dismal spectacle of this flourishing Commonwealth so late famous amongst neighbor Nations and now so ruinated who can chuse but take up those Lamentations of the Prophet Jer. 4.19 My bowels my bowels I am pained at the very heart my heart maketh a noise within me I cannot hold my peace because thou hast heard O my soul the sound of the Trumpet and alarm of War destruction upon destruction for the whole land is spoiled And all this is done by foolish children who are wise to do evil but to do good they have no knowledg 4. And may not our owne particular sufferings turne us to the lamentable expressions of the 69 Psalm Save me O God Psalm 69.1 for the waters are come into my soul I stick fast in the deep mire where no ground is I am come into deep waters so that the flouds run over me Thy rebuke hath broken my heart I am so full of heaviness Ver. 21 I looked for some to have pity on me but there was no man neither found I any to comfort me And surely the perfidiousness of friends the fraud of flatterers and the impudent insultations of the basest of the people may 5. Chap. 30 Put us upon Jobs complaint They who are younger then I have me in derision whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock They were cried after as a thief They were the children of fools and base men But now I am their song they abhor me and flee from me and spare not to spit in my face 6 Upon survey and sense of our own disabilities to procure the least refreshing to our galling grievances how feelingly may that of Isaiah vent our sorrowes Chap. 24.16 My leannesse my leannesse wo unto me the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously yea the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously Fear and the snare and the pit are so ordered upon us that he who flyes for fear shall fall into the pit and he that cometh out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare 7. Last of all Psalm 119 If Davids eyes gusht out with water because men kept not Gods Law what rivers of tears should run down our cheeks at the beholding of our obstinate offending under the rod of Gods confounding punishment Even in the sight of Moses and the lamenting congregation by reason of the plague amongst them an impudent Zimri will trace along with his shameless Cozbi Num. 25.6 In stead of true humiliation we shall have obtruded deluding dissimulation and dogs shall prove more pitiful to disconsolate Lazarus Luke 16. then purple Dives or any of his full-fed attendants To all which what have we to say Psalm 64.1 but O God to whom vengeance belongeth Thou God to whom vengeance belongeth shew thy self c. and to comfort our selves in this Gen. 19 16 that in Sodoms destruction from heaven Lot shal find a protection to escape And Baruch shall obtain his life for a prey in all places whithersoever he goes Jer. 45.5 In the destruction of that Temple and City which was the beauty of the whole earth a Mark shall be set upon those that sigh and cry for all the abominations that they see committed Ezek. 9.4 Rev. 7. that so in the day of vengeance they may be passed over preserved Whereupon we may safely conclude with the experienced Psalmist as much in this kind Psal 126.6 as any of Gods children They that sow in tears shall reap in joy He that now goeth on his way weeping and beareth forth good seed shall doubtlesse come again with joy bring his sheavs with him For expressing of which rejoycing we may use for a Directory the Helps that follow CHAP. VII Of Excitation or Incouragements to all kind of Christian cheerfulness and Alacrity SUch is our stupid dulnesse since the Fal and loathing averfenesse from all goodnesse that though it be erected by grace and directed in the plainest paths that lead to happiness yet without continual goadings on it will look back with Lots wife Gen. 19.20 and be like the Horse and Mule which will follow us no longer then they are drawn to it with the bit and bridle in our hands Psal 32.10 Hence the Psalmist being exceeding sensible of this original Lethargy no lesse then seven times in one Psalm sues to the Physician of our souls for spiritual quickning Aqua vitae in these and the like expressions Quicken me Psal 119.25 37.88 O Lord according to thy word in the way according to thy loving kindnesse And the blessed Apostle thinks it not enough to put his Scholer Timothy to indure hardnesse 2 Tim. 2.3 except he joyned with it the stirring up of the gifts which God had given him Ibid. c. 1.6 and improving them to the utmost in the vocation the Church had set him When the people told blind Bartimeus whom they had blamed before for his balling that our Saviour made a stand Mar. 10.46 and called for him O how nimbly the blind begger bestirs himself Ver. 50 off goes his garment up hee starts scrambles to Jesus as well as he could was presently healed and followed after with all alacrity praising the heavenly Donor of so inestimable a blessing Such cheerful and confident alacrity the Lord himselfe in peculiar manner gives in charge to General Joshuah Have not I commanded thee Josh 1.9 Be strong and of a good courage be not afraid neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Psal 57.5 Amongst teeth as spears and arrowes and tongues of his enemies as sharp as swords and nets to entangle his foot and pits to swallow his whole body observe how the