hee shall prepare his firiest darts to wound our soules to death O then let the light of thy heavenly countenance shine upon us O then let thy blessed Spirit comfort us with his sweetest comforts let the fresh bleeding wounds of our deare Saviour appeare gracious and effectuall to our distressed soules Blesse good LORD protect and defend thy Church wandring farre and wide over the face of the whole earth Let thy mighty hand and stretched out arme encompasse it let thy Omnipotency bee a brazen wall about it leade it we beseech thee into all truth concord and sincerity save it from all schismes errors and heresies mightily fence it from bloody Tyrants hellish Atheists and mercilesse Polititians Comfort we beseech thee all those that bee comfortlesse and distressed with sorrow need sicknesse imprisonment banishment slanderous tongues or any other crosse or calamity Especially good LORD speake comfortably unto them in whose soules are the arrowes of thine indignation and the venome thereof drinkes up their spirit those that groane under the burthen of a vexed conscience and those that suffer persecution for the testimony of thy truth LORD give them faith patience and constancy to abide their triall and a joyfull issue to all their temptations And as at this time we are bound wee humbly intreate thy tender mercies and loving kindnesse for all those in this Land that thou hast heavily visited with the Plague of Pestilence For CHRIST JESUS sake if it be thy blessed pleasure command thy Angell to cease from striking put up the sword of judgement which in great wrath and indignation thou hast drawne out against them And LORD in the meane time give them joy and comfort in thy holy Spirit that howsoever they be strangely and fearefully tormented in their body in this life yet they may be assured of eternall happinesse in the life to come And teach we beseech thee both them and us by thy holy Spirit to take a right view of all our sins the true causes of thy wrathfull displeasure and faithfully to repent for the same And so much the rather O LORD because the reprobate and such as thou forsakest cannot praise thee nor call upon thy Name but the broken heart the sorrowfull mind and a conscience hungring after righteousness shall ever set forth thy praise and glory Lastly most loving Father we beseech thee take us into thy defence and protection this night let thy carefull providence watch over us let thy blessed Angels pitch about us preserve us from all perills and dangers from all the assaults of Satan from vaine idle and wicked dreames Grant unto our bodies comfortable rest and quiet sleepe but let our soules continually watch for the comming of our Saviour in the clouds to end these last and worst daies Amen even so come LORD JESVS that we with thee and the rest of thy Elect may joyfully and triumphantly ascend unto the heavenly Jerusalem there to enjoy fullnesse of joy and pleasures at thy right hand for evermore Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Prayer before a Sermon O LORD prepare our dull and unprepared hearts with feare and humility to enter the presence of thy great and glorious Majesty O Most gracious God our loving and mercifull Father in CHRIST JESVS We thy poore and sinfull servants most humbly beseech thee at this time to blesse and sanctifie unto us the hearing of thy holy Word it is the glorious instrument which thou hast appointed for the conversion and salvation of the soules of men But unto us miserable wretches and full of pollution it hath beene many times through the barrennesse of our hearts the secret and deceitfull corruptions of our nature but even the breath of thy Ministers scattered in the ayre and as water spilt upon the ground Whereas it might be unto some being humbly and reverently received as a two edged sword that would enter through even unto the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit and of the joynts and the marrow that would breake in peeces their hard hearts and strike their conscience with terrour and remorse for their sinnes a necessary step to regeneration And whereas it might be unto others a pretious restorative to repaire the ruines of their conscience and to put life into their dead zeale and affections graciously to enforme them in all the parts of their callings it is but even as a witnesse of our coldnesse sencelessenesse and unthankefullnesse registred in the booke of our conscience against the day of our visitation LORD wee beseech thee out of thy tender compassions to forgive us all our former untowardnesse irreverence and unprofitablenesse in these holy exercises And now at length before wee goe downe into our graves into black and cruell habitations from whence wee must never returne to praise thee upon earth let us feele thy divine power working in us effectually at the preaching of thy Word let us have a sence of thy Omnipotency in in conquering our corruptions and temptations let thy powerfull Spirit stirre up our hearts and quicken our affections to embrace the power of religion and true godlinesse that so being freed