thâ—â— hast appointed Counsâ—llâ—rs of Estate vnder our King by the rule of right reason and diuine wisedome that all their consultations and determinations may tend vnto and come to a holy eâ—d being 〈◊〉 rated in thy feare and sanctified by prayer Heare our petitions for them heare them for themselues and vs and heare them and vs for the safetie of thiâ—â— Anointed for the good of thy Church pr 〈…〉 and peace of thy people in and for thy Christ our solâ— and only 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 to whom with 〈◊〉 and the holy â—â—â—st be praise 〈◊〉 nally Amen Lord increase our faith A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to bee vsed of Iudges and Superiour Magistrates that haue power and authoritie to heare and determine causes betweene man and man which Motiue is fit to be often read and considered of â—hem ABoue all the men in the world Iudges superiour Magistrates and Ministers of Gods word haue greatest cause to seeke wisdome and iudgement at the hands of God by prayes for that Rule and gouernment is giuen them of the Lord and power by the most high who will trie their workes and search their imaginations Wisd. 6. 2. 〈◊〉 If they iudge iustly he will iustifie their Iudgements but if they perueit Iustice horrible and sudden will be â—ppâ—are vnto them a â—ard iudgemeÌ„t shall they haue that rule and rule not according to right Let them pray that God will giue them grace to keepe their hearts vpright and their hands cleane for nothing peruerâ—â—th the heart of a Iudge as do bribes they bewitch him they make him of a free maÌ„ a slaue for being once corrupted with reward he letteth slip the reines of Iustice and wresteth the cause to the Briber whose hireling he is whereby the iust man is oppressed and the oppressor freed the lawes of God neglected the lawes of Common-weales peruerted the King abused Subiects wronged the common peace indangered Gods iudgements threatned confusion feared God will be a seuere Iudge of all partial corrupt Iudges the people shal perish where bribery corruption ouerswayeth Iustice The Iudges of the house of Iacob the Gouernours of the house of Israel did abhor Iudgement and peruert equity they iudged for rewards thinking as corrupt Iudges doe that God saw them not in their priuate studies and therefore could there bee no accuser consequently no danger follow But the Iudges were punished the people oppressed Sion plowed as a field Ierusalem became a heape of stones Mich. 3. 9. 11. Such desolation followeth where Iudges are corrupt where the Priests teach for hire and the Prophets prophesie for mony These may be all set in the table of Iudges Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Iudges were coupled together by Micah the Prophet and therefore may they heare one and the same admonition namely that they be diligent to seeke wisdome and learning together Ye are al Iudges of things in the earth and in earthly vessels of things Diuine I indeuour not to teach them but to moue them to seeke wisdome at the fountaine Iehouah of him to learne Iudgement for he shall be the Iudge of their Iudgements and he shall reward them that take reward against the innocent If therefore they would remember and ruminate the exhortatioÌ„ of Iehoshaphat which he gaue to the Iudges in his time that they should take heed what they did considering they executed not the iudgements of men but of God They would bee circumspect in iudging and the more if they considered what Iehu said vnto Iehoshaphat Wilt thou helpe the wicked and loue them that hate the Lord As all Iudges doe if for affection or bribes they suppresse a iust and preferre an vniust cause Iudges may bee compared to beautifull women in their places for as the deformed are seldom or neuer assailed or tempted to incoÌ„tineâ—â—ie but the beautifull eagerly often So coÌ„mon persons are seldom or not at al tempted with brib 〈…〉 but Iudges and Magistrates strongly and many times And happie is that Iudge that keepeth his hart free from parriall affection and his hands from gifts A Iudge first mounting into his chaire of Iudgement ought to prâ—meditate of the weighty taske hee hath vndertaken for hâ—â— is entred as into the seat of God himselfe in his â—â—ead to execute Iustice iustly If they fore he poruert Iudgement he doth what in him lieth to make God vniust It is an office not vashly to be desired not vnaduisedly to be vndertaken for if they runne before desert and finde not in themselues fitnes for experience and sinceritie and be there unto called as God commanded Moses to constitute such to be Iudges of the people as would administer righteous Iudgement fit it were to forbeare But being lawfully called and finding â—â—tnes inwardly for gifts let him theâ— pray that God will inable him with wisdome and 〈◊〉 Iudgement that he may discharge a good coÌ„science without respect of persons or bribes two strong enemies to Iustice and impossible it is to preuent them without the especiall grace of God who being instantly petitioned is readie to giue wisdome and to keep the hart cleane from vniust rewards pray therefore and be warned yee that bee Iudges of the earth for fire shall consume the houses of bribers Iob 15. 