THE Daily Practice OF DEVOTION OR The Hours of Prayer FITTED To the main Uses of a CHRISTIAN LIFE Also Lamentations and Prayers for the Peaceful re-settlement of this Church and State By the late Pious and Reverend H. H. D. D. Cum clamore valido lachrymis preces offerens exauditus est pro sua reverentia LONDON Printed for R. Royston Bookseller to His most Sacred Majesty MDCLXXXIV The Introduction ALL things tend naturally toward some certain End and desire some Good the attainment of which is the Perfection of their Nature and the enjoyment of it their Supreme Happiness The highest Perfection and Happiness of Mankind consists in their nearest approach unto God the supreme End and only Good The only means of thus approaching and applying our selves to God is a sincere Love of him the Natural effect and expression of which is our keeping his Commandments 1 John 3. 5. Now the whole Service of God which is that we call Religion being in the Holy Scriptures largely and plainly declared to the meanest understandings may seem to be all comprehended under these three Heads Faith Works and Prayer I. By Faith we nnderstand the hearty Belief of whatsoever is revealed by God II. By Works the diligent Observing of whatsoever is commanded by God III. By Prayer the humble Petitioning for all requisites to that end Of the First we have a short Summary in the Apostles Creed Of the Second in the Two Tables of the Law Of the Third we have an excellent Pattern in the Lords Prayer Of which though the last be the only Subject of our present Discourse yet the First and the Second were to be mentioned being the natural Introductions to it The Apostles Creed I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord which was conceived by the Holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried he descended into Hell the third day he rose again from the dead he ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life everlasting Amen The two Tables of the Law I. THou shalt have none other Gods but Me. II. Thou shalt not Worship any kind of Image III. Thou shalt not take the Name of God in vain IV. Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day V. Honour thy Father and thy Mother VI. Thou shalt do no Murder VII Thou shalt not commit Adultery VIII Thou shalt not Steal IX Thou shalt not bear False Witness X. Thou shalt not Covet any thing that is thy neighbours The Lords Prayer OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen The Contents OF the daily practice of Devotion Pag. 1 Of set Forms of Prayer 2 Of the Lords Prayer 3 The Lords Prayer 4 The Paraphrase 5 Of the parts of Prayer 7 Of the Difficulty of Prayer 9 Preparatives to Prayer 10 Preparatory Prayers 14 A General Form of Prayer 15 The Seven Hours of Prayer for every day 31 The First Hour 35 The Second Hour 43 Of Publick Prayer the third hour 59 The Third Hour 63 The Fourth Hour 69 The Fifth Hour 79 The Sixth Hour 85 The Seventh Hour 93 Of Solemn Repentance 109 A General form of Confession 115 Of the Lords Supper 129 Of Frequent Receiving 133 Of Preparation 137 Prayers before the Sacrament 141 Before the Bread 146 After the Bread 147 Before the Cup. 148 After the Cup. ibid. An Hymn 149 After the Sacrament 151 An Admonition after Receiving 153 Of Death 157 A Prayer Preparatory to Death 160 Lamentations and Devotions for Times of Captivity 163 Psalms 172 Prayers 183 A Prayer for the Church 190 A Prayer for the King and State 195 A Prayer for all Christian Princes and the Ecclesiastical State 202 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexander Stromat lib. 7. p. 728. OF THE DAILY PRACTICE OF DEVOTION Micah 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do Justly and to love Mercy and to walk Humbly with thy God Of Prayer AS Religion is the Life of the Soul so Prayer is the Soul of Religion and the Breath by which it lives and moves without which it is stifled up and dies It is a piece of Service as most acceptable to God so most useful to us for as in it we make our daily acknowledgment and do homage as it were to the Great King so in it we have continual access into his high Court to offer up our Petitions to Him to make known our Wants and implore his gracious Relief Of set Forms of Prayer AND although the perpetual changeableness of all things in this transitory Life do every day alter our occasions and create to us new necessities yet our great and common wants and interests remaining still the same in all reason we may still use the same words to express them to God Our extraordinary Necessities may be added and inserted in their proper places in our ordinary Prayers as our daily occasions shall require Otherwise being comprehended under the general heads expressed in our usual Form it will not always be necessary to mention them particularly to Him that knows what things we have need of before we ask and neither hears us the sooner nor understands us the better for our many words Of the Lords Prayer AND indeed any sober Christian may abundantly satisfie himself both of the Lawfulness of Set Forms and the Usefulness of Short ones from the Direction and Example of our Lord who Himself prescribed to His Disciples a Brief Form of Prayer still remaining upon record in the Holy History and daily used in the Catholick Church Which excellent Pattern doubtless we may do well to imitate in our Devotions as that which in a fit method and few words comprehends and summs up all necessaries as may appear by this Short Paraphrase The LORD's PRAYER OUR 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 the Power and Glory for ever and ever Amen The Paraphrase O Mercifnl Lord God who hast vouchsafed to adopt and receive us Thy
and the Honey-comb Moreover by them is thy servant taught and in keeping of them there is great reward Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults Keep thy servant also from presumtuous sins left they get the dominion over me so shall I be undefiled and innocent from the great offence Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be always acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen The Song of Zachary BLessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people Luke 1. 68. And hath raised up a mighty Salvation for us in the House of his Servant David As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To perform the mercy promised to our Forefathers and to remember his holy Covenant To perform the Oath which he sware to our Forefather Abraham that he would give us That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life And thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways To give knowledge of Salvation to his people for the remission of their sins Through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord who hast shewed me the light of thy countenance and hast delivered me from the darkness and dangers of this night and refreshed me with quiet sleep and raised me up again as it were from the grave and restored me to life and the joyful light of another day Give me grace to make it a resurrection to newness of life also that I may spend this day and all that thou shalt yet be pleased to add to it in thy Service to the Glory of thy Name and the Good of my own Soul O Lord blot out as a nightmist mine iniquities and scatter my sins as a morning cloud Isai 44. 22. Grant that I may become a Child of the Light and of the Day that I may walk soberly chastly and honestly as in the day Open thou mine eyes that I may see incline my heart that I may affect and order my steps that I may walk and run in the way of thy Commandements Hold me fast and keep me close by thee Guide me with thy Hand Uphold me when I am falling lift me up when I am down Reduce me when I go astray and hedge in my way that I find not the path to follow after vanity Keep me in all my ways and defend me from all the dangers and evils of this day O Lord preserve my going out and coming in from this time for evermore And now O Lord I offer up my self a living Sacrifice unto thee beseeching thee mercifully and graciously to receive me Cleanse me from all my Pollutions heal all my infirmities and sanctifie all the Powers and Faculties of my Soul and Body to thy service this day that in all my thoughts words and works I may always have an eye to that Supreme end of my Creation and so order the whole course of my life that I may be always ready and prepared for death and that severe account which I must one day make unto thee that so I may do it with joy and not with sorrow and receive that Crown which thou hast promised to them that persevere unto the end Heb. 13. 17. And with my self I commend unto thee all whom any bond of Nature or Freindship or Religion commands me to pray for especially and all that have at any time done good to me thou O Lord do good to them and reward them seven-fold into their bosom Preserve us O Lord from all evil O Lord I beseech thee keep our Souls keep us from falling and present us faultless before the presence of thy Glory at that day And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the Knowledge and Love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. And the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with us this day the rest of our lives and for evermore Amen OF PUBLICK PRAYER AT THE THIRD HOVR Psal 119. 9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way Even by ruling himself after thy Word Psal 111. 10. The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom A good understanding have all they that do thereafter The praise of it endureth for ever NOW as Private Prayer hath this Promise of our Saviour that being performed in the Closet secretly it shall yet be rewarded openly so much more when two or three are gathered together in his Name hath he promised to be in the midst of them and hear their requests This therefore being the usual Hour wherein the Publick Service of the Church is every day to be celebrated this Private Form is far from any purpose to supplant the use or pretence to supply the want of that Which though it be now by the Children of this generation shamefully east out of the House of God yet certainly all true Children of the Church will receive it into their own Houses and make their Family their Congregation But they that want even this Convenience also may yet at least perform their part of the Publick Duty in the Privacy of their Closet and comfort themselves with this Consideration that the Prayers which are sent up from never so divers aud distant places on Earth yet all meet together in the High Court of Heaven The following Form therefore is intended for no more than a Preparation to the Publick And so likewise at the Fifth Hour whereon the Evening Service of the Church is to be celebrated THE THIRD HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Third Hour of the Day About IX in the Morning HEar my Prayer O God and hide not thy self from my Petition OUR 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 all evil For thine is the Kingdom the Power