Prophet David chears up himselfe My heart is fixed O God Ver. 1 my heart is fixed I will sing and give praise Awake up my glory awake Lute and Harp I my self will awake right early And this is the ready Psal 108 the willing the cheerful Worship the dancing of the heart for joy Psal 28 the praising of God with the best member we have that was prophesied to be performed after our Saviours erecting his Church of Jewes and Gentiles Psalm 110 In the day of thy power the people shal offer thee free-will offerings with an holy Worship or as our latter translation hath it thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power in the beauties of holinesse The dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning gentle for the descending in drops innumerable For putting life into and hearting this Free-will Worship which is only acceptable unto God when it proceeds according to his own Directory three things in the Scripture our Church Book are especially to be taken notice of 1. Proclamations from God 2. Excitations of our selvs 3. Incitations of others I. Of those which may be termed
first-fruits of the Land which thou O Lord hast given me So Israels repentance is directed by Hosea Take unto you words Chap. 14.2 and turn unto the Lord and say unto him Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we render the calves of our lips So in their solemn fasting the time was not to be unseasonably spent in tedious Teaching or by extemporal rapsodies to set forth the gifts of the Speaker or tire the devotion of the Auditory Joel 2.17 but as the Prophet directeth Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord neep between the Porch the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach that the Heathen should rule ever them Wherefore should they say among the people Where is their God Which set formes in Publick Meetings were so far from altering in the New Testament that they are summed up and perfected in the Lords Prayer and so transmitted by the Apostles to all posterity that no settled Church can be noted that had not some Publick Leiturgy wherein the people might joyne with the Minister in Gods Service children and the simpler sort might be instructed by hearing the same words constantly repeated and not to come only as spectators to a Theatre to hear much learn little and do nothing as though all had not an interest in Gods Service according to their abilities and callings and that out of the mouthes of babes and sucklings Hosannaes were not to be endured Publick Prayers may be either 1. Confessions 2. Deprecations 3. Supplications 4. Intercessions 5. Thanksgivings 6. Praises 7. Comminations For Publick Confessions what can be contrived more fully and effectually then that used at the entrance of our Devotions Almighty and most merciful Father we have erred and strayed from thy wayes like lost sheep c. And that other before the receiving of the Lords Supper Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judg of all men we acknowledg and bewail our manifold sins c. These you and your children must have by heart to be ready at all times upon all pangs of sadnesse for sin or more dangerous convulsions of conscience Psal 32.6 In this the Psalmist found present ease I said I will confesse my sins unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the wickednesse of my sin This the Apostle commends as a salve most soveraign 1 John 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins But Ver. 10 If we say we have not sinned we make him a liar and his word is not in us The Prophet Daniel fully relates how it wrought with him for no sooner had hee made that earnest passionate Confession in the behalf of himself and his fellow Captives in Babylon But while I was yet speaking Dan. 9.21 saith the Text and praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel Tea while I was speaking in Prayer the man Gabriel being caused to flye swiftly came and touched me to give me satisfaction So quick in operation is an hearty Prayer and Confession No sooner shall David say 2 Sam. 12.13 I have sinned against the Lord but the Prophet shall reply And the Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye As soon as he shall acknowledge that his feet hath slipped Psal 94.18 he shall presently have good cause to adde Thy mercy O Lord held me up In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart thy comforts have refreshed my soul For as vomiting after excess of gluttony easeth the stomack so doth Confession the conscience after a burthening sinne committed For this purpose to have recourse to those Hymnes in our Church-Book and sing them devoutly O Lord of whom I do depend behold my careful heart c. And O Lord turn not away thy face from him that lyes prostrate c. And O Lord in thee is all my trust c. will be a great ease to an afflicted soul And they that have some fuller taste and relish of Gods Word may make a kind of confessionary Letany to themselves fitted to the times of trouble they live in As for example 1. By our Fratricide with Cain who causelesly murdered his innocent brother 2. By our unnatural irreverence with Cham that scoffed at the nakedness of his father 3. By our contemptuous profaneness with Esau who sold his birth-right for a mess of broth 4. By our Sacriledg with Achan who wickedly ventured on that which was