acted with a high hand against Knowledge and the cries of a convinced conscience which makes sinne rebellion to know God yet not to glorifie him as God not in the dayes of our ignorance onely but since the light of the glorious Gospell hath shone into our hearts 3 Without any or with small temptation resolving to sinne selling themselves with Ahab even in cold bloud to doe wickedly Heb. 10. 26. as in sinnes in which there is neither pleasure or profit c. As to sweare prophane the Sabbath refuse preaching praying scorning Gods wayes 4 Against frequent purposes faire promises of more holy obedience reiterated vowes and covenants generall in Baptisme Lords Supper particular on such and such an occasion 5 Against meanes 1 Blessings coards of love 2 Corrections thou hast striken us but wee have not sorrowed Ier. 5. 3. 3 Word early and late all the day long 2 Actuall sinnes against the Gospell 1 Not thirsting after Christ Iesus nor prizing nor loving and cleaving unto him with our dearest affection 2 denying him in our lives 2 Not repenting us of our sinnes though God in mercie vouchsafe space and means but hiding excusing not mourning for nor forsaking sinne 3 Not believing the promises of salvation nor relying upon Iesus Christ for justification sanctification and salvation c. not stirring up our selves to take hold of him but forsaking our owne mercies 4 Sâ—â—ning against the holâ— Ghost by tempting grieving or quenching the holy spirit of God receiving the grace of God in vaine turning it into wantonnes growing cold in religion losing our first love Thus bringing our iniquities to remembrance 1 wee must acknowledge and bewayle them not onely generally but individually also one by one fetching and ferreting them out as so many Achans by the poll especially those which are naturalized and habituated in us our beloved and darling sinnes our dearest Dalilahs And that from a 1 Trobled broken bleeding melting spirit beleeving heart clasping the promises Ezr. 10. 2. yet now there is hope in Israel c. 2 Honest heart wishing the confusion as wel as making the confessioÌ„ of sin meaning to leave every wicked way and with purpose of heart cleaving to the Lord 2 Confession of the evill of punishment acknowledging our selves in regard of these our so many and grievous sinnes not onely to bee lesse than the least of all Gods mercies but most justly worthy of his most dreadfull plagues lyable and obnoxious to all evills of punishment in Iudgements Corporall Spirituall Temporall Eternall vid. Ezr. 9. Dan 9. Thus of the first part of Prayer viz. CONFESSION The Second followes which is PETITION PEtition is either for Our selves Others 1 Our selves and is called Supplication consisting of two branches viz. Apprecation Deprecation 1 Apprecation or collation of good which also consists in desiring 1 Supply of all wants Spirituall Corporall 2 Continuance and encrease of all blessings both Eternall Spirituall Corporall 1 Apprecation for bestowing of all good blessings viz. 1 Supplying all our wants of things 1 Spirituall viz. Grace Encrease of Grace Meanes of Grace 1 For the grace of free Pardon for our sinnes that God for his mercies promise Christs sake even the abundant merits of our Lord Iesus his bloudy passion who hath satisfyed for them to the utmost farthing by pouring out his soule for an oblation for the sinnes of the whole world would be pleased freely to forgive and blot them out of his booke never laying them to our charge beforemen to shame us in this world or to our everlasting confusion before men and Angels in the world to come Of which that we may more fully bee assured wee pray for a lively and apprehensive Faith by which we may be inabled to lay hold on and apply the generall and free Promises of Salvation to our selves in particular that God would seale up the assurance hereof to our consciences by the gracious testimony of his holy spirit giving unto us the spirit of adoption whereby we may with comfort and confidence cry ABEA father that so being justifyed and freed from the guilt and punishment of all our sinnes wee may have peace of conscience being reconciled to him in his Sonne 2 Repentance unto life whereby our stony hearts may be softned broken w th godly sorrow our eyes run down w th rivers of teares for our falls and faylings heretofore and we quickned to new obedience to serve the living God in holinesse and righteousnesse all our remaining dayes 3 All other sanctifying graces accompanying furthering our everlasting happinesse 1. as saving knowledge that we may understand what the holy and acceptable will of the Lord is 2 Fervent love to God our brethren yea our very enemies for his sake that loved us when wee were enemies 3 Ardent zeale 4 Lively hope 5 Son-like feare of God 6 True humility and contrition of spirit 7 Sincerity and boldnesse in the profession of the truth Perseverance patience and strength under the crosse Contentation in all estates either of weale or woe want or abundance 2 Encrease and growth of all these graces that the bruised reed may not be broken nor the smoking Flaxe quenched but that our graces like the light may shine more and more to the perfect day and our works be more at last than at the first 3 The meanes of grace continued and sanctifyed unto us as 1 Gods Word preached at Church 2 Read in private that the holy Ghost blessing it from heaven may bring it close home unto and savingly worke it upon our hearts that thus the heavenly spirit breathing on his own ordinances they may quicken us and become effectuall to our salvation 2 Sacraments 3 Sabbaths 4 