and in the life to come Amen A prayer to be kept from all vncleannesse of our Lustes O Most eternall and gracious GOD thou art pure and perfect but we are most impure and polluted all the faculties of our soules are full of corruptions and our bodyes are fraught with infirmities those parts of our bodies and of our mindes which should be the seruants of our soules doe draw vs to be slaues to euil affections Our eyes which are ordained to behold contemplate the wonderful workmanship of the world and of all the creatures therein contained do commonly become like vnto sluces and flood-gates to carrie and conuey lust and Concupiscence vnto our harts and our harts which shold be as Clossets to keep thy Commandements are for the most part made the members and instruments of sinne and of Satan This O Lord we confesse is our wofull and wretched condition Yet thou O most mercifull God art able to cleanse vs from these contagions of our vncleane lusts purge vs we beseech thee and we shall be pure keepe vs from inward infections of our owne euill imaginations from outward temptations which lasciuious sights and dallianceâ— and fleshly prouocations pull vpon vs and that by the assistance of thy holy Spirite when these temptations assalt vs pray vnto thee beseeching thee to be our buckler and our strength in the time of our weaknesse our stay when we are ready to fall and that by thy power wee may resist and repel all the sensuall and fleshly lustes which are in vs and fight against vs. Wee haue no helpe nor no hope but in thee defend vs giue vs the victory and take the glory vnto thy selfe deliuer vs from these noysome lusts and giue vs grace to giue thee praise to whom all honor belongeth So be it good Lord Amen A Prayer before the hearing of the Word preached THy Word O Lord is a light vnto our feete and a Lanterne vnto our paths Thy word preached is the propagation of thy glorious Gospell it is the seed that fructifies knowledge conscience Let it not therefore be as good seede sowen in barren soyle but first clense the weedes and corruptions which growe in the vnfallowed fields of my heart And then most gracious God when thou hast remoued those impediments of faith and feruency make my heart by hearing thy holy word a harbour of sanctitie and sincerity And in this O Lord prepare me to hear to beleeue to receyue retaine and to remember the lessons that shall bee taught out of thy Sacred Word take away in the hearing thereof all drowsinesse distraction and coldnesse of zeale In this I pray not onely for my selfe but for the people in all places professing thy trueth for their profit and for thy glorie Send forth Labourers into thy Vineyard teach them to plant make vs to be plyant in hearing learning and following So shall wee haue sustenance vnto our soules reape the fruites of those fields that thou hast giuen vs and we shall giue vnto thee nothing but what is thine and belongs to thy Maiestie which is all honour glory praise and dominion thorow Iesus Christ our onely Lord Sauiour Amen A Prayer after the hearing of a Sermon MOST mercifull and mighty gouerner of heauen of earth amongst all thy blessings multiplied vpon mankind there is nothing doeth more magnifie thy Maiesty or helpe the infirmities of vs miserable Creatures then the manifestation of our weakenes and wickednesse in the reuelation of both and reconciliation of thy selfe after all our infinite transgressions thorow the suffering of thy Sonne his mediation and the Ministerie of the word preached Of this O Lord we haue bin vnprofitable hearers and learners We haue heard with our eares but yet we haue beene vnprofitable hearers We haue not felt and followed that we haue heard we haue bene told and plainely taught our sinnes but wee haue not amended them nor truly repented for our misdeeds We haue learned somewhat though but little haue performed and practised lesse the fault is ours yet let it not good Lord stand in the way of thy grace to stop from vs good things but as thou hast prouided for vs the word of life and hast conueied it by thy conducter men like our selues the Ministers and Preachers of thy Gospell so graunt that we go not from this exercise of preaching and publishing thy holy word like vnto empty vesselles which whilst they are moued and strucken vpon yeeld some sound but afterwards lying still afford neyther sweetnes sauour nor good liquor O Lord blesse fructifie our hearing make vs not onely hearers but dooers of thy word make it a sauour of life vnto life and not of death vnto death teach vs thereby to amend our liues to increase knowledge and conscience to yeelde comfort in afflictions strength and support in temptations and when we shall depart the world we may carry with vs a testimony of good Consciences that we haue profited by the word haue thereby learned to loue our Brethren to forsake sinne