable and afflicted VI. In mercie remember the poor and needy the widdowes and the Fatherlesse the strangers and the friendlesse the oppressed and the greived the Decrepit and the sickly the yong men and the tempted the weake of heart and the weake in body them that languish and them that are dying Releive their necessities comfort their sorrowes sanctifie their calamities strengthen their weaknesses and suffer not the Devil to prevaile over them in the daies of their sorrow and disadvantage and in thy due time deliver them from their sad bondage into thy glorious liberty of the sons of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. VII BE a guide to the travellers a star and a port to Mariners the comfort and strength of Miners and Gallislaves Pity good God all Gentlemen that are fallen into poverty and sad misfortunes strengthen and deliver all women that are in sharp and dangerous labour all them that roar and groane with intolerable paines and noisome diseases Have mercy and compassion upon all that are afflicted with illusion of the night and frightfull apparitions that are haunted or possessed with evill spirits or troubled with despairing or amazed consciences with the stone and with the gout with violent colics and greivous ulcers give them pity and give them patience a speedy deliverance from their calamity and a sanctified use of the rod of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. VIII WE pray unto thee O Blessed Father in behalfe of all that are in banishment captivity in fetters or hard services in want or extreme poverty in great fear or in any great passion Keep them from sinning against thee and from being swallowed by too great a sorrow Let the accidents of their lives be under the command of reason and of thy holy spirit and end in holinesse and comfort in peace and joyes eternall through the mercies of our God in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen For the preservation from danger and evill IX KEep us O God from famine and pestilence from Earthquakes and inundations from fire and sword from invasion by foreign enemies and from civil warres from false religion and from discountenancing the true let every Christian soule find pity at the throne of grace let all our errors and ignorances find pardon by Christ and remedie by the holy spirit of Christ hear all our praiers releive all our necessities
but the dregs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them ¶ But I will declare for ever I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. * For thou art my hope O Lord God thou art my trust from my youth ¶ By thee have I been holden up from the wombe thou art he that tooke me out of my Mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee * For the Lord is a sun and a sheild the Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he withhold from them that live a godly life ¶ O Lord of Hosts Blessed is the Man that putteth his trust in thee Glory be to the Father c. Or this * GOd is greatly to be fear'd in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him ¶ Thou rulest the raging of the sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them * The heavens are thine the earth also is thine as for the world and the fulnesse thereof thou hast founded them ¶ Justice and judgement are the habitation of thy throne mercy and truth shall go before thy face * For loe thine enemies O Lord loe thine enemies shall perish all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered ¶ The righteous shall flourish like a Palme tree he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon * Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God ¶ They shall still bring forth fruit in their old age they shall be fat and flourishing ¶ To shew that the Lord is upright he is our rock and there is no unrighteousnesse in him Glory be to the Father c. Then read a lesson out of the Epistle of S. Paul or any of the Canonical Epistles in order or selected upon special occasions After the lesson say this Psalme * GIve eare O Lord unto my prayer and attend to the voice of my supplications ¶ Turne us O God of our salvation and cause thine anger towards us to cease * For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee ¶ O Remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us * Helpe us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy name deliver us and purge away our sins for thy names sake ¶ Teach us thy way O God and we will walke in thy truth unite our hearts to fear thy Name * O satisfy us early with thy mercy that we may rejoyce and be glad all our daies ¶ So we thy people and sheep of thy pasture will give thee thankes for ever we will shew forth thy praise from generation to generation Glory be to the Father c. Or this * IN thee O Lord doe I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy righteousnesse ¶ Into thy hand I commend my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth * Make thy face to shine upon thy servants save us for thy mercies sake ¶ For great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men * The Angel of the Lord encamped round about them that fear him and delivereth them ¶ Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compasse me about with songs of deliverance * Thou makest darknesse and it is night wherein all the beasts of the forest doe creep forth ¶ O Lord how manifold are thy workes in wisdome hast thou made them all the earth is full of thy riches * The Glory of the Lord shall endure for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his workes ¶ He appointed the moone for certaine seasons and the sun knoweth his going downe * I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being my meditation of him shall be sweet I will rejoyce in the