Certaine Devout PRAYERS OF Mr. BOLTON upon solemne occasions Published by E.B. by M. Boltons owne Coppy LONDON Printed by George Miller dwelling in Black-Fryers 1638. To the Reader AMong Treatises fit to be published and read Treatises of Devotion are most fit as being freest from offence and fullest of divine matter If comparison may bee made betwixt parts of sacred Scripture the Psalmes of David have an excellency in that they consist of matters of Devotion Answerable to the stile of his name is the stile of his book The stile of his name was A man after GODS owne heart For such was his piety and sincerity as GOD was well pleased therewith and tooke much delight therein The rather because his devotion towards GOD incited him to doe what GOD required to be done So the Booke of Psalmes may well carry this stile A booke after Gods owne heart in that nothing is more acceptable unto GOD nothing wherein hee takes more delight then Devotion And no booke of sacred Scripture fuller of Devotion then that booke Most of the Psalmes wholy consist of Prayers or Praises very few if any at all wherein there are not some divine raptures and such heavenly ejaculations as manifest an heart full of Devotion For Devotion is a pious and humble affection to God-wards Humble through conscience of a mans owne infirmity Pious through a due consideration of the divine clemency Such Devotion is never more fully and to the life manifested then in Prayers and Praises For in these divine duties if rightly performed the soule presents it selfe before GOD and that in a speciall manner being after a sort even rapt out of the body Then if ever doth the soule so farre as it is capable with an holy admiration apprehend the divine Majesty Purity Justice Wisdome Power yea Mercy Goodnesse and other excellencies wherwith GOD is decked Then if ever is the soule brought throughly to discerne its owne infirmity impurity basenesse vilenesse and cursednesse For contraries paralleld or laid together doe most lively set forth each other in their owne proper colours He that liveth in a darke dungeon will be enamoured with the bright shining of the Sun when hee can have liberty to see it And hee that hath long lived under bright Sun-shine more thorowly discernes the horrour and dammage of darknesse Now GOD and man are in many respects directly opposite each to other This opposition is best discerned in our most serious contemplations of Gods excellencies and due consideration of our owne manifold infirmities which is most to purpose done in acts and exercises of Devotion In this respect this present Treatise is worthy of all acceptation even for the subject matter whereof it consisteth which is divine Devotition Herein you shall observe GOD most highly advanced and man most lowly dejected GOD advanced above the highest Heavens Man dejected below the lowest parts of the earth GOD magnified in his mercies and justified in his judgements Man judged and condemned according to his just deserts If the Author of a Worke add any thing to the worth of a Worke the Author of this Worke must needs add much to the worth of it For he was a man of a profound judgement and a zealous spirit which endowments are most fit for matters of Devotion Devotion must have fire in it in which respect a zealous spirit is very requisite Devotion hath an especiall reference to GOD in which respect solid judgement is also requisite As all the true genuine Workes of this Author give evidence of his more then ordinary spirit so this Modell especially By it you may perceive what kinde of fire fired the sacrifices which hee offered up to GOD. Wee reade in the Law Levit. 9. 24. that there came a fire out from the LORD and consumed upon the Altar the burnt offering That fire which once came from the LORD being continually preserved all things which required fier in the Tabernacle were to bee fired therewith as all manner of sacrifice and incense Such a fire a celestiall a divine fire which must needs come from the LORD set on fire the spirituall sacrifices and sacred incense which this Priest of the LORD the Author of this Treatise offered up to his GOD. We ought therefore to give the more earnest heed heereunto and to helpe our owne devotion and to quicken and enflame our own spirits thereby Without all question the Modells of some eminent persons Devotion may be a singular helpe to others Devotion Every one that hath this divine fier of Devotion in his soule cannot alwaies readily bring fit fuell to make it flame forth But when fuell is brought by others it will soone take and quickly flame out Neither is this as some too weakly though very violently cavill to stint the spirit of supplication For the worke of the Spirit consists not so much in the words and phrases whereby the matter of Devotion is expressed as in the intention of the heart and in the intirenesse and earnestnesse of the affection wherin the very forme soule and life of true Devotion consisteth Otherwise the spirit of all GODS people in all publicke Liturgies and formes of prayer would be stinted yea by this reason the spirit of every one that joyneth with another in prayer except his spirit onely who conceiveth and uttereth the prayer would be stinted And if so then away with publick assemblies for prayer away with family meetings to call upon GOD away with all meetings of two or three together in CHRISTS name notwithstanding CHRISTS promise of being in the midst of them Mat. 18. 