disposeth of all the estates of men in mercy and iudgement thou liftest out of the dunghill the humbled poore and hurlest downe the mightie thou giuest takest when what from whom and wherefore it pleaseth thee All thy wayes O God are mercie and truth to them that feare thee Thou Lord art righteous in all thy workes and holy in all thy wayes Howsoeuer thou correctest thy children it is for their purgation to clense them from the rust and drosse of their corruptions And makest pouerty sickenesse enemies and all crosses not onely not burdensome or irkesome vnto thine but sweete and easse to be borne though the naturall man seeme to kicke against them the man regenerate and borne a new of the holy Ghost imbraceth them as the true tokens of thy fatherly affection towards him who hauing learned out of thy sacred word that through many troubles thy Saints must enter into ioy and through disgrace into glory Hee feareth most when he is most free from crosses left that he should not be of the number of them that shal be saued whose saluation is the more certaine by how much thou correctest him by thy fatherly visitations All flesh is corrupt and all men sinners Thou therefore who art iust cleane and pure in all thy wayes and workes canst not but vse thy rod of gentle corrections vpon them whom thou louest in Iesus Christ But lettest the wicked either to lie securely in a reprobate sence or to lay thy heauy iudgement vpon them euen in this life where they begin their condemnation But good Father Enter not into iudgement with mee Let not thy corrections become curses vnto me but rather Lord let them be meerely medicines to cure the disease of sinne in me So shall I by the working of thy holy spirit become more and more mortifâ—ed in the affections of my heart which are then most offending thy Maiestie when I am in greatest securitie And therefore louing father take from me all grudging discontent of mind and murmuring against thy corrections of what kind or qualitie soeuer they be for thou hast testified vnto vs by thy word that thou scourgest euery sonne thou receiuest And therefore he that wanteth thy fatherly chastisements seemeth to be a bastard and no sonne And forasmuch Lord as the causes of mens troubles in this life be many and hidden some to correct for sinnes alreadie committed some to preuent sinnes whereunto we are inclinable and some to manifest thy power by way of iudgement against the impeniteÌ„t wicked Take Lord away from the eyes of my darke vnderstanding the vayle of ignorance that I may see and feele in my conscience a sure testimonie of thy sauing spirit that thy corrections light not vpon me in iudgement but in mercy not to condemn me but to approue me to be one of thy Church militant whose members haue their continuing afflictions which howsoeuer outwardly they seeme to blemish them yet doe they make them beautifull within and most amiable vnto thee howsoeuer wee seeme vnto the world outcastes castawayes yet are we thereby made the more like vnto our Sauiour who procured out saluation through affliction And thereby thou Lord knowing our weakenesse to vndergoe his crosses lay no more vpon me then withall thou mayest be pleased to giue mee grace and strength to beare it according to thy promise and then lay vpon me what thou wilt pouertie sicknesse enemies and whatsoeuer crosses may make me likest vnto thy sonne in his patient sufferings although I haue learned Lord that all the afflictions of this life are not worthy of the glory that shal be shewed in the life that is to come And therefore Lord assist me with thy grace that I with patience and godly reioycing may vndergoe whatsoeuer it shall please thee to lay vpon me As did Saint Paul Silas Saint Peter and other thine Apostles who imbraced all thy corrections and their troubles for thy names sake with heauenly alacritie and spirituall consolation O Lord increase my faitli A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said in pouerty and want of this lifes necessaries OF all the miseries that can befall a man in this mortall life none is more bitter and burdensome then pouertie and want of this lifes necessaries And therefore we may obserue how all men generally striue to auoyd it by meanes lawfull or vnlawfull It made Iacob to pray for sufficiencie left want should constraine him to vniust meanes to supply his necessities namely to clothe and feed himselfe and them that he hath committed to his eare for there is no other reall want to bee complained of but the want of food and rayment if a man haue to sustaine nature in the meanest measure and to couer his nakednesse in the basest manner and be free from danger of debt and be not an idle but a diligeÌ„t man in some lawfull calling he hauing the feare of God cannot be said a poore man for the feare of God maketh him wise and wisdome maketh him patient patieÌ„ce coÌ„tent he that is coÌ„teÌ„t in this mean estate is rich He that treasures vp the word of God in his soule though he haue neither Siluer nor Gold he may be rich as Peter who waÌ„ting these was yet rich in all Christian vertues and much beloued of the Lord and vpon such poore men doth the Lord cast his fatherly and louing countenance he watcheth ouer them and feedeth them Harken my beloued brethren saith Saint Iames hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and