increase our faith confirm our hope inflame our Charity teach us to imitate the life of Christ the true pattern of perfect Obedience and only true rule of a Godly life Teach us Humility Patience Meekness Gentleness Chastity Temperance Teach us to contemn earthly things to deny our selves to overcome the world grant us consolation in adversity and true tranquillity of mind grant us victory in temptations and deliverance from the devils treacheries grant us in thine appointed time a blessed departure of this life and a blessâ—â— resurrection unto life everlâ—sting And we pray not for our selves alone but in obedience to thy Command we make our supplication unto thee for all men save and defend thy universal Church enlarge thou her borders propagate thy Kingdom Bless thy servant Charles our most gracious King and governour Bless together with him our gracious Q. Katharine James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family Bless we beseech thee the Lords of his Majestys most Honourable Privy Council the Nobles Judges Ministers and Magistrates of this Realm Be thou a Father to the Fatherless a Comforter to the Comfortless a Deliverer to the Captives a Physitian to the Sick Grant that the Sickness of their Bodies may be for the good of their souls Hear us likewise O Lord for the sake of Christ and accept our thanksgiving we thank thee for preserving us ever since we were born and for defending us this night from all perils and dangers for the quiet rest wherewith thou hast refreshed our bodies for thy mercy renewed unto us this morning let thy mercy be continued unto us this day let thy Spirit direct us in all our ways that we may walk before thee as Children of the light doing those things that are pleasing in thy sight Let the dew of thy blessing descend upon our labours for without thy blessing all our labour is in vain Prosper thou the works of our hands upon us and grant that we may so conscionably seek after things temporal in our callings that we do not finally lose the things which are eternal we are unworthy O Lord we confess to obtain any thing at thy hand either for our selves or any other even for the sinfulness of these our prayers But since thou hast promised to hear all those that call upon thee in thy sons name make good we beseech thee thy promise unto us now calling upon thee in thy Sons name and praying as he hath taught us in his holy Gospel Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Wednesday Evening MOst Glorious Lord God whose dwelling is in the highest heavens And yet beholdest the lowly and the humble upon earth we blush and are ashamed to lift up our eyes unto heaven because we have sinned against thee which dwellest in the heavens But look down we beseech thee from heaven thy dwelling place and behold the humility of thy servants here on earth which prostrate themselves at the foot-stool of thy mercy confessing their own guiltiness begging pardon for our sins we confess O Almighty Creator that thou madest us at the first after thine own Images thou cloathedst us with Innocency as with a Garment thou seatest us in Paradice a place of all delight and Pâ—easure But we have defaced thine Image we have cast off our first Covering we have thrust our selves out of that pleasant place we ran away from thee and were not obedient to thy Voice And we do still shut our Eyes O Lord that we might not see and we have refused to be ruled by thy Law The law of sin in our flesh doth dayly captâ—vate us The root of sin which lyeth hidden in us doth every day put forth new branches all the parts and faculties of our bodies and souls are as so many Instruments of unrighteousness to fight against thy Divine Majesty Our hearts imagine wicked things our mouths utter them and our hands put them in practise Thy Mercys are every day renewed unto us and our sins are every day multiplyed against thee in the day of health and prosperity we forget thee and we never think upon thee in the day of sickness and adversity Thy benefits heaped upon us do not allure us to obey thee neither do thy Judgments inflicted upon others make us afraid to offend thee what couldst thou have done O Lord more for us or what could we have done more against thee Thou didst send thy Son in the fulness of time to take our nature upon him to fulfil thy Law for us and to be Crucified for our sins but we have not followed the example of his Holy Life but have every day afresh Crucified him by our sins and now O Lord if we should become our own Judges we cannot but confess that we have deserved everlasting torments in Hell fire but there is mercy with thee O Lord therefore will we not despair our sins are many in number but thy mercys are without number the weight of our sins is great but the weight of thy Sons Cross was greater our sins press us down to hell but thy mercy in Christ Jesus raiseth us up by Satan we are accused but by Jesus Christ we are defended By our own Consciences we are condemned but by Jesus Christ we are absolved and pardoned in us there is nothing but Sin Death and Damnation in him there is treasured up for us Righteousness Life and Salvation we are poor Christ is our Riches we are naked he is our covering We are exposed to thy fury pursuing of us he is the buckler of our defence and our