fell from it when wee sought not from the sacred Counsels of thy holy Commandements which way wee should walke Our Temptations O blessed resister and restrainer of the Tempter are either sodaine wherein our flesh and frailty easily suffers vs to be surprized or else continued and importunate wherein wee cannot without thy heauenly assistance maintaine the Combate or continue the Conflict In all these wee are weake and thou O Lord art strong strengthen our weakenesse sustaine vs against Sathan Suffer vs not to bee surprized Repulse him by re-uniting thy heauenly Spirit vnto our fraile flesh stregthening vs when we cannot stand and restoring vs when we are fallen O Lord Thou onely art able to deliuer vs from dangers both of body and soule Our temptations comes from both Our naturall corruptions in the body our infused contagions in the soule had neede of thy ayde to defend and deliuer vs from temptations Our deliuerance comes from thee that our prayses and thanksgiuing may returne vnto thee O deliuer saue and defend vs from the suggestions of Sathan Amen For thine is the Kingdome Power Glorie and Dominion THe Kingdoms and Territories of the Earth most mighty Lord are thine in Creation power praise and Dominion It is thine O LORD for thou hast first framed it It is thine for thou dost conserue and presetue it It is thine for thou dost rule and gouerne the Vniuerse Thy Sonne hath said His Kingdome vvas not of this Worlde because he would not rule visibly and temporally but spiritually and eternally Yet thou hast giuen him power in heauen and in earth to redeeme sinners and to saue sinnefull men What Kingdome can bee greater more glorious and firme What power can bee more ample or so beneficiall What glory can shine more in and vnder the firmament of Heauen O therefore by that thy power bring vs vnto this thy Kingdome where wee may haue rest without trouble comfort without contention ioy without end and thou mayest receiue kingdome without resistance Power without diminution Glorie without deniall and Dominion without disobedience To this thy Kingdome by thine owne power bring vs to giue thee glory and to be true subiects of thy dominion for thine owne for thy Sonne and for thy seruants sake Amen One Prayer framed vpon all the parts of the Lords Prayer MOst mightie God most mercifull Father Thou art not onely in Heauen by thy presence but in Heauen and Earth by thy power Thou in thy mercy hast vouschsafed to choose and accompt vs for thy children Wee by our transgressions haue failed to doe the duties of Children Thou art in heauen and beholdest vs We are on earth and are so earthly minded that we cannot behold and confesse as wee should thy Maiesty thy mercie and thy Iustice Thy Name is hallowed and holy yet we take thy name in vaine dishonour it and thereby destroy our own soules Thy Kingdome is already come both in heauen and in the hearts of the Regenerate O graunt vs regenerate hearts that wee may come vnto thee and vnto thy kingdome Thy Will O good and gracious God is that they whom thou hast ordayned to bee Saints in Heauen should bee holy and so serue thee to doe thy will here on earth that they may attaine to thy heauenly inheritance But alas how doe wee transgresse the will breake thy lawes and follow our owne willes O yet here make vs Ministers and fulfillers of thy holy will that hereafter we may bee partakers of thy heauenly possessions Thou giuest vs good Lord dayly bread foode and sustenance wee as we haue neede dayly desire the continuance thereof Wee come with hands to receiue but not with hearts to render pray â—ses for these thy blessings O let our daies to come be as full of thankefullnesse as those past haue bene of vnthankefullnesse Teach vs day by day to desire not onely corporall but spirituall foode holyly to vse and not fleshly to abuse either of both That we may not desire our meat to pamper our bodies and to prouoke them to lust but to liue soberly to take sufficient and to auoide excesse That wee seeke not spirituall foode onely to seeme to be but indeed to be truely religious Our trespasses mosâ— mercifull Father are great infinite and grieuous Wee come to thee and wee cry to thee for forgiuenesse Thou O Lord art ready to remiâ— them vpon our repentance Wee goe oâ— with our sinnes buâ— not with sorrow foâ— hauing committed them with promisâ— of pardon vnto other who haue offendeâ— vs and yet wee for giue not them as wee desire to bee forgiuen This is the cause that wee neither receiue pardon nor amende our sinnefull liues And this is the cause of our present hardnesse of our hearts