heires of the Kingdom which he promised to them that loue him God preferreth the poor in worldly goods being faithfull and iust before the vnfaithfull rich howsoeuer carnal iudgement maketh great differeÌ„ce between the worldly rich whom it reuerenceth and the corporall poore whom it scorneth But let the bodily poore whome the Lord hath inriched with spirituall graces reioyce in their tribulations for God hath prouided for them a Citie a Crowne glorie and immortalitie where they shall neither want siluer gold rayment food or any necessaries for the Lord Christ shal be vnto them all in all things But it is to be vnderstood that it is not the pouertie of any that can deserue these future fauours but they are the free gifts of God in Christ to the godly poore not prouided for the idle prophane wicked and dissolute that assume vnto themselues voluntary beggerie or consume their corporall meanes lewdly and so become poore vsing no lawfull calling to maintaine and support their estates when they shall pleade their pouertie and miseâ—iâ— in time to come it shall be said vâ—â—o them Goâ— ye vnthrifâ—ie seruants into euerlasting pouertie perpetuall nakedâ—â—sse and endlesse hunger thirst Whosoeuer therfore thou be that art pressed with pouertie seeke the riches that shal neuer diminish Diuine Knowledge 〈◊〉 Faith and pray vnto the God of Lazarus that if it be his pleasure he will remoue thy pouerty and renue thy
he shal recouer and liue with them which kinde of comfort is rather iniurious then friendly for what if the partie thus idlely secured perish without repentance These kindes of comforters haue little cause to imagine they haue performed a Christian dutie in this their visitation of their sick friend whom they seemed to loue much bewailing his sicknes and yet content to send him away with the heauie burden of his sinnes A second Christian duty is to pray for the sicke either in priuate or in publike assemblies of and with such as are present with the sick person wherein also the sicke person may conioyne either in the whole prayer by an inward lifting vp of his repenting and faithful heart to God in a holy meditation of what they pray or to conclude with them all Amen The prayer of the faithfull auaileth much if it be feruent The Lord by this meanes will strengthen him vpon his bed raise him to health or translate him in his good time To visite the sicke is an action most acceptable to God Yee haue visited me saith Christ when I was sicke therefore c 〈…〉 yee blessed c. Them that comfort the afflicted God will comfort He is the Father of mercies and comforteth vs 〈◊〉 all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them which are in any aff 〈…〉 by the comfort wherewith we our selues are comforted of God O Lord increase my faith A Prayer to be said for a sicke man or woman of his or her friendes that visite them O Most gracious Lord God who hast made all things preseruest euen the meanest of them by thy prouidence a sparrow lighteth not on the ground without thee Much lesse can any thing befall man but by thy will and determinate counsell So that we doe acknowledge that thou visitest this thy seruant here at this present languishing and that the present infirmity wherewith he is afflicted is of theesent to humble him for his sinnes Let it please thee O Lord to behold him in mercy and lay not vpon him too great a weight of thy dispeasure knowing that man in his greatest strength is weake how much more feeble being crushed as it were in â—eeces by the violence of thy visitation mitigate if it please thee the extremitie of his sicknesse and giue him patience to beare this thy light and louing correction And for that sinne is the cause of all troubles and tribulations Remoue Lord the guilt of all his offences through the merits of Iesus Christ and moderate his punishmeÌ„t though in iustice the most iust man is worthy of more stripes then he is able to beare yet thou refusest no truely repenting sinner bee his sins as reâ— as scarlet thou hast promised to make them as white as snow through the blood of Iesus Christ the sauing Lambe that taketh away the sinnes of the world Touch the hart of this thy seruant with a liuely feeling of his sinnes and a full assurance of thy mercy in forgiuing them That hee being really reunited vnto thee through an â—ufained faith in Christ may â—ouze vp his fainting soule vnto thee and by thee that howsoeuer his corporall weakenesse may argue the heauy displeasure towards him thy holy Spirit may yet work such peace in his conscienc through the assurance that his sins are freely forgiuen him that hee may take this thy visitation as a fatherly correction and louing chastisement for his former offences And that if thou be pleased to restore him to health it may worke in him a true renouation reformation of the rest of his life heare haue mercy vpon him O Lord haue mercy vpon him and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all his offences Looke fauourably vpon him cure him if it please thee restore him to health if it may stand with thy glory and his good But thou knowest Lord whether sickenesse or health bee most expedient for him whereof both he and wee are ignorant And therefore wee recommend him vnto thy fatherly disposition beseeching thee to confirme his hope assure him so of thy mercie that hee may imbrace