set free from all earthly affections and fixed upon thee and upon things that are above and give up my heart and my life wholy to serve and glorify thee my God in a holy and a heavenly conversation which is the true state of Conversion help me to confesse my sins with sorrow and to reforme with joy and to make restitution where I have done wrong as thou givest oportunity and ability and where either are wanting let not will be wanting nor thy acceptance be wanting unto my sincere desires and endeavours Help me to accuse my self that thou mayest acquit me to judge condemn my self that thou mayest absolve me help me to exercise an holy revenge upon my self that thou mayest spare me help me to endeavour a redress of all scandals that I have given to reduce those whom I have seduced or with whom I have complied in any evill way and seal unto me thy pardon in the blood of Christ by the inward testimony of thy sanctifying spirit and let the reformation of mylife be an evidence unto me of the forgiveness of my sins which is the authentick seal of thy Spirit giving the impression of thine own Image Grant me a lively saving faith to believe thy Gospel and all thy Heavenly truthes that thou hast revealed in thy holy Word and to subdue and bring down all mine own thoughts apprehensions imaginations and affections thereunto that I may trust in the Lord with all mine heart and not lean unto mine own understanding Convince me O Lord of that great article of faith that my Jesus is thy Christ and the Son of the living God which is the rock upon which thou buildest thy Church and the gates of hell shal not prevail against it that I may not believe it by relation onely from men but by revelation from thee being wrought unto a full perswasion thereof by the arguments of thy spirit by the holy Prophecies that went before of him in the Old Testament which were all fulfilled in him in the New by the wonderfull miracles which he did by the descending of the Holy Ghost upon him in the visible form of a Dove by the voice from Heaven declaring him to be thy well beloved Sonne in whom thou art well pleased which voice was sent from thy heavenly Throne after his baptisme and at his tranfiguation by the holiness of his life the excellency of his Doctrine by the wonderfull sending of his Holy Spirit upon his Disciples in the likeness of fiery tongues and those excellent and wonderfull gifts that were bestowed upon them by the dreadfull judgment that fell upon the Jews for Crucifying him and reviling the Gospell by the blood of thy victorious Martyrs who sealed thy heavenly truth by their constancy in their sufferings and cruell deaths which they chearfully under went for the Testimony thereof and by the wonderfull wayes whereby thou hast carried on and maintained thy Church and Gospell against all the wisdome and power of the world that was against it Convince my Soul O Lord of that great truth by these arguments and by the experiment of the work of thy Grace in my Soul that I may firmly believe it and rely upon it for my falvation and that I may believe infallibly that this my Saviour by his death and passion hath satisfied for my sins that he hath justified me by his righteousness and that by his mediation he prevails with thee for obtaining of spiritual blessings all mercies needful for me and for the bring home of the fruit and benefit of that redemption which he hath wrought for me unto me bring a penitent sinner Give me faith to lay hold upon the Sacramental promise that I may come with a full and assured expectati on to receive thy Sons body crucified and his blood shed upon the Cross for my sins with all the benefits of his death and passion and of that great Redemption he hath wrought for me truly and really conveyed and applied and sealed to my soul in that thy holy Ordinance Let me take thy heavenly mysteries as thine earnest to oblidge me to serve thee and as thy pledges to assure me of thy love unto me and of my Interest in thy Christ and my Jesus unto my salvation And let my Faith work by Love that in the sense of thy great goodness offered and given unto me in Christ Jesus-I may love thee and thy Christ above all and with all my heart and soul mind and strength Let me think nothing too much to do or suffer for the who didst not think it too much to give thy son thy beloved son to suffer and die for me Enflame me with holy love unto all people that I may give up my self to them to serve them in love make me to own them in al their concernments to pitty them in all their miseries to be ready to relive them in all their wants to comfort them in all their distresses to counsel them in al their perplexity to pardon all their miscarriages towards me to bear their infirmities to study their good to love brotherly fellowship to delight in thy Sts. and holy ones and to walk comfortably chearfully together with them in thy holy worship and service Let not any poisoned dart of rancour or envy or malice or heart burning toward any rankle or feaster my soul But make us al up more more into the mistical body of thy Son that we may keep the unity fo the spirit in the bond of peace that we may be all one in thee as thou and thy Son Christ Jesus are one And let the Peace of God which passeth all nnderstanding rule in our hearts through Jesus Christ our Lord. Give me a thankfull sense and sweet relish of thy great mercy in that great redemption thou hast wrought for my soul by thy blesed Son That I may have an high esteem of thy love in giving thy son for me to be a sacrifice for my sins upon the Cross and in giving him unto me to be the nourishment life of my soul in the Sacrament Oh make me to receive him from thee there with a gratefull soule to return thee the devout and thankfull homage of my heart Strike me into an holy amazment at the wonders of thy great mercy toward me in him to poure out my soule in the praises of thy name to embrace thee in thy Christ and my Jesus with all the dearest affections of my heart to devote and consecrate my self unto thee to be a sacrifice of praise unto thee in the whole course of my life and conversation to rejoyce in the mercy and the loving kindenesse of my God Affect me with an awfull Reverence toward the greatnesse of thy Majesty with whō I there come to renew my Covenant toward the excellency of thy sonne whom I come to receive into my soul Toward the holiness of thy spirit by whom I come there to be
