wherein we must give an account of our Stewardship and Luk. 16. 2. be no longer Stewards We acknowledge O Lord that we are guilty Sinners unable to help our selves and unworthy that thou shouldst help us our own consciences condemn us and thou mightest 1 John 3. 20 much more condemn us for thou knowest more by us than we do by our selves and art greater than our consciences But O God be merciful to us and spare us in the multitude of thy tender compassions Thou that hast promised pardon and forgiveness to all repenting Sinners work in us we beseech thee a serious and unfeigned repentance and let us thereby obtain remission of Sins And by a true and lively faith in our Lord Rom. 3. 24 25. Jesus Christ whom thou hast set sorth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood justifie us freely by thy Grace and let not any of our sins be charged upon us to our condemnation But let us by his Merits and Righteousness be so delivered from the guilt of them that we may serve thee in righteousness Luk. 1. 75. and holiness before thee all the days of our life And grant that as Christ dyed for us that were dead in sin and under a sentence of death for it we may not henceforth live unto our selves but unto him which 2 Cor. 5. 15. dyed for us and rose again Guide our Feet into those ways of righteousness and peace temperance and sobriety mercy meekness and charity that are well-pleasing to thee and guard us against the temptations of the World the Devil and our own naughty Hearts that we never depart from them Let a continued sense of thine Omnipresence and all-seeing Eye make us upright and sincere in the discharge of every duty careful and vigilant for the avoiding of every sin firm and constant in the resisting every temptation let us so set thee alway before us that thou being at our right hand Psal 16. 8. we may not be moved Heb. 13. 9. Keep us stedfast in thy truth and when many are carryed about with divers and strange Col. 2. 7. doctrines let us be more and more rooted and stablished in the faith by bringing forth the fruits of righteousness And 2 Pet. 1. 5 6 7. add to our faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and to knowledge temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness and to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity v. 8. that these things being in us we may not be barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but an entrance may be ministred v. 11. unto us abundantly into his everlasting Kingdom Let the whole race of mankind find favour in thine eyes and let the glorious light of the Luk. 1. 79. Gospel of Salvation shine upon them that sit in darkness and the regions of the shadow of death Let the people praise Psal 67. 3. thee O God let all the people praise thee call home the Jews thine ancient people accomplish the promised fulness of the Gentiles that the whole Church may be in Christ as one Sheepfold under one Shepherd O be gracious and favourable unto Sion and build up the decayed and ruinous Walls of thy Jerusalem Free thy Church from all Heresie Prophaness Schism Superstition and Idolatry and whatever is displeasing in thy sight and a blemish of the blessed Gospel of God her Saviour Keep the Vineyard which thy right hand hath planted from all its enemies that would pull up the Hedges thereof and lay it waste water Isa 27. 3. it every moment lest any hurt it keep it night and day Bless these Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland forgive those many and crying Sins that might make us desolate without Inhabitants and let every one of us that have added to the great weight of wickedness and made it heavy enough to sink us into utter ruine turn from the evil of our ways and by an hearty repentance and real reformation stand in the gap and stop those Judgments that are gone forth against us and entering in at our wide breaches to destroy us Amend us by thy just severities and merciful salvations and let both thy punishments and preservations of us lead us into the ways of righteousness Bless with thy richest blessings our Sovereign Lord the King preserve him as thou hast done wonderfully heretofore from the malice and subtlety the mischievous Plots and Combinations of his Enemies and let him so remember the deep distress out of which thou hast drawn him and the high authority wherein thou hast placed him that in all his actions designs he may promote thy honour and glory and all 1 Tim. 2. 2. that are under him may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty Let the Bishops and Pastors of thy Church further truth and holiness by their life and Doctrine and civil Magistrates discountenance and suppress all wickedness and encourage virtue and goodness and not bear the Sword in vain And let all from the highest to the lowest so carry themselves as that thou mayest be glorified true Religion advanced the Gospel of Christ honoured and Truth and Peace may be established among us Let all that are Sick pained or impoverished distressed either in Body or Mind find thy gracious hand to sweeten and sanctifie their Afflictions and in thy good time to deliver from them Bless us O our God that are here before thee direct assist and prosper us in all that we this day set our hand unto and let us not undertake any business but what thou hast warranted by the rules of Righteousness and upon which we may desire and expect thy blessing Guide us by thy Counsel till Psal 73. 24. thou bring us to thy Glory by Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour who in compassion to our Infirmities hath taught us thus to pray OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses As we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power And the Glory For ever and ever Amen Monday Evening BLessed and holy Lord God who madest all things by thy Power and rulest all things by thy Providence and fillest all places by thy presence art about our Bed and about Psal 139. 3. our Path and spyest out all our Ways we thy poor Creatures most heartily beseech thee that thou wouldest fill every one of our hearts with an awful sense of thee and an humble sincerity in our approaches to thee that laying aside all guile and hypocrisie we may draw near thee Heb. 10. 22. with a true heart and worship thee that desirest truth in the in Joh. 4. 24. ward