from sinne by the blood of CHRIST and forsaking all our knowne sinnes and labouring sincerely to please thee in all things wee may have our fruit in holinesse and the end everlasting happinesse A Prayer before Sermon MOst mercifull Father we humbly beseech thee to give every one of us grace to let these things sink deeply into our hearts Blesse we beseech thee our wills and affections with sanctified desires to entertaine them our memories with faithfullnesse to retaine them our mindes with serious meditations to digest them our hearts with fervency and prayer for thy blessings upon them our lives with practise and piety to profit by them LORD we see clearely that all our pleasures shall die and perish that our honours shall be laid in the dust that our gold and silver shall canker and the rust of of them shall be a witnesse against us at the last day that outward performances of religious duties without inward sanctification shall have their portion with Hypocrites in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstrone Where then shall appeare the lyar the swearer the drunkard the profaner of the Sabbath the uncleane person the proud the idle the malicious the carelesse in his calling even without timely and sound repentance in the bottomelesse pit of the lowest hell O then we beseech thee gracious Father to vouchsafe us in time wise and understanding hearts the spirit of judgement to discerne betweene the short span of this miserable life and the length and breadth of eternity Let us now at length make a through and deepe search into the state of our soules and consciences and if wee find that we be not yet possest of that inward sincerity and true happinesse let us for ever hereafter with greatest fervency earnestnesse and contention of spirit hunger and thirst labour and
Prayer for a Familie O LORD our GOD we pray thee bee mercifull unto us stirre up we beseech thee our dull hearts out of a true sence of our sinnes and miseries and a lively faith in CHRIST JESVS and his pretious deservings to lift up our soules in prayers and praises unto thee O LORD how are we bound to magnifie thy great Name for all the loving kindnesse and great mercies vouchsafed us for preserving us this night past from the ills and dangers which no doubt have befallen many of our brethren as good by nature as our selves for refreshing our fraile bodies with quiet rest and sleepe and bringing us in health in strength and vigour of body to see the light of this day for that it hath pleased thee to reveale unto us the mysteries of godlinesse and some measure of saving truth which thou hast hid from many thousands of the greatest and wisest of the world For that thou hast preserv'd us from many fearefull transgressions and excesses of iniquity to which our corrupt nature would otherwise have led us For giving us the being of reasonable creatures and being borne in this blessed time and part of the world when and where thy glorious Gospell is on foot for the continuance of our health and strength of body for the usefullnesse and vigour of the powers of our soules and sences of which for abusing them we have deserv'd ere this to have beene fearefully deprived For our ingenuous and godly education for our Christian company and good counsell we have many times by thy mercies enjoyed For thy Word and Sacraments the glorious meanes of our conversion and continuance in grace For many gracious mercies by which thou hast laboured gently and fairely to draw us unto thee For those judgements which thou hast sent to humble us and to bring us to repentance For the inlarging of our time for storing our selves with Grace and comfort against the day of our visitation For our freedome from many miseries crosses and vexations which befall other our brethren better then our selves For that it hath pleased thee by thine everlasting decree out of thine owne boundlesse goodnesse and blessed pleasure to save us from many thousand others which perish everlastingly and to make us heires of endlesse happinesse as we are verily perswaded in the world to come For preventing and following us with thy saving graces O LORD we pray thee to open our eyes daily more and more to see and acknowledge these thy great and undeserved mercies upon us and to enlarge our hearts sincerely and feelingly to magnifie thy great Name for the same And as wee humbly intreate thee upon the knees of our soules for pardon and remission of all other sinnes so especially for our monstrous and harefull ingratitude for thy great and many mercies towards us most wicked and sinfull creatures We are ashamed and confounded that so much favour and mercy and long forbearance should bee extended to such rebellious and carnall wretches as we are For besides that naturall pollution we drew from the loines of our sinnefull parents wee have heapt up a great measure of actuall sinnes since we had the use and exercise of reason and power and ability to sinne O LORD our GOD wee humbly beseech thee to give us a full sight of them all and a true sence of thy great wrath indignation against