vexed with any kind of sickness or disease which is another of thy calling of us and an especial warning that we must die yea and when I am at my daily business or when I eat or drink when I am in my best temperature and health at all times and in all places give me grace to think that Death standeth at my Elbows always ready to strike me and that I sleep not in sin and security and the time suddenly come of my departure and so be taken unprovided and perish without repentance O Lord such is the blindness of our nature that we think this World a continual being for us covet even with greediness to see many days where we heap sin upon sin to the over-burdening of our poor Souls seldom or not at all thinking to die but grant my most sweet Lord that as I desire to live so I may have a greater desire to live well that I may make a happy end abandoning the fear of death that the cogitation thereof may dwell in peace within the mansion of my heart and when it shall approach near unto me I fly not from it but that I may go forth with joy to meet it considering that it is a means to end my woes and to begin my joys it is the finishing of sorrow and the entrance into bliss where is nothing but joys unspeakable and contrary here on Earth nothing but care and woe which moved thy servant Job to call his life a warfare where is nothing but conflicts between the flesh and the spirit daily increase of sin and continual care of vanity O God give me a careful heart to love thee whilst I live here give me continual fear unfeigned zeal perfect faith and godly care to do good unto all men and earnest desire to come unto thee who art the end of all trouble and labour the beginning of bliss the end of death and the beginning of life whereunto sweet Lord grant that with unfeigned desire I may faithfully endeavour my self to come where thy Son is gone before to direct us the way and making all those that thou findest with the lamp of true faith burning in their hearts partakers of the Everlasting joys thereof in number of whom O sweet Lord accept me here and cleanse me from all my sins that I may appear among them in the World to come through the same thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer to Jesus Christ for Heavenly Comfort O Jesus grant I beseech thee I may rest and repose my self in thee before any Creature before all honour power dignity and consolation over and above all hope and promise yea and above all the hoast of Heaven O when shall it be fully granted unto me that I shall for sake my self and see how sweet and pleasant thou art O Lord my God! O Jesus the brightness of Eternal glory the comfort of the wandring Soul my mouth is bent towards thee without speaking and silently speaketh unto thee How long will my Lord my God withdraw himself from coming unto me come unto me thy servant comfort me O Lord thrust forth thy helping hand O God and deliver me for without thee there can be no restful day nor quiet hour thou art my joy thou art my comfort and without thee I am comfortless O Jesus infinite in pity infinite in power infinite also both in thy rewards and in thy revenge I am weak but willing with my Soul to love thee with my flesh to fear thee with my mind to honour thee with my mouth to praise thee and with my whole heart to serve thee but alas I am so clogged with corruption I am so drowned in flesh and blood that I scarce either dare or can list up my head and look unto thee and yet why should I be ashamed when thou dost invite me Why should I be faint when thou dost not only encourage but also inable me or at the least accept my weak endeavours Strive then O thou very bowels of my Soul strive with all your strength to raise up your thoughts out of this mire of mortality wherein they stick and out of these waves of fleshly affections wherein they float advance thy self O my Soul towards thy Oreator frame thy affections to love him for his goodness to honour him for his greatness to rejoice in him for his merits to pray unto him for his mercies which daily thou dost need and by needing dost crave and by craving dost obtain if not according to thy desires yet very far above thy deserts wherefore blessed be thou O Lord my God which hast done this goodness unto me thy Servant What can I say more unto thee O Lord but humble my self in thy sight and be always mindful of mine iniquity and unworthiness for of all the wonderful things in Heaven and Earth there is none like unto thee O Lord. Thy works are excellent thy judgments are upright and by thy providence all things are grounded O Father of wisdom laud and praise be unto thee my mouth my Soul and all the powers of my heart shall praise thee without ceasing O my God both now and for ever Amen A fruitful Prayer at the end of Prayer O Most righteous God for thy great mercies sake hearken to these my Prayers which I have now made unto thee and consider Lord the desires and thoughts of my heart in thy mercy and let mine unfeigned Prayers enter into thine Ears hear O Lord for I am destitute of thy help take care for my Soul save me thy unworthy servant which wholly trusteth in thee have mercy O Lord have