consecrated to God to the destruction of himself and all his 5. By our divellish conspiracy with Corah and his Complices against Moses and Aaron Gods spiritual and temporal Prelates 6. By Doegs brutish falling upon Gods Priests to make them away that hee might have the greatest share in the plundering of their means 7. By Absoloms most unnatural rebellion against his most indulgent Father We have O Lord affronted heaven and plucked down thy just vengeance upon us but correct us therefore O Lord in thy judgment not in thy fury lest we should be consumed and brought to nothing And if you my Daughters would fit it more properly to your Sexe you may dispose it in this manner 1. Gen. 34.1 With Lots wife deserting her husband in looking back to the Luxury of Sodom 2. With Dinahs gadding abroad to her owne shame the enraging of her brethren and discontent of her father 3. With the plots of Josephs Mistresse upon her chaste servant 4. With Jobs impatient wife to adde affliction to the greatest afflictions of her tormented husband 5. With Michaels scoffing at her husband Davids Devotion as misbeseeming his High place to be submissive to God 6. With the haughtinesse of the daughters of Sion Isaiah 3 displaying their fancies to the world in twenty one fashions 7. With the peremptory Jewish wives Jer. 44.16 we have snapt at Gods Ministers as they did at the Prophet Jeremiah in Egypt and told them in plain termes Let them say what they would we would do as we list and our husbands should justifie us in it as there it is undertaken Ver. 19. In all which unsufferable exorbitancies or some of them wee have drawne thy just judgments upon us But spare us Good Lord spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood and be not angry with us for ever Which leads us to Deprecation the second kind of Publick Prayer CHAP. II Of Deprecations AFter Confession Deprecations may bee best thought upon by which we being conscious to our selves how manifold punishments our innumerable sins have deserved cry out unto God with the Psalmist Psal 130.3 If thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it And to fall in with our Leiturgy O Lord deal not with us after our sins neither reward us after our iniquities And fully to this
performance of any Christian duties that justly belong unto us Vowes or resolutions so qualified may be a quickning helps to our prayers As 3. Fasting must be acknowledged to bee which is commonly joined with praier Mat. 17.2 Our Saviour mentioneth a kind of divels that goeth out not by prayer only but by fasting joined with prayer Where fasting staves off sensuality from hindering our prayers which only do the deed that fasting fitteth us for Those that cry down our Lent fasts ember weeks fasting on holiday eves according to prescribed order in our Church may as wel take exception at the appointed day of attonement for the afflicting of souls in the old Testament Lev. 23.26 Num. 29.7 1. Cor. 9.27 St. Pauls bringing under and subjecting his body in the new without which his preaching would not free him from a cast away You shall do best therefore my daughters to keep these good and warrantable orders in your families Your Almes-deeds will be the larger which help on prayers Act. 10.4 4. In the fourth place Cornelius saith the Angel thy prayers and thy Almesdeeds are come up as a memorial before God provided alwaies that neither these nor fasting be tainted with Pharisaical vain glory Matth. 6. or hypocrisie to be seen of men which our Saviour warnes us of as of leaven corrupting the whole lump Where 5. Visiting the sick or any other distressed and relieving them according to our best abilities makes a fair way to have our own prayers heard and distresses relieved For doth not our Saviour put such poor layings out yet not of our own but of that we are for a time intrusted with upon his own account I was an hungred Mat. 25.35 and ye gave mee meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink I was a stranger and ye took me in naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in prison and ye come unto me He that takes notice to grace such petty assayes by the name of blessed and crowns them through his infinite mercy with eternal happiness wil he reject the petitions that come thus accompanied especially if in their walke they labour also to bee peace-makers Mat. 5 9 for they are honoured with the title of the children of God All which graces honour and good acceptance will be the better understood and improved of us if 6. We bee religious and constant frequenters of the appointed assemblies in set times and places for Gods publick and sacred worship Not to heare and observe only what gifts our teachers have but to attend to the scripture orderly read by the lawful Minister according to the advised appointment of the Church manifested in our Calenders and to joyn with him and the rest of the congregation in confesssion of our sins profession of our faith with one voice and heart offering up our prayers as a sweet smelling sacrifice of praise Psal 50.23 and thanksgiving to our Father which is in heaven through Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour This is that which the Apostle urgeth Heb. 10.24 25. Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering considering one another to provoke unto love and good workes not forsaking of the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is some supestitious and schismatical Recusants being then as now there are For the joint prayers and orderly reading the Scriptures are the ground whereupon Sermons and Exhortations must be erected by which you are faithfully catechised what to believe how to pray in what sort to perform your duty towards God and your Neighbours with what Faith Hope and Charity to esteem of Baptism and to receive the blessed Sacrament of the Lords Supper Now where shall these saving points be learned especially by the Vulgar but in our publick Assemblies which being excluded or curtelled 1 Cor 14.8 most Sermons will edifie little more then a Trumpet that giveth an uncertain sound in relation to a Battel I advise you therefore my Daughters to be alwayes present with such as belong to you in all devout obedience at all Common-Prayers Sermons Marriages Baptisings Churchings of Women Funerals or other commanded Assemblies upon extraordinary occasions especially to be partakers of the Lords Supper where it is orderly and religiously to be ministred For in such a communion of Saints not christened so by their owne 2 Pet. 1.5 but Gods esteem you may add to your faith vertue and to your vertue knowledge and to your knowledge temperance and to your temperance patience and to your patience godlinesse and to your godlinesse brotherly kindnesse and to your brotherly kindnesse charity These things abounding in you shall make you powerful in prayer fruitful in good works chearful in your Callings constant in your good courses contented in your conditions happy in your children and families comfortable to your neighbors and acquaintance The rather if they are garded with the whole Armour of God which the Apostle commends unto us and we 7. Lastly betake our selves unto as a safe Hold and Help to secure our prayers By this Armour 1. Eph. 6.15 The feet are shod with the Gospels preparation of Peace such peace as the world cannot give this leads us in the right way and frees us from by-pathes or dashing our feet against blocks or stones 2. The loynes are girt about with truth which is alwayes consonant to it self and will not be drawn aside by partial affections and affectations of singularity 3 The brest is garded with the brest-plate of Righteousnesse not of our owne Phil. 3.9 which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousnesse which is of God by faith 4. The left hand next the heart is furnished with the Shield of faith So that when Satan is ready with his fiery darts to drive a guilty conscience into Despair upon the horror of Gods immutable Justice Faith is ready at hand with an Extinguisher as with a Pardon to prevent the Execution If any man sin 1 John 2.1.2 we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our sins 1 Pet. 2.24.25 By whose stripes we are healed who as Sheep had gone astray but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls 5. The right hand is fitted with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God This is not only Defensive but Offensive Heb. 4.12 quick and powerful and sharper then any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart This frighted and flighted the Tempter in that onset against our Saviour in the wildernesse of which Triumph we are made partakers by the using aright of the same weapon 6. The Head is secured with the Helmet of salvation setled on the Promises
cheerful Proclamations you may take notice of these seven especially 1. Of that wherof King David is made the Herald Psal 34.11 Come ye children hearken unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Your Teacher shall be a King and Prophet your Teaching shall be gratis your Learning shall be such as shall make you eternally happy 2. And because perchance to some it may come more plausibly from the deliverance of a woman Solomon the son brings in wisdom bestirring her self and sending abroad her maidens to invite all desirous to learn to a great feast in her stately house erected upon seven pillars Prov 9.1 Whoso is simple She proclaimes in the highest places of the City where it is likely of the greatest Audience whose is simple let him turn in hither and he that wanteth understanding come eat of my bread and drink of my wine which I have mingled In the third place that of the Prophet Isaiah would be diligently hearkned unto Ho every one that thirsteth Isai 55.1 come ye to the waters for spiritual refreshing which is infinitely beyond all carnal comforts come ye buy and eat come ye buy wine and milk without money and without price Wherrfore do ye spend money for that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatnesse And to prevent all surmises that a pious life is accompanied with sadnesse and lays a tye upon us which would abridge us of all cheerful society the Proclamation of our Saviour himself doth fourthly ascertain us to the contrary Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden Mat. 11.28 and I will give you rest Take my yoak upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls for my yoak is easie and my burden is light This is taken into our Leiturgy for a chief ground of the Excitations that are set before the partaking of the Lords Supper Lift up your hearts We lift them up unto the Lord. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God It is meet and right so to do Upon this 5. The great Kings Invitation of all sorts to his wedding Supper of his Son Matt. 22.4 would bee most seriously hearkned unto Behold I have prepared my dinner my Oxen and my fatlings are killed come unto the marriage and not turn it off with excuses of absence or profane it by irreverent intruding without a wedding garment Matth. 7. for this shall never passe without an heavy censure Neither is the sixth Proclamation of lesse consequence Come out of her Rev. 18.4 my people that ye be not partaker of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Take it how you will either for clearing your selves from the Babylon or confusions of Popery or of Schismaticks or of wretched worldlings the case is of such consequence that the not abandoning of such Societies will make us uncapable of the priviledges of the Seventh and last Proclamation Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely What sense is so benummed what affection so bewitched what heart so stupified that such proffers if they win not yet at least will not retard from the desperate courses which the world the flesh and the divel continually put us upon To strengthen those graces so freely offered These Memorandums or Mementoes may do well to bee had in a readiness 1. Eccles 12.1 Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth while thou hast abilities and opportunities to do it for thou knowest not how soon thou mayest bee deprived of them 2. Luk. 17.30 Remember Lots wife fall not back from a good course wherein thou art lest thou be at a losse which thou shalt never be able to recover 3. Remember Dives Luk. 16.25 Lot and Lazarus We must not think to fare well here and never to be called to an account hereafter 4. Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy not in hearkning so much after other mens undertakings in speaking as the worshipping of God our selves in the beauty of Holinesse Heb. 10.25 Considering one another to provoke unto love and good works not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the manner of some is but exhorting one another so much the more as we see the day approaching This will draw on the Fifth Memento Remember that Jesus 2 Tim. 2.8 of the seed of David was raised from the dead having spoiled principalities and powers and made a shew of them openly Gol. 2.15 tryumphing over them by himself in his Crosse thereby freeing us from Satans slavery and purchasing to us an immortal Kingdom In travelling to the possession of which we must labour to support the weak and take the Sixth Memento of our Saviour with us It is more blessed to give Act. 20.35 then receive And yet when all this is done to keep us from undoing all again that Memento of Jude in the last place will be necessary Beloved remember the words which were spoken before of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ Jude v. 17. that they told you that there should be mockers in the last times who should walk after their ungodly lusts But how shall we discern them from honest men seeing they varnish all their actions with the exquisite veile of holinesse and hold forth their zealous projects with the most taking professions of Saintship The nineteenth verse will there tell us in down right termes These be they that seperate themselves sensual having not the spirit The Separatists Libertines and Enthusiasts of this ages spawning which some suspect to have affinity with the three frogs issuing out of the mouth of the Dragon Rev. 16 1â— the beast and the false Prophets which set Kingdomes and States against the Lamb and his followers until in the battel of Armageddon they be utterly defeated Here the like number of Caveats may be put in and all from our Saviour immediately As 1 Take heed that no man deceive you by putting false Christs and false Prophets upon you Mark 13.5 2 Take heed what you hear Mat. 24.7.15 and how you hear 3. Take heed of vain-glory in your best works Mark 4.24 Luke 8.18 of Almesdeeds Fasting and Prayer 4. Take heed that the light which is in you be not darknesse Matth. 6. by aiming at wrong ends Luk. 11.35 and over-prizing your Sanctity in comparison with others 5. Heed also must bee taken of men Mat. 10.16 17 by joyning the Serpents wisdome with the Doves innocency which intimates that which the Prophet Jeremiah hath more at large Jer. 9 4 Take heed every one of his neighbor and
trust ye not in any brother for every brother will utterly supplant and every neighbor will walk with slanders 6. Take heed and beware of covetousnesse Luk. 12.15 for the abundance that a man hath makes him not happy but the well bestowing of it which basely neglected proves oftentimes the bane of the owner and a booty for those that will wickedly set it packing 7. You that are better advised Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkennesse or cares of this life and so that last day come upon you unawares for as a snare shall it come on all them which dwell on the face of the whole earth But enough hath beene spoken if it be well remembred and practised But what wil Caveats Memento's or Edicts from heaven avail if we be wanting to our selves and bend not an ear to hear or a heart to entertain what the Spirit saith unto the Churches and in them to us in particular II. Here then come in these Excitations