Prayer 5 Fasting c. 2 Supply of wants temporall our owne personall concernements and all outward blessings appertayning to this present life Health Liberty Friends Rayment Food giving and preserving to our use the kindly fruits of the earth so as in due time wee may enjoy them preservation in our persons and estates Direction in all our courses thoughts words actions the blessing of God upon all our labours a right and sanctifyed use of all Gods blessings and chastisements 2 Deprecation of Evills personall nationall both of sinne and punishment either before or after it comes Before it comes aversion prevention After it comes ablation or removall 1 Wee pray against the evill of sinne that we may be 1 Delivered freed and acquitted of the guilt and danger of all our sinnes 2 Endued with watchfulnesse power and dominion over them all in our judgements to dislike them in affections to hate them in heart to bewaile them and in life to forsake them 1 From the guilt and danger that our sinne may not shame us before men and torture our consciences here in this life nor condemne us body and soule in the world to com that our doing evil
every Communion c. to a particular confession and bewayling of them Thou maist set them downe in a paper Qu. 2. What would I desire God to doe for me if I were sure to obtaine my wish of him Thy heart will answer O that God would please to forgive my sinnes such and such O that hee would give unto me stedfast faith in the Lord Iesus the grace of Perseverance Health c. Set downe the particulars 3. Qu. What speciall favours and blessings hath God bestowed on mee from my infancie till now for which I owe him all possible thankesgiving Thy heart will make answer such and such a time hee delivered mee from danger from death c. made such a man to be my friend gave mee a husband a wife preferment c. Thus if thou signifie to God thy hatred of those sinnes want and hearty desire of those graces thankesgiving for those blessings Exercise will make this easie and Christs spirit that great master of requests will be ready to draw thy petitions for thee prompting thee with sit words and holy affections thou shalt make thy prayers unto him and hee shall heare thee and if thou seeke him hee will be found Iob 22. 27. Doe this daily it will bee no hinderance to thy worldly employments No man ever lost by serving God Meat and Mattens hinder no mans thrift Godlinesse hath the Promise for as hee rideth not furthest that goes early out on a bad horse c. or hee that is early up at his busines with blunt and dull-edged tooles but weaâ—ies himselfe and mars his worke so he prospers not best that goes about his calling before he hath seasoned his heart with holy meditations reading and prayer to God Exod. 40. 5. Thou shalt set the Altar of Gold for the Incense before the Arke of the Testimonie Exod. 30. 7. Aaron shall burne thereon sweet Incense every morning vers 8 and at Even hee shall burne incense upon it a perpetuall incense before the Lord. Levit. 16. 12. He shall take a censer full of burning coales of fire from off the Altar before the Lord and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small and bring it within the veile vers 13. And hee shall put the incense upon the fire before the Lord that the cloud of the incense may cover the Mercie-seat that is upon the Testimonie Holy Incense for the the Censers of the Saints Or Selected Sentences of holy Scripture furnâ—shing with materialls and serving as Formes of Prayer according to the heads of the former Method PREPARATION LEt us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens Unto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens DESCRIPTIONS of GOD. O God the God of the Spirits of all flesh Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindenesse O thou that hearest prayers Thou Lord that createdst the heavens and stretchedst them out that spreadest foorth the earth and that which commeth out of it that givest breath unto the people upon it and spirit to them that walke therein The God in whose hand our breath is and whose are all our wayes The high and lofty One that inhabitest eternity whose name is holy who dwellest in the high and holy place c. The living God and the everlasting King Who hast made the earth by thy power and hast established the world by thy wisedome and stretched out the heavens by thy discretion That formest the mountaines and createst the wind declarest unto man what is his thought that makest the morning darkenesse and treadest upon the high places of the earth The blessed and onely Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Who onely hast immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approch unto whom no man hath seene or can see The Lord of Hoasts which dwelleth betweene the Cheâ—uâ—ims Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot containe thee Thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Behold even to the Moone and it shineth not yea the Stars are not pure in his sight O Lord my God thou art very great thou art cloathed with honour and Majesty Who coverest thy selfe with light as with a garment who stretchest out the heavens like a curtaine The nations are as a drop of a bucket and are counted as the small dust of the ballance hee taketh up the Isles as a very little thing All nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him lesse than nothing and vanity It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the inhabitants thereof are as grashoppers that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in O Lord of Hoasts that