24. A Prayer to be vsed of Iudges and Magistrates O Gracious and merciful Lord God Father of mercie inst in Judgement absolute in wisdome pure and holy in all thy waies and works Lend thine eare of mercie vnto my petitions who am a man weak in vnderstanding ignorant in iudgement apt to erre in opinion vnworthy of the high calling whereunto thou hast aduanced me to execute Justice and JudgemeÌ„t as in thy stead in earth and in thy name to giue sentence according to equity But I am by nature of a corrupt heart of prâ—phane lips and of a deâ—â—led conuersation Therefore of mine own disposition and wisedome vnable to iudge iustly and consequently vnfit for so high a function But thou louing Father art the fountain of wisdome the directer of the hart the mouer of the tongue the giuer of true knowledge And therfore I do huÌ„bly beseech thee to fill my hart with wisedom from aboue my will with equity mine vnderstanding with iust iudgement that I laying aside all mine own wit policy pretended prudence which naturally is meerely carnall may only rely vpon thy holy heaueÌ„ly direction and obtaine it that I rightly coÌ„ceiuing the equity of all causes that shal be tendred vnto my censure I may iudge iustly between parties without respect of persons that I may truly imitate thee who art iust in thy iudgements acceptest no person for reward Giue me an vnderstaÌ„ding hare to distinguish between truth falshood between the wronged the wrong-doer that I punish not the iust let the wicked goe free Let no priuate respect Lord eyther of mine owne benefit or steeding a friend miscarry my iudgement but let thine owne glory and reueiled
will moue me to deale euermore iustly knowing that I fit not to execute mine owne will or mans iudgement but thine And if I wilfully erre thou wilt not hold me guiltlesse but wilt iudge me vniust and punish mee iustly Let not the opinion of the multitude either ouersway the truth in me or terrifie me from giuing sentence according to equitie And let me neuer be wearie of well doing but if cause so require it giue mee strength as thou diddest to Moses to heare and iustly to determine all controuersies from morning to night giue me a sincere heart free from malice and reuenge close mine eyes shut vp mine eares and claspe my hands that neither affection blinde me nor bribes peruert iudgement in me but that I may doe all things to the glory of thy name euer ayded by thy holy Spirit in and for thy welbeloued Sonnes sake Christ Jesus Amen Lord increase my faith in me confirme wisdome and iust iudgement A MOTIVE TO be vsed of Christians for Iudges and superior Magistrates THe necessitie of establishing Iudges and Magistrates to gouerne direct and punish doth giue vs to vnderstand that such and so many are the corruptions of our crooked deformed and rebellious nature at could not but breake into most inhumane vnnaturall impious and dangerous actions as if it were not preuented by laâ—es ordinances punishments and executions would breede speedie confusion among men And were there not Magistrates and Iudges to arbitrate and administer iustice and iudgement euery man would be Iudge reuenger of his owne pretended wrongs and would doe right to none he would maintaine his owne euill wayes to be vpright his oppressions to be iustice and his actions were they neuer so impious to be lawfull and right the weakest in power in their iustest complaints should be iudged vniust Wee may obserue notwithstanding lawes and statutes that in stead of Iustice and righteous dealing among men Rapine hatred dissention wrongs and murders vniuersally abound and what might we thinke would bee the state of things if Iustice should cease to execute her office and offenders goe without punishment Would not cain kill Abel Would not Haman conspire against Mordecai Would not Iesabel murther Naboth for his vineyard Would not Shemei raile vpon nay take away the life of Gods Anointed Would not