refuge he is the Rock of our Salvation and in him do we trust Guide us O Lord by thy holy Spirit to amend what is amiss in us increase all gifts and graces which thou hast already given and give unto us what thou best knowest to be wanting Be gracious and favourable to thy whole Church especially to that part of it among us Bless thy Servant and our soveraign Lord King Charles our gracious Queen Katharine and all the Royal Family we beseech thee also to be gracious to the Kings Council the Nobility the Magistracy the Ministry the Gentry the Commonalty Forget not O Lord all those that are under the Cross and affliction Cloth the Naked feed the Hungry visit the Sick deliver the Captives defend the Fatherless and Widow releive the Oppressed confirm and strengthen those that suffer Persecution for Righteousness sake cure those that are broken in heart speak peace unto their consciences that are tormented with the sence of their sins stand by those that are ready to depart out of this life and when the house of their earthly Tabernacle shall be destroyed then Lord receive their Souls And now O Lord we bless and praise thy Name for our Health Maintenance and Liberty for preserving us ever since we were born for blessing us in all that we have put our hands unto this day Let thy mercy still be continued unto
grace and goodness reduce them to the obedience of thy most holy will in the practise of all piety toward thee and charity towards all men And with us be gracious to thy whole Church bless thy servant Charles our gracious King and Governour bless our gracious Queen James Duke of York and all the Royal Family bless the Nobility the Magistracy and Ministery of this land of what quality or degree soever Be merciful to all that are under any affliction or tryal whatsoever be a Father to the fatherless a husband to the Widdow and a Comforter to the Comfortless in what streight or necessity soever they are support them and bring them out of it to thy Glory and their comfort Be merciful to all that we are bound to pray for bless our Relations Kindred and Friends and let them serve thee and live to thy Glory And now we desire to return all humble and hearty thanks to thy heavenly Majesty for all thy blessings continually showred down upon us In Creating us and Preserving us to this day in keeping us the day past from all dangers and casualties that we are continually subject to Continue O Lord we beseech thee this favour to us and let thy Angels pitch their Tents round about us this night to guard and defend us from all perils both of soul and body let our weak and wearied bodies be refreshed with seasonable and convenient rest and sleep that so we may be the more fit to discharge our duties both toward God and man the day following Grant these our weak Petitions and give us all other blessings that thou knowest we stand in need of and all we ask of thee in the blessed Name and Words of our dear Saviour and Redeemer further Praying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Fryday Morning MOst Holy most Glorious and Eternal Lord God we thy poor and unworthy servants in all humility of soul and body and unfeigned acknowledgment of our duty prostrate our selves before the Throne of thy Mercy praising and magnifying thy fatherly goodness for the abundance of thy blessings and for the multitude of thy mercies heaped upon us beseeching thee for Christ his sake to be merciful to all our sins committed against thy divine Majesty upon the consideration of which we confess we are not worthy to appear in thy presence much less to ask a Blessing at thy hands for by reason of our corrupt nature in us derived from our first Parents our inclinations have been proâ—e to commit all manner of sin and wickedness against thy goodness thy laws and precepts we have broken both in thought word and deed out of our hearts proceed evil and wicked imaginations which defile the soul and the whole man is altogether abominable these things O Lord we confess to our shame and if thy mercy prevent not it will be our utter destruction of soul and body Yet O Lord thou aâ—t our Creator thou hast made us and thou hast sent thy dear Son Jesus Christ to die for us and thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and many are the benefits and blessings which thou hast bestowed upon us and which by thy goodness we enjoy both of soul and body and therefore by the testimony of our own consciences we stand convicted and the thoughts of our great sins and transgressions do much astonish us what shall we say therefore or wherein shall we open ouâ— mouths who shall deliver us from the misery due unto us for our transgressions nothing can be expected in this life but mercy and confusion and in the world to come eternal condemnation But yet O Lord in obedience to thy command and in confident assurance of thy endless and unspeakable mercy promised in Jesus Christ to all sinners which come unto thee with sorrow in our hearts shame in our faces and in all humility of Spirit And we would appeal from thee a just Judg to thee a merciful Father from the throne of thy Justice to the seat of thy Mercy beseeching thee O Lord to have mercy upon us and to turn away thy face from all our sins and to blot out all our transgressions for the only