trieth the righteous and seest the reines and the heart The Lord which giveth the Sunne for a light by day and the ordinances of the Moone and of the Stars for a light by night which divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roare the Lord of Hoasts is his name Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing too hard for thee Thou shewest loving kindnesse unto thousands and recompencest the iniquity of the Fathers into the bosome of their children after them the great the mighty God the Lord of hoasts is his name Great in Councell and mighty in worke for thine eyes are open upon all the wayes of the Sonnes of men to give every one according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his doings The King whose name is the Lord of Hoasts Him that maketh the seaven Stars and Orion and turneth the shaddow of death into the morning and maketh the day darke with night that calleth for the waters of the Sea and powreth them out upon the face of the earth the Lord is his name He that buildeth his stories in the heaven and hath founded his troupe in the earth Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage he retaineth not his anger for ever because hee delighteth in mercie He rebuketh the Sea and maketh it dry and drieth up all the Rivers I hou art of purer eyes then to behold evill and canst not looke on iniquity Descriptions of God from his Mercie and long-suffering Exod 34. 6. 2 Pet. 3. 9. 2 Chron. 30. 9. Nehem. 9. 31. Psal 103. 8. 11. 13. 17. Mic. 7. 18. 19. Rom. 2. 4. Gracious Promises Gen. 3
and of thy glory where is thy zeale and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrayned Doubelesse thou art our father though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledgeth us not thou O Lord art our father our Redeemer thy name is from everlasting Awake awake put on strength O arme of the Lord awake as in the ancient dayes in the generations of old Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the Dragon thou art King of Kings and Lord of Lords Shew thy marveilous loving kindnesse O thou that savest by thy right hand those which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them c Awake why sleepest thou O Lord arise cast us not off for ever Wherefore hidest thou thy face and forgettest our affliction and oppression Let them all be confounded and turned backe that hate Zion c. Let their flesh consume away while they stand upon their feete and their eyes consume away in their holes and their tongues consume away in their mouth Ezek. 11. 16. Isay 40. 11. Blesse every member of the Catholike Church in what place in what case soever women with child blesse them with safe deliverie make them joyfull mothers of children young children blesse them with religious education Seafarring men blesse them with prosperous navigation Husbandmen blesse thou them with plentifull harvests and encrease Captives blesse thou with enlargement Prisoners with repentance and amendment M. Valent. VNCALLED Raise up the Tabernacle of David that is falne and close up the breaches thereof and bee gracious to the remnant of Ioseph that the Day-spring from on high may visite and give light to them that sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death to guide their feete into the way of peace Those other sheepe which thou hast which are not yet of thy folde them also doe thou bring in and make them to heare thy voyce A a shepherd seeketh out his flocke in the day that hee is among his sheepe that are scattered so will I seeke out my sheepe and will deliver them out of all places where they have beene scattered in the cloudy and darke day And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries and I will bring them to their own land and feed them upon the mountaines of Israell by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the countrey vid. Ezek. 37. 21. 22. I will surely assemble O Iacob all of thee I will surely gather the remnant of Israell I will put them together as the sheepe of Bozrah as the flocke in the middest of their fold they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men CALLED Keepe them as the apple of an eye though Satan like a roaring Lyon goe about seeking whom hee may devoure yet give them not over unto the will of their enemie but upon all the glory let there bee thy defence Lord blesse this land compasse it with thy favour as with a shield Lord doe thou keep it and water it every moment lest any hurt it keepe thou it night and day The KINGS most excellent Majestie Let the soule of my Lord be bound in the bundle of life with thee and the soules of his enemies them cast out as from the middle of a sling Make his seed to endure for ever and his throne as the daies of heaven Prolong the Kings life and his yeares as many generations and that hee may abide with thee for ever O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve him Our renowned and gracious Soveraigne the breath of our nostrils the annoynted of the Lord let his house and throne be established for ever and set him as blessings unto his people Keepe him as the apple of thine eye hide him under theÌ„ shadow of thy wings From the wicked that oppresse him from his deadly enemies that compasse him about His seed doe thou establish for ever and build up his throne to aâ—â— generations Let his seed endure for ever and his throane as the Sunne before thee give him a long life a prosperous raigne that none of all the Kings may bee like him His enemies cloath with shame but on himselfe let his Crowne flourish Let his glory bee great in thy salvation crowne him