them Let us have remorse and compunction in our hearts and consciences for them all in our affections a perfect hate and detestation of the least corruptions and infirmities And bee thou pleas'd gracious Father thorowly to purge and wash our soules with the precious blood of thy deare Sonne deliver us quite wee beseech thee from the guilt horrour and damnation due unto them And grant that hereafter wee may walke conscionably and carefully in all our waies that we suffer no more our poore soules to bee stained with these foule pollutions we have formerly delighted in Wee confesse and acknowledge to our shame and confusion that wee have many times vowed betwixt thee and our owne soules that wee would watch more carefully over our owne hearts least they should breed and nourish profane idle and wandering thoughts and imaginations over ourtalke least wee should offend with our tongue that wee would be more zealous and faithfull in the duties of our calling in sanctifying thy Sabbaths receiving thy Sacraments hearing thy Word in Christian conference company meditation and all other holy duties but alas all these good purposes have beene but as the morning dew we have even in short time broken our vowes growne cold againe dull and formall to the much greefe of thy good Spirit and discomfort of our owne soules Now LORD wee pray thee deale mercifully with us in this point forgive our many frailties and infirmities herein and at length thorowly sanctifie us draw our affections from the false glory and sinfull pleasures of this vaine world and fasten them there where true sound and lasting comfort is to be enjoyed Give us wise and understanding hearts that we may see and perceive those things that belong to thy glory and the salvation of our own soules and sanctified wills and holy affections to follow and pursue them with all earnestnesse zeale and fervency of spirit Let us even this day get some ground against Satan and forwardnesse in the course of Sanctification Let us store our selves with some new godly purposes and holy resolutions to doe thy will and keepe thy righteous commandements Fill our hearts daily more and more with all saving graces and the virtues of CHRIST JESVS Cause us perpetually to keepe in minde and consider that we are but as pilgrims and strangers here in this world that wee must shortly depart hence and never returne againe but presently come to judgement and receive an everlasting reward according to our workes Weaken wee beseech thee daily more and more the power of sinne in us let us feele it decay and loose its hold and haunt in us and strengthen in us the power of grace the new man and all spirituall comforts Neither pray wee for our selves onely but for all thy deare children fellow heires with us of everlasting happinesse in what part of the world soever they be LORD we pray thee to be continually present with them with all thy comforts and mercies let thy good Spirit leade them into all truth let the wings of thy providence and protection stretch over them all And such as yet lie in profanesse and under the shadow of death hasten their conversion reveale unto them the glorious comforts of grace and let the powers of darknesse hold them no longer LORD be mercifull unto this sinnefull Kingdome wherein we live and enter not into judgement with the horrible rebellions and fearefull abominations thereof Stay the rage of prophanesse that fearefully overflowes in all places to thy great dishonour and griefe of thy children Stop the crying sinnes of the time and recover thine
owne glory out of the hands of thy creatures whosoever they be Glorifie thine owne selfe and refresh and cheere up thy children Prosper thy Gospell amongst us grant it a free and comfortable passage send it where it is not keepe and prosper it where it is let thy blessings ever follow it and thy mighty power uphold it Oppose thy selfe against them that oppose against it and let them know that it is thine owne glory that is in hand and that they set themselves against the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth Disburden thy Church wee pray thee of all ignorant factious and scandalous Ministers and plant in their roomes men of care and conscience sensible of the great charge they have undertaken truly fearing thee and holding it their greatest comfort in this world to save the soules of men Blesse we pray thee our Prince and people Magistrates and Ministers all degrees and estates from the highest to the lowest Sanctifie and furnish every one of them with all needfull graces fit both for the faithfull discharge of those particular places wherein thou hast set them and that they may doe thee the best and utmost service they can possibly Direct and guide with the Spirit of wisedome all his Counsellors that they may chiefly and principally advise those things which may make for the advancement of thy glory and comfort of thy children Be mercifull to all Christian Families to this familie here present continue thy grace and mercy upon it and let thy loving kindnesse and comforts of salvation never depart