from proceeding in judgement against his people Pillers to support the ruinous fabrick of the tottering societies of men to keep the world from ruine and destruction according to that saying I take it of the Jews Sine stationibus non consisteret mundus The world is held up by the Congregations of Gods people and if there be any charms to be had that may raise up our dry bones of this confused and distracted and demolished Church and Nation they must be had not from Councels or Armies but from the devout performances of the congregations of Gods people which may shew you the reason why I have been so earnest with you for your presence and assistance in these assemblies in these times of our calamity of non conformity Sure I am if the Devill trembles at any thing that can be done upon earth it is at the gatherings of holy Congregation and at the work that they have in hand And of all the holy actions of a Congregation the most heavenly excellent the most perfect glorious and comfortable is the Holy Solemnity of the Supper of the Lord which is as it were the summe and recapitulation of all other duties There the Covenant of Baptisme is renued and confirmed There the Word is administred and sealed There the Laws of God are owned and subscribed as the articles on our part in that treaty of Peace between God and us which is there presented and managed There the promises the articles on Gods part are made sure established particularly unto every faithful receiver which are promised in general in the Holy Book and the Gospel is brought home unto every devout soul with all the blessings thereof for look what the Gospel promiseth that the Sacrament sealeth and delivereth unto every faithfull receiver in particular Their solemn praise and thanksgiving is offered unto God in the thankfull memorial of the death and passion of Christ which is there presented unto us for that great redemption that he hath wrought for us There the sweet incense of most earnest prayers and holy desires are exhaled unto God And there we have our petitions granted subscribed and sealed with the blood of Christ There we offer up our selves in homage unto God and Christ that gave his Son and that offered up himself for us There we present our Almes and Oblations to the Lord that we may answer his Mercy and Compassion unto us in mercy unto others and devotion unto him There we binde up our selves afresh and more and more in the holy Communion of Saints with the Church triumphant in Heaven and militant upon Earth There we are confirmed in our Union and Communion with Christ and receive his body and blood inseparably united to his Divinity with all the benefits of his Death and Passion really and truly applied unto our soules that by the merrit of his death and sufferings our sins may be pardoned that by the merrit of his Righteousnesse our persons may be justified that we may be enlightened by the beams of his heavenly Wisdome sanctified by the holinesse of his heavenly Graces refreshed with the cordials of his heavenly Comforts that we may be strengthened by the might of his heavenly Virtue that we may be enriched with the riches of his heavenly Blessings that we may be crowned at length and saved by his heavenly Glory and Salvation And receiving Christ we have power in him to become the Sonnes of God John 1.12 And if Sons then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ If so be that we suffer with him that we may be also glorified together Rom. 8.17 Yea we have God in him For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Col. 2.9 We have the Father in him For he that acknowledgeth the Sonne hath the Father also and truly our fellowship is with his Father and with his Sonne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 1 Joh. 1.3 And if we have the Father and the Sonne we have the Holy Ghost For hereby we know that he abideth in us by the spirit which he hath giveu us 1 Joh. 3.24 So that the whole blessing of the Apostle is upon us in the use of this holy Sacrament The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all Amen What shall I say it is visibile Evangelium a visible Gospel and if you use it as you ought to do it will be to you vivum Evangelium a living Gospel a working Gospell a Gospel in possession not in your ears but in your hearts Here all mercies are conveyed and sealed all graces are confirmed and exercised Here repentance is imployed quickened faith is actuated strengthned hope encouraged devotion enflamed charity kindled peace concord established if there be a heaven upon earth it is in the holy opperation of a congregation devoutly celebrating the holy Supper of the Lord. This is the Holy plaister or love-charm to make us in love with God and one another and to make God also in love with us The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or soveraign antidote against sin The food of life the viaticum of eternity