acted with a high hand against Knowledge and the cries of a convinced conscience which makes sinne rebellion to know God yet not to glorifie him as God not in the dayes of our ignorance onely but since the light of the glorious Gospell hath shone into our hearts 3 Without any or with small temptation resolving to sinne selling themselves with Ahab even in cold bloud to doe wickedly Heb. 10. 26. as in sinnes in which there is neither pleasure or profit c. As to sweare prophane the Sabbath refuse preaching praying scorning Gods wayes 4 Against frequent purposes faire promises of more holy obedience reiterated vowes and covenants generall in Baptisme Lords Supper particular on such and such an occasion 5 Against meanes 1 Blessings coards of love 2 Corrections thou hast striken us but wee have not sorrowed Ier. 5. 3. 3 Word early and late all the day long 2 Actuall sinnes against the Gospell 1 Not thirsting after Christ Iesus nor prizing nor loving and cleaving unto him with our dearest affection 2 denying him in our lives 2 Not repenting us of our sinnes though God in mercie vouchsafe space and means but hiding excusing not mourning for nor forsaking sinne 3 Not believing the promises of salvation nor relying upon Iesus Christ for justification sanctification and salvation c. not stirring up our selves to take hold of him but forsaking our owne mercies 4 Sâ—â—ning against the holâ— Ghost by tempting grieving or quenching the holy spirit of God receiving the grace of God in vaine turning it into wantonnes growing cold in religion losing our first love Thus bringing our iniquities to remembrance 1 wee must acknowledge and bewayle them not onely generally but individually also one by one fetching and ferreting them out as so many Achans by the poll especially those which are naturalized and habituated in us our beloved and darling sinnes our dearest Dalilahs And that from a 1 Trobled broken bleeding melting spirit beleeving heart clasping the promises Ezr. 10. 2. yet now there is hope in Israel c. 2 Honest heart wishing the confusion as wel as making the confessioÌ„ of sin meaning to leave every wicked way and with purpose of heart cleaving to the Lord 2 Confession of the evill of punishment acknowledging our selves in regard of these our so many and grievous sinnes not onely to bee lesse than the least of all Gods mercies but most justly worthy of his most dreadfull plagues lyable and obnoxious to all evills of punishment in Iudgements Corporall Spirituall Temporall Eternall vid. Ezr. 9. Dan 9. Thus of the first part of Prayer viz. CONFESSION The Second followes which is PETITION PEtition is either for Our selves Others 1 Our selves and is called Supplication consisting of two branches viz. Apprecation Deprecation 1 Apprecation or collation of good which also consists in desiring 1 Supply of all wants Spirituall Corporall 2 Continuance and encrease of all blessings both Eternall Spirituall Corporall 1 Apprecation for bestowing of all good blessings viz. 1 Supplying all our wants of things 1 Spirituall viz. Grace Encrease of Grace Meanes of Grace 1 For the grace of free Pardon for our sinnes that God for his mercies promise Christs sake even the abundant merits of our Lord Iesus his bloudy passion who hath satisfyed for them to the utmost farthing by pouring out his soule for an oblation for the sinnes of the whole world would be pleased freely to forgive and blot them out of his booke never laying them to our charge beforemen to shame us in this world or to our everlasting confusion before men and Angels in the world to come Of which that we may more fully bee assured wee pray for a lively and apprehensive Faith by which we may be inabled to lay hold on and apply the generall and free Promises of Salvation to our selves in particular that God would seale up the assurance hereof to our consciences by the gracious testimony of his holy spirit giving unto us the spirit of adoption whereby we may with comfort and confidence cry ABEA father that so being justifyed and freed from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes wee may have peace of conscience being reconciled to him in his Sonne 2 Repentance unto life whereby our stony hearts may be softned broken w th godly sorrow our eyes run down w th rivers of teares for our falls and faylings heretofore and we quickned to new obedience to serve the living God in holinesse and righteousnesse all our remaining dayes 3 All other sanctifying graces accompanying furthering our everlasting happinesse 1. as saving knowledge that we may understand what the holy and acceptable will of the Lord is 2 Fervent love to God our brethren yea our very enemies for his sake that loved us when wee were enemies 3 Ardent zeale 4 Lively hope 5 Son-like feare of God 6 True humility and contrition of spirit 7 Sincerity and boldnesse in the profession of the truth Perseverance