delivered from wrath and condemnation Matt. 22. 37 39. to love thee the Lord our God with all our heart and our Neighbour as our selves and let 's evidence our love to thee by keeping thy Commandments 1 Joh. 5. 3. and our love to our Neighbour by forbearing and forgiving reproving and admonishing counselling comforting and relieving him and performing all acts of charity and kindness to him Let us herein exercise our Acts 24. 16. selves to have always a conscience void of offence toward thee and toward men enlighten our understandings with the knowledge of thy Will inflame our affections with a delightful love of it and so conform our wills unto thine that we may readily do what thou wouldst have us do and cheerfully suffer what thou wouldst have us suffer Give us that Jam. 3. 17. wisdom which is from above that is first pure to fit us for the happiness of another life and then peaceable to give a relish to the injoyments of this and let us so imploy our selves in the affairs and businesses of this World as to make Religion our great business and present Rom. 12. 1. our Bodies and Souls a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto thee which is our reasonable Service Help us to subdue our inordinate desires and all sinful passions and when at any time we are tempted to the breach of thy Laws with courage to resist the temptation not daring to sin against thee our gracious Father and righteous Judge and whatever Talents thou intrustest to our management health strength or credit our time Estates the seasons of Grace and opportunities of doing good let us husband and improve them with that wisdom and faithfulness that become them that must ere long give an account of their Stewardship And because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing without thee grant us the help of thy Grace that in keeping thy Commandments we may please thee both in will and deed and in our several Callings whether they be publick or private our several Conditions whether of prosperity or adversity our several Relations whether of Husbands or Wives Parents or Children Masters or Servants Neighbours and Friends we may perform the Duties that those Callings Conditions and Relations require of us And Mat. 5. 16 let our light so shine before Men that they seeing our good Works may glorifie thee our Father which art in Heaven Whilest we are in the way let us quickly agree with our Mat. 5. 25. Adversary and give diligence that by a sincere repentance and an upright universal obedience we may be found of thee in peace and prepared to appear before the Judgment-Seat of Christ when he shall sit upon the Throne of his Glory and weighing our thoughts words and actions in impartial Ballances shall render to us according to our works and let the consideration of that account leave such awful impressions in our hearts as both to hinder the doing of whatever may make the thoughts of it terrible to us and cause us to wait for our Lord with our Loyns Luk. 12. 35. girt and our Lamps burning that at his return we may enter with him into everlasting habitations Let thy merciful hands be opened toward all the Sons of Men whom thy hands have made and with a more especial kindness be gracious and favourable to Sion keep thy Church and Houshold continually in thy true Religion and leaning upon the hope of thy heavenly Grace let them evermore be defended by thy mighty Power Bless this sinful and unworthy Nation pardon all our Sins that cry aloud in thine Ears for vengeance purely purge away Isa 1. 25. our dross and take away all our Tin deliver us from the destructions we have deserved and perpetuate thy Gospel and true Religion among us from generation to generation Let the Life and Health the peace honour and safety of our Soveraign Lord be precious in thy sight and let all that govern under Him in Church and State maintain and encourage Truth and Peace Religion Righteousness and all goodness and grant that all under their Authority may lead quiet and â— Tim. 2. 2. peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty Succour and relieve all in any suffering condition recompence the kindnesses of our Friends and Benefactors seven-fold into their Bosom forgive and help us heartily to forgive all that may have offered injury and unkindness to us Look down upon us in mercy that are here lifting up our hands and hearts to thee we bless thee for the peace safety and refreshment of the last night beseeching thee so to guard us through the hazards and guide us through the affairs of this day that we may glorifie thee grow in Grace and go forward in the way that leads to everlasting Life and happiness through our Lord Jesus Christ according to whose directionâ— and command we further pray OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses As we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power And the Glory For ever and ever Amen Thursday Evening ALmighty and everlasting God the wise and righteous Governour of all things in Heaven and Earth who dost whatsoever thou pleasest and whatever thou dost is well and wisely done because thou dost it we thine unworthy Servants whom thy hands have made and ever since supported and supplyed beseech thee in mercy to look down upon us that in a sense of our own vileness are here humbling our selves at thy Foot-stool acknowledging it thy mercy and long-suffering that we are intrusted with one opportunity more to implore thy pardon and forgiveness Thou might'st have destroyed us the polluted Off-spring of disobedient Parents as soon as ever we came into the world and ever since we were capable of breaking thy Laws we have added sin unto sin and heapt transgression upon transgression We have trifled away that time that thou hast allotted us to make provision for an happy Eternity in the pursuit of pleasure and profit transient and momentany vanities and have waged and maintained War against thee in those seasons of Grace thou hast afforded us for the making our peace thy patience and long-suffering that should have led us to repentance we have perverted to fleshly purposes and a more presumptuous and impenitent progress in Sin We have over-cared for over-loved over-desired and over-delighted in the good things of this World and inordinately placed our affections upon earthly and temporary injoyments which thou hast fitted to such things as have in them an heavenly spiritual and everlasting excellency How grievously and how justly might'st thou plague us with the desires of our own hearts and punish us by giving us our portion in this
