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A40831
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The Family prayers of those poor Christians who in court and country, in cities, towns, cottages and farm houses, are in good earnest with religion : together with their way of intercession or praying for others.
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1675
(1675)
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Wing F355; ESTC R18017
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7,316
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23
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THE FAMILY-PRAYERS OF THOSE POOR CHRISTIANS WHO IN Court and Country in Cities Towns Cottages and Farm-Houses are in good earnest with Religion Together with their way of Intercession or Praying for others LONDON Printed by A. M. for R. Royston Bookseller to his Most Sacred Majesty at the Angel in Amen-corner 1675. The Family-Prayers of those poor Christians who in Court and Country in Cities Towns Cottages and Farm-Houses are in good earnest with Religion ââgether with their way of Intercession or Praying for others 1. THE Sum of our Christian Religion In the Name of the âââer and of the Son and of the ãâã Ghost Amen 2. The Prayer of Prayers that ââerein we ask all things necessary for ââers as well as for our selves for ãâã and for Body for our happy liâââ in this world for our happy goâââ out of it and for our most happy ââining of that better world that is ãâã come namely Our Father which ãâã in Heaven With this preparation âââd not by all but by one only ââus pray for our selves and all others âhe Lord Jesus Christ himself hath not only taught but also command us to pray and to say Our Fatââ which 3. The General Thanksgiving ãâã that blessing of God for all his merciââ that he is much pleased with naââly Glory be to the Father and to ãâã Son and to the Holy Ghost As it ãâã in the beginning is now and ever ãâã be world without end Amen With ãâã Introduction said not by all but ãâã one only let us bless the Lord ãâã God for all his Mercies in that foââ of words which he greatly delights ãâã Glory be to the Father and 4. The Blessing of Blessings uââ and to our selves The Grace of ãâã Lord Jesus Christ and the love of Gââ and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost with us all evermore Amen Being not able with any patience think of living without comââ Prayers in their respective Familââ they have used themselves to own thâ God in common as they could wââ they could not as they would ãâã ashamed they say they were the riââ ãâã learned sort should go beyond them ãâã the duty it self though they do or ãâã least seem to do in the manner of ââsormance Set and long Meals they ãâã are used among them and also set ãâã long Family-Prayers But though ãâã neither of these could they equal ãâã yet equal if not exceed them ãâã would do as in the wholesomââ of their meats never eating ãâã when they are hungry so also in ãâã devoutness of their Morning and ââeaing Family-Prayers Because these ãâã them are nothing but these four ãâã now set down said aloud and ãâã leisurely and deliberately and âânctly by all Parents Children ãâã Servants and all that are preââ And this upon these two grounds ââââg sundry other ãâã Because they assure themselves ãâã devotion is from them and any ãâã Believers true and acceptable deââân to that God who hath commandââ and knows the full importance ãâã though we do not and has promised to hear and answer it not according to our unworthy and narrow understanding of it but according to his own All-seeing Mind and Meaning in it 2. Because this way of Family-Prayers 1 All 2 together and 3 upoâ their knees saying these things botâ Morning and Evening is such as thâ most busie and most employed Familâ that is may have time for And yeâ such too as the most slender and ignorant Ruler whether man or woman is able to perform And yet that whicâ being offered to God with true Devâtion Attention and Intention is ãâã him as acceptable as any Prayers whaâ soever nay not the less but the moââ acceptable for the fervency occasionââ by the Brevity Because they can offââ it most leisurely and considerately aââ so most earnestly and ardently Aââ hereunto That owning their God evâry day thus in common they do assuâ themselves whatever falls out to theââ it shall be and is a Dispensation or Blâsing out of Sion or such as Religiââ âââs sanctified to them especially when âvery one of and in the Family has a great charge laid upon him and her âor daily performing his or her own ââcret and personal Devotions accorâing to his or her own secret and persoââl Necessities Occasions and Impulses The Worship it self 1. In the Name of the Father and of ãâã Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen 2. Let us pray for our selves and all âthers as the Lord Jesus Christ himââlf hath both taught and commanded ãâã Our Father which art in Heaven Halââwed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come âây will be done in Earth as it is in Heaâen Give us this day our daily bread ând forgive us our trespasses as we âârgive them that trespass against us ând 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 3. Let us bless the Lord our God for all his Mercies in that form of words which to him is most acceptable 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 4. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore Amen Besides this shorter ordinary way of Family-Prayers they have also whensoever they see they have time enough a larger way of praying but still by this Prayer of Prayers For first they say it for the Holy Catholick Church or for the whole estate of Christs Church militant here upon Earth with this Introduction Let us pray for the whole Estate âf Christs Church militant here upon âârth And then most devoutly and âeisurely do they in the Name of the father Son and Holy Ghost offer up the Lords Prayer all the while thinking of the whole Church Next for the Particular Church wherein they are with the Governours of it with this preparation Let us pray for our King and this whole Church and State And then ãâã the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost saying Our Father which ârt most leisurely and fervently all the while thinking of the King and all his Dominions both in Church and State After this for the particular Neighbourhood whereunto they do belong and the particular Guide thereof with this Introduction Let us pray for our Minister and this whole Parish where Gods Providence hath seated us And then In the Name of the Our Father which art Both most religiously and leisurely uttered all the while thinking of their respective Parish and Minister In the fourth place Let us pray for all Enemies Persecutors and Slanderers c. In the fifth For any sick weak or otherwise in Danger Necessity and Tribulation Namely in the Let us pray him or her or them to whom they are ready to be so charitable In the sixth For the blessing of God upon the fruits of