mercy upon me for I will never cease crying unto thee for thy help and mercy In the day time will I call on thee and in the night my cry shall not be hid from thee O thou God of the Heavens and maker of all Creatures hear me a most wretched Creature calling on thee and take away from me all my sins and make stedfast my faith and confidence in thee and in thy promises that I putting my trust in them may have as thou hast promised Everlasting Life through the merits of thy Son Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever World without end Amen An Evening Prayer O Eternal God Omnipotent and merciful Father I prostrate my self before thy Throne beseeching thee in the Name of thy Son Jesus Christ to blot out all my transgressions by which I have offended thy Divine Majesty this Day forgive Lord all the sins which from my youth I have done and be merciful unto me guide me with thy wisdom that when I walk I may go with me when I sleep it may keep me and when I awake I may talk thereof O Lord be thou my Watchman and protector this night that troubles and vain cogitations do not invade me neither the fear of
that but hast herein also fully exprest thy most holy and blessed Will whatsoever is necessary for the Salvation of Mankind to be known to bring him to life everlasting Give me grace most merciful Father that for so high a treasure left among us I may be thankful reverently embrace accept and esteem of the same as the most precious jewel in Earth and be therein confirmed most strongly that all things therein contained be most undoubtedly true not by any mortal Man but by the most Holy Spirit in Man penned and written to the comfort and behoof of Man And that I may most humbly lowly and with most high Reverence submit my self thereunto as becometh thy eternal Majesty and the Word proceeding from thy most blessed mouth that I may with reverence and obedience read hear and occupy my self in the same to the comfort of my soul and the increase of thy Glory Lighten my understanding most dear Father with thy most holy Spirit that I may learn clearly conceive and understand the things therein contained which no mortal man can conceive save those that have learned of thee and whom thou by thy holy Spirit dost lighten and instruct Guide me dear Father with thy most holy Spirit that having the true understanding of the mysteries therein contained I may be fully established and confirmed in the true knowledge of thee my dear Father and of thy beloved Son my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and in conscience throughly perswaded that I have my full perfect salvation and life everlasting in him and through his atonement made by his death and passion That I do not vainly abuse the knowledge of thy most sacred word to satisfie vain curiosity or brag of knowledge but only to the relieving of my hungry and wounded conscience to the loosing of my fettered soul and the appeasing of my sorrowful heart that I may to the end of my life walk in sincerity before thee my heavenly Father in the comforts of thy dear Son my Saviour upholden still by the merciful power of the holy Ghost to thine everlasting praise and glory for ever Amen A Confession to God the Father O Lord my God I confess unto Thee that my heart is unclean that I am of polluted lips wallowing in the dung and stinking in the rottenness of mine own sin so that I may justly tremble to appear before thy glorious presence much more to present unto thee thy pure praises out of my defiled mouth but who except thou O Lord can make me clean and what is pure which thou hast not purged Therefore O Father of life O Lord of Light with all the Forces of my Soul I do beseech thee to help me thy servant whom of thy mercy thou hast created cleanse my filthiness lighten my darkness inflame my coldness quicken my dulness awake my drowsiness revive my deadness repair the ruins of my Soul enlarge the frame of the understanding thereof cleanse it from all earthly corruption garnish it with thy heavenly graces that it may be conveniently both sit and furnished to receive Thee that thou maist make thine entry possess that which is thine own both by Creation and also by Redemption and that as thou art exalted above all Creatures so above all creatures I may honour thee and praise thee not with that affection wherewith my weakness is able either to do or to desire but with that perfection wherewith in duty I should and wherewith thy Saints and Angels indeed do for what worthy praise can I give unto thee by whose goodness I was created by whose mercy I was redeemed by whose power I am preserved and by whose grace I look to be glorified when I was not thou didst make me when I was lost and forlorn thou camest down and tookest mortality upon thee to redeem me these and many other benefits have I received some in hand and some in hope although through my own sinful demeanour I have almost both let go my hold and lost my hope therefore O Lord I most humbly beseech thee save thy servant save one of thy Members though poor and feeble save I say a part of thy self be as great in pardoning those that are submitted unto thee as