The universal medicine for all our diseases and an Ark of safety against all our dangers And now by this you may know the reason why I have been so earnest with you of my Congregation not to neglect the blessed opportunities that God offers you for your addresses unto him in the use of this holy mistery and to prepare your selves thereunto and why I have offered you this help which is presented unto you in this ensuing Treatise The truth is that I finde my self under very great obligations unto you I have received much of the comfort of my life from you and the great tenderness love and care that you have shew'd unto me in my late sickness the recovery from which Low under God in a great measure unto some of you addeth unto the endearments that are upon my soul toward you and it lies upon me to do my endeavour to answer your love which God in his mercy inable me and direct me to do in such a way as may be most for your good and spirituall advantage and truly I think I am in the way for I cannot pitch upon any thing that can be done more summarily or effectually in order to all your good and happinesse than to assist you in that great and excellent performance of the use of the Lords Supper for since it is a duty of so great perfection and so comprehensive of the whole businesse of a Christian and so entitling us to the whole treasure comfort of the Gospel if I shall prevaile with you to be good Communicants I am sure I shal have then prevailed with you to be good Christians and then you must needs be both a holy and a happy people Now there are three things that I finde necessary to be done that
as outward strength decayeth so let spiritual strength continually increase in him as outward comforts fade vanish let spiritual comforts appear be cleared up more and more unto him and when thou shalt be pleased to call him out of this wretch'd world make him willingly cheerfuly to yield him self up into thy hands and send thine holy angells with a commission of mercy from thy mercy-seat to translate his soul to thy heavenly glory thorow Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer to be used when we hear a Passing-Bell Toll or have any other notice of a Soul ready to depart OH Mercifull God Thou Father of all pitty and compassion open the bowels of thy Tender mercy unto this Soul that seems now ready to depart and to be now entring into the Ocean of Eternity Thou knowest O Lord the state and condition thereof and how it is disposed and prepared for a dissolution O Lord take it not out of this world untill thou hast weaned it from the world that it may have a free passage through thy mercy unto thy eternal mansions of Blessed nesse If thou knowest it may stand with thy Glory and may make for his salvation bring it back from this gate of Death and let it continue in the body and restore this person yet if it be thy blessed wil unto health and strength or if thou shalt be pleased to take this soul hence ô Lord wash it clean from iniquity by the blood of Christ and adorn it with the robe of his perfect righteousness and give it the benefit of the Intercession of thy Son Quicken repentance strengthen Faith raise up in it an holy flame of heavenly love to thee that may carry it up as a sacrifice to the throne of thy Glory Binde it up in the holy peace and Communion of thy Church by the bond of holy love and Christian charity to all thy people Grant patience and strength and spiritual comfort to convey it safe through the pangs torments of dissolution Let not the Enemy have any power to hurt it but take it into thy keeping and into the guard of thy grace and mercy Binde up Sathan and all spiritual adversaries and send thine Angels with a commission of Mercy to convey this Soul unto the habitation of thy Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this OGracious God be with this person in the holy operations of thy grace and in the yearning of thy tenderest mercies in the dreadfull moment when the Soul shal depart from the body conduct this thy dying creature through the valley of the shadow of death unto the Land of everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Or this IN the midst of life we be in death of whom may wee seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our sins art justly displeased Yet O Lord most Holy O God most mighty O Holy and mercifull Saviour remember the work of thy hands and the purchase of thy blood give not up this thy departing Creature unto the bitter pain of eternal Death Lord remember now thy great mercy and thy Bloody Sufferings and death and let thy Bowels melt in tender compassion towards this person in this great extremity Shut up Hell and open Heaven O Lord destroy not Oh Lord forsake not O Lord most holy O God most mighty O holy and mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge eternal suffer not this person at the last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee Amen A Prayer for the three Kingdomes of England Scotland and Ireland proper for all tmes OH most Gracious God who doest Rule and Govern all things who increasest the Nations and destroyest them who enlargest them again look down I beseech thee with the eye of thy tender pitty and compassion upon these poore miserable and sinfull Kingdoms that have now lain for these many years under the load of thy heavy displeasure against them for their sins and are at this time in the mouth of so great ruin and destruction if we be not relieved by thy heavenly mercy O Lord we must all needs confess that our iniquities have been and are still very great against thee and in the very midst of the flames of thine indignation against us we have multiplied