with outward blessings with inward graces with long life satisfie thou him and shew him thy salvation give him riches and glory that none of the Kings may be like him As thou hast annoynted him to bee ruler of thy people so give him a wise and understanding heart to goe out and come in before this great people that he may governe over them inthy feare serving thee with a willing mind Bee thou unto him a father and make him unto theâ—â— thy sonne Blesse also thy servants house and let it be established before thee make a covenant with him as thou didst with David let the Angell of the Lord pitch round about him let not the sonnes of wickednesse approach neere to hurt him Blesse his Counsell with wisedome his Iudges with integrity his Magistrates with courage his people with obedience his Armies with victorie his raigne with peace M. Val. The LORDS of the Privie Councell Enforme thon his Councellers after thy will and teach his Senators wisedome that judgement may runne downe as waters and righteousnesse as a mighty streame that they may aske at thy mouth that counsell which they shall mister unto their Soveraigne that they may bee to us in stead of eyes filled with the spirit of God in wisedome As they be famous in the congregation and men of renowne so they may be as Gods knowing good and evill that all the counsell which they counsell may bee as if a man should enquire at the Oracle of God MAGISTRACIE And that judgement may not be turned into gall nor the fruit of righteousnesse into hemlocke give courage to our rulers that they may execute justice truely in the gates that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty MINISTERIE And thou who art the Lord of the harvest send our labourers into thy harvest that those which are ordained to eternall life may be saved and let the worke of the Lord prosper in their hand The Chariots of Israel and the horse-men thereof Let thy Thummim and thy Urime be with thy holy one who observe thy word and keepe thy Covenant that they may teach Iaeob thy judgements and Israel thy Law they shall put incense before thee and whole burnt sacrifice upon thine Altar Blesse Lord their substance and accept the worke of their hands smite through the loines of them that rise against them and of them that hate them that they
the greatnesse of thine excellencie confounding all those that are implacable enemies to thine elect we the people of this land who have at this day tasted and seene how gracious thou art in saving us by so great a deliverance as the like was never heard of since man dwelt upon the faâ—e of the earth doe with all humble and hearty acknowledgement prayse and blesseâ— thy glorious name for that admirable and strange deliverance which thou graciously vouchsafedst to our King Prince Nobles and the whole body of this Kingdome and state assembled together in the high-court of Parliament How great a cause have wee to praise thee day by day and to blesse thy name for ever ever who hast given us such deliverance as this which if ever we forget let our tongues cleave to the roofe of our mouth Doubtlesse unto God the Lord belong the issues from death it was thou that saidst hither to shall yee goe and no further here shall the proud waves of your hellish attempts stop themselves O yee popish conspiratours your mischiefe shall returne upon your owne head and your violent dealing shall come downe upon your owne pate and all that see it shall say this hath God done for they shall perceive it was thy worke Blessed be thy name O Lord who hast not given us as a prey unto their teeth that kept the proud waters from going over our soule and deliveredst us from so great a death thou hast broken the jaw-bone of those ravening Lyons and hast plucked us as a prey out of their teeth our soule is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered Not unto us O Lord not to us but to thy name be the praise for ever given that thus savedst thy people with an outstretched hand and watchedst betwixt our enemies and us they thought to have cut off head and tayle branch and rush in one day to have swallowed us up alive as the grave and whole as those that goe downe into the pit but themselves are salne into the pit which they digged for us Righteous art thou O Lord God of recompences just and true are thy judgements who maintainedst our right and our cause and gavest not the soule of thy turtle into their hands but gavest them blood to drinke for they were worthy Blessed be thy name who redeemedst our life from destruction and thus crownest us with loving kindnesse thou satest in heaven and laughedst them to scorne thou Lord hadst them in derision and though they cursed yet thou didst blesse us yea thou didst curse them and didst blow upon them in the fire of thy wrath and dashedst them in pieces like a Potters vessell They digged deepe to hide their counsell from thee but the darkenesse â—ideth not from thee thou broughtest to light their workes of darkenesse thou causedst their own tongus to maâ—e them to fall thus when thou pleasest to worke for thy Church a bird of the aire shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall discover the matter and in the thing wherein they deale proudly thou wilt bee above them They tooke craftie counsell against thy Saints and were mad against thy people and sworne together against us and had their mischievous device not beene defeated by thee our land had beene as Sodome our people as Gomorrah a desolation our Cities Golgotha our fields Aceldama Cursed bee their anger for it was fierce and their wrath for it was cruell