Comforter Thou art the King of Glory O Christ Thou art the Everlasting Son of the Father When thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man Thou dist not abhor the Virgins womb When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of Death Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the Glory of the Father We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge We therefore pray Thee help thy servants whom Thou hast redeemed deemed with thy precious blood Make them to be numbred with thy Saints in Glory everlasting O Lord save thy people and bless thine heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie Thee And worship thy Name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our Trust is in thee O Lord in the have I trusted let me never be confounded WE humbly beseech Thee O Father mercifully to look upon our infirmities and for the glory of thy Names sake turn from us all those evils that we most justly have deserved and grant that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy and evermore serve Thee in holiness and pureness of living to thy Honour and Glory through our only Mediator and advocate Jesus Christ our Lord Amen NOW the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the bloud of the everlasting Covenant make us perfect in every good work to do his will working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory for ever and ever Amen THE FIFTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Ninth Hour of the Day About III. After-Noon Preparative to the Publick 1 Thess 5. 2 3. 4. The day of the Lord so cometh as a Thief in the night For when they shall say Peace and Safety then sudden destruction cometh upon them as Travail upon a woman with child and they shall not escape But ye brethren are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief ENter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord for in thy fight shall no man living be justified Psal 143. 2. OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 39. I Said I will take heed to my ways that I offend not in my tongue I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle while the ungodly is in my sight I held my tongue and spake nothing I kept silence yea even from good words but it was pain and grief to me My heart was hot within me and while I was thus musing the fire kindled and at last I spake with my tougue Lord let me know mine end and the number of my days that I may be certified how long I have to live Behold Thou hast made my days as it were a span long and mine age is even as nothing in respect of Thee and verily every man living is altogether vanity For man walketh in a vain shadow and disquieteth himself in vain he heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them And now Lord what is my hope truly my hope is even in Thee Deliver me from all mine offences and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish I became dumb and opened not my mouth for it was thy doing Take thy plague away from me I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin Thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a Moth fretting a garment every man therefore is but vanity Hear my prayer O God and with thine ears consider my calling hold not thy peace at my tears For I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner as all my fathers were O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the begininng is now and ever shall be world without end Amen O God from whom all holy desires all good counsels and all just works do proceed work in us thy unprofitable servants both to will and to do that the Glory of both may return to Thee the giver of every good and perfect gift through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen NOW unto Him that is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding joy to the only wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power now and for ever Amen THE SIXTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Twelfth or Last Hour of the Day About VI. in the Evening Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Job 14. 1 2. Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble he cometh forth like a flower and is cut down he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not PRaise the Lord O my Soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Praise the Lord O my Soul and forget not all his benefits Which forgiveth all thy sin and healeth all thy infirmities Which saveth thy life from destruction and crowneth thee with mercy and loving kindness OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 90. LOrd Thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another Before the mountains were brought forth or ever the earth and the world were made Thou art God from everlasting and world without end Thou turnest man to destruction again thou sayest come again ye children of men For a thousand years in thy sight are
OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy Praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 91. WHoso dwelleth under the defence of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will say unto the Lord Thou art my hope and my strong hold my God in him will I trust For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noisom pestilence He shall defend thee under his wings and thou shalt be safe under his feathers His Faithfulness and Truth shall be thy shield and buckler Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day For the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day A thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nigh thee Yea with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the ungodly For thou Lord art my hope thou hast set thine house of defence very high There shall no evil happen unto thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways They shall hear thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone Thou shalt go upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet Because he hath set his love upon me therefore shall I deliver him I shall set him up because he hath known my Name He shall call upon me and I will hear him yea I am with him in trouble I will deliver him and bring him to Honour With long life will I satisfie him and shew him my Salvation Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 121. I Will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence cometh my help My help cometh from the Lord which hath made Heaven and Earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and he that keepeth thee will not sleep Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord himself is thy Keeper the Lord is thy defence upon the right hand So that the Sun shall not burn thee by day neither the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep thy Soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for evermore Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen The Song of Simeon LOrd now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy Word Luke 2. 29. For mine eyes have seen thy Salvation Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people To be a Light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the Glory of thy people Israel Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God who hast shewed me the light of thy countenance and caused me to see thy goodness in the land of the living who hast preserved me in all my ways and delivered me from all the dangers and evils of this day and brought me safe thus far of my life to the beginning of this night O Lord I beseech thee forsake me not in the vanishing of my days but still contiuue the protection of thy gracious hand upon me be thou my light and defence my guide and guard through the valley of misery and tears and the shadow of death to that Holy Hill where thine Honour and our Rest dwelleth Give me grace to remember the many days of darkness and prevent the long night of Death by a timely preparation for it that being always ready and provided whensoever thou shalt call me to judgment I may give an acceptable account how I have spent my time here Lord as we add days to our days so we add sins to our sins Father I have sinned against Heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son Luke 15. 21. But I will confess my wickedness and be sorry for my sins Psal 30. 18. Here make a particular Confession of the sins you have committed this day or since your last solemn account THus have I wandred from the right way of thy Commandments walking after the foolish Imaginations of mine own corrupt heart and wearying my self in the by-ways of vanity and wickedness all the day long But now O Lord I desire to turn from my evil ways and evening after evening I return to thee with all my heart and seek thy face O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Out of the deep my soul crieth unto thee O hear my voice and have mercy upon me Have mercy upon me O Lord after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin Forgive and put away all mine offences and abominations for the merits and satisfaction of thy dear Son in him be reconciled unto me and restore me again to thy grace and favour to the peace and comfort and communion of thy holy Spirit that mine eyes may see thy Salvation and thy Servant may depart in peace Luke 2. 29 30. And now O Lord I go to my bed as to my grave and know not but that I may awake in another world Live or die I commend my self to thy mercy and goodness beseeching thee to receive me under the wings of thy protection where I may rest safe and secure from all evils And with my self I commend unto thee all whom any relation or occasion hath made near or dear unto me Thou Keeper of Israei who dost neither slumber nor sleep receive us all into thy keeping and preserve our Souls in perpetual peace and safety And the peace of God which passeth all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord And the blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with us this night
the rest of our lives and for evermore Amen OF SOLEMN REPENTANCE NOW beside this daily and ordinary Confession and Repentacne it were good to set apart some particular times once a week on Fridays or at least once a month for a more solemn Humiliation In which you may proceed by these several steps I. Take an exect survey of the state of your Soul Examine your self strictly and search into every corner of your heart Recollect and reckon up particularly as far as you can remember all the several sins and abominations of your past life especially since your last solemn Account Represent every one in his own colours with all the several circumstances of aggravation and odiousness you can call to mind II. Labour to get a true and through sight and sense of the vileness and misery of your condition Consider in what a dangerous and deplorable state you had been if God should have taken you away in this course without Repentance And hereupon you cannot but acknowledge and magnifie his mercy and long-suffering that notwithstanding all these provocations he hath yet forborn you thus long and now by his goodness leads you to Repentance Rom. 2. 4. III. Strive to be seriously affected with a true and hearty sorrow for having so hainously offended so good and gracious a God Stedfastly resolve to forsake all these abominations wherewith you have thus grieved his holy Spirit But be sure this be done sincerely withou reserving to your self any other darling sin Though it seem never so small though it be never so dear to you yet spare it not for any respect Though it be to you as your right hand or your right eye yet pluck it out or cut it oâ—â— and cast it from you Mat. 5. 29 30. It is better for you to enter into life halt or maimed than to be cast whole into everlasting fire Mat. 18. 8. Mat. 9. 43. 45. 47. God will have all or none he will not be content with a part though never so great a part IV. Apply your self to God by a lively faith in his promises of mercy and pardon in the bloud of Jesus Christ Pour out your soul before him in an humble Confession of all your sins and abominations Beseech and importune him for the grace of godly sorrow which may work in you true Repentance 2 Cor. 7. 