4. 1 Sam. 1.15 nor poured out our soul to God like Hannah and therefore if any discomfort or disagreement have fallen out between us we may well thank our selves that we have not had wisdome and power to do better 1 Chron. 15.13 because we have not sought them at God's hand James 4.2 3. or not in a right manner for although thou God doest freely promise Blessings to his Church yet he will be enquired of Ezek. 36.37 and pray'd unto by his Children for his Graces or any the like mercies O therefore most gracious Father I most humbly intreat thee give 〈◊〉 me and my wife truly humble and penitent and contrite hearts Mic. 6.6 Isaiah 57.15 16. for this and all our former failings and give us wisdome and strength of grace for the time to come rightly to perform our duties to thee our God and mutually one to another whilst we live that so our Marriage may be a joyful and Christian-like merry-age indeed Prov. 5.18 19 20 21. to thy glory and our comfort to the end of our lives O then give us grace I most humbly beseech thee to fly all occasions of discord or disagreement that there may never be any such breach between us thy Servants as there hath been between too many Husbands and Wives in the World Let it be far from us upon any discontent unkindly to separate one from another 1 Cor. 7.5 except it be with consent for a time that we may give our selves to fasting and prayer and come together again willingly and joyfully as we ought to do And if either of us have failed in our Choice in not following the Apostles Rule to have been careful to marry in the Lord or any other Scripture Directions to have been considered better before hand 1 Cor. 7.39 for our comfortable Communion in Marriage I most humbly beg pardon for that which is past for the Merits sake of my dear Redeemer And now O blessed Lord give us thy heavenly Grace that we may follow the Directions of thy most holy word set before us Psal 119.105 and truly and religiously seek by all good means the eternal Salvation of both our Souls that we may be happy here and hereafter O give us wisdome to cherish love and increase it in one towards and with the other And let there be no bitterness between us in word or deed give us contentedness of mind with our present Condition 1 Tim. 6.6 7 8. Keep us truly faithful to each other according to our Marriage-Covenant in obedience to thy Command and fear of thy heavenly Majesty who art present in all places and before whose all-seeing-eyes all things are open and naked that we have done or shall do all the dayes of our lives Jer. 23.23 Give us I most humbly intreat thee Heb. 4.13 Prov. 6.34 35. Cant. 8.6 wisdome and power to avoid all occasions of jealousie that our hearts may truly trust one another in the Lord Numb 5.14 that peace and happiness may be our portion all our dayes help us by thy spirits grace to pray one for another and to seek thy blessing upon our selves and for our Children which thou hast or shalt in thy goodness graciously give thy Servants Gen. 33.5 inable us to bring them up in the fear and nurture and admonition of thee O Lord that they may fear and honour thee as their heavenly Father Prov. 1.7 Prov. 10.27 and obey us as is fit in thee our Lord as their earthly Parents that a blessing may be upon us and upon them and their Posterity to many Generations If it be thy blessed will bless I pray thee our Servants and our substance which thou hast or shalt bestow upon us It is thy blessing Prov. 10.22 O Lord which maketh rich and addeth no sorrow with it Be gracious I most humbly beseech thee to thy Church thorough the World Blesse these Nations and in them our most gracious King and his Royal Queen with his Royal Family and his Kingdoms with all Estates and Orders of Men in Church and in Common wealth Grant O Lord that Truth and Peace Zach. 8.19 Righteousness and Love with the Gospel of Peace may be a blessing to these Nations to Us and Ours to the end of the World if it be thy blessed will and pleasure Hear thy unworthy Servant most merciful God and grant that what I have asked according to thy Will and whatsoever else thou knowest necessary for this life or that happy life to come I most humbly beg them further in that Prayer which Christ Jesus hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. A special Closet or secret Prayer for a Wife to seek the Lord for her Self and her Husband and Family that they may have grace and strength from God through Christ to perform their mutual Duties to each other live happily together and enjoy Gods blessing upon them and theirs for ever O Most loving God Isa 63.16 and my most tender Father in Jesus Christ Thou art Love and thy holy Spirit hath witnessed that he who dwelleth in Love 