but blessed bee thou O Lord who savedst us by a great deliverance and gavest us not over to the will of our enemies into the hands of bruitish men and skilfull to dust oy more fierce then the Evening Woulues bloody and breathing out cruelty This was none other but the finger of God this was thy doing O Lord and it is marvellous in our eyes this is the day which thou hast mâ—de to be unto us a good day a day of blessings and prayses we will rejoyce and be glad in it yea and the children which are yet unborne shall arise and for it praise thy name and tell it also unto their children that even to perpetuall generations we all may remember this day as the Iewes did their feast of Purim and keepe it throughout every generation every Family every Province and every Citie that it may not faile from among the people of this land nor the memoriall of it perish from our seed Still confound all their devilish practises blast their purposes infatuate their policies as many as have evill will to Zion Let the ravens of the valies picke out those eyes and the young Eagles eate them as many as rejoyce not to see thy Gospell flourish nor thy Saints prosper nor the welfare of this state and Church all their dayes So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but let them that love thee bee as the Sunne when hee goeth forth in his might Amen Deut. 4. 7. What nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for Happy art thou O Israel who is like unto thee O people saved by the Lord the shield of thy helpe and who is the sword of thy excellencie and thine enemies shall be found lyars unto thee A Praxis upon the Holy Oyle shewing the Vse of the Scripture Phrases In Praying meditating writing Letters exhorting comforting reproving c. yea in any Christian dutie on any occasion to be performed For Example Wouldst thou in the time of dearth and famine insert a seasonable petition or two into thy prayers that God would please to provide for thee thy family and the poore c. to remove this judgement and send plenty Turne then to the Heads Famine Poore Plenty provide c. Let me if thou wilt spell thee out this lesson and shew thee the way-thus then O Lord the God of the Spirits Scripture Numb 27. 16. Head GOD of all flesh who givest to the beast Scripture Psal 247 9 his food and to the young ravens which cry the God which Scripture Gen. 48. 15. hast fed us all our life long unto this day and hast said thou wilt never Scripture Heb. 13. 5. leave us nor forsake us Give us this day Scripture Math. 6. 11. Head Compe ∣ tencie our daily bread feed us with food Scripture Fro. 30 8. convenient for us The eyes of all wait Scripture Psal 145. 15 -16. Head Provide upon thee and thou givest them their meate in due season thou openest thine hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing Look Scripture Deut. 26. 15. downe now from thy holy habitation from heaven and Head Famine kill not the assembly Scripture Exod. 16. 3. of thy people with hunger Thou hast Scripture Amos 4. 6. given us cleannesse of teeth in all our Cities and want of bread in all our palaces Scripture Hos 2. 9. thou hast
to come out of it yea though with Lazarus I stinke already yet roll away the stone and speake thou by thy all-powerfull word and I shall come forth and live O purge my conscience from dead workes redeeme mee from death ransome me from power of the grave and though I be lesse than the least of all Saints lesse than the least of all thy mercies yet make me a prisoner of hope and by the bloud of thy covenant send forth my soule out of the pit wherein is no water Wash my robes and make them white in the bloud of the Lambe Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Make thy word to be unto me like a refiners fire and like fullers sope cleansing me from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit that so I may be meete to be a partaker of the inheritance of the Saints in light not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but holy and without blemish the sonne of thy love through Christ Thou hast promised that if I returne unto thee thou wilt receive me and that if I seek thee early I shall finde thee that thou wilt have mercie upon me and wilt abundantly pardon all my sinnes heale my backeslidings and love me freely O Lord it is not sinne in the highest degree when it is out of measure sinfull and is come to the full that can hinder the Sunne of righteousnesse from arising with healing in his wings on any humbled soule no for where Sinne abounded Grace doth much more superabound and where shall or can the skill of thee our heavenly Physician be so much seene so much adored and magnified as in healing a poore soule weltring and wallowing in its bloud and desperately wounded unto everlasting death O speake thou the word and my soule shall live Subdue mine iniquities and cast all my sinnes into the depths of the Sea O redeeme me from my former vaine conversation that I may renounce the hidden things of dishonesty turne thou mee and I shall be turned betroth my soule unto thee in faithfulnesse make with me a covenant of peace And because no man can come to thee except the father which sent thee draw him O draw me and I will run after thee open my blinde eyes say Epphata to my deafe eares touch my lips with a coale from thy Altar that my iniquity may bee taken away and my sinne purged then shall my lame feet leape as an Hart and my dumbe tongue shall sing forth thy praise A new heart doe thou also give me and a new spirit doe thou put within me and take away the stony heart out of the midst of me and bestow