Lord. ¶ I will both lay me downe in peace and sleep for thou Lord makest me dwell in safety Glory be to the Father c. Or else say 103. Psalme or the 91. or the 121. Then shall follow the Apostles Creed I Beleeve in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and earth * And in Jesus Christ his onely son our Lord * which was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary * suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried * He descended into hell * The third day he rose againe from the dead * He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty * From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the Dead * I believe in the holy Ghost * The holy Catholick Church the communion of Saints * the forgivenesse of sins * the resurrection of the body * and the life everlasting Amen Minister The Lord be with you People And with thy Spirit Let us 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 evil For thine is the Kingdom the power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Then followes the first collect as at Morning Prayer I. O Great King of heaven and earth the Lord and patron of all ages receive thy servants approaching to the throne of Grace in the Name of Jesus Christ. Give unto every one of us what is best for us cast out all evil from within us work in us a fulnesse of holinesse of wisedome and spiritual understanding that we increasing in the knowledge of God may be fruitful in every Good worke through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Or this SAve us defend and keep us in thy fear and love O thou God of mercy and grace Give unto us the light of thy countenance pardon of our sins health of body sanctification of our spirits peace from heaven and salvation of our soules in the day of our Lord Jesus Amen I. For repentance and a Holy life ALmighty God the fountaine of holinesse and felicity who by thy word and by thy spirit dost conduct all thy servants in the waies of peace and sanctity inviting them by promises and winning them by love endearing them by necessities and obliging them by the perpetual testimonies of thy loving kindnesse grant unto us so truly to repent us of our sins so carefully to reforme our errors so diligently to watch over all our actions so industriously to doe all our duty that we may never transgresse thy Holy lawes willingly but that it may be the worke of our lives to obey thee the joy of our soules to please thee the satisfaction of all
When he fell and broke thy easy Commandement thou didst not despise his folly nor leave him in his sin but didst chastise him with thy rod and restrain him by thy law and instruct him by thy Prophets and at last didst send thy Holy Son into the world that he might renew and repair thy broken image The People shall answer Blessed be God He comming from heaven and taking our flesh by the power of the Holy Ghost of the Vâ—rgin Mary conversed with men and taught us the way of God and the dispensation of Eternal life People Holy Jesus Blessed be God But when for the redemption of us sinners he would suffer death upon the Cross without sin for us who were nothing but sin and misery in the night in which he was betrayed he took bread he looked up to heaven he gave thanks he sanctified it he brake it and gave it to his Apostles saying Take eat This is my body which is broken for you Doe this in remembrance of me Likewise after Supper he took the Cup and when he had given thanks and blessed it he gave it to them saying Drink ye all of this for this is my bloud of the new Testament which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sins Doe this in remembrance of me For as often as ye shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup ye shall shew forth the Lords death till he come The people shall answer Amen Minister We beleeve and we confess People We declare thy death and confess thy resurrection Then the Minister kneeling shall say this prayer of Oblation I. WE sinners thy unworthy servants in remembrance of thy life-giving passion thy Cross and thy pains thy death and thy burial thy resurrection from the dead and thy ascension into Heaven thy sitting at the right hand of God making intercession for us and expecting with fear and trembling thy formidable and glorious return to judge the quick and dead when thou shalt render to every man according to his works doe humbly present to thee O Lord this present sacrifice of remembrance and thanksgiving humbly and passionately praying thee not to deal with us according to our sins nor recompence us after our transgressions but according to thy abundant mercy and infinite goodness to blot out and take away the hand-writing that is against us in the book of remembrances which thou hast written and that thou wilt give unto us spiritual celestial and eternal gifts which neither eye hath seen nor ear hath heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to understand which God hath prepared for them that love him thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Then shall follow the reception and distribution of the Holy Sacrament The Minister first receiving and privately saying this short prayer O Blessed Jesus My Lord and my God thou art the celestial food and the life of every man that cometh unto thee I have sinned against heaven and before thee and am not worthy to partake of these holy Mysteries but thou art my merciful Saviour grant that I may religiously thankfully and without reproof partake of thy Blessed body and blood for the remission of my sins and unto life eternal Amen Then reverently taking in his hand the consecrated bread that he means to eat let him say THE Body of our Lord Jesus which was broken for me preserve my body and Soul into everlasting life Amen Then praying a