fight or recover our selves from our falls let thy grace and holy spirit strengthen Eph. 3. 16. us with might in our inward man and make us more than Rom. 8. 37. conquerors through him that hath loved us Cause us in the first place to Mat. 6. 33. seek thy Kingdom and righteousness and as those that are Col. 3. 1. risen with Christ to seek the things that are above not looking at the things that are seen 2 Cor. 4. 18. for they are temporal but at the things which are not seen for they are eternal Let our Mat. 6. 20. treasure be laid up in Heaven where Moth and Rust corrupt not and where Thieves break not through nor Steal and let our hearts be where our treasure is Guide us continually in all the ways of wisdom and righteousness and defend us against all temptations that might withdraw us from them help us to go on our way rejoycing and working righteousness and perform our several duties to thee and all men with such cheerfulness and constancy as not to be weary of well-doing but by a religious abstinence and moderate use of bodily refreshments let our flesh be so subdued to the Spirit that we may ever obey thy godly motions and in a course of righteousness and true holiness run to the end of the race which thou hast set before us and be made partakers of that glorious prize which thou hast promised to all them that by a patient continuance in well-doing seek for Rom. 2. 7. glory and honour and immortality And let the prospect and blessed hope of thy heavenly Kingdom make us upright and faithful active and diligent contented and cheerful in every condition of life humble and patient stedfast and resolved self-denying and heavenly minded till thou bringest us to the possession of those inconceiveable joys and makest us to drink of the Rivers of Pleasure that are at thy right hand for evermore Do good with us we pray thee to the whole world and let all that bear the image of thy power and wisdom be made partakers of thy favour and kindness let the Nations that know thee not be delivered from the power of darkness Col. 1. 13. and translated into the Kingdom of thy dear Son Be gracious in an especial manner to all whom thou hast called to the knowledge and obedience of his Gospel forgive gracious Father and showr down thy blessings upon the inhabitants of this sinful Land let us prepare to meet thee by an hearty and universal repentance and so prevent those judgments that seem to be arrayed and marching forward to our destruction Give Salvation to our King Psai 144. 10 and preserve thy Servant from hidden Treacheries and the hurtful Sword direct all publick Counsels to thine honour the promoting of true Religion the establishment of Righteousness and Peace and the comfort of all them that heartily love and fear thee and let all that love thy Salvation say Psal 40. 16. continually the Lord be magnified Comfort all that in any kind suffer adversity let thy holy Spirit refresh them as with new Wine whom thou hast given Tears to drink in great measure and let that good providence that hath been our protection and repose this night defend us from all the dangers and temptations direct and prosper us in all the designs and enterprises of this day and by a faithful discharge of our duty bring us nearer to the glorious reward of Eternal Life which thou hast promised in Christ Jesus our Lord in whose Name and Words we further commend our selves and others to thy grace and mercy saying OVr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth As it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread And forgive us our Trespasses As we forgive them that Trespass against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from Evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power And the Glory For ever and ever Amen Friday Evening MOst blessed Lord God the Father of Mercies our hope and present help our strength and our Salvation the over-flowing and inexhaustible Fountain of all Good we thy poor Servants in an humble and thankful sense of thy great goodness and emboldned by the invitation of thy gracious promises present our selves before the Throne of thy Grace to offer up our supplications and thanksgivings through the Mediation of thy dear Son in whom thou hast given us access Eph. 3. 12. with confidence through the Faith of him We are most unworthy in our selves to receive blessings or offer praises but worthy art thou O Lord to receive honour and glory and blessing and thanksgiving as for thy divine perfections which we cannot comprehend so for thine abundant kindnesses towards us which we can neither deserve nor number Thou didst frame and fashion us in the Womb by thy wisdom and power and hast maintained and provided for us by thy goodness and bounty ever since thou hast brought us into life and being giving us richly all things to injoy not only the necessaries but conveniencies of Life whereby it hath been made easie and pleasant to us But above all from the bottom of our hearts we praise a dore and magnifie thy transcendent wisdom superlative love in that inestimable benefit of our Redemption by the bitter sufferings and bloody Death of thy dear Son that when we had lost and undone our selves were lyable to wrath and eternal misery when we lay weltring in our own blood and there was no Eye to pity no Hand to relieve us thou redeemedst us in such a way as no creature had wisdom to contrive worthiness to undertake or power to effect We praise thee O Lord that thou hast in thy Gospel manifested this great and admirable Salvation made thy goodness to pass before us and fully and plainly instructed us in our duty that in performing the one we might be made partakers of the other that thou hast afforded us the means of Grace thy Word and Sacraments opportunities of thy publick Worship the motions and assistances of thy holy Spirit that thou hast quickned our obedience by the hopes of a glorious recompence Give us we pray thee a due sense of all thy mercies and withdraw not thy loving kindness from us if our worthiness had been to procure these mercies they had never been put into our hands and if any thing but thy goodness were to continue them we could never hold them our own wickedness might correct us and our Jer. 2. 19. back-slidings reprove us for we have sinned and done very foolishly We have perverted and polluted our ways and professing Tit. 1. 16. to know thee have in our works denyed thee we have called thee our Father but have not loved and honoured thee as Children our Master but have not feared and obeyed thee as Servants our Friend and Benefactor but have