1 Joh. 4.16 dwelleth in thee O God and thou in him thou who didst require by thy blessed Son Jesus Mat. 5.44 That we should love our Enemies Eph. 5.25 and much more our Friends Husbands their Wives Titus 2. and Wives their Husbands and those that are near related unto them Behold 1 Sam. 1.11 I thy unworthy Hand-Maid a woman feeble in devotion 1 Pet. 3.7 the weaker Vessel who standeth in great need of thy strength and the help of thy spirit of grace Rom. 8.26 to inable me to seek thy face Psal 27.8 which I should be fearful to do but that thou hast not said to the Seed of Jacob Isa 45.19 Seek my Face in vain yea thou hast promised they that seek thee early shall find thee O let me find thee gracious Lord this day Prov. 8.17 and find help from thee in time of need Heb. 4.16 Thou in thy most wise Providence hast brought me into the Covenant-Bonds of holy Marriage with my dearly beloved Husband Mal. 2.14 15. we have taken one another for better or for worse for richer or for poorer to love and to cherish one another in sicknesse and in health and to keep us faithful to each other until death separate us I find by direction from thy word that there are many duties both proper to each and common both to Husband and Wife which by experience we may find without strength of grace from thee in thy Christ our Saviour we are not able to fulfil our very Natures are corrupt Psal 53.1 2 3. and we are subject sometimes to fretting passions provocations and vain desires 1 Sam. 1.6 Isa 32.4 yea subject to rashness and rash anger peevish discontent Act. 19.36 Pro. 21.19 Pro. 25.24 contention and frowardness
O Lord Zach. 12.10 prepare our hearts to Prayer and so assist us with thy holy Spirit of Prayer and Supplication Rom. 8.26 27. that our Prayers may be acceptable Rev. 8.3 4. and we may receive a gracious Answer in and for the sweet Incense and Merits of the Lord Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour Amen O eternal Deut. 32.27 most gratious merciful everlasting everliving Exod. 34.6 7. Jer. 10.11 1 Tim. 1.17 Isaiah 46.9 10. Rom. 8.28 Rom. 11.33 34 35 36. and only wise God who orderest all things according to the Counsel of thy own most just and holy Will and disposest of all for thy own eternal Glory and the eternal good of thy Church and Children in Christ Jesus of whom may we seek for Protection and safety of Soul or Body or any other blessing but of thee our God and heavenly Father in our Saviour Christ from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift James 1.17 with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning The last night we durst not lay down our eyes to sleep Psal 132.4 nor suffer the temples of our head to take any rest until we had begged thy gratious Providence for preservation of us and ours in particular and of thy whole Church in general And thou O blessed God who art the hearer of Prayer hast in thine abundant goodness heard our Prayer Psal 65.2 Psal 66.18 19 20. and brought us to the light of this day blessed be thy great and glorious Name thou mightest O Lord in thy Justice have consumed us by Fire to ashes Exod. 12.29 30. and made our Beds our Graves One or more of us might have been stricken with some terrible tormenting Sickness we might have been found dead in our Beds as many have been many other miseries might have befallen us But in thy great mercy thou hast spared us Lam. 3.22 23. and renewed thy mercies to us this Morning What shall we render to thy heavenly Majesty for thy Favours And now we dare not adventure into the World without intreating thy Protection and Blessing in and upon our just and lawful Endeavours We confess O Lord we are not worthy the least of all thy mercies Genesis 32.10 and thy loving-kindnesses which from time to time thou hast shewed to thy Servants We acknowledge we have not been sensible of that original corruption of our depraved Natures Eph. 2.1 2 3. and our proneness to Sin drawn from our first Parents corrupted by their lamentable Fall Genesis 3.6 7. Genesis 6.5 nor have we humbled our selves in sence of this our misery as we should have done we have not kept our Hearts with all diligence out of which are the issues of death Prov. 4.23 But our Hearts have followed our Eyes beholding Vanity Jer. 4.14 Psal 141.3 and vain thoughts have too long lodged within us We have not set a watch O Lord before our Lips and kept the doors of our Mouths but many idle unprofitable sinful words for which we must answer at the Day of Judgment have been uttered by us to thy dishonour Mat. 12.36 and evil example of others yea Eph. 4.4 29 30. too many times corrupt Communications to the grief of thy holy Spirit Psal 39.1 Psal 119.67 We have not taken heed to our Feet to