and will bee of our future greater punishments except thou in thy mercy forget and forgiue our former trespasses make vs able hereafter to amend them and make vs charitable to forgiue the trespasses of our brethren offending vs as we doe thee It is not thou gracious God that leadest vs into temptations but wee are ledd into them by our owne lustes and infirmities wee fall into them by our owne fraileties wee are inuited by the inticements oâ— others and by the subtiltie of Satan Iâ— thou good God dost suffer and noâ— sustaine vs wee noâ— onely receiue buâ— runne headlong into temptations and eueâ— sincke vnder the burthen Before wee know where we stand we fall and can neither withstand nor rise vp againe except thou helpe vs O bee thou our supporter strength Arme our soules our hearts and our consciences so shall wee bee safe vnder thy saluation and bee couered vnder the wings of thy most mercifull protection The euills that come to vs are from the euills that are within vs and are intertained by vs The euill affections of our hearts threaten to pull vpon vs corporall temporall spirituall and eternall punishments O keepe vs from the euill of our offences and sinnes that wee may shunne the euill of punishment for the same that so wee may not feele the weight of thy power and indignation but may here so be subiect obedient to thy Dominion that wee may hereafter enter into the ioyes of that celestiall kingdome which is thine and which thou hast prepared for such as truely serue thee heere and shall bee blessed Saints in heauen Amen Certaine short Prayers and Meditations vpon the ten Commandements I am the Lord thy God that brought thee out of Bon dage SInce thou O Lord GOD great and glorious hast brought vs from bondage not onely corporall but from spirituall and eternall captiuitie by sending thy Sonne our Sauiour to suffer for our sinnes Suffer vs not O gracious God to fall againe into worse then the Aegyptian bondage of Idolatry Infidelitie Superstition and Ignorance Teach vs only truely and faithfully to adore thee our euerliuing God and our God that giuest life Let vs not O Lord doubt or distrust of thy power or prouidence
most mercifull God Graunt me power not onely to proceede in examination but in amendment For my prayers good God which should be the pathway to thy praise and the steppes to my saluation they are feeble and slow O make them stronger and more frequent Take from me in my prayers distractions doubting and dullnesse Remooue my most violent passions the perturbers of minde and soule Grant me grace to forgiue them that wrong mee and that I may pray for them that persecute mee as thy sonne my Sauiour did and hath taught mee to doe And as thy seruanâ— Stephen hath shewed me an example Take from me hatred and increase in mee louâ— and charity Graunâ— mee grace to ioynâ— faith with examination and examination with repentance And that I may be the better able to do this and all other good duties Giue me power to pray vnto thee and to prayse thee So be it Good Lord Amen The Differences in Deuotion and exercises of Religion betwixt the Protestants and the Romane Catholicks Especially in regard of Excesse and Defect FOr the excesse The Romanists tye themselues too much vnto Canonicall howers as they call them in the publike or priuate seruice of God As to say or sing Masse at such houres as in the forenoone at the howres of nine and eleauen to haue Angular Masses whereof many in one Church and in diuers Corners of the same Church at the same time To tye them in their priuate Deuotions to reade or rather to runne ouer the Iesus Psalter and other manuall bookes heretofore altogether in the Latiâ—e tongue which most of them vnderstood not at all So might they speake as Birdes are taught to speake by the pronunciation scarce of syllables aright sometime saying one word or at the least sounding one for another without any sence or signification to themselues what they speake But of latter times heere in England though not so in other Countries where the Roman Catholique Religion as themselues call it onely hath vse and force heere more then elsewhere They are lately tolerated by the authority of the Church of Rome to haue some few prayer bookes both in Latine and english but which of both they do most vse themselues do best know And either they are so full farced and stuffed with hymnes short versicles some without conclusion of sence and in most the sentences so shortly and suddainely set together the one leaping so close vpon the backe of the other that hardly can they remember or scarce perceiue what