Meritorious Death and Passion of Jesus Christ who so abundantly shed his Blood on the Cross to take away the sin of the World and be pleased now to reform our affections transform us out of sin into the glorious liberty of thy own children to live in newness of life in a holy conversation and continual obedience to thy divine Majesty And now we further intreat thee O Lord for a blessing upon thy Church Universal more especially we beseech thee to continue the peace and prosperity of these Churches wherein we live and every member thereof and in a more especial manner bless with the cheifest of thy blessings thine Annointed and our Soveraign Lord King Charles the Queens Majesty James Duke of York and the rest of the Royal Family bless the Lords of his Majesties most honourable privy Council the Reverend Clergy and all civil Magistrates bless all our kindred friends and acquaintance bless all O Lord from the highest to the lowest And since it hath pleased thee O Lord of thy Goodness to deliver us from the power of darkness and all dangers of the night past affording us quiet and comfortable rest bring us safe to the beginning of this day our souls and all that is within us shall praise thy holy Name We beseech thee to bless and defend us O Lord this day direct and protect us in it bless our going out and comming in let thy Spirit guide us in all our actions prosper all our labours and endeavours this day make us diligent and dutiful in our Callings that we may keep a good Conscience in all our dealings not any way to defraud any one knowing that one day we must give an account of all our words and deeds Lord hear us we beseech thee and accept of this our morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving hear our prayers and grant our petitions that we have asked and all other blessings which thou in thy infinite wisdom knowest most necessary for us we ask at thy merciful hands in the Name and through the mediation of thy dear Son our blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord in whose most excellent form of Prayer we conclude our imperfect Petitions saying Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Fryday Evening MOst glorious and everlasting Lord God which inhabitest eternity and dwellest in that light which no mortal eye can attain unto the God in whom we live and move and have our being we thine unworthy servants do here in all lowliness and humility present our persons and Prayers before thy divine Majesty confessing and acknowledging that we were conceived in sins and brought forth in iniquity and as if that had been but a small matter we have heaped up our Actuall transgressions as the sand upon the sea-shore and as the stars
Christ is Rich though we be sinners he is Righteous though we be impure yet he is Pure and Holy for his sake therefore O Lord have mercy upon us and Write thy Law in our Hearts engrave it in our Minds we heartily beseech thee And let us this Morning of thy Holy Day wholly turn unto thee with all our Hearts Minds Thoughts Deeds and Meditations that we may joyn in Praises to thy holy Name for thy preservation of us the night past and refreshing us with sweet sleep and let us declare thy loving kindness in the Morning on thy Holy and Blessed Sabbath-Day for it is thy Will and Commandement that we should Sanctifie this thy Day unto thy Service and in Praise unto thee and offer up unto thee a morning Sacrifice of Praises and Thanksgiving and to hear what thy Spirit by the preaching of thy Word shall speak unto us thy Servants O let not our sins stand as a cloud to stop our Prayers from Ascending up unto thee or to keep back thy Grace from Descending by thy Word into our hearts that we may cease from the works of sin as well as from the works of our ordinary calling and that we may feel in our hearts the beginning of that Eternal Sabbath which brings unspeakable Joy and Glory and filling us with the Spirit of Prayer make us diligent and ready in the performance of thy will And take us O Lord into thy custody and governance for ever both our Souls and Bodies yea our Lives and all that ever we have so that our Lives may please thee and our Deaths may praise thee through Jesus Christ our Lord for whose sake we heartily Pray thee to grant these things thus asked and all other things necessary for soul and body and that not only to us but to all others also for whom thou wouldest we should pray Grant unto us all true hearty Repentance that we may turn from our evil ways that thou mayest turn from us the evils that we have so highly deserved And with us O Lord bless thy whole Church especially that part of it in these Kingdomes Be Gracious to thy servant and our Soveraign Lord King Charles Bless him in his Government and in his Royal Relations our Gracious Queen Katherine James Duke of York and all the Royal Family bless the Nobility Clergy Magistracy Gentry and the whole People of this Land be merciful to all our Kindsfolks and Families Neighbours and to all such as are any other way Related to us and we beseech thee to grant us all thy Blessings and thy holy Spirit to sanctifie us and to keep us this day and for Evermore from all Evil to thy Eternal Glory and our everlasting comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour in whose