walk in the right wayes of thee O Lord but gone aside from the Pathes of thy Commandements and so have been guilty of many actual transgressions both in thought word and deed breaking thy most righteous Lawes We have failed in the Duties of our several particular Relations as Husband to Wife and Wife to Husband Parents to Children and Children to Parents Masters or Dames to Servants and Servants to them not performing our Duties in the fear of God as we ought to have done We have not walked as becometh Christians towards others nor done as we would they should do to us according to that Golden Rule of our blessed Saviour Mat. 7.12 Phil. 1.27 So that by our good Conversation as becometh the Gospel of Christ others might have been stirred up to glorifie thee our heavenly Father Mat. 5.16 So that if thou shouldest enter into judgment with us O Lord Psal 143.2 how can we be justified by any our own righteousness in thy presence Phil. 3.9 10. O then behold us we humbly beseech thee in the face of thy Son Jesus Christ as washed clean by his Blood and accepted by his Merits Mat 3.17 He it is in whom thou art well pleased Acts 5.31 and him thou hast exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance to Israel and remission of Sins Psal 19.12 Oh give us true Repentance for all the Errours of our Lives past for Christ's sake and grant that being delivered out of the hands of all our Enemies Luke 1.74 75. we may serve thee without fear of them in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our lives Bless with us we pray thee all our Friends Psal 35.11 12 13 14. Mat. 5.11 and change the Hearts of our Enemies make them our Friends if it be thy will be gracious to our Children and Servants make our Children thy Children our Servants thy Servants Isa 41.8 and our Friends thy Friends Lev. 19.17 Let us reprove we pray thee and not give evil example Eph. 5.11 nor suffer our Children or Servants to be prophane Swearers or Cursers Lyars Drunkards or unjust Joh. 13.15 Psal 101.6 7. But grant that we may be good examples and that they may be faithful in the Land such as thy servant David would have make them religious like faithful Abraham's servant praying when they are sent about our occasions Lord send me good speed this day Genesis 24.12 that we and they may be blessed Bless with us thy universal Church scattered thorough out the whole World Be gracious we pray thee to the Nations of England Scotland and Ireland poure down thy blessings upon the Kings most excellent Majesty with his Royal Consort the Queen and all the Royal Family preserve Him and Them from all His 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Their and our Enemies Bless all the honourable Nobility the Reverend faithful Ministers of the Gospel in their several places with all the Magistrates Gentry and Commons of the Land and inable us thy humble servants rightly and justly to do our Duty to all our Superiours 1 Pet. 2.17 Inferiours and Equals and to this end increase we most humble intreat thy Majesty all necessary Graces in all our souls Give us we beseech thee a daily supply and increase of Divine Knowledge and heavenly Wisdome Lord increase our Faith Luk. 17.5 and give us such a Faith as purifieth the Heart Acts 15.9 and worketh by Loves Give us true Conversion from all our sins Gal. 5.6 2 Cor. 7.10 and Repentance to Salvation not to be
27. And how odious such Marriages are to God you may find declared by the Prophet Mal. 2.11 12. And yet how many such are in the World Families where scarce a form of Religion is to be found Strangers from prayers to God nor Morning nor Evening Prayer to be heard although God reneweth his Mercies every Morning Lamen 3.22 23. and continueth his goodness to the Night Though he declare his most gracious Prefence with us Exod. 13.21 as it were by a Pillar of a Cloud by Day and a Pillar of Fire by Night although God hath been a Defence to their Tabernacles and they have dwelt safely by his goodness yet how many are there who little or nothing take notice of these daily Mercies or observe Gods goodnesse to glorifie him How far unlike are these in this to blessed Daniel Daniel 6.10 or religious King David Psal Psal 55.17 55. who kept acquaintance with God three times a day At morning and evening and noon day will I pray and that instantly and he shall hear my voice c. And therefore they are strangers from God when they should stand in need of his help and want that good which they might enjoy by keeping acquaintance with God of which Eliphaz doth witness Job 22.21 That gracious practice of secret Prayer which our Saviour directs unto Mat. 6.6 Thou when thou prayest enter into thy Closet and shut to thy door and pray to thy