our rebellions against thee our God as if we would even bid defiance unto thine anger and dare thee to doe thy worst against us And that blood that bath been wickedly shed in these Nations cryes aloud for vengeance against us so that it were most just in thee to make the ruins of these three Kingdomes the standing monuments of thy displeasure against sinne unto all the rest of the Nations of the world But I humbly beseech thy divine Majesty to pitty a poore perishing people Hear not O Lord the cry of our sins neither heare the cry of that blood that cryes for vengeance but hear the cry of that blood that cryes for mercy even of the blood of thine own dear Son Christ Jesus That speaketh better things than the blood of Abel and hear the Cryes and the Prayers of thy people that call upon thee for Mercy O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord humble and convert us and these whole Nations unto thee O let it be thy pleasure to deliver us make hast O God to help us help us O God of our Salvation for the glory of thy name Oh deliver us and be mercifull to our sins for thy name sake leave us not to become a prey unto our own iniquities nor to the wicked interests of men But be thou pleased so to over-rule all the publick motions and consultations and all the confusions and distactions that are upon us or shall befall us that whatsoever men shall contrive or designe that whatsoever they shall act or enterprise all things may be drawn in by thy wisdome and thy providence to the advancement of thy glory of the Gospel and Kingdome of thy son amongst us to the restoring of a righteous and lawfull Government in the state of an holy and orderly discipline and ministry in the Church and to the establishment of all these nations in holinesse and truth in righteousnesse and peace and prosperity before thee and help us O God without the shedding of any more innocent blood and without any more bloody confusions and distractions if it be thy blessed will grant this O Lord though we be most unworthy for the worthiness and merrit of thy deare sonne and our onely Saviour Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for the restoring of our afflicted Soveraign O Most Gracious Glorious God Thou King of Kings and Lord of Lords who hast established and ordained Kings and Princes in the world to be thy substitutes in the Rule and Government of thy people As thou hast appointed thine Ordinances of Government for the good and safety of thy people So we beseech thee be thou the Protectour of thine own ordinances and therein of thy peoples
you may become good Communicants and use that holy and excellent Ordinance to Gods honour and your own comfort and salvation The first is to convince you of the necessity that lies upon you to make a frequent and a diligent use of that great means and pledge of your salvation and to perswade you that it is your duty to be constant therein and that you cannot neglect any oportunity whereby you are called thereunto in the Congregation of which you are members unlesse you have some weighty and innocent cause to the contrary without violating both the authority of Christs command and the love of his invitation in the institution of the Lords Supper and if you do but consider these obligations that Christ our Lord hath laid upon us and the great and excellent duties that we there are called to offer unto God and the great manifold graces mercies that God therein offers unto us and remember what I have often said unto you touching this matter I cannot see how you will be excusable if you shall wilfully without some very weighty warrantable impediment abstain from the use of this holy Ordinance of God assure your selves neither pride nor sloath nor love unto any sin nor wilfull ignorance when the means of instruction is offered and despised no nor servile fear nor the love of this world will be accepted for discharges of our attendance upon God in this Christian duty for all those are sinfull and therefore are not like to excuse us from duty The Second is that you be directed and perswaded to a due preparation of your selves unto this holy Sacrament that we may not eat that bread and drink that cup of the Lord unworthily least we bring thereby both great guilt and judgement upon our soules and make even that Table to be asuare unto us whilest we approach with impenitent unbelieving uncharitable unthākfull cold and earthly minds not discerning the body of Christ The Third is that we be rightly advised and assisted for the due disposition of our hearts imploy ment of our thoughts and affections in about the time of the receiving the holy Supper of the Lord. You will I hope finde somthing in this little Manuall that may be serviceable to you for all these purposes as in the little Catechism and some devotions that are added unto the former edition thereof and I do earnestly desire all of you from the eldest to the youngest that are capable to acquaint themselves with that little Catechisme so as to be able to give an account thereof and if they would exercise their humility so farr as to give me leave to receive it from them it would be a comfort to me I hope no hurt or dishonour unto them remember that of our blessed Saviour Except ye become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Mat. 18.3 And that of St. Peter Be ready to give an answer unto every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear 1 Pet. 3.15 But the first and peculiar business of this Book was to be helpfull unto you and others for their more easy and orderly delivery of holy thoughts about the time of the receiving of the Lords supper and after the use thereof The