from it Remember in mercy and love all mourners in Sion Comfort all those that are any waies afflicted binde up the broken and contrite heart with thy sweetest comforts Give strength and life of grace to those that are babes in CHRIST recover those that are fallen preserve those that stand uphold those that are declining continue all in their first love c. and increase in every one of them daily more and more christian resolution zeale and forwardnesse that they may glorifie thee in all their courses farre more then ever they have done heretofore Lastly we pray thee be mercifull to all those whom thou hast made in more speciall manner the instruments of thy goodnesse and favour unto us all that thou hast bound unto us with any bond of nature of friendship or any way made deare unto us Those who remember us in their prayers or commend themselves to our most unworthy supplications LORD we pray thee bee mercifull unto them let the light of thy countenance shine upon them put Religion thy feare and love every day more and more into their hearts and soules and let the comforts of godlinesse ever rest upon them And grant that wee may all with one minde heart and soule love feare reverence and glorifie thy great Name that so after a few daies spent religiously in this vaine and wretched world wee may live and raigne with thee everlastingly in the glorious and endlesse pleasures of the life to come Heare us c. Another Morning Prayer O LORD we beseech thee gratiously to accept this our Morning sacrifice of prayers and thankes-giving that we poore wretches offer unto thee the GOD of all glory and Majesty LORD take from us all dullnesse of heart all wicked and wandring thoughts put into our soules the spirit of prayer with affection zeale and fervency that wee may rightly and reverently call upon thy great and glorious Name O Eternall GOD most mighty and most fearefull which dwellest in the highest Heavens and with thy wise providence directest all things â—o an excellent end Thou which art to the wicked and rebellious wretches a terrible Judge and consuming fire but to the humble and repentant sinners a strong tower of defence and their everlasting reward We the unworthiest of all thy creatures though the most noble by Creation for they in their kindes and severall conditions doe thee honour and service but wee whom thou hast plac'd in this world for a more excellent glorifying of thee have not onely made our selves more vile then the basest creatures and more sencelesse in thy service then the beasts that perish but have even conspir'd with Hell Satan and all the powers of darknesse to blaspheme and dishonour thy great Name to profane thy Sabbaths to breake all thy holy Lawes and Commandements Wee O LORD thus wretched and unworthy are here ashamed and confounded in thy presence for our iniquities are increased over our heads and our trespasses are growen up unto the heaven and so grievous are they that if thou shouldest require but the least of them at our hands Satan would chalenge us for his and we should never see thy face againe nor the Heavens nor the Earth nor all the goodnesse which thou hast prepared for man The thoughts of our hearts rise up in judgement against us for whereas they should be meditating of thy mercies and goodnesse of honouring thee in our vocations whereas they should be knit fast unto thy blessed Word O LORD they are for the most part idle wicked entising and full of the corruption of our raging concupiscence The vanity of our talke condemneth us for whereas our words should be spent in defending thy honour and truth in reprehending the horrible sinnes of those amongst whom wee live in giving grace to those that heare us they are for the most part full of profanesse worldlinesse and lying The wickednesse of our deeds cry continually for vengeance and curses upon us for besides our many and grosse sins even our best actions are fearefully infected with privy pride and hypocrisie whereas they should wholy and principally bee directed to thy honour and glory they are fouly stained and corrupted with by-respects of credit pleasure or profit In hearing thy blessed Word which wee should count the very crowne and garland of all our delights we feele in our selves great want of due preparation reverent attention meditation and practise In our prayers that inestimable comfort of a regenerate soule wee are grievously vexed with dullnesse wearinesse and by-thoughts In all other good duties of obedience to thy holy Commandements we want that courage zeale and spirituall wisdome which those excellent mercies thou hast vouchsafed us require at our hands O LORD for thy great mercies sake forgive us these great sinnes When we looke upon the vilenesse of our soules by reason of these many transgressions we see nothing before our eyes but thy heavy wrath and everlasting curse the torments of hell and endlesse confusion but yet herein standeth our comfort wee know that to them which truly thirst after thy kingdome which is righteousnesse and peace and joy in the HOLY GHOST which faithfully desire to serve thee in sincerity though they bee encompassed with many weakenesses Thou art a Father of infinite mercies and everlasting compassions and wilt passe by many infirmities of thy deare children Wee humbly therefore beseech thee most gracious Father to bury all our