20. But rather away with such proud and preposterous conceits which cleane crosse the tenour of sacred Scripture and commendable custome of GODS Church in all ages Sacred Scripture records sundry prayers conceived and uttered by one but assented to by sundry others wherby they became also the prayers of those others The 102. Psalme beares this title A Prayer for the afflicted when he is overwhelmed and powreth out his complaint before the LORD This title apparently sheweth that the Prophet who first penned this Psalme did it in the persons and for the use of any poore distressed servant of GOD. So as we thereby are taught what to pray when our sins lie heavy upon us or when we are in any other distresse It is expressely said that Iohn taught his Disciples to pray Luke 11. 1. This questionlesse was done by prescribing unto them a forme of prayer Whereupon when a Disciple of CHRIST said unto him LORD teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples he said unto them when ye pray say Our Father which art in Heaven c. As Iohn had prescribed a forme to his Disciples so CHRIST doth to his and so teacheth them to pray as Iohn did his Sundry formes of prayers were by the Ancient Fathers composed for the Churches in their daies In like manner have all
sinnes both before and since our calling in the grave of CHRIST JESVS and hide them in his righteousnesse for evermore There is no helpe or comfort to be had either in Heaven or in Earth in Angels Saints or mortall men to our wounded consciences but onely in the spotlesse justice of thy deare Son Give assurance therefore we beseech thee to every one of our soules that his pretious bloud was shed for our sinnes in particular that wee may sensibly feele the forgivenesse of our sins and rejoyce in the hope of eternall life In His blessed name we give thee all possible thankes for those many mercies and comforts which thou hast plentifully bestowed upon us most unworthy wretches We thanke thee deare Father for our health wealth and liberty for our peace plenty and prosperity for our food and apparell for our preservation from our cradle to this howre and all the good meanes of these but more especially for the more speciall tokens of thy great love for these we have common with the reprobates and those which shall never see thy face with comfort but after a short time spent in the miserable pleasures of this vaine world shall be turn'd to hell and everlasting fire We thanke thee for chusing us before all worlds to be heires of Heaven and Citizens with thy Saints We thanke thee for confirming unto us our Election by our effectuall calling O happy be that blessed time when thy good Spirit put the first motions into our hearts to become thy children This is the blessing wee infinitely esteeme before al worldly comforts and wherein is the preciousnesse of all true joy and contentment O most loving and gracious Father we beseech thee goe forward with the worke of this our New-birth that thou hast begun in us and never take away thy hand unto the day of JESVS CHRIST Thou hast promised that whom thou hast loved once thou wilt love for ever and thou art without all shadow of change and sooner shall the mountaines bee cast into the Sea before one jot of thy gracious promise fall unto the ground or one title of thy Word be unaccomplisht Take from us therefore wee beseech thee all privy pride and hypocrisie all vanity and vaine-glory all dullnesse backwardnesse and security in thy service which hang so fast on which cleave so close unto our soules and fearefully hinder us in the course of godlinesse but above all things let us never fall backe againe into the grosse and horrible sinnes of our unregeneration Reveale unto us we beseech thee all our sinnes give us tender consciences and a continuall increase in spirituall wisedome and heavenly understanding untill we come unto that happy strength by which the world is crucified unto us and wee unto the world and bee able to say out of the powerfull feeling of thy goodnesse upon our soules with thy blessed servant David GOD is our hope and strength and helpe in troubles ready to bee found Therefore will we not feare though the earth bee mooved and though the mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea Though the waters thereof rage and be troubled and the mountaines shake at the same GOOD LORD bee mercifull with the bowells of thy Fatherly compassions unto thy Church and every member thereof Be gratious unto this sinnefull Kingdome and enter not into judgement with the horrible sins thereof And in the same looke downe we beseech thee with the speciall eye of providence and protection upon the excellent instrument of thy glory our most gracious Soveraigne Give him the spirit of zeale wisedome and governement