shew Mercy That they may have patience with me till I can raise as much as I am able towards the discharge of their Debt and mercifully forgive the rest when I can raise no more Oh! That they may not be rigorous in exacting the Hundred Pence which I am not able to pay them because then thou declarest that thou likewise wilt exact the many thousand of Talents which they are as unable to pay thee And that thus by mutually shewing Mercy we may all be prepared to receive it at thy hands for thy dear Son our most blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen Our Father c. PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR DEBT III. Prayers for an Heart to be Honest to his Creditors I. O! Almighty Lord who lovest Righteousness but hatest Iniquity let me not take up with a Prison as an Art of Defrauding nor chuse to rest thus uncomfortably confined in mine own Person to leave the guilt and curse of ill gotten Goods and of unpaid Debts to my Family Make me willing O! God to do justice to all who are any way concerned with me to the utmost of that worldly estate which I have to dispose of And ready to give every man what I owe him tho' I keep nothing to my self but am left thereby to live upon thy good Providence If want must be my share Oh! Let me want the Conveniences or even the necessaries of Life rather than the innocence thereof And grant good Lord that the place of my wanting may be here in this world where my wants will soon have an end not hereafter in the next world where they will know no end for Jesus Christ's sake Amen II. Enable me O! Blessed Lord if thou pleasest by thy good Providence and put me again into a Condition fully to discharge and clear my Accounts with all my Creditors Let none of them O! My God be losers in the end by me But bless me in my ways that I may have enough wherewithal to satisfy all their just Demands and give me an Heart to pay it out accordingly and that with thankfulness for their Forbearance and without unnecessary delays And dispose them to have patience with me till this can be done And suffer not me in the least to abuse that Patience but make me apply my self diligently to raise it for them as fast as I can and honestly to pay it to them as fast as I can raise it for them But if I am not able to pay them all that I owe them grant them the Heart to forgive me what I cannot pay And since what is thus given to me is given to the Poor look upon it O! Lord as lent to thee and be thou their pay-Master As they very charitably consider my Necessities do thou carefully prevent theirs And whatsoever they abate to me of my Scores do thou make up abundantly to them and theirs by thy good Providence And after they have forgiven me tho I am no longer answerable to them in Law yet make me ever sensible O! God that I still owe the same to them in Equity And give me always the heart to repay whatsoever they Acquit if ever thou shalt put me in a Capacity either by proper Payments or by grateful Offices so to do And by living always in this inward readiness and preparation of Mind to do them all exact justice tho' I can never fully clear my Debts yet by thy Grace I shall clear my Conscience and be fit not only for their Charity but also for thine eternal Mercy thro the merits and mediation of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR DEBT IV. A Thanksgiving for a Prisoner for Debt on his Release from Prison I. O! Father of Mercies and God of all Consolations the sighings of the Prisoners have come before thee and thou hast graciously heard my Prayer and set my feet at Liberty To thee O! Blessed Lord do I owe this comfortable Freedom which I have now obtained and to thy Boundless and undeserved Mercy will I ever thankfully ascribe it And Oh! That in all my Life and thro the whole course of my Conversation I may ever remember that I am thy Freeman O! That I may always adore and praise thy Goodness for my Deliverance and walk so humbly and thankfully and obediently towards thee as may shew that I am never unmindful that thou gracious God hast given me my Liberty and that I am ever to improve and spend it to thy Glory thro Jesus Christ my Lord Amen II. And Lord let me never lose those good Thoughts and Purposes nor forget those Vows which I made to thee when I was in Trouble Give me a mind suited in all things to my Circumstances and Grace to deny my self and to study to the utmost of my Ability to do justice to all my Creditors Never suffer me to forget their kindness in my Release nor to give them any just Cause to Repent of it Nor do thou ever forget it O! Merciful God but remember it always for their good Keep me thankfully Sensible of all