Achan take the excommunicate thing Would not Iudas betray his master Nay would not Zimri and Cozhi commit wickednesse openly Would not all and all sorts of men run out of rule and would not sorrowfull confusion soone follow God foresaw this when he prescribed the lawes in two tables and constituted gouernours to keepe the people in obedience by inflicting punishments vpon offenders and to defend the cause of the innocent Moses and his Centurions first gouerned the multitudes of Israel then Iâ—shuah after them Judges and lastly Kings and were it not that Iustice continued her force neither Church nor Common-weale could stand If God should deale with vs as oftentimes he did with his owne peculiar people the Iewes for their sinnes namely to send vs corrupt Judges irreligious and tyrannous Magistrates would it not be vnsauory vnto vs and burdensome for vs And nothing more procureth it then our disobedience to God and there is no other mean to free vs but our obedience to godly and religious Magistrates and to the wholesome Christian lawes established for our peace not for feare of punishment but for a religious conscience sake If we obey God we cannot but loue and obey such as he hath set gouernours ouer vs and if we loue them we cannot but pray for them not as they are men onely and as they are members of Christ mysticall body with vs but as they are Gods ministers and beare the sword to correct the guilty and to defend the innocent Let no man thinke it therfore a superfluous but a Christian duety to pray for Iudges and superior Magistrates that God will indue them with graces and gifts answerable to their callings as with Wisedome Iustice Righteousnesse right Religion Courage and Christian integritie that they doing their dueties as gouernours we may as rather led by their godly examples then by their seuere iustice neither feare the punishment for disobedience to Gods Magistrates nor they our gouernours the threats denounced against such as peruert Iustice and Judgement A Prayer for Iudges and superior Magistrates to be vsed of all good and Christian subiects and especially of them that haue causes depending before Iudges and Magistrates FOrasmuch most gracious God and louing Father in Iesus Christ as thou being the Iudge of Iudges hast appointed Iustice and Iudgement to be done in earth and hast for the execution thereof appointed ministers called Iudges hast commanded thy people to obey them wee appeale vnto thy mercie for our disobedience vnto thy lawes which we dayly transgresse and thereby cannot but incurre the danger of Judgement euen in this life And we acknowledge that the sentence of an earthly Judge is not his but thine he pronouncing our punishment thâ—â— confirmest it Their censure 〈◊〉 thine if it be iust if vniust it is not thine but theirs yet their mini 〈…〉 is our iust reward for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therfore humbly beseech 〈◊〉 to direct our hearts and our câ—â—â—ersations in all obedience to thy lawes and to the constitutions of thine Anointed who beareth the sword to punish offenders and to defend the innocent the fatherles widowes and the oppressed and from his supereminent authoritie vnder thee the power of inferiour Iudges and Magistrates is deri 〈…〉 to heare and determine causes of controuersie betweene man and man and matters of offence against the stare of superiours the peace of the Church and Common-weale They are indeed bu◠〈◊〉 whom wee see in their sâ—â—tâ—s of Judgement whom wee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom we obseruâ— to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 th 〈…〉 censure they pronounce but their hearts are in thine hands and their sentence by thy direction or permission thou directest none but according to equitie yet permittest iniustice to bee done vnto men for their iniquities hee that iudgeth vniustly and hee that is vniustly iudged haue their punishments the one in augmentation of his 〈◊〉 to his greater punishment to â—â—â—ne the other either in iudgement for sinnes past or in mercy to reforme him Consider therefore most gracious Lord God how and in what porill thy people stand vnder the censures of Judges vniust and lay not vpon vs the burden of their vniustice but conforme their hearts to true Judgement and account none to that high office of iudging thy people but such as thou shalt first furnish with wisedome experience and true sinceritie Let them be of like and of one mind with thee abandoning partialitie bribery and respect of persons and be thou alwayes with them and direct them in all causes of Judgement let them neither admit reward and so corrupt Justice nor follow the opinion of the multitude and so ouerthrow the truth