while privately let him receive the Chalice saying THE Bloud of our Lord Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of my sins cleanse my Soul and preserve it into everlasting life Amen Then let him pray awhile privately and recommend to God his own personal necessities spiritual and temporal and the needs of all his Relatives c. After that let him distribute it first to the Clergy that helps to officiate and after that to the whole Congregation that offers themselves saying the same words changing the person While the Minister of the Mysteries is praying privately the people may secretly pray thus or to this purpose I Beleeve O God and confess that thou art Christ the Son of the living God who came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief Lord make me this day partaker of thy heavenly Table for thou dost not give thy secrets to thy enemies but to the sons of thine own house Let me never give thee a Judas kiss I confess thee and thy glories I invocate thee and thy mercies I trust upon thee and thy goodness like the thief upon the Cross Lord remember me in thy kingdome with the remembrances of an everlasting love Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof but as thou didst safe to lie in a Manger with beasts and to enter into the house of Simon the leper nor didst despife the repenting harlot when she kissed thy feet so vouchsafe to lodge in my soul though it be a place of beastly affections and unreasonable passions throw them out and dwell there for ever purifie my soul accept the sinner cleanse the leper so shall I be worthy to partake of this Divine Banquet Amen When every of the Communicants hath received in both kinds let the Paten and Chalice if any of the consecrated Elements remain be decently covered and then shall follow these prayers THE POSTCOMMUNION The Minister and People devoutly kneeling shal say the Lords prayer the people repeating every petition after the Minister 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 aganist us And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Then the Minister shall pray this prayer for the Catholick Church I. REceive O Eternal God this sacrifice for and in behalf of al Christian people whom thou hast redeemed with the bloud of thy Son and purchased as thine own inheritance From the fountains of mercy the springs of our Blessed Saviour let all thy people upon whom the name of Jesus is called receive confirmation and increase of grace fruitfulness in good works and perfect understanding in the way of godliness Defend O God thy Church and preserve her from all heresy and scandal from sacrilege and Simony from covetousness and pride from factions and schism from Atheisme and irreligion from all that persecute the truth from all that work wickedness and let not thegates of hell prevail against her nor any evil come neer to hurt her II. Give thy blessing O God to this Nation remember us for good and not for evil be reconcil'd unto us in the Son of thy love and let not thine anger be any longer upon us nor thy jealousy burn like fire Send us health and peace justice
and truth good laws and good government an excellent religion undivided undisturbed temperate air seasonable showers wholesome dewes fruitful seasons Crown the year with goodness and let the clouds drop fatness that we may glorify thy name and confess thy goodness while thou bearest witness to us from heaven filling our hearts with food and gladness III. With a propitious eye a great pity behold the miseries of mankind put a speedy period to all our sins and to all our calamities Hear the sighings of the distressed the groans of the sick the prayers of the oppressed the desires of the poor and needy support the weakness of them that languish and faint ease the pains of them that are in affliction and call to thee for help Take from the miserable all tediousness of spirit and despair Pardon all the penitents reform the vitious confirme the holy and let them be holy still pity the folly of young men their little reason and great passion succour the infirmities and temptations of the aged preserving them that they may not sin towards the end of their lives for Jesus Christ his sake IV. Admit O Blessed God into the society of our prayers and the benefits of this Eucharist our Fathers and Brethren our wives and children our friends and Benefactours our charges and relatives all that have desired our prayers and all that need them all that we have and all that we have not remembred thou knowest all their necessities and all their dwellings their joyes and their sorrows their hopes and their fears the number of their sins and the measures of their repentances O dear God sanctifie them and us let our portion be in the good things of God in religion and purity in the peace of Conscience and the joyes of the Holy Ghost in the love of God and of our Neighbours O gather us to the feet of thy elect when thou wilt and in what manner thou art pleased onely let us appear before thee without shame and without sins through the merits of JESUS Christ our most mercifull Saviour and Redeemer Amen Then shall follow the Eucharistical prayers I. GLory be to thee O God our Father who hast vouchsafed to make us at this time partakers of the Body and Bloud of thy holy Son We offer unto thee O God our selves our souls and bodies to be a reasonable holy and living sacrifice unto thee Keep us under the shadow of thy wings and defend us from all evil and conduct us by thy Holy Spirit of grace into all good for thou who hast given thy holy Son unto us how shalt not thou with him give us all things else Blessed be the Name of our God for ever and ever Amen II. Glory be to thee O Christ our King the onely begotten Son of God who wert pleas'd to become a sacrifice