their owne perdition all their plots snares and pittes to catch themselues is not this maruelous in our eyes But the truth is great and it preuaileth It is the Lord that hath doone this great thing It is hee that driueth backe the heauen and that planteth his church it is he that destroyeth the aduersaries maketh his own people to grow it is he that giueth strength vnto his people blesseth vs with peace Why then doe the foolish heathen thus rage why do these peeuish people murmure against the church of Christ in vaine When their hope was to haue preuailed with their peeuishly tearmed inuincible armie they stumbled and fell the hande of the iust God was against them and his mighty hand cast them into the bottome of the sea and with his power he confounded their deuise and howsoeuer they seeme to continue malicious and in a deepe desire to cut vs off and to dispeople vs let vs not feare but duely call vpon the name of God our head and husbande and hee will breake their bowes hee will shiuer their speares in sunder their owne swordes shall pearce themselues and their owne bullets shal rent themselues in peeces Let vs therefore continually fal downe before him in prayer and in due obedience vnto his worde submit our selues vnto his will and if hee will that wee suffer for his name and truethes sake let vs glorifie him in our sufferinges knowing this that a crowne of life is laide vp in store for as many as take his yoke with patience and faithfully endure vnto the ende If it please him hee can make warres to cease from one ende of the world to the other but if it be his pleasure to raise vp new euils against vs for our sinnes let vs acknowledge his iudgementes to be iust and our deserts to be vile And let vs serue him continually without feare of them that can but kill the body and can not annoy the soule then shall nothing seperate vs from this our Christ nor from the vnity of his Church neither tribulation nor anguish nor persecution nor famine nor nakednesse nor peril of the sword nor death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any creature neither Pope Spaniard Turke nor Infidell nothing shall seperate vs from the loue of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Let euerie member then of this true Church with all power and diligence endeuour to approoue himselfe by knowledge by faith by praier by humilitie and patient abiding the Lordes leasure in all thinges so will our louing God keepe vs vnder the shadowe of his winges and preserue vs as the apple of his eye that wee may grow vp bring forth fruite a thousand fold to the glorie of his name and whether by life or by death he hath decreed to glorifie vs let vs take either in all godlie obedience vnto his will and present our continuall praiers vnto his Maiestie for the comfort and preseruation of the vniuersall Church The Praier for the church of God to bee saide at all times and especially in daungers O Almightie God and euerliuing Father who hast vouchsafed to gather vnto thy self an holy companie out of all nations of the world whom thou hast most gloriously entituled with the names of thy Church thy spouse and thy members and whome also thou teachest louest and feedest whome also thou so tenderly considerest that howsoeuer the wicked euen thine enemies doe seeke to annoy it thou so defendest gardest blessest it that no haire of the head or the least member thereof falleth much lesse any one of that coÌ„panie perisheth or is troden down without thy prouidence Yet good father such is thy pleasure that while this companie shall dwell in earthly vessels it is as a ship tossed and tumbled with the cruel storms and dangerous waues of the sea of continuall persecutions subiect to often assaults of the enemie dashed sometime against the sword sometime beaten with slaunders backbitings reproches somtime to beatings buffettings crossings and sometime to massacres murthers and most cruell death It is neuer free from perill it is alwaies and by all meanes tryed There is no comfort no ioy no rest as long as it is in this life but in hope wayting patiently the comfortes and consolations in heauen It continually depainteth out the sufferings the crosses and ignominious course which Christ himselfe was forced to suffer here in earth In so much as it is made knowne to be thy Church by the continuall calamities which here in this life it endureth Good father thou seest how the heathen do rage and how the froward people of the earth do murmure against thee in these thy members how the Kinges of the earth band themselues the princes assemble and consult together against thee thy Christ and against his Church But make thy people strong in faith that we may breake their bands and cast their cordes from vs For saluation belongeth vnto thee and thy blessing is vpon thy people Thou seest O Lord thou seest how the wicked bende their bowes and make ready their arrowes that they may secretely shoote at thy children and to hit them that feare not But thou righteous Lord louest righteousnes thy countenance doth behold the iust and thine hand shal hold them vp Withdraw not therfore thy tender mercies from thy Church let thy mercie and thy trueth alway preserue it for