patience and strength under the crosse Contentation in all estates either of weale or woe want or abundance 2 Encrease and growth of all these graces that the bruised reed may not be broken nor the smoking Flaxe quenched but that our graces like the light may shine more and more to the perfect day and our works be more at last than at the first 3 The meanes of grace continued and sanctifyed unto us as 1 Gods Word preached at Church 2 Read in private that the holy Ghost blessing it from heaven may bring it close home unto and savingly worke it upon our hearts that thus the heavenly spirit breathing on his own ordinances they may quicken us and become effectuall to our salvation 2 Sacraments 3 Sabbaths 4 Prayer 5 Fasting c. 2 Supply of wants temporall our owne personall concernements and all outward blessings appertayning to this present life Health Liberty Friends Rayment Food giving and preserving to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time wee may enjoy them preservation in our persons and estates Direction in all our courses thoughts words actions the blessing of God upon all our labours a right and sanctifyed use of all Gods blessings and chastisements 2 Deprecation of Evills personall nationall both of sinne and punishment either before or after it comes Before it comes aversion prevention After it comes ablation or removall 1 Wee pray against the evill of sinne that we may be 1 Delivered freed and acquitted of the guilt and danger of all our sinnes 2 Endued with watchfulnesse power and dominion over them all in our judgements to dislike them in affections to hate them in heart to bewaile them and in life to forsake them 1 From the guilt and danger that our sinne may not shame us before men and torture our consciences here in this life nor condemne us body and soule in the world to com that our doing evil
thy holy spirit from mee make mee one with Christ my head flesh of his flesh bone of his bone make mee one with the mysticall body of thine Elect that I may have my part in the prayers of the Church in the Communion of Saints here on earth in the kingdome of grace and may enjoy thee and them face to face and sit downe and eat and drinke with thee in thy kingdome of glory Amen For the Sacrament of Baptisme O Lord our God the great the mighty and the terrible God who keepest covenant and mercy with all them that feare thy name and trust upon thee even to a thousand generations thou hast promised to bee our God and the God of our seed to enter into covenant with us that wee should bee thine O Lord I come to thy throne of grace at this time to lay claime to my interest in that new covenant sealed unto thy Church in the blood of Iesus that thou wouldst performe the same unto mee and mine also hast not thou said thou wilt circumcise mine heart and the heart of my seed to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soule that thou wilt put thy Law in our inward parts and write it in our hearts and that thou wilt bee our God and wee shall bee thy people that thou wilt forgive our injquity and wilt remember our sinne no more O Lord hast thou said it and wilt not thou also doe it By faith I plead my interest thereunto not for my selfe alone but for mine also with whom I beseech thee to make an everlasting covenant of life and peace that being baptized into Iesus Christ they may bee sanctified and cleansed with the washing of water by the word O Lord wee are all borne the children of wrath and there is no way for us to escape the damnation of hell except wee bee borne againe of water and of the Spirit O Lord doe thou sprinkle cleane water upon us wash away the filth of Zion and purge the blood of Ierusalem from the midst thereof Baptize us with the Holy Ghost that having our hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and our bodies washed with pure water wee may bee new creatures fit to bee an habitation of God through the spirit O blessed be thy goodnesse for ever which hast given us this seale of thy rich promise this is that Arke in and through which thou savest thine Elect thou dalliest not with us herein it is no idle ceremonie thou art present in thy own ordinance to fulfill that which thou hast promised O wash our soules with the baptisme of Repentance as thou doest our bodies with the outward element of water Let the vertue of Christs death kill sinne in us for how shall wee that are buried with Christ by baptisme and thereby dead to sinne live yet therein Doe not wee herein vow to forsake the Devill the Pomps and vanities of this wicked world and all the sinfull lusts of the flesh and shal we break our vow transgresse the covenant O let this be far from us teach us therefore to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts deliver us from every evill worke that we may serve the living God Sprinkle cleane water upon us that we may bee cleane from our