Father in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly How many spend so much time openly in vain that they have no leisure for secret Devotions to read and meditate of heavenly things which pertain to eternity or to poure out their Souls as Hannah did to God in Prayer 1 Sam. 1.15 Alas if sins of omission were the only irreligiousness or prophaneness in some Families it were lesse although for these men shall be called to an account at the Day of the last Judgment witness what our Blessed Lord and Saviour declareth Mat. 25.41 42. But their sins of Commission common breach of Gods Commandements witness little fear of God to be before their eyes What common swearing and taking of Gods name in vain forgetting that God threatens he will not hold such guitlesse that take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 or did men remember that of the Lord by the Prophet Jer. 5.7 How shall I Pardon thee for this thy Children have forsaken me and sworn by them that are no Gods Men yea Children would not swear so commonly by those things which they themselves will confesse are no Gods How difficult a thing is it to hire a Servant from amongst the common sort of People Read Rom. 12.14 Psal 109.17 18. And Mat. 5.34 35 36 37. James 5.12 but they are Swearers or Cursers or both and so Gods Name is dishonoured Children learn of Parents to be irreligious and this too often amongst the Rich as well as Poor I say but little of that common sin too often in greater Families inticing men to Drunkenness by that specious pretence of pledging Healths of Friends pressing men in Drink Read Hab 2 2.15 16. A dreadful Woe to such contrary to that Law and Practice of that Moral Prince King Ahasuerus that none should compel to Drink Hester 2.8 But every one be free to drink what he pleased a shame to men that professe themselves Christians I know in divers great Families there is civility if not a religious respect to avoid these sins But when these abound and men or women rashly unite themselves in Marriage what hope of constant happy Love to continue between Husband and Wife during life I proceed to a second Gold-link of Love between Husband and Wife The second Gold-link of Love that in choice of a Wife or Husband as respect is to be had for likenesse and agreement in Religion so likewise to equality or likeness of qualities and conditions as near as possible For as St. Paul adviseth not to be unequally yoaked with Unbelievers so he presseth his Counsel with a good Argument What fellowship saith he hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what Communion hath Light with Darkness 2 Cor. 6.14 So even right reason will instruct us and daily experience witness that contrary Dispositions of nature or too great inequalities seldom live comfortably together as Fire and Water will not agree the one exsiccateth or quencheth the other But like rejoyceth and delighteth with the like Observe this Rule then for this is a second Direction or Gold-link of Love to preserve Love between Husband and Wife A third Direction A third Direction or Gold-link of Love or Gold-link of Love followeth And this is That some fit respect be had to the age of the Parties to be married for a young man of twenty to marry an old woman man of above three-score or for an old man of fourscore to marry a young woman under twenty is not agreeable because one chief end of Marriage is in danger to be frustrate Gen. 1.27 28. which is Posterity to be brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord as Sr. Paul intimateth Ephes 6.4 Although it is more fit for a very old man to marry a young woman in hope of Posterity then for a very old woman past child-bearing to marry a young man Equality and conveniency do best agree together for the preservation of Conjugal Love between Husband and Wife and this is a third Gold-Link in this Gold Chain of Direction to keep and bind Love fast between Husband and Wife during their Lives The fourth Direction A fourth Direction or Gold-link of love or Gold-Link of Love in a marriage Union there ought to be likenesse and agreement of affection a mutual love and likeing of each others persons and qualities and a knitting and uniting of Hearts together in a right ordered and well grounded Love before the joyning of Hands on the wedding-Wedding-Day For where there is an Antipathy or contrariety of Natures or dislike of Persons or Conditions there seldome is a continuance of sweet agreement and satisfaction one to and with another and so Marriage proveth a Bondage instead of a sweet freedom in a happy enjoyment of each other in the Lord as St. Paul desired to enjoy and have joy of Philemon in the Lord St. Paul his Epistle to Philemon verse 20. in whom what we enjoy is a blessing by Christ whereas if the Hearts be truly knit together and united in Love as the heart of Jonathan to David 1 Sam. 18.1 who loved him as his own Soul the Love will be wonderful as was Jonathans to David passing the love of Women 2 Sam. 1.26 Although the love of good women to their Husbands hath been wonderful as Records of ancient Histories do witnesse at full I mean not a light unconstant passionate Love taken upon sight of Beauty or Riches or some such uncertain foundation which is deceitful