Blessed Name and Words we further Pray Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Sunday Evening O Eternal God our most loving and merciful Father in Jesus Christ it is thine own commandment that we should call upon thy name and it is thy gracious and merciful promise that where two or three are gathered together in thy name there thou wilt be present among them we thy poor and unworthy servants Dust and Ashes yet the Workmanship of thine own Hand are more bold to come before thee to offer unto thee this Evening sacrifice of Prayer and Thanksgiving O Lord we beseech thee to sanctifie unto us thy word which we have heard and read this day make it the seed of life unto our souls that it may fructifie grow and increase and get such strength by thy good providence that neither the burning heat of affliction or persecution cause it to wither but that as seed sown in good ground it may bring forth thirty sixty and a hundred fold as thy heavenly wisdom hath appointed And now O Lord being here before thee we cannot but acknowledg and confess ever from the bottom of our Hearts against our selves our own Unworthiness that we are greivous sinners Conceived in sin and born in iniquity whereof we have brought forth most vile fruits in our lives to the great dishonour of thy Name the utter dismaying of our own Consciences and the evil example of our Brethren by which we have deserved likewise thy wrath and heavy indignation to be poured upon us both in this life and that which is to come in such sort that no creature in heaven or earth is able to reconcile us again to thy Majesty but only thy Son Jesus Christ we intreat thee therefore O Lord to be merciful unto us and as we acknowledg our sins unto thee so be thou faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness wash us thorowly from our wickedness and cleanse us from our sins for we acknowledg O Lord against thee we have sinned and done evil in thy sight To thee therefore O Lord do we come to crave the pardon of our sins both â—or the guilt and punishment of the same that so they may not draw down upon us our deserved Judgment And good Lord we pray thee accept of our Thanksgiving unto thy Majesty for all thy mercies and blessings from time to time bestowed upon us for this life and for a better we praise thee for our Election Vocation Justification Sanctification continual Preservation and the assurance thou hast given us of a better Life when this is ended as also for all temporal blessings health peace and prosperity for thy goodness extended toward us for this day past that thou hast goâ— in and out before us and freed us from many dangers of soul and body and hast brought us with peace and comfort to the beginning of this night Lord Watch over us by thy Spitit and Presence give us a holy and sanctified use of our rest and sleep and fit us for the Duties of the next day especially O Lord fit us for that day which shall never give place to night And grant unto us all good things that thou in thy Wisdome knowest more expedient to give than we to ask and all we beg for Jesus Christ His sake in whose Name and Words we conclude these our imperfect Prayers saying as he hath taught us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Munday Morning MOst Merciful and Gracious Lord God we do not present our selves here before thy Majesty trusting in our own merits or worthiness but in thy manifold Mercies which hast Promised to hear our Prayers and grant our Requests which we shall make unto thee in the Name of thy Dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord who hath also commanded us to assemble our selves together in his Name with full assurance that He will not only be amongst us but also be our Mediator and Advocate toward thy Majesty that we may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed Will for our necessities Therefore we beseech thee most Merciful Father to turn thy loving Countenance
in the firmament for number we have broken thy Commandements we have prophaned thy Sabbaths we have dishonour thy name we have abused thy creatures we have neglected the day of our Visitation and turned thy grace into wantonness whereby we have most justly provoked thy wrath and everlasting displeasure we have wounded our own consciences weakned our assurance of salvation and greived thy good Spirit which sealeth us up unto the day of our redemption And now O Lord if thou shouldst deal with us after our deservings thou mightest pour upon us the deluge of thy wrath and sury to sweep us out of the land of the living into that place of torment prepared for the Devil and his Angels But thou hast revealed thy self to the sons of men to be the Lord the Lord Merciful and Gracious Long-suffering and of great Goodness who pardonest Sinnes and passest by the transgressions of thy people this is thy Name for ever and thy Memorial throughout all generations we beseech therefore for Jesus Christ his sake to be merciful unto us in the free pardon and forgiveness of all our sins that we have ever committed against thee Accept of his obedience for our disobedience of his righteousness for our unrighteousness of his Sufferings for all our sins wash them away in his blood nail them to his cross hide them in his wounds and bury them in his grave