thou seest that innumerable trobles are raised against it but send thou thy light and thy truth and let knowledge faith and true obedience in lowlines zeale lead it and by thy mightie hande preserue it in thy holy mountaine and let it alwaies rest in thy tabernacles furnish it with all ioye and gladnes gird it about with streÌ„gth Let it through thee be able to thrust back her aduersaries and in thy name tread downe such as rise vp against her Let thy church continually sing The Lord is my light my saluation whom shall I feare the Lord is the strength of my life of whom shal I be afraid In the time of trouble and daunger hide thy people in thy tabernacle in the secret place of thy pauilion hide them O Lord and set them vpon a sure rocke that when the wicked euen their enemies and their foes come vpon them to deuoure them let them stumble and fal Be thou our strength shield Thou giuest strength to thy people and blessest them with peace But good Father thou seest that the wicked furiously rage and endeuour to rush in vpon thy sanctuarie they imagine mischief against thy church and seeke by all meanes to deuour thine inheritance They lay snares O Lord to entrap thy spouse to dismember thy Christ. They take wicked counsaile and in deceit doe they worke all their diuises they â—â—y wait for the righteous companie and seeke to destroye them But they
my soule to faint O Out of the myry clay his hand raisd me and set me where I doe enioy a pleasant land he only set me there H He euen he that Daniels God who shut the Lyons iawes Rescues my soul frō dredful rod and from mens cruell pawes N Now will I sing vnto my rest my rock and fortresse sound Who holds me vp y t am opprest I els should fall to ground N No poore estate no fretting foe no crosses shall dismay My soule that sits al safe frō wo in God my sacred stay O Out of his storehouse he doth sēd what may releeue my thrall He brings my sorrows to an end and giues me ioy withall R Reliefe alone comes frō aboue our God is nigh at hand He poures his blessings down in loue he fructifies our land D Draw neere therefore afflicted wights he cals you for your ease Be wise auoid al humane slights he will your griefes appease E Encline thine eare ô father deere in loue releeue our need In Dauid Iob and Ioseph were thy mercies seene in deed N No end therof y e same remains thy mercies power and loue Are ready prest to ease my paines my help is from aboue A motion to a thankesgiuing in the morning IT is a necessary thing while we liue here that wee should bee continually exercised in a due contemplation of Gods mercies towardes vs and there is no time but necessarilie administreth vnto vs great and daylie occasions to celebrate the name of the Lord. If we looke into the day wherinto wee enter rising out of our beddes a thousand thinges open themselues vnto the viewe of our eyes whose glorie and beautie put vs in mind of our farre surpassing glorie to come as also of our frailtie and ignominie present For what are we of our selues in regard of the flowers of the fielde whose beautie and hew may make vs blush and indeede to tremble in respect of our casuall and short continuance here had wee not a certaine assurance of a more glorious estate to come for as we see the most sweete fragrant floure quicklie to fade as to grow in the morning gay and in the euening cut downe and withered and all other thinges to come speedilie to their end euen such is our estate if we consider the vncertaintie of our dayes which would soone haue an ende did not the mercies of the Lord and his comfortable hand conduct vs and holde vs vp For let vs consider how the want of our daylie sleepe doth annoy vs who can forbeare sleep one weeke nay for lesse while What thing is more tedious and irksome vnto the bodie than the want of dayly rest and what comforteth it more than the daylie vse and enioying thereof and what are we being possessed with heauines and drousines of the bodie and when we are cast into a dead sleepe are we not as dead men whose memorie hearing seeing and all other sences are cleane gone wherein we are seperated as it were from God and the world wee can neither think on God or good things we cannot doe any thing whereby to defend our selues from the least danger Let vs therefore this morning recount the light great fauour of our good God towards vs wherein euen this night he hath preserued vs from many casualties whereof there are many kinds by theeues and robbers by fire by suddaine sicknes Yea death seemeth to haue a hand fixed on vs which might easilie haue dispatched vs this night had not God preuented vs whose continuall help is so ready that euery morning doth witnesse his loue Let vs therfore reuerentlie fall downe and giue him condigne thankes for all his louing kindnes towards vs yea early now this morning let vs shew foorth the louing kindnes of the Lord. Psal. 92. 