to imbrace righteousnesse to liue and to die well and that by faith in Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A Prayer before the receiuing of the Lords Supper BLessed Lord wee do not presume to present our selues before thee in the receyuing of this Sacrament celebration of thy Sonnes last Supper as beleeuing we are of our selues worthy to be partakers of thy heauenly banquet For we acknowledge our great greeuous sinnes our manifold mistakings our vnbeleefe vncharitablenesse hardnesse of heart selfe-loue pride and presumption with many other transgressions wherby we are made most vnworthie to come vnto thy heauenly Table Yet O Lord as it is thy holy Ordinance instruct and help vs to do that which may make vs more meete partakers of this spirituall Manna To this end take from vs our corruptions and carelesnesse in thy seruice graunt vs true repentance for our sinnes past for the trespasses that we haue committed against thee and those that professe thy trueth Lord euen now giue mee thy vnworthy seruant being so vnable of my selfe to doe this or any other spirituall duty a right and regenerated heart a sanctified soule purged from former pollutions by thy power and the grace of thy holy Spirite a desire to forgiue all men and to be forgiuen of all men to forsake sinne to follow thy holy Lawes Suffer not Sathan to worke in me his will any more but that as I now come to receyue this Sacrament so I may be a partaker of the benefites of our Sauiours death and suffering wherof this is a symbole that thorow his death sinne may dye in me and thorow his resurrection I may rise to newnesse of life A Prayer after the receiuing of the holy Communion WEE blesse and praise thy holie name O heauenly Father that amongst all thy innumerable benefits thou hast bestowed this is not the least but greatest mercie vppon mankinde to send thy Sonne our Sauiour
our frailty and assist vs with his holy Spirit against such temptations Also when wee begin and after wee haue begun our prayers we must bring with vs and keepe with vs this consideration and resolution not to seeke so much temporall as spirituall blessings at Gods hands And if our necessities call vpon vs to craue temporal blessings yet let our desires be so farre limited alwayes to submit our wills to Gods heauenly will let vs begin to begge of God things spirituall before temporal blessings though both be necessary and neither to be neglected To all this must bee added Charity in pardoning offences that are committed against vs according to the president precept which our Sauiour himself hath set downe in that forme of prayer vvhich ought to be the rule of all our prayers and so reconciling our selues first by charity to our aduersaries we may come with more cleere Consciences and more acceptable sacrifice in our supplications vnto God For if wee aske forgiuenesse of our sins and do not forgiue others wee can find but little assurance to obtaine what we aske So then we see it is not fit nor safe to runne rashly vnto prayer without preparation premeditation faith repentance reconciliation and resistance of temptations CAP. VI. An entrance to Prayer HAuing prepared our mindes and our heartes for Prayer we may then most safely make our entrance into it which consisteth chiefely of these parts Inuocation Confession Laâ—ding or Thankesgiuing Supplication Inuocation is a calling or appellation on the name of God most high Which declareth denounceth the attributes belonging to the nature of God and these doe concerne his Iustice Mercie Power his Prouidence His Iustice as a most iust God who by thy Iustice doest distribute dispose vnto all creatures all that belongs and is most fitte for them who therby dost gouerne and guide 〈…〉 and men with all that is in heauen and earth His Mercy as thus Most mercifull and gracious God whose mercy is aboue all thy other wonderfull workes in pardoning and preseruing from destruction and in sending thy Son to saue sinners The inuocation of Gods Power may bee made after this manner O God of vnspeakeable power and might which madest all things of nothing by thine owne onely word wisedome and art able at all 〈◊〉 â—â—ing all this againe vnto nothing The inuocation of Gods prouidence may be in this wise O Lord God of wonderful wisedom he whose prouidence all things are preserued and from whose wisedome we haue all our knowledge and wisedom These and the like inuocations according to the appellation and declaration of Gods attributes uttered in this or the like sort may serue as some instruction to the ignorant so from Introduction and entrance into their prayer vntill by practice they bee made more perfect as the first part thereof yet to be altered amended augmented as euery mans capacity and ability shall affoord him meanes Next to Inuocation in prayer Confession hath her proper place For if