which among Divines are called Soliloquies in which by reflecting upon our selves in what condition soever we are we set the superiour faculties of our souls that is the Understanding and Will to comfort and cheare up our drooping senses and consciences upon heavenly principles that will never faile And herein a Lanthorn to our feet and a light unto our pathes we have the Prophet David in so many passages that it may distract us in which especially to instance Psal 27.2 In the midst of his devouring canibal enemies that came upon him to eat up his flesh how cheerfully doth he rowze up himself The Lord is my light and my salvation whom then shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom then should I be afraid Upon the scoffs of his Adversaries that having him at an advantage would cast him in the teeth Psal 42.12 Where is now thy God he reflects upon himself and without passionate retortion makes good his ground against them Ps 42.14 15 Why art thou so vexed O my soul and why art thou so disquieted within me O put thy trust in God Psal 43.5 6 for I will yet thank him which is the help of my countenance and my God Psal 103.1 Praise the Lord O my soul and all that is within me Psal 146.1 Praise the Lord O my soul While I live will I praise the Lord as long as I have any being I will sing praises unto my God Such a communing with her own heart hath the poor woman troubled with the bloody-issue Mark 5.26 Matth. 9.21 If I might but touch his garment I shal be whole And how calmly in this kind doth Job put off the losses of his goods and children Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return again The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. III. Last of all for inciting others not only all sorts of people must be called upon in these and the like terms O praise the Lord O give thanks unto the Lord O sing unto the Lord a new song which are as familiar as comfortable but also beasts and senselesse creatures must be fetcht in to bear a part Psalm 150 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord is the close of the Psalms Let the sea make a noise let the floods clap their hands Let the Hills be joyful together before the Lord And O be joyful in the Lord all yea Lands serve the Lord. These and like select passages set in our Leiturgy made familiar to you and yours my Daughters may serve to make you heavenly melody in the greatest distractions and affrightments this world may put upon you Psal 94.13 14 for the Lord will not fail his people neither forsake his inheritance but give them patience in the time of adversity until the pit be digged us for the ungodly Bruised reeds shall not be broken Isai 42.3 smoaking flax shall not bee quenched Psal 34 Sheep shall find green pastures when lions hunger the meal shall not fail in the barrel 1 King 17. nor the oyl in the cruse until there appeare a more plentiful supply Cast your care therefore upon God my Daughters in all your exigencies for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5.7 and be content with what he bestoweth upon you for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And our Saviour who tels us that in this world we shall have tribulation Joh. 16.33 and be sharers with him in his fufferings cheers us up notwithstanding with this conclusion Be of good comfort I have overcome the world THE THIRD PART OF PRAYERS IN Publick Assemblies CHAP. I. Of Confessions PUblick Prayers are such as are celebrated solemnly by Congregations in appointed times and places according to set formes prescribed to Priest and people by particular Churches within their severall Jurisdictions Such was that of blessing the people by the Priest Num. 6.22 not in variety of formes and phrases as he thought fit but in such termes and words which are enjoyned by God himselfe And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Speak unto Aaron and his sons saying On this wise shall ye blesse the children of Israel saying unto them The Lord blesse thee and keep thee The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee peace And they shall put my Name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them This name some would have to import the blessed Trinity by reason of the word Jehovah or Lord here thrice repeated to which that Blessing is well conformed which is imparted usually by most parents to children In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost And in the same form precisely all children of Christians are commanded to be baptized Mat. 28.19 In like manner it was not at the choice of him that presented his first fruits to acknowledg his thankfulnesse in what termes or variations he conceited but Deut. 26.5 Thou shalt speak as the Text commands thee and say before the Lord thy God A Syrian ready to perish was my father and he went downe into Egypt and sojourned there with a few and became a Nation great mighty and populous and the Egyptians evil entreated us and laid upon us hard Bondage And when we cryed unto the Lord God of our fathers the Lord heard our voice and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an out-stretched arm and with great terribleness and with signes and with wonders And he brought us into this place and hath given us this Land even a Land that floweth with milk and honey And now behold I have brought thee the