they say Onely they are made to beleeue that these ready but raw repetitions may serue for Gods seruice whereas the vnderstanding should be aswell supplyed as the affection in performance of true Religion Heerein is their excesse ioyned with defect Excesse of measure in heaping many words not well weyed Defect in the conception and knowledge of what they doe deliuer Besides there is an exceeding great Error allowed and taught in putting them not onely to pronounce those prayers so peeced which must needes be ouer perfunctorily thus speeded but some nay many I may say most of their prayers are directed to the Saints as intercessors whereof some were such as in their liueâ— were scarce holy but so esteemed and yet were in a maner deified onely because they adhered to the Pope of Rome Namely amongst others Thomas Becket sometime Arch-Bishop of Canterbury rebellious to his Soueraigne and so though euill slayne therefore Canonized Prayers allowed by publique authority printed and practised euen in our times As desiring God by the blood of this Becket to make the poore seduced suppliant to ascend where Christ ascended They making in those common prayer bookes more prayers to the blessed Virgin Mary then to our Sauiour himselfe They calling on her to beseech God the Father and to commaund God her sonne by the right of a Mother Which with many other most gross superstitions aswell in their publicke as in their priuate Deuotions themselues cannot deny or if they should yet their bookes are extant and their practises perspicuous Their creeping and their bending and bowing of their Bodies before the Images of some but supposed Saints The adoring of the Image of the Crosse and crucifixe with other but said to be but hallowed reliques what dishonor it hath broght to the Christian Religion and what danger to themselues although they will not acknowledge and their learnedest Teachers will seeme to defend or to excuse yet Intelligent and pious men who are not seduced by Iesuits and Romish Priests or so vnhappy as to be bred vp in their Schooles of superstition may perceiue though they wil not confesse That deuotion without true vnderstanding turnes soone vnto superstition That feruor without Faith and beliefe without knowledge makes many men erre grossely and offend most where they think they doe best Their bookes of Meditation are in many parts good to stirre Deuotion but in some places patched with superstition If this Cockle might be separated from their Corne it would proouemore profitable For the Protestants profession practise of Religion wherof I professe to be one If most ProtestaÌ„ts would be as feruent as frequent in their Praiers as many of theÌ„ are intelligent in that they pray they should more shun sinne and shame the Romanists who yet seeme to shun them by being more deuoute in that which they doe lesse vnderstand and are far more frequent in Praier And if there were more zeale joyned with Conscience it would much adorne the profession make it most excellent as it is in deede so would it be in estimation and effect But no profession can make men perfect The most perfection wee haue consists or is consummated in practise and action Peace and prosperitie which should helpe doth yet hinder Devotion It begets Pride and that ingenders presumption Affliction giues instruction gaines humility guides the Conscience and reformes euill liuing Witnesse nay many witnesses heereof were the persecutions of the Primitiue Church when vnder the Tyrannies and bloudy Massacres of the Christians by the Heathen Emperours Princes and Magistrates the Christians liues were shining lights of sanctitie their patient and constant sufferings causes of coÌ„uersion to many men who before knew not God nor what Godlinesse meant Their sinceritie and singlenesse of heart set vp Trophees for themselues and made them Conquerors ouer their cruellest and causelesse Enemies And I would I could not say in mine owne particular for my poore sinnefull selfe that when I enioyed the World as I did most wish I was euer then worst I would I could as well say that since Aduersitie came I became better yet if any thing worke in mee or in others amendement it must be Affliction and some Aduersitie Affliction in minde for sinne and a touch of Aduersitie for the same O therefore that so I may doe as now I say and that others may doe as I wish My Prayers I hope by the heauenly assistancce shall be That yet in these