we haue offended God as there is no man but dayly and hourely doth it then it is most needfull 〈◊〉 first we do confesse our selues before we ask any benifits This Confession is of two kindes the one generall the other particular That generall as when one doth declare and deplore his greeuous sinnes that hee is polluted with the same thoroughout all his parts and faculties the latter which is a mention and recitall of seuerall sinnes such as euery man may finde himselfe to bee most burdened with as those which were last committed most fresh in memory namely that this day of late I haue done these euils in thy sight I haue seduced such personnes I haue slandered my neighbour I haue in this denyed or darkened the truth I haue harbored these euil thoughts of such persons without iust cause giuen I haue followed this vaine desire affected this fond inuention presented to me by others or entertayned by my selfe I haue not withstood such an euill worke when I could haue done it I haue bene silent in such a cause when I might haue made the truth manifest And so of our seuerall sinnes either committed whereof wee may take knowledge or of necessary duties omitted which in Christian dutie wee ought to haue done when wee make faithfull confession vnto God ioyned with some repentance and the same accompanied with acknowledgement Thanksgiuing for mercies receiued are the best preparatiues in our prayers After this and the like both generall and particular confessions of our sins in prayer vnto God a lauding and a thankesgiuing for the blessings imparted vnto vs wherof we ought to be sensible and not to be silent comes next in place For it were vnseemly inconuenient and improuident to ask any new good turnes of any man before we return any shew of thankefulnesse for what good we haue receiued so would it bee as vnbeseeming and altogether as vnprofitable for mortall man to pray vnto the immortal God for any encrease of mercies before hee acknowledge those which haue beene formerly powred on him The forme of this praise and thankesgiuing may bee made after this manner We praise and magnifie thy Diuine Maiesty most glorious God for thy fauour and goodnesse extended alwayes on vs sinfull Creatures since our Creation for giuing vs vnderstanding of thee and of thy wil for preseruing maintayning and protecting vs more particularly for c. Lastly supplication or petition is to be made especially for the pardoning of our sinnes for freeing and keeping vs from falling into the same or the like againe for the obtayning of spirituall graces and of temporall necessities for the pardoning of sinnes it may bee in such like sort Thou that art the God of mercy shew mercie and compassion on me a most miserable sinner Lord let thy mercie shine aboue all thy other works Cast not thy louing countenance from me bewayling my many heynous transgressions Lord God thou seest our wantes and our weakenesse I beseech thee strengthen me in body and in health Blesse me in estate that I may be the better able to serue thee and imploy what thou shalt affoord according to thy sacred will pleasure The supplication for spirituall graces may be after this wise Though wee haue deserued no goodnes hauing done so much euill yet according to thy wonted goodnes grant vs such graces and heauenly gifts as may make vs blessed in thy sight and beloued of thy Saints Giue me a stedfast faith an humble contrite heart penitence for all my sinnes past watchfulnesse ouer my waies for time to come zeale of thine honour and glory a loue of thy truth and of such as loue the same an vnderstanding heart to discerne it constancie in following and keeping thy commandements teach me to examine mine owne heart to search it strictly to see if there yet remaine any hypocirsie or hollownesse in it Take from mee the temptations of lust vaine-glory malice sensuality
into the world to suffer for vs sinners to redeeme vs from life to death to lay downe his owne life to saue vs from damnation This thy mercie as it is vnspeakeable and vnualewable O Lord wee acknowledge it to bee so great that we cannot giue thee condigne prayses but doe pray thee to accept our weake sacrifices in the Eucharisticall reioycing rendering of laud vnto thee for the suffering of thy Sonne to offer himselfe vnto death euen for them that were become enemies to our gracious God breakers of thy Couenants defilers of thy Sabaths haters of truth truce breakers loaden with sin and voyde of grace Now most mercifull Lord God that thou hast vouchsafed vs this fauour to approach vnto thy blessed Table and to renew the seale of the Couenant graunt likewise for a farther addition of grace for the increase of thy glorie that we may approach neerer and neerer vnto thee by newnesse of life watchfulnesse ouer our owne wayes firmenesse in faith constancie in keeping thy Commandements obedience