corporall portion or that hee will giue thee patience that may inure hope that may euer hold fast the assurance of the glory to come To which purpose the prayer following or the like may much stead thee and comfort thee A Prayer to be sayd in pouerty and want of this lifes necessaries ALmightie Lord God most powerfull and most louing I humbly recommend my selfe into thy holy protection and to thy fatherly prouidence who madestine and createdst me of nothing and I came into this world poore and wretched bringing nothing with me but nakednes and original miserie more hardly bested of mine owne power then the beast that perisheth And in this manner all men came and daily come into the world from Adam to the last that shall be borne into the earth yet in thy great and vnsearchable wisedome thou disposest of men in diuers maners according vnto thine owne will Some Lord thou makest Princes of the world some abiects in the world and yet neither the greatest nor the meanest by their high or low estate can bee iudged by humane reason happy or vnhappy Teach me therefore true wisedome Lord that I may rightly conceiue and iudge of mine owne â—enury and pouerty not as a iudgement inflicted but as a fauourable and fatherly portion giuen me lest I should presume vpon and rest the more secure consequently become the more proud of a more rich and more glorious worldly estate for thou Lord best knowest whether pouerty or riches be most agreeable to my condition and therefore I humbly accept and embrace that portion which thou hast giuen me though it be to flesh and bloud harâ— and vnpleasant make it yet good father spiritually sweet vnto 〈◊〉 by thy grace because it is thy will that I should be poore in worldly make me so much the more rich in heauenly things So shall I boâ— my portion Lord great and glorious howsoeuer I seeme outwardly base and abiect It is manifest that thou causest the Sun to shine and the raine to fall vpon the good and the wicked So giuest thou and distributest riches and pouertie to the iust and vniust but to diuers ends and they likewise receiue and vse them diuersly the first both riches and pouertie to one only end namely to thy glory and their own true comfort being rich as if they were poore being poore as if they possessed all things and this by the working of thy holy Spirit on their sanctified hearts Sanctiste my heart therefore Lord and giue mee patience and a truely contented minde in my greatest wants and vnfained thankfulnesse for the least supplie or encrease of thy bountie towards me and let not my poore estate direct me as it doth the hypocrites who in prosperitie waxe proud and in pouertie grudge and murmure and so offend thy Maiestie who workest all for the best to them that are thine my weakenesse by Nature I confesse to bee such as I am prone to fall both in fulnes and in want And were I not vpholden by thy grace I should in the one run headlong into many noysome iustes and forbidden vauities and by the other into vniust dealing to supplie mâ— necessities And therefore good and gracious father I humbly pray thee for Christ thy Sonues sake either to inlarge my portion in a competent measure that I be not driuen through too much penurie to repine as of mine owne nature I am apt or els giue me that true patience through a liuely faith in thy prouidence and mercie that may worke in me that hope that may neuer make me ashamed The world thou knowest Lord loueth her owne on whom she fawâ—es But thy base ones are hatefull vnto worldlings disdained and abhorred which is a sharpe tryall and made thine owne dearest Dauid to stagger in his troubles and welnere made he shipwraâ—h of his faith and constancie but when hee considered thy purpose in afflicting him when he had consulted with thy word he then found and confessed that it was good for him that thou haddest afflicted him Lord lend an eare vnto my petition and remember thy promise in Christ thy beloued that thou wilt lay no more vpon thine then they shall be able to beare Lord thou knowest my weakenesse to beare this heauy burden of pouertie and disgrace among the sonnes of men therefore let it please thee to make it more light or giue me sufficient strength and then lay what thou wilt vpon me more onely Lord be mindfull of me who knowest what I neede before I aske And therefore giue me grace to auoyde that presumption which offereth to limite thee the holy one of Israel