in punishing those that are rebellious pour upon my heart the sweet streams of thy mercies confirm my life settle my faith settle me in a right and upright course and continue me in the same even unto the end grant this O Father through thy dear Son Jesus Christ to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for ever and ever Amen A Devout Prayer to Jesus Christ O Most sweet Saviour and merciful Redeemer Jesus Christ the Son of God who although thou art High yet art thou most humble and as thou art Omnipotent so art thou most meek and as thou art most Mighty so art thou most merciful to thee O Christ the giver of all Felicity the Father of Heaven hath given all Power both in Heaven and in Earth Thou art the true Pastor of our Souls thou art our Messias thou casteth off none that sue unto thee but as thou hast taken away the hand-writing that was against us and hast fastned it to the Cross so art thou ready to impart the merits of thy Passion to all such as write true repentance of their sins call upon thee faithfully wherefore my sweet Saviour I most faithfully unfeignedly acknowledge the benefits that thou hast bestow'd upon me stedfastly believe that thou being an immaculate Lamb in whose mouth was never found guile didst suffer most cruel torments at the hands of sinners for the love of us most wretched sinners for the which cause I most heartily beseech thee and most humbly pray thee to accept me into the number of them whom thou wilt receive to mercy and favour and although I of my self be most unworthy thereof yet thy merits can make me worthy to them I fly craving that I may be so armed and defended by them that I may subdue the World the Flesh the Devil even as thou hast gloriously conquered Sin Death and Hell Thou seest O my Saviour how I am daily and hourly beset with these three enemies and so hardly besieged of them that without thy help I can by no means escape but that I must needs be a prey unto one of them strengthen me therefore O Lord that neither the one with carnal Lust neither the other with delectable pleasures nor Satan with all his craft and subtil devices get the dominion over me thou hast bought me thou hast paid for me save keep and defend me be always ready at the voice of my crying pour into me thy grace patiently to abide thy divine pleasure in all things make me both at this present and all the days of my life to have in my mind and profoundly to root in my heart the mysteries of thy painful passion and so to be filled with remembrance thereof
may see the mysteries of thy profound and excellent truth increase O Lord all holy desires in me to attain the knowledge of thy will let my whole delight be in it to meditate therein day and night that it may be more precious unto me than Gold and Silver many times fined Further howsoever thy graces and gifts O Lord are to be acknowledged in men yet because thy good pleasure is so that all men should carry the scars of ignorance and infirmity draw in my whole delight I beseech thee and kindle all my affections to the love of thy Law and Testimonies and to those Scriptures that were written and indited by thine own self and thy spirit for those good Lord contain thy whole will in that everlasting Covenant that thou hast stricken with thy Saints This O Lord is that well spring of wisdom and grace that shall make us wise before thee howsoever the world condemn it of madness and folly Teach thou me O Lord and I shall be taught open thou mine eyes that I may see the excellent things of thy Law reform my heart that self-love and vain-glory may be quite vanquished and slain in me that I may only set before mine eyes thy glory O gracious God spoil this power of Satan in me that by thy means thy good gifts of knowledge and wisdom be not abused against thee thy Gospel and Glory that I be not carried through emulation spite or envy of any mans credit or gifts to set my self against thy truth but give me true humility that above all things I may rejoyce in the advancement and praise of thy Name whether it be with my honour or shame with my peace or trouble with good report or evil report I know O Lord that true wisdom is from thee alone and that thou hast so ordained thy servants in so gracious a dispensation of thy gifts that they who have the greatest need of theirs that are the least the greatest Master-builders of them that are but labourers basket-bearers in thy Church The unity of thy Spirit and the bond of Peace knit us fast together and hold us in to reverence each other and to be at one in thy work O knit our hearts together that we may all seek thee to thy eternal Praise to whom only belongeth Renown Glory and Honour for ever c. A fruitful Prayer to God ALmighty and Eternal God my Creator and lover I praise adore and bless Thee for that in my offences and ungratefulness thou hast so mencifully and leisurably forborn and suffered me to live even to this hour whereunto thou by thy benefits hast brought me giving anto me thy wretched servant life and necessaries thereunto belonging appointing Angels to be my keepers O my good God who knoweth whether till evening my life shall be prolonged