the kindness of my Friends and Neighbours of all who did me any good Offices who shew'd me Countenance or supplyed my Necessity in the days of my Adversity Oh! Do thou make each of them that Requital which I ought to do and keep me always willing and ready to requite them after the best manner I can and when I am able to do no more to pray earnestly to thee that thou wouldest make up for me whatever returns of kindness I fall short in Remember also I humbly intreat thee O! Most merciful Father all those poor Prisoners who are still under their uncomfortable Restraints and in thy good Time do the same for them which in thy Mercy thou hast now done for me Oh! That having felt the same in my self I may ever have a most compassionate Sence and tender Feeling of their Afflictions and may joyfully embrace all opportunities of recommending them to the pity of others especially of those Persons from whose Charity they are to hope for their Release but above all O! Blessed God of Recommending them to thine everlasting Mercy which Grant that both they and I and all thy faithful People may ever earnestly Seek and succesfully Find for the sake of our only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ AMEN FINIS THE CONTENTS OF THE Office for Prisoners for Crimes I. Directions for Prisoners for CRIMES Chap. I. HOW to Behave and Employ themselves after Commitment and before the Tryal page 1 Chap. II. How to Behave and Employ themselves in order to and at their Tryal p. 12 Chap. III. How to Behave and Employ themselves after Sentence of Gondemnation and at the Time of Execution p. 20 II. Special Directions for Prisoners for Debt p. 27 III. General Directions for Both. p. 33 Scriptures for Prisoners for Crimes p. 44 I. A general Prayer for all Prisoners taken out of the Companion for the Persecuted Particular Prayers for Prisoners for CRIMES I. For deliverance from their Sins and Sorrows p. 55 II. The Prisoners Confession of God's Justice in his sad Circumstances p. 57 III. His Profession of Repentance under the same p. 62 IV. Prayers for Learning Righteousness and Improvement of remaining Moments of Life p. 66 V. Prayers for Acceptance of Repentance tho late and for the sincerity and integrity thereof p. 70 VI. For Respite and longer Time in this world and against the day of Tryal p. 74 EJACULATIONS Ejaculations at his TRYAL p. 78 Ejaculations after his Tryal if Acquitted p. 79 If CONDEMNED p. 80 VII Prayers after Sentence of Condemnation or any time before Execution and at Execution only making the Changes as they are noted in the Margin p. 81 Ejaculations for him at the time of Execution p. 86 VIII A Thanksgiving for deliverance out of Prison whither they had been justly committed for capital Crimes p. 87 Scriptures for Prisoners for Debt p. 93 Particular Prayers for Prisoners for DEBT I. The indebted Prisoners Prayers for clearing the Score of his Sins p. 98 II. A Prayer for Mercy from his Creditors p. 101 III. Prayers for an Heart to be Honest to his Creditors p. 103 IV. A Thanksgiving for a Prisoner for Debt on his Release from Prison p. 107 The End †Isa. 33. 14. 1 Tim. 5. 4 8. Mat. 6. 26. †To indemnify and content my Crediter when foâ— Debt * Or Crimes Psal. 55. 5. Psal. 38. 8. 10. Psal. uâ— 1. †Prov. 11. 6. †Job 4. 8. †Job 15. 16. * Here you may name the sin †Mat. 20. 9. Luk. 23 42 43. †At Execution instead of Sentence say and shameful Death †add this at execution ‡ now for when at execution †Luk. 23. 43. †who am now to for when I at execution †at execution say aâ—â— now †Luk 23. 46 †1. Tim. 1. 15. †Add these at execut †Luke 19. 10. * Luk. 24. 47. †Luk. 23. 43. * Ps. 130. 3. †This when the Debts are Contracted by our own Faults in Luxury or Mispence But if thro innocent Misfortune and mere Hand of Providence instead of brought not only c. say Deserved not only to be made a Prisoner for the same in this uncomfortable Place but to be committed among the lost Angels to Chains of everlasting Darkness till the Terrible Judgment of the great Day * In Case of 〈◊〉 contracted by meer Hand of Providence omit this within the Hooks †Mat. 18. 28 c. †Ps. 45. 7. Ps. 11. 7. †Prov. 19. 17. †Psal. 79. 11. †Heb. 4. 15.