either in the time the manner or matter of my helpe I will rest me only vpon thy prouidence and mercy make hast to helpe O Lord my God my strength and my Redeemer Amen O Lord increase my faith A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said of such as are in prison AS libertie is a great blessing of God and much pleasing vnto all creatures reasonable and vnreasonable So is imprisonment and restraint most vnsauorie to man and beast Although some men rather make choice to liue in that kind of captiuitie then to tedeeme their freedom by discharging a sound sincere conscience by paying their debts being able or yeelding vnto some honest lawful condition for refusing whereof they indure wilfully vndergoing that which with more sincerity they might auoid which kind of voluntarie imprisonment implyeth a most vnchristian disposition For how can he that knoweth he doth ill and perseuereth therein thinke that the prayers which he maketh can be acceptable to God admit his resolutioÌ„ be grounded on will not to giue way to his aduersaries iust demaund it is erronious and dangerous yea though it arise in regard of a fatherly care and affection he hath to his children and posteritie If hee shew not himselfe willing to make satisfaction according to his abilitie If then the Creditor obdurate wil not accept his honest offer his helpe is then in God to whom he must repaire in faithfull prayer that he will be pleased either to moderate the extremitie of the Creditors demand or to inable him to satisfie the debt But as mens occasions of dealing and their mutuall commerce are many and diuers so are there diuers causes of mens restraint and imprisonment and all are or ought to be lawfull and iust The lawful restraint ought to be the more grieuous because it is alwayes for breach of the law the vniust festraint needs not much presse the conscience for that he is innocent of the accusation or crime suggested for it is farre better to be falsly then truely accused But for asmuch as there are diuers occasions of this affliction it behoueth euery man thus restrained to consider with himselfe that whether it be iustly or vniustly layd vpon him it is not yet by chance for God obserueth in vs what we our selues conceiue not of our selues and punisheth sinne after a
Let thy lawes be alwayes before their eyes let them neuer swarue from thy statutes in condemning the innocent and instifying the wicked Blesse them Lord with true knowledge of the word direct them by thy holy Spirit so shall they not erre in Judgement and thy people be freed frâ—â— iniustice and wrongs thy Church shall be in peace and euery member receiue iustice the Common-weale shall flourish righteousnesse and peace shall meete together mercie and truth shall imbrace each other Amen Lord increase our faith A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said of a man or woman vnmarried intending to marrie IT is the highest point of discretion in a man or woman to bee very carefull and circumspect in making choice of a husband or wife for rash and vnconsiderate mariages haue bred dangerous inconueniences not only betweene the man and wife in inferiour families but Cities and Kingdomes haue bene ruined by vnequall irreligious vnions of men and women of contrarie humors qualities and conditions Gods holy institution prophaned religion slaundered and the Church of God offended Mariage maketh two persons one before God but how can light and darknesse truth and falshood sinne and sanctitie good and euill agree can fire and water be at vnion in one vessell how then can a faithfull man marrying an Infidel a good woman knitting her selfe to a ribald a religious man or womaÌ„ vniting her self to a wicked and irreligious partie become one holy body How can it be but the euil wil rather peruert the good then the good reforme the euil For al men and women are by nature more apt to be ouercome with duill then to permit their euil to be ouercome 〈◊〉 goodnesse And therefore dis 〈…〉 premeditation holy consultation 〈◊〉 deepe deliberation ought to p 〈…〉 this kind of resolution Lawfull it is for euery man and woman to 〈…〉 ie yet in the Lord namely in his feare in a reuerend regard of his holy institution respecting the ends of that holy mysterie procreation of children mutuall societie and helpe one of another And how standeth the coniunction of the religious and prophane of the beleeuer and the infidell of the godly and the wicked with the former ends Can there be concordance or sweete societie betweene these contraries It may be said that the vnbeleeuing