10. Implore his mercy and pardon in the merits and satisfaction of his dear Son Jesus Christ V. Offer up your self wholly into his hands with a promise and vow of new life and more diligent performance of your duty And desire the gracious in fluence of his Holy Spirit as well for a seal of your Pardon as to excite and assist and enable you to perform his will for the future VI. And though it be impossible for you to make restitution or satisfaction to God for the wrongs and affronts which in every single sin you have offered to his Glory yet to shew the sincerity and readiness of your will according to your Power set your self with most diligence to the performance of those Duties wherein you have been most defective And act a kind of holy revenge upon those sins of which you have been most gulity by setting your self most zealously to the practice of the contrary vertues VII And this your reconciliation to God it will be fit I may say necessary to make your peace with the world By making restitution and satisfaction to all that you have wronged by desiring pardon of those you have offended and likewise by freely Pardoning all that have offended or injured you And if all this be done sincerely and uprightly as is required on your part doubtless God is faithful that hath promised and will not fail in the performance of his part A GENERAL FORM OF CONFESSION O Lord the Great and Dreadful God keeping the Covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandments we have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments By our impious and godless thoughts of Thee our confidence in the arm of flesh by placing our affections on earthly things and neglecting to love and delight in Thee by presuming of thy mercies and yet continuing in our sins We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day Dan. 9. 7. By our want of reverence to thy Service not considering the awfulness of thy Presence and that honour due to Thee in thy House by our formal and hypocritical worship by open profanation and sacriledge by shews and Pretences of piety to cover our worldly and wicked designs We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By our vain and rash oaths blasphemies and perjuries by our execrations on our selves our brethren and our enemies We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By undervaluing thy publick Service and neglecting to bear a part in it by mispending that time either there or elswhere in wanton or worldly thoughts or imployments by not keeping the Spiritual Sabbath unto Thee in serving Thee truly all the days of our lives by not duly observing the times of Festivity or Fasting appointed by just Authority We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By not duly acknowledging thine ordinance and authority in the persons of our Superiours by speaking evil of dignities and reviling the Rulers of thy people by groundless jealousies and suspicions mis-judging and censuring their actions by being as a people that strive with their Priests and not submitting our selves to those who by thy appointment watch over our souls by neglecting those committed to our charge not correcting those sins which have cried loud for examplary punishment We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By rash anger malice hatred revenge and the bloudy effects thereof by uncharitable contentions and divisions factions and animosities by cruelty and unmercifulness and communicating in the sins of bloud We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By the manifold sins of uncleanness by seeking or not avoiding the occasions thereof by idleness intemperance and drunkenness by immodest words and gestures by shameless boasting or not blushing at those sins We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By thefts rapines and oppressions by vexatious suits practised and countenanced by exactions and unjust gains in bargaining by defrauding the
3. The incomparable love of Christ in that he vouchsafed to be born meanly to live in poverty and contempt to die in shame and torment and endure those pains which were due to us for our sins that he might redeem and rescue us from both These and such like are to be remembred and considered with joy and thanks and praise Prayers before the Sacrament NOW for particular Forms of Prayers Meditations and other Exercises of Devotion before and at and after the holy Sacrament the many books designed peculiarly to that purpose will abundantly furnish you with such and these short ones following will not hinder the use of them Before the Sacrament DEpart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord Luke 5. 8. I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof For the House of my Soul which thou hadst made a fit Temple for thy Holy Spirit to inhabit in I have defaced and defiled with all manner of pollutions and abominations It is become a den of ravenous beasts and a cage of unclean Birds and every corner so crowded with filthiness that Thou wilt not find where to lay thy head Luke 9. 58. But Thou O Lord which despisest not a penitent Sinner but hast promised to dwell with the humble and contrite spirit I beseech Thee cast me not away from thy presence but cast out all profaneness and uncleanness out of my heart and remove every thing that may offend the pure eyes of thy Glory and the holiness of thy Presence and then O Lord vouchsafe to come and enter in and dwell there and abide with me for ever Behold O Lord I am before Thee in my sins clothed with filthy garments and Satan standing at my right hand accusing me and bringing my transgressions into remembrance before Thee with loud clamours for justice against me O Lord I acknowledge and confess my self guilty and that I have deserved the utmost of thy wrath and indignation But O Lord I appeal from thy seat of Judgment to thy Throne of Grace and Mercy humbly beseeching Thee to rebuke and repel the malicious Accuser of thy servants and hearken to the intercession of our Advocate in thine own bosom For his sake have mercy upon me and pardon my offences and blot out the Hand-writing that is against me and put away all mine iniquities and drown them in the depth of the Sea Wash me throughly from all my pollutions in that fountain which Thou hast opened for Judah and Jerusalem to purifie in and then cloath me in that white robe of thy Sons righteousness the Wedding-garment requisite at this Feast and admit me to thy Table which Thou hast prepared for thy children And grant O Lord that when I have tasted of these thy Heavenly dainties I may no more return like the Dog to his vomit nor as the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire but I may keep my self unspotted from the world and walk before Thee in all purity and holiness And now O Lord Thou invitest and exhortest me to come to thy holy Table O my God I know mine own unworthiness yet in the multitude of thy mercies I will humbly approach to thine Alter beseeching Thee to behold me not with a severe but a gracious eye Thou knowest the earnest desire of my Soul be thou pleased to pass by the weakness of the flesh and accept the willingness of the spirit and grant that I may now receive this holy Sacrament to the Honour and Glory of thy Name and the Good and comfort and Salvation of my own Soul The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God the Lord God of his Fathers though he be not according to the Purification of the Sanctuary Before the Bread O Blessed Lord God who hast given us thine only Son to lay down his life for our Sins and his flesh for the food and nourishment of our Souls purge and purifie my vile and sinful Soul that it may be a fit habitation for his pure unspotted and precious Body and that no unclean thing may presume to enter where his holy feet have trod from henceforth for ever After the Bread BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God who hast vouchsafed to feed me with that Bread from Heaven the Flesh of thy dear Son grant that in the strength of this food I may walk before thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of my life till I come to the Mount of God the holy Hill where thine Honour and our Rest dwelleth Before the Cup. O Blessed Lord God who hast given the Bloud of thine only Son to be shed for our sins and to refresh and restore our weary gasping Souls cleanse and sanctifie me O Lord that I may receive this cup with a pure heart and not with polluted lips to the eternal comfort and refreshment of my Soul After the Cup. BLessed be thy holy Name O Lord my God who hast vouchsafed me to drink of this Fountain of Living Water the precious bloud of thy dear Son grant that this holy Cup may be an Antidote and Preservative against all sin and evil and may keep my Soul in health and strength to the end of my days An Hymn O Lord who didst not despise nor forsake Man transgressing thy commandment and falling But as a tender-bowell'd Father didst visit him sundry ways Giving him that great and precious Promise concerning the Blessed quickning Seed Opening unto him a door of Faith and Repentance unto life And in the fulness of time sending the same Christ to take the Seed of Abraham And by the oblation of his life to fulfill the obedience of the Law And by the sacrifice of his Death to take away the curse thereof By his death to redeem the World And by his Resurrection to quicken the same Who didst all things to this end to bring back Mankind to thee that he might be partaker of the Divine Nature and Eternal Glory Who diddest attest the Truth of thy Gospel By many and manifold Miracles By the ever-memorable Conversation of thy Saints By their supernatural patience under torments By the most wonderful Conversion of the whole World unto the Obedience of Faith without Strength Rhetorick or Force Blessed praised and hallowed be thy Name the Mention and Memory and all the Monuments thereof both now and for ever Amen After the Sacrament LOrd what is Man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of man that thou visitest him Psal 144. 3. What is thy Servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I 2 Sam. 9. 8. The Dogs eat of the crums that fall from their Masters Table but thou hast fed me with the Bread of thy Children and given me to drink of thine own Cup. Thou hast fed me in a green pasture and leadest me forth beside the waters of comfort Psal 23. 2. O taste and see how gracious the