2. The Thanksgiuing in the morning O Lord I will praise thy name earlie now this morning will I glorifie thee who by thy louing protection hast so garded me that no euill hath taken hold of me this night Oh most high mightie and fauourable God the day is thine and the night is thine thou hast framed the day for vs to trauaile in and the night thou hast appointed for vs to rest in I giue thee most humble vnfained thankes good father for thine vnspeakeable mercies who hast not only giuen me my comfortable rest this night past but also hast kept me as it were vnder the shaddow of thy wings euen as the apple of thine owne eie And had I not bene defended by thee innumerable daungers had ouertaken mee If then hadst not raised mee vp this morning I should not haue bene able to rise but haue perished in my bed O great is thy mercy towards me far surpassing my deserts for it is thy hand good Father that hath this night preserued me from perishing Therfore lift I vp mine eyes euen to the heauens from whence I haue obtained this safetie Yea betimes in the morning I wil call vpon thee that thy mercies may euermore preserue mee and ouershaddow me that no euill either of soule or bodie hurt mee and graunt that thy most sacred protection may alwayes preuent al the secrete and open euils which hang ouer my head Giue me thy spirit of wisedome and reuelation this morning that I may know thee and serue thee Lighten the eies of mine vnderstanding that I may knowe thy will and according vnto the same frame all mine actions this day and graunt also that I may finde how excellent thou art in thy power how sweete thou art in thy mercies and in performing thy promises wherin thou continuallie workest to the comfort defence and releefe of all such as come vnto thee O Lord increase our faith A motion to an Euening Prayer THe day being now past the light of y e sun being ouershaddowed with darkenes let vs consider that euen so there will come the daye wherein the light of our bodilie eies shall be shut vp not for a night as in the bed through a slumber but vntil the appearance of Christ in his glorie comming to iudgement And forasmuch as al things for the most part at this time betake them to their rest man is limitted this time to cease from his labours It is our duties especially to betake vs into the gracious protection of our good God submitting vs our bodies and soules to his tuitiō that if it be his pleasure to touch vs this night with the finger of death we may be so readilie prepared that we bee not taken at vnawares but that wee may haue the light of the lamp of a faithfull expectation of that blessed houre burning continuallie in our hearts which may awaken vs out of the deadly slumber of securitie whereby otherwise we shall be so darkened that we shall perish not onlie in our beds for a time but in our soules and bodies for euer And surely in this danger
aduersarie that shee thy seruant and we thy people her subiects may still shew our selues thankefull vnto thee for thy protection and couet more and more to serue thee in all truth and holy zeale as becoÌ„meth vs in al things graunt these things good Father in the merites of Jesus Christ our sauiour in whom as thou art well pleased bee pleased to blesse preserue and direct our Queene to comfort defend support vs and either to bring our enemies to a perfect peace in imbracing thy truth with vs or to confound their deuises and power for euer Amen Oh Lord increase our faith A short Confession of our Sinnes MOst gracioâ—s God and louing Father in Jesus Christ pure and holye I Confesse vnto thee mine vnrighteousnes which maketh mee vnworthie to come before thee not onely in regard of mine originall corruption which I traduced from disobedient Adam But in regard of my continuall sinnes and actuall euils which I daylye commit against thee whereby I can not but become offensiue vnto thee and euer loâ—â—â—â—me in thy sacred eyes But a â—s such is mine estate being considered as it is in and of my selfe that I can bring forth no better fruites then the tree of Adams disobedience whose rootes as they are sinne so beare they sinne in me and consequently procure death and destruction But deare Father as by Adam sinne entred and tooke hold of him selfe and all his posteritie So by thy Sonne we are all Justified by our adoption into his righteousnesse of thy free loue If wee take hold of thy promises in him and become obedient as hee is obedient vnto thee And therefore deare Father howsoeuer our corruptions as they are in vs of our selues haue be wrapped vs in bondage to sinne and death let thy Sonnes merites bee vnto vs a sufficient ransome for our euerlasting libertie not onely to come freely vnto the throne of thy grace but in the ende to obtaine the ioyes eternal with him in heauen Amen O Lord increase our faith A motion to a Prayer for the forgiuenes of our sinnes HAuing thus cast our selues downe before our God in true humilitie wherein wee haue acknowledged that we are so polluted with sins and so tyed with the chaines of death that there is no euasion or meane in our selues or by our selues to escape the snares of Sathan that lurketh lik a roaring Lyon seeking whoÌ„ he may deuoure We must now endeuor to findout the meane how to be made at one with and be reconciled vnto our God againe Wherin thus much we are first to consider that as by Adam all men haue sinned and haue deserued death by sinne euen so by Christ we are clensed from sinne and stand againe in the fauour of God the father by faith in him Whom