wife shall thâ— saued by the beleeuing husband and t 〈…〉 vnbeleeuing husbaÌ„d by the beleeuing wife but not without the beliefe of either for the vnbeleeuing wife must learne to beleeue of the beleeuing husband and the vnbeleeuing husband of the beleeuing wife and so bee saued otherwise he or she shall not be saued for euery man and woman shall be either saued by his or her owne faith or not at all But for a man or woman for any carnall respect to aduenture coniunction with the contrary minded and qualified tempteth God and consequently in steade of a promised blessing to them that marry in the feare of God a threatned curse followes them The godly wife of the religioâ—s husband shall be as a fruitfull vine vpon the walles of his house his children like oliue branches round about his table Thus shall the man and wife bee blessed that feare the Lord. This blessing yet consisteth not in the fruitfulnesse of the wife nor multitude of chlidren onely for so haue many heathens bene blessed that neither know God nor feare him But the substance of the blessing is in the vertues and religious carriage of the louing wife and in the obedience and goodnesse of the children wherewith God will blesse a godly man and vertuous wife for there cannot be in it self a greater burden or crosse to a vertuous father then to haue many and they vitious children It behooueth therefore these kindes of vnmarried persons to obserue in this weighty action some necessarie rules the first not to consummate the contract without approbation of their parents or gouernours secondly if either partie respect any priuate end more then the vertue and religious conuersation of the other that partie giues testimonie that it is not the feare of God that he or she standeth vpon but the satisfaction of his or her carnall affection which commonly is met withall in the iustice of God with many crosses and domesticall or forraigne afflictions wherefore it behoueth euery man or woman thus intending to couple him or her selfe in marriage with any to aske counsell of God in prayer So no doubt but God according to his promise will be the marriage maker and yeeld them mutuall continuing comfort one of another But if they rashly run into it without the approbation and allowance of the word of God it is seldome auoided but mischiefe or misery succeedeth A Prayer to be sayd of a man or woman vnmarried intending to marrie O Gracious euerliuing and most louing Lord God vouchsafe I humbly beseeth thee as thou in the beginning diddest create man and woman and diddest institute the holy order of marriage that the one of them might be a helper vnto the other and hast confirmed and approued this holy coniunction by many diuine examples of thy blessed presence As also by thy prouidence in ayding and assisting the vnmarried depending on thee to make their choice according to the rule of right religion Be pleased Lord that I feeling in my self a desire to enter into this sacred order may be directed by thee that I setting apart all carnall respects as chiefe motiues I may aime onely and altogether to make such a choice as aboue all things may please thee who art the authour and giuer of all goodnesse without whose prouidence and direction things of meanest importance cannot be effected without great affliction and danger And by whose fauour mercy things of weightiest consequence are easily and most comfortably brought to passe Forasmuch therefore gracious father as this mysterie of marriage is most high and honourable among all men the bed vndeâ—â—led Let mee not rashly runne into my choice as if mine owne wisedome or naturall policie could worke my contentment or comfort But aduise thou me and direct me O Lord and although I confesse it not expedient that I should expect from thee publike reuelatioÌ„ or visible Angels to leade me yet let thy holy Spirit so guide mine affections that I like not whom thou thinkest not meet to be conioyned vnto me in thy feare But let all things so succeede my proceedings as may argue and assure me of thy fatherly furtherance and diuine allowance as thou diddest in all things further with blessed successe the seruant of Abraham in choosing a wife for Isaac So let all things O Lord be blessed vnto me preuent mine owne desires if they concurre not with thy good pleasure and alter my will and intention if they answere not thy will and giue me an vnderstanding and feeling heart that I giue not way vnto my naturall motions and vaine inclination which in this single estate often ouerswayeth in me the rule of right reason