not die but live to praise thy mercy I confess O Lord that I was even conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity and though thou hadst wash'd me from that Original Pollution of Nature in the holy Fountain of Baptism yet have I since again defiled my self with all manner of actual Abominations O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face unto thee for mine iniquities are increased over mine head and my trespasses are waxed great unto the Heavens Since the days of my youth I am in a great trespass and my whole life is nothing else but a continued transgression of thy Law and provocation of thy wrath I have but slightly performed or neglected and wholly omitted and even contemned those Duties and Services which thou requirest of me but have greedily committed and carelesly and even presumptuously continued in those sins which thou hast strictly forbidden and severely threatned So that if thou shouldst enter into judgment with thy Servant I could expect nothing but to receive my portion with hypocrites and unbelievers and to be cast out into utter darkness in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone for evermore But thou O Lord which desirest not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live turn thou me O good God turn me from all my transgressions and let not iniquity be my ruine Open thou mine eyes and awaken my dull and stony heart that I may see and understand the vileness and misery of my sinful state that I may hate and abhor and forsake all my evil ways and turn to thee with all my heart and with all my strength Give me that Godly sorrow which worketh true repentance forgive and put away all my sins and offences nail them to the Cross of Jesus Christ and bury them in his Grave that they may never rise up in judgment against me Receive me O my Father and be reconciled unto me in the mercies and merits of thy dear Son for his sake restore me again to thy grace and favour and the light of thy countenance and establish me with thy free Spirit Psal 51. 12. Send down the dew of thy heavenly grace the light of thy Holy Spirit into my heart to lead me in thy way and enable me to walk in it Give me strength to resist all temptations and to stand against all assaults of the World the Flesh and the Devil that no Allurement may draw no Terror may drive me from the streight path of thy Service but that I may persevere in it to the end of my days that having lived in thy fear I may die in thy favour rest in thy peace rise in thy power and reign with thee for ever in thy Glory And thou O Lord which hast promised to add all other necessaries to them which seek first thy Kingdom and the righteousness thereof remember me also with thy temporal blessings as shall seem best unto thee and may be most for the advancement of mine Eternal Interest Give me health of Body soundness of Mind competence of means comfort of Friends peace in this world and contentment of mind what state soever thou shalt please to call me to Give me grace to set my heart not on things below but on things above that I may chearfully expect when it shall please thee to translate me from thy blessings in this world to the joys of thy Eternal Kingdom And thou O Lord which hast commanded us to make prayers and supplications for all others as well as our selves we beseech thee to extend thy mercy and goodness to all mankind in all the corners of the Earth Open and enlighten the eyes of them that sit in darkness and the shadow of death and guide their feet into the way of peace that thy way may be known upon earth and thy saving health among all nations Psal 67. 2. Inlarge the bounds of thy Catholick Church Unite and sanctifie all that are already received into her bosom and restore her to her ancient purity and prosperity Send such Priests whose lips may preserve knowledge and make the People diligent to seek thy Law at their mouth and so direct and rule both Priests and People that by their holy conversation they may shine as Lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation And thou who hast promised to make Kings and Queens the Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers of thy Church protect all the Governments of the world especially Christian Kings and Princes and more particularly Him whom thy particular Providence hath placed over us Preserve and prosper him in all his ways give him success in all his undertakings and actions that having lived and ruled here in justice piety prosperity peace and happiness he may quietly pass from this earthly and transitory to a heavenly and eternal Crown Bless his Illustrious Family and the whole State under him Distribute thy blessings to every one as thou shalt judge most meet and as may best fit and enable and encourage them in their several Places and Callings in the performance of their duties of Worship and Obedience to thee and of justice and Honesty and Charity to their Brethren Bless all those to whom I am bound by any special Relation Parents Freinds Kindred Benefactors Family Thou O Lord knowest the Name and place of every one Thou knowest our several desires and wants We beseech Thee to proportion thy reliefs and blessings to every one that we may be mutual helps and comforts to each other in our passage through this vale of misery and tears Have mercy and compassion upon all that are under any calamity in body or mind or outward condition especially those that suffer for righteousness sake Give them Patience to bear and Prudence to make a right use of all their Afflictions and in thine own good time relieve and restore them here or take them away from these temporal miseries to thine eternal rest in Heaven And let not my Lord be angry and I will speak but this once and that in obedience to thy command for our Enemies Slanderers and Oppressors especially those that have caused or increased the publick Distractions Lord restrain their malice and open their Eyes and Hearts that they may see the crookedness of their own ways and return into the streight path of meekness and Charity that we may live together in Peace here and reign together in thy Glory hereafter And that our Ingratitude for Thy former Blessings may not make us more unworthy and uncapable of the future we humbly desire to offer up our sacrifice of Praise and Thansgiving for all thy goodness and loving-kindness multiplied and continued upon us That Thou hast been pleased to create us men after thine own Image the most excellent of all the works of thy hands And when by our own sin and fall we had made our selves worse than the vilest of all
thy Creation Thou wert yet pleased to find out a means of Redemption and Reconciliation by the death and satisfaction of thine own only Son And hast farther vouchsafed in some measure to shed abroad in our hearts the good gifts and graces of thy holy Spirit to excite inable and incourage us in the performance of thy Service here and to seal to us the good hope of eternal happiness with Thee hereafter That Thou hast vouchsafed me to be born of Christian Parents and brought up in the bosom of thy Church and nourished with the sincere milk of thy word and to live under the glorious Sun-shine of thy Gospel That Thou hast bestowed on me sufficient endowments and abilities of Nature as soundness of mind and health of body and withal a competence of means comfort of friends and other conveniences and contentments of life That Thou hast preserved me from my Childhood until now from all mischiefs and dangers and hast not cut me off in the midst of my sins but allowed me space of Repentance and brought me safe thus far of my life to this present day These and all other thine innumerable and inestimable mercies O Lord as we had nothing in us to deserve them so have we nothing to return for them but an acknowledgment of our extreme unworthiness of any the least of them We therefore offer up our selves unto Thee beseeching thee graciously to receive us and sanctifie thy mercies to us and us to thy service that we may make use of them to the honour and glory of thy Name and the eternal good of our own Souls O Holy Lord God that knowest our necessities before we ask and our ignorance in asking have mercy upon our infirmities pass by and pardon the imperfections of our Prayers bow down thy gentle ear and hear and grant these our requests as shall seem good to Thee And whatsoever else thou knowest more useful or expedient for me or any of thy servants Thou that knowest to give good gifts we beseech Thee chuse for us and give us those things And all for His sake who hath given us confidence to come unto Thee and ask in His name and hath taught us to summ up all our Prayers in his own words saying OUR 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 diliver us from Evil. For Thine is the Kingdom the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen Numb 6. 24. The Lord bless us and keep us The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us Peace 2 Cor. 13. 14. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with us all Amen THE SEVEN HOURS OF PRAYER FOR EVERY DAY Psal 119. 164. Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgements Psal 119. 62. At midnight will I rise to give thanks unto thee NOW for the Times of Prayer our Saviours Counsel is that men ought always to pray and not to faint adding a Parable to shew us the virtue of Importunity S. Paul's is agreeable Praying always and without ceasing that is frequently and constantly Among the Ancients it was no less than seven times a day Nay David and S. Paul add the eighth at Midnight so that every third hour of the Night as well as of the Day was begun with the solemnity of Prayer And this Pattern I have thought worthy to be commended to the practice of all pious Christians For the having so often recourse to Heaven must need make us more careful of our conversation on Earth Yet this without any design of laying a burthen upon those whose Occasions or Devotion will not so often serve them only wishing that they who cannot afford so many though so small portions of the day to their Maker would yet joyn with David and Daniel at least three times a day or at the least of leasts twice that the outgoings of the Morning and Evening may praise him The rest may be supplied by lifting up the eyes of their Souls to Heaven with some short and hearty Ejaculation though in midst of any Employment of any Company THE FIRST HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Morning Watch or Cock-Crowing About III. in the Morning Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Rom. 13. 12. The night is far spent the day is at hand let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and let us put on the armour of light Ephes 5. 11. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 63. 1. My soul flieth unto the Lord before the Morning Watch I say before the Morning Watch Psal 130. 6. Have I not remembred thee in my bed and thought upon thee when I was waking Psal 63. 7. Mine eyes prevent the Night Watches that I might meditate in thy word Psal 119. 148. OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Psal 51. 15. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 139. O Lord thou hast searched me out and known me thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising thou understandest my thoughts long before Thou art about my path and about my bed and spiest out all my ways For lo there is not a word in my tongue but thou O Lord knowest it altogether Thou hast fashioned me behind and before and laid thine hand upon me Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me I cannot attain unto it Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit or whither shall I go then from thy Presence If I climb up into Heaven thou art there if I go down to Hell thou art there also If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the Sea Even there also shall thy Hand lead me and thy Right Hand shall hold me If I say peradventure the darkness shall cover me then shall my night be turned to day Yea the darkness is no darkness with thee but the night is as clear as the day the darkness and light to