rest satisfied without trying new Places And if it please God to send sickness tho' you were at Home sickness would tye you to your own House or it may be to your Bed which is a narrower Compass than a Prison is 'T is worse being Prisoner to a Disease than to the Keepers of Common Prisons And Diseases as the worst of Jaylors bring their Prisoners into such a close Custody as is much more irksome and afflictive than any other is For under others you are shut up indeed but that is to sit at Ease and Rest. But under a Disease you are shut up too and likely closer confined and that to have constant Pain and Sorrow with it But whatever Restraints you are under in Prison as to your Body yet remember that even there your Mind is Free Your Thoughts may go abroad and run over all the great Occurrences of your Life and fetch in Matter enough to busy your self withal even all those things thro all your Life which you should be sensible were done ill and which you have yet space before you dye to correct and make better You have liberty to think as much as you please of God and of your Self of the Joys of Heaven and the Terrors of Hell and the Vanity of this World and of all things else which may either direct or comfort you and be of use either to your Soul or Body Nay the more your Body is restrained and the less you have left to mind of other â—hings the more liberty you have for these thoughts And therefore if spiritual things and employments are your design instead of being a place of Incumbrance and Restraint your Prison is a place of Leisure and Freedom Take away the Name of Prison as Tertullian advises and Call it a Recess and that is no Let but the Greatest Opportunity and advantage to true Penitents and Spiritually and Heavenly minded Persons And then Secondly as for the other embitterment of Want and Poverty when God is pleased to send it too be patient under it and set your selves to gain as much as you can by it And if you please you may gain abundance more thereby in spiritual Exercises and Improvements than your bearing all its temporal hardships and inconveniences will amount to When you are brought therefore to a poor Estate be sure you take Care to be poor in Spirit or to have no◠〈◊〉 Thoughts or Desires as I hinted before after the Fineries and Satisfactions oâ— this World but what are suited to your Poverty Do not let your Desire run or your Fancy please it self with the Thoughts of what Table yoâ— kept what Servants you retain'd what Garments you wore what Conveniences you had or Respects you received once But look now only for such things as are fit for a Person in your present want and poor estate to desire and think of As a poor man then be Content if you are reduced to a course and frugal Dyet and a mean Habit and an hard Bed Be Content if you have nothing else but Necessaries which God provides for all his Creatures even the Beasts of the Field and the Birds of the Air who as our Lord observes have no Contrivance to lay up Stores for themselves Nay esteem and own your Self unworthy even of these necessary Provisions and think it not enough to be contented with them but be Thankful for them And seek them without Solicitude or Mistrusts of Providence But after a chearful Care spent in the best ways you have to compass them quietly rely on God and trust him for them Do what you can to have them of your own if that succeeds not ask of them who are like to Pity and Relieve you and if one denies you try others but if that misses too God will send it and put it into the Hearts of those to give whom you do not ask and send it to you you know not how And in your Poverty be sure you be Humble Be willing and contented to be maintained what way God pleases And if he brings your State to need an Alms let not your Spirit be above it Think not your self too good to receive nor if need be modestly to ask it And be Patient where you meet with Repulses and Thankful for all that is given you whether it be little or much yea even for good words and compassionate answers where you receive nothing else And if under a poor estate you can by Gods Grace arrive to this true Poverty of Spirit you are a very Rich Poor Man you are Poor in this World but Rich in Faith and Good Works as our Blessed Saviour Christ and his Apostles and earliest Saints for the most part were and may comfortaby hope thro his Grace to have your humble holy and obedient Poverty rewarded at last together with theirs with unspeakable Riches Honour and Happiness in his Heavenly Kingdom And having after this sort Received and Improved both your Poverty and your Solitude look upon them again with a discerning and impartial Eye and then tell me what Cause you have to Repine or Complain of them Judge of them not by the Opinions which other People pass but by the good Use which you your Self make of them They are certainly Good exceeding Good to you when you Receive and Improve them after this manner and therefore are things not only for you to bear but to Bless God and be Heartily Thankful unto Him for AN OFFICE FOR PRISONERS FOR CRIMES Scriptures for Prisoners for Crimes Psal. 51. Ezek. 18. v. 10. to the end Ps. 25. v. 7. to v. 20. Rom. 1. v. 28. to Chap. 2. v. 8. I. THEY that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same Job 4. 