also we haue to be an Advocat to God our heauenly father and he it is that obtaineth pardon for all our sinnes It is the passion and most innocent death of Iesus Christ the immaculate Lambe which is a sufficient reconciliation for our offences And therfore he saith If any man sinne he hath an Advocate with the father euen Iesus Christ the righteous That is if any man acknowledge his offences truely before God and that he is sinfull impure and corrupt and doeth faithfullie submit himselfe vnto the fauour of God in Christ without standing to iustifie himself righteous Such a one hath the benifite of Christes death and such a one shal be partaker of the deserts of Christ wherin he shall obtaine pardon for all his sinnes But he that will not thus throw himselfe downe before the Lorde and crie out against his owne vnworthynes and say that he is a sinner and vnable of himselfe to obtaine remission of sins there is no place of mercy for such a one For Christ came to call not y e righteous such as were in their owne conceit holy pure iust and without sinne but sinners such as did so confesse acknowledge theÌ„ selues to repentance Such sinners as are sorie for their sinnes repent them of their euils such Christ himselfe calleth saying Come vnto me Al ye that labour and are heauy laden and I wil ease you Our God is patient and wold haue no man perish but woulde that al men shuld come to repentance And therefore hee sent his sonne Christ Jesus to giue himselfe a ransome for all that repent and truely beleeue in him We were in bondage and captiuitie and he most franckly tooke vpon him to ransome vs with a great price euen his bloud which bloud he shed for many for the remission of sinnes not for all but for such as truly repent amend their liues for they that runne on still in their sinnes howsoeuer they flatter themselues they are left vnto themselues and the merits of Christ worke not for them his death to them is none aduantage And we therefore must take heed left that we deceiue our selues with this that he is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world And that thereby euery man in the world is so included euery mans sins by him so taken away without repentance that we haue scope to sinne because hee taketh it away But wee must take hold of his merits by faith which faith will worke in vs a detestation of sinne and adeâ—â—re to reforme euill in our selues and to be reconciled vnto God in amendment of lyfe For it appeareth that the whole world was polluted and defiled with sinne and that the whol world naeded a meane to be cured of that great miserie and to that end came Christ men to saue all that repent and beleeue the Gospel to such is the glad tidyinges of saluation sent as well vnto the Gentile as to the Jewe to the bond as to the free to all people and nations of the world Wherein appered the vnspeakeable loue of God not that we loued him first but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes It was he that bare our sins in his body on the tree that being dead to sinne should liue in righteousnesse by whose stripes wee are healed Being then healed of this deadlie euil euen of death it selfe let vs speedily repent vnto our good God in hartie repentance casting aside and gâ—uing ouer all the deceitfull workes of darkenesse and let vs pray that he will vouchsafe vs forgiuenes of our sins wherein of long time we haue liued Let vs be earnestlie sorrie that wee haue spent the time past of our liues after the lusts of the Gentiles licentiously and wickedly in wantonnes in lusts drunkenesse gluttony couetousnes in abhominable I do latrie To day if we will heare his voice let vs not harden our hearts But hauing laid open our weaknesse and infirmities with an ardent desire to reforme our liues let vs boldly approch vnto our mercifull God who seeing
and bee in the end crowned with the glorious merites of thy Sonne in heauen Amen O Lord increase our faith For the kingdom of God THe God of blis Who faithfull is His sacred word doth send To teach vs all On him to call And to his lawes attend His kingdome pure Which shall indure For euer doth begin In those that know How here below To mortifie their sinne And they that will Imbrace with skill The way that traines to blis Shall quickly see That they shall bee Reformde from things amiâ— O God aboue Looke thou in loue On all that long to see Thy sauing health Thy heauenly wealth And glorious kingdome free Thy kingdome show To vs below That wander here awâ—y Direct our feete Thy statutes sweete To vs thy folke discrie Oh be not slacke But what we lacke With speede let vs obtaine For thou doest feede Such as haue neede Thou dost no poore disdaine A short Prayer for the obtaining of the kingdome of God OH Father mercifull euerlasting be mercifull vnto vs and giue vnto vs a feeling of thy blessed will open vnto vs the waye of true knowledge prepare our steppes to walke a right that in all the course of our liues we may be guided aright and sauour more of heauenly then of earthly thinges And let our whole delight be to meditate righteousnesse Let vs imbrace equitie and execute iustice let vs abounde in loue mercie sanctitie and true holines furnish vs largely with al