pulled out it can doe no harme therefore giue me the wisdome of thy Spirit that I may pull out the sting of death which is sin then death shall not affright mee for as death to the wicked is dismall and packeth to hell so to the godly it is amiable and passeth their soules to heauen grant then deare God that death may be to mee as to all thy Saints seruants the gate to life the end of sinning and sorrowing and the passage of my poore soule to life and glory euerlasting O Lord grant I may euer haue death in mine eie that I may euermore desire it abhor it neuer that I may neuer doe any one act but that I durst doe if I were now dying and called to thy strict tribunall to giue an account for it in my person thus grant mee grace to liue in thy feare and dye in thy fauour and obtaine that blessednesse spoken of in the Reuelations Reuel 14.13 Blessed are they that dye in the Lord thus prepare me for the first death and saue mee from the second in the merits of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer for a woman in Child-birth MY most louing gracious God thy power is mighty and thy goodnesse answerable to them that feare thee thou art so potent as thou canst doe more than euer thou wilt doe from feare and danger thou canst and wilt deliuer all those that put their trust in thy mercy thus thou sauedst Sydrach frō the fire Dan. 3.27 and didst diuide the Sea to saue the house of Iacob from the host of Pharaoh Exod. 14.28 Lord I beseech thee saue me from my present danger of Child-bearing and bring mee safely through my present straight and miserie thou O Lord that canst make hard things easie shew now thy might and mercy vpon mee Matth. 19.26 that which is impossible with man is easie with thee to bee accomplished I confess O my God that the woman was first in the transgression and therefore this was her iudgment that in sorrow should shee bring forth yet notwithstanding euen through child-bearing she being truely humbled for her sinne shall bee saued 1 Tim. 2.15 if she continue in faith with holinesse Giue me O Lord to rest comfortably vpon thee for deliuerance Lord grant I may cleaue vnto thee in the extreamitie of my paines If I perish Lord I will perish in thy bosome Lord moderate my torments remember Lord I am but dust vnable to beare thy heauy displeasure for my sinne lay no more vpon mee than thou wilt inable mee comfortably to beare thus good Lord blesse me in my soule in my body in the fruit of my wombe for Iesus Christs sake Amen A Prayer after Child-birth MY most deare gracious God whereas thou hast commanded me to call vpon thee in the day of trouble and vpon deliuerance to glorifie thy Name O Lord according to my bounden duty from the bottome of my heart I desire to magnifie thy Name for that thou hast thus graciously preserued mee from paine and peril of Child-birth let me neuer O Lord forget this thine vnspeakable goodnesse and mercy but let it lead mee into all obedience as I liue yet by thee giue mee grace to liue vnto thee and the praise of thy great Name I thanke thee also gracious God for that thou hast made me a ioyfull mother of children good Lord grant I may labour to bring them vp in thy holy feare that as I am an instrument of their generation which is sinfull and damnable so make mee an happy instrument of their regeneration without which neither I nor they can euer see thy Kingdome O God And good Lord I pray thee grant that I may also submit vnto my husband in all due obedience according to thy will that I may be a comfort vnto him liuing faithfully louingly chastly and godlily with him till death vs depart that so thy blessing may bee vpon him my selfe my children and family from this time forth for euermore Amen A Prayer for the Traueller by land ALmighty GOD by whose prouidence all things are directed supported and preserued I pray thee blesse mee in mine out-goings and incommings make I pray thee this my iourney prosperous vnto mee keepe me from sinning and bad society and that by the watch of grace keepe mee also from all outward perills from perill of theeues peril by beasts perill by lightning Psal 91.12 and from dashing my foot at any time against a stone and that by the watch of thy holy and heauenly Angels And good Father as thou didst goe with Iacob and defend him in his long perillous voyage to Laban Cen. 35.3 and didst bring him safely backe againe so I pray thee preserue mee in this my iourney from all dangers bodily and ghostly and bring mee safe home againe to my friends and family for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Praier for the traueller by Sea O Most mercifull gracious heauenly Father I beseech thee in this my dangerous voyage by Sea to prosper defend mee Lord make it profitable and aduantageable vnto mee to this end I pray thee direct my course with safety and giue mee fauourable and conuenient winds defend mee from raging tempests that they may not ouerturne mee saue mee from all dangerous rocks and sands that they may not despoile mee keepe me safe also from piraticall and tyrannous enemies that they may neuer preuaile against me To this end Lord giue me and my whole company to bee constant and instant in praier with thee to spend our houres in