upon me an heart of flesh and put thy spirit within mee as thou hast promised and cause me to walke in thy statutes and to keepe thy judgements and doe them And for the time to come Lord make me more zealous of thy glory more profitable in wayes of my calling more carefull to doe and receive all possible good that I can Alas I have beene a barren tree thou hast planted mee neere the rivers of water hast digged about me and taken much paines with me but I am still unfruitfull thy glory is not so deare unto me as it ought to be nor is my owne salvation or the edification of others so sincerely indevoured by me as was meet O turne me into another man circumcise the foreskinne of my heart let the time past of my life suffice to have served and live in sinne Give mee grace now in this my day to know the things that belong to my peace to make use of this time of my visitation to lay hold on eternall life to take the kingdome of heaven by violence now thou standest at the doore and knockest O let me open unto thee that thou mayest enter in and sup with me Give mee grace to worke out my salvation with feare and trembling to bee often in calling upon thee in prayer and lifting mine eyes up to the hills from whence both pardon of sinne and power over sinne must bee expected Make mee often search and trye my wayes and examine my selfe whether I be in the faith or no. Now I beseech thee to heare me and helpe me doe away the iniquity of thy servant cover my transgressions and let my sinnes bee blotted out from before thee for the Lord Iesus Christs sake Amen Amen Some particular formes of PRAYER For the English Colonies and Plantations in New-England Virginia c. O Most high God Possessor of heaven and earth the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the habitation of thy holinesse and of thy glory by thee the Mountaines were brought forth and thou hast formed the earth and the would and hast given it to the children of men for a possession And by thy word of blessing hast commanded man to encrease and multiply and replenish the face of the earth We in this nation have found thy gracious Providence over us in thy continuall protection and preservation for thou hast strengthned the bars of our gates and blessed our children within us thou hast set peace in our borders and hast abundantly given us blessings of the brest and of the wombe insomuch that wee are exceedingly multiplyed so that the place where wee dwell is too narrow for us for our seed is become as the sand and the offspring of our bowels as the gravell thereof And now O Lord thou of thy good providence hast espied out for us an exceeding good land watred with the dew of heaven from above blessed with the farnesse of the earth from beneath and hast made roome for us to bee planted therein that wee who are growne into so great a nation and are thronged at home may swarme out and bee gathered thither for the glory of thy great name the honour of this Kingdome and the further enlargement of our Kings dominions O let their designe be holinesse to the Lord honour and wealth to our nation and enlargement also to the kingdome of thy Christ who are transplanted into those remoter parts of the world Build a place of rest for thy tabernacle among them that the heathen that have not knowne thee and the families that have not called on thy name may by this meanes bee delivered from the power of darkenesse and translated into the kingdome of thy deare sonne Bee thou a wall of fire round about our people and a little Sanctuary unto them Let no sonne of wickednesse approach neere to hurt them build them up into a nation there plant them and make them to dwell in safety Let no seditious Sheba be author of faction or schisme among them And as thou causest the Sun to arise upon all the earth so that nothing is hid from the heate thereof so leâ— there bee no speech nor language where the voyce
of thy Gospell is not heard Let thy way be knowne upon earth and thy saving health among all nations cause the Sunne of righteousnesse to arise with healing in his wings upon all those that sit in darkenesse and the shadow of death to guide their feete into the way of peace Give thy sonne Iesus the heathen for his inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession Make all the Kings of the earth to fall downe before him and all nations to doe him reverence That his dominion may bee from Sea even to Sea and from the rivers even to the ends of the earth That Tarshish Pul and Lud that draw the bow Tuball and Iavan and the Iles afarre off that have not heard thy â—ame neither have seene thy glory may be brought into the houshold of faith and be joyned to the people of the God of Abraham and so bee made one folde under that great shepheard and Bishop of their soules Those sinners of the Gentiles O Lord draw them out of the darkenesse of Paganisme Idolatrie ignorance and superstition and though they now bee wallowing in their blood yet let it bee the time of love with thee and say unto them live spread thy skirt over them Let the light of the glorious Gospell of Iesus Christ shine unto them that they may turne from the service of dumb Idols yea of very Devils to thee the living God Teach them to know thee the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ open the doore of faith unto them that they may beleeve in the name of thy Sonne grant them repentance unto life that they may be saved light up among them some burning and shining lamps to beare thy name among them that the grace of God which bringeth salvation may appeare unto all men that so