thee are both alike For my reins are thine thou hast covered me in my mothers womb I will give thanks unto thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well My bones are not hid from thee though I be made secretly and fashioned beneath in the Earth Thine eye did see my substance yet being unperfect and in thy Book were all my members written Which day by day were fashioned when as yet there was none of them How dear are thy counsels unto me O God! O how great is the summ of them If I tell them they are more in number than the sand When I wake up I am present with thee Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen O Lord God who by the power of thy Word didst produce a glorious Light out of Darkness Let thy Sun of Righteousness with healing in his wings arise upon us and enlighten the darkness of our hearts and rescue us from the shadow of death that we may walk in the light of thy Grace here and rejoyce in the light of thy Glory in thy Heavenly Kingdom hereafter through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And the very God of Peace sanctifie us wholly that our whole Spirit and Soul and body may be preseved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen THE SECOND HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Sun-rising or First Hour of the day About VI. in the Morning Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the days of thy youth and walk in the ways of thy heart and in the sight of thine Eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment Chap. 12. 1. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come not nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say I have no pleasure in them MORNING I Laid me down and slept and rose up again and the Lord sustained me Psal 3. 5. I. As soon as you open your eyes lift them up unto the Hills from whence cometh your help and begin the work of the day with thanksgiving to God who hath delivered you from the dangers of the forepassed night refreshed your weary body with quiet sleep and brought you safely to the beginning of another day II. Consider That perhaps many others no worse than you have this night been hurried from their beds to the bar of Judgment and there received a sad sentence of eternal woe yet God of his infinite and undeserved goodness hath spared you until now to repent and prepare your accounts III. Return him all possible thanks and praise for this inestimable mercy and commend your self to his Grace and protection for the following day and the rest of your life humbly beseeching him to continue his mercy and goodness to you in preserving you from all evils and supplying you with all neccssaries spiritual and temporal and implore his Grace to guide and direct you in all your undertakings and actions as may most conduce to the glory of his great Name and the good of your own soul IV. Consider what sin or sins you have more especially been guilty of yesterday or since the last time of your solemn repentance and resolve by the grace of God assisting you to avoid those sins and all occasions of them V. Consider what you have to do this day Resolve not to spend it in idleness or evil imployments and be careful to undertake nothing in which you cannot with confidence and a good conscience desire the gracious assistance of God without which all endeavour and industry all toil and travel is vain and fruitless Whatsoever thou takest in hand remember the end and thou shalt never do amiss Ecclus. 7. 36. VI. Keep diligent watch over your self in all your ways and where you find you have gone awry delay not to return presently for the longer you go forward the farther you have back again and the less time left for that and the rest of your Journey VII Be careful of your precious Time that you do not lose it in doing nothing or cast it away on that which is worse for you know not how soon you may be called to account for every idle and ill-spent minute Resolve to spend this day as that which for ought you know may be your last and remember that as the Night so Death draws on every hour and may perhaps overtake you before Mid-day Morning Prayer O Let me hear thy Loving kindness betimes in the morning for in thee is my trust Shew thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my Soul unto thee Psal 143. 8. O hearken unto the voice of my calling my King and my God for utto the will I make my Prayer My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord early in the morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up But make me to remember that thou art God and hast no pleasure in wickedness neither shall any evil dwell with thee Psal 5. 2 3 4. OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 19. THE Heavens declare the glory of God and the Firmament sheweth his handy work One day telleth another and one night certifieth another There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard among them Their sound is gone out into all Lands and their words into the ends of the world In them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sun which cometh forth as a Bridegroom out of his chamber and rejoiceth as a Giant to run his course It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the Heaven and runneth about unto the end of it again and there is nothing hid from the Heat thereof The Law of the Lord is an undefiled Law converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure and giveth wisdom unto the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right and rejoyce the Heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure and giveth light unto the eyes The Fear of the Lord is clean and indureth for ever the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether More to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold sweeter also than Honey
and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 25. UNto thee O Lord will I lift up my Soul My God I have put my trust in thee O let me not be confounded neither let mine enemies triumph over me For all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed but such as trangress without a cause shall be put to confusion Shew me thy ways O Lord and teach me thy paths Lead me forth in thy Truth and learn me for thou art the God of my Salvation In thee hath been my hope all the day long Call to remembrance O Lord thy tender mercies and thy loving kindness which hath been ever of old O remember not the sins and offences of my Youth but according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Gracious and righteous is the Lord therefore will we teach sinners in the way Them that be meek shall he guide in judgment and such as be gentle them shall he learn his way All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies For thy Names sake O Lord be merciful unto my sin for it is great What man is he that feareth the Lord Him shall he teach in the way that he shall chuse His Soul shall dwell at ease and his Seed shall inherit the Land The Secret of the Lord is among them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the Net Turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery The sorrows of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of my troubles Look upon my adversity and misery and forgive me all my sin Consider mine Enemies how many they are and they bear a tyrannous hate against me O keep my Soul and deliver me let me not be confounded for I have put my trust in thee Let perfectness and righteous dealing wait upon me for my hope hath been in thee Deliver Israel O God out of all his troubles Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen ALmighty Lord God who hast created all things for thine own Glory and Service give us grace to direct all our thoughts words and works to that one end that so having served thee faithfully here we may glorifie thee eternally in thy Kingdom hereafter through Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen NOW unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the Power that worketh in us unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages world without end Amen THE FOURTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT THE Sixth Hour or Mid-day About XII at Noon Psal 34. 12. What man is he that lusteth to live and would fain see good days Keep thy Tongue from Evil and thy Lips that they speak no Guile Eschew Evil and do Good Seek Peace and ensue it Psal 102. 24. O my God take me not away in the midst of mâ—e Age. As for thy years they indure throughout all Generations HEar me when I call O God of my righteousness have mercy upon me and hearken unto my Prayer Psal 4. 1. OUR 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 the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Lord open thou my lips And my mouth shall shew forth thy Praise Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Psal 27. THE Lord is my light and my salvation of whom then shall I fear The Lord is the strength of my life of whom then shall I be afraid When the wicked even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat my flesh they stumbled and fell Though an host of men were laid against me yet shall not my heart be afraid and though there rose up war against me yet will I put my trust in him One thing I have desired of the Lord which I will require even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life to behold the fair beauty of the Lord and to visit his Temple For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his Tabernable yea in the secret place of his dwelling shall he hide me and set me up upon a rock of stone And now shall he lift up mine head above mine enemies round about me Therefore will I offer in his dwelling an oblation with great gladness I will sing and speak praises unto the Lord. Hearken unto my voice O Lord when I cry unto Thee have mercy upon me and hear me My heart hath talked of thee Seek ye my face thy face Lord will I seek O hide not Thou thy face from me nor cast thy servant away in displeasure Thou hast been my succour leave me not neither forsake me O God of my salvation When my father and mother forsake me the Lord taketh me up Teach me thy way O Lord and lead me in the right way because of mine enemies Deliver me not over into the will of mine adversaries for there are false witnesses risen up against me and such as speak wrong I should utterly have fainted but that I believe verily to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living O tarry thou the Lords leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lord. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen The Song of SS Ambrose and Augustine WE praise Thee O Lord we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the Earth doth worship Thee the Father everlasting To thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the Powers therein To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbaoth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy Glory The glorious company of the Apostles praise Thee The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise Thee The noble Army of Martyrs praise Thee The Holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge Thee The Father of an infinite Majesty Thine honourable true and only Son Also the Holy Ghost the