strive after saving grace the power of religion and true godlinesse that so for a few and evill daies we stand wisely and resolutely for thy honour and truth and with comfort and courage running the race of sanctification may bee provided and furnished with assurance of glory clearenesse of conscience strength of faith against the day of our visitation that when we shall lie downe upon our deaths-bed and wee know not how soone we may be able to meete with the fearefull temptations of our sinnefull flesh the fiery darts of Satan to encounter with the pangs of death and terrours of the grave and so passe with joyfullnesse and triumph to those glorious mansions of light and blessed immortality with thee in the highest heavens Lastly Gracious Father for this present holy businesse we have now in hand we humbly beseech thee to let thy blessings bee mightily upon thy Word at this time that it may pierce and enter through to the dividing asunder of the soule and the spirit of the joynts and the marrow and to discover the very thoughts and intents of the heart Keepe we pray thee out of our hearts and heads all troubles cares wandrings humours passions prejudice distractions deadnesse or whatsoever other cursed let shall be suggested by the divell or our owne wicked hearts So sanctifie unto our soules this holy ordinance of thine that we may handle and heare it with all feeling power and reverence as the Word of thee the true and everliving GOD and as that by which we must be judged at that last dreadfull day Make it to be a Word of conversion and enlargement to all them that are yet in the snares of the divell waies of death but of strengthening encouragement and comfort to those that are already thine that so by thy mercifull blessing it may prove unto every one of us the savour of life unto life and thy mighty power unto us for salvation and that for the LORD CHRIST JESVS his sake In whose glorious Name and mediation we beg these and all other needfull blessings concluding in his owne prayer Our Father c. O LORD heare us in these our weake requests and grant them unto us and all other things necessary for us for our bodies our soules our callings or this present action and for every member of thy Church wee beg them all in the name and mediation of CHRIST JESVS thy Sonne and our onely SAVIOVR to whom with thee and the holy Spirit be all praise and power and might and dominion and thankesgiving ascribed at this time and evermore hereafter Amen BLessed are all they that heare the Word of GOD beleeve it and doe it The grace of our LORD JESVS CHRIST and the love of GOD the Father in him and the most comfortable fellowship helpe and communion of GOD the HOLY GHOST be with us all blesse us preserve us and keepe us and every member of his Church in faith a good quiet and peaceable conscience the rest of this day and evermore hereafter Grace before meate LORD GOD who hast created all things for the use and comfort of man and man for thy owne glory Make we beseech thee these thy creatures wholesome for our bodies and us thankfull for them for CHRIST JESVS his sake A Prayer before Sermon MOst holy and righteous LORD GOD we humbly and heartily thanke thee for our preservation this night past pardon wee beseech thee unto us the sinnes thereof And now prepare and sanctifie us for a right and comfortable serving of thee in this morning sacrifice and holy duties we take in hand Illighten our mindes and inlarge our hearts by thine owne good Spirit that wee may rightly conceive of the great mystery of grace and true meaning of thy holy Word that we treasure it up in our memories with an holy greedinesse and after walke by the strength thereof with all fruitfullnesse and power in all thy waies all the daies of our life and that for thy CHRIST his sake A Prayer after Sermon O LORD our GOD thou clearely seest and beholdest from Heaven what hearts we now bring into thy glorious presence from the businesse of this day how full of earthlinesse deadnesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to speake unto thee Wee pray thee for CHRIST his sake to possesse quicken and sanctifie them by thy blessed Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in these holy exercises Make us every day more and more wise with all thy Saints and elect children unto our eternall salvation in the right understanding beleeving and obeying of thy blessed Word and great mystery of godlinesse in JESVS CHRIST our LORD An Evening Prayer most usefull in time of warre or invasion O LORD our GOD high and mighty great and fearefull which dwellest in the highest Heavens and light that no man can attaine unto which by thy great power hast created Heaven and Earth and all things therein contained and by thy wise providence directest every thing unto an excellent end If thou