hearing and reading thy holy and heauenly Word to flye and shun all euill and when I come to the hauen where I would be Lord giue mee to praise thee for my safe arriuall and saue mee from the sins of the place and people whither I goe and let me not bee corrupted or peruerted by them but grant by my good counsel and holy conuersation I may labour the conuersion of them which mercy if thy Maiesty shall vouchsafe to grant I shall more reioyce in heart than if I had won the whole world And good Lord I pray thee giue mee a safe and timely returne with credit profit comfort that so I tasting of thy mercies in this life I may not faile of saluation when I die and that for Iesus Christs sake Amen A Prayer for the Church O Most glorious mercifull Lord God I pray thee for thy mercies sake behold from heauen thy Church and people honor them Lord that honour thee and confound them that rise vp against thee great is our present misery the earth and world throughout good Lord saue thy seruants from the hands of all their enemies thy Church is euery where despised and despighted and trodden vnder foot of the wicked of the world O Lord sleepe not but arise in thy power and let all thine and our soes bee scattered Giue O Lord thy Gospell a free passage for the
thee nor presume to sinne vpon expectation of thy pardon what greater abuse of thy mercie than this can there be Rom. 2.4 thy mercy should lead mee from my sins vnto repentance not from repentance vnto sinne Lord with griefe of heart I doe mournfully confesse before thee that I haue too too much presumed in bold and wilful sinning against thee vpon hope of pardon from thee Lord humble me more and more for this my most dangerous sinne and offence and let it not bee mee but sinne in me whensoeuer I sin against thee LORD aboue all things saue me from an impudent and shamelesse soule saue mee from sinning against thee with so high an hand in so great a measure that my chiefest care being to master sinne in this life it may bee thy good will and pleasure to free mee from damnation in the world to come for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer against the Plague O Lord my God most mighty and glorious whereas thy gracious promise is Psal 91.4.7 to saue mee from plague and pestilence to hide mee vnder thy wings and to keep me safe vnder thy feathers thousands shall fall on my right hand and ten thousand on my left and no plague shall come neere my dwelling Lord for thy mercies sake saue me from this wrath of thine and euermore defend mee And heauenly Father I pray thee to this end purge my soule from the leprosie of sinne the cause of all thy iudgments present and to come this fearfull affliction neuer commeth but alwaies some or other sin procuring it foure great and grieuous plagues thou sentest against the house of Israel foure lamentable sinnes procuring the same as bellicheare Num. 11. Num. 16. Num. 25. 2 Sam. 24. contempt of thy Ministers fornicating and putting confidence in the arme of flesh for victorie O Lord preserue mee and this whole nation from these and al other transgressions that so iniquity may neuer be our destruction Thus I most humbly beseech thee saue me from sins iudgments in this life from euerlasting damnation in the world to come for Iesus sake Amen A Prayer against the Sword ALmighty and most merciful Father great are thy iudgments and fearefull thy punishments appointed for sinners yea for thine owne people if they sinne against thee though thou wilt in the Lord IESVS spare them in thine euerlasting loue from an euerlasting damnation yet if they bee bold to sinne thou wilt lash them with a temporary correction as thou didst threaten thine owne people Israel Ezek. 21.4 that thou wouldest draw thy Sword and cut off the righteous with the wicked O Lord I beseech thee saue me from this fearfull miserie let the sword of thy law pierce and humble mee that the sword of thy iudgments may neuer ouertake me I blesse thee O Lord God for peace in our borders wee haue no howling in our gates no complaining in our streets Psal 144.14 no leading into captiuity no defiling of Temple and City blessed are the people that are so happy are they that haue thee O Lord for their God O Lord God giue mee and the whole nation grace to repent with Nineve of all our sinnes Iâ—â— 3.10 that so wee may neuer bee deuoured by the sword but in peace if it bee meet for thy glory and the good of thy church we may passe to peace and glory euerlasting Amen A Prayer against Famine O Most mighty and most glorious Lord God I beseech thee saue me from miserie and destruction which iustly for my sinnes might come vpon me O Lord in particular I pray thee for thy mercies sake preserue me from famine and perishing by hunger that ruefull iudgment and of all deaths the most miserable vnder the Sun for none like staruing to death Lord grant I may daily dye vnto my sinnes that for them I may neuer in this terrible iudgment die how heauie is it to my soule the remembrance of that distressed woman 2 Kings 6.28 who in that famine of Samaria complained to her King That her neighbour shared with her in the eating of her child but she could not againe haue part with her neighbour a lamentable complaint a