8. His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the Cords of his Sins Prov. 5. 22. Bloody and Deceitful Men shall not live out half their days My Heart is sore painted within me and the Terrors of Death are fallen upon me Fearfulness and Trembling are come upon me and Horror hath overwhelmed me Psal. 55. 4 5 23 What Glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your Faults you shall take it patiently 1 Pet. 2. 20. My Son Give I Pray thee Glory to the Lord God of Israel and make Confession unto him and tell me now what thou hast done And Achan answered Joshua and said indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel and thus have I done Josh. 7. 19 20. We indeed suffer justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds Luke 23. 41. II. Fools because of their Transgression and becuse of their Iniquities are afflicted Then they cry unto the Lord in their Trouble and he delivereth them out of their Distresses Psal. 107. 17 19. Oh! Let the sorrowful sighing of the Prisoner come before thee according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to dye Psal. 79. 11. The Lord hath looked down from the
own Naughtiness and am only left to lye down in that Bed of Guilt and Sorrow which I have been long a making for my self All my life I have been Sowing wickedness and am now brought to Reap the Fruit thereof I have Drunk up iniquity like Water and tho to my mad and distempered Fancy it seemed to yield a slight and short Pleasure while it slid along the Palate yet now I find it leaves an immoveable Bitterness and is nothing but Gall and Wormwood when it is got into the Belly I have Drunk it up with Greediness and fill'd up the measure of my sins till I perceive now alas That there is like to be no measure of my Sufferings and I am in danger to be swallowed up and utterly to sink under the Number and Weight of them Thus Oh thou Righteous Avenger of all ungodly and incorrigible wretches has thy Justice at last overtaken me And altho thy vengeance is oft times slow yet to my Grief and thy Glory I find 't is sure and when it comes insupportable I can in no wise bear my Load tho I have not the least exception against the Reasonableness and Justice of it Only my Hope is in thy Mercy which thou art wont to remember even when thou takest upon thee to shew Judgment And as thou art the Avenger of Sinners so remember Gracious Lord that thou art also the Saviour of them Oh save me the Chiefest and most wretched of Sinners And shew Favor unto me not according to my Deserts but according to thine own boundless Mercyes for our dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR CRIMES III. His Profession of Repentance under the same I have sinned O Almighty Lord and sinned Grievously and have continued irreclaimable in the same for many years But now by the Alarm of mine own Dangers and by the Help of thy Grace I am made sensible of mine iniquities and am made truly sorry for my sins I sadly lament all the wicked wast of my time and strength and all my long and heinous Course of Ungodliness and abuse of thy Patience which has provoked thee to give me up to this great sin for which I am now most deservedly made a Prisoner and may be called to answer shortly with my Blood I am touched to the quick and sorely afflicted O! Righteous God with the Trouble and Sorrow which this Crime has brought upon my Self But more with the Offence which it has given thee and the greatest Care I have upon me is to have thee forgive me Lord I do from the bottom of my Heart repent of all my Sins but especially of this great One. I am greivously Troubled for what is past and am fully bent against falling any more into it for the Time to come and am ready to take shame to my self for the same I am vile in mine own eyes and am content to be so in the eyes of other Persons I am truly willing to make any submissions where I have given just Offence and as far as I am able to repair the wrong which I have done thereby And Oh! That thou wouldest ever keep me most ready to do this fully and faithfully and then direct me to do it prudently and in such sort as may not be more prejudicial than needs to my worldly safety Tho' thou lookest upon me therefore O! Almighty Lord as a Sinner yea as one of the greatest of Sinners Yet for Christ's sake look upon me as a penitent Sinner And tho' my sins are Great my dearest Saviour shed his Blood for the greatest Sins and thro the Merits of that Blood true Repentance is accepted by thee O! Merciful God from the greatest Sinners Oh! For his sake spare