they which are without Christ being aliens from the Common wealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of Promise that have no hope and are without God in the world may heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and live To this end plant thy grace and feare in their hearts who are of that Colonie and Plantation make them wise to win those poore soules by their unblameable conversation being zealous for thee gentle towards them apt to teach them patient in meeknesse instructing them if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devill who are taken captive by him at his will O Lord this is a worthy worke and who is sufficient for these things therefore doe thou make bare thine owne almighty arme bring in the fulnesse of the Gentiles give them where Satans throne is an heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heare the word of thy grace that the ends of the earth may see the salvation of God and they that dwell in the uttermost parts thereof may be converted unto thee then shall the earth bee filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea and they shall feare the name of the Lord from the West and his glory from the rising of the Sunne Amen A Prayer to bee prepared against Death c. O Thou eternall immortall invisible and onely wise God who stretchedst forth the heavens and laidst the foundations of the earth and formedst the spirit of man within him thou art the former of al things thy spirit did at the first make mee and the breath of the Almighty hath given mee life thou hast clothed mee with skin and flesh and fenced mee with bones and sâ—â—ewes my substance was not hid from thee when I was made in secret and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth thine eyes did see mee when I was yet unperfect and in thy booke all my members were written which in continuance were fashioned when as yet there was none of them before And thou Lord tookest me out of the wombe thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mothers breasts thou hast fed me and led me all my life long unto this day when I have passed through the waters thou hast beene with me and through the rivers they have not overflowed me thou hast carryed mee on Eagles wings and in the time of trouble hast preserved me safely under thy feathers and there hath not one haire of mine head fallen to the ground without thy Providence But what man is hee that liveth and shall not see death our dayes on the earth are as a shadow and there is none abiding we spend our yeares as a tale that is told our life is even as a Vapour that appeares for a little time thâ—n vanisheth away wee build our house as a moth and as a booth that the Keeper maketh We have here no continuing Citie all flesh is grasse and all the goodlinesse thereof as the flower of grasse Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble he commeth forth like a flower and is cut downe hee fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not O Lord my times are in thy hand all my dayes are determined the number of my months are with thee thou hast appointed my bounds which I cannot passe I must one day returne to the ground for dust I am and to dust I must returne thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appoynted for all living where I shall make my bed in darkenesse and must say to corruption thou art my father and to the wormes thou art my mother and my sisters O that I were wise and did understand this that I could consider my latter end that whether I live I might live unto the Lord or whether I dye I might dye unto the Lord that both living and dying I might bee the Lords then should I use the world as if I used it not then would I not bee conformed to the men of this world who have their portion in this life whose God is their belly who make pleasures and honour and riches their God and mind only earthly things But by that irreversible sentence of thine In the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death it is appoynted unto all men once to dye our fathers where are they and the Prophets doe they live for ever they all are gone downe into the chambers of death there they rest together in their beds till the heavens be no more they shall not wake nor bee raysed out of their sleepe and I my selfe also who am a sonne of Adam and formed out of the same clay I must when my dayes be fulfilled sleepe with my fathers and goe the way whence I shall not returne Truly the light is sweete and a pleasant thing it is for the eyes to behold the Sunne and yet thy favour presence and light of thy countenance is better than life whilest I am in the flesh I am absent from thee and thou hast taught
mee that the day of death is better than the day when I was borne Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord for they rest from their labours and their workes follow them And that I may dye in thee O make me to live to thee O teach mee so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart unto wisedome that all the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrills I may glorifie thee on earth and finish that worke thou givest me to doe because there is no worke nor device nor knowledge in the grave whither I am going O make mee to passe the time of my Sojourning heere in thy feare because the night commeth in which I cannot worke So long as this my day lasteth let me live as a child of the light let my behaviour be as becommeth holinesse adorning the doctrine of God my Saviour in all things that I may praise thee my God whilest I have my being and my conversation