distresse most miserable O Lord of thy goodnes saue mee and this nation from the same And as we would be spared from these thy dismall iudgments so Lord grant wee may labor to be freed from our wicked and abominable transgressions wee haue abused thy creatures vnto vanity and thy comfortable mercies vnto riot and excesse it were iust with thee to fulfill that heauy sentence vpon vs Hee that hath not it shall bee taken away that which he hath he that hath not to a good and holy vse it shall bee taken away that which he hath O Lord haue mercy vpon mee and deliuer me from famine in this life and destruction in the next to come for Iesus Christ his sake Amen A Prayer for grace in generall O Eternall GOD and my most mercifull heauenly Father who art Author and finisher of my faith from whom euery good and perfect gift descendeth I most humbly intreat thee to sanctifie my soule with thy holy and heauenly grace especially with those excellent gifts of thy holy Spirit spoken of by thine holy Apostle Peter proper onely to thine elect and chosen as faith vertue knowledge patience temperance godlines brotherly kindnesse loue for if these things be in me and abound I shall neuer fall into the ditch of hell Lord let me not do mine own wil but giue mee alwaies to bee guided by the motions of thine holy Spirit into all truth let it bee my meat and drinke the obedience of thy word grant I may finde out that old and good way Ier. 6.16 the way of thy feare and grace that walking in it constantly and conscionably I may finde euerlasting peace and rest to my soule O Lord giue me to loath sinne as the greatest enemy of my soule for the wages of sinne is death but the gift of thee O my God is eternall life Rom. 6.23 through my Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ If I bee not borne twice better it had beene for mee neuer to haue beene borne except I repent I perish Luke 13.3 Lord who shall dwell in thy holy Tabernacle euen hee that leadeth an incorrupt life for no vncleane thing shall enter into thy kingdome vnsanctified vnsaued and without holinesse I can neuer see thee O God therefore I beseech thine holy and heauenly maiesty to mortifie sinne in mine earthly members and to renew mee in soule and body giue me O my God a new minde new will new affections new thoughts new words new waies all new for he that is a member of the Lord Iesus is thus become a new creature O Lord euermore delight my soule with holinesse and let thy feare preserue mee alwaies from euill thus giue mee I pray thee to liue purely in some good measure in this life that I
confesse with a heauy heart O Lord that I grow but poorely in the power and might of grace Lord quicken mee Lord abound thy graces in mee Ioh. 6.12 thou that madest bread grow double thy graces in mee as that oile increased 2 King 4.6 Lord increase the oile of thy graces within mee Ioh. 2.7 as those water pots were filled so fill my soule with thy goodnesse euen vp to the brim and let my cup runne ouer with thine euer-flowing mercies that hereby I may bee made more able to serue thee in holinesse and also more assured of euerlasting happinesse in Christ Iesus to whom thou gauest the Spirit without measure to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit bee all glorie returned now and for euermore Amen A Prayer for perseuerance in Grace MY most deare gracious GOD many are the troubles of the righteous and those that truely profess thy feare Name haue man and deuill against them for Cain wil hate Abel for good and Ismael mock Isaac for God thus they persecuted the Lord Iesus and the Prophets O Lord hereupon I pray thee giue mee magnanimity and courage that nothing may draw me from thy law thy loue thy feare grant I may hold the faith to the death Reuel 2.10 that so I may haue a crowne of life for hee that endureth to the end Matth. 10.22 the same shall be saued but reuolters and back-sliders shall goe vnder the earth and great shall be their torment in hell Giue me to look vpon the constancy and courage of thy holy Martyrs who went as cheerefully to the flame as to a delicate feast my blessed Sauiour suffered ten thousand times more for mee than I can doe for him therefore grant that I may lose my life rather than thy loue for hee that will saue his life shall lose it and hee that loseth his life for thy Names sake shall euerlastingly saue it Come then torment come torture come what will come come welcome nothing shal separate me from my Lord Iesus O Lord giue me to this end to bee sincere in thy seruice to be increased in thy graces to be inflamed with the loue of thy Law and zeale of thy glory to consider the disgrace that is done to thy truth by reuolting and the danger of back-sliding and the incomparable glory laid vp in heauen for those that defend thy faith with their dearest blood that so I may neuer bee daunted at whatsoeuer torment but passe couragiously and cheerefully through the same to life and glory euerlasting in the might and merit of the Lord Iesus thy Sonne my Sauiour Amen A Prayer for preparation to the Sacrament O Almighty and most gracious Lord God great is thy mercy and rare is thy loue to mortal and miserable man in that thou hast not onely giuen him thy Word