for our sins a redemption from calamity the Physician and the Physick the life and the health the meat and the drink of our souls thou by thy unspeakable mercy didst descend to the weakness of sinful flesh remaining still in the perfect purity of spirit and hast made us partakers of thy holy Body and Bloud O condemne us not when thou comest to judgement but keep us ever in thy truth in thy fear and in thy favour that we may have our portion in thine inheritance where holiness and purity where joy and everlasting praises doe dwell for ever and ever Amen III. Proceeding from glory to glory we still glorifie thee O Father of Spirits and pray thee for ever to continue thy goodness towards us Direct our way aright establish us in holy purposes keep us unspotted in thy faith let the enemy have no part in us but conforme us for ever to the likeness of thy holy Sonne lead us on to the perfect adoption of our Souls and to the redemption of our bodies from corruption and fill our hearts and tongues with everlasting praises of thy name thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Blessing The peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ our Lord and the blessing of God Almighty and Father Son and Holy Spirit be upon you and abide with you and be your portion for ever and ever Amen The end of the Communion Office A form of Administration of the Holy Sacrament OF BAPTISME A FORM OF Administration of the Holy Sacrament OF BAPTISME Pure water being provided and put into the Fount or into a Lavatory of silver or some other clean vessell fit and decent for this sacred action the Minister being vested in an Ecclesiastical habit shall begin with this exhortation Dearly beloved Brethren FOrasmuch as from our first parents we derive nothing but flesh and corruption and that flesh and bloud cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven it is necessary that every man who is reckoned in Adam should be also reckoned in Christ that every one who is born of the flesh be also born again and born of the spirit that every son of man by nature may become the son of God by Adoption be incorporated into Christ intitled to the promises and become heir of heaven by grace and faith in Jesus Christ and that this cannot be done but by being admitted to the Covenant of grace in Baptisme our Blessed Saviour saying that except a man be born again of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God let us humbly and devoutly pray unto God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that he will be pleased to send down his holy Spirit upon these waters of Baptisme that they may become to this infant all that shall be washed in them a laver of regeneration and a well of water springing up to life eternal and that this infant may be admitted to the Covenant of grace and pardon of mercy and holiness receiving from grace what by nature he cannot have that being baptised in water to the remission of sins he may all his life walk in this Covenant of grace and holiness as a lively member of the holy Church which is the mysticall body of Christ our Head Let us Pray I. O Almighty and Eternal God Father of Men and Angels Lord of heaven and earth whose spirit moving upon the waters at the beginning of the world produced every living and every moving creature thou by the flood of waters did wash away the iniquity of the old world and by preserving to thy self a generation of holy persons whom thou didst bring up from those waters didst consign to us a type of regeneration Look O Lord graciously upon the face of thy Church and multiply in her thy regenerations and the new births of thy Spirit With the abundance of thy grace make thy holy city to rejoice and still open this holy fountain of Baptisme for the reformation and sanctification of all the nations of the world that thy blessed Spirit
design it for the production of mankind and didst give it as one of the first blessings of mankind O be pleased to look upon thy handmaid who waits for thy mercy and humbly begs of thy infinite goodness to make me partaker of that blessing which thou didst design to all the sons and daughters of Adam thou O God hast the keyes of heaven and hell of rain and providence of the womb and the grave O let not thy servant feel the curse of dry breasts and a barren womb but make me a joyful Mother of children that thy handmaid may serve thee in increasing the number of thy redeemed ones and may minister blessings to this family into which thou hast adopted me and may bring comfort to my dear husband whom doe thou bless and love and sanctifie for ever II. O God I confess I am unworthy of this or any other favour I am less then the least of thy mercies yet our weakness and unworthiness cannot be the measures of thy mercy thou art good and gracious infinitely gracious essentially good and delightest in shewing mercy to them that call upon thee put their trust in thee O dear God I remember that thou didst releive the sorrows of thy servant Hannah and gavest her the blessing of children thou didst blesse the womb of Elizabeth who was barren thou spakest the word and the rocks did rend and they sent forth a pleasant stream Thy hand is not shortned and thy mercies are not less then ever no less then infinite and why should not thy servant hope that thou wilt hear my prayer and grant the desire of my soul Even so O gracious father let it be as thou pleasest thy wisedom is infinite and thy counsels are secret and the waies and lines of thy providence are like the path of a bird in the aire not to be discovered by our weak sight III. I Know O God that thou lovest to hear our prayers and thou delightest in the humble passionate and resigned desires of thy servants Although O God I desire this blessing with an earnestness