and vain as King Solomon witnesses First of Riches Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thy Eyes upon that which is not for Riches certainly make themselves Wings and fly away as Eagles towards Heaven They are uncertain 1 Tim. 6.17 and not to be trusted in And again the like for Beauty Favour is deceitful and Beauty is vanity But a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prov. 31.30 When a right grounded love in the fear of the Lord which is praise-worthy is permanent and will endure for life I know upon some occasions A prevention of Objection there may want time and opportunity of such a familiar Converse with each other which may be helpful to such a well grounded love as between great Princes who are constrained to Wooe and intercede sometimes by Ambassadors as Isaac Genesis 24 1 2 63. that religious Prince did by the religious Servant of his honourable Father Abraham I call Abraham honourable for he is stiled a mighty Prince Genesis 23.6 And this Ambassadour went to intercede for a Wife for Isaac This done by his Masters Command and no doubt with Isaac's consent who was advised by his Father in choice of his Wife as Rebeckah was by her Parents who willingly sent her with Abraham's Servant yet so as Rebeckah first was asked her consent also as you may read at large Gen. 24.57 58. Gen. 24. Thus religious Isaac walking out into the Fields at Eventide to meditate and pray Gen. 24.63 espieth his Rebeckah coming goeth on to meet her and bringeth her into his Mothers Tent and she became his Wife and he loved her Gen. 24.67 Thus a good choice with love and Gods blessing made a happy Marriage to both their joyes and no doubt to the joy of aged Abraham that blessed Father of the Faithful And thus you have a fourth Gold-link in this Gold Chain of Love I will give you but one Preparative Gold link of Love more A fifth Direction or Gold link of Love And this is That not only Parents consent and blessing may be had if possible as no doubt Isaac and Rebeckah had and their blessing And she blessed Rebeckah and said be thou the Mother of thousands of millions Gen. 24.60 and let thy Seed possess the Gate of those that hate thee But that by their Parents provision or thy own wisdom there be care taken that one or both have an estate for convenience and comfortable maintenance if not of great Riches yet to have what Agur prayed for Prov. 30.8 9. To be fed with food convenient least want of Necessaries occasion Complaint and that breed Differences and Love receive a Dampe and an Abatement and so marriage which should be a Merry-Age prove an Age of Sorrow Sadness and Discontent yea of Sin and wickedness sometimes for although the Husband taketh the Wife and the Wife the Husband for better or worse for Richer or Poorer yet if God of his free Grace in Christ give not a contentednesse of spirit and humblenesse of mind to submit to Divine Providences and to know and learn as St. Paul did Phil. 4.11 12 13. In every estate to be content Both Souls and Bodies may repent such Marriages and wish they had been wiser when it is too late Before God made Man and Woman our first Parents Adam and Eve and married them together He first made the World Gen. 1.27 28. and enriched them with Dominion over the Creatures Gen. 2.23 24. for their comfortable living in a married estate Gen. 1.1 2 c. He gave them plentiful Provision for them and their Posterity Gen. 9.1 2 3 4. as he did after to Noah Thus should Parents take Care for their Children or Children for themselves to preserve Love between Husband Wife during lives Thus much for pre-considerations before Marriages Now a sixth Gold-link of Love A sixth Direction or Gold-link of Love for a joyful happy life in a married estate is that the married Parties ought to labour for a daily increase of Graces 1 Pet. 3.7 2 Pet. 3.18 and to get assurance that they are both of them married to Christ Eph. 5.31 32. and have the Lord Jesus for their heavenly Husband and so be married one to another in Christ as Christ is to his Spouse the Church Hos 2.19 20. Happy is the Soul which is married to Christ Isa 9.6 He is an everlasting Father to take care and provide for his