shouldest deale with us in justice wee deserve to bee plagued with all the horrible and fearefull plagues of Egypt in this world and hereafter to be perpetually damned both in body and soule in the lake of hell fier where there is nothing but endlesse woe weeping and gnashiâ—g of teeth If there bee any sinne we have not committed it was because we wanted meanes opportunity enticement temptation or something not for want of a sinfull disposition in us If thou shouldest deale with us as we have dealt with thee wee should bee presently damned eternally If thou shouldest be as carelesse of us as we have beene of thee and the salvation of our soules we should never see thy face in Heaven O LORD fright our heart with a true sight and sence of all our sins O LORD perswade our hearts that since thou didst not curse and damne us when we lay wallowing in horrible sinnes thou wilt not now cast us away when wee are converted c. Thou wilt rather pitty us for our infirmities then condemne us for them Perswade our soules by that good experience we have had of thy goodnesse that thou wilt be our GOD for ever Let us not so much feare and abhorre the punishment and guilt of sin but also the power and tyranny whereby we are enforced to offend so loving and so gracious a Father Give us soundnesse of knowledge purity of heart holinesse of life contempt of the world conquest over our sinnes the comforts of thy blessed Spirit a joyfull expectation of our deliverance from sin and sorrow The spirit of meeknesse and wisedome the spirit of courage and constancy the spirit of love and joy and of a sound mind Let us be just in our dealings conscionable in our callings mercifull courteous Let us so comprehend the glorious state to come that we may bee willing to bee dissolved and to bee with CHRIST LORD grant that in the middest of a darke world we may see the
brightnesse of thy Heavenly Kingdome and in this weake tabernacle of small continuance we may know the dwelling place which wee shall have for ever in the resurrection of the just Thou that hast the issues of death in thy hand I beseech thee in mercy set before mine eyes alwaies the remembrance of thy judgement seate and my last end whereby I may be daily stirred up to consider in what great danger I stand through the horrible punishments due unto my sins Set before us the shortnesse of our owne life the vanity of all things we enjoy the excellent waight of glory prepared for all those that love thee the plagues of the wicked that great account we must make at our death that great and terrible day that having these things in our sight wee may not put our hands to any iniquity O LORD at this time goe out with the Armies of thy Saints and that fight thy battells in the whole Christian world Pardon we pray thee and passe by all their and our sinnes Helpe us to repent to renew covenant with thee and to feare before thee that they may more cheerefully couragiously and successively defend their righteous cause But infatuate we beseech thee the counsells and strike faintnesse into the heart of al them that lift their hearts or swords against the kingdome of Jesus Christ. And now find out and call to account the blasphemies idolatries cruelties and insolencies of thine and our adversaries and all the blood of the Martyrs of JESVS CHRIST which they have spilt as water upon the ground And if they will not returne unto thee returne it now O LORD GOD of recompences into their bosomes in fury and in jealousie Make them like a wheele c. Psal. 83. 13. Thou hast promised ever to helpe thy people in the needfull time of trouble even now LORD is the season for thy succour And therefore we pray thee for JESVS CHRIST his sake to stirre up thy selfe like a man of warre against all those boisterous and railing Rabsakees that band and combine themselves to put out the glory of Israels or any of thine anointed And give us LORD in the meane time pittifull compassionate and fellow-feeling hearts over the wofull calamities and miseries of thy people in these parts that we may powre out our hearts more fervently unto thee and give thee no rest untill for thine owne names sake thou become glorious in giving deliverance and victory unto thy poore humble servants that trust in thee alone and call upon thy name O LORD of Hosts GOD of Israel which dwellest betweene the Cherubims thou art very GOD alone over all the kingdomes of the earth thou hast made the Heavens and the Earth Encline thine eares O LORD and heare Open thine eyes O LORD and see the blasphemies and bloody desolations which thine and our enemies have cruelly brought upon thine owne people O LORD put on the garments of thy just indignation for clothing O LORD tread downe our enemies in thy wrath and make them drunken in thine indignation and bring downe their strength to the earth O LORD we are all as an uncleane thing and all our righteousnesse as filthy rags and wee all do fade as a leafe and our iniquities like the winde have taken us away Rise up O LORD and let thine enemies be scattered and let them that hate thee flee before thee Returne O LORD to the many thousands of Israel Numb 10. 