that they may never rise up for our confusion here or for our condemnation hereafter O Lord be unto us a Father of Mercy and a God of Consolation Speak peace unto our souls and consciences and say unto us that thou art the God of our salvation And give us grace for the time to come to dye dayly unto sin by vertue of thy sons death and to rise up to newness of life by the power of his resurrection wean our hearts and take off our affections from the things of this world which endure but for a season and raise them up unto those things which are at thy right hand for evermore enlighten the darkness of our understandings subdue the stubbornness of our wills rectify the disorder of our affections and bring into obedience whatsoever exalteth it self against thy will that at last we may become such as thou would'st have us to be Continue and enlarge thy blessings upon the Church and Land wherein we live upon the person and government of our King bless all the Royal Family together with his Majesties councel the Nobility Magistracy Clergy and Gentry of the land Be merciful to all those who are afflicted with any cross or calamity all our relations and acquaintance and all others whom we are bound to pray for O Lord accept our Thanksgiving this Evening for all the mercys and favours which thou hast afforded for our souls or bodies for this life or a better more especially that thou hast preserved us and our Family this day in health and happiness Now holy Father seeing the night is upon us and we are ready to take our rest in thy hands we commit our souls and bodies and all that we have beseeching thee who art the keeper of Israel that neither sleepest nor slumberest to take care of us for if thou protect us not Satan will devour us yea we shall sleep a prepetual sleep and never arise up to praise thee we praise thee therefore be good to us this night deâ—eâ—d us from danger refresh us with comfortable rest and raise us up to glorify thee in the duties of the day following that thou mayst still be our God and we may be thy people hear us and graciously answer us in these our requests and what else thou knowest needful and expedient for us and that for Jesus Christ his sake in whose most blessed name and words we conclude these our imperfect Prayers saying as he himself hath taughts us Our Father c. A Prayer for a Family for Saturday Morning GRacious Lord God thou art the great Creator of Heaven and Earth we confess our selves unworthy to come into thy presence or to speak a word before thee wretched sinful Creatures that we are full of all iniquity and uncleanness and who can make that clean which is taken out of an unclean thing the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts are evil and only evil and that continually Yet O Lord seeing thou hast commanded us to call upon thee and hast mercifully promised to be present with thy Children to hear their prayers and to grant their requests which they put up in faith unto thee O Lord this doth give us boldness to come before thee and in confidence of thy goodness that thou wilt make good the same promises unto us at this time we here offer up unto thee this morning Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving humbly acknowledging and confessing from the bottom of our hearts our manifold transgressions and offences which we have continually multiplied against thee in thought word and deed from the beginning of our dayes unto this present time we acknowledge O Lord our Original corruption in the which we were at the first conceived and born and from which there hath sprung the most bitter and unsavoury fruit of sin apostacy and Rebellion to the great dishonour of thy Name and wounding of our poor souls and consciences and the evil example of others amongst whom we have lived by the which O God we confess that we have justly deserved that thy Wrath and indignation should be poured out upon us both in this life and in the life to come And therefore O God we come not here before thee in our own worthiness but in the worthiness and mediation of Jesus Christ beseeching thy gracious goodness for his sake to forgive all our offences our open sins our secret sins our sins of Presumption sins against Knowledg against Conscience against thee or against our Brethren either in our younger years or in the days of our knowledge as we must needs confess that in many things we offend all we beseech thee O Lord for Christ his sake to forgive the same unto us and perswade our Souls and Consciences more and more that thou art at peace with us and that all our sins are done away in the blood of thy Son And grant O Lord that by the assistance of thy Holy Spirit we may serve thee with more freedom of mind and liberty of will in Righteousness and true Holiness unto the end of our days And good Lord begin not only repentance and true conversion in us but of thy great mercy perfect the same O lead us forward more and more to perfection increase in us the saving knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ. And now O Lord we magnify and praise thy Holy Name for thy Blessings and Mercies bestowed upon us both Spiritual and Temporal for our Health Peace Food Rayment and all the comforts of this life O Lord let us make a right use of them that we may not