the Earth In the seventh for any emergent especial occasion for instance for the Parliament when sitting for Ordination of good Ministers before the four Ordination-Sundays For any Women in travel any friend in a journey or engaged in any dangerous weighty business For seasonable weather c. Concluding still in the same manner for themselves then gathered together thus In the last place Let us pray for our selves here now assembled In the Name of the Father c Glory be to the Father c. Our Father c. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ c. Now the way how they came to be consident and resolved in this way of praying for others as well as for themâelves was this First with great comfort and thankfulness of heart they did think much of that most merciful gift of Christ to his Church the Lords Prayer Secondly with no less cheerfulness and encouragement did they consider That the Lord Jesus in express words bids them whenever they pray to say that Prayer When ye pray saith he Say Our Father c. Luk. 11.2 Thereby plainly teaching them that it was by him intended for all times occasions and purposes whatsoever And being there is nothing necessary either for Soul or body either for this or for the life to come but therein couched it is and comprehended and meant and understood by God the composer and hearer of the Prayer though not by us perhaps the offerers In devout asking of all the blessings and of the whole matter of this Prayer not according to their own weak and low understanding of it but according to Gods wisdom in it and his most gracious and fatherly intention towards Mankind by it I say in devout leisurely and considerate putting up this Prayer unto God they did assure themselves they prayed most worthily and acceptedly for Friends for Enemies for Children for Parents for Masters for Servants for King for Church for State for Priest for Neighbours for Pastors for Guide for any sick or otherwise distressed If all the while they offered up this Prayer upon this or that occasion all along they thought most wistly and affectionately of him her it or them that they then meant good to Nay they then assured themselves they had prayed for him her it or them as to the hearer of Prayers was acceptable and so to the person or persons or body prayed for effectual or beneficial one way or other In the third and last place whereas some perhaps may object and say that understand they cannot how any mans Faith Repentance or Religiousness can benefit another nor can they call to mind that ever they knew their Prayer for any else had ever the desired effect and event This rub they were taught to put out of their way by these five Considerations 1. It is indeed no sense nor reason at all that any mans Religiousness or Devotion should in the least benefit any besides himself no nor himself neither but only that God hath promised that it shall Here here is all the power and energy of Prayer God hath commanded it for others as well as for our selves and in six hundred places hath promised to be overcome by it at such time and in such ways as he sees most fit and necessary So not the Prayers themselves but Gods promise that upon our Prayers he will do so and so This is the All in All. But if those six hundred Promises were not in Scripture so express yet the commands for praying for others being most express it were enough Because as every promise almost does suppose a command so also does every command imply a promise this command for instance for Intercession that prevail it shall for God never commands frivolous fruitless and successless things 2. As to the event and real effect of Prayers the Word they were taught informs us to this purpose 1. That the Creature is to do his duty and to leave the issue to God the event being Gods care and business not the Creatures Mark 4.26 27. So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground and should sleep and rise night and day and the seed should spring and grow up he knows not how 2. That the event is always that which is best though not that which the Votary did particularly aim at As when Saul sought for nothing but his Fathers Asses but met we know with the Kingdom of Israel And Abrahams Prayer for all Sodom is answered by the signal deliverance of his neer kinsman Lot for so saith the Text And it came to pass when God destroyed the Cities of the Plain that God remembred Abraham and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when he overthrew the Cities in the which Lot dwelt Gen. 19.29 Nay omnibus positis the world being as it was and is nothing could be can be better than it was and is Besides they that wait upon God in his ways especially that of praying for others as well as for themselves these do always find all events good unto them and to the universe one way or other for to such the Lord who made Heaven and Earth and rules all makes all events to be blessings out of Sion as the Psalmist speaks Psal 134.3 That is to be not only Secular events but also Sion-blessings or such as he uses to sanctifie to his Church to Sion and all praying Believers and likewise to enable them to be well contented with them be they never so harsh and distastful to flesh and blood yet still something of comfort and satisfaction do they by vertue of their walking in the ways of Sion sind and deprehend in them according to that most Orthodox and most common word of the believing Hebrews when any thing very cross fell out to or upon them Gam zu le tobha would they say Even this for good For the unerring eye of Providence or Omnividence said they saw and sees what was and is best and most necessary for the universe and so according to occasions made and makes or suffered and suffers that still to fall out 3. When those we pray for such as the impure Sodomites have made themselves uncapable of our Charity yet is our Zeal and Charity to do good not the less but the more acceptable in the sight of God and returns with the choicest of all answers into our own bosoms that is with an increase of the choicest Grace that is more and more Heavenly-mindedness and more and more publick spirit 4. All labour in vain is not vain labour that is labour in vain as to this or that particular design is not vain labour as to the general aim of Christianity and Religion No that many times is most attained and promoted when the other may seem quite blasted and defeated Ye poorer and unlearned see your advantageous and easie way of Family-prayers in your Brethren and be not so great enemies to your own Souls and