35. Let thy people eate up the Nations their enemies and bruise their bones and shoote them through with their arrowes Numb 24. 8. That in our songs of praise and solemne thankes giving hereafter thy whole Church may joyfully sing and say It was not our owne arme or our own sword O Lord God of Hoasts that did save us but thy right hand and thy holy arme and the light of thy countenance because thou didst favour them Psal. 44. 3. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us deale with us according to thy Name for our rebellions are many we have sinned against thee O thou hope and holy one of Israel the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble why art thou as a stranger in the Land as one that passeth by to tarry for a night c. Ier. 14. 9. See Daniels Prayer Dan. 9. 4. c. O Lord God destroy not the people of thine inheritance O Lord our God thou art God of gods and Lord of lords a great God mighty and terrible which accepteth no persons nor taketh reward c. Deut. 10. 17. c. with all reverence and lowlinesse of spirit we acknowledge adore and onely rely upon thy greatnesse thy mighty hand and stretched out arme Deut. 11. 2. And finally we most humbly thanke thee for that it hath pleased thee to keepe us this day and all the daies and times of our lives beseeching thee that thou wouldest receive us this night into thy holy keeping that we may have quiet rest not of bodies alone but of our bodies also resting from all those things that are contrary to thy most holy will attending whilst thou raisest us up in the morning to doe all those things that thou hast appointed us Grant that we laying our bodies downe to rest may be thereby put in mind of our long rest of death that as we do now lay downe our bodies in bed so we may be thereby admonished that hereafter they shall bee laid downe in the grave to be consumed to dust earth and ashes from whence they were taken that we having this before our eyes may bee stirred up in mind warily to walke in this our pilgrimage not knowing when the time shall be of our departure but alwaies to be found ready with our lamps of pure faith clearely burning that we may be accepted to meere the Bridegroome when our Saviour shall call us to judgement at the last day LORD we deserve that thou shouldst leave us to the vilenesse of our owne hearts and to the corruptions we nourish in them and sith wee have so often neglected and abused those good meanes which thou hast ordained for our comfort and salvation wee even deserve that thou shouldest take them quite from us or turne them to be curses unto us we deserve that thou shouldest say to the ignorant be ignorant still to the filthy be filthy still to the malicious be malicious still c. till we have fild up the measure of our iniquiries so that at length thou mightest have a full stroke at our destruction c. The Preachers Prayer GRant that thy Word may bee delivered according to the true meaning of thy Word as it is left unto us by thy holy Prophets and Apostles that it may be divided with conscience wisdome and discretion with all plainenesse and evidence to the capacity of those that are most simple amongst us And blesse we beseech thee our conceptions and memories that we conceive a right use of those things that shall be delivered
incomparable Jewel that ever this world had or sons of men enjoyed the Ministery of the Word and meanes of salvation the discovery of the mystery of CHRIST and revelation of all thy blessed counsells By the power whereof so many amongst us as have truly tasted how gratious and glorious thou art in CHRIST doe blesse magnifie and admire the bottomelesse depth and infinite height of thy free grace for our happy conversion from Satan to the living GOD for our change from nature to grace a greater and more glorious work then the Creation of the world wherein thou hast improved thine owne infinite mercie the unvaluable merit of thy Sonne and the mighty worke of the HOLY GHOST to make us of limbs of the divell members of CHRIST O blessed be that happy time that ever we were so new borne Wee thanke thee for pardoning all our sins the least of which would have damned us everlastingly for renewing upon our soules the blessed image of the LORD JESVS the least glimpse whereof is infinitely more worth then the whole world We thank thee for the LORD JESVS and every drop of his pretious blood and all other sweetnesse wee finde in him for thy good Spirit and his gratious presence and residence in our soules for thy blessed selfe and all the sweete Communion we have with thy holy Majesty for the prayers of thy children Communion of Saints and the Intercession of JESVS CHRIST We thanke thee heartily for any power or conquest thou givest us at any time over our sins for all our ability to doe thee any service in any part or kinde of thy worship for all those afflictions and temptations which thou hast sanctified for our spirituall good for all the sweete and heavenly dewes of spirituall joy which thou hast at any time shed into any of our hearts