doe faithfully call and trust on thee Wee most miserable and wretched sinners doe confesse vnto thee against our selues to our owne shame and to thy glory that wee were borne and conceiued in sinne that wee haue liued and continued in sinne that our whole liues haue beene nothing else but a heaping vp of sinne and iniquity against thy Holy and Heauenly Maiestie That there is no sinne in his owne nature so heynous or to thee so displeasing but either wee haue committed or else wee haue a pronenesse to commit the same The sinnes of our youth of our riper age and of our later euen of these last time shaue flowed one vpon another and haue polluted our soules defiled our bodies and displeased thy Maiestie so that there is nothing due vnto vs if thou shouldst deale with vs according to our deserts but death and destruction in this life Hell and perdition in the life to come Whither then should we flie for succour and reliefe If we goe vnto Man his breath is in his nostrils that perishing he perisheth If wee goe vnto Angels or to any power in Heauen they haue no power but what they receiueâ— from thee We come therefore vnto thee whose mercy is aboue all thy workes beseeching thee in the multitude of thy mercies to haue compassion on vs. And in that loue which thou shewedst vnto Mankind in sending thy Son to suffer for vs and to saue vs sinners that thou wouldst by his blood death and suffering wash away our sinnes And since thou hast sent him to Redeeme vs suffer vs not to be destroyed O Lord GOD graunt vs penitence and true repentance for our sins past watchfulnesse ouer all our wayes for time to come Care to keepe thy Comman dements strength to withstand the temptations of Satan Humility of heart patience in the times of tryall and aduersitie Constancy in calling vpon thee Feruency in praier Faith in thy promises Assurance of thy loue Assistance in Temptations Deliuerance from dangers of soule and body The right and Sanctified vse of thy creatures Charitie towards our neighbors and contentednes with our estates To this end gracious God take from vs all those things that take vs from thee and giue vs those graces that may make vs to loue thee and declare vs to be intirely beloued of thee Take from vs hardnesse of heart dulnesse and slownes in comming to thy seruice Neglect of those Holy duties thou requirest vs to doe Contempt of thy Commaundements Misbeliefe Vnbeliefe Despaire and doubting of thy mercy Distrust of thy prouidence Giue vs aboue all things Faith stedfaâ—â—ly to beleeue in thee feruour in thy seruice faithfulnesse in maintenance of thy trueth courage to lay downe our liues for the continuance of thy glorious Gospell thankefulnesse for all thy vnspeakable mercies a loue of those that serue thee in sin cerity of heart Liberalitie according to our abilities to those that are in distresse and danger for doing that they ought to do And when thou hast fitted vs for thy seruice and furnished our hearts with thy good graces then send vs the ioy of thy Holy Spirit a detestation of our former euill courses delight in keeping thy Lawes a desire to bee dissolued in thy good appointed time a meditation of our fraile liues and a preparation for our vncertaine deaths And now O blessed Lord wee pray not for our selues alone here present but for thy despised dispersed and distressed flocke throgh the face of the earth It is a little flocke O Lord increase it It is dispersed O Lord gather theÌ„ together into thy fold It is despised distressed Lord succour defend support them Let not the wild Boares destroy thy Vineyard nor the fat Bulles of Basan inuiroÌ„ and ouerwhelme thy chosen ones those that loue thy trueth Thou hast heretofore hedged thy Syon Thou hast mightily and miraculously defended thy chosen Israel Thy hand is not shortned thy power is still the same Let not therefore those that loue not thy trueth or them that loue it say where is now their God Be mercifull to our soueraign to all the Royall Progeny Gouerne the Gouernours of this Land Giue them true wisdome sincere vncorrupt and couragious hearts Innoble the true Nobility with Loyaltie to their Prince and State the leading of a good life and the longing for a better Inspire the Clergie with care and diligence to discharge their duties in their seuerall places Make the Commons of this Kingdome more iust more holy more conscionable in their courses more carefull of the common safety and prosperity of the publike State touch vs all with a zeale of thy feruice and truth an inward reuerence of thy most holy Maiestie a remorse of our former irreligious life That so when wee shall part from this place wee may part from our sinnes but not from sorrow for hauing committed them but may leaue them and leade a