work that is done in that holy Solemnity is of that nature that though it aimes at the greatest unity and fellowship that can be in an holy Congregation which are all thereby gathered up close together into Christ yet it offers particular and retired employment to thoughts and affections of every particular receiver Unto whom being rightly quali fied and prepared it offers seals all that mercy grace which the Gospel promiseth in general unto all that are penitent Sinners true Believers and requires of every one a very serious attendance unto private and secret meditation and holy devotion There are in the time of that sacred Celebration many pauses and intermissions of the joynt imployment of the Congregation which doth as it were separate them unto their several works in their Soules Whilest some are Receiving it is the businesse of others to be in the holy preparation of themselves to the Duty And they that have thus passed through both these performances are to be exercised in the admiration of that mercy they have received in the inflaming of their hearts unto the holy praises of the Lord. Some course hath been taken heretofore in some Congregations to prevent the chasme that might be in the spiritual work the falling of thoughts for want of holy suggestions by the singing of a Psalm at the very time of the celebration But besides that the pattern of our Saviours practise Mat. 26.30 leads us to believe that to be a work more proper and fit to succeed than accompany that holy Business The very noise of that service in those that are at leasure to be employed in it appears to be too great an Enemy unto that severe attention and holy sequestration of spirit that is required in those that are to be employed in Receiving which doth least of all admit of the offers of distraction I know no way better to prevent all inconveniencies to make up all gaps in that sacred celebration than to offer some variety of short Meditations Devotions into the hands and unto the hearts of the particular Receivers to be used according to those severall works that they have to doe which may be as so many several notes of the Spiritual Song which being composed in their right order and consent will make up an holy Harmony in the ears of the Almighty If any part seem too long there is nothing imposed but every Communicant may satisfie the bents of their own devotions answer the measure of their time and leasure by marking out some of the shortest forms unto themselves especially in that which is to be done about the time of the receiving Or if they have better of their own or from any other they may spare their troubling of themselves with this God I hope will pardon the infirmities and his people accept of the poore endeavours of him Who is a poore Sinner and an unworthy Labourer in Gods Vineyard Tho. Warmstry A Prayer for incitement of affection to attend upon the Lord in the use of the Lords Supper O Most gracious Saviour who hast not only vouchsafed in the great Mystery and work of thy Incarnation to take our humane flesh and blood together with an humane soul into the unity of thy divine person that God and man might be one Christ that so it might become possible for the immortal God to dye for us and for the spiritual God to be wounded pierced and to shed his blood for us nor yet only hast been pleased to give up thy blessed body to be crucified and thy precious blood to be shed for our Redemption but art pleased still to revive thy death
establisht in my union and Communion with Christ and his Church And enable me to discerne the body of the Lord Jesus put me into an holy extasy of heavenly longing after Christ And whilst he descendeth unto me in that holy reflection let me ascend unto him in heavenly devotion Let not my soul be satisfied with any thing but my Jesus Give me thy Christ O God take what thou wilt from me give me my Jesus and do what thou wilt unto me for in him I shall be sure of thy tender love let that love do what it will Thou bidst me love thee do what I will I say unto thee love me and do what thou wilt wound me chasten me kill me so that thou love me I aske nothing of thee but thy Christ and thy Love Oh my God I am undone I am lost for ever I am a fire-brand of hel it had been better for me that I had been a Toad a Serpent a Worm a dead clod of clay that I had never lived that I had never been conceived or born if thou shouldst with-hold my Jesus from me But if I have him I have thee and heaven and Angells and the world and life and all Oh my God give me my Jesus and give thy self unto me in him make me to give my self unto thee in him And oh make room for thy Christ in my Soule turn out the world and the flesh sin turn me out of my self that there may be room for my Jesus that my heart may be as a large upper-room furnished for my heavenly Saviour to keep his Passeover in my Soul Let it be a large room for my great Jesus let my heart contain him for whom the whole world is too little extend the grasp of my affections O God make me unsatiable in an holy covetousnesse after Christ and the more I taste of him the more I enjoy him the more make meto desire him And let my heart be an upper-room not an Earthly but an Heavenly minde For the entertainment of my heavenly Jesus for he can dwell no where but in an heavenly place Yea let his presence in my heart turn my heart into heaven for it is his presence that maketh heaven and this is the heaven of heavens it self Oh let all earthly things be vile unto me now that I look for my heavenly Jesus Give me an holy pride an holy ambition greatness of spirit that I may look upon all the things of this world as unworthy of my