that he may long and religiously raigne over us in despight of all his enemies both at home and abroad Blesse all his Counsellors both our Universities Oxford and Cambridge the Nobility of this Land the Gentry all inferiour Magistrates all Judges and Justices of Peace those that are imployd in fighting thy battells either by Land or Sea Give to every one a spirit to his calling Leade them all into thy Sanctuary and teach them out of thy holy Word first and chiefly those things which concerne thy honour and glory the good of the people that depend upon them and lastly the salvation and comfort of their owne soules at the dreadfull day of judgement when they shall give an account of their stewardships Enrich wee beseech thee with many graces of zeale faithfullnesse and sincerity the Ministers and Preachers of thy holy Word blesse their labours that some good may come of them increase their number place over every Congregation a faithfull and religious Watchman that may go in and out before thy people in soundnesse of doctrine and uprightnesse of conversation Touch the hearts of the many multitudes of this Land that at length they may turne unto thy truth and so be delivered out of the tyranny and power of Satan to the freedome of thy deare Son CHRIST JESVS our LORD Give successe good LORD and prosper all those which in their good purposes seeke the preferment of thy truth by good and lawfull meanes Blesse all them that thou hast joyned unto us with any bond of love kinred or acquaintance all those whose hearts thou hast stird up to doe us good any manner of waies and those also which wish and worke us evill if they belong unto thee Comfort O LORD with thy sweetest comforts all thy children which are vexed either in soule or body whether by Pestilence Famine Warre poverty imprisonment sicknesse or banishment trouble of conscience vexation of spirit disquietnesse of minde want of spirituall comfort or whatsoever kinde of affliction of body or mind thou dost try them with Give them in the meane time faith in thy promises and comfort in thy Spirit and in thy good time a happy deliverance whether by life or by death as it shall be best to thy honour and glory and good of their owne soules But especially as we are bound at this time we humbly intreate thy loving kindnesse and tender mercies for our poore afflicted brethren and sisters here about us in London Oxford and many other places of this Land O LORD stay thy revenging hand Though wee bee but wormes and dust yet thou art our Creator and we the worke of thy hands Thou art our Father and wee thy children Thou art our Shepheard and we thy sheep Thou art our Redeemer and wee the people whom thou hast bought Thou art our GOD and we thine inheritance Forget not therefore O LORD to be gracious and shut not up thy loving kindnesse in displeasure turne thee againe at the last and bee gracious unto thy servants And grant wee beseech thee that these great judgements may effect and worke that for which they were sent even true humiliation and undissembled repentance that we all turning unto thee in truth and sincerity thou maist turne unto us with thy mercies and everlasting compassions And whereas we whom of thy great goodnesse thou hast thus long time spared are as deepe
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
turne thine indignation away from us It is a heavy judgement and horrible sicknesse which devoures now and eates up thy people in our chiefe City And is fearefully scattered in many places abroad It is called thine hand thy sword the stroake of thine Angell the snare of the Fowler the noysome Pestilence the terrour by night the arrow that flieth by day the destruction that wasteth by noone-day and walketh in the darknesse O Lord our God let us be humbled proportionably to the extraordinary terror of thy heavie hand Thou Lord art acquainted with the anguish of all hearts with the griefes and groanes the necessities and wants of all distressed ones And all those poore soules that are still afflicted under thy mighty hand with the grievous Pestilence in any part of this Kingdome lie in a most rufull comfortlesse and desolate state ordinarily they are destitute of all outward comforts they want the Physitions both of soule and body the presence and comforts of their friends neighbours and all those who are dearest unto them They are vexed with the rage of a horrible disease assaulted with the fearefull sight of all their sinnes the pangs of death and terrour of thy dreadfull Tribunall we humbly beseech thee most mercifull Lord to ease comfort succour and relieve them all farre above that which we can either thinke or speake in their behalfe Especially Holy Father we pray thee blesse every one of them with a right and holy use of this thine heavy hand upon them give them saving sorrow and true repentance the blood of thy Sonne pardon of all their sins perswasion of thy love peace of conscience patience to endure their great extremities and a full recompence of all their outward desolations with the sweete and inward consolations of thy blessed Spirit And so sanctifie good