Spouse the Church Rev. 1.18 A heavenly Husband that never dieth but liveth ever to provide for his beloved Spouse for every Soul that is united in marriage to him Isa 54.5 He is a blessed Husband whose Name is the Lord of Hosts and our Redeemer Mat. 18.20 Mat. 28.20 a Saviour who hath promised to be present with his Church his Beloved to the end of the World And to deliver in greatest danger Isa 43.1 2 3 4. in fiery Afflictions it shall not burn them in watry they shall not be drowned There is no better yea none so good a Husband as Christ none to be loved so much as our heavenly Huband the Lord Jesus Therefore we ought to labour daily for a blessed increase of our love to Christ because he loved us first 1 John 4.19 And as we ought to be enflamed every day more and more in love to Christ So ought Husbands and Wives to endeavour truly to cherish increase and preserve mutual Love to and with each other as the Apostle St. Paul prayeth for his Christian Ephesians Eph. 3.17 18 19. that Christ may dwell in their Hearts by Faith that being rooted and grounded in Love they may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the bredth and length and depth and height of that love of God which passeth Knowledge they may be filled and satisfied with the fulnesse of God So Husbands and Wives being rooted and grounded in Love may be satisfied with each others Love as that wise King Solomon adviseth Prov. 5.18 19. I speak not of a meer carnal Love which will not make their Souls happy but of a right Conjugal Love between Man and Wife well rooted and rightly cherished which will make their Lives delightful and hath Gods blessing of perseverance in true love united unto it with joy to the end Cant. 2.3 Cant. 8.6 7. like the Love of Christ to his Church A Tree new set or planted may easily be plucked up again But if it hath taken root and be well grown it will abide both wind and weather and a true fervent Love many Waters cannot quench it as Solomon speaks of that Love between Christ and his Church it will endure during the Lives of the Lovers to their Rejoycings as being sealed with Constancy and setled in the Heart This is a sixth Gold-link of Love A seventh Direction A seventh Direction or Gold-link of Love or Gold-link of Love to enjoy happy
repented of And adorn we humbly pray thee Eccl. 12.7 our immortal Souls with those excellent Graces of true Christian Charity 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3 4 c. Chastity Sobriety Temperance and holy Moderation with submissive contentment unto and with thy Divine will and pleasure in every dispensation of thy Divine Providence 1 Peter 5.8 1 Thess 4.3 4. Phil. 4.5 inable us to wait upon thee in Faith Acts 21.14 Job 14.14 with patience all the Days of our appointed time until our change come It is in thy power O Lord to change Poverty into Riches Enemies to Friends Sickness into Health Death into Life Thou canst kill and make alive at thy pleasure 1 Sam. 2.7 8. Psal 63.3 4 5. O satisfie our souls with thy loving-kindness in thy Ordinances and living Graces and especially with a lively Hope of immortality by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1.3 4. and that Inheritance which fadeth not O cause thy love to be shed abroad in our Hearts by the holy Ghost Rom. 5.5 give us that peace of God which passeth all understanding let the Love of Christ constrain us to live henceforth not to our selves but to Him who died for us and rose again That when He shall appear at the last day Col. 3.4 we may appear with Him in Glory O most blessed God! strengthen us we pray thee with thy special Grace for the performance of our works in our particular Family-Duty according to our Places and Callings in thy fear and in love one to another Husband and Wife Eph. 6.1 2 3 4 5 6 c. Parents and Children Masters and Servants Make Lord our Children thy Children our Servants thy Servants our Friends thy Friends and bless them and us in all our and their righteous Labours this day and all the dayes of our lives especially those who have desired or deserved our Prayers requite and return all their loving favours a thousand fold into their Bosome succour we most humbly pray thee all thy Children in any manner of Affliction Let the good will of him that dwelt in the Bush dwell with them Exod. 3.2 Deut. 33.16 Amos 4.12 prepare us to meet thee in whatsoever tryal thou shall prove our Faith and any other graces with and give to us and all thine a happy Deliverance out of all in thy doe time and season and preserve us all in Bodies and Souls to thy heavenly Kingdom 2 Tim. 4.18 We most humbly beg these and whatsoever thou in thy Divine Wisdome knowest to be needful for us or any of thine in the Name and