or what death is appointed for me O merciful God and Heavenly Father grant that I may with hearty repentance truly repent my sins and inwardly bewail that ever I offended thy Godly Majesty suffer not my soul to depart this body before it be through thy mercy perfectly reconciled unto thee by grace bedeck'd with thy merits and vertues O merciful Saviour if these things I desire stand with thy Pleasure and Will grant them I beseech thee although I be not worthy to be heard And in thy mercy grant that by the merits of thy passion I may be purged from all my sins and that at the hour of my death I may be stricken with true and vehement contrition and being knit with thee in perfect charity I may immediately fleet unto thee my sweet Redeemer safely from all damnation desiring this one thing at thy hands that thou wilt remember my fragility unworthiness unstableness and miseries together with thine own goodness and most charitable mercy praying thee never to forsake me or leave me but that thou wilt always possess and govern me according to thy will to whom be all glory for ever and ever Amen A Prayer to be restored to Gods Favour O Almighty and everlasting God and Father which hast made Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained O incomprehensible unity O always to be worshipped most blessed Trinity I humbly beseech thee and pray thee by the assumption and crucified humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ that thou wouldest drive from me all kind of wickedness and sin creating in me a clean heart and a right spirit O Lord Jesus I beseech thy goodness for the exceeding great love which drew thee out of thy fathers bosom in the womb of thy holy Virgin and for the assumption of mans nature wherein it pleased thee to save me and to deliver me from eternal death That thou wouldst draw me out of my self unto thee my Lord God And grant that this my love may recover again to me thy grace to increase and make perfect in me that which is wanting to raise up in me that is fallen to restore to me that which I have lost and to quicken in me that which is dead and should live That so I may become conformable unto thee in all my life and conversation Thou dwelling in me and I in thee my heart being suppled with thy grace and settled in thy Faith for ever O my God loose and set at liberty my Spirit from all inferiour things govern my Soul and so work that both in soul and body I may be holy and live to thy Glory world without end Amen A Prayer to Christ to rest in his Love O My most loving Saviour I have chosen thee I wish and look for thee I run to meet thee I do renounce all things that are not of thee whatsoever thou wilt I will and whatsoever thou wilt not I forsake utterly detest in my heart and whatsoever shall hereafter happen unto me contrary to this present choice of my mind not to impute the same unto me but according to this choice of my soul judge me For all things which I ought not to do I utterly forsake them and if at any time hereafter I shall chance by any sinister occasion to agree to any thing that may be a cause to withdraw thy mercy from me I do now at this present hour utterly detest them And here O my sweet Saviour and Redeemer if it please thee or stand with thy Glory grant I beseeeh thee in this my present life that I may be delivered and preserved from all offences wherein I have offended and from all the pains whereunto deservedly I ought to come after my death and that thou wilt with the hands of thy mercy immediately after this life receive my soul into everlasting joy and felicity there to raign with thee for ever Amen A Prayer to God to grant our Petitions O Christ which art the strength of the weak the salvation of all believers and an aider of the oppressed yea our life and safe-guard in the peril of death I beseech thee that pitying mine Afflictions
this frail body of mine must tend it self the Image of that which is to the faithful the end of pain and the begining of pleasure the end of misery and the beginning of bliss but to the secure and careless the end of their pleasures and beginning of eternal pains And vouchsafe good LORD that I may have an earnest desire of serving thee and leading my life according unto thy will that whensoever it shall please thee to call me out of this life I be not through fear stricken with doubt of condemnation but even at the last gasp through unfeigned Faith in Jesus Christ may take and have taste of eternal Salvation that death be not bitter or terrible unto me but rather when it cometh I with joy receive the same in the Name of thy Son JESUS Christ Bless me good Lord from the second death the everlasting destruction both of body and soul and justifie me in the death of thy Son that my Name may be registred in the Book of Life O Lord comfort my guilty conscience with the everlasting light of thy bountiful savour and let me have place among thy Saints in thy Heavenly Kingdom LORD for thy mercies sake after this my bodily death give me the fruition of thy presence in the rich Palace of endless bliss to whose merciful Protection I commend with all humility and reverence my