life or death at thy pleasure and willingly to vndergoe this affliction knowing that all the tribulations which man can beare in this life are not worthy of the glory which thou hast prepared for them that loue thy second comming whâ—â— thou wilt giue to euery man according to his workes And therfore Lord turne his heart from the loue and vanities of this life vnto thâ— loue of the ioyes to come And 〈◊〉 him no longer set his heart and affections vpon this world or thâ— things in the world but onely and altogether vpon heauen and heauenly things That when the moment of time shall be wherein thâ—â— shalt determine the separation 〈◊〉 his soule from the bodie let 〈◊〉 the common enemie of our saluâ—tion preuent him But let thy sanctifying spirit possesse all thâ— powers of his soule that with holy alacritie and cheerefulnesse he may commend his spirit into thy hands and be thou pleased to reâ—â—iue him as one of thine adopted children into that celestial inheritance by the merits of Christ And in the meane time while hee shall rest here either in health or sickenesse be euer present with him for whose bodily recouery and hiâ— soules saluation O Lord hearâ— our prayers and let our cry come vnto thee Amen O Lord increase his and our faith for euermore A MOTIVE TO A Prayer before a man bâ—gin his Iourney HEe that well considereth the casualties of this life and hath but the least measure of vnderstanding and of the feare of God cannot attempt the least enterprise of the body but will forecast diuers daÌ„gers incident in euery action much more taking a Iourney on horse or foot being subiect to so many misfortunes and crosses as he maketh steppes in his wayes It is not rare to heare of one breaking his legge another his arme a third bruzing his body a fourth comming to vntimely death by falling off or from his horse nay the slip of the foote hath many wayes occasioned death besides hazard of meeting with and suffâ—ring danger by the ministers of Sathan and by malignant men laying wait to doe mischiefe Our bodies being thuâ— daily and vniuersally beset with perill requireth watchfulnesse in our wayes and walkings But it is not in our power wisdome to preuent the least crosse much lesse able are we to defend our selues as of our selues froÌ„ the hidden and sudden misfortunes of this lifes casualties And therefore had we neede to leaue our owne selfe wisedome and prouidence though not our Christian care and betake vâ— to the holy protection of the Holy one of Israel who guided Iacob in his Iourney towards Laban and the seruant of Abraham iourneying for a wife for Isack But they prayed for good successe So must euery faithfull man if he hope of the like Otherwise as the Lyon mette the Prophet and sâ—ue him So can God rayse
enemie desires to heare or see or finde some reprochfull blemish in him whom he loueth not and to that end will obserue and marke our conuersations and will solicite others to prie into our wayes to the end he may bring vs into slander But the man that is wise as a Serpent will seeke also to be innocent as a Doue knowing that he walkes in the light and his enemies are euer attending on his wayes in couert It therefore concernes vs much to consider how we walk before men much more how we stray before our enemies and because it is not in our power to walke before God or men to be vpright the first and principal thing for which we ought to pray is for the grace of God to liue an vpright life that our enemie the diuell haue no aduantage against vs. So shall our corporall enemies be inforced to be silent and hauing clensed and conformed our conuersation to a righteous course then our prayers to God for deliuerie against our enemies will be truely auaileable for then will hee take our cause into his owne hand and he will be our buckler sword and defence and we shall be safe vnder the shadow of his wings especially if we seeke according to the rule of Christ to doe them good that seeke to doe vs hurt for it is the part of a true Christian to seeke atonement euen with his enemies And as the Wise-man counselleth If he that hateth thee be hungry giue him bread Christ commands the same So mayest thou ouercome him and so winne him that his owne conscience shall moue him to turne his hatred into loue or else shalt thou heap coales of wrath on his head and God shall haue respect to thine offering and accept thy prayers Vse therefore this prayer following or some to 〈◊〉 purpose and God shal worke for thee and turne all enmitie of men and Satan to thy good A Prayer against enemies LOrd looke downe in merciâ— from heauen vpon me marke and consider mine enemies what they are and how many that lay wayt to doe me hurt Many 〈◊〉 there is no helpe for me in thee So proud and malicious are they th 〈…〉 they forget that thou art God who defendest the poore and oppressed that call vpon thee They remember that thou â—ittest a righteous Judge to iudge thy people with equitie how thou crushest the enemies of thy people as an earthen pot with a rod of iron Lord let them know that thâ—â— art God 〈◊〉 thy deliuery of me out of th 〈…〉 〈◊〉 They are too strong for 〈◊〉 too wise and politicke toâ— too malicious for Lord thou knowest I would gladly be at peace with them but when I seeke it they 〈◊〉 the more insolent and the read 〈…〉 to oppresse me And therefore I appeale vnto