for the Merits of our blessed Saviour And in that Prayer he hath taught us Our Father which art in Heaven c. An Evening Prayer for Husband and Wife and either of them with their Family or any other fit Person in the Husbands absence O Most might and powerful Lord our God who art the great Creator and high Possessor of Heaven and Earth Gen. 14.19 Gen. 17.1 the All-sufficient God and gracious Ruler of the whole World who art the Lord God glorious in holiness dreadful in Praises doing wonders Exod. 15.11 Thou art the Lord strong merciful and gracious abundant in goodness and truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin Exod. 34.6.7 and who wilt not hold the wicked innocent Thou even thou art to be feared and who may stand in thy sight when thou art angry Psal 76.7 yet thou art gracious to thy Children shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love thee and are careful to keep thy Commandements Thou preservest the Feet of thy Saints and hast preserved us thy unworthy servants this day 1 Sam. 2.9 O let our Prayers come before thee as Incense and the lifting up of our hands be as an Evening Sacrifice Psal 141.2 a Sacrifice of Praise and Thanksgiving for the mercies of this day thou hast kept us safe at home and abroad thou hast blessed us in our just and honest occasions and endeavors If any thing now Gen. 24.12 27. or at any time hath fallen out cross to our desires Psal 119.7 thou oh our good God didest see it good for us to be afflicted that we might be put in mind of our going wrong and our too great ingratitude of former dayes mercies But we acknowledge thy goodness thy mercies to us and thy people of old and thy glorious Name Neh. 9.5 hath been far above and beyond all our Thanksgiving and Praise yea that unspeakable Gift of thy mercy namely John 3.16 thy only begotten Son who hath made a gracious Promise that whatsoever thy servants shall ask of thee in his Name John 16.23 it shall be granted us This emboldens us blessed Father humbly to supplicate thee who art so full of compassion to pass by all our Transgressions Micah 7.18 19. and to subdue all our Iniquities and pardon all our Sins of Ignorance and Knowledge of weakness and willfulness of Omission and Commission Take away our iniquity and receive us gratiously in and for Christ and we shall render to thee the Calves of our Lips Hosea 4.2 yea not of our Lips alone but of our Hearts and of our whole Souls and Bodies a holy living and acceptable Sacrifice of Obedience in Christ Jesus Rom. 12.1 2. Thou O Lord art the Fountain Author and Giver of all Grace increase thy Graces in us we most humbly beseech thee that we may be better inabled to perform our duties to thee our God and to our Neighbours in general and one to another in our particular Callings and Relations Husband to Wife and Wife to Husband in true Conjugal love Parents to Children Exodus 20.12 Eph. 6.2 3. in for the Lord Children to Parents in due honour that the blessing of long happy life may be their portion according to thy promise Masters to Servants Eph. 6.9 as knowing they have a Master in Heaven and Servants to Masters in singleness of heart as unto Christ not with Eye-service as men-pleasers Eph. 6.5 6 7 8. but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart with good will doing service as to the Lord and not to men that of the Lord they may receive the reward of Inheritance Col. 3.24 because in doing faithful service according to God's will they serve the Lord Christ Forgive we pray thee our Enemies and bless our Friends Now thou O Lord art the Keeper of Israel who neither slumbrest nor sleepest Except thou O Lord Psal 127.1 2. keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain It is in vain to rise up early and late take rest and eat the bread of carefulness Psal 3.5 Psal 4.8 except the Lord bless our Labours Neither can we ly down and sleep and take our rest except the Lord sustain us except thou O Lord make us to dwell in safety Therefore now we
yea and many times at least too often and upon light occasions when we should be amiable kind and loving to each other 2 Tim. 3.6 Pro. 11.20 Eph. 4.31 32. with content and quietness and without thy special Grace we cannot bridle these unruly Distempers of our spirits It is in great danger 〈◊〉 12.3 we did think better of our selves and of each other in our Choice then we find by proof to have fallen out since our Marriage-union it is well if we had right grounds of our Love to each other and that it was not rather for by-respects then for the true ends of marriage namely that we might be true and meet Helpers one to another for this and a better life Gen. 2.20 O Lord I thy most humble Servant most earnestly beg pardon