from the throne of grace by the influence of thy holy Spirit Blessed GOD wee thanke thee infinitely for those glorious mansions of rest for our everlasting blessings and peace purchased for us with the blood of CHRIST for every moment of eternity in the highest Heavens where wee shall fully and for ever enjoy pleasures without end and past imagination O blessed Joyes O blessed Eternity O ever-blessed GOD Furthermore gratious Father wee heartily praise thee for all those publique favours and blessings which in great mercy thou hast from time to time vouchsafed unto this Kingdome wherein we have had a large and comfortable part We thanke thee good Father for the happy deliverance of this Kingdome from the fiery and bloudy times of Queene Mary for raising up Queene Elizabeth who raised Religion as it were by a miracle from the dead for all her miraculous deliverances from the cruell conspiracies of the bloody Papists especially that in 88. For all her blessed daies wherein so many Holy Saints were sent to Heaven We thanke thee mercifull GOD for delivering us from the rage and bloud of that day so long looked for by the Papists at Queene Elizabeths death for the quiet and happy succession of King Iames of blessed memory and all the peace and prosperity and freedome from Popery and the destroying sword especially the Powder-plot We thanke thee Father most heartily for the gratious setling of King CHARLES in the Royall Throne for his life and safety and the happy daies we enjoy under his blessed raigne and that thou hast put into his royall heart to give us this blessed liberty and glorious opportunity thus to humble our selves and afflict our soules in publique before thy glorious Majesty We humbly intreate thee in the name of CHRIST let every one of us receive at thy bountifull hands grace and power to doe it unfainedly effectually and savingly For that purpose let thy blessings fall abundantly from Heaven upon every soule here present by the Ministery of thy Word settle fast we pray thee by the finger of thy Holy Spirit in our memories judgement affections hearts and consciences all those points of Holy Truth with which wee have beene acquainted with this day that by thy mercifull blessing they may prove thy arme and power to every one of us for our salvation for the conversion of those who are yet uncalled and the setting forward of those that are already thine in the waies of life all holy conversation and neerer communion with thy blessed Majesty At last we cannot but reflect with compassionare hearts upon the grievous miseries and bleeding sorrowes of all our brethren and sisters afflicted with the plague of Pestilence Thou art a pitifull GOD full of tendernesse meltings and compassions thou art the Father of mercies and GOD of all comforts now we humbly intreate thee for thy deare Sonnes sake for thy infinite mercies sake for thy holy names sake of all thy loves unto the LORD JESVS and that with all the earnestnesse and fervency our poore dull hearts can possibly that thou wouldest bee pleased to cast downe thy compassionate eye upon them all stay the hand of thy destroying Angell spare them good LORD destroy not the people of thine inheritance put up we pray thee thy arrowes into thy quiver and thy sword into the sheath now at the joynt supplications of all thy deare children who are in this Kingdome who are even now wrastling with thee with all fervency of spirit let our poore prayers and all theirs even now meeting at the throne of grace bee mightily strengthened and tendered unto thee by the intercession of the LORD JESVS and pull downe speedily upon us this mercy and gratious deliverance that we may praise thee for evermore Lastly blessed LORD we humbly beseech thee to pardon in mercy all those corruptions infirmities faylings defects and imperfections which have beene mingled with these holy duties sprinkle all our services sacrifices and persons with the blood of that immaculate Lambe JESVS CHRIST the holy and the Righteous accept them and us gratiously in him in whom thou art well pleased in whom thy soule doth infinitely delight And so good Father we put our selves under the wings of thy gratious providence for our safety and preservation and our soules into the hands of the Holy Ghost for our further Sanctification and finall salvation in the name of JESVS CHRIST to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost even to thee holiest Father to thee dearest Saviour to thee sweetest Spirit be ascribed eternity infinitenesse and everlastingnesse of glory and praise world without end The Authors private Prayer O My good and mercifull LORD GOD most holy and deare Father in JESVS CHRIST I the vilest of all thy creatures and the worst that ever thou madest by reason of mine owne horrible sins doe here come unto thee upon the bended knees of my bleeding soule to intreate thee and beg at thy hands with all the instancy and fervency my poore dull cold heart can possibly for pardon grace and mercy for favour compassion and abundant forgivenesse O LORD my GOD thou knowest me full well and