thy sinful but repenting Creature and tho' Justice be exacted of me for my crimes here yet admit me to some comfortable and well-grounded hopes of thy Mercy for the same hereafter thro' the Merits of my dearest Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR CRIMES IV. Prayers for Learning Righteousness and Improvement of remaining Moments of Life I. THY Rod O! Blesseâ— Father which is lifted uâ— in justice to punish our Iniquâ—ties is used also by thy Gracâ— to cure them Oh! Let this my most deserved Affliction teach mâ— Wisdom Make my Goal my school wherein I may learn Righteousness and let my chains be preachers of Repentance Now I feel the smart and punishment thereof give me grace to be fully sensible of the wretchedness and folly of an ungodly and mispent Life Let me loath the Sin as well as the Sorrow and be duly affected with the injurie and dishonor which I have thereby done to thee as well as with the danger and distress which I have thereby brought upon my self that my contrition being truly for my sins against thee I may be duly qualified for thy most gracious Pardon of the same thro the Merits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen II. And Help me O! Gracious God carefully to improve all my remaining moments and to employ all the time which I have now to Live in minding the true work and business of Life Habituate my heart to thy fear to humility and patience temperance and self-denials fasting and prayers Teach me to prize and set a great value upon all helps and opportunities of instruction and improvements in the way of Godliness To be desirous above all things of thy Grace and of the Company of good People whose discourse and carriage may affect my heart therewith and of their Prayers since I am most unworthy thro the multitude of my heinous offences to pray unto thee for my Self or to present unto thee any Petitions from my polluted Lips Let not my corrupt Lusts O! God run at Liberty whilst my body is under Guards and Custody And let me by no means resort to the company of desperate Sinners to keep off Remorse for my own Guilts nor seek to drown the agonies of my Mind in excess of Wine nor to divert them by vain Conversation But what space thou shalt graciously spare me Oh! That I may carefully employ and lay out with utmost diligence to make my peace with thee and to prepare for eternity Lord Help me to true Repentance that with all my Heart I may return unto thee Do thou help me now I call unto thee help me O! God of mercy for none else can help me Help thou me or I shall dye eternally Make my Repentance true and acceptable in thy sight that if I dye I may depart in thy Peace or if by thy Grace I be spared to live on still longer I may return from all my former Errors to a Life of Holiness and devote all the remainder of my Days to thy Glory thro our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR CRIMES V. Prayers for Acceptance of Repentance tho late and for
basely and wretchedly forsaken thee all my Life yet leave me not I humbly intreat thee in my last Hour When the justice of man lays my Blood upon my own Head let thy Mercy O! Blessed Jesu lay thy Blood upon it too to expiate the guilt of mine Let that purge me from all my sins that altho I Dye Stained therewith here I may appear without spot before the Tribunal of my Heavenly Father Amen II. Sweet Jesu Thou disdainedst not to Cast an eye upon the Penitent Thief on the Cross. Oh! Despise not me when I suffer in like case as he did and I hope truly repent me of my sins and fix all my Hopes in thee under my distress as he did in his Thou once hungest upon a Tree thy self for the sins of others Oh! By the Blood of thy Cross Save me who stand justly condemned to suffer the same for mine own sins Save me O! Lord a great wretched but a penitent contrite Sinner In thy merits Do I trust Into thy merciful Hands do I commend my Spirit I Believe that thou O! Lamb of God art the Saviour of sinners Oh! Save me who am Chief among Sinners and rescue my trembling and departing Soul from eternal Misery I Freely and from my Heart forgive all mine Enemies Oh! Do thou in the abundant Riches of thy Mercy forgive me Accept of such recompence as I am able to make to those who have sufferd by me and make up the wrongs which I have done to any and which now I am no longer able to repair Supply all that to them and their Families by thy mercy which they have lost by my wickedness that they may neither be tempted nor burden'd by the loss nor I tormented by the punishment accruing thereby Give me strength O! Almighty and most merciful Lord under my last Agonies Help me to bear all patiently and to resign my self