to beget faith but also the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord Iesus to seal him to life and saluation good Lord I pray thee so addresse my soule and prepare my heart that I may receiue the same thy holy and heauenly ordinance to my comfort not condemnation 1 Cor. 11.29 for whosoeuer eateth and drinketh vnworthily eateth drinketh his own condemnation therefore holy Father grant I may neuer come to this thy holy table without the wedding garment without holy and due preparation prepare then deare God my heart hereunto especially in these six and seuerall Graces First I beseech thee grant that I may come with knowledge knowledge of my self knowledge of my blessed Sauiour Iesus knowledge of this most reuerend ordinance and of the holy vse of the same that I may graciously and wisely distinguish that bread Sacramentall from bread at home it prefiguring the Lord Iesus that Bread of my soule that came from heauen Secondly grant I may come with humiliation of soule for the Lords breakings heale none but the broken heart contrite soule If I cannot roar for my sinnes that killed the Lord Iesus the roarings of the Lord Iesus cannot ease me Againe prepare me by faith to rest vpon thy Son for mercy and forgiuenesse If my heart be thus humbled for sin what shall hinder me to beleeue for thy grace in Christ Iesus is giuen only to the humble therfore grant as my mouth eateth the bread my soule by faith answerably may bee comforted by the merits of Christ Iesus Fourthly I beseech thee to giue me sound repentance to die to sinne to liue to my blessed Redeemer in holinesse and righteousness all the daies of my life Fiftly giue mee a thankfull heart to thy sweet Maiesty for the redemption of my poore soule in the merits of thy Sonne Lastly giue me loue to my brethren as thou hast pardoned my sins so giue mee thy grace that I may freely and heartily pardon those that haue offended me and wish the holy Sacrament as effectuall vnto them as mine owne soule Lord grant vnto me all these my requests for the honor of thy great name in the worthy merits of the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer for the Gospels continuance MOst holy heauenly Lord God of all thy mercies vouchsafed to thy Church on earth none like that of thy word therefore it is said by thine Apostle shewing the prerogatiue of the Iew aboue the Gentile that to them were committed the oracles Rom. 3.2 of God as though thy Law was the principall of thy blessings their preferments I pray thee then good Father continue thy Word Sacraments vnto vs of this nation and our posterities after vs till Iesus come in the clouds to iudgement To this end Lord giue vs that wee may walk in the light while the light thus clearely shineth vnto vs Reuel 2.5 lest for our contempt and prophaneness thy candlestick be remoued from vs whatsoeuer iudgement thou wilt please to afflict thy Church withall Lord saue vs from the famine of thy Word the famine of bread brings but a bodily death but that of thy Word brings perpetuall destruction to body and soule O Lord also continue good and faithfull Pastors Teachers of thy Flocke grant a bright shining Lampe to euery candlesticke and an able instructor to euery Congregation that many hereby may bee drawen from darknes to light from the power of sinne and Sathan to the knowledge and saluation of thee O God for thy mercies sake in the Lord Iesus Amen A Prayer for preparation to Death O Lord God most mighty and glorious seeing I am of a mortall condition and the time of my death vncertaine and as I am found in death so shall I bee in iudgement if in sin impenitent condemned then for euer if vigilant in godlines then imbraced to heauenly saluation Good Lord grant I may prepare for this day and so liue here as I may liue with thee in heauen for euer 1 Cor. 15.56 Death is a Scorpion and the sting of this Scorpion is sin now if the sting of a scorpion be
thy Sabbath on earth Grant I may deale with no worldly thing on this thy day that I may go to thy Temple and returne to mine house and make no other walke on this thy day that I may not doe or looke vpon any vaine pastimes on this thy day And good Lord stirre vp mine heart to blesse thy Name for so blessed and happie a day wherein thine heauenly instructions are imparted to my soule Did not this day shine in thine ordinance most graciously vpon me all the daies of the weeke yea all the daies of my life would bee dismall vnto me Lord continue this thine holy day to the comming of the Lord Iesus in the clouds to iudgment for thy mercies sake sweet LORD Amen A Prayer against Idle words MOst glorious and blessed heauenly Father whereas thou hast shewen vnto mee from thy heauenly Word Matth. 