Isa 55.7 if either of us failed in any of these respects as I fear we did Now yet there is mercy O Lord in thy Christ to encourage us boldly to come to thy Throne of Grace And therefore now O Father let the bowels of thy mercy be moved towards us Isa 63.15 and give us those necessary Graces by which we may be inabled to walk towards thee our God and one towards an other as becomes the honourable estate of marriage I bless thy most holy Name O Lord that thou hast kept and preserved thy Servant and I am well assured my dear Husband from those dreadful Vices which do so highly dishonour this honourable estate Gen. 20.6 In whatsoever we have failed give pardon unto us I most humbly intreat thee O Father in Christ our blessed Advocate 1 Joh. 2.1 2. and heal our Natures that we may henceforth truly evidence our sincere love one to another and keep I beseech thee that rash impatient unadvised immoderate anger nor any other distemper may prove a root of bitterness sprung up between us Eph. 4.26 Let not the Sun go down upon any such wrath but that we may sleep quietly and lovingly together And preserve me I beseech thee with thy Grace that I may not by any unadvised words or deeds provoke my Husband to do that which may prove sorrow discomfort and disprofit to us both But give me wisdome at all times when any thing is said 1 Sam. 25.25 26 27 to 38. done or doing contrary to the Rules of Love between Husband and Wife that I may endeavour by all fair means in love and by sweet allurements or perswasions to prevent any evil or further him in any good work whatsoever And I beseech thee my God make me wise as Abigail to know how and when to speak to him for thy Glory and the mutual good of us and all ours enable me to give him that reverence and honour which is due to him Eph. 5.33 as my Lord and Husband and give to him that gracious affection towards me that he may give me that loving respect and honour which is due to me as the weaker Vessel 1 Pet. 3.7 that he may dwell with me as a man of knowledge and we may live together as Heirs of the Grace of Life that our Prayers be not hindred Give him O Lord wisdome with thy blessing and a faithful provident endeavour to provide for his own Rom 12.17 for them of his own house as a Husband and a Christian ought to do 1 Tim. 5.8 And grant to me wisdome and grace to look well to the wayes of my Houshold that I may do my Husband good and not hurt all the dayes of my life Prov. 31.12 27. Bless O Lord the Children and the Family which thou hast or shalt of thy goodness bestow upon us Let our Children be as perpetual Pledges of Love between us make them thy Children I most humbly pray thee Lord inable us with care and conscience to be provident for the pious and virtuous Education of our Children Prov. 31.28 according to our Estate and Callings that they may rise up and call us blessed I beseech thee blesse our Estate that we may provide for them a comfortable Living in some honourable or honest Callings while we live and when thou shalt take us from them take them for thy Children and give them in thy due time that Inheritance in which they shall be blessed and happy for ever And put thy holy fear into the Hearts of our Servants that they may first serve thee faithfully and then they will serve us honestly and justly all the time of their habitation with us Be gracious to thy beloved Children all over the Earth Isa 63.9 comfort the afflicted Members of Jesus Christ wheresoever or howsoever distressed amidst the Kingdomes of the World Isa 12.13 exalt the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Bless our most gracious King the Queens Majesty the Royal Family with all the Estates and Orders of Men in Church and Common-wealth preserve the Gospel of Peace Eph. 6.15 and the Peace of the Gospel in these Nations until Christ come to Judgment if it be thy blessed will Remember in mercy all our Relations and especially all such who ever have desired or deserved our Prayers Prepare us all for Eternity for Christ's sake in whose name I thy unworthy Mandmaid beg these and all needful Mercies in that Prayer which our blessed Saviour gave his Disciples Our Father which art in Heaven c. BEloved if any Man or Womans Devotion be so strict as to think these Prayers too long let them search if any thing be begged of God which neither they nor any they ought to pray for want they may pass over that Petition And if there want any Petition for any particular thing not prayed for they may add that Petition if they please according to their present occasions The Lord hear and give a blessing All glory be to God the Father Son and Holy Ghost now and for ever Amen So prayers your Servant in Christ Immanuel Bourne FINIS