as great as any temporal favour yet I humbly submit my desires my interests my content and all that I am or have to thy holywill and pleasure humbly begging of thee that I may cheerfully suffer and obediently doe thy will and choose what thou choosest and observe the waies of thy providence and revere thy judgement and wait for thy mercy and delight in thy dispensation and expect that all things shall work together for good to them that fear thee O let thy holy Spirit for ever be present with me and make me to fear thee and to love thee above all the things in the world for ever and then no ill can come unto thy servant for whosoever loves thee cannot perish Hear the prayer of thy servant and releive my sorrow and sanctify my desires and accept me in the Son of thy love and of thy desires our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen A prayer to be used by an afflicted wife in behalf of a vitious Husband I. O Eternal Father thou preserver of men thou great lover of souls who didst send thy holy Son to die that mankind might be redeemed and sin might be destroyed Thou knowest how intolerable a thing it is that a Soul should to eternal ages be incircled with thy wrath and the indignation of a mighty and an angry God and therefore dost love to doe miracles of mercy because thou lovest not that a sinner should perish Be pleased to give thy handmaid leave to present her humble desires in behalf of a sinner one sinner for another the miserable for him that is ready to perish Lord look down in mercy upon my Husband snatch him from the jawes of Hell suffer him not to perish in his sin but open his eyes with the light of thy word and of thy Spirit that he may espy his danger that he may behold the deformity of his sins the injuriousness of his actions the folly of his pleasures the iniquity of his vowes II. CLeanse his hands and heart from all unrighteousness from bloud-guiltiness from rapine from violence from cruelty O Lord and purifie his soul and body from all impurity from all intemperance from the violence and fury of passion giving him a perfect repentance and a perfect pardon and if it be thy will let me also some way or other cooperate towards the recovery of his precious soul and be pleased to remember the sufferings of thy handmaid not that he may receive evil but that I may find good from thy gracious hands in the day of recompence thorough Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen If she have escaped any violence intended against her by his malice or passion then adde this prayer of thanksgiving O God my God and Father thou hast strangely preserv'd and rescued me from evil thou hast made decrees in heaven for my safety and preservation and for the glory of thy own name thou hast diverted the arrow that was directed against me What am I O Lord and what can I doe or what have I done that thou shouldest doe this for me I am O God a miserable sinner and I can doe nothing without a mighty grace and I have done nothing by my self but what I am asham'd of and yet I have received great mercies and miracles of providence I see O God I see that thy goodness is the cause and the measure of all my hopes and all my good and upon the confidence and greatness of that goodness I humbly beg of thy sacred Majesty to keep and defend me from all evil by thy wise providence to lead me into all good by the conduct of thy divine Spirit and where I have done amiss give me pardon and where I have been mistaken give me pity and where I have been injured give me thy favour and a gracious exchange that I may serve thee here with diligence and love and hereafter may rejoice with thee and love thee as I desire to love thee and as thou deservest to be loved even with all the powers and degrees of passion and essence to eternal ages in the inheritance of Jesus whom I love for whom I will not refuse to die in whom I desire to live and die to whom with thee O gracious Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory love and obedience for ever and ever Amen A Mothers prayer for her children I. MOst Gracious and Eternal God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Father of Men and Angels Father of mercies and God of all comforts thou hast promised to be a Father to a thousand generations of them that love and fear thee be thou a God and a Father to me and the children which thou hast given me Enable me O Lord to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and in the fear of God to the praise of thy holy Name O give me thy grace and favour that
with faith and hope submit his body and soule to thy merciful and just dispensation that he may not discompose the duties of his repentance by a new sin nor provoke thee to anger by his impatience nor offend them who charitably minister to him nor neglect the doing of any thing that can be in his power or in his duty to his body or his soule O God be mercifull unto thy servant and presse not him or her with an unequal load but remember that we are but flesh and vanity that we are crushed before the Moth and die in thy displeasure give him ease and rest a quiet mind and a peacefull conscience make thou all his bed in his sicknesse and deliver him not into the will of his Spiritual enemies but glorify thy mercies and make thy goodnesse illustrious upon thy servant through Jesus Christ our Lord. III. Against death and the feare of it O Eternal God who for the sin of man didst send death into the world and by the Resurrection of thy holy Son didst bring life to all beleivers have mercy upon this thy servant whom thou hast smitten with thy rod and brought into the vally of teares and the shadow of death O let not thy feirce anger goe beyond a fatherly correction let this rod be discipline not vengeance let it kill