spiritual graces wherby we may continually seeke thine euerlasting kingdome and practise the righteousnesse thereof for euermore illuminate our vnderstandinges by thy spirit and let thy word be our whole comfort and the vse thereof our continuall delight And abandon from our thoughts all superfluous cares of worldly thinges that we may shew our selues by a continuall holye meditation of thee and things aboue may vse the thinges of this life as if we vsed them not knowing this and assuring our selues by thy promises that if we seeke and couet to haue our conuersation on things spirituall all carnall thinges expedient shall be giuen vs by thee to whom be praise for euer Amen O Lord increase our faith A short Prayer for Mortification OH Lord mightie and mercifull who didst create man in the beginning simple sincere pure and without sinne in which is innocencie he then represented thine owne image who art pure and without spot of sinne yet such was man that he fel from thee by disobedience whereby hee corrupted his waies and became farre vnlike vnto thee defiled with all vanities wherein alas we all of vs wallow the most with greedinesse and all in ouermuch neglect of our duties wherefore most deare fâ—ther in Jesus Christ create in vs new thoughts new affections and new wils shape in vs true obedience that we all may mortifie and kill all sinne and vaine inclinations which in vs rise vp against thee Let sinne no longer heare rule in vs But let thy grace more and more abounde that all that wee doe thinke or speake may be sauouring of our godly desires of heauen and heauenly things And let all earthly and carnall delightes become of no price in our heartes that so we may bee approued not onely before men to bee as wee ought but to thee to be as thou requirest in Christ Jesus our Lord. O Lord increase our faith A most necessarie Motion to a Prayer tending to the comforte and preseruation of the Church of Christ worthy to bee dulye considered in these dayes THere is none so ignorant I trust but well knoweth and is fully satisfied that our good God by the operation of the Spirite through the preaching of his woorde hath gathered together a greate multitude of people out of all partes of the worlde whome hee hath endued with the knowledge of himselfe and whom he hath chosen sincerely to serue him to call on his holy name and to celebrate his praises in this worlde which companie of people though farre and neere scattered hee hath so vnited and knit together in one faith in one baptisme and in one sincere course of doctrine taught and left vnto vs by Christ our sauiour That he our sauiour disdaineth not to call them his Church in whome hee will bee serued and in whose hearts and soules hee vouchsafeth to dwell euen by his holy spirite hee disdaineth not to accept this Church as his spouse and wife affording himselfe to be her husband he is the head and this faithfull companie the meÌ„bers This church of God is holy it is sanctified in Christ Iesus and euery member thereof is a saint by calling Whosoeuer is of this fellowshippe and companie is trulie ioyned vnto that head Christ Jesus is so seperated from the wicked that he liueth in Christ and Christ in him And forasmuch as we al know that Christ our sauiour when he came in the flesh and beeing present in the world though he were Lord of all became as a seruant humbling himselfe and was of no reputation among men but was scorned derided whipped spit at and in most base manner abused and at last hee was crucified yet was hee pure innocent stedfast patient faithfull and did loue his enemies and prayed for them All this he did and suffered to the end that his Church and euerie member thereof should learne of this their head and be guided by this their husband how and in what course to carrie themselues in this present world And for that man of himselfe is ignorant and weake â—he hath left his owne example for his children to follow and his spirit to guide this his Church that it steppe not aside to an vnknowne husband But that in all obedience they shoulde performe what hee commandeth and carefully auoid what he forbiddeth Christ beeing now ascended and sitting in the heauens at the right hand of his father hath left this his Church as his image heere in earth to be scorned scoffed whipped afflicted persecuted eueÌ„ massacred murthered and spoyled by the enemies of his crosse And euerie member of this Church must lay downe his account before hand and reckon what it will cost him and he shall finde that it will amount vnto no lesse than persecution trouble enemies and euen death it self if he wil truely follow his maister Christ. And this portion is the very badge whereby his Church and the true members therof are known It is the touch stone and triall of our professions And to the ende that wee may the more exactly follow him hee commandeth vs to forsake our seâ—ues and to take vp his crosse and patientlie abide and beare whatsoeuer triall shall be laid on vs by his enemies who if they spared not him being the head they will not forbeare the members If they called him euen our maister Belzabub what reproch will they not giue vs if they crucified the Lord of glory much more will