better life till wee bee brought from death to that life where sorrow and sin raigneth not where death hath no dominion and where complaints controuersies are not known but haue their ende This life good Lord graunt vs to leade in thy feare and in the ende to inioy that life where ioyes doe last for euer by the mercies of thee our Lord and onely Sauiour Amen A Prayer against Pride anger and Enuy. O LORD God who seest and searchest the secrets of all mens hearts Thou that knowest how subiect I am to Pride Anger and Enuie My heart good Lord is puffed vp with pride it swess with selfe conceipt vaine glory and ostentation I take too much pride of those parts of my Bodie as beautie strength and stature and make my selfe beleeue they are much more faire and fashionable then indeede they are So am I efflated and blowne vp like a bladder with conceit of mine owne knowledg wit vnderstanding and skill making them greater and more goodly vnto my selfe then they are or can bee These foule faults gracious God sometimes I finde in my selfe but nothing so often as I commit them And though now I confesse it yet I haue no power of my selfe to forsake this sinne by which our first Parents fell out of Paradise and we his sinnefull Progeny follow the same steppes and are ready thereby to runne headlong vnto Hell O yet most merciful father clense me from this corruption cure me and I shal be cleane graunt me a lowly penitent and humble heart Teach me to thinke worse of my selfe for my sins then of other men whose faults I know not that I may not thinke so well of my selfe to contemne others O teach me to learne meckenesse of thee my Sauiour who in thy humanitie hast ledde vs to the way of humblenes and meeknesse both of thy precepts and practise Thou hast said learne of me for I am meeke O sweet Sauiour what precept could bee sweeter better or what Example could bee more Holy and perfect If Lucifer an Angel of Heauen could
O Lord graunt that wee ouerweane not our selues thinking our selues wiser then our Parents Teachers Magistrates or Superiours but that wee may performe all their lawfull Commandements without grudging or delaying◠lest by disobedience we dishonour them procure thy curse thy displeasure and our own danger Let vs not bee like to cursed Cam the discouerer of his Fathers nakednesse But that wee may so keepe this thy Commandement that in honouring them wee may receiue honour from thee and that happines which thou hast promised that our dayes may bee long and blessed not onely in this Land which thou hast giuen vs to liue heere vpon earth but euen in the Land of the Liuing where thou dost raigne for euer and where we may remaine in thy glorious presence euermore to giue thee Praise Amen Thou shalt doe no Murder MOst merciful GOD that giuest life desirest not the death of sinners nor that wee by sinne or violence should slay our owne soules or our Brethren that beare thine Image Wee beseech thee to teach vs wherein wee commit murther by our hands tongues or hearts that so wee may shunne the sinne and punishment that followeth the same O Lord wee slay our owne soules by our manifold and great sinnes wee murther other mens soules by causing them to commit sinnes by which wee take from our selues and them the life of grace O Lord we slay our soules by extinguishing the inspirations of thy holy spirit not suffering it to purge our sinnes by Prayer and Repentance not receiuing or retaining but reiecting those good motions and holy desires which thy grace giues vnto vs. Wee commit Murther if not of the liues of men yet of their good Names In our hearts by Anger Wrath and Enuy with our tongues by slander reproach sowing of sedition cursing and euill speaking with our hands done vpon the persons of our selues by Violence Drunkennesse Adultery and other Distempers whereby either the soules or liues of our selues or of others are destroyed by not succouring them as wee are able with counsell correction or charitable reliefe when they stand in need of vs by these many other waies most mercifull GOD we murther either our own soules or bodies or the soules and bodies of our Neighbours O Lord God therefore who hast giuen vs soules and bodies giue vs grace and assistance not to destroy them in our selues or others but purifie our hearts and affections inlighten our vnderstandings kindle zeale to thy glory and truth which may saue our owne soules and settle vs to seeke the saluation of others and not to be a meanes of our own or of other mens subuersions Plant in our hearts Charitie Meekenesse and Mercifulnesse towards all men sobriety