his sin but not the man but in judgement remember mercy take from thy servant all inordinate feare give him a present mind a hopeful Spirit a faithful heart a perfectly repenting conscience a charitable and a devout soule Take from him the feare and take from him the sentence of death preserve his life and restore his health if that be best for him for to thy power we submit on thy goodnesse we doe depend by thy wisedome we desire to be governed and that thy love should choose for thy servant But if thou hast otherwise decreed O grant to thy servant the comforts of a holy hope and the strengths of an unconquerable faith the constancy of an unmooved patience and the meekenesse of a perfect resignation that to him to live may be Christ and to die may be gaine that whether he lives or dies he may be thine through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen IV. For Pardon O Most gracious and eternal Son of God who onely hast power to forgive sins and to rescue erring soules from the power of sin and from the wrath of God be gracious toâ— thy servant who confesses thy justice in his suffering and begs to feele thy mercy in his pardon and thy pity in his ease and restitution Contend no longer with the miserable who confesses himselfe guilty reject him not that begs for remission of his sins and remission of thy anger remember not the follies of his childhood nor the vanities of his youth the sins of his tongue nor the sins of his anger the sins of desire nor the innumerable breaches of charity his infinite omissions of duty the inexcusable actions of his choice Thou hast glorified thy selfe in all generations of the world by giving pardon to the penitent and ease to the afflicted comfort to the comfortlesse and refreshment to the weary Behold O God the sorrowes of thy servant and remember his sins no more Behold the passion and the paines which our blessed Lord suffered for our sins and let not the sins of thy servants cause thee to take another forfeiture and produce another and an eternall anger but spare thy servant in thy anger and remember him in thy mercy and pity him in thy infinite compassion and releive him with thy mighty grace and deliver him from his sins and bring him to thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. V. If he be in or neere the agonies of death O Blessed God thou lover of soules and the Saviour of thy servants who gavest thy Son to die for us that we might live in him looke with mercy and great compassion upon the soule of thy servant for whom the Lord Jesus gave his precious bloud Now O God is that sad period in which he is to be consign'd over to his final sentence now is the day of his great expence his needes of mercy are great as his sins and great as his dangers and great as all his enemies let him or her receive the fruit of all his labours a blessed returne of all his prayers the grace of thy promises and the effect of all the sufferings of the holy Jesus Now O God let him find the end of his hopes and a just peace in his conscience a spiritual communion with Christ and the benefit of all his Passion pardon of his sins and the sweetest visitations of thy holy Spirit the comforter Now let him feele the effect of thy mighty power and of thy glorious victory over sin and all the powers of darkenesse let them have no portion in him and let thine angers end in comfort and pardon in the visitation of Angels and the glorious appearing of thy holy Spirit Now let him feele the truth of religion and the substance of the things he hath hoped for the verification of thy promises and the goodnesse of God let all the sermons of the Gospel passe into real exhibition of thy loving kindnesse and let thy servant rejoyce in the portions of the blessed in the redemption of his soule in the communion of Saints in the society of the spirits of just men made perfect through Jesus Christ our Lord. Then shall the Minister recommend the soule of the Dying man if it be departing the body I. O Most Blessed and most gracious Saviour Jesus into thy holy hands we commend the soule of this our Brother or Sister praying thee to defend it from all evil from the wrath of God which he hath deserved from the evil Spirits of darkenesse which are ready to devoure it from the flames of hell from whence nothing can rescue it but the mercies of God in our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen II. Let thy holy Angels receive this soule from her prison and ruinous house of clay and carry it to the region of loving and obedient soules in the bosome of Jesus there with joy and longing with the assurance of hope and a peaceful charity to expect the Resurrection of the just and the day of thy righteous judgement Amen III. O let not the Devils accuse this soule before thee or if they doe let them not prevaile but interpose thy death and passion thy mediation and intercession between thy judgement and this soule now at her departure and at the day of judgement that in the terrors of that day this soule may stand upright supported by the armes of thy eternal mercy Amen IV. Let not this soule carry along with her the infirmities of her present state but be immur'd with a guard of loving and blessed Spirits to defend her against all the hostilities and incursions of all evil Angels Now she shall see what she never saw and heare what she