to thy holy word and will and this thorow the helpe of thee our Lord which only art able to saue those that serue thee Amen A prayer in the time of vnseasonable weather THe heauens the earth and all the Creatures therein contained thou O Lord hast ordained thou in thy eternall counsell and prouidence hast appoynted seasons of the yeere fit to produce and propagate things needfull for the sustenance and vse of man and hast vsually sent weather fit for those seasons but our sinnes which onely make a seperation betwixt thee and vs haue caused some alterations of these seasons hath sent many times vnseasonable weather wherby the fruits of the earth haue not come to their full ripenes the Cattle haue not theyr nourishment and man by this meanes wants things necessâ—ry All this and other thy chastisements we confesse do come from the demerits of our owne sinfull liues which draw on deseruedly thy iust indignation Yet O Lord since only thy mercie can free vs from miseries first free vs from our sinnes the causes of them and then from the punishment they haue procured Make our harts cleane so make the weather seasonable vs moderate in the vse of thy creatures them holsome to vs and with the amendment of the weather amend our liues and forgiue our sins So chaunge vs that thy chastisement may be taken away and by this let vs learne to consider thy power to confesse thy mercie and to set foorth thy praise throughout all ages Amen A Prayer to be vsed vvhen dearth and scarsity comes O Most gracious Lord God thou which diddest permit Iosephs Brethren to sell to send him into Egypt that hee being carried from his father into a strange Country might there in time of most want and necessitie after the ouer-passing of his owne afflictions be able to make prouision not onely for his Fathers Family but also for his countrey from which hee was carried So wee good Lord being solde by our owne selues vnto sinne Sathan thereby carried into the Egypt of Ignorance and Iniquitie doe beseech thee by thine owne mercies to grant vs true repentance that the scarsity thou hast sent may bee remooued Encrease our Faith zeale sorrow for our sins with amendment of life and therewith encrease our store the fruits of the earth and prouision of the Land that hauing sufficiencie wee may therewith haue content and thankefulnesse Comfort vs in thy mercies and consolations in the continuance of thy loue Let vs not O Lord with the prodigall Sonne mispend our times estates and thy blessings but with the penitent Publican lift vp our hearts and hands vnto Heauen say still from the heart God be mercifull vnto vs miserable sinners So good Lord take away this dearth and our sinnes which will bring vs vnto death A Prayer in time of plague and pestilence THe Contagion and corruption of our bodies comming O Lord from the sinnes of our soules brings all the diseases of our bodies and dangers of our liues So are we filled with infection which threatneth death vnto vs when as we see others dayly die before our eyes Since then good Lord thou giuest vs a sight and continual representation of our mortality giue vs also a sense and a true feeling with a thorow repentance of all our sinnes past the causers of all our woe distresse and perill and as our first parent by his fall and our naturall parents by theyr transgressions haue drawn vppon themselues and vs death and destruction and we our selues by our actuall iniquities haue added more curses to our particular persons and to the publike state wherein wee liue so yet good Lord remember thy Couenant of Grace remember the Sonne of thy loue and his sufferings whom thou hast sent into the world for the redemption of mankinde let these thy former and long continued mercies mooue thee to continue thy compassion in remoouing thy iudgements from vs in renewing the graces of thy holy Spirit in teaching vs to repent and renounce our former euill liues Then let thy Angel and Messenger of good tydings our Mediator sprinkle the postes and doores of our hearts with the blood of that Paschall Lambe who hath shedde his blood for the sinnes of the world in such sort that receiuing grace from thy all-giuing grace our sins and punishments for the same may cease and wee may with purified hearts after all our pollutions learn to publish thy praise and hauing receyued deliuerance for the contagion of soule and of bodie may be made instruments of thy glory both in this world and in the world to come A Prayer for increase and continuance of spirituall giftes and graces O Almighty God though wee are weake and not strong of our selues specially in the spirituall graces which might make vs beutifull corner-stones in thy Celestiall building yet thou good Lord who hast created Heauen and Earth and doest conserue all heerein contayned art able by thy wonderfull Workemanship not onely to begin and to