thee for succour to whom saluation belougeth Leade me and direct my wayes aright O Lord because of mine enemies deliuer me from them and saue mee for thy mercies sake O Lord my God I trust in thee saue me from mine enemies and deliuer me lest they deuour me lift vp thy selfe on my side against their malicious furiâ— let their malice come to an end let their snares be broken let their deuices come to nought and their policies wherby they plot my hurt become foolishnes and turne to their own shame Maintaine thou Lord my right and my cause for thou art set in the throne and iudgest right yet deale not with me according to my sinnes But to mine aduersaries what offeÌ„ce haue I committed I know not yet would I be reconciled and liue at peace But if thou haue raised them vp to trie me Lord giue me streÌ„gth and patience and then let them rage and swell for I know thou hast limited their power they cannot doe what they list and therefore J will not feare what they can doe vnto mee they may raile as Shem did on Dauid they may seeke my life as Iesabel did the life of Eliah and as Saul did the life of Dauid they may vow not to eat nor drink vntil they haue done me some mischiefe but thou hast a ring in their nosthrills thou hast bound them within the compasse of thine 〈◊〉 will and power keepe them 〈◊〉 lest they preuaile against me and say thou art not able to deliuer 〈◊〉 out of their hands as they said reprochfully of thee touching thâ— dearest Sonne Let him deliuer him if he will haue him Oh saue me 〈◊〉 deliuer me in that thy Sonne from the power of this malicious generation Thou hast euer beene 〈◊〉 yet art my strength my defence and my saluation therefore shall 〈◊〉 not much be moued at their contentions but vnder the shadow of the wings will I reioyce Teach 〈◊〉 thy way O Lord and I shal walke in thy truth knit my heart 〈◊〉 thee and I will feare thy 〈◊〉 So shal mine enemies 〈◊〉 put to 〈◊〉 lence they watch ouer my way 〈…〉 and couet to catch me in my sinnes and lay baites to allure me to the breach of a good conscience that they may colour their hatred with the seeming desire of sincerity But thou knowest me and them I cannot iustifie mine integritie before thee for I am a man ful of infirmities but these men I haue not offended therefore iudge betweene me and them and leaue me not in their power nor in me a reuenging spirit but rather that I may couet to doe them good that if they will not be hartily reconciled the coales of thy displeasure fall on their 〈◊〉 â—ates And my soule shall reioyce in thee yea I shall reioyce in thy saluation I shall praise thy name who hast deliuered me from him that is too mighty for me And let not mine enemies Lord vuiustly reioyce ouer me let them neuer say in their hearts nor see the day wherein they may truely imagine or say that they haue preuailed against me So shall my tongue vtter thy righteousnes and praise thy goodnes thy prouidence mercies while I haue any being Which grant Lord for thy deare Sonnes sake my only Mediator Amen Lord increase my faith and defend me from mine enemies A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to be said of euery true Christian for the Ministers and Preachers of the word of God IF men did duely and religiously consider what a blessing it is to haue the word of God sincerely preached vnto them they would be more thankfull to God for them who are as the conduite pipes to bring and conuey the water of life vnto them the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation with God in Christ. Men naturally loue them that giue them corporall food and necessaries they dearely esteeme and reuerence the Nurses and Eoster-fathers that yeeld them but things to strengthen and maintaine their naturall liues and the Physitians by whose art and industrie they perswade themselues to haue receiued health for their bodies And is it not much to be admired that men receiuing the nourishment and vitall streÌ„gth of
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
canst thou with things meane in qualitie Daniel and his fellowes liued by pulse and water and were more strong and in better liking then they that had the ful measure of the Kings choice dainties Great and wonderfull art thou in thy power vnsearchable in thy prouidence and thou art one and the same for euer thy loue is not diminished towards them that loue thee neither is thy power weakened neither can thy prouidence be hindred but whatsoeuer thou willest commeth to passe in Mercie and lustice Will thou therfore good Father will thou and worke our comfort and reliefe and whatsoeuer we then need shall bee supplied vnto vs. Mollify the harts of such as haue reliefe in abuÌ„dance that detain it to inrich themselues when the poore perish Sâ—ffer vs not Lord to fall into greaâ—â—â— miserie and want then wee can bea rt Our flesh is weake and vnable to vndergo the want of necessary food giue vs Lord competent reliefe that we faint not nor perish altogether for thy Christs sake our only Redeemer and Aduocate for whose sake thou hast promised to deliuer the soules of thine from death and to preserue them in the time of famine Therefore Lord heare and grant our requests Amen Lord increase our faith and blesse vnto vs competent reliefe A MOTIVE TO A Prayer to bee said in the time of the Pestilence THe Pestilence of all other pâ—â—gues is the