but as yesterday seeing that is past as a watch in the night As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep and fade away suddenly like the grass In the morning it is green and groweth up but in the evening it is cut down dried up and withered For we consume away in thy displeasure and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee and our secret sins in the sight of thy countenance For when Thou art angry all our days are gone we bring our years to an end as it were a tale that is told The days of our age are threescore years and ten and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow so soon passeth it away and we are gone But who regardeth the power of thy wrath for even thereafter as a man feareth so is thy displeasure O teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Turn Thee again O Lord at the last and be gracious unto thy servants O satisfie us with thy mercy and that soon so shall we rejoyce and be glad all the days of our life Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity Shew thy servants thy work and their children thy glory And the glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us Prosper Thou the work of our hands upon us O prosper Thou our handy-work Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen The Song of S. Mary MY soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour For he hath regarded the lowliness of his hand-maiden For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed For he that is Mighty hath magnified me and Holy is his name And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts He hath put down the mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble and meek He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away He remembring his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel as he promised to our forefathers Abraham and his seed for ever Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it wrs in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen O Lord God who hast created the light and darkness and by the continual interchanges of day and night puttest us in mind of our transitory condition and the shortness of our abode here Give us grace to set our selves about the work of salvation while the day of salvation lasteth that when the night of death cometh and our Lord shall call us to account we may receive the reward of good and faithful servants and enter into the joy of our Master Jesus Christ Amen NOW our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God even our Father which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace comfort our hearts and stablish us in every good word and work To Him be glory for ever and ever Amen THE SEVENTH HOUR OF PRAYER AT Bed-Time About IX at Night Mark 13. 33. Take ye heed watch and pray for ye know not when the time is Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Job 1. 21. Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither Chap. 14. 12. Man lieth down and riseth not till the heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep EVENING I. AS you began so end the day with God in thanks and praise that he hath graciously preserved you hitherto and in prayer to him that he will vouchsafe still to continue his mercy and protection to you II. Remember that your days are but a span long that in the midst of life you are in death and every day brings you nearer to that long night III. Consider that perhaps many others no worse than you have this day been cut off in the midst of their days and sins and cast into the place of darkness yet the long-suffering of God hath spared you until now to make up your accounts IV. Shew your self truly thankful for this inestimable favour by making right use of it spending the time which is given you in doing some good in working while it is called to day before the night cometh wherein no man can work V. The Evening of the day is now come upon you and for ought you know the end of your life may be as nigh at hand when you shall be called to account how you have spent your time here VI. Begin therefore with your self before-hand When you have done with the world and all business and company and are retired to your privacy and quiet sit down and call your self to a strict account how you have spent this day what you have done what you have left undone what good you have neglected what evil you have committed Where you perceive you have done well give thanks to God and ascribe it and all the Honour of it to him alone who hath enabled you to perform it working in you both to will and to do Where you have omitted your duty or otherwise done ill confess and humble your self before him and earnestly desire pardon and reconciliation If you have wronged or offended any one this day desire God to forgive you and resolve to make satisfaction If any one have wronged or offended you freely forgive them and desire God to confirm your pardon by adding his How can he sleep at quiet that is not at peace with God and in charity with the World And consider that if this be done constantly and sincerely every night whensoever it shall please God to call you to judgment you will have but one day to answer for VII The Son of Man cometh as a thief in the night at an hour when you are not aware be careful that he may find you watching and imployed about his Service Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Mat. 24. 46. Evening Prayer IN the night I lift up my hands towards thy Sanctuary and bless thy Name Psal 134. 2 3. The Lord hath granted his loving kindness in the day-time and in the night-season also will I sing of him and make my prayer unto the God of my life Psal 42. 10. As long as I live will I magnifie thee in this manner and lift up my hands in thy Name Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the Incense and let the lifting up of my hands be an Evening Sacrifice Psal 14. 1 2.
labourer of his hire by want of due care in expending what we have and a good conscience in acquiring more We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By lying detraction and contumely by censuring and rash judgment by false witness and perverting the course of justice We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By uncontentedness and desiring change in our estates by giving our selves over to lustful covetous and inordinate affections by neglecting acts of Charity and doing as we would be done to and not doing our duty in that state of life unto which it hath pleased Thee to call us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By fretting our selves because of the ungodly and being envious against the evil-doer by not loving our enemies not blessing them that curse us not doing good to them that hate us nor praying for those that despightfully use us and persecute us We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By presuming to do evil that good may come thereof by placing piety in opinions by straining at Gnats and swallowing of Camels scrupling at things indifferent and making no conscience of known sins We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By running into open profaneness under colour of avoiding Superstition by guiding our conscience by humours and phansies and not by the certain rules of thy Law by having itching ears and heaping to our selves Teachers and by having mens persons in admiration because of advantage We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By impatience under thy correcting hand not endeavouring our amendment by it and reflecting on our own sins as the causes of it by despising thy chastisements and not rejoycing in tribulations nor glorifying Thee that hast counted us worthy to suffer for righteousness sake We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousness belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day By our want and neglect of those necessary Christian duties of Humiliation and godly sorrow for sin of indignation and revenge upon our selves for it of confessing and forsaking of restitution and satisfaction to others and not by bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance We have provoked and rebelled against Thee O Lord righteousnnss belongs unto Thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day WHO can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse Thou us from these and from our secret sins Psal 19. 22. Try us O good God and search the ground of our hearts prove us and examine our thoughts Look well if there be any other way of wickedness in us and lead us in the way everlasting Psal 139. 23 24. Behold O Lord we are here before Thee in our sins we stand guilty of these and many more not only of all sorts but of all degrees also and we know and confess that the least of these deserves no less than the wages of eternal death But if Thou Lord shouldst be extreme to mark what is done amiss O Lord who may abide it If Thou shouldst thus severely proceed in judgment against us our spirits should fail before Thee and those souls which Thou hast made Deal thou with us therefore O Lord not after the multitude of our sins but according to the multitude of thy mercies Turn away thy face from our sins and behold that Son of thy Love in thine own bosom that doth not only intercede but hath satisfied not only request and intreat but even require and challenge Thee to have mercy upon us For his sake therefore we beseech Thee have this mercy upon us to make us capable of thy mercies Send down the dew of thy Heavenly grace that may melt and mollifie our frozen and stony hearts that we may see and confess and hate and forsake and sincerely repent us of all our past sins and abominations and turn from the evil of our former ways to Thee that art the Way the Truth and the Life John 14. 6. And then O Lord do Thou return to us also forgive the Debt which hath been discharged by the precious bloud of thy dear Son and seal to us our pardon by the gift of thy holy Spirit which for the time to come may prevent excite and enable us to walk before Thee in holiness and rigtheousness all our days that having cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light we may like valiant Soldiers fight that good fight against all temptations of the world the flesh and the Devil that having finished our course we may receive of Thee that crown of life which Thou hast promised to them that continue faithful unto death Rev. 2. 10. And all for his sake who by his death hath overcome death and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life To him with Thee and the Holy Spirit be all Honour and Glory world without end Amen OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT OF THE Lords Supper AND THE PREPARATION Before it Psal 116. 12 13. What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me I will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord. Psal 26. 6. I will wash my bands in innocency so will I compass thine Altar O Lord. THere yet remains one principal piece of Devotion and that without which there is indeed no Devotion it being the Sacrifice in the Smoke of which our prayers must ascend up before him that sitteth on the Throne Now although God being himself a Spirit desires also to be worshipped in Spirit and in his own respect cares not for these outward and sensible performances yet because the minds of men being as it were shut up in this prison of the Body can receive little information or affection but what is conveyed to them by the Sense it hath pleased him to accommodate himself to our imperfection and infirmity and appoint certain Ceremonies or outward actions which working immediately upon the Senses are by them conveyed in unto the Soul and make on it a more powerful impression of that which is signified by those sensible actions Such are Looking up toward Heaven when we speak to God Kneeling when we pray to him Standing up when we praise him and Bowing at the mention of his Sacred Name such is the dipping in water and signing with the Cross in the Sacrament of Baptism and such is the receiving of Bread and Wine in this other of which we speak For though the