beget but to increase and to preserue in our hearts the seedes of humility penitence patience piety zeale and other good sauing Graces We are thy creatures and thou our Creator therefore though we haue long dwelt in darkenesse yet now send vs the light of thy countenance to enlighten our vnderstanding the seale and testimony of thy holy Spirit to assure our hearts and consciences of thy loue and of our saluation To this end giue vs fortitude and corage to maintaine thy cause and to defend the trueth a subduing power to master our owne lustes and to subdue our sinnes wisedome from aboue to withstand the assaults of Sathan so of Captiues made Conquerors and of slaues vnto sinne and sathan made subduers of them both We may by the same thy mercy and power magnifie thy Maiesty hallow thy name not only in this world but in the world to come thorow all Ages euen euerlastingly So be it and so
cause it to be done good Lord Amen A Prayer to bee prepared for death OVr liues good Lord we see are short and most vncertain our souls are full of sinne our selues are subiect to many dangers wee couet possessions and preferments but know not how long wee shall enioy them nor are wee assured who shall haue them when we leaue this life Most mercifull God teach vs so to meditate and so to measure this spanne and short space of fading life that finding how fraile it is wee may passe this our pilgrimage in a conscionable course not mispending time in vaine or vicious liuing waiting for the time of our dissolution awaking our spirits from sin and security wherein we haue laien as in a slumber drawing on to death Good God giue vs faith in the blood of thy Son repentance for our former euill wayes reconciliation by thy mercies and the mediation of our Redeemer Shut vp our exterior sences from those obiects of sinne which betraid our soules settle our interiour sences to repose freed by thy fauours from Passion Anger Ambition Concupiscence Couetousnesse Lust Vncharitablenesse Vnbeleefe and all other wickednesse which defile and destroy our soules so being purged from our polutions and being guarded and guided by thy good gouerning Spirite wee may make this life a meditation of death the time to come a cure of former trespasses and the conclusion of all to be thy glory the good of thy Church the maintenance of thy trueth finally the saluation of our soules through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen A prayer to be vsed when death drawes neere O LORD this sinful and vncertaine life which I haue led being now drawne neere amend I beseâ—ch thee that hast hitherto prolonged life and now doest dispose death purge me from my sinnes past by the precious blood and powerfull death of thy Son our Sauiour Christ Iesus in his wounds and by his sufferings wash away our sins In this short season of my time almost all spent grant me hearty repentance for my transgressions a longing desire of a better life a change not onely from my corruptions but from all my former failings and as natural strength growes weaker so grant that spirituall Graces in mee may grow stronger Helpe Lord to quicken my sinfull sences to quiet my conscience with assurance of thy fauour and mercy Be with mee by thy all-assisting aide as in my life so at my death that neither sinne death nor hell may haue the conquest ouer mee but so strengthned saued commending my spirite and soule vnto thy safeguard thou that hast made it will vouchsafe to saue it for thy Sonne and for thy owne mercies sake I come Lord come thou vnto me I faint Lord strengthen me My life departs yet saue my sinfull soule Lord I come helpe me to come vnto thee Lift vp mine eyes my hands my heart Lord receiue and saue my soule Let this last sentence be often said as long as speech doth last and bee inwardly conceiued when words cannot bee vttered FINIS The Table A Prayer for deuotion in prayer 58 Morning prayer in a Family 61 A morning prayer to be vsed in priuate 66 A prayer for the Euening in the Family 68 A priuate prayer for one going to bed 73 Certaine Meditations and short eiaculations of prayers to bee vsed in the night 75 A praier for deliuerance from temptations 77 A prayer for patience in time of wants and dâ—sgraces 80 A prayer in time of sicknes 83 A prayer for knowledge 89 A prayer to bee kept from all vncleannesse of our lustes 92 A prayer before the hearing of the word preached 96 A prayer after the hearing of a Sermon 99 A prayer before the receyuing of the Lords Supper 103 A prayer after the receiuing of the holy Communion 106 A prayer in the time of vnseasonable weather 109 A prayer to be vsed vvhen dearth scarsity comes 112 A Prayer in time of plague and pestilence 115 A Prayer for increase and continuance of spirituall giftes and graces 119 A prayer to bee prepared for death 124 A prayer to bee saide when death drawes neere 127 FINIS