naturall filthinesse and from all our uncleannesses Wash us O wash us throughly from our iniquities and cleanse us from our sinnes Make our hearts to be stedfast in thy love and never to forget this covenant of our God thy mercie doe thou keepe for us and ours for evermore and let thy covenant stand fast with us and bee established for ever as the Moone and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven And as thou hast thus brought us into the bond of the covenant so let us never depart from thee Bee thou unto us a God and let us be thy people for evermore even till thou bringest us unto Mount Sion and to the Citie of the living God the heavenly Ierusalem and to an inumerable company of Angels to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne which are written in heaven and to God the judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect and to Iesus the Mediatour of the new covenant and to the bloud of sprinkling that speaketh better than that of Abel Make me to be thine my self be thou my Father and make me to be thy Sonne for if the first fruit be holy the lumpe also shall be holy and if the roote be holy so also shall the branches bee This mercie I beg of thee in his name merits and mediation out of whose pierced side issued forth water and bloud for the sanctifying and justifying of thine Elect. To whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all glory service thanksgiving and dominion through all the Churches of the Saints for ever Amen For Regeneration Sanctification and grace to serve God O Lord thou God of truth who hast sworne in thy faithfulnesse that as thou livest thou hast no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that hee should turne from his way and live and therefore commandest thy people saying Turne ye turne ye from your evill wayes for why will ye dye O house of Israel and hast enjoyned that I should wash me and make me cleane put away the evill of my doings from before thine eyes promising moreover that though my sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as Snow though they bee red like crimson they shall be as wooll I that am a wicked and miserable caitiffe a sinner before the Lord exceedingly even as the men of Sodome that have done abominable workes and denied the God that is above wilfully sinning after I had received the knowledge of the truth and treading under foote the Sonne of God counting the bloud of the covenant wherewith I was sanctified an unholy thing and having done deâ—piâ—e to the spirit of grace O Lord even out of the deepes doe I call unto thee for helpe yea out of the belly of hell doe I earnestly cry for thy mercie O cast not out my prayer Though mine iniquities be more than the haires of my head my transgressions heavier than the sand yet is there forgivenesse with thee and although my sinnes have reached up to heaven yet thy mercie is above the heavens mine are at the most but the sinnes of a man but thine at the least are the mercies of an infinite God yea thou hast the relenting bowells of a most tender Father O spread the robe of thy Sonnes righteousnesse over me that so thou mayest not behold my nakednesse cloath me with the garments of his salvation say unto my soule Live cause breath to enter into my dry bones lay sinewes upon them and bring flesh upon them and cover them with skinne that I may know that thou art the Lord. And albeit I be dead in trespasses and sinnes yet open my grave and cause me
mee that the day of death is better than the day when I was borne Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them And that I may dye in thee O make me to live to thee O teach mee so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome that all the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrills I may glorifie thee on earth and finish that worke thou givest me to doe because there is no worke nor device nor knowledge in the grave whither I am going O make mee to passe the time of my Sojourning heere in thy feare because the night commeth in which I cannot worke So long as this my day lasteth let me live as a child of the light let my behaviour be as becommeth holinesse adorning the doctrine of God my Saviour in all things that I may praise thee my God whilest I have my being and my conversation may be in heaven even whilest I Sojourne heere on earth and the life which I now live in the flesh I may live by the faith of the Sonne of God that the world may be crucified unto me and I unto the world For to this end our Saviour Iesus once tasted death for every man and humbled himselfe and became obedient even to the death of the crosse that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe When therefore my race is finished and I have served out my time O let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Let my soule be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord my God shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Pardon all my Sinnes heale my backe-slidings love me freely subdue mine iniquities and cast all my Sinnes into the depths of the Sea Give me peace of conscience and joy in thee that when dust shall returne againe to the earth as it was my spirit may returne to God who gave it Amen A Prayer for a Scholler O Lord thou art the Father of lights every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from thee thou hast commanded that if any lacke wisedome he should aske it of thee thou it is that givest to the simple sharpnesse of wit and to the child knowledge and understanding O give unto me thy servant a wise and understanding heart and make learning delightfull unto my soule that I giving attendance unto reading may meditate upon the things that shall be taught me and give my selfe wholly thereunto that so my profiting may appeare unto all O make mee also to learne Christ in whom are hid al the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that I may grow up before thee as a plant of righteousnesse And because Paul may plant and Appollos water but it is thou alone that canst give the increase command thy blessing from heaven that it may rest upon my studies It will be in vaine for me to rise early and to sit up late unlesse it please thee to prosper mine endeavours O doe thou bestowe on mee knowledge and skill in all learning and wisedome as thou didst on Daniel and his three companions And as Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians so also incline mine eare to wisedome and apply mine heart unto understanding that I may say unto wisedome thou art my Sister and call understanding my Kinswoman make me to seeke her as silver and to search for her as hidden treasures to be instant in season and out of season in labours more abundant in watchings often applying my heart to know to search and seeke out wisedome and the reason of things O make me in the morning to sow my seed and in the evening not to withhold mine hand that I may take hold of instruction and not let her goe but keepe her for shee is my life Make me swift to heare carefull to redeeme the time wisely husbanding those opportunities I have to learne that with all my getting I may get understanding and may not onely learne the wisedome of heathen and prophane Authors but that wisedome also which is from above and heavenly which may give me an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Lord set thy stampe on this my pliable and waxie youth that it may bee holinesse unto thee season my heart with thy feare betimes let me set thee alwayes before mine eyes that as Samuel Iosiah and Solomon I may learne to know thee the Lord God of my Fathers and serve thee with a willing mind make me to give to thee the first fruits of my yeares and to remember thee my creatour in the dayes of my youth whilest the evill dayes come not thus laying up a good foundation for the time to come Thou hast promised that if I seeke thee thou wilt be found of me but if I forsake thee thou wilt cast me off for ever make me therefore diligent to know the Scriptures of a child which are able to make me wise unto salvation let thy glory be the end thy word the rule thy spirit the guide thy will the law thy promises the comforts of my life that thus acquainting my selfe with thee betimes and abhorring all prophane and Atheisticall conceits of thee thy wayes worship I may by thy grace suppresse all filthy and unholy thoughts fancies and desires so fly the lusts of youth Thou hast made me to bee borne into thy Church and hast even from my infancie received me into thy covenant O that there were such an heart in me that I might serve thee alwayes Give me patient obedient humble dutifull and discreet carriage to all my Supiriours to him especially at whose feet as Saint Paul at Gamaliels I now sit make me painfull and industrious carefull to please him reverencing his authority Make mee affable loving courteous harmlesse and of winning behaviour towards my Equalls and Inferiours being gentle and easie to be intreated by them all Pardon and heale the frailties follies and infirmities of my youth give me understanding to conceive largenesse of heart and capacity to apprehend confirme my memorie to retaine my invention to finde out and attaine to humane literature Prosper all my labours and make me wise to understand mine owne wayes to save mine owne soule that I may bee a comfort to my Parents and honour to thy Gospell an example of Learning Pietie and vertue to all my Equalls that so I may heereafter become a profitable instrument of thy glory either in the church or common wealth as thou shalt see it best in thine heavenly wisedome and most agreeable to mine owne disposition that thus glorifying thee in my life I may be blessed of thee in my death and glorified for ever with thee in the world