soul and body Lord Jesus preserve me Lord Jesus comfort me Lord Jesus pray for me for only into thy hands that hast redeemed me O Lord thou God of truth I commend my soul both now and for ever Amen A Prayer for a happy departure out of this life O Most gracious and eternal GOD thy years endure throughout all generations and thy days are without end or beginning but the days of Man are determined which he cannot overpass and the number of his Months are foreknown unto thee wherefore instruct me O LORD that being always mindful of my mortality I never promise unto my self many years nor long life in this pilgrimage of mine so shall I not live securely deferring my conversion to thee from day to day nor yet put confidence in this frail and uncertain life as that rich man spoken of in the Gospel but give me grace that in thy fear I may dayly prepare my self to depart out of this prison for nothing is more certain than death though nothing more uncertain than the hour thereof therefore I beseech thee O Lord to let me have always before mine eyes an image and mediation of my departure the better to know the fleeting and vanity of this srail and cumbersome life that I may live to thee my God being sound in faith and strong in hope looking with cheerfulness for the day of my departure and the joyful appearing of thy Son Jesus Christ my Redeemer and make me I beseech thee O LORD a faithful and wise servant looking for the coming of my Lord for that I know not when he will come lest by a sudden hour of death being overtook I being found unready but contrariwise by prudent watching in true conversion and repentance I may covet to be dissolved and to be with CHRIST my Redeemer and grant also O LORD that at the point of death having escaped all hardness and temptations I may triumph like a Conquereor and behold the power and presence of thy holy Spirit and let my last word be that which thy Son did utter upon the Altar of the Cross saying Father into thy hands I commend my spirit and when my speech is taken from me hear O God the groanings of my heart and the hour of death being come let thy servant depart in peace through JESUS Christ my Lord and Saviour to whom be all praise and glory for ever and ever Amen A Petition to GOD the Father O Omnipotent GOD and Father I have asked here at this time many things of thee and yet not deserved any I confess alas that not only those things which I require be not due unto me but in stead of them most grievous punishments yet O LORD lay not my sins to my charge for if thou shouldest I were not able to abide or stand in thy sight but O LORD I most humbly beseech thee that thou wilt forgive me all that is past and grant that I may never hereafter offend in the same again and vouchsafe I beseech thee of thy goodness O Lord to direct sanctifie and keep my heart and body my senses and doings my talk and communication in thy most holy Laws and Commandments and that thy holy Angel may be with me to direct my feet unto the way of peace truth and health that I may be whole safe and free in thee and by thee both here and in the world to come O Christ hear me and save me which livest and reignest with the Father and the holy Spirit God in perfect unity to whom be praise for ever world without end Amen An Evening Prayer O Heavenly Father I with all humility and reverence of heart and mind beseech thee this night which thou hast ordained for man to rest in that thou wilt guard and protect me with thy good guiding Spirit and albeit my sinful flesh shall slumber and sleep yet grant that my soul may continually keep watch and ward let not the enemy find me slumbering and sleeping as careless in the cradle of sinful security lest that whilst I am unarmed that is naked and destitute of thy help and favour he enter in and break up the house of my sinful body and make such havock and spoil and that my infected leprous soul deformed by means of mine iniquity and wounded with the dangerous darts of transgression be thrown with the body of sin unto the lake of destruction make me still O good Lord to consider that the bed is the plain pattern of the grave make me to understand that when I am laid of my self without thy Heavenly Providence I cannot be able to rise again make me also to acknowledge that sleep is the very Figure of death to whose stroke at thy appointed pleasure I must submit my self endue me with love and charity to all men let my lamp O Lord be garnished with oyl that whensoever thy messenger death shall draw nigh and knock at the gate of my body I may at his summons in the day of the Resurrection of the dead be ready to attend on thee my Bride with my burning lamp that is with a stedfast faith when as by Faith I shall be cloathed with a new for my mortal body shall be then covered with immortality and the corruption of my sinful and rebellious flesh then changed to incorruption and perfect purity thy righteousness shall be mine thy merits shall make me perfect and holy by vertue whereof hell shall lose his victory death shall lose his sting my faith and hope shall have its end and reward and I with thy Saints continually dwell in love and