in our desires carriage and conuersations a desire to seeke the good and not the hurt of our Neighbours Remoue from vs Pride Presumption Cruelty and hardnes of heart whereby we slay our owne soules and destroy the liues estate or estimation of our brethren So wee being thus fenced by the grace and good gifts of thy holy Spirit with faith and feare to offend thy Majesty may thereby learne to keepe this thy holy Commandement to the sauing and not the destroying of the soules and liues of our selues and others Graunt this good Lord for thy mercies sake Amen Thou shalt not commit Adulterie O Lord GOD thou by thy holy Word hast taught vs that there is spirituall and corporall Adultery Thou hast commanded not to commit them Yet our corrupt natures drawe vs to both We forsake thee our God the true Spouse of our soules by adhering in confidence worship or disordinate affection vnto the corruptible creatures and so adulterating thy seruice and Worship become forgetfull of thee following more our own lusts pleasures or profits then thy precepts O God full of power who hast created vs thy poore creatures who seest and searchest the secret corners of our hearts vnsearchable and secret vnto our selues Cleanse these secret yet strong and preuailing lusts which drawe vs to commit the Spirituall and Carnall Adultery restraine our vnchaste lookes and inticing aspects one of another Cause vs to refraine wanton speeches to abstaine from Drunkennes and excesse of Diet which are the Instrumentes and prouocation to Idolatry To forbeare pampering of our bodies Gorgiousnes Curiosity of apparell which drawes vs to ouer-much delight of our selues and to a desire to defile our bodies with Adultery Fornication other filthy bestiall Contaminating of our owne bodies corrupting of others and breaking the boundes of this thy holy Commandement That wee should not commit Adultery spirituall against thee or corporall against one another and both against thy Lawes Keepe vs therefore O Soueraigne Lord within the compasse of this thy holy Commandement by thine own power and prouidence By and for which onely we shall be able to giue thee laude and glory now and for euer Amen Thou shalt not steale THou O gracious GOD who hast giuen vs sufficiencie requirest of vs contentednesse with that we haue And though we thinke wee haue lesse then wee neede and haue much lesse then wee desire yet thou O our good God the giver of all wee haue doest onely know what is best for vs Our seuerall estates haue neede of meanes for maintenance according to our callings but wee doe not rightly measure the lawfull and right means by which wee should come to this competency wee go by vngodly means to seeke it wee onely weigh what wee would haue but doe not consider so well where and how it may be godly and lawfully gotten which makes vs to take from our Neighbours and others what belongeth vnto them O Lord therefore take from vs Couetousnes the roote of deceit and false dealing stealthes of things we want or would haue Extortion to get any thing by colour of Iustice and bribing to pervert Iustice Violence to take any thing by force power or strong hand from others Negligence and slothfulnes in our seuerall estates and callings which breede beggery necessitie and robbery Send vs lawfull christian and honest care to prouide things necessarie without deceipt cosening or double dealing discretion and frugality in the disposing of our Estates whereby wee may prouide things needefull without being burthēsome to others or forced to steale or purloine frō them Graunt good Lord therefore that our endeauor may be to get what is sufficient for our selues without doing wrong vnto others Diligence in our callings without ouermuch care cruelty couetousnesse or circumuention Iust dealing with all men Frugalitie without miserie Contentednesse with our estates And if we haue plenty to vse it prouidently and charitably auoyding misery or mispending not seeking any thing by vniust or vnlawfull meanes nor keeping it by frande or falsehood O Lord GOD graunt that wee robbe not thee of thine honour by stealing from our selues in sloth and security that time which wee should spend in thy seruice but that we may keep this thy holy Commandement with