12.36 That of euery idle word that men shall speake account shall bee giuen at the day of iudgment O GOD of thy great goodnesse and mercy so possesse me with thy power of grace that I may alwaies say with thy good and godly seruant Dauid Psal 39.1 I will take heed vnto my waies that I offend not in my tongue Lord if I speake 1 Pet. 4.11 giue mee that I may speak as thy holy word prescribes mee holily profitably to the glorification of thy great Name the edification of the hearers consolation of mine owne soule Moderate I beseech thee the rudenesse and rashnes of my tongue it is but a little member Iames 3.5 8. but Lord I confesse a very hard thing for me to rule tame grant therefore I may set a watch ouermore before the doore of my lippes Psal 41.3 that no vanity may bee vttered the tongue in the originall signifieth glory Lord grant that I therby may glorifie thy great and godly name O Lord giue me neuer to speake but holily modestly heauenly that I may in the end for euer in heauen with the same my tongue sing a most ioyfull and glorious Halleluiah to thee O blessed Lord God and to the Lambe the Lord Iesus for euermore Amen A Prayer against euill Thoughts MY most holy and heauenly LORD GOD I pray thee in and for the Lord Iesus to reforme mine erroneous nature and sanctifie my most sinful and polluted soule Lord cleanse my heart within and then the outside shall be cleane also It is not O Lord that which goeth into man that defileth a man Matth. 15.19 but that which commeth out of man that defiles him for out of the heart commeth murther adultery and other vncleane euils O my deare and blessed heauenly Father purge the fountaine and the riuer shal be cleane purge mine heart from vaine and euil thoughts and lusts then shall my mouth praise thee and mine actions bee in some measure sutable to thy holy will O Lord Pâ—ou 4.23 giue me to keep mine heart with all diligence for therout commeth life if I keepe it not with all diligence thereout wil come death that is sinne whose wages is death Giue mee my blessed Sauiour to keepe a narrow watch ouer my thoughts that no wicked thought profane lust or vngodly desire may nestle in my soule Wisd 1.9 for inquisition shal be made for the very thoughts of the vngodly Lord grant then that the thoughts of my heart may bee alwaies holy and heauenly that so my soule being taken vp with holy meditations and heauenly contemplations here I may bee admitted to that most excellent glorie of heauen purchased in the blood of the LORD IESVS to whom with thee and thine holy Spirit my soule in her best thoughts desire to render all glory in all reuerence now and for euermore Amen A Praier against disobedience to Parents O Almighty God as thou hast promised long and happy life to those that honor their Father and Mother Exod. 20.12 so is it most certaine that disobedient children shall not escape thy fearefull vindicts and iudgments for hee that disobeyeth his father or mother the Rauens of the vallies shall pick out his eies and deuoured shal he be of the young Eagles Prou. 30.17 O Lord giue mee to consider that I receiued from my Parents my being my maintenance mine education how then shall I sufficiently expresse my dutie vnto them better neuer beene borne than to contemne or neglect them by whom I had my being O good God blesse my parents sanctifie them giue them thy mercies in this life thy saluation in the next and me thy grace to doe vnto them all honour and helpe while I liue Amen A Praier against blasphemy against the Holy Ghost O Blessed and gracious God thy mercy is to be mightily magnified and euerlastingly extolled for thy compassion to humbled and penitent sinners for there is mercie and saluation with thee that thou maiest bee feared Psal 130.4 and trusted to for life yet notwithstanding thou hast reuealed thine irreuocable Sentence against one sinne and but one that hee that committeth it shal neuer bee pardoned neither here nor at the day of iudgment Matth. 12.32 and that is blasphemy against the HOLY GHOST a sinne vnto death vnto damnation not to bee pardoned not to bee praied for Lord giue me thy grace that I may carefully seeke to know it and more carefully seeke to auoid it when a man is enlightned to know thy truth to professe thy truth to giue good allowance of it to reuerence honor it and then by the deuils strong temptatioÌ„s to fall off from the same maliciously to oppose and persecute the same and the professors of the same to raile vpon it and disgracefully blaspheme it the conscience notwithstanding all this while conuincing him this is that vnpardonable sinne and it is impossible for this man to repent and bee saued Good Lord grant that I may neuer be thus ouercome by Sathan grant sweet Iesus I may take heed of the way of this fearfull offence and sinne Lord giue mee grace that I may not bee vnreuerent to thy Word that I may not mocke but make much of sincere professors of the same that euermore I may haue a trembling respect to thy Maiesty and ordinance that so I may bee graciously preserued from this fearfull sinne here and the damnation of it hereafter in hell for euermore Amen A Prayer against Presumption O MOST blessed Lord God I cannot while I liue in this body of sinne be freed from sinne and corruption this world will afford me no perfection therfore good Father seeing I cannot but sinne grant me this fauour and compassion that the sinnes which I daily do offend in may be of infirmity not of wilfulnesse nor of maliciousnes nor against the light of conscience especially with thy seruant Dauid I pray thee keepe mee from presumptuous sinnes Psal 19.13 that they may not preuaile ouer me Gracious heauenly Father let not mee boldly offend thee vpon hope of mercie from