may be in heaven even whilest I Sojourne heere on earth and the life which I now live in the flesh I may live by the faith of the Sonne of God that the world may be crucified unto me and I unto the world For to this end our Saviour Iesus once tasted death for every man and humbled himselfe and became obedient even to the death of the crosse that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which dyed for them and rose againe When therefore my race is finished and I have served out my time O let mee dye the death of the righteous and let my last end be like his Let my soule be bound up in the bundle of life with the Lord my God shew me the path of life In thy presence is fulnesse of joy at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore Pardon all my Sinnes heale my backe-slidings love me freely subdue mine iniquities and cast all my Sinnes into the depths of the Sea Give me peace of conscience and joy in thee that when dust shall returne againe to the earth as it was my spirit may returne to God who gave it Amen A Prayer for a Scholler O Lord thou art the Father of lights every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and commeth downe from thee thou hast commanded that if any lacke wisedome he should aske it of thee thou it is that givest to the simple sharpnesse of wit and to the child knowledge and understanding O give unto me thy servant a wise and understanding heart and make learning delightfull unto my soule that I giving attendance unto reading may meditate upon the things that shall be taught me and give my selfe wholly thereunto that so my profiting may appeare unto all O make mee also to learne Christ in whom are hid al the treasures of wisedome and knowledge that I may grow up before thee as a plant of righteousnesse And because Paul may plant and Appollos water but it is thou alone that canst give the increase command thy blessing from heaven that it may rest upon my studies It will be in vaine for me to rise early and to sit up late unlesse it please thee to prosper mine endeavours O doe thou bestowe on mee knowledge and skill in all learning and wisedome as thou didst on Daniel and his three companions And as Moses was learned in all the wisedome of the Aegyptians so also incline mine eare to wisedome and apply mine heart unto understanding that I may say unto wisedome thou art my Sister and call understanding my Kinswoman make me to seeke her as silver and to search for her as hidden treasures to be instant in season and out of season in labours more abundant in watchings often applying my heart to know to search and seeke out wisedome and the reason of things O make me in the morning to sow my seed and in the evening not to withhold mine hand that I may take hold of instruction and not let her goe but keepe her for shee is my life Make me swift to heare carefull to redeeme the time wisely husbanding those opportunities I have to learne that with all my getting I may get understanding and may not onely learne the wisedome of heathen and prophane Authors but that wisedome also which is from above and heavenly which may give me an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Lord set thy stampe on this my pliable and waxie youth that it may bee holinesse unto thee season my heart with thy feare betimes let me set thee alwayes before mine eyes that as Samuel Iosiah and Solomon I may learne to know thee the Lord God of my Fathers and serve thee with a willing mind make me to give to thee the first fruits of my yeares and to remember thee my creatour in the dayes of my youth whilest the evill dayes come not thus laying up a good foundation for the time to come Thou hast promised that if I seeke thee thou wilt be found of me but if I forsake thee thou wilt cast me off for ever make me therefore diligent to know the Scriptures of a child which are able to make me wise unto salvation let thy glory be the end thy word the rule thy spirit the guide thy will the law thy promises the comforts of my life that thus acquainting my selfe with thee betimes and abhorring all prophane and Atheisticall conceits of thee thy wayes worship I may by thy grace suppresse all filthy and unholy thoughts fancies and desires so fly the lusts of youth Thou hast made me to bee borne into thy Church and hast even from my infancie received me into thy covenant O that there were such an heart in me that I might serve thee alwayes Give me patient obedient humble dutifull and discreet carriage to all my Supiriours to him especially at whose feet as Saint Paul at Gamaliels I now sit make me painfull and industrious carefull to please him reverencing his authority Make mee affable loving courteous harmlesse and of winning behaviour towards my Equalls and Inferiours being gentle and easie to be intreated by them all Pardon and heale the frailties follies and infirmities of my youth give me understanding to conceive largenesse of heart and capacity to apprehend confirme my memorie to retaine my invention to finde out and attaine to humane literature Prosper all my labours and make me wise to understand mine owne wayes to save mine owne soule that I may bee a comfort to my Parents and honour to thy Gospell an example of Learning Pietie and vertue to all my Equalls that so I may heereafter become a profitable instrument of thy glory either in the church or common wealth as thou shalt see it best in thine heavenly wisedome and most agreeable to mine owne disposition that thus glorifying thee in my life I may be blessed of thee in my death and glorified for ever with thee in the world