LORD this sore judgement to the whole Kingdome that we may all come from under thy visiting hand as gold out of the furnace refined from the drosse of our corruptions and filth of sin and so fitted and sanctified for the more sincere and glorious service of thy great Majesty unto our dying day O LORD our GOD thou beholdest now from Heaven what hearts we bring now into thy glorious presence how full of deadnesse earthly-mindednesse listlesnesse and unfitnesse to performe any holy duty with heavenly minds and spirituall affections we pray thee to stirre them up and quicken them by thy Holy Spirit that they may bee ever feeling and fruitfull in the use of all the Ordinances give every one of us spirituall ability and helpe from Heaven to goe through it with life and power effectually and pleasingly to thy great Majesty in the name of CHRIST An other Prayer for confession of sinne O Eternall GOD great and fearefull strong and mighty yet mercifull and gratious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousand forgiving iniquity transgression and sin we poore wretches vilest creatures doe heere humbly cast downe our selves at the foot of thy great and glorious Majesty acknowledging from our hearts that we are most unworthy to come into thy presence or to call upon thy dreadfull and Holy Name For thou art a GOD of infinite Majesty and glory and dwellest in light that no man can attaine unto and we are vile wormes dust and ashes dwelling in houses of flesh and Tabernacles of clay wherein we can doe nothing but sin Thou art a consuming fire and we are even as stubble before thee ready to bee devoured by thy fierce wrath if thou shouldest deale with us as we have deserved Thou art a GOD of pure eyes and canst not behold iniquity and we are encompassed and laden with all manner of pollutions and sinfullnesse Beside that bloudy rebellion with Adam in Paradise and cursed Leprosy of Originall sin which hath universally corrupted all the faculties and powers of body and soule filling them with all Hellish poyson confusion and pronenesse to ill The whole world hath beene worse for us since wee came into it There is nothing in Heaven or in Earth but so farre as in us lay we have polluted wronged dishonoured and abused it one way or other 1. We have villanously stroke at the Apple of thy pure eye Holy Father many and many a time with filthy thoughts abominable lusts and fearefull provocations we have pressed thy mercies even as a cart is pressed which is full of sheaves we have shamefully abused the riches of thy goodnesse forbearance and long-suffering leading us to repentance 2. We have dishonoured thy deare Sonne by despising him in his Ministery neglecting his many gratious invitations persecuting him in his members and shedding his bloud in the Sacrament 3. We have grieved thy good Spirit by putting backe his holy motions or smoothering them by worldlinesse lusts and earthly delights 4. We have vexed thy blessed Angels so much as in us lies besides many other waies even in this house of thine with unreverence drowsinesse sleepinesse and the like where they are beholding with delight the misteries revealed in the Gospell 5. We have wofully abused all thy creatures they should have ministred to us continuall matter of heavenly meditation upon thy greatnesse and goodnesse power and providence c. but our earthly minds have made no such holy use of them but wee have covetously and sensually abused them to our owne ends and carnall contentments 6. Even this Kingdome gratious Father wherein we have beene borne and bread and enjoyed many good things hath beene much worse for us For we have had our hands LORD thou knowest in pulling downe upon us this horrible sicknesse of the plague of Pestilence and other judgements both temporall and spirituall and without true and timely repentance are likely enough to hasten the destroying sword and besome of destruction to make an end of us 7. We have abused all thy fatherly corrections and chastisements laid upon us in love and for our good they should have brought forth in us the peaceable and glorious fruits of Righteousnesse but they have rather begot murmuring impatiency and discontentment 8. We have abused thy mercies which have beene heaped abundantly upon us above measure and without number even to increase our security and presumption and forgetfullnesse of the evill day 9. We have abused the most gracious and glorious day of visitation that ever any people enjoyed upon earth passing over it very unprofitably like sons and daughters of confusion not gathering any such stock and store of grace against our ending houre as we might plentifully have done 10. We have abused all thy blessed Ordinances those heavenly conduits of all spirituall blessings grace and comfort By our unpreparednesse before irreverence in the use of them fruitlesnesse and want of practise afterward 11. We have wretchedly abused our owne bodies and soules by abandoning them to the service of Satan and making all our members instruments of unrighteousnesse to sin Fearefully were they infected with Originall sin at first but we