eating of Bread and drinking of Wine are in themselves actions so very ordinary that they are also very inconsiderable yet in this they are made use of to signifie to us the most extraordinary and excellent mercy that ever the Great King of Heaven bestowed upon his poor Subjects and Servants here on earth For I. It is the Commemoration of the death of his own only Son for the redemption of lost Mankind the wounding of his body signified by the breaking of Bread and the shedding of his Bloud by the pouring out of Wine II. Besides this it is also an Evidence of Gods reconciliation and favour to us and demonstration that we are in League and Amity with him in that we are admitted to his own Table to eat of his Bread and drink of his Cup. III. It is a means and instrument of conveying grace and strength to the Souls of Worthy Receivers IV. It is our Sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all his mercies and blessings particularly temporal the good things of this World the fruits of the Earth which we here offer unto him under these two Principal of Bread and Wine Of Frequent Receiving THis then being a Service so acceptable to God and so beneficial so necessary for men it were but reason to expect that all good Christians would shew themselves ready and forward to the performance of it And accordingly in the first Age of the Church when Religion and Zeal were in their youth and vigour it was the good custom to celebrate this Sacrament if not every day as it is thought yet at least every Lords day But afterward as Piety began to grow more dull and Love more cold it was by little and little brought down to once a Month. And this Order still remains in the Church of God though now somewhat disturbed by prevailing Sectaries among us And at those times the Supper is appointed to be made ready and the Table furnished for all such as can think fit to spare so much time from their worldly business to come to the Marriage-feast of the great King of Heaven For herein they are yet left to more liberty and not necessarily required to come oftner than thrice a year And truly such is the negligence of many who yet would be accounted Christians that they are not ashamed to stretch this libetty to the utmost Yea and it were well if even then they would come meetly provided and had not more respect to the Shame of the World than to the Honour of God or their own Good Certainly any sober Christian cannot consider without shame and indignation how much Mankind are fallen from their first love But that which is ordinarily brought for an excuse is in it self so unworthy and unreasonable that it makes this Neglect yet more abominable and intolerable And indeed it is somewhat worse than that for which those invited in the Gospel received a severe Censure There it was they were taken up with their several Affairs one had bought a farm or a Yoke of oxen another had married a wife and therefore they could not come But here one is engaged in such a sin which he hath no mind to leave yet another is not in charity and in general they are not prepared and therefore they cannot that is they will not come Such is the ridiculous madness of men in this barbarous and brutish Age that they can think fit to excuse and justifie one fault by pretending more and greater But if you are not prepared to meet your Saviour at his Table to celebrate the memorial of his Mercy how would you appear before him at his Seat of Judgment to which yet you know not but you may be sooner called If therefore you could wish to be always provided for Death which often comes suddenly always uncertainly think not much to bestow a little time in preparing your self for this Sacrament as often as you may have an opportunity of receiving it And those which in these days of Captivity have not that convenience of receiving from the hands of them who have authority to give it may yet do well not to omit the Duty of Preparation Let them do that which they can and for that which they cannot God will accept the will for the deed Of Preparation THE best Preparation to this holy Duty is a continued habit of holy living and frequent meditation upon Heaven and Heavenly things particularly the great mercies of God in the Bloud of Jesus Christ But because the minds of men cannot be always so intent and circumspect but that they need some more solemn Excitations and Exercises it will be requisite to set apart some few days before to be imployed more particularly in this business I. Therefore Examine your self and inquire strictly into the state of your Soul and take a view of your whole Life especially since the time of your last Recieving Observe and consider how you have performed this duty formerly whether worthily or unworthily and what good or ill effect it hath wrought in you what progress you have made in Grace and Goodness or whether you grow worse and worse in sin and what are the Causes and Occasions of either II. Confess and humble your self before God and earnestly intreat and contend for his mercy and pardon and reconciliation and grace and favour in the Merits of Jesus Christ that he will wash you from all your Pollutions in his Bloud and cloath you in the White robe of his Righteousness that so having on a Wedding garment you may be a welcom Guest to his Table And here solemnly renew that Promise and vow which you formerly made in that other Sacrament of Baptism and repeated since every time you have received this That you will forsake Sin and Satan and cleave to the Lord your God with all your heart and by the assistance of his gracious Spirit walk before him uprightly and serve him in holiness and righteousness all the days of your Life III. Consider that you are now to communicate not only with God but also with the congregation of your fellow Christians and that the Rule and Essential Character by which you are to know and declare that you love God is that you love your brother also I John 4. 21. Therefore take care to reconcile your self with the World by freely forgiving and meekly desiring forgiveness and endeavouring to restore and establish peace and charity and brotherly kindness aud right understanding between your self and all with whom you have had any kind of difference IV. Recollect and raise up your thoughts from the earth and worldly things and devoutly meditate on heavenly and spiritual matters such as 1. The Creation and Fall of Mankind and the great Miseries which we were thereby engaged in 2. The inestimable Mercy and Goodness of God in bestowing his own only Son for our redemption and restoring us again to a capacity and hope of his heavenly good things
Lord is Blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psal 34. 8. What reward shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me Psal 116. 12. Lord I offer up unto thee my self my Soul and Body and all that I am and have beseeching thee graciously to receive me for thy servant to dwell in thy House and praise thy Name for evermore Psal 84. 4. Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth THou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory and Honour and Power For thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Rev. 4. 11. Thou art worthy to take the Book and to open the Seals thereof for thou hast slain and hast redeemed us to our God out of every Kindred and Tongue and people and Nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests Revel â— 9. Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and to the Lamb. Amen Blessing and Glory and Wisdom and Thanksgiving and Honour and Power and Might be unto God for ever and ever Amen Rev. 7. 10 12. An Admonition after Receiving AND now you have thus solemnly devoted and consecrated your self to God and his service beware that you do not fall back and return to your former course of sin like the dog to his own vomit or as the Serpent which casts up his Poison when he goes to drink and when he hath quenched his thirst returns and sucks it up again And thus some are content to leave their sins at the Church-door but with an intent to take them up again when they come out But God will not be so mocked And know this That if you have well and worthily perform'd this Duty to day yet if you do not persevere in Piety as you have promised and begun not only your former sins but even the piety of this day shall one day rise up in judgment against you But a diligent Watching and wariness over your ways after this will be the best preparation against the next time OF DEATH AND now I cannot think any Conclusion more fit and proper for this daily course of Devout Life than a short meditation on that which shall be the Conclusion of Life it self I. First therefore consider the shortness and miseries of this Life That our days consume in vanity and our years Psal in trouble That our whole Life is but as a Dream and when Death awakes us we find our hands empty of all that which hath cost us so much labour and travel and sorrow and sin II. Remember the swiftness and suddenness of Death That our days are but a span-long and our flourishing but as a flower of the field which though it be not plucked up yet soon withers of it self and falls away The Young may dye soon but the Old cannot live long III. Remember that in this short life we are yet to provide for an Eternity either of weal or woe and therefore cannot be too careful how we spend every minute of that upon which depends a matter of so great so lasting importance IV. There is but one way of Birth but many ways and means of Death and our Life hangs by so small a thred that every little Chance is ready to break it off V. After Death we are immediately called to Judgment before the high Court of Heaven to give a severe account how we have performed that duty to which we were created and accordingly to receive an irrevocable sentence of eternal happiness or misery VI. The Judge before whom we shall stand is infinite both in Knowledge and Power so that it is impossible either to hide any thing from his all-seeing eye or to escape out of the reach of his Almighty hand VII The Lord cometh in a day when we look not for him and in an hour when we are not aware Let us therefore watch and wait for his coming that when he knocketh we may open unto him immediately Vers 36. How dangerous and deplorable a condition would it be to be found and taken away in the midst of any Sin or in a continued course of sinful Life On the contrary How happy and blessed and joyful a thing would it be to be found practising and persevering in that which is good Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Luke 12. 43. A Prayer preparatory to Death O Eternal Lord God who hast created the World and all Time who hast made my days as it were a span long and mine Age even as nothing in respect of thee Teach me so to number my days that I may apply my heart to thy Heavenly Wisdom and so carefully imploy this short time which thou hast appointed me to spend here so make up thy reckonings before that great day come that whensoever thou shalt call me hence I may give such an account of the Talent wherewith thou hast intrusted me that I may receive that joyful Sentence Well done good and faithful Servant Mat. 25. 21. Grant that I may be always provided with Oil in my Lamp and ready to enter in with the Wise Virgins whensoever the Bridegroom shall come and receive a blessing among those which watch and wait for thy coming So come Lord Jesu come quickly Amen Rev. 22. 20. LAMENTATIONS AND DEVOTIONS FOR THE TIMES OF CAPTIVITY Eccles 12. 13 14. Let us hear the Conclusion of the whole matter Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether is be good or whether it be evil I. IS it nothing to you all ye that pass by Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon my neck He hath made my Srength to fail the Lord hath delivered me into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men The Lord hath trodden the Virgin the Daughter of Judah as in a Wine-press and all her beauty is departed from her Zion stretcheth forth her hands and there is none to comfort her Her adversaries are the chief her Enemies prosper for the Lord hath afflicted her For the multitude of her transgressions her children are gone into captivity before the Enemy For these things I weep mine eye mine eye runneth down with water because the Comforter that should relieve my Soul is far from me My Children are desolate because the Enemy prevailed The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his Commandment Behold O Lord for I am in distress My bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me for I have