thoughts since my Jesus is pleased to think upon me to call for my heart and to come unto me Oh let my soul be a well furnisht room furnisht with all the furniture of heavenly love and of all thy heavenly Graces for the entertainment of my Glorious Jesus Yet withall give me an humble heart that I may put no trust at all in my self or in any thing that is in me or that can be or hath been perform'd by me But cast me down into an holy despair of my self and of all righteousnesse Wisdome Strength or Worthinesse or comfort in my self that I may trample my self as filthy sinfull dung under my feet before thee and cast my self down at the feet of thy mercy relying only upon thy goodness thy Christ for my acceptance and for my salvation Help me O God in the examination and in the reformation of my sinns Help me in the triall and in the exercise of thy graces that knowledg may be saving faith found and repentance true and love unfained and thankfullnesse sincere and reverence awfull and desire enflamed my soul truly humbled That thou mayest exalt me in the greatness of thy mercy and feed my soul with the riches of thy goodness and the delicates of thy heavenly joyes that I may returne refreshed with thy favour and enlightened beutified with thy truth holiness like Moses out of the Mount and strengthened with the might of thy strength from the holy table of thy Son Through the same thy dear Son and our blessed Saviour our Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer when the Bread and Wine is brought to the Table OH most Glorious God we praise thee we blesse thee we glorify thy sacred name here prostrate in our souls and bodys before thee we desire to present unto thee the homage of our thankfull hearts for thy great and wonderfull mercy that thou hast been pleased to shew unto us miserable sinners that lay in the Jaws of hell under the sentence of condemnation to eternal death for our sins in sending thy dearly beloved and only begotten Son Christ Jesus to become man for us and to offer up his precious Body and Blood upon the Crosse to be a Sacrifice unto thee for our sins where by he hath made an eternal 〈…〉 to practise it diligently to the benefit of my Soul and to the glory and honour of thy holy Name Prepare my heart for all holy approaches unto thy holy Table for the time to come Make me frequent and humble sincere and fervent in prayer Help we to follow and imitate all good patterns and holy examples which thou settest before me in thy Son and in thy Saints and preserve me from the contagion of all evill society Make me an ensample of all vertue unto others make me daily and hourely to grow in grace and forgetting those things that are behinde to presse toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus making it my great and onely businesse to serve thee my God and to set forward my self and others unto salvation Help me to give all diligence to make my Calling and Election sure and to pass my so journing here in feare Keep me within the bounds of that Calling to which thou hast called me that I may walk quietly obediently industriously chearefully and conscionably therein and as much as in me lieth live peaceably with all men Suffer me not to give offence or scandal unto any by the uncharitable or imprudent use of that liberty thou hast given me but grant unto me and all that have now received with me and to all that name the name of the Lord Jesus that we may depart from iniquity and walke in love and meeknesse in all humility and righteousness and holinesse before thee That we may be blamelesse and harmlesse as the children of God without rebuke in the midst of this untoward and perverse generation Help me and all of us to profit under all thy dispensations to be patient and confident in adversity to be humble and temperate and thankful and merciful in prosperity and in whatsoever state we are therewith to be content Make us holy to thee obedient to Magistrates all those whom thou hast set over us regardfull of thy Ministers esteeming them very highly for their workes sake conscionably respectfull to all our relations Make us just and loving and peaceable and comfortable towards one another
and all thy people sober and chast and undefiled in our selves Make us alwayes mindefull of thy presence with us wheresoever we are or whatsoever we do and to walk before thee as it becometh us in thy sight and as having to do with thee our God in all things Keep us alwayes in the sense of our frailty and of our uncertaine condition and continuance in this world that we may live every day as if it were to be our last and to labour to make our accounts even with thee daily Make us to be often thinking upon the houre of death the day of judgment the paines of Hell and the joyes of Heaven let the dread and aw of eternity be ever upon our Souls Teach us how to carry our selves prudently and innocently in these dangerous times that we may be wise as serpents and harmlesse as Doves and direct us in all the changes that are or shall be upon us in this world to walk inoffensively in thy presence and herein to exercise our selves to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards man Suffer us neither through sinfull fears to desert our duties or to comply with wickednes or to forsake thy righteousnes or yet imprudently rashly or unadvisedly to cast our selves into any unnecessary dingers and whensoever through our frailty we shall fall into any sinne as what man is he that sins not Oh our God let us not rest in sin nor perish in our iniquities but be thou alwayes ready with thy mercy and grace to raise us up again and to give us repentance unto Salvation Grant all these