holy to thy Mercy Let the example of my Fall be a warning to others that the prevention of their Crimes may make some reparation for the greivous Scandal which I have given by mine And tho I tast thy Justice in my ignominious Death yet O! Gracious Father let me find the sweetness of thy mercy after it for my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christs sake Amen III. Lord save me for I flee unto thee for safety Save me or else I perish everlastingly Save me a wretched Sinner O! Jesu thou Saviour of Sinners I have been a lost Sinner but thou Camest to seek and save that which was lost And after all my woful and wretched course of Sins my own most deserved afflictions and thy most undeserved Grace I hope have brought me now at last to true Repentance and thou hast Order'd Repentance and remission of Sins to be Preach'd to all Sinners Oh! Save me a penitent Sinner and as thou didst with The Theif upon the Cross receive and comfort me in this may last Hour Amen Our Father c. EJACULATIONS For him at the time of Execution INTO thy Hands O! Lord I commend my Spirit Amen I return thee a Spirit alass loaded with Sins But wash'd I humbly hope with the tears and sorrows of true Repentance Lord graciously accept my Repentance and pardon my Sins for the Merits of that most Precious Blood which was shed to wash away the sins of all truly and penitent Sinners Amen PRAYERS FOR PRISONERS FOR CRIMES VIII A Thanksgiving for deliverance out of Prison whither they had been justly committed for capital Crimes I. O! Almighty Lord who art the blessed Author of all Life Happiness with a most thankful Heart I humbly adore and praise thy Mercy which hath now lent me my life anew and rescued me out of the jaws of Death My Sins had set a snare for my own Life and I had digged a pit for mine own Soul Yea my ungodly ways had most heinously injured thee at the same time they threaten'd to destroy my self And yet neither my own madness in seeking misery nor the resentment of the greivous wrongs thereby done to thee could put by thy Love O! Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts from shewing mercy unto me I called out to thee and was holpen I put my Trust in thee and was not confounded I sought thee earnestly and thou wast found of me The snare is broken and I am delivered The Pit is cover'd and to the glory of thy free Mercy and tendeâ— Care of me I have happily escaped For which all praise anâ— thanks be ever ascribed to theâ— thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Ameâ— II. And Lord keep the memory of this surpassing Mercy always fresh upon my Spirit and let me ever be praising thee for the same with joyful Lips Never suffer me to forget the vows which I made in my distress but let my whole life be one acceptable Sacrifice to thee my Redeemer and make all my actions to shew forth thy Praise When I was in Trouble O! Blessed Lord it was not so much out of the love of Life as out of the love of innocence that I desire to be Respited Oh! Grant me Grace now to employ my Life as I then designed to do and to make good now what I did then pretend Fix me unalterable in all the ways of Godliness which I have begun Preserve me from Repeating any of my former wickednesses especially this Great one which was so like to bring down vengeance on my Head for all the Rest. Tho I am cleared thereof before men yet I know O! Righteous Lord that I shall ever stand Guilty of it before thee unless I shew true amendment of the same and make Restitution for all the wrongs done to any thereby in the best sort I can Oh! Keep me ever ready to do that fully whatever it cost me and carefully to slip no opportunities of doing the same And make me so watchful to spend all the remainder of my Days in all holy and Thankful obedience that I may not only have the Purposes and Promises of Repentance which alas was a great part of what I had to shew before but the Proofs thereof to produce and to comfort my heart withal on any new Alarm And then O! Gracious God when thou shalt bring me to fear Death a second Time thy blessed will be done and by thy Grace I shall be able and in condition to bid it welcome thro the merits of my blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen III. Once more Blessed yea for ever Blessed be thy Great and Glorious Name O! Almighty Father for bringing me into this Distress as well as for bringing me out of it I reverence thy Justice for bringing it upon me But at the same time I most thankfully own thy Mercy which when all other ways sailed would order this to reduce me to thy Self and to make me break off my wicked Courses And ever deal with me O! blessed Lord and Saviour in