most lothsome grieuous especially to the parties infected for that their dearest friends commonly flie them and forsake them none are readily willing to visite them and yet of all the three ineuitable plagues that God tendred to Dauids election hee made choice of this as willing rather to fall into the hands of God then of meÌ„ To flie before furious enemies in the warres is a fearefull thing and to pine and perish for want of food more grieuous then Death Therefore is the Pestilence rather to be vndergone then either the Sword or Famine but that we are not at our choice as Dauid was But as touching sinne in the same danger Sinne was the cause of his and sinne is the cause of our visitation And therefore to preuent the danger we are to make peace with our offended God by true repentance humble submission faithfull and vnfained prayer It was the remedie that Dauid vsed whereby the Lord was appeased with the Land and the plague ceased 2. Sam. 24. 25. Gods anger is easily appeased towards them that are truely penitent and humâ—â—y seeke him in faithfull prayer It appeareth that we haue prouoked the Lord by our sinnes to wrath and in his displeasure be visiteth vs with this heauie correction Let vs offer the sweet and acceptable sacrifice of prayer vnto him in vnfained sorrow for our sinnes It may be God will recall his destroying Angell out of our coasts But if he wil not be appeased pleased to stay his hand from punishing Let vs submit vs to his will in all Christian patience auoiding as much as in vs lieth the wilfull running into the danger and then if God haue numbred vs among them that he hath marked out vnto death let vs not bee dismayed or discouraged let vs not only not thinke vs the more vnhappie but far the more in the fauor of God in that he vouchsafeth vnto vs such a fatherly premonition to prepare vs that which by the course of nature in few yeares cannot be auoided death which seemeth far more terrible then indeed it is for though it hath the name of bitternes yet it is indeed the end coÌ„summatioÌ„ of al the vnpleasing things which our deceiued affections are miscaried by it is the end of sin and sorrow of dangers feares and miseries and is terrible to none but to such as only consider the dissolution of the soule from the bodie and doe not looke to the immediate coniunction of the soule with God we leaue indeed our corporall friends behinde vs whom wee loue But we ought to know that we go to a more blessed fellowship in the heauens to Christ our elder brother whom wee yet neuer saw but if wee loue him as he loued vs first we cannot but desire to see him which we cannot doe in our mortall flesh Let vs therefore with Saint Paul desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ with the Angels and with the spirits of iust and perfect men And let vs be of good courage in this danger of the body which if we caÌ„not flie let vs not feare knowing that whether we liue or die we are the Lords in Christ in whom we are assured that all things shall worke together for the best and to the consolation of them that loue God in life and death Weeping may indure for a night but ioy commeth in the morning A Praier to be said in the time of any mortalitie Pestilence or infectious sicknes O Lord our God who of the dust hast created all mankind for a time to breathe in this mortall life and at their appointed times thou sayest Returne againe into your dust yee children of men Looke wee humbly beseech thee vpon vs vnder thy hand visited with great mortalitie so besâ—t on euery side with the terrors of death as we cannot but deeme out selues neere vnto the graue Our festered corruptions haue brought forth stineking sins that haue deâ—â—â—ed our bodies and infected the verie aire wherein we liue whereby wee haue deseruedly drawne vpon vs in thy iustice this fearefull visitation Giue vs Lord repenting hearts renue right spirits wiâ—iâ— vs that we recounting our manifold and grosse sins may truly bewaile them in the bitternes of our hearts fill our heads with water make our eyes a fountain of teares that both inwardly and outwardly our sorrowes for our sinnes may be vnfainedly expressed and by our constant obedience and sincere seruice of thee our renued conuersations may be approued Make vs we beseech thee alwayes watchfull ouer our wayes that we erre not from thy Commandements in this time wherin many are striken with thy hand many are finally fallen asleepe Blesse vs wee beseech thee with that blessed prerogatiue to be thy truly adopted children in Christ so shall we be safe according to thy promise and this thy visitation shall not come neere our dwellings a thousand shall fall on our rig 〈…〉 hand and ten thousand on our left hand and yet not touch vs. But what are we Lord that we should presume vpon this freedome hauing deserued as heauie a weight of punishment as any whom thy hand hath visited Let not thy patience and long forbearing of vs perswade vs that either thou seest vs not or that for our owne worthines or desert thou passest by vs but rather to thinke that we are also of the number of them whom thou hast ordained to partake of this visitation that wee may apply our selues to a serious calling to mind of our offences and vnfained repentance for them before thy decree come forth against
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