blessings to me and all thy people And make us all the better for ever for this our approach unto thee this day Through that thy blessed Son whom thou hast given us to be our Saviour Jesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer of Intercession for the sick to be used by those that are with him or that come to visit him OH Eternal God and our most Gracious Father in Christ Jesus That art the God of health and the God of life and the God of all mercy compassion in thy hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind thou woundest and thou healest thou bringest to the grave and bringest back again thou turnest man to destruction and again thou sayest Come again yo children of men thou doest whatsoever pleaseth thee in Heaven and Earth and in things under the Earth And as for us O Lord we are all the workes of thy hand and we are in thy hands at the clay in the hands of the Potter that thou mayest do with us whatsoever pleaseth thee Whilst thou preservest us we live when thou takest away our breath we dy and turn again unto our dust and then all our thoughts perish and after death commeth Judgement wherein we must render an account unto thee our God for the whole course of our lives and conversation and receive from thee according to that which we have done in the body whether it be good or whether it be evill Have mercy O Lord have mercy we beseech thee upon us all thy poore weake fraile sinfull and mortall creatures give us not up unto utter ruin and destruction but grant us thy grace that we may so walke before thee both in sicknesse and in health that we may have comfort in our deaths and look downe wee humbly beseech thee with the eyes of thy tender pitty and compassion upon this thy servant that is here before thee under the visitation of thy heavenly hand it is thou that hast wounded him and it is thou onely that canst heal him it is thou that hast brought him down it is thou onely that canst raise him up and we know Oh Lord that thou art able to do all things all means will be helplesse without thee and thy blessing But thou art able to make the weakest meanes to become beneficiall unto thy people and to help them by thine own power and goodnesse in all they want and in all the failings of outward help Thy word O God is an al sufficient remedy There is no disease so desperate but thou canst Cure it there is no wound so deadly but thou canst heal it thou wert able to raise the Rulers Daughter from the bed when she was in the gripes of death The Widdowes sonne from the beer when he was upon his journey to the grave thou wert able to raise Lazarus out of the Grave when he had bin foure dayes dead and buried And thou art the same God still the same in power and the same in mercy thou hast as open an Eare and as compassionate a heart and as able a hand to hear pitty and help thy poor people as ever thou hadst When Physicians can do nothing and when medicines can do nothing and when Angels can do nothing and when all the creatures are at a stand and when the strength of nature faileth yet there is help and comfort in thee and thou makest the extremities of thy people the opportunities of thy power and goodness To thee therefore O Lord we come beseeching thee to glorify the power of thy mercy in restoring this thy servant to his former health and strength if it be thy blessed will that he may live to praise and glorifie thy name To amend his life to increase in knowledge and grace to do good amongst thy people to make his calling and election more and more sure unto himself against his departure out of this world and that he may have strength of Body and vigorous soundness of his faculties powers to come before thee in the holy Assemblies of thy people and to enjoy the benefit of thy heavenly and publique ordinance Do it Lord if it be thy blessed will speak but the word and thy servant shall be whole Direct him unto the use of those means which thou knowest to be most expedient and let thy blessing be above all means unto him Or if thou hast otherwise determined in thy wisdome and if it be thy heavenly pleasure by this sicknesse to put a period unto the dayes of this his earthly pilgrimage O Lord thy heavenly will be done but let it be done in great mercy and compassion Do nothing in wrath nothing in indignation for Christ Jesus his sake Sanctify this thy visitation unto thy servant that it may be a meanes to prepare him for thy kingdom let the sicknesse of his Body be unto the health of his soul that whether he live he may live unto the Lord and whether he dye he may dye unto the Lord and whether he live or dye he may be the Lords Help him to improve that time that is yet remaining unto him in this world in the best manner to thy glory and to his eternal good make him seriously to minde the things that belong unto his everlasting peace and so to make up his accounts with thee