shall never be moved PSAL. XVI David confesses God to be his Gâ—â— and protests against all idolatrous worshippings he rejoyces in God for his present blessings his preservation and prosperity the aides of his grace and the hopes of Eternall life through the resuâ—rection of Christ. PReserve me O God for in thee do I put my trust 2 O my soul thou hast said unto the Lord Thou art my Lord my goodnesse extendeth not to thee 3 But to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight 4 Their sorrows shall be multiplyed that hasten after another God their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer nor take up their names into my lips 5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup thou maintainest my lot 6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places yea I have a goodly heritage 7 I will blesse the Lord who hath given me counsell my reins also instruct me in the night seasons 8 I have set the Lord alwayes before me because he is at my right hand I shall not be moved 9 Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoyceth my flesh also shall rest in hope 10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption 11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore PSAL. XVII David appealing to God concerning his innocency does passionately implore his patronage against his prosperous enemies he prophesies of the resurrection HEar the right O Lord attend unto my cry give eare unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips 2 Let my sentence come forth from thy presence let thine eyes behold the things that are equall 3 Thou hast proved mine heart thou hast visited me in the night thou hast tryed me and and shalt find nothing I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgresse 4 Concerning the works of men by the word of thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer 5 Hold up my goings in thy paths that my footsteps slip not 6 I have called upon thee for thou wilt hear me O God incline thine eare unto me and hear my speech 7 Shew thy marvellous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them 8 Keep me as the apple of the eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings 9 From the wicked that oppresse me from my deadly enemies who compasse me about 10 They are inclosed in their own fat with their mouth they speak proudly 11 They have now compassed us in our steps they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth 12 Like as a Lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a young lion lurking in secret places 13 Arise O Lord disappoint him cast him down deliver my soul from the wicked which is thy sword 14 From men which are thy hand O Lord from men of the world which have their portion in this life and whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure they are full of children and leave the rest of their substance to their babes 15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousnesse I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likenesse Ev. Pr. PSAL. XVIII David toward the end of his life sings a song of victory to God for all his triumphs and greaâ— successes in his warres he gives thanks puts his trust in God I will love thee O Lord my strength 2 The Lord is my rock and my fortresse and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my salvation and my high tower 3 I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be saved from mine enemies 4 The sorrowes of death compassed me and the flouds of ungodly men made me afraid 5 The sorrowes of hell compassed me about the snares of death prevented me 6 In my distresse I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voyce out of his temple and my cry came before him even into his ears 7 Then the earth shook and trembled the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken because he was wroth 8 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils and fire out of his mouth devoured coals were kindled by it 9 He bowed the heavens also and came down and darknesse was under his feet 10 And he rode upon a cherub and did flie yea he did flie upon the wings of the wind 11 He made darknesse his secret place his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies 12 At the brightnesse that was before him his thick clouds passed hail-stones and coals of fire 13 The Lord also thundred in the heavens and the Highest gave his voice hailstones and coals of fire 14 Yea he sent out his arrows and scattered them and he shot out lightnings and discomfited them 15 Then the channels of waters were seen and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke O Lord at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils 16 He sent from above he took me and drew me out of many waters 17 He delivered me from my strong enemy and from them which hated me for they were too strong for me 18 They prevented me in the day of my calamity but the Lord was my stay 19 He brought me forth also into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me 20 The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousnesse according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me 21 For I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God 22 For all his judgments were before me and I did not put away his statutes from me 23 I was also upright before him and I kept my self from mine iniquity 24 Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my rightâ—nesse according to the cleannesse of my hands in his eye-sight 25 With the mercifull thou wilt shew thy self mercifull with an upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright 26 With the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward 27 For thou wilt save the afflicted people but thou wilt bring down high looks 28 For thou wilt light my candle the Lord my God will enlighten my darknesse 29 For by thee I have run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall 30 As for God his way is perfect the word of the Lord is tryed he is a buckler to all those that trust in him 31 For who is God save the Lord or who is a rock save our God 32 It is God that girdeth me with strength and maketh my way perfect 33 He maketh my feet like hindes