Quicken us and we will call upon thy Name Turn us again O Lord God of Hosts cause thy face to shine and we shall be whole III. O God thou hast cast us off thou hast scattered us thou hast also been displeased O turn thee unto us again Thou hast made the Land to tremble thou hast broken it Heal the Breaches thereof for it shaketh Thou hast shewed thy people heavy things thou hast made us to drink the Wine of Astonishment For thou hast forsaken and abhorred thine Anointed and hast been displeased at him Thou hast broken the Covenant of thy Servant and hast profaned his Crown to the ground Thou hast broken down all his Hedges and made his Strong Holds a Ruine All that pass by spoil him he is become a reproach to his Neighbours Thou hast set up the Right hand of his Adversaries thou hast made all his Enemies to rejoyce Thou hast also turned the edge of his Sword and givest him not victory in the Battel Thou hast made his glory to cease and hast cast his Throne down to the ground The days of his Youth hast thou shortened and covered him with dishonour How long Lord wilt thou hide thy self for ever Shall thy wrath burn like fire Behold O God our Defender and look upon the face of thine Anointed Comfort us again now after the days wherein thou hast afflicted us and the years wherein we have seen adversity Shew thy Servants thy Work and their Children thy glory And the Glorious Majesty of the Lord our God be upon us IV. TRuly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt For I was zealous at the foolish when I saw the Prosperity of the wicked For they are in no peril of Death but their strength is firm They are not in trouble with the weak neither are they scourged like other men Therefore Pride compasseth them as a Chain Violence covereth them as a Garment Their eyes swell with fatness they have surpassed the imaginations of their heart They deride and speak maliciously from on high they speak Oppression They set their Mouth against the Heavens and their Tongue walked through the Earth And they say How doth God know Is there Knowledge in the most High Behold these are the Ungodly these prosper in the world they increase in riches Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency If I say I will speak thus I should offend against the generation of thy Children And I thought to know this which was grievous in my eyes And I went into the Sanctuary then understood I the end of these men Surely thou settest them in slippery places thou castest them down into destruction How are they brought into desolation As in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a Dream when one awaketh so Lord when they awake thou shalt destroy their shadow Fret not thy self because of the evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green Herb. I have seen the wicked in great power aud spreading himself like a green Tree And he passed away and lo he was not yea I sought him but he could not be found Mark the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace But the Transgressors shall be destroyed together and the end of the wicked shall be cut off For the Salvation of the righteous of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they trust in him Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen PRAYERS I. O My God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee my God for our iniquities are increased over our head and our trespass is grown up unto the Heavens Since the days of our Fathers have we been in a great trespass unto this day and for our iniquities have we our Kings and our Priests been delivered into the hand of the Enemy to the sword to Captivity and to a Spoil and to confusion of face as it is this day O Lord God of Israel thou art righteous Behold we are before thee in our trespasses for we cannot stand before thee because of this Nevertheless for thy great mercies sake consume us not utterly nor forsake us for thou art a gracious and merciful God Now therefore our God the great the mighty and the terrible God who keepest covenant and mercy let not all the trouble seem little before thee that hath come upon us on our Kings on our Princes and on our Priests and on our Prophets and on our Fathers and on all thy People Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but we have done wickedly Neither have our Kings our Princes our Priests nor our Fathers kept thy Law nor hearkened unto thy Commandments and thy Testimonies wherewith thou didst testifie against them for they have not served thee in their Kingdom and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them and in the large aud fat Land which thou gavest before them neither turned they from their wicked works Behold we are servants this day and for the Land that thou gavest unto our Fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof behold we are servants in it II. O Lord the great and dreadful God keeping the Covenant and Mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his Commandments we have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the Prophets which spake in thy Name to our Kings our Princes and our Fathers and to all the people of the Land O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of face as at this day O Lord to us belongeth confusion of face to our Kings to our Princes and to our Fathers because we have sinned against thee To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses though we have rebelled against him Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws which he hath set before us by his servants the Prophets therefore the Curse is poured upon us and he hath confirmed his words which he spake against us and against our Judges that Judged us by bringing upon us a great evil for under the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem O Lord according to all thy righteousness I beseech thee let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy
holy mountain because for our sins and for the iniquities of our Fathers thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake O my God incline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the People which is called by thy Name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thine own sake O my God for thy people are called by thy Name III O Lord God destroy not thy People and thine Inheritance which thou hast redeemed through thy Greatness which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand Look not unto the Stubbornness of this People nor to their Wickedness nor to their Sin lest the Land whence thou broughtest us out to say Because the Lord was not able to bring them into the Land which he promised them and because he hated them he hath brought them out to flay them in the Wilderness Yet they are thy People and thine Inheritance which thou broughtest out by thy mighty Power and by thy stretched-out Arm. O my Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from us nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Abba Father all things are possible unto thee take away this Cup from us nevertheless not ours but thy will be done Amen TWO PRAYERS For the Peaceful re-settlement of this Church and State IV. A Prayer for the Church O Blessed Lord who in thine infinite mercy didst vouchsafe to plant a glorious Church among us and now in thy just judgment hast permitted our sins and follies to root it up be pleased at last to resume thoughts of Peace towards us that we may do the like to one another Lord look down from Heaven the Habitation of thy Holiness and behold the ruines of a desolate Church and compassionate to see her in the dust Behold her O Lord not only broken but crumbled devided into so many Sects and Factions that she no longer represents the Ark of the God of Israel where the Covenant and the Manna were conserved but the Ark of Noah filled withall various sorts of unclean Beasts and to complete our misery and guilt the spirit of division hath insinuated it self as well into our affections as our judgments that badge of Discipleship which thou recommendest to us is cast off and all the contrary wrath and bitterness anger and clamour called in to maintain and widen our breaches O Lord how long shall we thus violate and defame that Gospel of Peace that we profess how long shall we thus madly defeat our selves lose that Christianity which we pretend to strive for O thou which makest men to be of one mind in an house be pleased so to unite us that we may be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgment And now that in Civil affairs there seems some aptness to a Composure O let not our Spiritual differences be more unreconcileable Lord let not the ronghest winds blow out of the Sanctuary let not those which should be thy Embassadours for Peace still sound a Trumpet for War but do thou reveal thy self to all our Eliah's in that still small voice which may teach them to Echo thee in the like meek treating with others Lord let no unseasonable stiffness of those that are in the right no perverse obstinacy of those that are in the wrong hinder the closing of our wounds but let the one instruct in meekness and thou be pleased to give the other repentance to the acknowledgment of the Truth To this end do thou O Lord mollifie all exasperated minds take off all animosities and pre udices contempt and heart-burnings and by uniting their hearts prepare for the reconciling their opinions and that nothing may intercept the clear sight of thy truth Lord let all private and secular designs be totally deposited that gain may no longer be the measure of our Godliness but that the one great and common concernment of truth and peace may be unanimously and vigorously pursued Lord the hearts of all men are in thy hands O be thou pleased to let thy Spirit of peace over-shadow the minds of all contending parties and if it be thy will restore this Church to her pristine state renew her days as of old let her escape out of Egypt be so entire that not an hoof may be left behind But if thy Wisdom see it not yet a season for so full a deliverance Lord defer not we beseech thee such a degree of it as may at least secure her a being if she cannot recover her beauty yet O Lord grant her health such a soundness of constitution as may preserve her from dissolution Let thy providence find out some good Samaritans to cure her present wounds and to whomsoever thou shalt commit that important work Lord give them skilful hands and compassionate hearts direct them to such applications as may most speedily and yet most soundly heal the hurt of the daughter of Sion and make them so advert to the interests both of truth and peace that no lawful condescention may be omitted nor any unlawful made And do thou who art both the wonderful Counsellor and Prince of peace so guide and prosper all pacifick endeavours that all our distractions may be composed and our Jerusalem may again become a City at unity in it self that those happy primitive days may at length revert wherein Vice was the only Heresie that all our intestine contentions may be converted into a vigorous opposition of our common enemy our unbrotherly feuds into a Christian Zeal against all that exalts it self against the obedience of Christ Lord hear us and ordain peace for us even for his sake whom thou hast ordained our peace-maker Jesus Christ our Lord. V. A Prayer for the King and State O Most gracious Lord who dost not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men who smitest not till the importunity of our sins enforce thee then correctest in measure we thy unworthy creatures humbly acknowledge that we have abundantly tasted of this patience and lenity of thine To what an enormous height were our sins arrived ere thou beganst to visit them and when thou couldst no longer forbear yet mastering thy power thou hast not proportioned thy vengeance to our crimes but to thy own gracious design of reducing and reclaiming us Lord had the first stroke of thy hand been exterminating our guilts had justified the method but thou hast proceeded by such easie and gentle degrees as witness how much thou desiredst to be interrupted and shew us that all that sad weight we have long groaned under hath been accumulated only by our own incorrigibleness 'T is now O Lord these