to cause the flame of thy love to burn and the streams of thy blood to run into thy peoples souls in thy holy Sacrament at thy Supper and hast enjoyned us by the authority of thy Command and encouraged us by the invitation of thy Love to make use thereof to the Glory of thy Mercy and the Eternal good of our Soules grant unto us and to all thy people that in al holy and awfull obedience to thy command and all thankfull and dear observance of thy Love we may make an holy and conscionable use of that thy holy Ordinance upon all occasions conveniencies that thou offerest us that we may neither violate thy great and dreadfull Authority nor despise thy great wonderful mercy let the apprehension of the greatnesse of thy heavenly blessings discharge us from al worldly impediments let us not harken unto the occasions or pleas of dross and dung to keep us from the pursuit of thy heavenly treasures let no prohibitions from earth prevaile against the calls of heaven let no civility towards men make us commit sinfull iniquity against thee our God in the neglect of the Celestiall banquet when the King sumons us let not vassalls detain us let us not commit such Idolatry with any relation or dignities as to prefer our respects to them before our duties to thee let us not dare to be so impudent as to bring dust and ashes in competition with thee nor prize the vain societies of sinners before the holy Communion Fellowship with thee our Saviour with thy Angells thy heavenly Stsand thy holy people in that thy sacred Ordinance much less O Lord let us not once dare to think of preferring Sathan and sinne before Christ and heaven so as to keep away from those thy great Mysteries mercies because we are loath to part from any beloved sin when a Saviour calls let not our greatest and thy vilest enemies prevaile with us to keep away but make us willing to part with the dearest bosome-corruptions that we may partake of thy heavenly benediction divorce our souls from all iniquity that we may contract our selves unto thee in that thy marriage Feast and Solemnity let not any blessings that thou hast bestowed upon us in earthly things make us to forget the dependance we have upon thee for them or the great need we have of thy heavenly mercie neither let any advancements that thou hast given us teach us to despise thee or to neglect the pursuit of those celestial dignities which thou offerest us in Christ Jesus but the more thou doest blesse us the more make us to serve thee and the more thou hast exalted us the more make us to exalt honour thee the higher thou hast made us above others in the dignities of this world the more let us labour to get above others in spiritual dignities and make us alwayes to esteem it our greatest honour to honour serve thee and to enjoy thy favour Let not idleness or sloath or servile fear discourage us or betray us to the neglect of those great inestimable advantage that thou offerest unto us in that thy blessed Ordinance for our eternal good but make us action and diligent lively and fervent in our holy addresses unto thee to think no pains no industry too much to get heaven and eternal life-Oh let not our sinns though great and many affright us from thee because we are unworthy of thee but let the humble sense of them drive us to thee because we have great need of thee and the more and the greater our diseases are the more earnest speed let us make unto thee who art the great Physician of our soules whose blood is balsome for the most deadly wounds who hath both the skill and the will to cure and to heal the most desperate diseases of those that with penitent hearts seek unto thee for recovery and relief let al our weaknesses send us unto thee for strength let all our wants drive us unto thee for supply let all our sorrows dispatch us unto thee for comfort let all our afflictions hasten us unto thee for redresse let all our dangers make us fly unto thee for refuge and shelter and let the sense of that death and hell which is due unto us for our iniquities move us to seek life and heaven in thee which thou offerest unto us by thy heavenly mercies who callest not those that are perfect or righteous but sayest Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Oh God we are heavy laden with our unsupportable load and burden of sins ready to press us down unto the nethermost hell if we be not supported by thy heavenly goodness make us to labour under this load with a contrite broken spirit that we may find eternal rest in thee Let me not be so foolish as to seek excuses to divert me from thee who art the summe of all my felicity neither suffer me to hearken unto any that may put me off or delay me from thee But make me watchful against all impediments and prevident beforehand for all advantages that may promote and expedite my holy addresses unto thee at thy heavenly Table and active in the use of all other means of my spiritual good and in all offices of thy Divine Worship whereby I may glorify thee or benefit my soul or maintain and further the enjoyment of an holy communion with thee and thy faithfull people Make me to come unto thee as the hungry unto food As the thirsty unto the waters As the sick unto the Physician As a poor drowning soul into the ark of thy mercy As a weather-beaten Ship-wrack passenger into a far and a sase harbour As a poore needy wretch unto a rich treasure And be thou all in all unto me let me seek thee earnestly and receive me graciously through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Psal 42.1 c. As the Hart panteth after the water Brooks so longeth my soul after thee O God My Soul is a thirst for God even for the living God Oh when shall I come and appear before God Psal 63.1 c. Oh God thou art my God early will I seek thee My soul thirsteth for thee my flesh also longeth after thee in a barren and dry land where no water is Thus have I looked for thee in holinesse that I might behold thy power and glory For thy loving kindness is better than the life it self my lips shall praise thee As long as I live will I magnify thee on this manner and lift up my hands in thy name My Soul shall be satisfied as with marow and fatness when my mouth praiseth thee with joyfull lips A Prayer for the preparation to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper OH my God thou art a great God and I am a poor inconsiderable wretch a poore vile lump of dust and clay and thou art a Glorious God incomprehensible in thy