not bee safe but was cast downe frō thence through pride and arrogancy How should I bee safe whilest I commit this sinne so much and so often heere on earth Purge me therefore O God from Pride and leade me by thy Heauenly hand vnto Humility and lowlines of heart Lord God how much am I ouerwhelmed with wrath and anger how suddainly incensed vpon how small and slender occasions am I moued by wrath to vse reproach and to seeke reuenge to forsake Charity to seeke others harme and to aduenture mine owne ruine so that my minde cannot be peaceable and quiet Sodainely by anger reason is disturbed loue and good will forsaken Faith broken and fury drawing mee almost to madnesse by which I breake the bounds of Christian Charitie I beseech thee good Lord who feest how much I am subiect to this finne make me more patient and peaceable suppresse this passion of anger in me that I may passe by small offences and may not bee sodainely prouoked vnto impatience O Lord infuse into me moderation and modestie temperance and sobriety by which and especially by the assistance of thy holy Spirit I may bee able to master anger and passion the furies of my minde and the enemies of my Soule And if anger at any time seize on mee graunt that it may be setled on the zeale of thy truth and the seruice of thee my God for the suppressing of superstition and the seeking to vindicate thine honour against such as seeke to dishonour thee by Atheisme profanenesse and impiety yet so as I sin not by rashnesse or reuiling but by making a difference betwixt the persons and their peruersenes reseruing Charitie to the one and labouring reformation of the other take from me O Lord God enuy and malice suffer me not to fret at the prosperity of any no not of the wicked and impious persons whose bounds are set beyond which they shall not bee able to goe much lesse let me enuy them who walke in vpright waies But if through offence or iniuries I haue been at any time prouoked to proceede against them yet let mee not continue with them in contention through dislike or disgust to wish them euill But teach me by singlenesse and sincerity of heart to shunne the malicing of any man that so shewing mercy and meekenesse I may receiue mercy from thee that art the Lord of mercy to whom bee giuen Honour and glory now and for euer Amen A Prayer of Thankesgiuing after deliuery from Sickenesse and Danger of Disease THou O Lord most mighty and mercifull hast sent sickenesse as a scourge for sinne as a tryall of our Faith and testimony of thy fauour when it pleaseth thee to restore health Thou hast visited me and brought me neere the gates of Death yet hast thou deliuered mee from danger to the end I might publish thy praise and lead a more godly life Feare came vpon mee on euery side my flesh Spirit did faint but thy holy hand did sustaine mee and helpe mee vp What praises most gracious God shall I render vnto thee for thy protection and preseruation But that I doe as I am able And O Lord inable me more to laude thee more to call vpon thy name and to shew thy workes vnto the people to sing vnto thee prayses for this thy mercy in deliuering me from the danger of Death And now that thou hast restored mee to health O Lord restore mee to thy fauour And as thou hast giuen strēgth vnto my body so blessed God strengthen my Soule against Sinne and Satan that I may liue to giue thee Glory and during this fading life I may bee made faithfull in keeping thy Commandements seruing thee in sinceritie of soule and seeking thy glory both now and at all times Amen A Prayer for the mainetenance of Peace O LORD God most mighty and gracious Our sinnes are great and grieuous our pride malice and ambition begets contentions whence growes Warres and Desolation Blood-shedding and destruction thou that art the Lord of Hostes seest it is in the hands of Princes to make warres but it is in thy power only to end them and to saue thy people Great are the gatherings and forces already of armed men ready to destroy one another and great is like to be the slaughter Except thou most mercifull God be pleased to pacifie the minds of the Princes and of the People and to saue them who otherwise will fall to slaughter Take yet most gracious God thine owne Cause into thine own hand help thy people that professethy truth lest they perish Preserue them from perills Saue good Lord such as serue thee in truth and call vpon thee in sincerity of heart Let not the Mightie ouerwhelme thy chosen Children but either let the Oppressors feele thy power or make them to incline their heartes vnto peace and so saue the effusion of bloud and temper the hearts of Christian Princes that they may come to the Knowledge of the truth that Mercy and Truth may meet together that righteousnesse and peace may kisse each other So bee it good Lord. FINIS LONDON Printed by Aug Mathewes for Robert Swayne and are to bee sold at his Shop at the Signe of the Bible in Britaines Burse